Transport Action Network (TAN) says it is "bitterly disappointed" by the judgement and is hoping to appeal

CyclistWhat to do with all the bike stuff you dont needWhile cycling is a wonderfully efficient mode of transport, the number of spare parts and bits of gear we cyclists can accumulate over time is somewhat staggering.Often it is with the best intentions punctured inner tubes waiting to be fixed; tyres with just enough tread left for an emergency; old frames that will, one day, become a whole new bike.Then there are the various bits and bobs from who-knows-where and rusted fittings from a time gone by, and of course, the copious amounts of cycling clothing and accessories.Bobbled, torn and lifeless Lycra, crackling elastic and broken zips, cobwebbed covered shoes that have been cast aside for a newer model, and all that stuff that just doesnt fit anymore.What can we do about it? Related Posts Hunt Sustain wheels use recycled materials to reduce environmental impact as brand aims for net zero Whats the environmental impact of a steel bicycle frame? Examining the environmental impact of the Tour de France How green is my jersey? The environmental impact of your cycling kit The 10 best sustainable cycling clothing brands 2024 Whats the environmental impact of riding your bike? 1. Donate itCharitable organisationsThe Bike ProjectA brilliant place to start is by donating your cycling equipment, parts, clothing and accessories. Its a great way to give your old stuff a new lease of life and help other people.For bikes, The Bike Project is one charity that takes in second-hand bikes, refurbishes them and donates them to refugees and people seeking asylum in the UK. The project has donated over 11,000 bikes so far. If the bike is beyond repair, it will be dismantled, and its various parts will be reused to rebuild other bikes.If youre based in or near Scotland, try Bikes for Refugees Scotland, its dedicated to providing bikes for refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.Bikes for Refugees ScotlandThe Bike Network is another great option. It refurbishes donated bikes and then passes them on to someone affected by cancer and also takes cycling clothing and equipment.Theres also Capital of Cycling, which is based in Bradford and takes bikes and clothing.Check your local area for projects like The Community Furniture Project, which has points in Newbury and Basingstoke and not only gives old bikes a new life but trains people up to be able to fix them too.Re-cycle runs a recycling used bikes programme that donates bikes to rural communities in Africa. You can drop your bike off at various places including atHalfords stores nationwide.Alpkit has a similar project where it donates outdoor clothing and equipment to those in need through its Continuum project.Local cycling clubsChances are there are plenty of things in your cupboard a youngster could really benefit from.The amount of gear needed for cycling can be overwhelming, not least on the purse strings, so contact your local cycling club to see if you can pass on a few things.From unworn bib shorts to hardly worn jackets, to barely used equipment, all these things could really benefit someone getting into cycling.2. Reuse itMatthew LoveridgeNothing is really junk, is it? If you are feeling creative, you could make something out of your old parts the possibilities are endless.Toe straps can be used to attach bar bags to your bike or as a failsafe for accessories such as baskets (see above) or even just to hold things during repairs.Punctured inner tubes can be given a second lease of life. Woven together they make a strong basket, and chopped up they could become a coin purse, a wallet or a keyring.Old chains can become photo frames, cufflinks and keyrings, wheels can become clocks and sprockets can turn into the perfect Christmas tree decoration sprayed white they look likesnowflakes.Matthew LoveridgeFormer Cyclist website editor Matthew Loveridge uses bar tape off-cuts as a top tube pad on his own bike and cuts the tops off old bottles to use as a cargo container in a bottle cage.For more ideas check out the delights of Etsy and Recycle and Bicycle.The more stuff you can reuse, the better it is for your wallet and the environment.3. Recycle itSpecializedRecycling is a good option if your cycling clothing and gear is beyond repair.Many local councils offer textile recycling collections and Recycle Now provides the locations of textile recycling bins in the UK.Used or broken aluminium, steel or titanium cassettes, chains, chainrings, cranks, handlebars, stems, seatposts, wheels and rims, pedals, brake calipers, brake discs, frames and forks can also be recycled.Remove any plastic parts, clean them and then take them to a recycling centre or scrap metal dealer.SchwalbeFor tubes, Schwalbe has developed a recycling programme, offering bike retailers a tube return system. Anyone can drop off old tubes from any brand to be recycled at participating retailers.Schwalbe Germany is currently recycling tyres but this has not been rolled out to the UK yet. The brand is hopeful it will in the future.A note on carbon fibreAh yes, that old chestnut. Recycling carbon fibre is an issue.The way carbon fibre is structured and the resins that bind the composite together make it complicated to recycle, and this process is incredibly energy-intensive.Add in the relatively small size of a bicycle and thus the amount of carbon fibre, and this recycling process becomes less and less attractive for companies.Unlike the aviation industry where the sheer amount of carbon fibre waste produced means that a recycling programme is profitable, the numbers dont stack up for bikes.CompLamInnovation is happening in the industry however.Taiwan-based CompLam claims to have devised methods to recycle both manufacturing scrap and end-user carbon waste into usable material.US company Vartega Carbon Fiber Recycling has a novel chemistry-based recycling process for carbon bicycles.But widespread and accessible for the consumer? We are watching this space with hope.For now, its worth contacting brands directly to ask if they offer recycling some may and the more people enquire, the more likely brands are to take the idea seriously.This article was first published in 2023 and has since been updated by the Cyclist team. Related Posts Hunt Sustain wheels use recycled materials to reduce environmental impact as brand aims for net zero Whats the environmental impact of a steel bicycle frame? Examining the environmental impact of the Tour de France How green is my jersey? The environmental impact of your cycling kit The 10 best sustainable cycling clothing brands 2024 Whats the environmental impact of riding your bike? The post What to do with all the bike stuff you dont need appeared first on Cyclist.

