Only established in 2006, Charge Bikes have carved a niche in the growing market of ‘cool’ single speed. With sleek minimalistic designs, they have proved quite popular, especially in London. They offer a range of three single speed bikes, with another three models of geared Charge Plug
Single speed
All come with Cro-mo steel frame and fork
Charge 0 – £329 (bullhorn bars)
Charge 1 – £399 (bullhorn bars
Charge 2 – £499 (drop track handle bars)
Geared Charge Plug
Charge 3 – (disc brakes, Shimano Sora Gears)
Charge 4 – Shimano 105 gears (£1,099)
Charge 5 – SRAM Rival 22 gearing and hydraulic discs
Charge Plug 0
This is the entry level Charge Plug bike, newly released
At £329, it is quite a cheap introduction to single speed bikes. For simplicity and value, the Charge 0 is a reasonable start.
The Charge Plug – comes with bullhorn bars, these are a little more aerodynamic and help enable a stronger push when pedalling the single speed off from a standing start. They also help the bike stand out from the pack. However, many novices to cycling will find it easier to use horizontal bars.
In cycling, it is good to know where to spend your money. For example, with – Shimano 105 v Shimano Dura Ace – there is very little difference in quality, but a huge difference in price.
But, when it comes to cheap cycling shorts vs good cycling shorts – there is a huge difference in quality of the product, the enjoyment of your ride and even can affect how many saddle sores you get. (see: tips for avoiding saddle sores)
Make sure you have a good pair of shorts
It is ironic that I often end up buying the most uncomfortable looking saddle (69gram sheet of carbon fibre) and then rely on a good pair of padded cycling shorts to make the ride bearable.
– Throw away the cheap cycling shorts. Last November I mentioned how I made myself throw away several pair of cheap cycling shorts. They are not worth using because they gave saddle sores.
A good padded cycling short is one of the most essential ways to get a more comfortable ride, especially for anything over two hours.
Over the years I’ve tried quite a few cycling shorts. For quite a few years, I’ve ridden some Impsport custom made ones for my cycling teams like Oxonians and Sri Chinmoy CT. Unfortunately, Impsport do not make the best cycling shorts. They are not as bad as they were (and they may continue to get better). But some of the earlier models were virtually unrideable with the chamois inadequate, and in the wrong place leading to chaffing. Unfortunately, this wasn’t just my experience, but also that of a team-mate. I haven’t tested other types of custom made team kit. I’ve heard people speak relatively highly of Endura. But, it is always a little bit of a gamble ordering custom made shorts, when you can’t test them until it is too late.
A few general comments about cycling shorts
Bibbed shorts are more comfortable than non-bibbed. It is much easier to keep them up without the feeling of elastic around the waist. They also seem to stay in position much more easily. I do have a few non-bibbed shorts, but, when getting in and out of the saddle, they tend to move around, which is mildly irritating.
All shorts become more comfortable when you are used to cycling. Getting used to spending hours in the saddle is like anything else, you develop tolerance over time. If you’re new to cycling, even spending £200 on some shorts may still leave you feeling pretty sore after a seven hour sportive. If you’re used to spending hours in the saddle, you will find all shorts more comfortable.
Keep Clean. I’m sure this doesn’t really need saying, but, you want to wash shorts after every ride. Try to avoid hanging around in sweaty shorts after a ride too. On tour, you can handwash shorts pretty easily. (Some pros used to insist on hand washing so they could be sure it didn’t get mixed up with other laundry which could potentially pass on germs)
Don’t Wash at Too High Temperature. On one holiday in US, I took my laundry to a US washomat. After washing at presumably very high temperature, the lycra was stretched to almost indecent proportions. I had to throw away the see-through shorts before getting into trouble. Don’t ruin a good pair of lycra by washing in very hot water!
Some Chamois cream can help keep the insert padding soft. Useful for long rides, though most synthetic chamois are pretty good at staying soft.
