James Andrews

James got into road cycling far too late to be any good, so focuses instead on getting to the end of major events before the cut-off times and trying to buy enough gear to be better than at least one of the friends he rides with.

Forced to take things far more seriously after getting drunk one night and signing up to the 2013 Etape, James is now constantly looking for the next big challenge to motivate him. The idea of a Haute Route (Dolomites), a Belgian Classic or at very least the Tour of Wessex are being toyed with for 2015. James rides a Charge Plug to work and a Felt F4 at the weekends.

He blogs about his event 'training' and big rides here: http://how-im-doing-the-etape-du-tour.blogspot.co.uk.

James Andrews's Articles

Articles by James Andrews

Blinkers smart bike lights review

Review Report News Training

2019-02-22 12:47:56 - £160 for a set of lights - are Blinkers the ultimate safety accessory, or an expensive gadget? Cycling at night in a built-up area is a worry. Once you get past the...

5 things every roadie should know BEFORE trying mountain biking/enduro

Review Report News Training

2018-09-18 11:31:08 - My first "grown up" bike was a mountain bike. It was the Very Early 90s at the time and I had just won the school raffle. The prize was a shiny, red Diamondback with 14...

Performance art: Mason Bokeh Ultegra Hydro review

Review Report News Training

2017-11-14 17:01:12 - They say you should try something new every day - I say why stop at one new thing? That was, roughly, the logic that saw me arrive in a muddy field behind the Clapham...

Heroïn Bikes: the ultimate cycling hit?

Review Report News Training

2017-07-18 13:42:55 - What's the best road bike in the world? There's a strong argument for the Dogma F10. Trek's top-of-the-line Émonda weighs less than a grape, although the Canyon...

TrueStart coffee: Legal doping, but how does it taste?

Review Report News Training

2016-08-19 07:42:01 - Coffee and cycling go together as well as, um, cake and cycling. Better, in fact, because while you can have both on a cafe ride, you tend not to have cake for breakfast...

Sleep or glory? Cycling London to Paris in 24 hours

Review Report News Training

2016-08-17 15:19:57 - If I'm honest, I'm not entirely sure how we ended up gathered by Nelson's Column at eight on a Friday night in June. It's when I would normally be in the pub, enjoying a...

Review: Isadore Thermerino jersey

Review Report News Training

2016-03-11 08:00:00 - A year ago you probably wouldn't have found many people in the UK who had ever heard of Isadore Apparel - but that's changing fast, and the brand is making waves thanks...

Review: Wyldsson Bar Mix: home-made energy bars for cyclists

Review Report News Training

2016-02-08 17:09:49 - Energy bars aren't cheap, generally costing over £1 each (although they can be grabbed for 65p on discounts). But what they offer is generally seen as worth it: a bit...

Haute Route Dolomites Swiss Alps: Geneva to Venice, the hilly way

Review Report News Training

2015-09-15 09:59:14 - It started badly - with the most expensive free breakfast I've ever eaten. Flying to Geneva to register for the race, I spotted someone with a Haute Route bag and a bike...

Review: Lazer Genesis Lifebeam helmet with integrated heart rate monitor

Review Report News Training

2015-01-28 17:35:09 - If someone offers you a cycling helmet that features the latest aerospace technology as used by astronauts, you jump at the chance. In my case so much so that I resorted...

Ride of the Falling Leaves 'clean' - sportive report

Review Report News Training

2014-10-21 07:30:03 - Data. How much do you use? Speed, distance, time, gradient, cadence, heart rate, power? I don't know anyone who doesn't ride with at least one of them. It's addictive -...

Becoming a madman: Ventoux three ways in a day

Review Report News Training

2014-09-17 21:27:46 - Some hills are famous: Box Hill, Hardknott Pass, Holme Moss, Ditchling Beacon... but only mountains become legends. The Tourmalet, Alpe D'Huez, the Stelvio and, perhaps...

Roads closed, heavens opened - riding the 2014 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100

Review Report News Training

2014-08-11 15:21:10 - Another sportive, another "extreme weather warning" from the organisers. But while the Etape was hit with your common-or-garden variety low cloud, cold and mountain...