Whatever happens in the rest of his career, Chris Froome has already written his name into the annals of Tour de France history. However, is there still one final chapter to be written in the story?Recently, respected French outlet L'Equipe reported that the four-time winner of the Maillot Jaune is...

CyclistHow much fluid should you drink when cycling?The importance of hydration is most typically associated with summer, since thats when the body sweats most to control its core temperature, but keeping an eye on hydration throughout the year is paramount, whatever the weather.Staying hydrated may seem like common sense but a study on over 400 athletes found that 31% of them turned up to training sessions or competitions dehydrated, which had a negative impact on performance. Related Posts Best energy drinks for cycling: Electrolyte and carb mix buyers guide Ketones for cycling: What are they, do they work and are they banned? CBD: What is it and will it improve cycling performance? Should you still wear a base layer in the summer? Why is hydration important for cyclists?Hydration is a key element of any cyclists training, and one which plays a crucial role in overall performance and recovery.When you exercise, you lose water, sodium and calories in the form of carbohydrate and glycogen which can lead to dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance.Hydration requirements are driven by sweat losses, which are usually increased in summer because of the hotter weather, explains Andy Blow, sports scientist and founder of Precision Hydration.When its cold, it is easier to lose excess heat, but this doesnt mean you dont sweat at all and it is also worth bearing in mind how hard you are working, as intensity is a major factor in sweat loss.Cyclists can overlook hydration in winter as its not seen to be as critical compared to in summer but small things such as overdressing for a ride can mean a cyclist sweats heavily.Pre-ride hydration: preloadingAfter a long day at work, many of us might be dehydrated so starting off a heavy session by preloading with hydrating fluids can be beneficial.Before a long, hard session, a lot of athletes will preload by drinking 500ml of a very strong electrolyte drink which tend to be about three times the strength of a normal one, says Blow.The sodium in the drink pulls into the blood stream and increases blood volume, helping an athlete retain and hold onto liquid a lot better.Hydration during a rideOver the cooler months, when those wintery rain clouds roll in, the temptation to get off the bike and move indoors increases.When training indoors, riders can sweat huge amounts as there isnt the same airflow as outdoors especially during a two-hour Zwift session, which amplifies the importance of keeping on top of your fluid intake.If you are doing a higher volume of indoor training, which can lead to serious sweat loss, you are going to need to replace a reasonable proportion of this, explains Blow.For some riders who are big sweaters, for a 90 minute or two-hour session they will need to drink between 2 to 3 litres of fluid.According to Blow, indoor training can be fantastic opportunity to learn more about sweat output and sweat loss.A rider could weigh themselves before and after training, take out how much fluid they drank, and the difference will show how much sweat they have lost.Repeating this exercise over a few sessions will give a clearer picture of how much a rider is losing and how much they should be replacing.If hydration is right, it can be a good sign seeing your heart rate more stable during an indoor session.For a short, easy ride, indoors or outdoors, Blow recommends just drinking water, but for rides over an hour riders may benefit from an electrolyte replacement or an isotonic drink for a race or a hard interval session.Post-ride hydrationThe importance of hydration doesnt peter out once a ride finishes.Drinking fluids after exercising can help regulate the bodys temperature and helps make up for fluid