Published 12 August 2026 · London Dynamo members’ newsletter
Like me, I’m sure you were all on the edge of your sofas as the Tour de France came to a thrilling conclusion on the final stage in Paris. The spectacle of Pogačar and Van der Poel breaking away from the pack over the climb in Montmartre, working together and staying clear until the final metres, before the imperious Dutchman secured victory, will live long in the memory. I suspect the organisers will find it very difficult to resist using that finale again next year!
That fantastic stage brought another enthralling Tour de France to a close. The race was once again dominated by Pogačar, but there were plenty of other fascinating storylines throughout the three weeks. I don’t know if it was just my perception, but the crowds lining the roads seemed bigger than ever, which is a hugely encouraging sign for the continued growth of our sport.
The cycling world’s attention then switched to the Tour de France Femmes, which served up a much closer battle between the leading contenders. Five different riders had the privilege of wearing the yellow jersey before Demi Vollering emerged victorious, the first rider to win the modern Tour twice.
The success of both Tours will only add to the growing anticipation of their return to the UK in 2027. Personally, I can’t wait to see both pelotons racing on our shores.
Turning to our own news, July has been an incredibly successful month for some of our Masters racers, and I’m particularly proud that we can celebrate three new National Champions: Tim Lynch, Alex Hamilton and Ken Knight. Huge congratulations to all three. You will find more details on their success in Jim Northway’s Race Team Report in this newsletter. You will also find some more dates for your diaries and news on this year’s Ride Captain’s Challenge.
Finally, on a more serious note, we have recently received a couple of reports of members riding through red lights. As you are all aware, this is not only illegal and a breach of the Highway Code, but also a clear breach of our own Code of Conduct. Members found to have deliberately ridden through a red light may be subject to sanctions, which can include expulsion from the Club. Let’s please try and do better.
Ride on and ride safely,
Andy Taylor, Chair
Wight now or never: Isle of Wight Day Trip
Sunday 16 August 2026 · last call
This is a final reminder to come and join us for one of the club’s favourite annual adventures as we return to the Isle of Wight for our sixth consecutive year.
Whilst it’s quite a big day out, there are options to do either a long route (128km) or a short route (just over 90km), so hopefully there is something for everyone. Plus, the weather forecast looks fantastic!
Further details and ride information can be found on the Forum, where you can also sign up for the ride. The long and short routes are both available on Strava.
LD Goes again
Our final ride in this year’s “LD Goes” series of rides is scheduled for Saturday 29 August 2026.
In this edition, “LD Goes to Constable Country”, we head to the picturesque border area of Essex and Suffolk, made famous by landscape painter John Constable.
- Distance: 136.9km
- Elevation: 846m
- Lunch stop: Constable Park Café, Grantham
- Return train: Manningtree to Liverpool Street
Want to find out more about these rides? Join our dedicated WhatsApp group chat to ask other Dynamos about any queries you may have.
Race Team Report
By Jim Northway
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… roll up! Roll up! Roll up!
Welcome to the London Dynamo Big Top! We endeavour to entertain you with another cornucopia of cycling. The efforts will astound you, the panache will awe you, and the results will amaze you.
Masters
We start with the Masters of the Big Ring. I bring you not one, not two, but three (yes, three) national champions!
Our ever-youthful Alexandra Hamilton and our moustachioed strongman Tim Lynch won their respective races at the National Masters Circuit Race Championships in Gravesend on 12 July.
Ken ‘Made of Teak’ Knight was runner-up in his race, but he went one better in a British Masters Cycle Racing time trial two weeks later to earn his national champion jersey.
This modest bunch were also busy elsewhere. Alexandra won the Queen of the Milton Keynes Bowl, taking the series outright, while Tim has been crowned the King of Hillingdon. He won the overall West Thames League series this season with weeks to spare. He does, of course, have the grace to let his subjects have a look-in from time to time… Ken is the Prince of Pain, dishing out the suffering to the deserving whenever possible.
Duncan Edwards has also been masterful, with two wins at Hillingdon and the Cyclopark in the sprightly 50-plus age category.
Men’s and Women’s Racing
Alex Mutter continues to juggle commitments, making his annual trip to the US of A, while still finding time to take third in the Redbourn Crits (Fête du Vélo) Open 2/3/4 race, as well as second in the Essex Reservoir Open 2/3/4 race just a few weeks later.
There has been no clowning around by others at Hillingdon, thanks to Open Cat 4 wins by Rich Allinnson and Mitch Matthews, among others.
Anna Wignall, Alistair Revell, and one of our 2026 Rising Stars, Cece Liu, have all stood on the top step this past month. If we have missed you out, please let us know!
