Government Ministers made the decision to reverse the 20% fare decrease in 2025, FOI documents show.Opposition parties and campaigners are challenging a Government decision to start to reverse the last governments 20% public transport fare decrease and, in some cases, increase fares by as much as 35%.Transport campaigners are urging members of the public to contact their TDs ahead of a vote on the issue, which the Social Democrats are bringing forward in the Dil tomorrow, Wednesday, November 11th.The Dublin Commuter Collision, one of a number of Collision groups around the country which campaign for sustainable transport, said: The Social Democrats Motion to Stop the Fare Hikes will be debated in Dil ireann tomorrow. Please email your local TDs and ask them to support this Motion to #StoptheFareHikesThe coalition group across Ireland, who have been campaigning on this jointly with other groups under the Stop the Fare Hikes, are asking voters to contact their TDs again ahead of tomorrows vote.Although this website clearly reported that it was the Governments decision to reverse the 20% fare decrease, elsewhere it was portrayed as a bureaucratic decision removed from the Government. A Freedom of Information request by Cllr Chris Pender, a Social Democrats councillor in Kildare, makes it clear that it was a Government decision made by Ministers.The Journal reported last week that FOI documents released to them show that Minister for Transport DarraghOBrien told the National Transport Authority (NTA) not to announce the rise in public transport fares in September, despite him having signed off on the increases in July. But Cllr Penders FOI documents show that Government Ministers made the decision much earlier, in October 2025. The fare increase was even originally supposed to be implemented by now, and when it was not, in the civil service, Minister Jack Chambers Department of Public Expenditure led the charge on questioning why that did not happen. In a Substack post about the FOI request, Cllr Pender wrote: On 21 April 2026, an official in Public Expenditure wrote to the Department of Transport because, in their view, the fare plan was not being implemented as agreed.The email from an official in the Department of Public Expenditure to the Department of Transport said: From our point of view what has been set out below and at our most recent meeting is not consistent with what was agreed at the conclusion of the Estimates process. The decision to increase fares was agreed between our Ministers on 3 October [2025] and we were assured by your Department at that meeting that an implementation date of 1 June 2026 would allow for the necessary preparations to be made.There seems to have been a significant delay in communicating the to the NTA. which has left us in a situation, regardless of the ongoing geopolitical situation, whereby they would not have been ready to implement the increase on the agreed date, the Public Expenditure official said.The Public Expenditure official added: Secondly, it is not clear to us why the Department/NITA are now apparently operating on the basis of a 10% increase. Again, this is not consistent with what was agreed. There is no formal agreement or instruction of which we are aware to divert from what was agreed between our respective Ministers.

