Celebrating another winter of cycle commuting
I for one welcome our new explosive cyclogenic overlords… Last week’s weather bomb has brought winter at last, so the Marathon Winter tyres are fitted and I’m enjoying the extra exercise and the...
View ArticleInvisible recumbents narrowly avoid death
See how they blend into the tarmac! I’ve been meaning to post something like this for years, literally. I make no apologies for having my tongue firmly in cheek with the subtitles… So many people (if...
View ArticleEdinburgh’s castration of bus lanes leaves only questions
Inarticulate justification for massive downgrade of network It’s no secret that the people of Scotland have big issues with their health, pollution and congestion. Bus lanes aren’t sexy but they are...
View Articledhb Flashlight Windproof Gilet review
Taking the edge off on chilly commutes, without making you look too much like the bin man The dbh Flashlight Windproof Gilet (currently £34.99 here – also see the women’s version) is squarely targeted...
View ArticleMike’s M5 Carbon High Racer
I recently had the pleasure of corresponding with Mike on the purchase of his first recumbent, intended to work around some neck pain he’s been having. It’s safe to say that he plunged in at the deep...
View ArticleM5 CHR and High Baron: first impressions
With apologies for substandard rollover image… Now that the better weather is here and I’ve got my Optima High Baron (full review) back on the roads, it’s time to offer some early thoughts on the M5...
View ArticleAlps cycling report (abridged)
Flew into Geneva for four days solo riding in the Alps. Went up several cols: Roselend, Iseran, Vars, Agnes, Izoard, Sarenne – and drove over Galibier and Croix de Fer (very busy with motorists due to...
View ArticleSchlitter Encore preview
Aggressively priced custom-sized carbon highracer Last weekend I got out on the Schlitter Encore for my first long ride – a hilly 55 miles around the Tour o’ the Borders short route with David Gardiner...
View ArticleRandonneuring: recumbent efficiency
It’s easier lying down… but not by as much as you might think. I’ve written before about the power advantage my High Baron recumbent enjoys over my normal road bike, but only in the context of a ~20...
View ArticleFast 700c recumbents – power test
Side by side M5 CHR, Schlitter Encore, Optima High Baron I’ve been riding a review copy of the Schlitter Encore recently, along with the Optima High Baron which carried me to a 7th place finish at this...
View ArticleM5 Carbon High Racer review
The pinnacle of performance… with some constraints When I heard that Laid Back Bikes were stocking the M5 Carbon High Racer I had mixed feelings. Partly excitement, but partly trepidation too. With the...
View ArticleSchlitter Encore review
Superbly detailed stick bike redefines all stick bikes forever In all the years I’ve been writing this blog I’ve only put serious hours on one stick bike. I didn’t like it. Awkwardly high seat height,...
View ArticleRecumbent power training
Observations on sweaty self-abuse in the garage This spring I’ve had a turbo set up in the garage with the High Baron on it, and I’ve been doing 2×20 minute intervals. I haven’t ridden a recumbent...
View ArticleThe Dirty Reiver Was Not “Too Hard”
“A true challenge is one where a finish isn’t a certainty” Last Saturday I rode the fantastic Dirty Reiver “gravel grinder” through Kielder forest. I hadn’t spent more than ninety minutes on a bike...
View Article27mph road rash…
The bike’s NOT FINE Bit of a drama yesterday on the way home from work. I hooked around Leith-Winchburgh-Kirkliston way and had a full front tyre blowout on Long Dalmahoy road. It turns out 27mph is a...
View Article2016 Etape Caledonia – video
This year I rode the Etape Caledonia as a warm-up to get me training early in the year (if you like, a B event ahead of August’s Tour o’ the Borders). I finished in 21st place, five minutes off the...
View Article2016 Tour o’ the Borders – video
So the big day finally arrived, three weeks after the birth of twins which made the McCraw household less of a place for bikes and event preparation… After hardly any sleep for weeks, lots went wrong...
View ArticleMystery free corner parking at cyclists’ expense
Double yellows burned off for three lucky drivers, screw national cycle route My commute to work got marginally more interesting recently when Edinburgh Council burned off double yellows on a corner...
View ArticleAzub Twin recumbent tandem
Travelling together I took a break from the demands of parenting for an extended spin on the Azub Twin recumbent tandem with David Gardiner from Laid Back Bikes… The Azub Twin is a folding aluminium...
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