Bicycle thieves continue to target parts of Richmond

7:20am Wednesday 30th May 2012 in News

By Christine Fleming

Look out: Cycle thieves are still hitting Richmond

Cyclists have been warned to safely lock up their bikes as thieves continue to target the borough.

Police said Richmond was attractive to crooks who scoured stations and town centres looking for expensive cycles.

Cyclist Gino Rosato lost three bikes worth £2,400 in just a year, with thieves stealing two of them within a fortnight.

He had left them outside Twickenham stadium, Teddington station and a house in Whitton.

He said: “Apparently bike theft is the highest reported crime in this area so surely can nothing more be done to prevent this?

“I haven’t got a new one just yet as I can’t afford it. An awareness campaign would be great but also ideas like getting your bike marked by police and having them spend a bit more time looking out
at certain hotspots.”

Acting Chief Inspector of safer neighbourhoods Hannah Wheeler, of Richmond police, said: “Bike theft is a crime that can take mere seconds to commit and the culprits are often aided by bike owners
leaving their cycles poorly secured in public places, outside their homes and in sheds and garages.

“This is at great expense to cyclists whose bikes are worth hundreds, sometimes thousands, of pounds.

“Regardless of the bike’s value, the impact of its theft can go beyond affecting the victim. Once stolen, a bike, whether high-value or clapped out, can be used to commit other crimes and
antisocial behaviour in the community, and can be sold online to help fund a criminal’s lifestyle.”

Acting Chief Insp Wheeler urged people to report thefts to police to help them build a picture of which areas of the borough crooks were targeting.

She also encouraged riders to secure their bikes with two different types of lock to make it harder for opportunistic thieves.

She added: “Keep your bike locked up inside your home if you can. Front gardens, back gardens and even sheds − which often are not well secured − are all too easy for opportunists to take bikes
from.”

Cyclists can also get their safer neighbourhood team to security mark their bike, or can visit bikeregister.com.

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30th May 2012: British Cycling are set to approve a bid from a city thought to be London for the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Championships in 2016 with the Velodrome (pictured) on the Olympic Park lined up to stage the event.

Although the bid must still be rubber-stamped, UK Sport representatives, including the Director of Major Events and International Relations Simon Morton, and Sport and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson held positive discussions about the issue at SportAccord Convention in Québec City last week.

UCI President Pat McQuaid, also at the Convention, revealed that no bid has yet been tabled, but said he is aware of the plan.

“The bid phase for 2016 is still open and I understand that a number of cities are interested in bidding for the event,” McQuaid told insidethegames.

“I understand that it is something UK Sport is considering so we will wait and see.”

The plan could also include a simultaneous bid for the BMX World Championships on the Olympic venue located opposite the Velodrome on the Velopark, built for London 2012, should the city be put forward.

The Velopark is located at the northern end of Olympic Park and consists of the Velodrome, BMX racing track, a one-mile road course and a mountain bike track, which provides the option of potentially hosting other cycling blue-ribbon events, such as the Road World Championships.

A successful bid would be a major boost for the sport in Britain as its looks to capitalise on London 2012, where cycling is expected to be one of the host nation’s most successful sports due to strong gold medal contenders including Sir Chris Hoy (pictured above at the Velodrome) and Mark Cavendish.

Sir Chris competed at the test event at the Velodrome in February and was full of praise for the facility, calling it “one of the best in the world”.

The sport has already announced that the first post-London 2012 event in the new Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will be a two-day cycling festival which, it is hoped, could become an annual London Marathon on wheels.

The proposed event in August 2013 will involve 70,000 participants for a ride around the capital’s landmarks on day one, while day two will involve 35,000 riders, including 200 of the world’s elite performers, in a 100 mile race.

Both events will take place on traffic free roads and start at the Olympic Park, with the race likely to finish either on The Mall, as the Marathon does, or at another nearby iconic venue.

In other event related news, it has been announced that the Minsk Arena in Belarus will host the 2012 Championnats d’Europe Piste Masters from the 13th-17th August in addition to the 2013 World Championships.

