I'm sorry to laugh, but I'm not sure which is funnier: a woman being hoisted from her bike by the drag rope of a hot-air balloon, or the responses to the report of the accident in the Napa Valley Register
Honda have created a bicycle simulator to provide "traffic safety education" and help improve cyclists' skills by emulating the hazards of the road.
Errr.....right. Because cyclists need to be made aware of the dangers of the road?
I suppose this might be a little bit useful for anyone who has never ridden a bike on the road before, but it's probably going to over-emphasise the dangers, and put them off altogether.
I'd have thought the machine might be put to better use in a driving test to educate car drivers about the dangers faced by cyclists!
Well, if the trends of vandalism and theft experienced by the Paris Velib scheme are anything to go by, then this might just be the start of his campaign!
It seems that the main problem with the Velib scheme is that the bikes are rather expensive (due to electronic locking and heavy duty build) and they're seen as being only for the richer Parisiens in the city centre.
Perhaps any such schemes in the UK might be better off using recycled bicycles, and a locking system similar to that used for supermarket trolleys!
I've just been directed to a great new UK site which helps you choose the right bike and then to find it at the best price. It has a top quality bike shop locator and a neat search feature to help you find local groups to ride with too. All in all it's a top site!
As well as becoming Cytech qualified, doing a DT Swiss wheelbuilding course, passing the Scottish Mountain Biking Trail Cycle Leader award, coaching at weekends, and organising the local Allotments Association (don't ask!), I've also been planning my 40th birthday ride - Coast to Coast Scotland offroad.
This involves looking at lots of maps, and I mean lots - an expensive business if you want/need fine detail like bridlepaths, metalled roads and hellish, midge-infested swamps miles from civilisation (obviously I have to include these).
So, I've been wishing that there was a single detailed map to cover the whole route.
Mike Westphal of Penshurst Off-Road Cycling (PORC) in Kent says he has to sell up due to vandalism. The costs of maintaining the site are becoming too high, and they're unable to secure funding due to being privately owned.
It seems that stupidity is rolling along nicely in all aspects of society.
Venues like PORC and guys like Mike should be applauded for their contribution to the British MTB scene, not treated like this (the Olympic organisers didn't even visit)
Perhaps one of our more enlightened readers might be able to think of a way to fatten PORC up again?
Contact Mike at the office on 01892 870136 or write to PORC, Grove Road, Penshurst, TN11 8DU or email Mike on porcmike@aol.com.
I've just landed a new job in the pretty Welsh village of Ruthin (famous for its gaol and castle, and whose name comes from the Welsh words rhudd (red) and din (fort), which refers to the colour of the red sandstone which forms the geologic basis of the area.
It avoids the main A525, as it's a hellishly busy road, and instead takes in the more peaceful B5429 which undulates along the west side of the Clwydian hills. (I'll still be campaigning for a decent bike path between Rhyl and Ruthin though!)
I'm intending to get some off-road homeward rides in too, taking in some of the tracks listed at Ride the Clwyds
There will be an incentive (probably in the region of £2000) for car owners to trade in their old vehicles for new ones, in order to boost demand for new cars and help car manufacturers struggling during the recession.
The Government will even suggest that this will help the environment by taking dirty old cars off the road, and replacing them with cleaner, new cars.
What they've failed to consider is the environmental impact of building the new cars in the first place, as well as the ongoing impact of supporting such a massively polluting industry.
I think they'd be much better off announcing a scheme where you can trade in your old car for £2000 towards a new bike, or even some kind of renewable energy technology (like solar or wind power).
Such blind support of the motor industry shows that the Government isn't really committed to tackling environmental problems at all - instead it's just business as usual: the never ending hunt for profits.
Breaking news: another incentive scheme by the Government (they are busy aren't they?) - get up to £5000 to buy a new electric car. What a genius idea! The only drawback being that there won't actually be any electric cars on sales until 2011. Did someone mention electric bicycles?
1 comments Most Recent Post: 05/31 11:29AM by Peejay
This might seem like a rather worrying development if you like to ride without a helmet.....
A recent High Court judgement has taken into account whether or not a cyclist was wearing a helmet during a road collision, outlining that the cyclist is guilty of contributory negligence for choosing not to.
Despite helmet use not being compulsory under UK law, the judge overseeing Smith v Finch 2009 ruled the cyclist to be partially liable if wearing a helmet could be proven to have prevented any injuries sustained.
Some bonkers student in London has just won an award for his revolutionary bicycle lock design.
Dominic Hargreaves, a 23-year-old product design student at the Royal College of Art, has built a working prototype of his bicycle lock, which can be fitted to any wall and uses a simple hoist, powered by an electric motor, to raise and lower the bicycle. It could be operated by a remote control, or by the owner swiping their Oyster card on a reader.
How streets might look with the new locks in action!
Ambitious plans have been revealed to create a cycle path from London to Paris, amounting to 218 miles of safe routes for bike users.
Councils from both sides of the channel are planning to scheme and hope for it to be up and running in time for the 2012 Olympics.
The proposals would see the route run mainly along traffic-free tracks, from London to Wandsworth and Croydon and then through Surrey and East Sussex, arriving at the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry crossing.
Waitrose is encouraging shoppers to save money and get healthier by cycling to their local stores, with the loan of special branded cycle trailers.
Available at 24 Waitrose stores across the UK during January and February and equipped with large canvas shopping bags, the trailers are loaned out free of charge to any Waitrose customers who wish to use them.
Customers register for the scheme at a shop’s Welcome Desk; a special bracket will then be attached beneath their bicycle saddle, allowing them to clip the trailer onto their bike. Shoppers can reserve trailers before they start to shop and collect them before leaving the branch.
Customers can keep the trailers for up to three days so that they don’t have to return them on the same day that they carry out their shopping.
It's a nice idea, but requires 2 trips by bicycle to the shop: once to get the shopping and once to return the trailer! A much better idea would be for Waitrose to subsidise the cost of these trailers for its customers, so they could keep them at home!
Story from Sales Promo
1 comments Most Recent Post: 01/27 12:35PM by gellibeic
Cycle lanes generally leave a lot to be desired. Not all of them - but some. They can be designed sooo badly that they're at best impossible to navigate, and at worst downright dangerous.
The perfect cycle lane would start at your house, go all the way to where you wanted with no stupid junctions, no obstacles, have a constant width, and be clearly signed.
Well......here it is then: introducing LightLane - a design concept from Altitude’s Alex Tee and Evan Gant.
"The LightLane system projects a crisply defined virtual bike lane onto pavement, using a laser, providing the driver with a familiar boundary to avoid. With a wider margin of safety, bikers will regain their confidence to ride at night, making the bike a more viable commuting alternative."
Ok, so it's only really effective as a cycle lane at night, and the laser can't be rewired to act as a weapon against dangerous car drivers, but it's a pretty neat idea!
According to a study published in the current issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, the use of nose-less saddles can directly affect a man's sexual function.
However, there is a downside: it becomes impossible to perch on the nose of the saddle when cycling up a steep incline.
So....improved sexual performance or reduced hill climbing performance? Hmm....personally I'll be sticking with my old saddle!
Biting a police officer has landed a Leamington man 17 months in jail.
Edward Griffin, 38, attacked the officer as he was being arrested for throwing bicycles from the balcony of his flat in Crown Way.
Neighbours had called the police after hearing a lot of noise from his flat in June last year.
Speaking at Warwick Crown Court on January 7, prosecutor Iain Willis said Griffin was shouting threats and saying he had a knife. He came out onto the balcony of his first-floor flat and hurled three bicycles to the ground below.
When officers arrived Pc David Picken asked him to come down, at which Griffin responded by threatening: "I'll come down and I'm going to stab every last one of you".
Officers, armed with riot shields and a police dog, went up to his flat and arrested him on suspicion of affray.
Mr Willis said Griffin sank his teeth into Pc Picken's shoulder, clenching so hard that another officer had to punch him to force him to release his grip.
He had the officer's blood in his mouth and Pc Picken's shirt was heavily bloodstained.
Jailing Griffin, Judge Trevor Faber told him: "When you were arrested for affray you committed this serious offence of violence by biting Pc Picken.
"I have seen the photograph of that injury and of the bleeding on his shirt. It was a pretty substantial bite and it was extremely unpleasant.
"Police officers doing their duty deserve the protection of the courts if those with whom they are dealing use violence towards them rather than coming quietly."
Sod the police officer! What about the bike destruction? Shouldn't he have got another 3 years for that? One year for each bike. Am I the only one who thinks that seems fair? ;o)
They said that since the protest is spontaneous and not organised by anyone it is not necessary to give the names of organisers or the route.
On the question of similar protests, the Lords said the legislation was not designed to restrict gatherings like Critical Mass.
Phil Michaels, the lawyer for Critical Mass, said it set a precedent for other types of protest that take place on a regular basis.
And following a crackdown on protests around the House of Commons in the wake of anti-terrorism laws, he said it had wider implications for free speech.
"This is a case in which the highest court in the land has upheld the right to protest peacefully and has said in essence that if those rights are to be curbed then it needs the clearest possible language from Parliament before that happens."
Further to the previous story of a savage bicycle attack on a kitten, the animal world has obviously decided to avenge itself against the bike (and those who ride them).....
Sheep poo has been blamed for causing 161 competitors in a mountain bike race in Wales to fall ill.
An investigation into the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea following the Mountain Bike Marathon, in Builth Wells, mid Wales, was carried out by the National Public Health Service for Wales (NPHS).
And the report concluded that the outbreak was probably caused by Campylobacter, spread to the cyclists by mud which was contaminated with sheep faeces.
It's been a good year for cycling, and also for a couple of the bicycling industry's magazines.
Dirt Mountainbike Magazine picked up the designer of the Year award, at the Press Gazette's Magazine Design and Journalism Awards.
And Rouler magazine has won the Cycling Consumer Press of the Year Award, in the recent Bike Biz Awards.
In just ten issues Rouleur has become an industry favourite, with most of the attention coming by word of mouth. It's a classy looking mag unlike anything else I've read.
Also in the consumer press category, BikeRadar.com has scooped the title Cycling Consumer Website of the Year.
Well done to all involved at Dirt HQ, Rouler and BikeRadar - keep up the great work!
It points out that "automobiles continue to be the only consumer product associated with more childhood injuries" than the bike.
It also points out that boys account for 70% of all injuries, and that the most common injuries overall were contusions and abrasions (30 percent), lacerations (30 percent) and fractures (19 percent). The upper and lower extremities were the most frequently injured body regions followed closely by injuries to the face and head.
Tracy Mehan, a research associate at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital and author of a new study published in the online issue of Clinical Pediatrics, said "The magnitude of bicycle-related injuries each year is evidence that prevention of these injuries needs to remain a priority."
