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The 10 Best cycling events

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:01 +0100

1. Norwich 100 – 27 May

£19.50, ind.pn/norwich100

You can choose between a 100-mile, 50-mile or 25-mile ride on this route, which skirts the Broads and winds its way through olde-worlde Norwich.

The 10 Best bike locks

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

1. Kryptonite New York Standard

£64.99, simpsoncycles.co.uk

Safety is the only consideration with this extra-chunky D-lock. You pay for that peace of mind, though: it weighs in at 1.9kg.

The 10 Best running events

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

1. Isle of Man half marathon, 22 July

The 10 Best bluebell walks

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:01 +0100

1. Bowdown Woods, Berkshire

The one-mile path at Bowdown (which includes some sharp slopes and flatland) may be one of the shorter walks on the list, but there's still lots to amuse the entire family, including a plethora of plants and unusual butterflies.

Free, bbowt.org.uk/reserves/bowdown-woods

The 50 Best spring days out

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:00:32 +0100

This week's panel:

Andrew Dixon is chief executive of Creative Scotland (www.creativescotland.com);

Juliette Dyke is founder of Fresh Air Fix (freshairfix.com);

Clare Gogerty is editor of Coast magazine (coastmagazine.co.uk);

Richard Moss is editor of Culture 24 (culture24.org.uk);

Hannah Needham is founder of This Is Your Kingdom (thisisyourkingdom.co.uk).

Rhiannon Batten can be found at twitter.com/rhiannonbatten

The 50 Best cycling gear

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:00:48 +0000

This week's panel:

Simon Usborne is a features writer at The Independent. A keen roadbiker, he also writes the Cyclotherapy column;

Chipps Chippendale is a bike messenger turned bike journalist and now editor of Singletrack Magazine

The 10 Best gardens to visit

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

1. Chartwell, Kent

Adult: £6.50, child: £3.20, nationaltrust.org.uk

Winston Churchill's place of inspiration and rest is now in the hands of the National Trust

The 10 Best children’s bikes

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:01 +0000

1. Ridgeback 24

£239.99, cyclesurgery.com

This mountain bike, aimed at seven to 10-year-olds, is engineered to take all the knocks. The light frame makes it easy to lift.

The 10 Best rucksacks

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

1. Eastpak Provider Blackout

£65, epacks.co.uk

No list of the best backpacks would be complete without an Eastpak in there somewhere. This one has two main compartments, one mini one, plus a padded laptop sleeve as well.

The 10 Best pre-school toys

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:01 +0000

1. Storysack

From £42, storysack.com

A cloth bag packed with items – book , CD, activity guide, games, props, scenery, soft toys and more – that bring a story to life.