After the year that many of us had, we’ll forgive you from setting up your out of office email before Christmas and simply disconnecting from the outside world for those weeks that span Christmas and New Year. We’re all back now (well, from home) so here is some of the brilliant content from your favourite cycling website that you might have missed.
Not that any of us want to, but let’s kick off with a look back at 2020. Lockdowns, LTNs and 'a new golden age for cycling’, it was certainly quite a year.
Known more for his controversial (yet entirely sensible) views on helmet wearing, Chris Boardman said that his most controversial post of 2020 was on...mudguards.
Even though it was a busy year for bike shops, a Preston bike shop closed after six decades.
Probably not the best idea given the restrictions at the time. The London deputy mayor came under fire for Monopoly bike ride.
Just what we needed. A Talk Radio host called on the UK to unite against cyclists. He's subsequently said that he does not see “all cyclists as the enemy.”
We took an in-depth look at the history of one of Britain’s most successful bike brands. Hope and Glory: the story of Hope Technology, a British manufacturing success story.
How many of you can relate to this one? Tales of a 10-speed racer: how getting a Raleigh for Christmas changed my life.
Jo Burt wrote this brilliant blog. Isolated Incidents #∞ - Protect and Survive (end of year thoughts on C*vid, belonging, Englishness and cycling).
The tech team were inundated with marketing claims last year with so many bike launches and new products. Mat Brett tried to make sense of it all in 2020 bike tech in numbers: it has been an incredible year for statistics!
Meanwhile, our latest recruit, Anna, took a look at what went right and what went wrong. Good year, bad year: cycling's winners and losers in 2020.
It might have been done before, but this is nuts. Matt Page's Rapha Festive 500 in a day: how he did it.
You can still get them in premium stores as the UK distributor told us on Monday, but Brooks England stops sales of ‘Made in Britain’ saddles to UK shoppers – because of Brexit is just one example of the complications that we will probably be facing in the coming months.
So, you take away the bikes lanes - you know, those evil things - and…motor traffic journey times increase. Good work, Kensington
And let's finish up with some very popular reviews.
Review: Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1
Review: Orro Venturi STC SRAM Force eTap 2021
Review: Lezyne Classic Drive 500
My Garmin 1030 thinks I've crashed if I just brake a bit sharpish coming up to traffic lights.
High grade components though are often less durable than much cheaper alternatives, just lighter and possibly a little slicker.
Frame weight is about a hundred grams less than a CAAD 12 disc, which can be picked up cheap these days on gumtree. Heck, get the CAAD12 non disc...
You're too kind. They just seem to be unpleasant trolls.
And in Southampton today we had another example of those entitled ambulances going through red lights without a care for anyone else!...
The spokes and nipples are not anodised for environmental reasons, but the rims are. Which is a lot more metal. Hmm...
Yeah, they'll be great after being crushed in your jersey pocket for three hours. ...
I'm afraid so, anything operated by TfL apart from the Woolwich ferry and the Silvertown Tunnel bike bus when it opens next month.
That's a bit hard on the cat...
Its only "meh" because we all experience similar passes every ride, I'm sure if they got their finger out and worked out the distance it would be...