Boris on helmets, terrorists and liberty

As you may know, the new mayor of London is a cyclist, but doesn't much like helmets. This causes great consternation to a lot of people (setting a bad example to children, etc. etc). Here he attempts to address the issue in his usual "bumbling" way. Clear a couple of days in your diary if you intend to read all the comments that follow it.

By the way, does anyone really think that kids are going influenced by the behaviour of Boris "Cool" Johnson ?

Pic from the Telegraph.

New Bike Mag

The Ride

The website makes it look quite trendy, but according to the creators:

"The journal is our stab at capturing the soul of cycling. Sod the reviews and route guides, we're about passion in riding, whatever bike its on. We're track, mountain bike, bmx, road, commuting, racing, free-ride. As long as people have a love for bikes then we're interested."

Be interesting to see what it's like.

Incidentally, if you're after a trendy bike mag, then you could do worse than check out Rouleur. I'm sure it's creators wouldn't mind me describing it as "coffee-table" (a polite way of saying 9 quid an issue), but if you like classic photography of epic Tour De France stages, you'll probably like it.

Sometimes you just need a new tyre

After 5 punctures in as many days (and an evening where three of us pored over the tyre looking for sub-atomic embedded bits of glass/stone/etc) I finally gave up and bought a new tyre. It was only 20 quid and if it means I don't have to use a cycle-pump or puncture repair kit this week it will have been worth it.

(picture of funky no-cycle sign taken in Barbican centre)

How Very Dare They

I've just noticed that at the bottom of my last receipt for some repairs at Brixton Cycles, under "Notes and Recommendations" it says

"Recommend cleaning your bike. It will work better"

They're right though,

If you find modern cycling...

...a little bit uncivilised, perhaps you'd care to check these people out, The Tweed Cycle Club. Apparently they organise rides from London.

I particularly like the following advice:

If the barometer forecasts rain, the cyclist is wise to remain in bed or repair to a hostelry for refreshment. Should there be no alternative to riding through a downpour, a fisherman's so'wester will keep the head dry allowing the cyclist to face into the heart of storm and push on with resolve and determination, remembering that moral fibre is the sturdiest of fabrics.

A Weekend of Cycling

On Saturday, Jen and I headed up to Smithfields to watch the Smithfields Nocturne. If you don't know this is an evening of cycle racing including some pretty big names (Geraint Thomas, Ed Clancy, Rob Hayles) as well as some more fun races including the infamous Folding Bike Race, in which competitors have to wear business attire. The whole thing was very enjoyable (helped by the plethora of nice pubs in the vicinity) in an impressive setting with the opportunity to be alarmed at just how fast pro-cyclists go (they barely came out in my photos in the evening light)

On Sunday we headed down to picture-postcard Sussex to do the Rye - Camber - Lydd route from the Sustrans website. If you've not been to this part of world before, it has quite an odd landscape: flat as a pancake, dotted with holiday homes and Dungeness dimly visible in the distance. The only problem with the actual cycle route is that large parts of it are on a rough track, next to the road. This is great if you're a family with kids who want to be safe, but for everyone else it limits your speed and you don't feel particularly removed from the noise and pollution from the cars.

On the way back we took the road, which is actually nicer - you can get a decent speed up and the traffic is reasonably light. It also meant we got back to Camber in time for quick dip in the sea.

Motorbikes in Bus Lanes

Allowing motorbikes in bus lanes is a contentious issue. Ken trialled a couple of schemes which showed a reduction in accidents, but then allegedly (according to the Evening BorisStandard ) the report was suppressed to avoid antagonising cyclists. Now Boris is in office he is planning on pressing ahead with it

Personally I've not had a problem with motorcyclists in bus lanes, but, it would be nice if motorbikes could be kept out of the cycle boxes at junctions a bit more effectively.

If you feel inclined, here's the LCC anti-motorbikes in bus lanes petition

Easy Rides in the South East

A useful link if, like me, you are planning some short cycling trips in the South East. Also they will hopefully be well signposted. Signage on Sustrans routes can be variable in quality. For instance, NCN1 from London to Brighton starts off brilliantly, however by the time you're cycling across Tilgate golf course (an official part of the route!) without a sign in sight, you may be doubting your own sanity.

Insane Bike

While searching for Raleigh Grifters on ebay (just out of curiosity, don't worry I have no intention of becoming a Hoxton Twat riding around on a 70s kid's bike which is 10 time smaller than me!) I found this:



If you don't remember it, the Raleigh Vektar was their attempt to make a futuristic electonic bike. As well as the more usual features (wheels, gears, saddle, etc), the Vektar featured:

• computer (for speed and distance)


• an AM radio (with attena dangling off the rear of the bike)


• a sound effects generator!!

I'm not sure, but I'm guessing the sound effects would have included lasers and sirens. Of course, being the 80s, these electronics occupy a good third of the bike, whereas nowadays they could fit in one of the tyre caps.