Panevezys in Lithuania has been chosen to host the Championnats d’Europe Elite fron the 19th to 21st October 2012.

Content – Inside the Games

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Epsom cyclist to ride from London to Paris to raise awareness of stroke

8:10am Wednesday 30th May 2012 in Epsom

By Hardeep Matharu

Jon Burchell’s father suffered a stroke in April

A cycling enthusiast is taking on a mammoth ride to raise money and awareness after his father suffered a stroke.

Jon Burchell, 40, of Brook Mead, Epsom, will cycle from London to Paris as part of a ride organised by The Stroke Association.

Mr Burchell’s father, Michael, 76, suffered a stroke on April 12 and he said it has changed the family’s lives forever.

Up until the stroke, Mr Burchell’s father, a chiropodist, was a known workaholic, who has never had a day-off sick during a career spanning 50 years.

Mr Burchell said: “My dad had always been such an active man and to see him knocked down with such immediacy has been so distressing for the whole family.

“My Dad, like any other stroke victim, has an uphill struggle to recover from this. I have every faith though that he will. Not least because he is the hardest working person I have ever known.”

Mr Burchell said that with May being Action on Stroke month, he wants to raise awareness of issues around stroke, which he believes are under-represented in the media.

He said: “I love the open space and love riding my bike, but this will be an entirely new challenge for me.

“I’m doing it to say thank you for those people that are caring for my dad, to raise as much money as I can for such a worthwhile cause as the Stroke Association and, having just turned 40, to get
myself fit and hopefully avoid a stroke in the future.”

This Sunday, June 3, Mr Burchell will be holding a stall at the Epsom Farmers’ market selling cupcakes and other items to raise money for The Stroke Association, and handing out balloons and
leaflets with information about strokes.

To make a donation to the Stroke Association, sponsor Mr Burchell at www.justgiving.com/jonburchell and visit www.stroke.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do to learn more about the Stroke Association’s
work.

For information about Action on Stroke Month visit http://www.stroke.org.uk/professionals/action-stroke-month-2012

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She will be joined in October by Olympic bronze medallist Jo Jackson, former Commonwealth champion Ross Davenport and ex-swimmer Mel Marshall to raise £50,000 for Sport in Action, backed by British Gas and UK Sport.

Leaving Britain on October 3, the swimmers will spend four days cycling from Livingstone to Lusaka in the Bike for Africa challenge, supported by British Gas and UK Sport, to the capital Lusaka.

They aim to raise at least £50,000 to go towards extending an existing Aids hospital, and during the course of their visit they will visit UK Sport-backed charities and stay with local families.

The swimmers will also give lessons at a pool which is funded by money already raised by former world, European and Commonwealth medallist Marshall, who became a Sport in Action ambassador after she retired following the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

‘I didn’t even have to think about it, it was such a great idea,’ said Adlington, who admitted she has not been on a bike for 10 years.

‘It’s a very different challenge – it’s not going to be easy, it’s going to be extremely tough but we’re perfectly willing to do it for the greater good.’

She joked that she would seek advice from fellow gold medal winner cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, and revealed that her biggest fear was some of the insects they may encounter on the way.

‘I think that is going to be the worst thing, the bugs and stuff,’ she said.

‘Things like spiders I just can’t deal with so that is probably going to be the most difficult part for me.’

CYCLISTS say Plymouth is on the path to pedal-powered success, after being named the UK’s ‘most bike-friendly location’.

The city triumphed in a nation-spanning survey of cycle routes and bike repair services.

The Virgin Money study also assessed the number of accidents in each town and city, along with bicycle theft rates.

Plymouth came out on top thanks to low crime levels and few serious or fatal accidents.

Although many called for further improvements, cycle enthusiasts said the news followed years of nurturing Plymouth’s growing network of cycle paths.

The city-based YOGi Cycling club, the South West’s largest, said it could not recall a single theft of a bike from one of its 400-plus members. Social secretary Lynda Mctier said the number of accidents involving the club’s members – who collectively cycle over a million miles a year – was also “amazingly low”.

