[ contents ] SEPTEMBER 2005

Velo Vision is published quarterly by Velo Vision Ltd. Daily news and updates can be found on www.velovision.co.uk

ISSN 1475-4312

Velo Vision, The Environmental Community Centre, St Nicholas Fields, York, YO10 3EN, UK Tel/Fax +44 1904 438 224 (from UK, 01904 438 224) Email peter@velovision.co.uk Website www.velovision.co.uk

EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Peter Eland ARTDIRECTOR: Brian Holt WEB PROGRAMMER: Simon Ward PRINTER: Stephens & George Magazines Ltd, Merthyr Tidfil, Wales, UK. Tel 01685 388 888

PUBLISHING SCHEDULE: Issue 20: early December 2005 Issue 21: early March 2006 Issue 22: early June 2006 Issue 23: early September 2006

Velo Vision is a member of INK, trade association of the alternative press in the UK. www.ink.uk.com

VELO VISION AND VELO-VISION We weren’t first with the name. Velo-Vision (note the hyphen) is a progressive HPV-friendly bike shop in Köörten, near Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany, who also make their own recumbents. Velo Vision magazine is working in friendly harmony with Velo-Vision in Germany.

Velo Vision is printed on paper produced from sustainable forests to Nordic Swan standards.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Riders enjoy the York Cycle Show mass parade.

OPPOSITE:Cycling photographer JasonPatient catches the evening light on the VeloVisionaries ride. Both photos by Peter Eland.

4 News A big bicycle bridge, cargo carrier ideas, new trike details,

new Birdys, Russian HPV renaissance and more

10Cycle Summer 2005 Scenes from CycleVision, Cyclefeast and the York Cycle Show

14Pedals in the air A human-powered airship prepares for a Channel crossing –

before tackling the Atlantic!

16Fast folders We put two top titanium-enhanced Bromptons to the test in

this thorough report – the fully loaded P6R-XDL and the

slimmed-down S2L-X

21Going Dutch Riding the semi-recumbent Double-Dutch touring tandem

from the Netherlands

24Rotor Cranks – do they work? Putting the claims under the scientific spotlight – with

surprising results

26Cycling the Cyclone A touring trailer which converts to a suitcase – or to a

handcart. We test the latest incarnation of the traveller’s

favourite from Radical Designs

28The chaincase solution News of a radical new and super-affordable chaincase from

Germany, plus a look at the state of the art in chain protection

30Short reviews Surreal sculpture posters, an amazing pedal voyage and a

Sturmey hub update...

32Readers’ bikes bonanza 10 pages of readers writing about their own bikes: an amazing

electric-assist child-carrying tricycle, a titaniumHase Pino

tandem, the side-by-side Duotrike , an upright folding trike

from Di Blasi, SRAM and Shimano hub gears compared, and

finally an extraordinary lever-propelled machine from the

Czech Republic

42Letters Your views and feedback, questions and answers

48Buyer’s Guide: special needs cycling New and updated – we return to the subject of cycling for

riders of all ability, with a particular focus on the options for

personal mobility

55Subscribe to Velo Vision Also order back issues, calendars for 2006, and get bonus

issues if you introduce a friend...

56Adverts The best, most interesting advertising around.

Please support the companies who support this magazine.

DELIGHTFUL DIVERSITY

It’s a thoroughly mixed bag this

issue, as we take a rollercoaster

ride by human power on land,

water and even in the air. But

why should a cycling magazine

include these more unusual forms

of pedal power? After all, few

readers will find pedal boating or

airship travel useful in their

everyday cycling lives.

First, because I find human power

in all its forms fascinating, and I

hope you do too. It’s also pure

inspiration: after hearing that

someone’s pedalled to Hawaii, or

crossed the Channel by human

power airship, it’s hard to whinge

about a bit of rain preventing you

from cycling to work.

So if seeing watercraft and aircraft

in our pages irks the purists,

so be it. There is plenty of more

conventional (for us at least) fare

in this issue too, including a

wonderfully diverse collection of

reader reviews, a look back at an

enjoyable summer of cycling, and

tests of some impressive new

bikes. Thanks again to all who

contributed, and enjoy the read!

Peter Eland

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