I actually took part in some Raleigh market-research for this when I was a kid, so I am partly to blame for this bad boy! They came to Heston Village Hall and paid us a couple of quid to quiz us about it. Unfortunately although I remember the bike, I have no recollection of what I thought of it. Looking back, it's hard to see how this
didn't provoke some kind of reaction in me!

See here for more details

New Favourite Bike Shop In London

My girlfriend has just bought a bike which has meant quite a few weekends over the last few months have been spent trawling round the bike shops of London, trying bikes out and watching customer service in action.

Our requirements were a bike mostly for fun rides at weekends, rather than commuting, suitable the odd footpath/canal towpath/forest track, but nothing remotely gnarly and off-road. Price range: £300-400.

Evans, Spitalfields - this initially scores highly by being big and therefore browser friendly and unintimidating for someone who doesn't want to be pounced on by a sales assistant the second they enter. However after this point, we found the service rather lacking. They didn't have any bikes in her size in stock, only suggested two different models and rather pushily got us to reserve one for a test-ride next week (the more expensive of the two, natch, £50 deposit required). My objection to this is that someone who's new to cycling may not know what they want, far better to get them trying stuff out (even if it's a similar, more expensive model), just so that you can be sure of their requirements. The person at Evans seemed far keener on getting us dealt with as quick as possible (they were pretty busy that day) 5/10

Cycle Surgery, Spitalfields - also crowded and again, didn't have the right frames in stock. This time however, they were keen to get Jen on similar bikes to establish stuff such as whether she would prefer a ladies frame or not. Also, sent us round the corner to their other store, to ensure she could try some other bikes they didn't have in stock. If you want to go to one of the chains, this would be our recommendation. 8/10

Brixton Cycles, Brixton - Initial impressions are quite intimidating as this store is small and all the assistants look like grungy cycle couriers. It was also extremely busy as it was the first hot Saturday of the year. However once we managed to flag down an assistant the experience was great. The staff's enthusiasm for cycling was manifest (they seemed pleased that you wanted to ride a bike!) and they took as long as was necessary with you, even though the queue in the store was getting longer. Somehow, the guy serving us juggled several other people all test-riding bikes and asking Jen useful questions to aid in the decision making process.

The only drawbacks were the busy-ness and the slight chaos in the store (when we went to pick up Jen's bike the following week, they said it was ready when they still needed to fix a few things on it). We'd definitely recommend it for buying a new bike, just don't go when you're in a hurry. 9/10

(Thanks to CTC Maps for the photo

Intermission (Win an £800 bike!)

Sorry if anyone's waiting with baited breath for the third and final installement of Gloucester to Hungerford. I haven't got around to writing it up yet.

In the meantime, why not support Re-Cycle by buying some raffle tickets and being in with a chance to win the above Wilier Pista singlespeed.

Re-Cycle send reconditioned bikes to poor communities in Africa, where they are obviously more use than here in a shed/locked to a lampost getting seven shades of shit beaten out of it by passing kids.

They also have a nice plan for how to build a trailer out of old bike parts if you want to do some recycling of your own (I'd be tempted if I could spot weld)

Gloucester to Hungerford Pt 2

Continuing from Pt 1

Peering out of my B&B window on Day 2, I could see that the weather had taken a turn for the worse with wall-to-wall grey skies and a distinct drop in temperature. This combined with the extremely (and wind-exposed) landscape of the Severn estuary meant that Saturday morning was probably the low point of the route. Perhaps on a sunny day this would be nice cycle, but even then the Avonmouth bridge (riding alongside the M5) would be a bit of a grind.




Thankfully, once you're over the other side the fun stuff begins. Following the Avon you wind your way towards Bristol through woods and with cliffs rising either side. Suddenly it felt a bit more remote (even though we were on the outskirts of major city). The route pleasantly rises and falls, and you can even (occasionally) kid yourself that your charging through some gnarly single track :-). With the lack of traffic I decided I could not stick my headphones and crank up the music.

Soundtrack: Client - Client




The Clifton Suspension Bridge announces the beginning of Bristol proper and soon you're passing converted warehouses and the SS Great Britain. One thing to beware of (particularly in the rain) are the disused railway tracks on the waterfront in Bristol. Even though they barely poke above the surface, they're treacherour if you don't cross them at an oblique enough angle, something I found out to my cost when I ended up sprawled on the ground.

I combined my need for (a) grub and (b) a spare chain link by visiting the excellent Mud Dock Cafe. It's part bike shop, part cafe and is about 50 yards off the route. Probably the only place I've eaten with a penny farthing dangling above my head and a copy of L'Equipe celebrating Armstrong's seventh Tour win in the bogs



The route then follows the Bristol-Bath Railway path, predictably along disused railway lines. The section immediately outside Bristol centre is a little dull, but the nearer you get to Bath the more rural and pleasant it gets. Fulfilling all my preconceptions of Bath I passed some posh kids cheering on the school rowing teams.