Shorts I can recommend
Assos T607
This is a cold weather range of shorts. It is suitable for many months of UK weather – apart from hot days, and very cold.
Assos have a reputation for producing the best, (whatever the cost). These shorts certainly looked intriguing with their dimpled padding. The padding is quite substantial and feels very soft when put on. It does feel different to other shorts because of the air flow and space in between dimples. This helps to wick away sweat which is one of top ways of creating friction and discomfort. The short fits on the body very easily, it smooths away pressure and there is no feeling of tightness or discomfort. Also, I never felt any seems which I often do on other shorts. For long rides, it is substantially more comfortable and does make a real difference.
It comes with a warning that the material is more delicate. It is not bullet proof and may not last. It suggests careful use, hand-washing – it even gives instructions on how to pee whilst wearing the shorts. However, I’ve had them for two years and after considerable use, there is little discernible sign of use. There is a little fraying in the padding, but it is not a problem. I will be fairly confident of getting a substantial amount of wear to justify the cost.
Overall, these are a very good short. Excellent comfort and design. A good investment for those who do longer rides. See: full review of Assos T607 F1 Mile
I also bought some Assos Uno for £110. These are a cheaper version to the T607, but still offer great comfort. They are ironically, the ‘starter’ version of Assos premium short range. Again, I’ve used for over two years without any obvious sign of wear and tear.
I recently reviewed the shorts here. Half the price of Assos, they offer a good comfortable use. I’ve used for the past couple of months and it has been comfortable. The only thing I have noticed is the lyrca which comes into contact with the saddle has begun to ‘bobble’. But, they fit well and offer a good degree of padding and support. There is a noticeable difference with the Assos. But, at £60, they are good value.
DHB classic shorts RRP £49.99
For a mid-range shorts which still gives a good riding experience. The DHB shorts offer good value. You might be able to pick up for less than £30. There is no cost of buying a ‘branded’ name, which can add extra on to the final price. The classic shorts are thin lycra, they also do the DHB Vaeon Roubaix padded shorts for extra insulation and riding in cold weather. Overall a no fussy, comfortable pair of shorts.
I received these a couple of months ago, and have been wearing on training rides – up to four hours on time trial bike. I am pretty impressed with the comfort of the shorts. The padding looks relatively thin, but after four hours everything feels pretty good, no discomfort at all (I use dash saddle) The product description says it has high density foam with good air ventilation.
On the outside they look pretty good. They are close fitting to legs, without having strong grippers which leave marks on the skin. I got size L which is pretty good for 6″ 3′
Only weighs 210g
A lightweight carbon fibre mesh bib construction to keep cool. To be honest, in England I rarely overheat when cycling so haven’t been able to test this out, but I can believe it is very lightweight and cool.
I have ridden quite a few shorts over the years. For short training rides, I tend to ride mid-priced shorts like the Specialized or DHB. For long training rides of 3 hours plus, I ‘treat’ myself with the very comfortable Assos shorts. This is to extend the life of these more delicate shorts. There is also a psychological advantage of having the best shorts reserved for the longest rides.
There are many more types of shorts I haven’t ridden, which might be worth looking at. Fortunately, short technology seems to have improved in the past few years.
In the past I have ridden a couple of Schwalbe Ultremo ZX tyre on my my road bike. I had a very good experience using them. This is an updated review which originally appeared on my old blog.
The Ultremo ZX is a slick racing tyre – light, fast, very easy to put on and looks good. Perhaps I had good luck, but I got through 3,000-4,000km without a rear tyre puncture – which is quite unusual for a light racing tyre. But, don’t sue me if you get a few during that distance. I’ve seen them on sale for as low as £20.99 – at that price it is really very good value for an upcoming summer tyre.
The Ultremoz ZX V-Guard has a weight of only 195 grams [same weight as previous Schwalbe ZX version] It also has a low rolling resistance.
Grip in the dry is very good. As you expect from any tyre, it performs less well in the wet; so there is a need to be relatively cautious on wet descents. However, I’ve had no major problem with lack of grip. I was using a 23″ tyre. A 25″ might be my preferred choice now.