She said: “The city still has a long way to go to make it fully friendly for the cyclist, especially young families, but the survey does show the city is heading in the right direction.”

Gareth Thomas, project coordinator at Devonport-based Bikespace, a not-for-profit organisation that trains bicycle mechanics, praised Plymouth City Council for securing Government cash and investing in cycle routes.

“There have been huge improvements in the cycle network in the last few years,” he said. “Plymouth is a beautiful city to cycle in.”

But Rob Scott, who runs City Cycle Couriers in Cattedown, said he was “surprised” to see Plymouth come out on top. “I don’t think the cycle network has come on that much,” he said. “There are still lots of potholes about. But I do think there are more people on bikes now than there used to be, which is definitely a good thing.”

Mr Scott’s concerns were echoed by 63-year-old David Gibbs, who cycles daily between his Widewell home and Devonport Naval Base, where he works.

He said city cycle paths – in particular one along Tavistock Road – were under-maintained.

“That one is an accident waiting to happen,” said Mr Gibbs. “It’s overgrown and the state of the actual surface is terrible.”

Fellow cyclist David Cook, from Peverell, added: “My personal experience hasn’t been particularly positive. Cycling in the city centre is a way to take your life into your own hands.”

Mr Cook bemoaned city cycle paths that stopped abruptly – and others that took cyclists on roundabout routes.

The 43-year-old said he had also been the victim of theft, after leaving his bike securely locked up in the city centre.

“There should be more and better cycle paths available,” Mr Cook added. “But there are positives; more people are getting out and about now than they used to.”

Green and pleasant

Enjoy the great outdoors in Lincolnshire’s Easton Walled Gardens (01476 530063; eastonwalledgardens.co.uk), where the Meadows Days celebration on Sunday and Monday will show off the best of British meadows and orchards. The “lost” gardens, which date back to 1592, will host bee walks in the meadows, an owl flying display and the chance to try Morris dancing. Admission £6.25. Or head to the Botanic Garden at Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire (01249 730459; nationaltrust.org.uk) on 7-8 June for Bee-utiful world, with bee-related activities for children and adults. Admission from £7.90.

Active escapes

Freewheel past some of the South-east’s royal highlights on a cycling tour along the River Thames from Kew to Windsor. Capital Sport (01296 631671; capital-sport.co.uk) offers a three-day self-guided “Luxury Royalty Diamond Jubilee Tour”; the price of £550 includes bike hire and accommodation. Trips begin on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. To avoid the flag-waving, sign up for a family bootcamp with Northern Bootcamp (0845 467 3750; northernboot camp.co.uk) in Northumberland. A five-night Family Fit and Active camp starting on Saturday costs £500 (£250 child), full board.

Festival fever

Festivals are not just for grown-ups. Wychwood Festival (01993 772580; wychwoodfestival.com) at Cheltenham Racecourse starts on 8 June with three days of music, comedy, theatre and dance, designed to appeal to the whole family, as well as circus acts, a children’s literature programme and poetry, performance and drama workshops. Adult day tickets from £37; children from £10.

Or head to the Lake District and the Forest of Delights at Friars Crag, Derwentwater, for a special temporary four-day art installation hosted by the National Trust (01768 774649; nationaltrust.org.uk/borrowdale). With a chance to meet the artists involved and learn new crafts at outdoor workshops, the free event finishes with One Enchanted Evening next Wednesday, 6 June, an evening of music from local choirs.

The poet Robert Burns is celebrated from today until Sunday in Ayr at the Burns an’ a’ That Festival (burnsfestival.com), with literary events, music and a picnic in Wellington Square Gardens.