Soundtrack: Electric 80s - Various



After a brief stop in Bath, I push on along the Avon-Kennet canal in the hope of reaching of Bradford on Avon before dark. This turns out to be a vain hope, which is a shame as apparently this is one of the highlights of the route, taking you over aquaducts and surrounded by pretty hills. Also, it's a royal pain in the arse trying to spot 20 cm cycle route signs in the dark, with a weedy front light. Thankfully all the wrong turns I took soon left me in someone's driveway/front-garden/a forest, so I was able to correct myself before going to far off route.

Bradford turned out to be an ideal stopping point, being a well-to-do suburb of Bath with plenty of pubs, two Italians, an Indian and a bike shop.

PS - You can find all the photos of this trip at Flickr

Gloucester to Hungerford Pt 1

Having previously completed the C2C and the Devon-Coast-to-Coast cycle routes, I decided to use up some holiday doing the "Gloucester-to-Hungerford-via-the-Avon-Kennet-Canal" or "GTGVTAKC" as I preferred to call it. The original plan was to go with my mate Barry, but unfortunately a nasty ear infection meant he had to stay behind in London while I caught the train up to Gloucester.



Gloucester seemed the very model of a sleepy cathedral town, it's quiet streets seeming a million miles (and approximately 3 decades) from modern-day London. Figuring I had an hour to spare, I spurned the cathedral and had a quick look round the (free!) Gloucester Folk Museum. Unfortunately I then had to spend a further 30 minutes trying to attach my new map holder to my bike. I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong, but in the end gave up and just wore the wap round my neck on a strap (which worked perfectly well)

The first part of the route follows canals and country lanes down the Severn Valley with the river itself occasionally hoving into view. Even though you only really see the beginning, it's nice to think you're following the course of the river. Unfortunately time constraints meant I didn't have time to stop at Slimbridge but had to crack on for the Village Farm in Elberton (my B&B for the night)



This first stage was nice enough, but I have to admit didn't really stir the soul. The terrain was mostly flat, 30 miles partially on pleasant country roads and partially on tow-paths. Having said that Elberton was nice, with a decent meal and beers in the White Hart.

Be Safe, Be Seen...Be A Bad Bwoy

From Instructables

The Least Enticing Bike Route Ever ?

On the platform at Lockerbie station (I think). Apparently it runs *alongside* rather than *on* the motorway, but even so...

Having said that, it is a lovely bit of the country that it runs through

Chain Reaction Pt 4

Finally got the chain fixed this weekend. Once I knew what I was doing it actually only took 5 minutes to fix. I also then used the chain wear tool to see whether the whole chain needs replacing, which it does :-(

Passed the above "chopper" on my way in, or rather I should say it passed me. Despite the rider having to pedal like some furious BMX-er, he was maintaining a pretty decent speed down the Kennington Road. Perhaps it's the low-slung, aerodynamic postion.

Chain Reaction Pt 3

If you're expecting a step-by-step guide about how to fix a broken chain, I'd wait a few more days till I'm actually able to do that. In the meantime, here's some "DON'T"s that may prove useful

1. Don't turn you bike upside down without removing your (open) panniers first

Picture says it all really



2. Don't forget to make a drawing of where the chain goes first

You'll forget as soon as your trying to re-attach the chain and when you're covered in oil is not the time to be looking round your house for a picture of a bike.

3. Don't re-attach the chain (using the SRAM link you bought) in such a way part of it is running outside of the frame.



You'll just swear a lot

4. Don't think "That's OK" - it should be possible to just slide my SRAM link back apart again

Apparently it *is* possible, but it requires skill and pliers, and not oily hands and no skill.

4. Don't think "That's not a problem", I can use my bike chain tool to remove another link, move the chain back inside the frame, before re-attaching the link using your bike chain tool.




The bike chain tool should be used to push a pin out part (but not all) of the way. See here for how to do it properly. If you do push the pin all the way out, there's no way on God's Green earth that you'll be able to get it back in.

I will now be buying another connex link, to replace the link where I took the completely out and hopefully I'll be able to be back on my bike (finally)

Bike Events in Brockwell Park This Weekend Pt 3

Cycle Training are now not appearing at the Urban Green Fair, but Dr. Bike will be.

Hopefully this is my last post on this subject :-)

Bike Events in Brockwell Park This Weekend Pt 2

Cycle Training UK have also said they'll be in Brockwell Park this Sunday, so if you're interested in getting some training on how to cope with London's not always bike friendly streets, pop by. I believe they even provide some subsidised/free courses via Lambeth Council.

PS I still haven't had a chance to repair my chain yet, so am having to make do with public transport again this week. Obviously a good week to do so.

Bike Events in Brockwell Park This Weekend

The "Urban Green Fair" this Sunday in Brockwell Park has a Bicycle Testing Zone, where you can try out different types of bikes and even better Brixton Bicycle Art will be teaching you how to repair and pimp your old bike.