Tess Agnew

ADVERTORIAL Troy Lee Designs launches its first e-bike certified helmet with the Flowline and Flowline SE. It’s eight years since Troy Lee Designs’ game-changing A1 half shell trail helmet took the market by storm, and in true TLD style, the Flowline is set to be the best e-bike helmet available. It’s certainly the safest and most stylish e-bike helmet you can buy at this price point right now.

Working with Sustrans and the Bikeability Trust to lead girls' bike club sessions and support delivery of Bikeability training at a secondary school in Sussex. Teenage girls are less likely to participate in Bikeability training or cycling than boys. This pilot project tested a model to deliver training and increasing participation.

The first line of defence against the nightmare of bike theft is a solid and dependable D lock for your bike. The second line of defence is knowing how to lock your bike (properly), so thieves can’t make away with your frame and leave you with a sorry-looking wheel.
D locks (also known as U locks), come in many different sizes, materials, Sold Secure ratings, and price ranges. So, choosing the best D lock for your bike can be confusing if you don’t know what you’re looking for.

The hype for electric cargo bikes is growing, both for business and family use. This surge is set to continue as governments invest billions in active travel and cycling infrastructure to tackle the climate crisis. In Europe, the e-cargo bike market is booming, with upto 100,000 sold in France and Germany each year. UK cargo bike sales are a little behind our European neighbours, with just 2,000 sold in 2021, but industry experts forecast a rise by 60% this year.

I worked with Sustrans to set up Varndean Girls’ Bike Club in April 2021, creating a supportive and fun environment for girls to ride bikes. A judgement-free space for them to build confidence on the bike, learn new skills, meet new friends and explore new places by bike.

A quick search for the best Amazon bike lock will bring up a ton of options, but it’s not always clear which one is the best, as the Sold Secure rating isn’t always listed.
We looked at bike locks on Amazon for our guides on the best bike D locks and chain locks, and managed to dig out a few bargains, but not all of the best bike locks were available on Amazon...

If you’re thinking about getting an e-bike, you’ll need to understand the UK law for electric bikes. It’s legal to ride an e-bike in the UK without a licence, but only if it meets certain requirements: it must be pedal assist instead of ‘twist and go throttle’; and have a maximum power output of 250 watts, with a speed restriction of 15.5mph.
In this guide we share everything you need to know about the UK law for electric bicycles, including getting yours insured.

If you’re planning a cycling holiday abroad and taking your own bike, you’ll need to know how to pack a bike box for flying. The pre-holiday packing faff and experience of flying can be stressful enough, without the added worry of your beloved bike being damaged in transit. It’s worth getting clued up on the different types of bicycle box and the best way to pack your bike in each of them.

Whether you’re doing your workout at home or in the gym, dumbbells are a really versatile intro to free weights, capable of training the whole body, and great for beginners.

Once you know how to use dumbbells and have a few key exercises up your sleeve, you can work towards any goal, whether that’s to tone arms, work chest, burn fat, or build strong legs.

Keeping your bikes locked securely at home is essential to make sure your cycle insurance policy remains valid. Not everyone has the luxury of having enough practical space indoors or in a garage to store their bike(s). So a secure outdoor wooden or metal bike shed is the next best option.

A strong and dependable bike lock is essential for keeping your pride and joy secure when unattended. Especially if you want your insurance to remain valid. Depending on where you’re locking your bike, we’d recommend you choose either a chain lock or D lock over the less secure cable option, which can often be cut with pocket hand tools.

Online shopping is booming and has never been easier, with a whopping 87% of all UK households making online purchases in 2020. But if it’s easier to shop online, that also means it’s easier to get scammed! Fraudsters are becoming more and more sophisticated at tricking people into handing over their money and personal details, so it’s really important to know what the common online scams are and how to avoid them.
It’s a good job we've got Poku Banks on hand to help!

Since finishing university 12 years ago, blogger, Instagrammer and Words that Count ambassador Thrifty Clair has been living life on a budget, and sharing her tips and advice! Second-hand sites like Depop, Vinted and eBay are rising in popularity and are really easy to use on your phone or on desktop. With a bit of clever searching, you can find some great bargains buying second-hand clothes and other items from people online. Plus, by reusing something that someone else no longer wants, you're putting back into the circular fashion economy to help the environment too!

'Buy now, pay later' schemes (BNPL) are booming on online shopping platforms and growing in popularity among teens and young people. This seemingly easy and convenient payment option allows you to purchase items online now and pay for them later, either splitting the cost into monthly instalments or delaying the full payment until a later date.

If smashing the most demanding technical descents and sending it down bike park jump lines is your kind of riding, you’re probably wondering which downhill bike to buy.
In this guide we go over the need-to-knows for buying your first downhill mountain bike, answering what a downhill bike actually is, how much they cost, are they worth it, what size downhill bike you need and all the gear to go with it.