Some folks ride gravel bikes with flat pedals and Im not here to say that is the wrong way, infact Ive tried it and its a perfectly acceptable way to ride any bicycle. In fact I published a video on the subject here Gravel biking on flat pedals For those of us who use clip in pedals its not always convenient. When you want to pop to the shop for some milk, the pub without waddling like a penguin in your clipless compatible shoes and in my case when I have to park 1.5 miles away from work because theres no parking on site. I dont want to have to put on special shoes for such a short journey, then have to change into shoes suitable for work and have to store the special shoes somewhere and then of course have to reverse the process at the end of the shift.Pre internet (yes kids there was a time before WiFi!) Shimano had a solution which was the quite frankly hideous PD22 pedal adapter. These were a struggle to clip into your pedal but that struggle was in no way at the level of purgatory that was the attempt to get the damn things back off again! Having to twist a hard plastic pedal with teeth jutting out cutting into your hand to the correct amount of degrees to attempt to release it with out the leverage of a foot inside a shoe was impossible without backing the spring tension off so far that when you eventually got to ride the pedal as intended it didnt retain the shoe cleat at all! So to cut a long story short they were unusable. The PD22 has had many copies over the years from various companies but nearly all of them still need that twist action to remove them.Redshift Sports, well known for their suspension stems, seatposts and the Kitchen sink and Topshelf bar may just have come up with the perfect solution.Redshift Mousetrap Pedal AdapterRedshift Mousetrap Pedal AdapterThe Redshift Mousetrap Pedal adapter doesnt do anything different from all those previous pedals. It still fits to one side of your clip in pedal and supports any style of shoe. What it does (actually doesnt) have is that need to twist the adapter to remove it.Redshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter frontRedshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter openYou just lift the lever, place the adapter on the pedal, it even has front embossed into it so you cant get it wrong, then when seated you just close the lever and the adaptor is locked securely to the pedal. Guess how you release it? Yes, pull the lever and off pops the adapter, simple but effective, arent all the best ideas like this?Redshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter locked onRedshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter rearOk, so like any one sided pedal, the heavier side with the adapter will always swing to the bottom so you will have to learn to look down to ensure you flip the pedal over with your foot, but thats hardly a chore and soon becomes second nature. Worried about loosing one? no need they have a tiny magnet that sticks them together for storage. Redshift say they are not recommended for off road use and you can see from the tread they wouldnt be grippy in muddy conditions. Thats not to say I havent ridden them off road as theres some cheeky singletrack on my commute that I cant resist and theyve been fine.Dont like the colour? there will be options with different colour levers. They are Shimano SPD compatible only at the moment but SPD-SL, Look Keo, and Crankbrotherscompatiblevariants will be outin Autumn 2026.You may not need these adapters but for those of us who use our bikes for lots of other things apart from weekend riding the Redshift Mousetrap pedal adapters are a great design and the perfect thing to keep in your work bag/car/van for those unexpected but essential rides for beer, cake and sadly to work.for more details check out Redshift SportsRedshift Mousetrap Pedal Adapter in action on uk gravel collective you tube channel

