I had been wanting to do this trip for a while and April 2023 was set. Logistics were to drive to Glasgow with experienced bikepacker Udo and catch the train to Inverness. Overnight at the Inverness Youth hostel and start the Badger early the following morning. The Badger Divide is a mainly off road route from Inverness to Glasgow. It links up various trails, including the Great Glen Way, West Highland Trail and the John Muir Way. I also wanted to ride in the Trossachs National Park where the gravel riding is the best in the UK, so I routed the Badger Divide Plus. 256 miles and 23000ft of clim ..read more

With a couple of days off and more dry weather in the forcast I decided to take my Kona Unit on its first bikepacking trip. I wanted to give it, and me a test with some pretty uneven terrain and hills but still having "type 1" fun. South Wales seemed to be perfect. Just over 2 hours by car I plotted a return loop from Newport to Talybant Resovoir in the Breacons. Just over 90 miles and 6500ft of ascent. Not as far or as much climbing as the SDW, but I knew the tracks would be more challenging. When I set off along a disused railway line in Newport I thought I had brought the wrong bike. Smooth ..read more

I last tackled this 100 mile off road route about 25 years ago, on a 26" wheel rigid mtb. So I thought it was about time to give it another crack, but this time on my Kona Libre CR. I carried everything I would need and wild camped in a bivy about 50 miles in. This is a cracking route, with amazing vistas, flowing tracks and plenty of places to refule. But you must enjoy hills as there are plenty of them ..read more

Oh no - it's that time of the year when you leave in the dark to go to work, and then return home in the dark. Bit of a tunnel, if you get my drift. With cycling the name of the game is to be SEEN! It's the minimum requirement. Then there is to SEE. So, when you ride along a street at night time, even if the wonderful LED street lighting is bright, you need to be seen by other road users. Then, when the street lighting is minimal or not present, you have to SEE where you are going. There are a range of lights which have this 'see me’ factor to them. These will be fine if you know that your ro ..read more

At Recycle a Bike and the Rusty Bike Café we have regular customers who have become great supporters of our cause. One cyclist in particular, Dave Morrison is quite central to many cyclists in the area and has branched out from his club activities by setting up his own 'hub' that meets on occasion to enjoy rides in the West London area (Sometimes known as the West Thames Area etc.) I decided to check out his website www.westlondoncycling.com and it was crammed with great information. And the beauty of it seems to be a collective of cyclists with no hard core goal of competing for club and coun ..read more

E-Bikes, E-mountain bikes, E-Gravel Bikes, E-Commuters, be nice to them! They're easy to maintain, all you need to do is put together a simple routine that makes owning an E-Bike simple and fun (if that's your bag) Do look after your battery Your battery is the heart of your e-bike. It loves to be looked after and pampered. Avoid leaving it in a near discharged state in a cold garden shed or garage. It will go past the point of no return and never come back! Remember your battery, be it, Bosch, Shimano or Yamaha, etc. costs MONEY. My battery is around £450. Don't fall in love with HIGH settin ..read more

Carbon footprint of a recycled bicycle versus new November 2021 ..read more

You know the feeling - your bike's predictable handling starts to change as the steering and/or pedalling is changing for the worse. You're in denial but a puncture is a puncture. So what to do quickly and effectively? You need to get home! I assume it will be the shortest, darkest and most miserable night of the year. Anything better than that will be a bonus. Don't attempt to ride the bike on anything other than a complete flat. With softening tyres, ride carefully, keep your weight away from the offending tyre, and avoid heavy cornering. Pump up at intervals and after a while you will gauge ..read more

Riding in the Winter has a unique feel to it, without a doubt. Some will say they love the bracing feel of an early morning ride, with the winter sun and frost or receding snow. Winter sights and sounds invigorate, and are a great pick-me-up at the end of perhaps, a week kooked up behind a desk. Others, on the mention of riding between October and April, develop a haunted look as they relive the dark tunnel of commuting from home to work and back again, week in, week out. So you have no other alternative but to ride in the winter. What to wear is key (technique is also important and covered l ..read more

Making sure you're bike is not going to give you a nasty surprise en route to school, work (or play) doesn't mean you have to give it a full service every month. It would be nice if this was the case, but in real life just a few timely checks and TLC is often all that is needed. Here's a breakdown (no pun intended) you might want to adopt. 1. Keep your bike clean. It's easy to keep dirt and muck at bay on your bike. Dirt hides all kinds of problems, from worn or missing parts to cracked components and frame issues. If in doubt, mild soap and water is fine for the frame. Rinse with fresh water ..read more