Tag: cycle

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Riding a bike…

Bike0215Just a post about the bike – again. It really is a true blessing…

OK, as you know the bike takes a pounding from bad road surface and infrastructure, and used daily it picks up loads of grime what wears away at the chain cogs if not cleaned regularly. It IS NOT cleaned regularly enough – I have a life to live. And so after two and half years the chain-set & cassette are very worn! I have been hobbling along for a few months until the jumping chain became unbearable. TL£ required.

The cost of a full-service and replacement chain-set is nothing compared to the running costs of a car and it’s a pleasure to spend money on something that you appreciate daily; if you ride for long enough, you begin to feel the bike, it becomes part of you!

Carl and the lads at Thurmo City Cycles have done a great job again. Today’s commute was utter joy! The bike’s solid as a rock!  The addition of a riser lifting the handle bars 2 inches is fantastic.  I think it’s yet another stage in the move to a chilled out ride. I am not a cyclist with ambitions of speed and record breaking PBs. I simple use a bike to get from A to B.

I took the car…

While the parts came and the bike was in repair I took the car into work! Oh yes I did!  On the Friday it too 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel the 7.5 miles into Leicester. On Monday it took 1 hour to travel the same distance out of Leicester.  It was simply laughably ridiculous! The rush hour traffic in Leicester City is just sad.  My commute on my bike always takes between 30 and 40 minutes, this usually depends on wind conditions.

Riding a bike:

  • You will save money.
  • You will get fitter and be healthier.
  • Over time you will start to see the world differently.

 

 

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Flat pedals

After no response to a call for advice about good pedals for commuting,  I went and bought a cheap pair that had good reviews.

I am not a cyclist.  In the same way that I am not a driver or a cook.  (I ride a bike to work, I drive the kids to everywhere,  I cook food.)  However, I possibly ride a bike more than some “cyclists”.

Hence the parts on my bike get a fair bit of wear and tear.  I am not interested in pedals for high-performance, mountain-climbing, clip-less, SPD or special shoes etc.   I just want to ride a bike from a to b.  It should be easy.

The last pedals on my bike were always poor in the wet and slippery with basic trainers, and so when one broke recently it was an excuse to get a new pair.

OK they are only cheap so they may not last years but they could last a few seasons – we’ll see and I’ll let you know.

After two days of downpour rain, and four 8 mile commutes, I can safely say my feet have not slipped once using the new MKS Comfort Lite City pedals.  Great!  It surprised me somewhat because they don’t look like they’d be that effective in the wet.  The old ones were always slippery when wet.

I’ll let you know how they go.

Old pedals…
New Pedals…

 

 

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10,000 miles on – Looking for a bike, for Life?

20130522-000304.jpg
My Bike…

You’ll know that up until now, for the last 3 years, I have ridden my bike to work daily. Through sizzling summers and icy winters I have ridden about 3000 miles a year, this was not something I intended when I started cycling once a week. But it’s infectious!

Three years ago, I bought an average hybrid bike – I spent what I could afford, and it’s been great.  However, in retrospect I would possibly have paid more knowing what I know now.

It would seem that possibly bikes “off the shelf” in this country are not expected to be ridden daily through hell and high-water. “Hell and high-water” is what you often find on current cycle/road infrastructures in the UK. For the record, I am “someone who rides a bike”, not “a cyclist”. I ride to get to places, not to see how quickly I can go further.

For starters; If you intend to use your bike regularly through all seasons, you’ll need to ask for proper mudguards, it’s unlikely to come with them. You will need a proper bell – if there’s one on the bike it’s likely to be a ‘ping’ not a BELL! You might want to think about a chain guard, panniers, lights… etc. – you will need them if you’re not just aiming to ride on a sunny day. The wheel rims will need to cope with potholes and curbs. The tyres will need to cope with bullets!

Over the last three years, my bike has had everything on it replaced except the frame and the front forks and the hydraulic disc brakes. You can see some of this here: My bike’s history.

If you are interested in buying a bike to use regularly, that will be practical and will last the test if time, you might want to check out “A Bike for Life”

title_page

“A Bike for Life” by Dave Warnock

A friend of mine has written and discussed “bike” issues for years now and is writing a book:

Cycling trends, maintenance, manufacturing, lifestyle, safety, attitudes, infrastructure…
From saddles to shoes, fixies to trikes, Dave’s been there..