UPDATED February 27, 2026 BY Henry Gold IN Tea Route 1 comment The Tea Route Cycling Tour Part 2 (Sri Lanka)The inaugural Tea Route Cycling Tour, crossing Southern India and circumnavigating Sri Lanka has finished. A few days ago we arrived on the outskirts of the Sri Lankas capital city, Colombo, and began to celebrate our adventure.Henry and Tour Leader Ezhil at the finish lineTo many of us, because the island is situated so close to India, the expectation was that we will be visiting a Little India. And though in certain aspects, that may be the case, the island is certainly not India.Sri Lanka (previously known as Ceylon) was once visited by one of the most famous of all travellers, Marco Polo, who called it the finest island of its size. I have no idea how many islands Signore Polo visited and whether it was pure serendipity that brought him here, but he was obviously impressed. As were we.Each day brought us a different taste of the island, and by this I dont mean food, though there is plenty of that to sample as well. Every day we witnessed the lushness, the natural richness, the fauna and flora that was all around us. Every day, each and every one us had the opportunity for a random encounter with a local who would bring a smile to our faces.For myself, it was an encounter with an older monk who was walking ahead of me during a rest day, holding a magnificent umbrella made, I believe he said, of palm leaves. I was admiring it from behind for a few minutes when he suddenly stopped, turned around, and started a conversation that went on for a while and included a discussion of the current state of the world.Another day I was sitting on a bench waiting for a corn on the cob that I ordered from a vendor that I had spied as I cycled by. The corn wasnt quite ready when a big, new 44 stopped to buy some corn. The person who ordered the corn from the vendor came over to me and said the Bishop of Mannar, a city to which I was heading, was inside the car and wanted to talk to me. I walked over and there in the front seat, wearing all the religious paraphernalia, was the bishop. He wanted to know what I and the other foreign cyclists that he had seen while driving were doing, where we came from, and so on. We had a lovely chat and he invited me to visit him at home. Before leaving he asked me if I was a Christian. I smiled and said, no, I am Jewish. He smiled back and said, well, then we are brothers. I smiled back and agreed.Cricket with the localsOne day I had yet another brief encounter that brought a big smile to my face. I was cycling up a small hill and passed an older man, maybe as old as me or older still, on his single speed, rattling bicycle. Not long afterwards, he passed by, showing me exactly what he was made of. At the top of the hill he turned off the road, stopped, looked at me and smiled. I smiled back with a big grin. For a few seconds, we were brothers, doing the same thing. I write this simply to point out that every one of us had these kinds of serendipitous encounters, meetings that made us smile, laugh, and be happy about what we are doing on Serendib Island.You will have noticed that I have used the word serendipity several times. That is because it comes from Serendib, the name Arab traders used for the island. Later, when the English arrived, they couldnt believe their luck, thus the word serendipity. I could go on and on about how many ways Serendib or Sri Lanka, which apparently means resplendent island, surprised, pleased and otherwise welcomed us.I will only point one more example. All of us had serendipitous encounters that made us smile but I think most of us were smiling each day for a different reason. Every day as I left the hotel for another day on two wheels, it wasnt long before there would be a child, a teenager and elderly man or a woman, people in general, greeting me, smiling and waving at me. When I waved back, when I responded in any way, there was even a warmer reaction.I have yet to visit a country where such brief interactions, particularly with children, brought so much joy to them and to me. If you ask me what the highlight of cycling in Sri Lanka was, I will quickly respond that it was the hundreds of children, women and men smiling at me as we exchanged brief acknowledgments of each other.What a way to spend three weeks. I think I have developed many, many, more laugh lines.RELATEDTOURTea Route Tea. It wasnt until the British arrived that this wild plant was turned into a commercial crop both in India and in Sri Lanka, creating those... Related Posts: 1 Comment for "The Tea Route Cycling Tour Part 2 (Sri Lanka)" Thanks Henry informative, insightful, and entertaining as always.Reply Leave a Comment for "The Tea Route Cycling Tour Part 2 (Sri Lanka)" Cancel reply

Dan Alexander is still recovering from finding out it's now March, but will be enjoying the rare sunshine on the Monday live blog

