Cycling Articles Archive
Cycling in France, general cycling, touring, holidays with kids and many more of my ramblings;-)
Here you'll find articles on cycling, touring, equipment, France and some slightly off-the-wall topics, sometimes funny, sometimes serious and frequently opinionated. It's an archive built up over the last 20 years so please bear in mind that when I do things like describing pulling a baby trailer, that was a very long time ago.
Read and enjoy and I am always very happy to add contributions from others in order to make the Archive as broad and as worthwhile as possible.
Cycling Article Index
Reviews
Carradice bar-bag - perfect for cycling holidays in France? * Dawes Sonoran Hybrid Cycle review * Touring USB battery review * Touring Bike Brakes review * VSF T50s touring hybrid bike review * Ridgeback Expedition Touring Bikes review * Wheelbuilding book review * Cycling in Europe book review * Orbit Romany touring bike review * DTI Hugi Touring hubs review * Orbit Gold Medal touring bike review * Ortlieb pannier review * Burley and Thorn child trailers review * Brooks Titanium saddle review * Two person Tent test review * Brooks leather saddles review * Yak BOB trailer review * Trangia cooker review * Thermarest problems review * Robens Lodge 2 tent review
Technical
Stiffness in bicyle frames * Tyres for cycle touring * Reynolds 531 history * 26" vs 700c wheels * Tyre pressures * The technical facts about steel frame tubing * General use of steel in touring frames * Ladies Frames - why not? * Chain-link extractors overview
General cycle touring advice and guides
A guide on how to fall in love with cycling mountains! * Cycling holiday on the Velodyssee * A Guide to E-Bikes - central or hub motors? * Go on a cycling holiday – encouragement! * The Breton Bikes Guide to Cycling Holidays in France * Cycling Holidays for Beginners * Cycling holidays for experienced * Touring tyre tread patterns * Why cycle in Brittany * Food and Brittany * Cycling tool kit * Gearing for Cycling holidays * Carrying loads on a cycling holiday * DIY cycle camping holiday guide * How to choose a cycling holiday tent * My anti cycling-fashion rant! * How to climb on a touring bike * Hi Vis - worth it? * Death of the drop handlebar * Things to watch out for in a tent * A Cyclists Toolkit * Cycling with children - guide
Cycling Holiday route ideas
Cycleroutes from Gouarec in central Brittany (France) * Free hotel-based touring route from Roscoff * Free camping based route from Roscoff * Cycle touring up the Ventoux! * Tour de France 2018 in Gouarec * "A day in the mountains" * Climbing the Tormalet
General 'Fun' Articles
Cycling a 100+ years ago!
Cycletouring in 1887 * How people planned a cycletour - in 1887! * Cycle Training with freinds - in 1887 * How to pack for a cycletour - in 1887! * Cycling First Aid - In 1887!
And last but not least – the whole saga of.... The Breton Bikes ITG charity ride to the French Pyrenees
Latest Cycling Articles
Cycling Article Index
Or how I nearly died in the name of sport...
This article was written 23 years ago and I've just found it again. It doesn't have anything to do with cycling, or with our holidays but I hope it'll make you smile and see one reason why we think this is such a special place...
A bike to take on your first cycle tour...
Cycling Article Index
This is the first in a short series of reviews of good value bikes that are capable of loaded cycletouring - this month the VSF 50s.
Read more: A quality touring bike on the Cheap – The VSF T50s
Cycling Article Index
A small favour
We hope you enjoy reading this short article and will go on to read many more. This website exists both as an information hub for cyclists – (and we offer free advice by email) - but also as a commercial site to sell our cycling holidays in France. For 29 years we've been the only company in the world offering fully equipped cycle camping holidays and now also offer hotel based cycling holidays and even run our local campsite which is uniquely well geared up for passing cycletourists - it is this experience that informs so much of what I write here.
Google is now punishing sites with high 'bounce' rates and also sees these articles as being nothing to do with cycling in France. That means if you read one page and then leave Google marks us down. If you don't click on one of the cycling holidays links in italics here Google sees this as a 'technical' site only. So please, when you've finished reading just click on any other link on the site before leaving - it would be a big help - otherwise I may be forced to remove such articles from the site and that would be a shame...
If you like what we do and want us to continue please help by sharing our Facebook page, telling your friends or linking to www.bretonbikes.com on any site you run. Without your support we'd not be here...
An idiots guide to steel cycle-tubing and how not to get fixated on numbers.
This is the latest in a series of articles on Reynolds frame tubing. Many years ago (25!) I wrote a short article in the very first on-line cycling magazine – cybercyclist.com– now long gone (but it still lives on our cycling holiday website) about Reynolds 531. It came at an important time as it was then that 531 was finally being phased out in favour of more TIG-welding-friendly tubing (more on this later). You will also find a basic article on bicycle frame stiffness here.
Since then the market has changed from one where perhaps 80% of all quality touring bikes (maybe 95%+ in the UK) were made in Reynolds 531, to one where where none are. So time for an overview to help all those confused by the plethora of tubing types now available.
Read more: Steel tubing for Cycle-tourists, Reynolds 531, 520, 853, True Temper – confused?
Cycling Article Index
What can the Ridgeback Expedition offer? (Updated for 2017 - see below)
Update
Sadly Ridgeback inform me that for 2017 the Expedition is to be updated with Hydraulic disc brakes. Though lovely to use these aren't a great idea on a true expedition tourer - too easy to damage, difficult to get spares or 'bodge' on tour in Europe let alone outside... - Manufacturers Website
Read more: Ridgeback Expedition 26” Touring Bike 2016 Review
Cycling Article Index
Why do tyres have a tread pattern?
If you go onto the website of any cycle tyre manufacturer you will see a bewildering range of tyres – all sizes, constructions and weight. But the most obvious difference between tyres is the tread pattern which seems to come in all shapes and sizes from massive tread blocks to completely slick, it's no wonder that cyclists looking at this get confused, so the purpose of this article is to try to uncover some of the mysteries of the subject and more importantly to expose some of the misconceptions.
Cycling Article Index
Hardly a cycling article, but after all the 2CV is the nearest a car get's to being a bike, and is probably the most French machine on the planet so why not???
The Tin Snail
Cycling Article Index
For a lot of our customers this will be their first ever cycling holiday especially in France, in fact that was one reason Breton Bikes was set up as it is – to encourage people to try something that may get them hooked so that in the future they set off on their own. But there are beginners and 'beginners'...
Cycling Article Index
Regular cyclists read on...
One of our specialities is providing cycling holidays for experienced cycletourists. If that means you then you are probably used to decent equipment, reasonable mileages and don't want to cycle in a group of beginners. On the other hand you don't want the hassle and cost of bringing all your gear to France and then risking the chance of a breakdown writing off a hard-earned holiday. If that's the case then you've come to the right place.
Read more: Cycling Holidays in France for Experienced Cyclists