Am I alone in thinking that they've rather missed the point here? Firstly they've not distinguished between on-road accidents and off-road. Then they've missed the point that bikes are toys (despite my regular arguments to the contrary) whereas cars are not. Children will tend to hurt themselves on toys like these!
It seems to me that there are some injuries you're never going to be able to prevent, and nor would you want to. As a cycling coach (focussing on MTB) I tend to expect kids to fall off their bikes and get injured. I often tell them: if you never fall off then you're not riding hard enough.
Gloves, helmets and knee/elbow pads all lessen the impact, but kids have to fall sometimes so that they can find the limits of their ability and improve their riding skills - one of which is how to crash!.
No doubt we'll soon see the health and safety sourpusses quoting from this study to try and decrease the fun a little further.
To support this idea of cycling as a newly-cool pastime the newspapers refer to the wide range of blinged-up accessories that are now available - like the very pretty Electra bicycle bells and the new line of Kitsch Kitchen floral print panniers.
Also formenting the idea of cycling being fashionable is the recent involvement in the bicycle industry of clothing designers, such as Paul Smith, Chanel and Gucci to name but a few.
But is it really true?
Does the involvement of fashionable names, the production of shiny new bits and the endorsement of a few national daily newspapers really mean that cycling is now cool?
Of course not. Cycling was always cool!
All that has changed is that cycling has become more popular.
Perhaps it was Britain's success in the Olympics that did it.
Maybe it has something to do with improved cycle lanes or parking.
Most likely it has more to do with the high oil prices that forced people to look at alternative transport methods.
Whatever. It's great news that more people are opting for the bike to get around, but to pretend that it's because cycling has become cool? Or that it's now cool because the mainstream media has finally woken up to the idea of bikes as a serious form of transport? I don't think so.
The day that the Daily Mail proclaims something is cool, then you've got to start questioning what exactly cool is!
A quick apology to those have you that might have visited the site recently, only to find that is wasn't here. I had a slight problem with my hosting company moving things around without telling me!
Hosting companies: You can't live with 'em, and you can't live with 'em.
Anyhow, they fixed the problem and so Wheelism is back up and reporting the stories you didn't even know you wanted to know about. Or something.
If you want to make friends with 4x4 drivers, then don't do what I did last week.......
I arrived home from work and spotted the Porsche Cayenne that's regularly sited in the car park at the end of the street, and wandered over to take a look at it. These cars are probably the most insane of all 4x4s, as they're less likely than others to be driven off road (too shiny), and are therefore almost entirely pointless. They also emit a vast amount of CO2 (they're in the worst band rating in the European Emmissions test) and are capable of a top speed of 141 mph, which, given that they weigh almost 3 tonnes makes them pretty bloody dangerous too, especially if you're a cyclist. Anyway, noticing that it had a fine layer of dust on, I wrote the words "Fat Car Fat Head" in the dust.
Click the read more link to read the rest of the story....
The Olympics are coming to the UK, and obviously they're going to stage the MTB event at one of our world class facilities - they have plenty to choose from: Coed-y-Brenin, Glentress, Afan Forest, Dalby - the list goes on.
So which is the preferred venue, chosen by the London Organising Committee?
That's right - it's Swinley Forest in Berkshire.
Well, that was what they had chosen until someone pointed out that there aren't actually any hills there. So where is their second choice? Somewhere with a mountain perhaps?
Yes! Weald Country Park in Essex! Erm...no...hold on....there aren't any hills there either!?!
Well then...how about High Woods Country Park in Colchester?
Is anyone sensing a recurring theme here?
Thank god Penshurst Off-Road Cycling are demanding that the events be held there - they've got a whopping 6km of off-road trail!
A London 2012 spokesman told the Kent and Sussex Courier: "Weald Country Park in Essex was rejected and since then we have been working with Essex County Council in finding an alternative venue. We are currently carrying out a detailed feasibility study, focusing on Essex, given they were due to host it in the first place.
"We have not put a time limit on when we will make the decision."
Am I the only one who thinks that mountain biking should actually involve a mountain?
That's right. Make a massive 20% cut in your fuel bill in one day!
How?
Get your bike out and cycle to work!
You only have to do it one day a week and you've managed to offset the recent petrol price hikes.
Plus, it'll get you fitter, healthier and happier, and you'll be helping to reduce your carbon emissions too. A win-win situation I'm sure you'll agree.
If you're not sure about cycle commuting (how to start, what you'll need, which way to ride etc) then check out my 'How To Commute' section!
I've just been down to Cardiff for my Level 2 Assessment and have passed successfully (well, I still have a little paperwork to hand in, but it's all but completed).
So I'm now qualified to lead skills coaching sessions for up to 20 people!
On Saturdays I've been up at Llandegla helping out with John Harland's Go-Ride sessions, so will continue to take sessions here, as well as at Chester as part of Chester Road Club's Go-Ride sessions with Paul Evans.
Big thanks to Paul and Chester Road Club for sponsoring my training!
A 25 year-old cyclist from Scotland pedalled into the record books on Friday after completing a round-the-world cycle trip in just 195 days.
Knocked off 3 times, but suffering only 7 punctures during the 18,400 mile trip, Mark Beaumont, who is originally from Bridge of Cally in Perthshire, praised the marvel of technology that is his bike.
Generally I try to avoid profanity on the site as I think it lowers the tone, but with the title of this story I had to struggle to get past my own censorship rules just to include some. Click the link below to see why:
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone announced this week that the city will be implementing a $1 billion cycling plan, including a bicycle rental scheme similar to that already in place in Paris, in which Londoners will be able to hire 6,000 bikes from racks placed every 300 meters.
London plans to cut the city’s carbon emissions 60% by 2025, and Livingstone said in a statement that 20% of these cuts the city plans to make in transport could come from changing the way Londoners travel.
It was with great sadness that I heard of the death of Sheldon Brown, one of cycling's greatest characters, its most famous mechanic and an inspiration to me over the past years.
His pages on the web have been a constant source of great information, as well as some most excellent humour.
I'll miss you Sheldon, as I'm sure will many more cycling enthusiasts the world over.
Well, here we are in the depths of the winter, there's snow on the road, flooding everywhere and the wind is like the ferocious breath of some icy devil. It's not exactly great cycling weather then.
But, according to the Department for Transport's latest
report on attitudes towards climate change and transport, our attitudes to transport and climate change are becoming more enlightened, so perhaps this year we'll see more cyclists braving the cold.
Then again, after reading the report, perhaps we won't. Perhaps we'll just hear people talking about getting on their bikes, but never actually doing it.
One of the most telling paragraphs from the report is this one:
Three-quarters of adults said that they themselves were likely to undertake
some form of activity to reduce car journeys due to concerns about climate
change, most often cutting down on non-essential journeys. However, only
around 5% of car users said that they had reduced their car use in the
preceding year due to environmental concerns.
All mouth and no lycra-leggings then.
I'm just hoping that this year will prove more conducive to cycling for more car drivers. Perhaps the wind will be fairer, the rain less damp, and the motorised traffic more stationary.
I love my bike(s) as much as any other cyclist. At least that's what I thought. To prove me wrong, here's a tale of a man who loved his bike just a little bit too much......
A man caught trying to have sex with his bicycle has been sentenced to three years on probation.
Robert Stewart, 51, admitted a sexually aggravated breach of the peace by conducting himself in a disorderly manner and simulating sex.
Sheriff Colin Miller also placed Stewart on the Sex Offenders Register for three years.
Mr Stewart was caught in the act with his bicycle by cleaners in his bedroom at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr.
Gail Davidson, prosecuting, told Ayr Sheriff Court: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply.
"They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white t-shirt, naked from the waist down.
"The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."
Both cleaners, who were "extremely shocked", told the hostel manager who called police.
Sheriff Colin Miller told Stewart: "In almost four decades in the law I thought I had come across every perversion known to mankind, but this is a new one on me. I have never heard of a 'cycle-sexualist'."
Stewart had denied the offence, claiming it was caused by a misunderstanding after he had too much to drink.
As part of the International Day of Climate Protest during the UN climate talks in Bali, Indonesia, join the bike ride from Lincoln’s Inn Fields to Parliament Square. Our arrival there will be the signal for the main march to set out for the US embassy. Time is running out, yet George Bush is still undermining attempts for co-ordinated international action.
There were 600 cyclists on the last climate bike ride. Let’s double that to say to the government that global warming really is the issue of greatest concern facing us today.
10am: Assemble south side of Lincoln’s Inn Fields to ride via the Department for Transport (to call for curbs in aviation and petrol use, and greater support for cycling and public transport); and via a Biofuelwatch protest (calling on the government to introduce safeguards against importing unsustainably sourced bioenergy, eg palm oil grown at the cost of deforestation).
1pm: Arrive at Parliament Square to join the National Climate March from Millbank to the US embassy in Grosvenor Square
Please bring whistles and decorate your bikes to let
the public know why we are riding.
As if to prove that our roads are dangerous, hundreds of police officers in Greater Manchester have been banned from patrolling on their bicycles on health and safety grounds.
The move follows the death of a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) who was on duty when his bicycle was hit by a lorry in Hindley Green, Wigan.
Christopher Maclure, 21, suffered head injuries and died at the scene.
All officers with less than a year's experience on a bike have now been stopped while a review is carried out.
Greater Manchester Police said officers with more than a year's experience could continue to use mountain bikes, but they would be given extra safety advice.
A spokesman said: "This decision has been taken following the tragic death of PCSO Chris Maclure in Wigan.
"The safety of officers and staff is our first priority and, while there is no suggestion the assessment process Chris underwent had anything to do with the collision, we have decided to review the nature of assessing officers who patrol on bikes.
"Following consultation with our health and safety training unit and Unison, we feel confident that officers who have patrolled on bikes for more than 12 months have sufficient experience and road awareness to continue to ride.
"They will be given supplementary advice regarding the Highway Code and safe riding and we will support anybody who has concerns about continuing to patrol on their bikes.
"We hope the officers affected by this review will be back patrolling on bikes in a couple of months."
My hatred for 4x4s is pretty well known locally, and is referenced throughout the site if you're prepared to look closely enough. It's not explicit as there are a number of 4x4 drivers in North Wales (that's where we're at) who do actually need an off-road vehicle for practical purposes (farmers, mountain rescue etc) and I'm not keen to upset these good folk.
My personal opinion with regard to these vehicles is that if you're not working in inaccessible places (muddy fields, sides of mountains etc.) and you're just driving them along the road to work, or to the supermarket then you're an idiot.
Obviously though, not all people are either farmers or idiots. There is another band of 4x4 drivers who actually like to use their vehicles for off-road recreational sport (though how it can really be called a sport, when you never actually get off your ass to put any effort in, bewilders me more than a little). These are the people who are using their 'vehicles' in conditions for which they were probably designed (no-one mention the Porsche Cayenne) even though they're spewing fumes directly into the countryside.