Make a splash

The Fal River Festival in Cornwall (01326 313394; falriver.co.uk) celebrates life on the river from Friday until 10 June, with more than 150 events at different locations on the Fal, including a fish festival on Sunday and Monday in Falmouth. Kayakers will be paddling along the river from Loe Beach on 6 June, stopping for a beach barbecue on the way back (01872 300800; loebeach.co.uk; entry from £17). The Brewin Dolphin Scottish Series (brewindolphinscottish series.com) runs from Friday to Monday on Loch Fyne, with yacht races, highland dancing, face painting, music and fireworks.

Screen test

The Museum of Science Industry (0161 832 2244; mosi.org.uk) in Manchester is celebrating the centenary of code-breaker Alan Turing’s birth. Special events include the chance to meet “Baby”, the world’s first stored-program computer, built at Manchester University in 1948, on 5 and 7 June. On Saturday, children will have the chance to decode a cryptic message on a modern version of the Enigma machine. In addition, daily workshops throughout half term will show how to programme a 1980s BBC Micro computer, until 10 June. Free

Time traveller

Relive the preparations for a royal visit by stepping back into the Edwardian era at Brodsworth Hall and Gardens (01302 722598; english-heritage.org.uk/brodsworth) near Doncaster. From Sunday to Tuesday, the stately home will be transported to 1912, with a school for potential new servants and the arrival of King George V and Queen Mary during the day, plus Punch Judy shows, falconry displays and a travelling cinema. Adults £9.30, children £5.60.

Teenagers will love the vintage stalls and retro photo booths at Powys Castle (01938 551 944; nationaltrust.org.uk/powis-castle) in Welshpool on Monday, as well as a vintage funfair. Admission £2.

The National Motor Museum (01590 614614; beaulieu.co.uk) at Beaulieu is hosting Fifties-themed events from over the bank holiday weekend, with cars from the era and free traditional funfair rides. Admission £10.

Warwick Castle (0871 265 2000; warwick-castle.com) is welcoming back jousting medieval knights on Saturday, along with 9km of bunting, as part of its half-term events. Admission from £12.96.

Meanwhile, Muncaster Castle’s (01229 717614; muncaster.co.uk) five-day Festival of Fools in Cumbria begins on Monday, including a time-travelling storyteller, children’s jousting and the International Jesters’ Tournament. Admission £13.

Who said that?

“Life is one long jubilee” – Ira Gershwin.

“A procession has value in but two ways – as a show and as a symbol, its minor function being to delight the eye, its major one to compel thought, exalt the spirit, stir the heart, and inflame the imagination” – Mark Twain, writing on Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

“Jubilee slouches in the settee / He losing all will to move” – Blur, Jubilee.

Naturally regal

Learn about the royals of the sea during special talks being held at the Sea Life London Aquarium (0871 663 1678; visitsea life.com/London) at County Hall in London from Saturday to Tuesday. Celebrate marine creatures with majestic links, including predatory Crown Squirrelfish, blue and yellow Regal Tang, solitary Emperor Angelfish and territorial Jewel Anemone. There’s also time to admire the unchallenged rulers of the sea by strolling across the glass walkway above the shark reef, home to 15 of the impressive creatures, including two Sand Tiger sharks. Admission from £17.82

Insider information

“The jubilee provides one of those ‘anything goes’ opportunities to get into the party spirit. Take along flags, wear patriotic hats or best of all, wear a costume that reflects the event you are attending. We are giving small prizes to the best children’s costumes at our jubilee events – and if adults make the effort, we’ll find something for them too.” Emily Burns, head of events at English Heritage (0870 333 1181; english-heritage.org.uk).

Published on Tuesday 29 May 2012 11:58

A half baked idea by a group of Royal Air Force employees to motorcycle their way round the UK visiting a number of RAF bases has blossomed into a full-blown charity project that will benefit Glenrothes reports, NEIL HENDERSON.

The idea ‘took off’ after the group of pilots and ground support staff, who are also keen motorcycle enthusiasts had the idea of visiting RAF bases that have a connection with Leonard Cheshire, the highly decorated World War II bomber pilot who received the Victoria Cross.

The idea soon developed into 1,200 mile bike ride with the result of raising some much need funding for Leonard Cheshire Disability Homes in Glenrothes and York.

