BEAT WINTER!
FIVE BIKES THAT CAN TACKLE ANY WEATHER
Ours is the finest sport, but it’s an outdoor pastime and we’re blessed in the UK with a maritime climate
Cycling is, in our biased opinion, the finest, most intricately nuanced sport; very sociable, environmentally responsible and a thoroughly practical means of daily transport. But there’s a problem. Unless you’re a track rider, ours is an outdoor pastime, and we’re blessed in the UK with a maritime climate.
It’s often been said that the weather is the most common subject of conversation in the UK, and for good reason. The one thing we can rely on is that it will always be different, and often quite wet.
How we deal with the vagaries of our weather varies. The maxim that there’s no such thing as poor weather, only poor clothing is generally true, but why not tip the odds more in your favour? Instead of counting on your cycling clothing alone to gamely keep road spray and precipitation at bay, get some mudguards. Clothing can be very effective, but it will be overwhelmed eventually, so why not cut out much of what’s assaulting it?
Unless you’re a cyclocross rider, no one needs a muddy stripe up their back, and your riding mates definitely don’t want a face full of liquid slurry when following your wheel. You’ll feel more comfortable and be more popular both on the bike and with the café owner. Also, not only will kit and bike washing be far easier because your ’guards have retained most of the muck, but both will last longer as a consequence. It’s a win-win situation and is an N+1 that really doesn’t need to break the bank.
We’ve been smugly enjoying five mudguard-equipped bikes during a lengthy early autumn wet spell. Read on to see how they fared.