This a republish of an earlier story for the benefit of the nice lady who asked how to get her little girl off stabilisers.....
A new kind of bicycle aims to ease the burden of learning to ride. The Shift Bike (aimed at 4-6 year olds) is essentially a 3-wheeled trike at low speed, but becomes a 2-wheeled bike as speed increases.
The bike, called SHIFT, was created by an industrial design professor and two students. Their designed topped 853 entrants from 56 countries to win the $15,000 first prize in the 9th International Bicycle Design Competition in Taiwan.
"Most children learn how to ride a bike on training wheels, but these simply keep the bike from tipping," said Scott S. Shim, an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts. "Our bike allows children to learn how to balance themselves as they ride instead of looking back to see if their parent is still holding the bike.
Okay...so you can't actually get hold of one (I'm waiting for a reply from the designer about when these will go into production), so how else can you achieve the desired effect: a child cycling without stabilisers?
Well...there's the
Puky Bike - essentially a bicycle without pedals.
Your kid learns to balance without the hassle of pedalling. Then, once they've got the hang of it they progress to a pedal cycle. It's not much use on uphills though!
Alternatively, if you're sticking with stabilisers there are a couple of ways to progress:
Raise the stabilisers little by little - there's usually some room for adjustment where they attach to the bike. If not, then they can be persuaded with a little force. Eventually your child won't even notice when you remove them.
Take off one stabiliser, leaving a single one on - this'll increase confidence and still assure the child that they aren't going to come a cropper. They might, but you don't need to tell them that. ;o)
Whatever you do, remember - teaching a kid to ride a bike is one of the best things you'll ever do!
I finally managed to source some stickers for my frame!
This might sound like a petty triumph, and you're probably wondering why such a spurious achievement should warrant its own story.
Well, the reason is that it's now 10 months since I finished building my frame, and in the intervening period I've contacted so many printers, graphic designers, sign makers, frame painters etc. that I've lost count.
The problem? Well, I'm not really sure - I put it down to having a complicated design (I made it myself - similar to the logo at the top of the site) and a lack of knowledge about the printing process.
The
Frame Builder's Forum suggests a number of sites such as Victory Circle Grafix and SSSink but only AJ from Victory Graphics bothered to respond to my email and then only once!
In the end a local guy tried to help (made some decals which were nice but too thick) and then suggested a sign writer (the multi-talented John Les) who spent a while working on the design to produce a workable finished product.
The Manchester Velodrome reopened on 30 July after its resurfacing which, along with the development of a national BMX centre and athlete accommodation, will spark a new era for the world’s most heavily used indoor cycling track.
The £250,000 refurbishment has been financed by a partnership made up of Manchester City Council, Sport England and the British Cycling Federation.
Regional director of Sport England, Stewart Kellett, said: “I am sure the Velodrome, its community facilities and the presence of GB elite cyclists will continue to inspire the next generation of champions.”
The 13-year-old Veldrome has hosted many records, including Chris Boardman’s breaking of the world-hour record, two World Championships and several World Cups. The first major event for the new track is the Track Cycling World Championships next March.
If you've never ridden on a track before, I can highly recommend it - Why not book yourself in for a taster session? They provide the bike and a coach - all you need to bring is your helmet (though they'll provide this too if you don't have one) and you can spend an hour getting the feel for it. And best of all it's a very reasonable £9 per session!
Well...it's been a while since I posted any news from the world of the bicycle as I've been rather busy in the shed, what with sorting out new racking, another whole load of bikes to recycle and building my own spray booth (more on that later). And it's not as if there's nothing happening in the cycling world. The TDF has been and gone, Bike Week has happened, and the whole issue of the Highway Code seems to have finally been settled. Here's my take on what happened and what it means for cyclists....
The CTC's campaign about the proposed changes to the Highway Code issued in February caused a furore, and over 4000 people offered over 27,000 comments to the Department of Transport, many of these regarding the impact on cyclists. Over 40 changes were made to the proposals but two of the 2 of the rules (61 and 63) concerning cycle lanes caused further debate.
The main concern was the wording of these two rules which would effectively force cyclists to use cycle lanes where provided, irrespective of their safety or suitability. Such a law could have led to cyclists being prosecuted in the event of being knocked off their bikes, if they weren't using the provided facilities.
I wrote to my MP (Labour's Chris Ruane) to highlight the issue, and recieved an excellent response from him from The Vulnerable Road Users Group of the DoT pointing out new wording proposed for these two rules:
61. Cycle Facilities
Use cycle routes, advanced stop lines, cycle boxes and toucan crossings unless at the time it is unsafe to do so. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.
63. Cycle Lanes
These are marked by a white line (which may be broken) along the carriageway (see Rule 140). When using a cycle lane, keep within the lane when practicable. When leaving a cycle lane check before pulling outh that it is safe to do so and signal your intention clearly to other road users. Use of these facilities is not compulsory and will depend on your experience and skills, but they can make your journey safer.
Well, it seems that the wording has now been accepted by all parties, which means that the position is now clear for cyclists: You can ride on the road if you want to. Even if there's a cycle lane provided
Britain's leading transport commentator, Christian Wolmar, raises some interesting points about the use of red lights by cyclists and the surrounding debate
in his new blog.
The Metropolitan Police have won a court battle giving them control over London's Critical Mass cycle ride.
Two Appeal Court judges overturned a High Court ruling that the event was lawful and organisers must now notify police giving a date, time and route.
Every month cyclists gather on the South Bank and ride through the city in the evening to celebrate safe cycling.
Now police will have the power to make arrests under the Public Order Act if they are not warned about the route.
The legal battle began in September 2005 when, before the start of that month's ride, police handed out a letter to participants stating the Critical Mass rides were not lawful.
Police said "organisers of public processions" were required by law to give at least six days' notice of the date, time and proposed route, as well as their names and addresses.
This resulted in one of the regular Critical Mass riders asking Lord Justice Sedley and Mr Justice Gray to rule in the High Court that the police were misinterpreting the law.
The court heard the rides had no organiser and no fixed route and ruled that, as "customarily" held events, prior notice was not required under the Act.
At Monday's appeal hearing, Lord Justice Wall, the judge who found in favour of the cyclists, said to rule that Critical Mass fell under the auspices of the Public Order Act was "potentially oppressive".
"The police, in my judgment, know what the cyclists are going to do. They are going to ride around the Greater London area," he said.
"That is a perfectly lawful activity, and if, for any reason, it ceases to be so, the police have ample powers to intervene."
London mayor Ken Livingstone's road safety ambassador Jenny Jones had earlier urged the police to allow the rallies to go ahead as planned, the judge said.
However, Lord Justice Leveson said cyclists came together at a fixed point, but the lead riders chose the course and where the rally finished.
"A procession cannot, in my judgment, become common or customary if no route or end point is ever the same," he said.
Sir Mark Potter, the President of the High Court Family Division, also found for the police.
Jenny Jones, a Green Party member of the London Assembly, said in a statement: "This decision is bad news for everyone, as it will end up with the police wasting time arresting innocent cyclists like me, rather than arresting real criminals.
"Critical Mass is a lively, but peaceful get-together of cyclists which has been going on for over a decade without any major incidents.
"Arresting cyclists at Critical Mass will be like arresting a group of passengers for gathering at Westminster tube station during the rush hour."
The London ride is part of a worldwide phenomenon and has taken place on the last Friday of the month, every month, for the past 13 years.
England's most extensive network of mountain bike trails has been opened in North Yorkshire's 8,600-acre Dalby Forest.
The Forestry Commission and local riders' organisation SingletrAction has unveiled 34 miles of purpose-built and sustainable routes in the county's biggest wood, near Pickering.
The £405,000 scheme has been backed by £141,000 from the European Union's Objective 2 programme and has taken two years to complete.
Hopes are also high that the all-weather network could become part of the training facilities for mountain biking events at the 2012 London Olympics.
Alan Eves, forest district manager, said: "Scotland and Wales have created major off-road trails in recent years, reaping rich rewards in terms of luring visitors and stimulating the economy.
"Here in Dalby we have gone a step further and created a truly distinctive experience for riders of varying abilities."
Iran is to start manufacturing "Islamic bicycles" for women that conceals their figure, the government newspaper Iran reported on Thursday.
"This bike has a cabin which conceals half of the cyclist's body," the newspaper said. Elaheh Sofali, an architect of the project, told Iran it would encourage women's sports in the Islamic republic.
Faezeh Hashemi, a daughter of former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, was instrumental in encouraging women to take to the saddle in the 1990s when she was in charge of women's participation in the Olympics.
SAWSTON charity Opportunities Without Limits has launched a new recycling and refuse project that also provides vocational training and paid work for disabled and disadvantaged people.
The launch of OWL Bikes mean that bicycles originally destined for the rubbish tip can instead be donated to the charity so that they can be restored and re-used.
They will be sold cheaply to the unemployed, people low on income and higher education students. The general public can also buy them and it is hoped that the project will become self-sufficient in three years.
Gill Riley, OWL's manager, said: "With the ever-increasing difficulty in getting donations from charitable foundations and funding for training from governmental sources it has become essential for us to adopt a more commercial attitude in the type of projects we plan for our clients."
Anyone who wants to donate or buy a bike, or would like to join the project as an employee, trainee or volunteer should contact the project manager Mick Ayres on 01223 839580.
Contrary to my earlier story indicating that Daniel Cadden's legal victory in a Telford court could help prevent a re-wording of the
Highway Code, and despite a major campaign by the
CTC, the Government has now submitted its final version of the new Highway Code to Parliament without fully taking the CTC's concerns into account.
The wording of Rule 61 now tells cyclists to use cycle facilities “wherever possible”. Rule 63 still tells cyclists to "keep within the [cycle] lane wherever possible".
What this means is that cyclists are likely to be held liable if they get knocked off their bikes whilst cycling on the road, if a cycle lane exists and they're not on it.
Quite how this will affect cycling clubs, time trials and the like I'm not sure, but it's a generally frightening prospect.
It'll also help to encourage the feeling amongst drivers that cyclists don't belong on the road - something I witnessed a couple of weeks ago when the driver of a Landrover gestured angrily at me as I wasn't on the ridiculous cycle lane that meanders through the local business park.
So. What can you as a cyclist do about it?
Well, you can write to your MP, urging him/her to oppose the draft Highway Code, and to urge his/her party colleagues in the Lords also to oppose it.
You can make the following points:
Rule 61 says cyclists should use cycle facilities "wherever possible", and Rule 63 tells them to "keep within the [cycle] lane wherever possible".