His book  “A Bike for Life” discusses Dave’s  “dream to create a bike to transform life. How your choices can help you embrace and celebrate life, not just for you but for others to.”

 

Check it out – Who knows where you’ll end up!

 

Incidentally, I artworked and shot the image the front cover: of which i am pleased.

AbikeforlifeBike
Dave Warnock’s “Bike for life”
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“every little helps”… please? We are not seasoned lycraists.

Can u spare £1 ? “every little helps” as a temple of Mammon doth say.

The Methodist Church in Syston already hosts a vibrant monthly club for younger kids and their parents which is enjoyed by all! A meal, friendship, creativity, sharing…

What they are aiming for is much bigger…

Syston Methodist Church is working, alongside others, for transformed lives & community in Syston.
SMC are looking to turn part of their buildings into a Community Hub, the first goal for the Community Hub is to be used as a Youth Cafe. The need in Syston is huge as there is a complete lack of places for young people in the evenings.  The Community Hub requires a new entrance and the toilets reconfiguring so that the new entrance can lead directly into what is currently a small hall. They have the design and planning permission and are working on building regulations. SMC have some grants and are looking for more. However, they’re still short of quite a few thousand pounds. Every donation will take them closer to the goal of providing a fantastic new resource for our community.

Can you spare a £1? or 2?  If you can, remember to gift aid it if pos’, ‘cos that’s another 25% on top!

Make a donation using Virgin Money GivingWeselyCyclist

OK riding a bike’s not difficult, yes I ride a bit every day, but try and ride further than across town and you’ll realise that it takes a bit of dedication, naivety,  or foolishness.

We are not seasoned lycraists, some may be middle-aged, some are men, but I’m more monkey than ‘mamil’.

We aim to be rolling 165 miles over a three daze at the end of May…

Syston to Church Laneham 61.5 miles.
Church Laneham to Epworth and then back 21 miles each way.
Church Laneham to Syston 61.5 miles.

Cycle2
 Cycle1

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It’s been 3 years… …and 9000+ miles

CalmDown…only 3 years …and 9000+ miles, and a lot’s changed.

It’s been 3 years since I got my Specialized Crosstrail Sport Disc 2011.

I’ve stopped religiously recording the miles but, I tallied:
3051 miles year one
3250 miles in year two
It follows that I’ve done about 3000+ this last year too.
The annual commute of 230 days x 14 miles = 3220 miles

Tracking rides: I initially used Cardio Trainer, then Endomondo served very well. Recently peer pressure has won out and and Strava gives me a buzz. I have recently been playing with the PleaseCycle app which is in initial roll-out and promises great developments. However Strava still tops my list for data-recording and mapping.

 

20130522-000304.jpgThe bike’s pretty much as it was this time last year except for treating myself to the Jones Bend H-Bar® 660 this February.

The new Jones Bars
The new Jones Bars

 

 

 

 

front_on_mountI have upgraded my cycle camera to a  Dogcam Bullet R+ from the ever helpful Martyn and the guys at  Dogcamsport.co.uk in Cornwall – more on that when I have time to put a post together.

So onward you can see my cycle related posts here: “bike”

 

 

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Rolling rolling rolling – cycling pilgrimage

OK we’re not skipping up Kilimanjaro or back-stroking the Amazon but spending 3 days with a bunch of Methodists is a feat worth support surely!

WeselyCyclistWe aim to be rolling 165 miles over a three daze at the end of May…

It’s a cycling Pilgrimage from Leicester to the Epworth Old Rectory

Syston Methodist Church is working, alongside others, for transformed lives & community in Syston. This Pilgrimage is to raise money to turn part of the buildings into a Community Hub, the first goal for the Community Hub is to be used as a Youth Cafe. SMC have some grants and are looking for more. However, they are still short of quite a few thousand pounds. Every donation will take it closer to their goal of providing a fantastic new resource for our community. 50% of all the money raised on this Pilgrimage will be given to Epworth Old Rectory to support their exciting Welcome Home Development Project. The need in Syston for youth facilities is huge as there is a complete lack of places for young people in the evenings.