Last but not least, Charissa Turner was a novice Cat 4 at the start of the year but has been flying high, taking on National B events and pushing hard for her Cat 2 licence. No safety net required for this one!
Juniors
The juniors have been eating fire at the European Junior Cycling Tour Assen in the Netherlands. Several of our riders took on Europe’s best in this five-day stage race, and they were in the mix.
The Dutch influence has continued with one junior starting her first race at Hillingdon at the end of July, keeping up with the bunch in the Women’s 2/3/4. Another junior has also acquitted herself well at the same circuit. The podium beckons them both.
Special Mentions
As our smorgasbord of entertainment comes to an end, I must mention that the London Dynamo circus travels far and wide, with its members donning different costumes but no less loved for it.
One of our juniors took second in the junior national time trial, followed by seventh in the junior national road race the following day.
Further afield, Katy Hill guested for a Portuguese team in the Volta a Portugal Feminina at the start of July, coming in the top half of the field, which included UCI WorldTour teams! This was despite being on domestique duties and not having a time trial bike for the event. The wheels are not falling off these two.
That brings our July round-up to a close. We hope that you have been astounded, startled, and amazed! (No animals or custard pies were used during this production.)
Ride Captain’s Challenge 2026
Join us on Sunday 6 September for this year’s Ride Captain’s Challenge as we do things just a little bit differently.
The 2026 edition will be a shared ride with targeted efforts, taking on one route together with just enough suffering baked in to keep it interesting!
Rather than racing the full Kent Ramp Hunter route (90km and 1,433m elevation), we will stay together in groups and focus on three iconic crux climbs:
- Toy’s Hill
- Hogtrough Hill
- White Lane
The winner in each of the five categories (Men, Women, Junior Boys, Junior Girls, and Masters over 40s) will have the shortest cumulative time across these crux climbs, while the rest of the route is effectively neutralised.
Prizes, courtesy of Wahoo
- 1x TRACKR Speed Sensor (£29.99 RRP)
- 1x TRACKR Heart Rate Monitor (£79.99 RRP)
- 1x TRACKR RADAR Rear Light (£179.99 RRP)
The winner of each of the two Junior categories will take home a Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT 3 GPS computer (£254.99).
How to enter
- Sign up to the Ride Captain’s Challenge sheet.
- Let the Ride Captain’s Strava account follow you, so we can track your times across those three climbs. If you are a junior, you can message our Race Team Manager James Northway with a screenshot of your Strava segment time.
If you cannot make the 6 September ride, no problem. Complete it in your own time before then and enter your details on the sheet. Please contact our Ride Captain James Middleton for more information. Good luck!
Other dates for your diaries
It’s been a very busy summer of cycling with our wonderful weather this year, but there’s still plenty more to come as we look ahead towards the end of the year. Key dates for your diaries are as follows:
| 3 Oct | Club Championships at Hillingdon |
| Oct (TBC) | FlowBio / Engyne Health (Yanto Barker) talk at The Clubhouse |
| 25 Oct | Hill Climb at Denbies |
| 6 Nov | London Dynamo Awards Dinner at Richmond Hill Hotel |
| 17 Dec | Xmas Ride & Lunch |
More information on all of these events will be made available in the coming weeks.
Tech Talk: shaving grams, gaining speed. The case for TPU inner tubes
Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) inner tubes have quietly become one of the most compelling marginal gains in road cycling, and the numbers explain why. A typical butyl tube weighs somewhere around 100-120g, while a TPU equivalent often comes in at 25-35g per tube, a saving of roughly 150-180g across a pair.
That’s a genuinely meaningful chunk of rotating mass to shed, and it’s a useful way to frame the upgrade for anyone weighing up whether it’s worth it: the weight saved by switching from butyl to TPU tubes is comparable to what you’d gain moving an entire groupset from Shimano Ultegra to Dura-Ace, but at a fraction of the cost. Beyond the scales, TPU also holds up well under puncture stress, has excellent rolling resistance characteristics and packs down small enough that carrying a spare is barely noticeable in a jersey pocket.
There is, however, one sharp edge worth knowing about before you fit a set: many TPU tubes use plastic valve cores or valve bases, and these can be vulnerable to heat generated during rapid inflation with a battery-powered pump. The friction and compression heat from a fast top-up can be enough to soften or deform plastic valves, risking a seal failure right when you need it least.
The sensible workaround is to fit tubes with metal valve stems where available, or to use a valve extender rated for use with your battery pump, keeping the heat-sensitive plastic components further from the point of stress. It’s a small precaution, but one that protects both the weight saving and your ride.