UPDATED February 24, 2026 BY Michael Coo IN The Road to Shangri-La no comments A Long & Winding Road To Shangri-LaThe road to The Road to Shangri-La, like the tour itself, has been full of unexpected twists and turns. Conceived in 2018, scouted in 2019 and planned for 2021, it was, like the rest of us, blindsided by the pandemic. Even once COVID started to loosen its grip on the world, China maintained a very strict quarantine policy which meant that a portion of the route was still unavailable in 2023. As a result, we rerouted the planned portion from Luang Prabang in Laos westward towards Thailand and renamed the tour the Golden Buddha Ride.This proved to be a very successful tour according to rider reviews in both 2023 and 2025 but now that China has opened up to international tourism, we have decided to revert to the original concept for the route. What this means is that from Luang Prabang in Laos, where the original route deviates from the Golden Buddha Rides course, there are a number of exciting new highlights for the riders to experience.Nam Ou River rideThe cyclists on the Road to Shangri-La will leave the spiritual mecca of Luang Prabang and spin north to the beautiful village of Nong Khiaw. Here they will leave their bikes for a stunning boat ride up the Nam Ou River to Muang Khua. The journey passes through churning rapids and past isolated villages, all the while surrounded by spectacular limestone karst mountains and vast ancient forests.Dien Bien PhuThe next days stage takes the riders to the historic city of Dien Bien Phu. It was here in 1954 that the Vietnamese defeated French troops in a battle that ended Frances colonial rule and led to increased American involvement that ultimately led to the Vietnam War. There are a number of sights to take in commemorating the battle including the Viet Minh Memorial and the Victory Museum.SapaSapa is located high up in the Hong Lin Son Mountains of northern Vietnam. Surrounded by terraced rice fields, it offers up some stunning, if occasionally misty, views. On their rest day in town the riders can take a cable car up to the Roof of Indochina, Mount Fansipan. In addition, the area is home to some of the countrys fascinating hill tribes including the Hmong, Tay and Dao peoples.Yuanyang Rice TerracesOnce in China, the riders will be able to visit the incredible Yuanyang Rice Terraces. These fields, a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, were carved into the sides of the mountains by the local Hani people, all the way from 100 -3000m above sea level. The views of the flooded fields reflecting the sky, the clouds and the sun is truly a unique experience.KunmingThe capital of Chinas Yunnan province, Kunming is known as the Spring City due to its pleasant climate. Riders have a couple rest days here to prepare for the last push to Shangri-La. They can explore the citys parks and temples, sample its signature dish, Across The Bridge Noodles and explore the charming Flower & Bird Market.DaliSet at 1900 m between the Cang Shan Mountains and Erhai Lake, Dali was once a de rigueur stop on the backpacker route through Asia. Famous for its gorgeous natural setting, it also boasts a walled old city featuring local Bai architecture and the striking Three Pagodas of Chong Sheng Temple.LijiangA UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lijiangs old town is a maze of narrow, cobblestoned alleys bracketed by ancient canals, colourful wooden doors and dazzling Naxi architecture. The city was also an important stop on the Tea Horse Road that linked China with Tibet and India, a trading route whose distant past can still be glimpsed in Lijiangs Zhongi Market.Tiger Leaping GorgeTiger Leaping Gorge, said to be named after a tiger that escaped hunters by leaping across the Jinsha River, is one of the worlds deepest river canyons. The waters rush between the Jade Dragon and Haba Shan Mountains, 3900 m below their peaks creating an absolutely stunning tableau. The area is also home to the indigenous, matrilineal Nakhi people.Shangri-LaSet at a breathless 3200 m and surrounded by the towering Shika Mountains, the last stop on this adventure is the Tibetan influenced town of Shangri-La. Buddhist prayer flags, butter tea and ancient monasteries all combine to evoke the vision captured in James Hiltons book, Lost Horizon, the dream of the legendary destination of Shangri-La.RELATEDTOURThe Road to Shangri-La Shangri-La, an earthly paradise cut off from the world in a hidden Himalayan valley, a place where there is no war or suffering and where people live... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "A Long & Winding Road To Shangri-La" Cancel reply

Briton bounces back from crash at Omloop Nieuwsblad to take milestone victory

Very expensive, but very good - pumps out light and is incredibly well made

On the 3rd and 4th of March, inbetween massive World Tour weekend, we've got two smaller classics that nonetheless pack luxurious startlists. Le Samyn in Belgium and the Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy qill provide top-notch racing. Here is where and when to watch the race live, including in the United S...

UPDATED February 22, 2026 BY The TDA Team IN Company 2 comments Learn About TDA tours Join Our March Info SessionAre you thinking about joining a TDA Global Cycling tour but have some questions about the experience? To help you out, we will be holding a live, online, general information session on Wednesday, March 11th at 13:00 EDT.Moderator: Olha Kurochkina, Office ManagerPanelists: Michael Coo, Customer Service Manager Shanny Hill, Marketing Manager Miles MacDonald, Operations ManagerWell use this info session to share our years of experience and hopefully encourage you to join one of our upcoming adventures. Even if you arent planning to ride with us in the near future, this event will provide you with the opportunity to learn more about the world of cycle tourism and TDA Global Cycling in particular.If you couldnt find the answers you were looking for on our FAQ page or in our TDA Starter Kit, this live, online event is the place to ask us anything whether its about a specific tour, preparation, logistics, or cycle touring in general. Youre also welcome to submit questions beforehand to Olha at [emailprotected]. Well make sure theyre addressed during the session.DETAILSWhen: Wednesday, March 11th, starting at 13:00 (1:00 PM) EDT (Toronto/New York).What: A brief introduction and overview of upcoming tours, followed by an open Q&A session.Length: 3045 minutes.Who should attend: Anyone interested in joining a TDA tour.Please click here to register. We will alert you shortly before the session starts and even if you arent available for the live event, a recording will be emailed to everyone who registers.Register NowRelated Posts: 2 Comments for "Learn About TDA tours Join Our March Info Session" HiWe live in Hong Kong and its very late at night for us to join your info sessionIs there a replay recording ?Reply Hi Patricia, Yes, the session will be recorded and available to anyone interested afterwards.Reply Leave a Comment for "Learn About TDA tours Join Our March Info Session" Cancel reply

Just how much would you spend on pair of shoes in search of performance gains?

Swiss start-up claims its cleat-integrated, single-sided power meter installs in seconds, works with either Shimano SPD-SL and Look Ko pedals, and delivers 3% accuracy: the first cleat-based power meter built for everyday cyclists