News Archives - September 2013

Rise of the mini-break holiday

No one can be certain why the number of mini-breaks taken in Britain jumped by more than 60 per cent this year, but great weather, squeezed household budgets and even the current vogue for glamping (link) are said to have all played a part. The popularity of the four-day mini-break appears to have been at the expense of the traditional…

Intelligent bicycle brakes

It would seem strange if a car’s brake pedal worked only the front wheels, so why do bicycles have separate levers to control the front and rear stoppers? There are already twin-cable brake levers on the market for bicycles, but the drawback of such a system is that an equal amount of pressure front and rear, which is not always…

Britain’s youngest cycling champ is three

It is now possible to become a world cycling champion without even turning a pedal. Three-year-old Yaroslav Shemanov beat over 1000 other riders to win top spot in the British Balance Bike Championships earlier this month. How best to learn to cycle? Cycling is a hugely valuable life skill that helps children with coordination, balance and motor skills, fostering a…

Bicycle smashes motorway speed limit

How fast do you ride your bike? A commuter cyclist might average 15-18mph and a professional 25-28mph, but even a Tour de France champion descending a mountain stage would fall far behind the 83.13mph achieved this week by a team of Dutch students in their VeloX3 fully-faired recumbent bicycle. The speed sets a new world record for the fastest un-paced…

Hand-painted cycle helmets

The jury might be out on the efficacy of cycle helmets, but most people seem to agree that they can be of some benefit to racers, mountain bikers and the very young. The challenge facing parents who choose for their children to wear head protection is how to make helmets seem appealing. An imaginative, if expensive, answer to the problem…