Latest Details here!

Can you spare a £1? or 2?
Remember to gift aid it if u can cos that’s another 25% on top!

Make a donation using Virgin Money Giving

Methodism and the Cornish Tin Miner
For those with an interested in Cornwall and Methodism check this post: a-method-in-the-madness
A pamphlet produced in 1960 details how at a certain point in history, the church and its activities had a great effect… (?)
Even if you have no spiritual life/faith, Christian ideas have always given practical advice about how to handle failure, dejection and loss… etc.
It may be no accident that the huge increase in the incidence of common mental health issues seems to coincide with the decline of religion in the West and the loss of a whole tradition experienced in dealing with, if not answering, life’s unanswerable questions. There might be extreme misdirection but there might be also valuable insights offered by Christian teaching if you can fend off the theological language and hoopla in which it’s dressed.

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Still on my bike…

Today’s ride home was wind-assisted* with a rare west-sou-westerly coming up from the homeland pushing me home.

Feeling the wind carry me along today was edifying – I was assisted onwards by natural forces… the same natural forces that are wreaking havoc elsewhere in the country.

When outside forces are against us, we often feel it; we feel the pressure, the agitation, the discontent. We struggle to move forward, we bemoan the conditions, we blame the others, ourselves, the past… yadda yadda…
When we’re assisted by outside forces we rarely celebrate the achievements, the ease, the enlightenment, the freedom, the power, the glory… it’s often not so noticeable.

Then again, was the natural force moving me onward a blessing? Was it wanted? …it pushed me on, increased my speed, my usual jaunt home became braced and different from the norm… who knows?

Nature is a raw wild thing. Nature can be magnificently unforgiving, hard and cruel, as well as gloriously healthy and healing.

How ‘natural’ are we, I wonder?

As you know, I stopped tracking my rides with Endmondo back in July last year.

I have of course still been getting to and from work by cycle (75miles a week). Bowing to peer pressure I started tracking my rides with Strava. Not sure why I’m tracking again, ‘cos I’m not really interested in the competition, but the record is good to have.

screen-capture-1

http://www.strava.com/activities/112854712

*at least I think I was wind-assisted – however it could have been the mother-in-laws’ leeks-in-cheese-sauce. And very nice it was too!

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Ohhhh (oh oh oh it’s magic*)

In the immortal words of Howard from the Great British Bake Off “oooooo it’s really annoyin’!”

The BBC’s Winterwatch last night was twittering about Cultural Transmission  and stuff and how animals learn stuff and copy etc. Before you know it we’re all wearing jeans, shopping at Tesco and eating crisps. Heaven forbid.

Yesterday I commented that: “There are a lot of cyclists out there that need to take a second look at the way they cycle, and there a lot of drivers out there that need to take a second look at the way they drive…” – myself included!

I’m reminded that “there’s no manifestation in another, which is not also in ourselves, no act or attitude in another, which is not also found in us…” (Simon Parke One-Min.Med.)

Publicly and personally, it’s a daily task to be aware of who we are sharing our world and space with. There will always be people we disagree with and we will always have issues with certain things we encounter.  But in public, common sense and the rules (or the law) are there to maintain a level playing field.

When playing sport if you disregarding the rules you are penalised for good reason. If you disagree with the rules, so be it, it might be a valid point, and there are ways of negotiating this.

screen-capture-3
I’m on the PHONE!

“Teach the children well…”, not as I say but as I do…

I think blatant or overt disregard of the rules is not helpful.

But hey what do I know?  “Each to his own”, “we need to accommodate everyone”, “they do it differently”, “multi-cultcha and all that”, “it doesn’t apply to me”, “horses for courses”, “what hole?”, “I know a better way”, “Look kids!”

I recently counted:

– Numerous drivers disregarding the law – speeding, dangerous and seemingly ignore-ant drivers.
– Ten people cycling at night with no lights, and obviously no protective or visibility wear?
– A few cyclists not even cycling dangerous weaving on and off the road.
– One crazy coot cycling without any of the above and on a mobile phone?
– Two cyclists seemingly ignoring the road markings?

Some days I wonder why bother to consider who we are sharing our world and space with? eh?