I’ve used the tyre on hilly rides across the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and Oxfordshire. It performed well on the ascents and descents of Wrynose pass / Hardknott pass – despite roads being wet. Also, these roads were very gritty, rocky and hard work. The tyre was resistant to cuts against these rough road surfaces.
Fitting
I’ve never had a road tyre which fits on so easily. Very easy to work with. The rubber feels quite smooth and supple. Definitely no tyre levers are needed to fit onto the wheel or take off.
A few weeks ago, I was sent some Clif shot bloks – energy chews and Clif Shot energy gels for review.
At this time of the year, I don’t use many gels and energy bloks. But, on a four hour plus ride, you can burn up pretty much anything so I took some ‘bloks’ along as well. I have also used them quite a bit over in the US; in America the brand seems quite widespread and were often most common gel on sale in local bike shops. Perhaps the American roots explains the American spelling of ‘blocks’ I used the blocks and gels on some interval training sessions back in August.
Anyway, the energy chews make a change from your typical energy powder and energy gels. It is satisfying to have something to chew. They are quite easy to eat on the move and taste quite nice. The packaging is easy to manage, even with thick winter gloves, which is a bonus. You can just squeeze the tubes up the plastic packaging until it pops out.
The nutrition information is pretty much what you would expect from an energy gel. 80g of carbohydrate per 100g. 50% of the carbohydrate is carb which sugars, the rest is maltodextrin. There’s nothing surplus to carbohydrate – zero protein, fat and fibre. Just a touch of salt – potassium citrate. Quite simple.
6 pieces in a 60 gram pack give
Energy 192 kcal
Protein 0g
carb 48g
of which sugars – 24g
fat – 0g
Fibre – 0g
With condensed energy, it is advised to take water with them. I don’t often take too much gels in winter, preferring to work on the fat burning capacity. But cycling up to Aynho junction last Monday, just 3 pieces was sufficient to give a good sugar boost to the system. You could feel it right away.
The energy gels are very similar – same carbohydrate content. Ingredients based on maltodextrin, can syrup and water. Some come as double expresso, which gives a whopping 100 mg of caffeine – far too much for my taste. There is also gels with single caffeine shots or without.
The consistency is quite thick. You obviously need to take water with them. But, taste quite pleasant. Though when it comes to gels I’m not overly fussed about taste. Some people speak highly of the ‘Razz’ flavour. But, I’m always dubious about eating something as exotic as ‘Razz’ flavour. I prefer the chocolate.
Leisure Lakes and Bikes offered to send a free product for me to review. I chose the Specialized RBX Expert Winter Bib Short. This choice was inspired by using the Assos T.607 winter bib short. A very good product, but very expensive.
At this time of the year, I prefer to keep riding shorts and legwarmers – rather than winter bib tights which are less manoeuvrable and tight on the shoulders. It is easy to get warm leg warmers, but most of your shorts are thin lycra, which can leave you feeling cold in those parts, you would rather didn’t get too cold. I mentioned in the review of Assos, other companies should offer more insulated shorts for winter because I feel there is a big market for them, especially in the UK.
specialized-rbx-expert-winter-bib-short
Review of Specialized RBX Expert Winter Bib Short – £61.99
Firstly, design is as simple as you can get – 100% black, no fuss, no design. When it comes to design, my only preference is – any colour except black. However, with shorts I make an exception because shorts are nearly always black. So they look like 80% of other shorts.
Insulation
There is a thin layer of Lombardia fleece, which gives the same degree of insulation as your typical pair of winter leg warmers. For this time of the year, this short is ideal. You could comfortably ride this shorts in any weather from 4 degrees to 18 degrees – which in the UK is a good percentage of the year. A pair of winter bib shorts should be on anyone’s Christmas list.