In many situations this advice is dangerous. Cycle facilities can sometimes be very helpful in encouraging more people to cycle, but some (on-road) cycle lanes and (off-road) cycle tracks are so poorly designed that it is safer not to use them. The advice in the Stationery Office publication Cyclecraft urges cyclists to position themselves where they can see and be seen, and to avoid being overtaken when it this is unsafe. It specifically advises that there are some situations where cycle lanes and other cycle facilities should be avoided. Correct road positioning for cyclists depends on the traffic conditions - and even the best designed cycle facility does not move around depending on the traffic conditions!
The Government's recently published Manual for Streets states that "...cyclists using cycle tracks are particularly vulnerable when the cross the mouths of side roads and that, overall, these routes can be more hazardous to cyclists than the on-road equivalent" (para 6.2.4).
Pressure to use off-road cycle tracks would also undermine the safety of pedestrians, particularly those with sensory or movement disabilities.
Rules 61 and 63 could see damage claims for very serious injuries thwarted or substantially reduced if they court decided that the cyclist shared some blame for not using the cycle facility.
They would also significantly increase the likelihood of cyclists facing aggression and physical assaults from drivers who believe they should be "out of the way" using a nearby cycle facility.
They would create dilemmas for professionals involved in promoting cycling. Local authority cycle officers wanting to provide cycle facilities for young or less confident cyclists could find themselves undermining more confident cyclists. Moreover, the Cyclecraft guidelines form the basis for the Government-backed National Standard for cycle training. Accredited cycle instructors would therefore find themselves teaching cyclists to behave contrary to the Highway Code, and could face liabilities if one of their pupils suffered adversely in law as a result.
I've just spent the weekend mountain biking with a few mates in what can only be described as 'Mountain Bike Heaven'.
We headed down (well they headed up) to the Dyfi Valley in mid-Wales and stayed at Top Minllyn in Dinas Mawddwy - an ultra-bike-friendly self-catering cottage that sleeps six, has the coolest of bike sheds (with a wood burning stove, a sofa and a dartboard) and lies right in the heart of the Dyfi Valley close to a whole stack of trails (from Coed-y-Brenin's Tarw trail, MBR trail, and 'The Beast' to Machynlleth's Mach 1, 2, and 3, and the Cli-Machs trail at Corris, as well as miles and miles of forest track and bridleway)
On day 1 we rode the quarries above Top Minllyn itself. Loads of steep slate descents and loose shaley piles to play on.
On day 2 we rode through the Dyfi Forest to the Cli-Machs trail. An epic ride on firetracks with some classic handbuilt singletrack thrown in.
On day 3 we tackled the MBR trail at Coed-y-Brenin - lots more purpose built trail with a mix of technical and smooth flowing trail.
On day 4 we smoothed things out on the Mach 2 trail out of Machynlleth - proper old skool cross-country MTBing, this one.
I finally got around to digging out my ride diary for one of the best rides I've ever done: North to South Wales off-road!
The journey from Conwy to the Worm's Head on the Gower Peninsula was a spectacular ride, with some amazing scenery, and plenty of laughs along the way.
Last week I went to the local tip to get rid of some old, mangled up frames. Just before I was about to throw them into the container I peered in and glimpsed a 531 sticker on a red frame languishing therein.
A quick borrow of the attendant's hook and I'd rescued a perfectly good frame and forks. (I've checked it all over, and apart from a very slight dent on the seat-tube and a little paint chipping around the bottom bracket, it's near perfect).
So, today I decided to build it up.
I started with the new wheels I'd just bought for my first fixie. These aren't particularly light, but they're flip-flop fixed/free and are particularly cheap, retailing at about £95.
A new pair of Continentals (in blue - also for the first fixie) rounded them off, and I had a frame that could stand upright. The brakes were still attached when I found it - bonus! - so all that was needed was a drive train.
I ripped the bottom bracket (67mm) from the first fixie and stripped down and old Suntour XC Pro chainset I've had lying around for years. By removing the small and middle rings, and refitting the large ring where the middle ring was I managed to get the correct chainline - and a nice light crankset to boot. Okay, so it's 175mm long, but beggars can't be choosers, and it'll give me a little more oomph on the hills. My first fixie had a 70.9" gear so I could probably afford to increase this slightly, given the extra 5 mm on the crank length.
Firking around in the shed also produced 2 sprockets and a locknut. A 14 tooth and an 18. Combined with the 46 toothed chainring from the Suntour chainset the 14 gives a gear of 88.7", the 18 gives 69" - one a little too high, the other a little low, so I've ordered a 17 tooth to give 73.5. I'll put the 18 on the free side so that I can have an easy (well, easier) ride home if my legs blow on a long ride.
So...here it is....Fixie No.2....and a close-up of that gorgeous old XC Pro chainset.
Click on the picture for a better look.
So. My first fixie took just over a year to build. This one took an hour. I suspect it'll be even more fun to ride. Only time will tell. Fortunately, this time I appear to have saved some specifically for this purpose.
In the light of the recent hysteria about road pricing and the general misinformation that was propagated by the pro-car lobby, I thought I'd take a look at the Government's petition website and see if they had any more sensible/worthwhile petitions for me to sign.
A Telford cyclist’s legal victory could help prevent a proposed re-wording of Britain’s Highway Code.
A controversial new draft version of the code would have forced cyclists to get off the roads and onto cycle paths where those are provided.
But leaders of Britain’s largest cycling organisation say the success of Daniel Cadden in overturning his conviction for inconsiderate cycling could now puncture the proposed changes.
A coalition of outdoor organisations, including CTC – the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation, is calling on the Government plans to improve public access to England’s 1,990 miles of coastline.
At present the Government plans to improve access for walkers, but CTC wants coastal access for all countryside users including cyclists.
Richard George, CTC Off-road campaigner: said: “Cycling around England’s coast should be a pleasure, but only 60 miles of coastal bridleway is open to cyclists – and half go underwater at high tide. Open access to the coast will be great news for everyone who would like to enjoy the countryside, but it’s vital that cyclists are not forgotten.”
The coalition of Britain’s leading outdoor organisations is calling on the Government to introduce a permanent, multi-user right of access around England’s entire coastline. It will recommend that within the zone, a code of practice would define the new access and set out rights and responsibilities. Access would be regulated to protect wildlife, and legitimate privacy issues and to take account of coastal developments.
The nights are drawing out and I've just discovered an online repository of
Mint Sauce cartoons.
For those of you that haven't heard of Mint - he's a sheep that loves to ride mountain bikes. He's being doing so for as long as I have and that's a long time. Probably too long.
Mint Sauce is a comic strip drawn by legendary MTB artist Jo Burt, and has been published in MBUK every month since the early days of MTBing in this country.
To get a true understanding of the sport of MTBing, take a look at some of the trends that have shaped it's progression, and for a good laugh, I heartily recommend spending a few hours grazing through some of the comics.
But don't just take my word for it - so good is the illustration that when I met Dave Yates recently, he showed me a picture he'd commissioned from Jo for his wife as an anniversary present (Love Squadron in full force!)
Now, when one of the best framebuilders in the country rates these comics then you know they're good!
I was browsing through the world of bikes on the Internet and came across a blog discussing British custom built bikes, which seemed to infer that frame building was something we used to be good at.
It occurred to me that this impression might be reinforced by the difficulty in finding current frame builders here in the UK, so I've put together a short list of the builders I'm aware of.
Obviously we couldn't have one of these here in the UK - The Health and Safety Rapid Response Squad would be all over it in seconds!
I suppose that on the upside we'll be a lot fitter here.....or we'll just get off and walk. Well, I won't but I imagine that's how other people get up hills..... ;o)
It seems that road traffic accidents are not the only hazard faced by cyclists on city roads - pollutants from motor vehicles may well be more dangerous than you might assume.
A respiratory physician was outspoken enough comparatively recently to suggest that although there was no evidence that these pollutants contributed to cancer, there was increasing data available that they were almost as significant a hazard to the lungs of cyclists — and to those who live near a busy main road — as smoking.
My first big off-road adventure - riding from St Bees Head on the west coast to Robin Hood's Bay on the east. A world of pain, mountains, bogs, more mountains, and some great new friends to boot!
Are you tired of cycling into a headwind? Bored of pedalling perhaps? Or just one of those lazy sods who think that exercise is a form of punishment?
Well, insane inventor Don Burgess has invented a petrol-driven propeller which enables bicycle users to hit speeds of up to 130kph (80mph).
The device is controlled by a special glove which allows the rider to accelerate or slow down simply by flexing their index finger.
Don said it can do 240km (150 miles) to the gallon, making it one of the most-fuel efficient modes of transport.
'This is a totally unique concept in the transportation world today,' said Burgess.
'The freedom from high fuel prices, the absolute fun of the wind in your hair while being pushed along effortlessly is amazing. Saving the environment has never been so much fun.'
Erm, right. And no effort involved. Just the thing for the lardy cyclist. Now where's that extra fat padded seat?
Motorola have launched a bike which incorporates a charging system for mobile phones, for use in remote locations. A cradle on the handlebars houses the mobile, while the motion of the pedals generates electricity to recharge its battery pack.
BIKE theft across London has risen by nearly 30 per cent, a policing spokesman has revealed.
Graham Tope, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in the london Assembly, says the 28.5 per cent increase so far this year is the sharpest rise ever.
He said: "Whilst the number of cyclists in London has increased since 2000, the theft of bikes is rising at a worrying rate.
"Many bikes are left unattended or unlocked but this is not helped by the Met failing to take bike theft more seriously, with only five per cent of all stolen bikes returned to their owners on average each year.
"Police missed their target for reducing bike theft by 15 per cent last year and look set to miss it by around 40 per cent again this year.
"We also need to see better targeted investment in cycling facilities from the Mayor, including secure bike racks in well lit areas, educational packages and an integrated cycle network to increase road safety.
"The Mayor is quick to boast about the extra numbers of people cycling in London but it is frankly irresponsible if this lures people into physical danger and puts their bikes at risk."
But the Metropolitan Police have said the increase in numbers of bikes on the street is guaranteed to increase the numbers of bike related crimes.
A police spokesman said: "Although it is difficult to attribute the increase in bike thefts in London to a single factor, we believe that more people are cycling in the capital which will increase the number of bicycles available.
"The MPS is committed to tackling all crime in London including bicycle thefts, and would encourage cyclists to register their equipment on www.immobilise.com."
Well, how about getting 9 of the world's best framebuilders to collaborate and build it for you?
Sounds nice, doesn't it?
Well, that's exactly what you can get by entering the 'Project Tessa' raffle being held by NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) this year.
The framebuilders creating this dream machine are Brian Baylis, Roland Della Santa, Doug Fattic, Bruce Gordon, Tom Kellogg, Andy Newlands, Mark Nobilette, Richard Sachs and J.P. Weigle.