Roll up, roll up, step forward to take a look at Monsieur Prudhomme's and Mademoiselle Rousse's latest list of wheezes for the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.There are the starts in Britain, of course, featuring punchy road stages and starts and finishes in Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester and more, and a team time trial in London for the women. That much we already knew about, but it was still exciting to see it reconfirmed on the big stage last week.The men's Tour then winds its way around France via the Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees, with multiple mini-Classics on the way, while the Femmes crosses the country diagonally to a finale on the Puy de Dme via some lumpy days.July and August 2027 might seem a long way in the distance, but in reality they are just eight and nine months away, and will be with you quicker than you think. As a result, here is a guide to the key stages you should be trying to catch in person, and where to stay. Obviously, we could list all of the British stages here, but there's much more to the Tour than that.Men's Tour de France(Image credit: Getty Images)Stage three: Welshpool to Cardiff223km | 4/07/27After two days which could end in sprints, the final day in Britain for the men will certainly be one for the attackers. Whether it will be one for the general classification contenders remains to be seen, but this is one to circle on your calendars. With such a long stage through the middle of Wales, there will be endless opportunities to catch the race, before a finale in Cardiff, a lot like the Tour of Britain Men last September. With the Welsh capital so well connected to most of the south of Great Britain, it's going to be one hell of a party.Where to stay?Cardiff is a key hub and so has loads of hotels, and all the restaurants and pubs you could possibly want, but if you want to be closer to the action on the climbs, Caerphilly and Aberdare are just train rides up the Valleys.Stage four: Cherbourg-en-Contentin to Cherbourgh-en-Contentin172KM | 6/07/27If you want to experience the Tour de France in France but don't fancy too much driving or flying, then pop over the Channel like the peloton are doing and visit Normandy for stage four. It might not be the big mountains, but the wind could make the day exciting, and you can get there in just a few hours by ferry from Portsmouth. The Bayeux Tapestry might be in London at the moment, but there's plenty of history to experience in the region, including a lot of D-Day intrigue.Where to stay?If you're just going for the day, remain in the north of Normandy, but if you fancy doing a bit more of the race, you want to be heading south towards Mont-Saint-Michel.(Image credit: ASO/Tour de France)Stage 10: Annecy to Sallanches172KM | 13/07/27The Alps are not the key point of next year's Tour, but there is still a series of intriguing stages, all close at hand if you're willing to fly to Geneva, which is very easy to do from the UK. The Grand Colombier on the Sunday might be the first mountain test of next year's Tour, but the Tuesday looks intriguing to us, and can be combined with a few days at the race, especially if you hire a car.Where to stay?Ideally, you would stay in Annecy on the lake and enjoy a lovely time in the Haute-Savoie, especially if you can take or hire a bike. However, if you want to head out into the wild a bit, there are plenty of off-season skiing lodges available.(Image credit: Getty Images)Stage 18: Pau to Sain-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet174KM | 22/07/27If you want to be at the denouement of next year's men's Tour, then you have to be in the Pyrenees for this mega queen stage. They are beautiful, and there's so much to explore, but the Pyrenees are more inaccessible to the British traveller, in truth. A flight to Toulouse is necessary, in which case you might as well catch stage 16's time trial, before a lengthy train or drive down to Pau and beyond.Where to stay?Pau is always a safe bet, and Tarbes is quite a nice town too, so you could set up base there and try to make it down from the mountains, but it will likely be a late one. Explore options in small towns and villages, but beware Lourdes. The Catholic pilgrimage destination is, well, an acquired taste.Tour de France FemmesWith just as thrilling racing but slightly less hype and overwhelming crowds, the TDFF is very much an option for us British cycling fans, and it has never been closer. Unlike the men, the women have never been to the UK, and there's a handy stage in Calais too.(Image credit: Getty Images)Stage two: Manchester to Sheffield154KM | 31/7/27The opening day has its appeal, and the London TTT will be exciting, but if you're going to go to one British stage next summer, make it day two. The climbs will be relentless, with the Sheffield trio of Bradfield, Oughtibridge and Jenkin Road the perfect place for someone to attack to glory from. We are already dreaming of crowds to rival the 2014 Grand Dpart through the Pennines, and the best foreign start yet for the young race. With your bike, the Peak District is a cyclist's playground, and there will be plenty of fans who arrive and leave on two wheels, but why not make it a bigger holiday?Where to stay?Manchester does make sense, seeing as it's where stage one will finish, but to be closer to the key climbs, you want to be in Sheffield, although they are but a train ride apart, should TransPennine and Northern Railway play ball. Expect those services to be teeming with people in polka-dot shirts.(Image credit: ASO/Tour de France Femmes)Stage four: Le Touquet Paris-Plage to Calais123KM | 2/8/27If you want to experience the Tour de France Femmes in France, then you won't get an easier opportunity than the fourth stage, which ends in Calais. That's right, you could go to the Channel port and back in a day and watch some elite racing. The day begins a little further down the coast, but you could either catch a ferry or cross over on Le Shuttle to witness the finale. If you have your bike or your car, head down to Cap Blanc-Nez, which will be the final climb of the day. It's where Wout van Aert lit things up in 2022.Where to stay?Calais might not be the most glamorous location in northern France, but it is well located for this stage. Failing that, many of the towns and villages on and along the coast like Le Touquet and Boulogne-sur-Mer are beautiful. Take your bikes too, as the riding around here is superb.Stage nine: Clermont Ferrand to Puy de Dme170KM | 7/8/27The final stage of next year's TDFF will see another mythical climb topped, this time the extinct volcano that is the Puy de Dme. The slight fly in the ointment is that there will likely be restricted numbers on the climb, due to it being a nature reserve; when the men's race went up three years ago, there were no fans at all. However, if you're lucky, the end-of-race ceremony will happen up there, once the Tour has been won on its slopes. Clermont-Ferrand is probably in the least visited part of Metropolitan France, the very middle, so get out your guidebooks and make the most of it. There is an airport, but Lyon then train or drive might be just as good a bet.Where to stay?In Clermont itself, or in the forests which surround it to the south-east. The volcanic countryside is perfect to explore by bike, and you could even take a trip up some of the other climbs in the area if you're feeling adventurous.

The steel bike builder had launched e-bikes in recent years and opened a new shop in April, but the founder says it's "an exceptionally difficult time to run a bicycle business due to squeezed margins and Brexit trade barriers

The cycling transfer market continues to produce interesting developments ahead of the 2027 season, and one of the biggest names whose future remains unresolved is Primoz Roglic. The Slovenian, who has just turned 37, left Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe at the end of the 2026 season and remains withou...

If you have Zipp 202 NSW, 353 NSW, or 303 SW, you just got an upgrade. Zipp just announced that those wheels have updated tire clearance. So if youre looking for a wheelset that can do road and gravel, youll already be riding them.Zipp 202 NSW: Now up to 35mmThe 202 NSW is Zipps lightest wheelset, coming in at under 1,100g. Its still aimed squarely at climbing and road racing. The new 35mm maximum tire width gives it a little more room outside traditional road use. Plus, if youre a cyclocross fan, they would make an excellent (and super expensive) race day wheelset.Zipp 353 NSW: Now up to 49mmThe 353 NSW is now cleared for tires up to 49mm. With its undulating 35/40mm-deep carbon rim, the 353 NSW uses a 25mm internal width. The 353 NSW was still optimized around a 30mm road tire. The wider 49mm limit makes the 353 NSW much more useful for all-road and gravel setups.Zipp 303 SW: Now up to 55mmThe 303 SW gets the widest range of the three, with compatibility now extending to 55mm tires. The 40mm-deep rim is optimized for 30 to 35mm tires, but the new maximum gives riders far more room for light gravel to full-on adventure.Zipp says the 303 SWs revised carbon layup gives it nearly 10% more impact strength, while the rim profile helps protect the tire during harder impacts.Upgrade Without Purchase The best part is that nothing needs replacing, and if you have any of these wheels, youve just upgraded. For riders moving between road, cyclocross, all-road, and gravel, this is great news.