Generous padding of the Specialized bib short
Padding
The padding insert is firm. There isn’t much sponginesss, but it is well made and put in the right parts. There are no irritating seams or padding cut off at the wrong point. I went out for a three and half hour ride yesterday, it was fine. Though they are not as comfortable as the Assos; there is a definitely a difference between the two.
Review: The Specialized Langster steel is a classic track bike frame which might appeal to a commuter wanting a classic style track bike. For a long time, I have toyed with the idea of a single speed for commuting, so was keen to test out different options.
I wasn’t bowled over by the look. Of course, the simplicity and clean-cut of a single speed is good, but the silver aluminium frame left me a little underwhelmed. But, that is just my personal preference. Someone else could equally think it looks cool. BTW: Specialized have also done ‘city’ themed bikes (like bright yellow for NY presumably to make it fit in with NY taxi cabs)
Ride Quality
I did really enjoy riding the bike. I loved the feel and comfort of the steel frame and steel fork, it seemed to absorb a lot of the (innumerable) potholes and rivets in the Oxford roads. It’s a long time since I have ridden a steel frame and it reminded me of why steel is still attractive as a frame material and has advantages over Aluminium. For racing, I’m not really interested in a comfortable ride, but for commuting – when I’m carrying a laptop – an absorb ale steel frame would be a real boon.
With a Reynolds 520 Chro Moly steel frame, the bike is not light. It weighs approx. 23.5lbs (10.7kg) which to some extent defeats one of the attractions of being single speed.Nevertheless for commuting, weight is not such a big problem. Even with single speed it felt fairly easy to accelerate away and didn’t feel much different to my trek Aluminium. With a 42 Chain-ring, 16 rear cassette, I sometimes spun out (needed bigger gear) but only rarely. I don’t tend to race around the city too much.
The other aspect of the bike is that it is a track size and uses track handlebars. For me, this doesn’t work for a commuting bike. It is quite an aggressive racing position, but I don’t want this when commuting. Also the brakes are on the top of the handlebars so it takes a while to move from the drop position to get the brakes on top of the handlebars.
Winter involves a lot of long cold miles on slippery roads. My main priorities for a winter tyre are:
Strong puncture resistance
Reasonable rolling resistance
Grippy in the wet.
Long lasting
Not too difficult to take off rim with cold hands.
Over the years, I’ve ridden several different tyres during winter. Primarily Continental Gatorskin and Continental 4 Seasons. Sometimes, I’ve gone into winter with lighter summer tyres still on, like the Gatorskin, Continental Grand Prix 4000. Sometimes I’ve gone to the other extreme and ridden really hard, heavy puncture resistance tyres like Specialized All Condition, but find these are just a bit too ‘heavy’ and slow – even though I never picked up a puncture with these tyres. Generally, it becomes a toss up between spending time mending punctures and being slowed down by heavier tyres. The good news is that even reasonably light and decent rolling resistance tyres are now fairly puncture resistant. There seems to have been improvement in tyre technology since I started cycling 20 years ago.
Best size tyre for winter?
For myself. 25″ is the new 23″ I’d strongly recommend 25″ in winter, especially for the rear tyre. I used to have this idea that the smaller the tyres the faster you go, but it’s more complicated than that. There is no discernible difference in speed between using 23 and 25, but you get a bit better grip. I’ve visited quite a few bike shops this week, and many road tyres seem to be 23″. But, for training, I prefer riding 25″ – especially in winter. 25″ will be perfectly fine for summer riding too.
The Best Winter road tyres
Schwalbe Durano Plus Performance
These are an excellent tyre. They last a long time, have one of the best puncture resistance and have reasonably rolling resistance. It’s everything that you want and need from a winter road bike tyre. I’ve only used one. But, it lasted a good 3,000 miles and I don’t remember getting a puncture. I’ve ordered another one for the rear wheel. It was 33% off which helped. The downside is that it is a bit on the heavy side, the smartguard puncture protection is fairly thick. It means the 25″ tyre weighs 380g (23″ weighs 340g) Compared to the Specialized All Condition it feels it has a little more spongyness, and a little better grip. Though heavy, they are not completely ‘dead’ and offer decent rolling resistance. Keep them well inflated, and you should get few punctures. The other downside is that, especially the first time, they are hard work putting on; they are very tight to the rim. But, once on you can almost forget about them for quite a while.