The bike will include a set of Pacenti Original Lugs, a Columbus tubeset from Nova Cycles, Richard Sachs dropouts, a Campagnolo Record Group, Phil Wood hubs, and hand-detailed lugs and joints by each craftsman.
“Project Tessa” is the official name of this charity bicycle. The project is named after NAHBS Founder and President Don Walker’s daughter Tessa. Tessa contracted juvenile diabetes when she was 5 years old. She maintains her blood sugar several times daily and is now 16 years old and living with Diabetes.
Don Walker said:
"I am touched that such a great group of artisans are contributing their efforts on behalf of the JDRF. Their partnership in this project to benefit the search for a cure to Juvenile Diabetes means a lot to Tessa and me."
The drawing will be held at the NAHBS show in San Jose on Saturday, March 3rd. The lucky winner need not be present to win, but raffle participants are encouraged to attend, meet the builders who will put the bike together, and get fitted then and there for the frame.
To be in with a chance of winning (and I don't know why I'm telling you this, as I'd dearly love it myself and am only lessening my chances of winning), tickets can be bought from the NAHBS website - check the Advanced Ticket Sales page.
Check out the Project Tessa article on the News page for full details
Forthcoming European legislation which would force drivers to have front lights switched on in all daytime conditions would seriously undermine cyclists’ safety on the roads, according to the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation CTC.
CTC is urging all cyclists to join its online campaign calling on MEPs to oppose the Commission’s proposals. CTC believes that a blanket requirement to use so-called ‘daytime running lights’ (DRL) would make it much harder for drivers to see cyclists and that drivers would get into the habit of looking for lights, thus failing to notice cyclists and pedestrians as a result.
A Bike Film and Animation Award has been launched to showcase bike culture at the
growing list of Bike Film Festivals across the UK.
Independent festivals from Lancaster to Leicester, Edinburgh and Exeter are working
together to promote a short-film and animation 'Ten-city Tour of Britain' in 2007.
There are £300 prizes for 'Best Action', 'Documentary' and 'Animation' categories.
Individual prizes for best local film and an audience vote winner will be awarded at each screening. Selected entries will be available on a limited edition 2007 Bike Shorts DVD for sale at
participating festivals.
Andy Salkeld - Leicester Bike Film Festival said; ' The aim of the Awards Is to encourage
people to make their own films, start festivals and have fun with the new bike culture'.
Bella Stewart - Organiser of Derby Bike Film Festival said; ' We organised our first Bike Film
Festival last year. It was a massive success. 500 people came to see films and biggest hit
was a short film made by local kids riding BMX and breakdancing in the park '.
Maggie Wynn - Organiser of Edinburgh Bicycle Film Festival said; ' After the success of last
year's festival Cycling Scotland are now supporting our festival and I'm hoping to screen
films like the Tall Bike Tour of Britain as part of the Bike Film Awards '.
Lesley Ann Rose - Organiser of Lancaster Bike Film Festival said; ' It's a great Idea to
encourage and share new short films this way. We organised a ground breaking festival at
The Dukes Cinema In Lancaster last year and we'll do the same in early 2007 '.
If cycling's 'the new football' bike film festivals are 'the new fanzines' - engaging, Irreverent
and passionate'.
Any profit from the DVD sales will support cycling, short film-making and
animation at each festival.
Download a submission form at www.bikefilmawards.org. Entry deadline is 26th Jan 2007.
A JUDGE told a warehouse worker, worried about a 12-mile round trip to work each day after being handed a driving ban, to get on his bike.
District Judge Martin Walker, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates Court on Wednesday, heard how police had watched Paul Francis, 42, driving through the centre of Ripon in the early hours and had followed him down Duck Hill.
Prosecutor Louise Jenkins said Francis, of Aismunderby Close, Ripon, had turned into Bondgate and accelerated away from the patrol car which had its blue lights flashing. But he had then turned into a dead-end road and was climbing out of his car when police arrived.
He had been arrested but had refused to take a breath test in spite of admitting he had drunk five or six pints.
When Francis pleaded guilty to failing to provide a sample, he apologised for his actions and said he needed to be able to drive as his workplace was six miles from his home.
Banning Francis from driving for 16 months - with a £200 fine and £34 costs - the judge told him: ‘‘Getting to and from work can be done by bicycle, it’s only six miles.’’
A few months ago Opel made the FlexFix integrated bike rack available on their Corsa model. The collapsible rack can be pulled out from the vehicle’s bumper like a drawer and then unfolded to provide the necessary mounting brackets to carry two bikes. When not needed the rack is easily stowed away where it’s barely visible. It even has an extra pop-up license plate since the one on the back of your car won’t be visible while carrying bikes.
Neat eh?
No.
This still reinforces the idea that a bike is an accessory and not a viable form of transport in its own right. Frankly I'm surprised they didn't fit this contraption to a monstrous 4x4 (SUV).
Oh, they're planning that next you say? Well, tell me something I couldn't have guessed.
All car designers have massive brains, you say? Now we're talking. Talking shit, but talking.
Designs on Cycling the City, a new exhibition at New London Architecture, Store Street, WC1, showcases the finalists of “Reinventing the Bike Shed”, an international design competition seeking radical new ideas for bike parking, and illustrates some of the challenges of urban cycling.
The competition judges are:
Wayne Hemingway, designer and founder of Red or Dead
Jon Snow, Channel 4 News
John Grimshaw, Director of Sustrans
Vicky Richardson, editor of Blueprint
Adam Thorpe, designer/researcher for Bikeoff/DAC at the University of the Arts London
Jason Cornish, Feilden Clegg Bradley Architects
Andrea Casalotti, proprietor of Velorution
They were looking for pioneering and beautiful bike storage solutions for urban living, on any scale and for any end use. The winners will be announced at the Private View on Tuesday 31 October 2006.
Address details for the exhibition are:
New London Architecture, The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London, WC1E 7BT Monday 30 October - Saturday 18 November Open Mon-Fri 9am-6pm / Sat 10am-4pm. Closed Sundays.
Researchers in Japan have developed the world’s first
two-wheel drive bicycle, which “comes with an extra chain mechanism to transfer power from the bicycle’s pedals to both wheels instead of just one.”
And the point of this is?
I'm not exactly sure, but imagine it's been developed by some idiot 4x4 driver who thought that the "improved handling" might just compensate for the extra weight and complexity of design (which tends to the inverse of reliability).
Whatever, it's a masterpiece of pointlessness. Now, where can I get one?
World-famous fashion designer Sir Paul Smith is styling a bicycle for a firm that accidentally played a role in getting him into fashion.
According to Paul, an accident in the 1960s where he was knocked off his Mercian bike caused him to end up in fashion.
He made friends during his rehabilitation who took him drinking in The Bell Inn, and it was there that he fell in love with a fashion teacher who taught him about design.
Paul said of Mercian, "Mercian are a fantastic company from Derby, working with them has been amazing. Mercian are one of the last bespoke bike makers in Britain. The bikes are all hand made and this is such a joy to witness in this world of mass production"
In a desperately sad sign of the times, Online children’s department store The Kids Window ( http://www.thekidswindow.com ) is adding a junior gym exercise bike for children aged three to nine to it's range of toys and stuff.
Kid's Window says "the bikes are the latest in a series of fitness products, such as trampolines and treadmills, being promoted by The Kids Window to encourage children away from their computer games and into healthier pursuits."
Jason Lewis, director, says: “So much of a child's physical and mental development is nurtured during play and it's fundamental to provide a balanced option of activities. Our range of children's fitness equipment is designed to promote a healthier lifestyle and be great fun to use.”
Erm, right. Have you ever been on an exercise bike, Jason? I thought not. The term "great fun to use" is not one I'd readily associate with exercise bikes.
So why do these little fat sods need an exercise bike anyway? What's wrong with real bikes?
Well, Kids Window says that although kids used to play outside until dark, today's children regularly stay indoors for reasons including safety and convenience.
Whose convenience? And who's safety? If the bogeyman doesn't get them they'll surely die of a heart attack.
An international survey conducted by Tesco in September 2006 found that the average British child does just 6.9 hours of exercise a week, which is 2.5 hours less than they spend in front of computer and television screens.
A bit rich coming from Tesco - a company that's done more to create a car based culture than many others, but the facts are the facts: kids are a bunch of lazy little sods.
My suggestion would be to get your kids a proper bike and get out riding with them. Or are you parents too fat to ride too?
Engineering students at Dartmouth Collge (USA) have come up with a way to help kids avoid the scraped knees and tears that come from learning to ride a bike.
They have developed a front wheel with a flywheel inside the rim. When set to spinning with a drill, the flywheel spins independently of the tire, making the bike resist tipping, even if the bike is moving slowly.
They say fast-moving wheels act as gyroscopes, which resist tipping. But new bike riders tend to go slowly, receiving less benefit from this effect.
Now, I don't mean to be funny, but doesn't the danger of using an electric drill in the vacinity of a child on a bike outweigh the dangers of falling off?
In a sign that Nicole Cooke is finally beginning to get the recognition she deserves, there was an
excellent interview with her in the Daily Telegraph on Saturday, where she discusses motivation, doping and her love-life (or lack thereof).
Hopefully, by the end of the Sports Personality of the Year evening, the rest of the UK will have heard of her too.
In these days of photo opportunities, meaningless rhetoric and plain old tokenism, it's all too common to hear about our policticians making favourable gestures towards cycling, or donning their helmets for a 100 yard dash away from the cameras before dismounting to climb into their Lexuses and other more destructive means of transport.
By the time I'd finished though I was pretty impressed. It seems that she actually understands what she's talking about, and might be considered by some as a positive advocate for cycling. Perhaps she'd even do a better job as CTC President than newly elected Jon Snow!
So what happened to that cynicism? Well, it's been subjugated to the position of asking the same old questions:
"Is Edwina fishing for a position in Camo's cabinet?"
"Is it Henry, the mild mannered janitor?"
And it always comes back with the same answer: Could be.
There are about two million bicycles in Scotland, about as many as there are cars. Yet last week, only one Scot in 20 rode a bicycle; only two per cent of adults cycled to work and only one per cent of children cycled to school, according to Scottish Executive research.
In order to try and redress the balance the Scotsman newspaper has
launched a column dedicated to everyday cycling - "for those who don't cycle but might like to give it a try, for those who don't look luscious in Lycra, for people who are overweight or unfit, for pensioners doing their messages, for people who can't afford top-of-the-range road bikes, for parents with young children, for children looking for a bit of independence who want to arrive at school under their own steam, for self-propelled holiday-makers who have had enough of whistle-stop tours and airport lounges, for anyone who is tired of waiting for a bus or hunting for a parking place. For the 95 per cent of us who didn't get on a bicycle last week, and for the five per cent of us who did"
The Government is apparently planning to launch a public consultation about
toughening the law as it relates to cyclists.
