Читать книгу The Lancashire Cycleway. The tour and 17 day rides онлайн

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Old-style toe-clips and straps are now rare, as so-called clipless pedals have almost completely taken over. These greatly enhance pedalling efficiency, but must be matched with compatible cleats fixed to the shoes. There are many different cleat/pedal systems: Shimano’s SPD is the best-known, but even this comes in two incompatible flavours; the ‘mountain bike’ variety is better if you plan on walking any distance.

For the upper body, dedicated cycling kit is great but can be pricey, and isn’t entirely essential. There’s no need to become a mobile advertising hoarding like the Tour riders, although bright colours make you more visible to other road users. A lot of cycling kit isn’t vastly different from other outdoor clothing, except for being cut longer at the rear to avoid exposing the lower back when riding. Cycling jerseys often have rear pockets, a good place to carry essentials like wallet and phone, although not if you’re also using a rucksack or bum-bag.

It can get pretty warm going up hills, and a lot cooler going down the other side. Traditionally, Tour de France riders would stuff a newspaper up the front of their jerseys for those long, chilly, Alpine descents. As newspapers aren’t readily available at the top of Cross O’Greet, a light windproof layer is a good alternative for descents on cooler days. Although it rarely rains in Lancashire, it won’t hurt if it’s waterproof too.