News

As online shopping slowly erodes independent shops, our towns and cities are becoming increasingly homogenised. Furthermore, the important community spaces that existed not only to shop, but to meet, to use a public loo or to simply sit on a bench and watch the world go by are becoming ever more desolate as trees, public conveniences and...

We have a new entry to our Cycling Hall of Shame. Only a matter of few weeks since we reported on a school in London that required its pupils to secure written permission from the head teacher before they cycle to school, comes news the news from one particular school in Banstead that they require kids to display a number plate on their...

What if you could take the most effective way of fuelling an electric motor and combine it with the world’s most efficient vehicle? The result would be a fuel cell electric-assist bicycle. The Alpha can be refilled with hydrogen in only two minutes - enough to deliver a range of 100 km on a single charge. Whereas battery-powered pedelecs...

The Extra Mile is a new guide book that steers motorists away from grim motorway services and into tasty local alternatives. It offers a hand-picked and dependable list of brilliant and independent outlets with good-quality local food (often direct from makers and growers), space for children and pets to let off steam, fascinating...

The news that Oxford Street is to be free of motorised traffic couldn't come soon enough. Research by King’s College recently found nitrogen dioxide levels on London’s Oxford Street to be the worst on Earth – a shocking revelation that is prompting new restrictions on the type of vehicles permitted to enter London. Dr David Carslaw,...

There’s no shortage of bicycle cleaners on sale at this time of year…in fact, we ourselves gave a bottle away last week. However, we think we’ve stumbled upon a cheap, quick, efficient and non-toxic alternative that costs £2-£3 per bottle. Method multi—purpose cleaner is aimed at kitchen use but it does a marvellous job of blasting through...

Inspired by a cooking technique demonstrated on the Spanish version of Masterchef, Dr Alvaro Garcia, from the Nottingham Transportation Engineering Centre (NTEC), was inspired to use microcapsules of sunflower oil to create self-repairing road surfaces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1MoPxZsUoY As cracks appear in the road surface, tiny...

Electric cars offer an answer to the air pollution that kills 50,000 a year in Britain alone, but they remain expensive and a challenge to charge. Motorcycle manufacturers are as painfully aware of the writing on the wall for the internal combustion engine as their car making colleagues. Without exception they are investigating, if not...

Dirty bikes don’t work as efficiently and look forlorn. Cheer up your bicycle this autumn by entering this prize draw to win a Muc-off SiS Kit worth £26. The kit Contains: Muc-Off Nano Tech 1 litre biodegradable bike cleaner (no harmful acids, CFC's or solvents) Muc- Off Bike Protect 500ml Muc-Off Wet Lube 120ml Water Bottle Hydration...

Could the River Thames be about to become the world's widest and wettest cycle lane? Coming soon to rivers and lakes near you, the Manta is an electrically assisted pedal-powered hydrofoil designed to recreate the sensation of cycling on water. From the look of the demonstration video, the design appears to handle calm waters with ease....