News

You might have thought the ignominy of the dieselgate scandal might have put an end to car makers cheating emissions tests. However, a report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) has discovered 'suspicious' NOx emission levels in 77%–100% of tests, indicating the likely use of a prohibited so-called 'defeat device'....

Applying the N+1 bike ownership model is all well and good, but many of us are constrained by limited space and finances. If you have to restrict yourself to one bike, what should it be? Individual needs vary, but the range of bikes on sale today can be bewildering. A trip to your local bike shop will see you confronted with any number of...

The anti-cycle theft smoke bomb we featured last week inspired us to take another Heath Robinson-style flight of fancy. Thieves might be becoming ever more brazen, but the last thing they'll expect to confront is a bicycle paint bomb. Hidden within the tubing of our fiendish DIY bike rack is a canister of brightly coloured 'criminal...

Let's herald the change of season with the sounding of bicycle bells - that most under-valued of accessories. It's a legal requirement that bicycles start their lives with a bell fitted, but these are invariably cheap and nasty so they're usually quickly removed. However, good ones can be things of beauty - and useful, too. We have a choice...

Prendergast Ladywell School in Lewisham, London, was first promised a pedestrian crossing in 2012. They're still waiting. And that's despite three children having been hit by cars on the road outside their school gates. Over the years, frustrated parents have been been told by council officials that a safe crossing would reduce parking...

The more you cycle, the more you notice how many motorists are using mobile phones illegally. The threat of six points and a £200 fine appears to be no deterrent. And the most maddening thing is that there's already a solution - ask any young motorist who's covered by the insurer Marmalade and they'll tell you all about it. A condition of...

There's no shortage of people who'll offer to repair your carbon frame bike should it get damaged. If you don't have an insurance policy that offers replacement over repair, how do you know your bike is in safe hands. A few years ago we thought it would be interesting to use test the quality of carbon frame repairs for ourselves. We sent a...

It's easy to overlook the fact around five people every day are killed on British roads. One of the victims this week was a 12-year-old boy was was killed by the driver of a van who is currently being held by police on suspicion of being unfit to drive. We tolerate a level of killing on our roads that would be considered entirely...

A lack of police enforcement and secure parking, coupled with the advent of cordless angle grinders, has created a perfect storm for cycle theft. It got us thinking about how we might foil a bike thief if we applied a little lateral thinking - and channelled our inner Heath Robinson. Using little more than a standard water bottle, a...

It's not always convenient to fix a flat at the roadside so it makes perfect sense to carry a spare inner tube and take the damaged one home to repair at your leisure. To encourage this kind of re-use, we've got a puncture repair kit to give away. Up for grabs is a dhb micro saddle bag, Topeak Micro Rocket pump and a Park Tool tyre and tube...