A lack of mechanics could soon be causing major issues for bike shops across Europe, but industry leaders have met to discuss plans to avert the shortages. The action points include a Europe-wide training pathway, plans to attract more women and improving retention.The recent NextGen Mechanics (NGM) Report revealed Europe's cycling industry will need 105,000 more cycle mechanics by 2032, on top of a shortage of 45,000 today, in order to meet demand.At a European Cycling Industries (ECI) seminar, numerous professionals from the Education and Skills Expert Group underlined the urgency of the situation and the challenges faced by the bike industry in recruiting and retaining these mechanics. They suggested the following measures, among others, to try to avert the crisis.Make it easier for bike mechanics to get training Training pathways for bike mechanics should be clear, from entering the trade right up to the pinnacle of the sport. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Jonathan Harrison, head of Cytech (a leading global training provider), told the seminar that clear entry routes into a career as a bike mechanic are needed in order to boost numbers.He explained that better-defined training pathways and opportunities for progressing up the ladder could be a key factor in attracting new cycle mechanics.Harrison also said a common pathway for mechanics across different industries (including automotive and heavy vehicles) is needed both to boost respect for cycle mechanics and create the ability for mechanics to transfer universal skills between sectors.If a bike mechanic wants to become a car mechanic, or vice versa, the training they receive should share a common root, according to Harrison. He told the seminar the goal is not necessarily to impose one delivery model, but to agree on what a competent mechanic should know and how they should be assessed.Recruit more women Men and women mechanics are leaving the trade at an alarming rate, leaving a shortfall. Ashley Quinlan / Our Media Isabell Eberlein, CEO of Velokonzept, explained that women make up a mere 16% of workers within the cycle sector, and that the mechanic shortfall could be made up in part by attracting more female mechanics into the bike industry.Eberlein said that, with both women and men leaving the cycle industry, mechanics numbers could be boosted by making the profession more attractive to women.How do we make the profession more attractive as a career option? Avoiding people looking at it as a part-time job or [one that has] has no future path, said Eberlein.Adopt a Europe-wide training standard Cytech is one well-respected training provider offering courses the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. James Costley-White/BikeRadar NGM says that to track a mechanic's skills, there should be a Europe-wide training standard.Harrison explained Cytech is working with NGM to identify training needs and support creation of an overarching framework across the continent.Were not asking governments to drop existing qualifications; we dont want to undermine those pre-existing with strong recognition and funding, Harrison said.The vision is not to replace all existing training with a universal qualification, but to create competence criteria that can be accepted across Europe. This way, mechanics skill levels can be identified and they can be supported in their continuous professional development (CPD).A universal standard could also make it easier for bike mechanics to explain their skill level to prospective employers if moving to different countries.Cytech is renowned when it comes to bike mechanic qualifications, offering courses in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.While not cheap, Cytech training to become a mechanic is less expensive than a UK university degree and there are apprenticeships available for some advanced courses.Success in this area seems a long way off, though, with different European countries currently providing disparate cycle mechanic courses of varying complexity and quality.Reduce the number of mechanics quitting Retention is an issue for mechanics in Holland and research can be extrapolated out across Europe, says NGM. Alex Whitehead / SWPix.com NGM said that, in general, small businesses lose skilled workers at an a rate of 15% per year and that rate is likely higher for cycle mechanics.Research in Holland by Opleidings en Ontwikkelingsfonds Motorvoertuigenbedrijf en Tweewielerbedrijf (OOMT), which is the Dutch training and development fund for motor vehicle and two-wheeled industry, found just under 25% of staff left the sector in 2024.It sounds obvious, but making working as a cycle mechanic more attractive would help reduce the expected shortage of bike mechanics, according to NGM.Harrison explained that progression opportunities and greater recognition of mechanics skills in line with the previous points he highlighted would help improve retention.

Our October selection is a celebration of metal with Mercian's steel ace Ventura Allroad frame and Gloria's titanium All Terrain both making the cut, alongside cool stuff from Magicshine, Smith, Quoc and Alpkit

Burgos Burpellet BH continues to shape its squad for the 2027 season and has now confirmed its 20th rider. The latest addition is Presley Evans, a 20-year-old American who will turn professional after spending the past two seasons with Equipo Cortizo. The Spanish team is backing young talent once ag...

Sound Break Bike House is a new bike, coffee, and community hub in Seattle. With the goal of serving as a home base for riders looking to build community and take on the Pacific Northwests incredible terrain, Sound Break Bike House promises to be more than just a bike shop. Learn more hereThe post Sound Break Bike House: More Than Just a Bike Shop appeared first on BIKEPACKING.com.

Leave your ego at the door and find out what you really need to ride stronger for longer on gravel