One of those involved was John Middleton Regional Commandant for Scotland and Northern Ireland Cadets, he explained: “It started out as a bit of a folly to go on this Leonard Cheshire trail, but soon we were working out just how we could go about such a trip.

“We’re all bike enthusiasts and then it was suggested we make all the effort worthwhile and what better way than helping the disability charity that he set up.

“So we’ve persuaded people to sponsor us and we expect to raise in excess of a thousand pounds which will be split between the disability home here in Glenrothes and one in York close to our base.

“There’s six of us, with the oldest being 68 years old on motorbikes and we’ve got a support vehicle team of a further two bodies which have followed on behind us on the designated route.

Those involved are all stationed at RAF Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire and will complete the round trip in four days having used RAF Leuchars in Fife as one of their stop over locations.

John added: “”It’s actually been harder work than we first expected but the hospitality and generosity shown by all the staff at the bases, particularly here at the Leonard Cheshire home in Glenrothes has been quite overwhelming.”

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This article titled “Five great commuter bikes” was written by Martin Love, for The Observer on Tuesday 29th May 2012 11.17 UTC

I’ve been commuting to work by bicycle for more than 25 years; endless hours of stop/start riding on grimy roads pockmarked with deadly potholes. Not only is it a battle against the weather, but you’re taking your chances with zoned-out pedestrians, aggressive minicabbers and myopic lorry drivers, too.

But that was the bad old days. The past few years have seen an explosion of urban cycling and the pastime is now basking in something of a golden moment.

And, perhaps inspired by the phenomenal successes of Bradley Wiggins, Victoria Pendleton and Mark Cavendish, the arrival of the Boris Bikes or the realisation that cycling is cheap, quick and eco-friendly, a new generation of fresh-faced “cycos” is saddling up and taking to two wheels.

The more of us there are out there, the better for all. It’s safety in numbers. So step off that bus, and start pedalling your own trusty steed. The city is your oyster. Here are five very different bikes that may appeal…

Brompton H3L, £810

The ultimate folding bike, the Brompton is to city cycling what origami is to paper napkins. It features a full-size steel frame mounted on two dinky wheels. The remarkable thing about it is that you forget you are sitting on a bike that can collapse to the size of a briefcase in three easy steps. It’s light so it is genuinely portable and its small wheels and big gearing means it rides brilliantly with the zip and immediate handling of a go-kart. The pompous name combined with its roots as a bike designed to whip city boys from train terminus to leafy suburban mansion can leave a nasty taste of overweening entitlement, so counter that by opting for one in a ridiculous colour. brompton.co.uk

Foffa Ciao, from £500

One of the newest bike brands on the block – and a success story based purely on the bike boom. Vintage-bike nut Dani Foffa started working on old bikes in 2007 from his tiny flat in east London while keeping his day job in the City. A couple of years later he quit and teamed up with trendy photographer Tyson Sadlo to create Foffa bikes. Since then they’ve launched four models including the Ciao, which is designed to be the optimum commuter bike. It’s light, comfortable, durable and compact and, like all the Foffa range, can be customised in any way you want from a range of artist-designed stickers and paint jobs. What better way to stand out from the Lycra loons? foffabikes.com

Pashley Britannia, £625

Pashley is one of England’s longest-established bicycle manufacturers. Its hand-built, stately rollers have been trundling out of the factory in Stratford-upon-Avon since 1926. The names of the various bike models give you an idea of what’s in store. The flagship ride is the Princess, then there’s the Guv’nor, the Clubman and the Roadster. But in Jubilee year, surely it has to be the Britannia? Made from traditionally lugged and brazed steel, it comes with a large front wicker basket, a Brooks leather saddle and is available, of course, in red, white or blue. You’ll also have to consider investing in a tweed cycling cape to complete the look and always carry a flask of piping-hot Bovril in case of breakdown, either mechanical or emotional. pashley.co.uk