Advance reports say that one proposal envisages swingeing fines for new criminal offences - such as failing to have the bike fitted with a bell. Registration of all bicycles on the road is something else that is being floated.
It seems like cyclists are the new terrorists and it seems like we're being persecuted. The media is constantly full of stories of reckless cyclists jumping red lights and riding on the pavements, knocking down old ladies and abusing motorists. How did we become so evil all of a sudden?
Could it be that there's a touch of envy from some of the perpetrators of this latest media onslaught? Or perhaps something darker: a disgruntled car industry trying to undermine an ever-more-vocal minority which it perceives is seeking to destroy it? Or is it just more insane rambling from a knee-jerk Government, keen to be seen to be doing something (or anything).
Whatever. The compulsory registration of cycles would be an exercise in futility, not to mention a huge waste of time and money. And as for compulsory bells, well, I think they've gone a bit ding-a-ling.
A new cycling proficiency award aimed at preparing children for the present traffic and road conditions has been launched.
Bikeability will be awarded by Cycling England, which hopes that within five years all school-leaving children will have passed the test.
As a cycling coach for British Cycling I have to say that I'm pleased to hear about this. However, I wonder how much of that £15m will be spent on consultants who will help to devise the new scheme, rather than on providing trainers and facilities.
I'm also wondering what kind of funding is being provided for the kids outside of England (you do remember Wales don't you?)
Welsh-speaking cyclists have been left baffled - and possibly concerned for
their health - after a bizarre translation mix-up.
For instead of a road sign telling them to dismount, the Welsh translation
informs them that 'bladder disease has returned'.
The temporary sign, placed in front of the roadworks at Barons Court
roundabout between Penarth and Cardiff, correctly says 'cyclists dismount'
in English, but says 'llid y bledren dymchwelyd' in Welsh.
Owain Sgiv, an officer for the Welsh language campaign group Cymdeithas yr
Iaith Gymraeg, explained: 'Roughly translated, llid y bledren dymchwelyd
means bladder disease has returned.
'But I have to stress that the order in which the words have been placed
means the sentence makes no sense whatsoever.
'It certainly does not mean anything like cyclists dismount.'
'Cyclists dismount is an awkward sentence to translate as there is no Welsh
word for dismount,' he added.
'But the correct translation would be something like dim beicio, which means
literally no cycling, or man disgyn i feicwyr, which means fall-off area for
cyclists.
Aran Jones, of Welsh Language group Cymuned, was equally baffled - although
not for the first time.
He said: 'Llid y bledren means inflammation of the bladder.
'This sentence structure makes no sense, but dymchwelyd means return.
'This is a real peach. Road signs are mistranslated on an enormously regular
basis, usually because people use online translators.
'But we don't often get them quite as insane as this.'
The sign was placed there by the Vale of Glamorgan Council highways
department who have admitted that they made a mistake.
A council spokesman said: 'It does appear that an error has occurred during
the translation process, a matter which is being investigated.
'In the meantime, amended signs are being produced and should be replaced as
soon as possible.'
Further to my previous articles on the
Hampstead Heath cycle path furore, Jenny Jones from the Green Party Group, London Assembly, has pointed out the ludicrousness of fining cyclists for riding in the park at the same time as trying to encourage cycling:
"There are numerous parks around London where cyclists and walkers mix without any apparent concern or problems.
In fact, for many people outside of Hampstead the current system of fining cyclists who stray off the designated paths would seem slightly bizarre and draconian.
It also ignores the growing numbers who have jumped on their bikes and are thereby helping to create a quieter, less polluted and less congestion London.
The reasons why so many people are now giving cycling a go are numerous and varied, but high on the list has to be the chance to enjoy a park, or a woodland, and breathe in the clear air on the way to work or school.
That is why the Green Party members of the London Assembly made financial support for green routes for cyclists one of our conditions for supporting the London Mayor's budget. This benefits cyclists and pedestrians across London. We also got Ken Livingstone to agree to cycle training for all primary school children in London.
It strikes me as ridiculous to train lots of local school children to cycle but to prevent them from doing so in the most enjoyable, safe and pleasant space in the area."
Spot on Jenny. The question now is: will the Corporation of London (CoL) and the conservation group Heath and Hampstead Society listen?
On 25 July 2006, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published a report (Transport interventions promoting safe cycling and walking: evidence briefing) which aims to answer two related research questions:
* what transport interventions are effective in increasing active travel, specifically walking and cycling?
* what transport interventions are effective in increasing the safety of walking and cycling?
The full report can be viewed by clicking on this link: NICE Report
but here's a quick summary:
The health impacts of transport are well known.
Kids in deprived areas are more likely to have accidents on the road.
Only about a third of UK citizens do enough exercise.
The Government is committed to creating opportunities for physical activity by 'changing the physical and ciltural landscapre - and building an environment that supports people in more active lifestyles'.
There is a question mark over the implications for 'active travel' of improving public transport.
Individuals without access to a car for personal use are more likely to walk.
Compulsory helmet use may lead to decreased bicycle use.
The impact of changes in transport systems has been evaluated using injuries and accidents as the principal outcome measures, instead of physical activity, specifically walking and cycling.
There is a lot of inconclusive review level evidence regarding effective measures to help increase active transport levels and more research needs to be done. Consequently, the transport policy for the UK is ahead of the evidence base on what works in promoting walking and cycling.
This weekend I headed down to Builth Wells to meet up with old friends for a couple of hard rides in the valleys of mid-Wales.
The first day was a tough cross-country route following bridleways as indicated on the OS map. Unfortunately the bridleways were much clearer on the map than they were on the ground and we ended up carrying our bikes above our heads as we scrambled up nettle-filled slopes through thickets of gorse and brush.
The second day then, we opted to head over to an MTB centre at Coed Trallwm. This is a privately owned centre consisting of a Cafe/Visitor Center and three graded waymarked trails weaving up and down the valley sides, much the same as many of the other MTB centres spring up across the country.
What set this place apart from many of the other MTB centres I've ridden at was the provision of shower facilities for post-ride cleansing. After a 28 degrees Centigrade fly-infested ride, the showers were a god-send.
Coed Trallwm also provides a bike wash area, excellent food, and there is accommodation if you'd like to stay longer.
The trails are all tricky - the grading apparently relating to the amount of climb rather than skill level, and the scenery was spectacular, particularly at the top of the Black Run. The only drawback was the 13km limit, though I expect this will increase as they get chance to expand.
All in all, a real gem of a find and a great place to ride if you've got a couple of hours to spare!
If you're looking for some interesting books on the UK's obsession with cars or how to reduce your dependency on them, then look no further than Green Books - an independent UK publisher producing books on a wide range of environmental and cultural issues.
I've just ordered 'Car Sick' - a new book by Lynn Sloman on the effects of the car in the UK.
The nice folks at Green Books have also sent me a Welsh version of Anna Semlyen's book 'Cutting Your Car Use' (Cerwych Heb Y Car)
I'll probably write a review of Car Sick when I've finished it, and Cerwych Heb Y Car when I've managed to translate it. (Dydy fy Nghymraeg yn dda eto!)
Cyclists can celebrate today as the High Court has decided that the Metropolitan Police's case against Critical Mass in London is flawed. According to the High Court the non-event is
not a notifiable procession under the Public Order Act and police do not therefore require advance notice of the timing and route.
Personally I found the case to be fundamentally flawed on many other counts, and biased in the extreme.
When will the police figure out that:
It's the number of cars in London that cause the congestion, not the bikes.
Rush hour traffic isn't affected by Critical Mass - the ride doesn't start until 7pm.
If everyone in London rode bikes there wouldn't be any congestion
Cycles are traffic too.
Well done to Des Kay and all the other cyclists taking part. Ride on!
I'm beginning to wonder just what it is about cyclists that's makes people hate them so much.
I mean, have you ever heard of another transport-based grouping that gets as much stick as we do?
Car drivers hate us: we don't pay tax, we take up too much room on the road, and we have the unnerving habit of always coming off worst in an accident.
Pedestrians hate us: we never stop for red lights and ride with great speed through town centres knocking down old ladies and running over cats.
The government hates us (despite protestations to the opposite effect): we don't pay a congestion charge, and don't have number plates so they can identify (and thereby persecute) us easily.
Well, now it would appear that even cities themselves are beginning to get in on the act:
The City of London has started fining cyclists
hundreds of pounds for straying off cycle paths in Hampstead Heath
Under the two wheel crackdown David Scollan from Highwood Avenue, Friern Barnet was fined twice and had to cough up £575 while Jocelyn Brooks from Swains Lane, Highgate, was fined £225.
Dr Olivier Nilsson-Julien from Kentish Town uses the Heath to cycle every day.
Last Thursday he was stopped by a Heath worker who threatened to ban him from the area because he looked like he was about to cycle on a walking path despite the fact he was merely walking alongside his bike.
He said: "The man came up to me very aggressively and started shouting at me."
Another narky parky. No suprise there. But fines of over £200 just for wandering off the cycle path?
You get smaller fines than that for armed robbery, drunk driving and/or unsolicited pillaging!
Where is the realism? Where is the consistency? Where is my hoodie/gun combo?
Ian Atkinson, aged 30, of Alnwick Road, Intake, Sheffield, is demanding an inquiry after he claims a Supertram
brushed past him while he was on his bicycle at Manor Top.
He says the tram rang its warning bell once but still kept on coming - and despite his frantic efforts he wasn't able to get out of the way in time.
I'm sorry, but it's a tram. It's on rails! How can you fail to avoid it? Just turn to one side. It doesn't matter which.
Honestly, some people go out of their way to give cyclists a bad name.
A cyclist has launched a High Court challenge against police claims that a long-running monthly cycle ride through London is unlawful.
Critical Mass rides involve cyclists taking to the streets once a month to celebrate safe cycling.
Police say it is unlawful because the rides have an organiser and fail to give notice of a route.
Des Kay, of Kingston, south-west London, argues it is a procession. A decision is due in a few weeks.
His lawyers argued that the monthly rides are lawful because they fall within an exception for processions that are "commonly and customarily held".
The police have tried to use public order legislation to undermine a perfectly lawful and safe cycling event
Phil Michaels, Friends of the Earth
They also said an organiser is not required and notice cannot be given to the police.
The monthly rides first took place in April 1994, and have since been held on the last Friday of every month.
However, last September police handed notices to cyclists saying that under the Public Order Act police needed to be notified of demonstrations.
At the time, police said it was not an attempt to prevent the rides from going ahead and they were committed to "facilitating lawful protests and demonstrations".
Des Kay said: "Cycling in London needs all the encouragement it can get.
"Critical Mass is an important celebration of cycling in the capital and makes a real contribution to safe cycling by giving cyclists the confidence they need."