Cultural transmission… oh lordy… save us.

Van in the box – but hey who cares!

Woman on a bike no lights – I’M ON THE PHONE!!

Ignore the box – he did so I’m gonna too…

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*Oh, ho, ho It’s magic, you know Never believe it’s not so It’s magic, you know …

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On yer bike!

I try and keep cycling posts to a minimum, ‘cos riding a bike is just a way of getting from a to b and should be normal but…

A friend of mine asks… How many drivers pass too close to people on pedal cycles?

screen-capture-1I do not use major city roads so am not ideally placed to comment but in my subjective experience about 1 in 5 do pass too close when passing people on bikes. 1 in 10 pass very dangerously close.  I film all the 7miles x 2 commutes I do ever weekday – I’ll check when I have time!  But 1 in 10 is too many! Fine for fit, strong, attentive ‘cyclists’ but for the average person in the street that could pop to the shops on their bike, the traffic is not acceptable. Forget getting the kids cycling!

Some academic research is interesting if you’re that way inclined.

When you are on a bike and are experiencing dangerous driving, occasionally it takes superhuman discipline to not get very angry!

I agree with the below, on any ride into town:

  • some drivers will pass dangerously close.
  • some drivers will overtake prematurely.
  • some drivers will cut in too soon.
  • some drivers will follow too close behind cyclists.
  • some will drive at inappropriate speeds.
  • some will use phones or hair brushes etc while driving.
  • there are also the instances where drivers deliberately menace, bully, or antagonise other road users.

It takes significant concerted tolerance, concentration, and both physical and mental strength to stay safe cycling regularly on Britain’s roads.

That’s why I believe separating hard-fast motor vehicles from mortal vulnerable people on bikes is what’s needed if the healthier* option of cycling is to be encouraged.

One might ask… Why do we not care about other people’s wellbeing?  Why do we only think of ourselves?  Why is illusory personal gain so celebrated?

Yes there are laws and new ones can be created or perhaps existing laws might be actually enforced. There will always be bullies, there will always be the uneducated, there will always be ignorance –  we need laws and education to help with this.  But also we will always be ‘people’. We are faulty, but we can aim to be healthier people.

On our roads, all I ask is for a little consideration…

  • consideration of ourselves.
  • consideration of what we are doing
  • consideration for others (might naturally follow).

All I ask is for a little consideration, but perhaps I ask for too much.

*healthier: much has been written on the benefits of increased cycle use, on personal, community & economic levels – google it – cycling is good….

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I was asked by the BBC “Did I think cycle infrastructure was a good idea?”

March 2017 – again the BBC called me asking about my experiences of ‘riding a bike’ in and around Leicester … Read more here from March 2017: People on bikes again

August 2016 Again, BBC Radio Leicester called me “Do you think Leicester’s a model cycle city… yet?” #CycleCity Leicester

May 2016 Again, BBC Radio Leicester called me “What do you think about proposals for more cycle lanes…” #CycleCity Leicester?

October 2015 BBC Radio Leicester called me “What do you think about proposals for more cycle lanes…” and stuff…

Jan 2014 I was asked by the BBC “What do you think about cycling on pavements…” and stuff…

Nov 2013 I was asked by the BBC “Did I think cycle infrastructure was a good idea?”

Riding a bike:

  • You will save money.
  • You will get fitter and be healthier.
  • Over time you will start to see the world differently.

Where it’s available, I always use segregated cycle ways – vehicles and bikes don’t mix.
It took a year of cycle commuting to realise this.

With political will it is possible to separate people on bikes and people driving motor vehicles fully where speeds and volumes of traffic are not safe to share.  “Safe to share” requires less than 20mph (measured not the limit) and less than 2,000 PCU (passenger car units) per day. See http://rachelaldred.org/writing/20mph-2000pcu-using-it-for-local-campaigning/

Where sharing is needed, people on bikes need protection;

  • better law enforcement (strict liability, stronger penalties for dangerous and careless driving, more enforcement).
  • better in infrastructure (slowing speeds, making junctions safer).  Cyclists need far better design, implementation and maintenance of segregated facilities, especially at junctions.
  • better vehicle design. 

Onwards!