Velorbis Scrap Deluxe, £875

Just look at those balloon tyres! You feel as if you are riding on a pair of circular marshmallows. The Scrap Deluxe takes the old cruiser frames of West Coast America and updates them for the modern city cyclist. It’s heavy and slow, but it’s also virtually indestructible. One thing every cyclist new to commuting should know is that you’re best to take your time – hammering along urban streets almost always ends in tears, road rash or worse – so this is the bike to take it easy on. The sit-up-and-beg style gives you terrific visibility and a commanding position on the road. Both men’s and women’s versions are available – though both share the same chunka-munka aesthetic – and all come with the accessories that make a ride to work more civilised: mud guards (those muddy badger stripes don’t look good in the boardroom), chain guard, rack and dynamo-powered lights. velorbiscycles.co.uk

Wilier Toni Bevilacqua, £599

Unless you live in a hilly city, you may want to abandon the hassle of changing gear and go for the pared-down simplicity of a single-speed bike. Remember your old Sturmey-Archer three-speed? Well, it’s just like that, except minus two gears – essentially you are stuck in second. City cyclists love a single-speed because it means less maintenance and an uncluttered aesthetic. Wilier is a veteran Italian bike builder (despite sounding a bit Dutch), and this retro-tastic steel frame, based on an original design for track champion Toni Bevilacqua, is seriously classy. The baby-blue frame and polished aluminium wheels make it a real head turner at the lights. The bike also comes with a flip-flop hub. That doesn’t mean its politically ambivalent, just that you can switch between riding it as a ”fixed” or “free” wheeler. Beginners go for free. wilierbikes.co.uk

Green cars: 2,500 km on a litre of fuel? Come on…

If you think that the only way to reduce your carbon footprint is to take to two wheels, think again. Last month in Rotterdam, the Shell Eco-marathon Europe 2012 proved that almost inconceivable miles per gallon can be achieved with the right technology.

In the UrbanConcept category, Team Electricar Solution from France achieved a new record with 262.6 km per kWh in the battery electric fuel class; while DTU Roadrunners from the Technical University of Denmark improved on a record they set last year by 102.1 km per litre, achieving 611.1 km per litre.

In the Prototype category, the MAC Eco Team from The Netherlands obtained a result of 416.3 km per litre in their GTL powered vehicle, smashing the previous record set in 2011 of 138 km per litre.

Highlights from the results included a win from previous winners Team Microjoule-La Joliverie (France), achieving a result of 2,832.8 km per litre in the Prototype Gasoline fuel class. Hungarian team GAMF came closer to them than any team has for many years, but just missed out on the title.

The results have set an exciting precedent for next year’s event. “We’ve seen the closest competition for the title for many years,” said Norman Koch, Global Technical Director, Shell Eco-marathon. “The new record for the UrbanConcept battery electric is amazing given the higher level of track navigation required this year.”

Off the track, teams received awards for achievements including technical innovation, team spirit and safety. Team Shelly from Aston University, UK, picked up the Eco-design award for their focus on sustainable driving. Their car, which runs on hydrogen, has a body made from cardboard sandwiched between plywood certified by the British Forestry Commission. Its tyre covers are made from bio-resin, infused with hessian fibres. The whole structure can be collapsed for easy delivery.

To see pictures of the event, go to

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shell_eco-marathon/ and to see video, go to http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL027E2B6D9900A88Ffeature=plcp

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News Media Limited 2010

Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.

Fresh from her whirlwind week of parties, promoting and photo shoots in Cannes, Kelly Brook looked as delightful and awake as ever as she took to her bike in Regent’s Park in London to promote the Sky Ride campaign.

Rex

Kelly Brook leads the latest Sky Ride campaign

Most of us would be wearing some kind of fetching cycling outfit, like leggings or trousers tucked into our trainers, a wind-protecting jacket and helmet, but not Miss Brook, oh no. Ever the stylish sexbomb, she opted for a pretty little dress, wedge heels and a cascade of flowing hair.

Kelly has been taking part in the Sky Ride campaign, an initiative to get Britain cycling, for a few years now and her latest appearance certainly doesn’t disappoint!