loss.According to Blow, depending on how hard the ride has been it could be beneficial to pace rehydration out over a few hours post-session.Using a urine colour chart can be a good indicator of hydration levels however he adds that there isnt a simple and linear relationship between actual hydration status and the colour of urine as there are many factors that can affect urine colour.Can a cyclist drink too much?Drinking too much water can lead to hyponatremia, when the sodium level in the blood is diluted to below normal, which can undermine performance and in worse cases, lead to serious illness.Symptoms include nausea, cramps and headaches.Drinking too much water is more common than anything else as an athlete can become paranoid about not drinking enough, and then they run the risk of hyponatremia, explains Blow.Another issue could be taking too many electrolyte capsules as this can lead to nausea and diarrhoea, but you would have to take a lot in order to give yourself a major problem.Bottom line: Its all about the individual cyclistThere is no one-size-fits-all hydration strategy. In reality, there is a huge variability between athletes.Some cyclists in the pro peloton will only drink 200-300ml an hour on cold days, while in stage races during the summer some athletes drink 1.5 litres an hour, but the range is everywhere in between, according to Blow.The two factors, how much and what you need to drink, are extremely variable between riders, explains Blow.Ultimately figuring out what works for you is the most important thing and not getting too caught up on what other people do.Precision Hydration offers a free online sweat test and has sweat testing locations all around the UK.This article was first published in 2021. Related Posts Best energy drinks for cycling: Electrolyte and carb mix buyers guide Ketones for cycling: What are they, do they work and are they banned? CBD: What is it and will it improve cycling performance? Should you still wear a base layer in the summer? The post How much fluid should you drink when cycling? appeared first on Cyclist.

Although the 2024 Tour de Suisse has not yet entered the high mountains, stage 3 has seen a shift in the general classification At the end of a spectacular day of racing, Alberto Bettiol managed to become the new holder of the Maillot Jaune.The stage win went to Thibau Nys, but Bettiol, with his 3r...

The Baloise Belgium Tour takes place from the 12th to 16th of June and has become one of the most popular preparation races for the Tour de France, specially for the sprinters and classics riders! We preview stage 1.The race starts off in the town of Beringen with a 12-kilometer time-trial. This is...

A woman has died after a crash involving a pedestrian and a cyclist in south Dublin. The circumstances of the crash in Ranelagh were now being investigated by the Garda. The pedestrian, who was in her 70s, sadly died in hospital on Sunday, some five days after the fatal incident, with garda now appealing for []The post Woman dies five days after crash with cyclist in Ranelagh, south Dublin appeared first on Sticky Bottle.

The Tour de Suisse is one of the most important stage-races in the year. It is the final big test before the Tour de France and a few of the Tour's stars race in Switzerland; an eight-day race that features plenty mountains, time-trials and a few days for the classics specialists. The race takes pla...

For the first time since being forced out of the first Grand Tour of his career through illness, Team Visma | Lease a Bike's Olav Kooij will return to racing at the upcoming Baloise Belgium Tour."The goal was to win a stage, so if that succeeds, that's great. I look back on it with a very special f...

The Baloise Belgium Tour takes place from the 12th to 16th of June and has become one of the most popular preparation races for the Tour de France, specially for the sprinters and classics riders! We preview the race ahead.The race starts off in the town of Beringen with a 12-kilometer time-trial....