C O N T E N T S

DECEMBER 2010

Velo Vision is published quarterly by Velo Vision Ltd. Subscription details, news and updates can be found on www.velovision.com ISSN 1475-4312 Velo Vision Magazine York Eco Business Centre Amy Johnson Way York, YO30 4AG, UK Tel/Fax +44 1904 692800 (from UK, 01904 692800) Email peter@velovision.com Website www.velovision.com EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Peter Eland EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Sue Archer PHOTO ASSISTANT: Debz Butterworth ART DIRECTOR: Brian Holt WEB PROGRAMMER: Simon Ward PRINTER: Stephens & George Magazines Ltd PUBLISHING SCHEDULE: Issue 41: March 2011 Issue 42: June 2011 Issue 43: September 2011 Issue 44: December 2011 Velo Vision and Velo-Vision We weren’t first with the name. Velo-Vision is a bike shop in Körten, near Bergisch-Gladbach, Germany. Velo Vision magazine exists in friendly harmony with Velo-Vision in Germany. Velo Vision is printed on paper produced from sustainable forests to Nordic Swan standards.

The inspiring cycling magazine The inspiring cycling magazine

I S S U E 4 0 D E C E MB E R 2 0 1 0 £ 6 I S S U E 4 0 D E C E MB E R 2 0 1 0 £ 6

REVIEWS: KOGA SIGNATURE 4WIELER QUAD HUB GEARS: ALFINE 11-SPEED STURMEY S2C PLUS: CYCLING BY SATELLITE

REVIEWS: KOGA SIGNATURE 4WIELER QUAD HUB GEARS: ALFINE 11-SPEED STURMEY S2C PLUS: CYCLING BY SATELLITE

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COVER: Cyclists brave icy conditions on Knavesmire Road, York, on a still morning in December. OPPOSITE: Cycle parking with a difference at the Chain Bridge Honey Farm near Berwick-upon-Tweed. Both photos: Peter Eland

4 News Rotovelo revealed, Sinclair’s X-1, the ICE

photo contest winners, product updates galore and a full 2011 events listing

10 Cycling by satellite Do you still carry reams of paper maps with you for touring? Still use a wheel-turn-counting computer? Gary White explores the options opening up to cyclists with a new wave of GPS ‘satnav’ technology.

16 Review: Koga Signature We review a high-end made-to-order tourer from Koga complete with 11-speed hub gear. We also try out their ‘design-ityourself ’ website.

20 Short reviews 20 Alfine 11-speed hub gear 21 Arkel Randonneur rack

22 Review: 4wieler Bakfeetz Four wheelers aren’t common in cycling,

but for the right application they can work wonders. We review the 4wieler quad from the Netherlands.

26 Short reviews 26 Sturmey’s S2C Kickback hub: a selfconfessed hub gear geek reports 29 Scuff Muffle: frame protection for your

Brompton 30 The BHPC’s LaidBack Cyclist magazine and Snakeseals: brake cable protection from HP Velotechnik

31 The new Electric Bicycles book 32 Brompton in miniature: building a model from Japan 33 ‘White’ dry lube: the latest from Green Oil

34 Dropping in on the dealers We visit the two-branch family dealership of Cyclesense near York, and also take a look behind the scenes at the Velo Vision office.

40 Readers’ bikes 40 Moulton New Series: an owner reports on the bike and from a Moulton meeting in Japan. 43 Reader ingenuity: DIY lights, trailer adaptation and a work in progress. 44 How not to build a bicycle trailer: hard lessons learned on the road. 46 An all weather recumbent from Austria,

along with a new helmet design 48 Pedalling the Amazon: is a bicycle boat the best way to explore?

50 Letters Triking on ice, student capers, dual disk feedback, cycle path poetry and more in our round-up of reader letters.

54 Subscribe to Velo Vision How to subscribe, back issues and details of our distributors worldwide

54 Advertisements The first place to look for specialist products and services! Please support these advertisers, who support this magazine.

A decade done

Issue 40 marks ten years’ worth of Velo Vision, and it’s a publication record of which all of us here, our many contributors, and our advertisers can all be very proud. Sincere thanks also to you the readers, both for your continued support in subscribing and in the wonderful feedback which we receive.

As you’ll see, we’ve indulged in a few minor celebrations this issue; the wrap-around cover to echo Issue 1, and a look at how Velo Vision is made. Also, many of you may have noticed that the magazine now has a revamped website (you can find it at www.velovision.com, just as before).

We know that completing ten years doesn’t mean a chance to rest on our laurels, and our first priority is returning to schedule. Apologies that we haven’t yet managed to catch up after last issue’s delays; I hope this issue has been worth the wait.

Peter Eland

I S SUE 40 D ECEMBER 2010 VELOVISION

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