I’ve used Gatoskin for the past couple of winters. They are relatively light for a winter training tyre, and good enough for summer training too. (23″ only 230 gram and 25″ 250gram) I’ve left the last pair on almost all year. They are quite flexible and a quite easy to fit. They are quite fast. However, I want to change them now winter is really setting in.
They have been a bit slippy on recent rides. I got bad wheel spin on a climb to Brill (16%) and nearly skidded out on a damp corner. I might have been better off with a 25″ and it’s always slippy in winter. But, I’m going back to Durano Plus for my real mid winter tyre.
Continental have also brought out a Gatorksin Hardshell. This adds an extra 48 gram to the tyre and adds an extra layer of puncture protection. I’ve had one hardshell variety, and I couldn’t notice much difference in terms of rolling resistance, so the better puncture protection is good for winter. For winter, the Hardshell is definitely a good option. The Gatorskin are more of an all season tyre.
I find the Gatorksins are very long lasting. I’ve been riding on the same pair for the past 12 months, which is perhaps close to 5,000 miles on that wheelset. Continental have made progress in making the tyre more resistant to scratches and sidewall splits.
Ned Boulting’s 101 Damnations ‘Dispatches from the 101st Tour de France‘ is an entertaining account of his perspective on the last edition of the Tour de France.
If you’re expecting a blow by blow account and evaluation of Nibali’s average power outputs on the final climb, you will be dissappointed. The actual race is very much in the background, a canvas to tell amusing tales – from the Tour de France’s very own public urinals to ruminations on the Anglicisation of the Tour de France.
Ned makes little effort to hide his disappointment as the major contenders slip and slide out of the tour. I actually remember many exciting stages of the tour – even if they were won by no-hopers in the overall standings. But, this is a minor quibble – this is not a book for aficionados of detailed race analysis – it is a book which will appeal to those who like amusing stories about the the characters and idiosyncrasies which make up the Tour de France caravan.
If we have forgotten already, the Tour de France really did start in Yorkshire. As Boulting says – ‘Leeds to Paris’ – how often do you get to say that? Still, six months later I’m trying to digest the scenes of actually seeing the Tour de France go 2 miles from my home town. There is still an element of surreality to these memories of baking sunshine – as the Tour de France in Yorkshire passed by 3 million spectators, but more than anything the surreal aspect of cycling being so enthusiastically welcomed by nearly everyone.
Ned Boulting comments on the Tour in Yorkshire with a similar degree of astonishment, bewilderment and genuine excitement. This is a rather random excerpt from the chapter about the Tour starting in Leeds.
“…The sign age was in French, most of the languages being spoken were not English, and even the rays of sunshine that beat down on the makeshift courtyards between marquees felt unusually strong for Yorkshire.
It was curiously unsettling and not altogether mediated by the presence of a truly terrible burger van knocking out gristly sausages in stale baguettes to a bewildered clientèle, more used to being served foie gras and gazpacho. I queued up behind a German, who asked for a ‘beef pattie’ The man looked at him as if he were simple. “We can do you a burger, pal.’
– This is not necessarily the most memorable excerpt from the book – it is a rather random choice – perhaps I choose it because of my strong recollections of cheap burger vans outside Headingley, Leeds which I would go past every weekend on the way to watch the rugby. Nevertheless it gives a flavour of the book. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I enjoy the humour and random recollections which give an unexpected insight into very small aspects of the race – be it the challenges of interviewing Mark Cavendish or working with the systematically efficient and methodical Chris Boardman.
As well as snippets from the current tour, the book is also an excuse to bring up lesser known stories which make up the great history of the Tour de France. Some excerpts from the past, like the legendary Roger Rivière’s, tragic drug induced high speed crash are reminders of the chequered history of the tour. But, no matter what happens, the stories give the over-riding impression that the Tour is an unmoveable force which not even getting stuck in Pyrenean mud can hold back.