Phil Michaels, of Friends of the Earth, whose justice centre will act for Mr Kay, said: "The police have tried to use public order legislation to undermine a perfectly lawful and safe cycling event."
Bike Week in June is the UK’s annual ‘celebration of cycling’ and it’s coming to a town near you! Government-funded with support from the cycle industry, Bike Week aims to get ‘more people cycling more often’. 250,000 participants are anticipated this year.
1,500 cycling events will be organised locally during 17-25 June, most free to enter and many suitable for novices and occasional cyclists. From easy traffic-free rides to time trials for beginners, Bike Week offers something for everyone who owns a bike. More than two million new bicycles are sold in the UK every year.
Pleasure rides to local attractions will be on offer, plus ‘bikeathons’ to raise funds for Leukaemia Research. Other more challenging events will appeal to cycling enthusiasts, including club rides open to non members.
All events are listed at
www.bikeweek.org.uk or phone 0845 612 0661 for information.
Many events will be organised by local councils and other employers to encourage more staff to ‘bike2work’ instead of commuting by car. Highways authorities are expected to launch new cycle route maps and cycle parking facilities in Bike Week, which was first organised in 1923.
In the run up to Bike Week cycle campaigners and shops will be providing ‘Dr Bike’ cycle safety checks. Skills training to a new national standard will be available from a growing number of accredited instructors. The 10,000 mile National Cycle Network includes many traffic-free sections that are ideal for novices and young children.
Further information is available from
HQ@bikeweek.org.uk or phone 0845 612 0661.
Good news! After undergoing training at the Manchester Velodrome, I've just received my British Cycling Level 1 coaching licence, which allows me to start coaching kids to ride using the British Cycling Go-Ride scheme. My training was kindly sponsored by Paul Evans of the Chester Road Club and so this year I'll be coaching in the Chester area.
During the rest of this year I hope to achieve level 2 coaching status, undertake CTC training for Cycle Proficiency Coaching, and then start to do some coaching more locally (North Wales!). My long term goal is to be able to provide coaching at all levels, from beginners to offroad MTBing in the North Wales area, and to get away from sitting in the office all day staring at a screen!
Elsewhere in Wales (well, on Snowdon to be precise) cyclists are being asked to continue to observe
the agreement not to cycle on the mountain between 10am and 5pm during the summer months.
The agreement has been in place for about 15 years (as far as I recall) and was revised in 2003 by Cyclists Touring Club Cymru (CTC), the Welsh Cycling Union and the International Mountain Bicycling Organisation.
"On the whole the agreement has been well observed, and seems to be working," said Barbara Jones, manager of the national park authority's warden and access service.
"The reality is that cycling on Snowdon, when there are hundreds of walkers on the paths, can be a nuisance, frustrating and inconsiderate for others," Ms Jones added.
As someone who cycled up Snowdon before the ban I can only say that I think the ban is a good idea. But not for the reasons Ms Jones does.
In my opinion "the reality is that cycling on Snowdon, when there are hundreds of walkers on the paths, can be a depressing, frustrating and futile attempt to have fun."
I try not to talk about American issues but, well, to be honest, Bush's antics have a resounding impact much further than his own borders, don't they? Especially when you consider his bum-chum-pet-dog-arse-licking-toe-rag-best-mate Tony Bler (check my Welsh spelling!), and so here's another Bush inspired 'green' tidbit from across the pond....
House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Illinois, gets out of a Hydrogen Alternative Fueled automobile, left, as he prepares to board his SUV, which uses gasoline, after holding a news conference at a local gas station in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2006 to discuss the recent rise in gas prices.
Hastert and other members of Congress drove off in the Hydrogen-Fueled cars only to switch to their official cars to drive back the few block back to the U.S. Capitol. (from Allied Press)
As if I needed any evidence to back up my opinions from the previous story........
It seems that a Croatian postman has finally decided to ditch the car in favour of cycling after
crashing 33 cars in 23 years.
Actually, when I consider the 'drivers' who speed along the lane on which I reside, this doesn't seem that excessive!
Pokupska Luka said: "The first car I crashed was my father's Audi when I was 16 and I once totally wrote off a new Renault just 20 minutes after I had bought it. I just seem to have bad luck with cars."
Just seem to have bad luck with cars? Is he kidding?
The cyclists I know (knew) who have (had) bad luck with cars are no longer with us.
I wish more car drivers would reached the finally enlightened Pokupska's viewpoint, if a little sooner than he did.
Like many of you (I suspect) I've been known to drive a car occasionally, and so I'm supposed to hate myself because of the transport I choose?
WTF?
Oops! Actually I do hate myself because of the transport I choose. But only when I choose the car.
A better question might therefore have been: "Why do cyclists hate drivers?"
I have a long list of answers for this one, but before I get to it, let's get back to the original premise: that car drivers hate cyclists. It's black and white for God's sake!! (Sorry fellow atheists)
Well, someone (Cardiff University academic Ben Fincham) has
devised a theory to explain it and it all comes down to a "hierarchy of vulnerability".
WTF? (I hear you ask in an over t'Internet electronicky kind of way)
Well, apparently 'they' (car drivers) hate 'us' (cyclists) because we're soooo vulnerable.
If 'they' (car drivers, again) hit 'us' (wee defenceless cyclists) we have the poor grace to die (or thereabouts) and they feel guilty (everybody say 'aaahhh').
Simple init?
To be fair, I think Ben probably has a point. But. There are a number of other reasons why those crazy hand-operated-wheel freaks hate us too:
We don't pay tax to use the road. (apart from those of us who drive cars too, who pay as much tax as the rest of 'em, but you try explaining that to a thicky-non-cyclist)
We're not killing the planet. (We 'drive' the most efficient vehicles ever devised and decades of technology still hasn't produced the car that can beat us)
We get to see stuff. (There's bugger all to see but the car in front's exhaust when you're stuck in your little trundle box, whilst we have the time to view the world in all its glory)
We're cheap. (I know it sounds bad, but it means we get to spend more money on beer and fun)
We're way cooler than those idiots. (No explanation necessary)
Now, shall I list the reasons why we (I mean 'I') hate car drivers?
Nope.
I just don't have enough disk space. Thank Cod that Ben didn't mention 4x4s.
We've all seen them: cycle lanes that make very little use of common sense, or are just so badly designed as to be completely dangerous and not fit to ride.
Well today I'd like to thank the Warrington Cycle Campaign for their
"Facility of the Month" feature - a guide to the worst cycle lanes in the world.
Police have scrapped a squad of Rollerblading cops - after discovering they can't chase criminals across grass.
The Royal Parks Police in London thought the Rollerblades would give the team extra speed.
According to The Sun Supt Derek Pollock admitted: "It was not a success. Not a lot of officers were interested because it hurts when you fall over. When people ran across grass, the guy on Rollerblades had to take them off."
The force has now reverted back to bicycles.
Supt Pollack added: "They go up and down steps. They're flexible."
It hurts when you fall over? Aaah, bless their little cotton socks. It's a dangerous game being a policeman.
Police sealed off part of an American university last Thursday after noticing a sticker on a bicycle declaring "This bike is a pipe bomb".
A bomb squad was
dispatched to Ohio University, Athens, from Columbus 65 miles away. They hit the bike with a high-pressure spray of water, then pried it apart with a hydraulic device normally used to rescue accident victims trapped in cars.
It then emerged that the sticker was a badge of support for a punk band from Pensacola.
The buildings, including some classroom facilities, were reopened after a couple hours.
University police interviewed the bike’s owner then released him. Police are still investigating.
Is now a good time to mention that my bike is a mobile laboratory used for the development of innovative yet deadly strains of cheese?
ROAD RAGE - the popular travelling pasttime enjoyed by thousands of motorists across the country, has been taken to a whole new level recently.
Not satified by successfully antagonising other car driving idiots, the ragers are now targeting cyclists.
Just last week a lorry driver
became irate after he discovered a cyclist using the road he was on in Kent. The cheek of it! After knocking the cyclist off his bike, he then proceeded to attack him with a hammer, before getting in his van and buggering off.
The cyclist was taken to hospital, but luckily his injuries weren't too serious.
Apparently, 'aggressive' cyclists travelling at 'phenomenal speed' aren't stopping for red lights, and have been involved in 5 incidents in the last year, although no-one was seriously hurt in any of the incidents.
It all makes sense doesn't it? Get angry at the cyclists, forget about the car drivers. After all cyclists kill thousands of people every year, and cars don't. Especially not the cars of parents driving their kids to school!
So what effect is this having on cyclists, apart from exaggerating their already vast sense of paranoia (created by decades of government policies designed to pretend they aren't there)?
Well, 33 year-old Olympic medal-winning cyclist Rob Hales is
threatening to leave the country. Regarding attitudes to cyclists, Rob said 'You're seen as third-class people. Because you're on a bike, you're a bit of a weirdo. You try to educate them, but I think you're facing a losing battle.
They come back with "Well, you don't pay your road tax." But of course I do because I've got a car of my own.'
New research for AA Personal Loans says that Londoners are the most likely people in the UK to purchase overweight 4x4 vehicles, despite the fact that they're unlikely ever to venture anywhere near the countryside.
Apparently 1 out of 6 Londoners planning to replace their cars this year were considering switching off their brains and opting for a vast-stupidity-wagon, better known as a 4x4 vehicle.
Even the people of Scotland, where the need for such a monstrous beast of a car could be justified with more ease, weren't stupid enough to be fooled by the marketing hype, with only 1 in 10 considering a 4x4.
Across the UK as a whole, only one in 12 people said they were considering a 4x4 instead of a proper car.
Anyone of you London chaps want to buy some Spray-On-Mud?
Residents have donated more than 200 bicycles to a local youth training project as part of the Vale Council’s ‘
recycle your bicycle’ initiative.
Residents were invited to donate their unwanted bicycles to the Barry-based recycling project in a Christmas newsletter delivered to every home in the Vale with amazing results.
The project provides local young people with training in bike repairs and maintenance to help enhance their job prospects and future training opportunities.
Once repaired, the bikes are sold to Vale residents to help fund the project.
They're all talking bikes at the moment. I suppose it makes a change from talking bollocks.....
Edwina Currie is taking part in her
8th long-distance bike ride to raise money for charity, is now cycling to Warsaw, Poland to help raise money for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity.
She said "After I left parliament in 1997, I thought about doing something I didn't have the opportunity to do before. I was on the exercise bike in the gym and there on the wall facing me was a poster about a cycle ride across Egypt. I got completely hooked."
Meanwhile, John Prescott has been blaming his lack of bike as a child for his attitudes towards education reform.
When the Deputy Prime Minister failed his 11-plus he was
denied a promised new bike from his father. Instead one went to his younger brother, Ray, when he passed.
The bitterness, which still rankles with Mr Prescott 55 years on, unites the brothers in their opposition to Mr Blair’s school proposals, which they fear will usher in selection through the backdoor.