Rex

Kelly Brook: on yer bike!

Sky Ride is an initiative set up by British Cycling and Sky to promote organised traffic-free, safe rides across the UK.

Speaking to LOOK magazine at the big launch in one of the prettiest parks in central London, Kelly admitted she she’s a keen cyclist and doesn’t even mind having windswept hair from getting her pedal on!

“I love a casual windswept hair do, embrace it I say!” she said, probably while waving her perfect bouncy locks around in slow motion.

Oh, if only we didn’t get helmet hair like you, Kel…

• Hot hot hot – Kelly’s photo shoot in Cannes!

Cero AR30 Superlight alloy clinchers (John Whitney/BikeRadar)

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Cero is an in-house wheel brand from UK retailer Cycle Division, and the AR30 Superlight alloy clincher is the debut model in the range. Cycle Division have been developing Cero hoops for the last 18 months, with deep-section carbon wheels among the new items being readied for launch this summer.

The AR30s certainly have the lightweight element dialled – the combined weight of 1,390g (760g rear/630g front) is more than competitive at £349.99. They’re built with Cero hubs 20h/24h front/rear on a 30mm rim with Sapim CX-Ray spokes.

RST

RST deal mostly in motor racing clothing and protection, but their cycling range includes the Ventec helmet (£49.99). Weighing in at 241g (medium size, large also available) it features 30 vents, has a dial tightening mechanism and comes in gloss white and gloss black on top of the model shown below. 

One Man and His Bike, by Mike Carter

Mike Carter’s new book, One Man and His Bike, chronicles his decision to head straight past his London office and carry on pedalling. It suddenly dawned on him that if he followed the Thames straight out to sea and kept the water on his right, he would eventually arrive back at Blackfriars Bridge, only on the other side of the river.

The 5,000 miles in between would take him along the Northumberland coast and on to the Gower Peninsula, Land’s End, Hull, Edinburgh and Liverpool – all from pedalling up Queen Victoria Street. His book details his reliance on the hospitality of strangers, the characters he met, random acts of kindness, plus his encounters with drunken priests and drag queens, gnome sanctuaries and hippy communities. It was a five-month journey, over which he rediscovered a level of happiness he thought he’d lost forever. 

It seems like an audacious move by Carter, to have upped sticks and carried on cycling past his office on an impulse. But then we learnt that he was already an award-winning travel writer, and that this adventure was seemingly an extension of what he already does for a living.

The book will be reissued by Ebury Press on 7 June, at £7.99.

Kelly, by David Walsh

Irishman Sean Kelly was one of the most successful one-day professional cyclists of all time, and can count no less than nine of cycling’s Monuments among his considerable palmares. He won many of the sport’s biggest races at a time when continental Europe had a stranglehold on them, and was a guiding light for other British and Irish riders to follow in his wake, including compatriot and friend Stephen Roche.

First published during the heart of his career, David Walsh’s biography of the softly spoken Kelly brings to life not only his career but pro cycling as it was in the mid-1980s. It also reveals Kelly’s attitude to drug-taking and wheeling and dealing in races. The book has been reissued after the previous edition sold out, though no new chapters are included. It’s priced at £19.95, and published by Mercian Manuals. 

Look Mum No Hands

With the Tour de France just around the corner, London cycling cafe Look Mum No Hands have got in the mood with this Tour-themed cycling cap (£8). Apparently they sold out in minutes last time round, so you’d better move quickly to get your hands on one. A Union Jack cap to get you into the Olympic spirit is also available at the same price.

Challenge

Here’s the latest tyre from Italian tyre-maker Challenge. It’s called the Parigi-Roubaix open road tubular. Open tubs use the same technology as regular tubular tyres (non-woven threads give a higher thread count and suppler tyre, for example) with the convenience of a clincher fit. The tyres below come in 700x27mm with a TPI (threads per inch) of 260. The extra width and lightweight construction make them ideal for cobbled routes such as the professional course that inspired the name.

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