But, although there are plenty of whimsical moments and analysis of disappointing aspects, you can’t hide Boulting’s genuine almost innocent enthusiasm for the sport and the Tour de France – this is quite refreshing.
I read the book all the way to the end, which is praise indeed. I would recommend it if you would enjoy a light-hearted look at the Tour de France. The final word is that the humour is quite British; I’m not sure how quickly it will be translated into German or French, I fear something may get lost in translation.
KTM are better known as an Austrian motorbike manufacturer. They have been producing cycles abroad for quite a few years, but are now trying to crack the competitive British market. I took this for a test ride and was impressed at the value for money (£899) for a sub £1,000 road bike. It comes within that popular price bracket which makes it compatible with the ‘Cycle to Work Scheme’ potentially offering big tax discounts for UK workers (as long as company is signed up)
The bike is based on a 6061 Aluminium frame and carbon fork. The aluminium frame is well built and takes corners well avoiding any under or over steer. It is well balanced and a good build for a first time road biker. The compact groupset give a good gear range, and the bike overall gives a solid road bike feel. There will be no problem in using this for long sportives and even first road races. A carbon fork is these days a real must for a bike sub £1,000. Generally, they add a lot to the riding experience. This feels a good quality carbon fork, which helps absorb shocks in the road and give a more comfortable ride experience.
The mixture of Shimano Tiagra and Shimano 105 make very smooth gear changing. I always find Shimano Tiagra / 105 to be a big step up from the (Sora) level below.
I’m not a big fan of black, but the black and orange trimming is pretty distinctive and overall they’ve done a good job. To keep costs low, there is only one colour choice. To get a different colour you would need to buy a different model. The Strada 2000, with better groupset is just another £200.
Not the lightest at 9.1Kg, but it still felt fairly nimble, and is fairly average for this price rang
The Selle Italia X1 Man saddle is a good addition, and there are no really weak parts on the bike, which make you want to upgrade straight-away. The best thing about this bike is once you’ve bought, you’re pretty much up and away.
One downside of the bike is that it’s only for sale in limited places. It’s a good bike, but given level of competition at this price range, it’s not worth travelling a long way to buy. It holds its own in the important sub £1,000 price bracket, but more established names like the Focus Cayo or a Trek 1.2 are hard to beat.
Smooth integration of carbon fork and aluminium frame.
nice lines. Good job with paintwork
Tiagra brakes OK, but, there are stronger ones out there. One of the more underpowered aspects of the bike.
No internal cabling
Ritchely stem and handlebar
Selle Italia saddle
Tiagra compact chainset
105 rear derailleur.
Don’t be put off my unknown name. The bike rides well, and it comes equipped with a competitive groupset and nice features.
I received a Lifeline Professional Track pump for review.
I have had a couple of track pumps over the year. Overall, this is very good so far.
It looks impressive and is well designed, with a smooth wooden handle to finish it off. The air hose fits neatly by the side of the track pump when not in use – an improvement over my current pump where valve and hose are always swinging around.
It is relatively easy to use. The locking mechanism is pretty solid. To blow up tyres to 120psi is quite easy, with the nice big dial clearly showing the tyre pressure. There is a long stroke for quick inflation.
The one thing that took a bit of getting used to is that the Presta valve cap only needs to go lightly on the end of a valve. With my old one you push it much further other the valve tip. It seems to go on only a small part of the valve tip to inflate. You don’t have to push it far over the end.
A good feature I haven’t had before, is a release button to reduce any excess tyre pressure. Useful for when racing, and you are trying to get the exact PSI.
Taking the valve off, is always the tricky part of a track pump. Be careful of the metal lever – it really snaps out of position. I can’t help but loose some air when taking it off. But, that’s the case with every track pump I’ve used.
This is the entry level Charge Plug bike, newly released
