Our bikes have morphed from classic on-road touring bikes and have become adventure bikes or all-road touring bikes. Wider handlebars, room for much bigger tyres, lower gears, and generally bikes that can take harsher use. But they remain the ideal classic touring bike.

You don’t have to be in the country to find rough roads though. In the city, Schwalbe tyres are a real advantage. Likewise, a dynamo lighting system is ideal in the city where it’s safer to have your lights on all the time. If you are commuting and it rains, mudguards are kind to the cyclist behind you. And the rear rack you want on your tour is just as good for shopping on the way home from work.