10 articles
Mountain biking, gravel, bikepacking and cycle touring: choosing a bike, planning rides and going further.
A gravel track running between hedgerows, a well-stuffed frame bag and a whole day ahead: riding off the tarmac has a lot going for it, provided you set off on the right bike with a sound plan. Here you will find what you need to choose between a mountain bike, a gravel bike, a touring bike and an e-bike according to the tracks you have in mind, then get the basics right, such as riding position, frame size, tyre width and tyre pressure.
Planning a ride starts with a realistic route: reading the climbing and the surfaces from a map or a GPS track, working out where to find water and food, and knowing where you could shelter or cut the day short. For bikepacking and cycle touring, we cover how to spread the load across your bags, what you really end up carrying, wild camping with a bike, and taking it on the train, where the booking rules vary from one operator to another.
Riding off-road also means knowing the rules. Not every path is open to bikes, national parks and nature reserves can set their own restrictions, the rules in Scotland differ from those in England and Wales, and sharing a track with walkers and horse riders comes with etiquette worth knowing. These rules are taken from the official texts and the land managers’ pages, with a link to the source and the date it was checked. E-bikes get the same approach, since not every model is equal in the eyes of the law.
Maintenance has its place too, without turning your shed into a workshop: fixing a puncture, looking after a chain, spotting wear before it stops you far from anywhere. For kit, we start from manufacturers’ specifications, read with a critical eye and sourced, and a test, when there is one, is told by the person who carried it out. Newcomers will find clear basics, and regular riders more specialist subjects, starting with the long-running debate over the ideal gravel tyre width.
CyclingPractical guide
On a bike light box, the lumens get top billing. In the law, they appear nowhere: Germany reasons in lux and a cut-off beam, Britain and France in colour and mode, US states in feet of visibility. Here is how to read those numbers, country by country, before you buy, with Britain first in line.
Julien de Jurquet··9 min
Sold Secure, ART, FUB 2 roues: what bike lock ratings measure, why their levels can’t be converted, and what insurers ask for before they pay out.
Julien de Jurquet··10 min
Chainring, sprocket, wheel size: work out metres of development and gear inches, compare two drivetrains and choose your gears for hills or touring.
Julien de Jurquet··11 min
Lights, bells, helmets, hi-vis: what the law demands from a cyclist in Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, and what is only advice.
Damien Poirier-Boucard··10 min
La Loire à Vélo is 631 km (392 miles) from Cuffy to Saint-Brevin: the easy sections, daily distances, the train back, luggage transfers and what it costs.
Julien de Jurquet··11 min
Bikepacking: where each bag goes, how much it can carry according to the makers, the limits to check, the lights the law requires and a printable kit list.
Julien de Jurquet··13 min
Why cold cuts your range, when it is safe to charge, and at what level to store the battery over winter: what Bosch, Shimano, Yamaha and Bafang actually say.
Julien de Jurquet··11 min
Mountain bike and gravel tyre pressure: manufacturers’ charts by rider weight, the front-to-rear split, the terrain and the limits of your rims.
Julien de Jurquet··15 min
A 500, 625 or 750 Wh battery: what watt-hours actually measure, what a climb costs and what really drains the battery of an electric mountain bike.
Julien de Jurquet··8 min
Mountain bike size: why size charts differ from brand to brand, what reach and inside leg really tell you, and how to choose between two sizes.
Julien de Jurquet··8 min
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