 Credit: Bayo Adegunloye - Unsplash Scotland takes its cycling seriously. And that only makes sense for the land of blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan, born and raised in Dumfries and Galloway, who invented the pedal-driven bicycle. Hopping on a bike is one of the greatest ways to explore the country from north to south. Scotland is therefore a dream come true for professional and amateur cyclists alike. The country may boast no prestigious race to rival the Tour de France or the Giro. Still, tremendous events are held throughout the year. While the Tour of Britain won’t visit Scotland in 2023, the coming year looks to be an exciting time for bike lovers nonetheless. So, from world championships to sportives, here are a few events not to miss. Tour de ForthSports can be an extraordinary means of coming together for the greater good. And the Tour de Forth is a perfect example of that giving spirit. A charity fundraising sportive, Tour de Forth raises funds for local charity Cash for Kids. The event features two distinct routes for bikers willing to make a change pedalling. A classic route starts west of Edinburg and circles around the River Forth, spanning 68 miles/109km. The Nouveau, on the other hand, is a shorter 36 miles/58 km route by the River Forth and back to RBS Gogarburn. The next tour will kick off on Sunday, 11 June. Paying a small standard fee, participants can enter the race by registering on the British Cycling website.  Credit: Michael Scott - Unsplash Bealach MorThe Bealach Mor is arguably one of the most scenic rides in Scotland. Running for 90 miles through the grandiose Highlands, this event is also particularly challenging as the route takes riders on the steepest and toughest hill climb there is in the UK. Of course, bikers can take comfort in the splendour of the rugged cliffs and mesmerising lochs all around glens Docherty and Carron. The route also graces its participants with an astonishing view of the Isle of Skye before branching off through the Applecross peninsula and all the way back to Kinlochewe. If you’re planning a Scottish trip, come 9th September, you might as well watch the epic Bealach Mor. UCI Cycling World ChampionshipsA massive event is coming to Scotland for the first time in 2023, as Glasgow gears up for hosting the UCI Cycling World Championships. Combining all thirteen world championships into one, these championships will be nothing less than the biggest cycling event ever. From BMX freestyle flatland to indoor cycling and para-cycling tracks, competition events will mix with medal events. And this championship of pharaonic proportions will start on Thursday, 3 August to wrap up on Sunday, 13 August. So, who will lift the most trophies? Punters can check out top betting hubs like SBO to start placing their bets. Expert bettors have reviewed the best online bookies offering betting options on cycling, among other popular sports. First-timers may even find free tips and tricks to improve their betting strategies. Better yet, lofty bonuses and free bets await on the most profitable sportsbooks. Chain Reaction Tweedlove Bike FestivalBike lovers, rejoice, for one of the biggest bike festivals in Scotland is coming back in 2023. The latest edition celebrated its twelfth anniversary in stylish fashion around the Scottish Borders, and next year’s programme is bound to be as eclectic. Riders may thus have a blast on the greatest rides of the Tweed Valley while on-lookers cheer them out. But spectators might as well sip a local brew at the festival bar or take a bite at a street food stall. The festival also offers an array of family-friendly activities, including an outdoor kids’ cinema night. So, book your schedule on 29 and 30 April to join in on the fun. Thrive BikeBallater inaugurated its first bike festival last year with a long weekend of entertainment for bikers and amateur riders. And Thrive Bike returns in 2023 with a splash. Cycling events, demo rides from established brands, guided mountain bike rides to get non-bikers back on the saddle, you name it. The festival even caters to families with a children’s play area boasting stunt shows and sender ramps, amongst other fun-filled activities. Besides, all proceeds directly go to the local trail network and the Aberdeen Trail Association alongside a number of sanctioned projects. While the exact schedule is yet to be disclosed, this free event will likely take place sometime in September.
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If you are heading out in the evening, pull on this vest, press the button and you will instantly improve your visibility. The Vizirider LED vest features bright LED lights on the front and on the back. I have often worried that the single red light on the rear of my bike is not enough to make me visible to drivers. With this vest that worry disappears as you get an additional 6 red lights on the upper part of your body. Night safetyIt's the law to use bike lights if you cycle on roads in the dark. However, the minimum requirement for a red rear light and white front light can sometimes feel inadequate on some of our roads. Cycling at night is a whole different ball game to cycling in the day and it does need a certain level of confidence to get over the fear that you are going to be hit by a vehicle because the driver does not see you. Some people will simply not venture out in the evening for that reason. The solution is to remove that fear completely by having proper segregated cycling infrastructure. However, that feels like a long way off for many parts of our country, so any product that helps to reduce that fear of night cycling is to be commended. This vest vastly increases your visibility from what you could ever get from a set of bike lights. It covers your whole upper body with lights. It has 6 white lights on the front and 6 red lights on the rear. I've seen other people try to cover this part of their body by attaching a second light to a backpack or helmet, but this vest does a much better job. Simple set upThere's a small power bank that you charge with a USB cable. It's got a red light to indicate that it is charging and this will turn green when it is fully charged. It takes about 2 hours to fully charge it. You then connect the power bank to the vest. There's a neat inside pocket with a connector that you attach the power bank to. There's a velcro flap so that you can close the pocket and keep the power bank secure and protected from rain. That's all there is to the set up.
On the outside of the jacket there is a power symbol. On the other side of this symbol is the pocket that has the power bank. The power bank has a button on it and this needs to be be aligned to the power symbol so that you can push it on the outside of the jacket.  The power symbol on the outside of the Vizirider vest. Push this to activate the lights There are three settings for the lights. Press the button once for a solid light, twice for a fast flash and three times for a slow flash. Using the flashing modes will make the battery last longer. You'll get about 20 hours from the fast flash and 10 hours for the solid lights. Using the vest The vest is super easy to use. Pull it on and press the button. That's what makes this such a great product. There's no faff with setting it up. Extra bike lights and lights that you have to attach to your backpack or helmet require set up time. It can make leaving the house more time consuming than it needs to be. The lights on this vest are excellent quality and the level of visibility that they provide is superb. I felt a lot more confident wearing this vest than I did when I just relied on my single red rear light.  The rear of the Vizirider vest, showing the 6 red LED lights Weather performanceThe vest is water resistant, wind resistant and breathable. The lights are waterproof. I used it in rain and it performed well. Vizirider also offer jackets with LED lights. That's a good option if you don't already have a cycling jacket or want something a bit more substantial for wetter weather. They also have gilets so check out their website for other options. Summary and costThis vest currently retails for £39. It's good value when you consider you get a high-visibility vest plus 6 lights.
This product is a really great idea. It provides a practical solution to improving the visibility of the upper part of a cyclist's body. Personally I feel more confident heading out into the dark wearing this vest. It makes me much more visible to other road users. I love that it is so easy to set it up when you are going out. You can just grab it off the peg, like you would with any coat, and you are ready to go. |