A copper who is less enthusiatic about cycling is DI Paul Murphy who was
bitten by a cyclist after 'glancing' at him
at a junction. Glancing eh? He must have a funny look about him, that's all I can say.
And an officer who obviously detests cyclists
ordered an Exeter man who was wheeling his bike along the road (whilst walking on the pavement) to
get the bike on the pavement, despite there being no law against walking with the bike in the road. It's nice to see that the police are as keen to catch real crooks as ever!
AFTER 60 years of serving cyclists across Chester and beyond, it's time to shut up shop for a cycle-repair man.
Kenny Davies, 72, will close the door on his Garden Lane shop at the end of the month.
'I hope to spend my time fishing and practising my target shooting,' said Kenny, who, as a boy, worked in his father Arthur's shop, just two doors away from where his shop is.
Arthur opened his repair shop in 1946.
When asked how many bikes he's fixed during the years, Kenny replied: 'You must be joking! Millions!
'I have people coming from mid-Wales and the guy from Runcorn Cycle Museum is always bringing me bikes to look at.'
Also, Lavericks Cycles in Station Road, Tyneside will
shut this month after feeling the deadly squeeze of the growth in supermarkets and the popularity of shopping on the internet.
Angus and Margie Laverick, who own the business, are retiring after nearly 50 years in the cycle industry.
Lavericks has been in the family since 1900 when Angus’ grandfather opened a small shop in Forest Hall.
It's been almost a month since the terrible accident near Abergele where 4 members of the Rhyl Cycling Club were killed when a car lost control on a patch of ice.
Here's a round up of what's happened since....
Shortly after the funerals of the 4 cyclists an inquest was opened to establish what happened.
On Wednesday 18th, at prime minister's questions in the Commons, Tony Blair
expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and said lessons had to be learnt from the accident.
Welsh Secretary Peter Hain
visited the site of the accident and urged motorists to take care near bicycles, saying drivers needed to "show respect for cyclists and give them room to go about their pursuits in safety."
The days are too short, the sky is too grey, the weather too cold, and there's still a load of shopping to be done. Bah humbug.
Now I've done some shopping already, and have already purchased cycling gloves for the brother-in-law. If I'd spotted
these Nathan LED gloves first though then he'd be getting them instead.
Someone else receiving cycling goods this Christmas is Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, who once told cyclists "do not cruise through red lights because if I'm coming the other way, I will run you down, for fun". Jeremy has been
presented with a bicycle from the Liberal Democrat party. Now, I'm not sure what the Lib Dems hope to achieve by this, but knowing Jezza I expect he'll turn his ire from caravans to cycles in the next TV series of Top Gear, and will be destroying numerous bicycles with a vengeance....talk about a waste of a good bike!?!
There's been some debate in the media about cycle licenses since The Guardian's Matt Seaton's
rant about cyclists going through red lights without stopping. Matt says "We should have to pass a test in which we demonstrate proficiency and knowledge of the rules of the road. Cyclists themselves will ask why they should have to pass a test when, unlike cars, bicycles almost never cause serious injury to others. But most people would pass without difficulty - with a very useful reminder of traffic etiquette. It would be a formality little more arduous than getting your car taxed or renewing your passport, and quite a lot more fun." Cycling organisations aren't too supportive, stating that the police do not have the resources to catch cyclists who break the law.
One kid who should have listened to Matt's rant was Mark Purnell from Kirkby-in-Ashfield who
cycled with his friend through the red lights of a level crossing and was hit by a train. Mr Purnell was killed instantly and his friend escaped unharmed. Recording the verdict, the Nottinghamshire Coroner, Dr. Nigel Chapman reminded the court of the importance of recognising that stop signs had to be obeyed.
Of course, there have been other cyclist deaths on the road, and as usual these are logged in the
"Another One Bites the Dust" section.
Well, I can't end on an unhappy note, can I? So here's a nice story about a cyclepath bridge at the Eden project: staff at Sustrans have been receiving congratulations, after judges with leading international magazine the Architectural Review named the cycle path carrying structure as one of the
best in Britain.
Well, it's been nearly a month since I last posted, and I'm sure there's been plenty happening in the world of cycling. Unfortunately I've been too busy to take much notice of any of it.
Here are a few of the things I missed (or nearly did):
They never need a battery (the charge being provided kinetically), and stay lit for 12 minutes after you stop. Altogether a pretty nice idea, I reckon. I'm just waiting for the SPD versions to come out.
---------
A policeman - Mountain Bike Maurice -
has just broken the record for the number of arrests made in a single year - he has clocked up 309 so far, only 298 more than your average copper.
Fortunately for both sides, the night passed off peacefully without a single arrest.
The only casualties were a few irate car and taxi drivers, a few dissapointed bus users, and some slightly disgruntled cyclists who were less than amused with the speed of the 'procession'.
With an average speed of 0.2 mph I can see their point.
Overall though the event was a great success, enjoyed by most, and proves that the police are gong to have a lot of trouble enforcing the laws they've tried to introduce if this number of cyclists are going to turn up each month to counteract them.
Apparently the thief escaped from the store on the bicycle.
Does this mean that the bike was actually guilty of 'aiding and abetting'? And if so, why wasn't it sentenced separately?
Surely it would have been more sensible to re-house the bicycle with another family, so that it wouldn't be drawn back into a life of grime? (Sorry, crime)
Well, at least that's the conclusion I've arrived at after reading a recent article on the
Sky News web site
The article tells of a woman who was arrested under the Anti-Terrorism laws after walking through a harbour in Dundee....
"One day, I was told by a guard on the gate that I couldn't use the route any more because it was solely a cycle path. "He said if I was caught doing it again, I'd be arrested," she told The Times.
Ms Cameron said the next thing she knew the harbour master was behind her with a megaphone telling her to turn back.
"It was totally ridiculous," she said. "I started laughing and kept on walking. Cyclists going past were also laughing."
But it was clearly not a joke for the police officers who arrived and told Ms Cameron she was being arrested under the Terrorism Act.
Keith Berry, the harbour master for Forth Ports Dundee was quoted by the paper as saying Ms Cameron had been seen as a security risk.
"The woman was in a secure area which forbids people walking," he said.
So, there you have it: Terrorists don't ride bikes.
I wonder what might happen though if you were you get a puncture whilst riding along said path?
Or perhaps "real" terrorists might have read the article and start using cycles to commit atrocities! God help the cycling commuters in London if that happens: "I had to shoot him, sir. He was riding a bicycle away from me in a guilty manner."
Scientists in Japan have developed a tiny robot that can ride a bicycle.
Murata Boy, which weighs just 5kg and is 20cm tall, can travel at 76 cm per second and is controlled by a wireless computer link.
Engineers said the most difficult part of the design process was getting Murata Boy to balance on the bike.
They solved the problem by installing special sensors on the robot, which allows it to judge its angle and speed, and then make balance adjustments.
"The whole point of developing the robot which rides a bicycle is to show the technology of balancing in the environment, where keeping your balance is tough," said project engineer, Shigeki Fukunaga.
Murata Manufacturing revealed their new robot at the 2005 Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technology near Tokyo on Tuesday.
Up to a hundred cyclists will defy a police order and ride their bikes around Westminster to highlight new public order restrictions.
Scotland Yard has been warned that the monthly Critical Mass bike ride will go ahead without police permission. After last month's ride, the Met warned cyclists the event will be illegal without six days' notice and permission.
In a letter to the police Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan police authority and road safety adviser to the mayor of London, said: "The police should be catching criminals, rather than making up stupid laws."
On October 11th MPs will vote on the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bil, and the CTC is lobbying MPs to ensure that cyclists can claim ‘restricted byway’ rights.
Following sustained campaigning by CTC, the UK’s national cyclists’ organisation, and just in time for when the clocks go back this year, it should at last become legal to use flashing lights on your bike. The Minister of State, Dr Stephen Ladyman, this week signed the order; and provided there are no parliamentary objections before then, it should become law in October.
Larry Pizzi, Chief Executive of Currie Technologies Inc, who are
launching a new range of Electric Bikes (scooters) at this year's
Interbike Show in Las Vegas, said of the range “They are also the cleanest vehicles on the road, costing just pennies per charge to operate. Clean, Green and No Gasoline!”
Erm, sorry to piss on yer chips Larry, but we already have the cleanest and greenest, gasoline-free vehicles on the road. They're called bicycles and they don't need recharging!
2 comments Most Recent Post: 09/30 10:53AM by the_wheelist
I love bikes. I always have. From my first Raleigh Tomahawk to my custom built MTB, they've been a source of fun, freedom and inspiration.
Over the years I've had a load of bikes and most of them have been lost in the mists of time. However, I've managed to keep hold of a few, so
here's a list of what's currently hanging out in my shed........
The "UK's biggest bike and snowboard showroom" has closed after Staveley-based cycling specialist Wheelbase UK Ltd was
forced to go into administration after getting into financial difficulties.
There's actually going to be some cycling on British terrestrial television again!
Grandstand is going to dedicate 90 minutes to cover the Tour of Britain!
Okay, so it's only for 90 minutes, but it's better than nothing.
If you don't know what a bike looks like, or have never seen a bike race, or perhaps you just don't own a digi-box, then check out this rarest of events at 1:35pm on September 11th, BBC2.
According to research by the British Heart Foundation cyclists may be doing themselves more harm than good by pedalling to the office along congested roads.
Tests showed that cycling for as little as one hour in busy traffic, inhalation of microscopic particles in diesel fumes caused significant damage to blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Diesel exhaust includes nanoparticles of carbon and a range of metals. The particulates are so tiny that experts say it is pointless for cyclists to wear masks, because the mesh cannot be fine enough to block them. Apparently, while they are exercising, cyclists breathe two to three times as much air (and therefore pollutants) as car drivers!!
The current system of locating most cycle paths in bus lanes has the perverse effect of forcing cyclists to inhale the most dangerous air, spewed out by diesel-powered buses and taxis. The number of diesel-engined cars in Britain has also increased dramatically from 1.6m to 5m between 1994 and 2004.
So, put the bike away, light your fags, and get back in the car for a healthier lifestyle. Not.
I've been reading all the gumph about fixed wheel, single speed bikes and how they can improve your cadence, as well as strengthen your legs (due to the climbs), and so I've decided to give it a go.
As such I've created a new topic on the site called
'Going Fixed' where I'll be (b)logging my progress or lack thereof, and hopefully be providing some useful information for any others of you that want to 'Go Fixed' too.
Click on the link or the picture to check how I'm getting on....
2 comments Most Recent Post: 09/12 04:55PM by Anonymous
Inveneo, a nonprofit group of inveterate high-tech adventurers, has developed a bicycle-powered, Linux-based VoIP system (that's Voice over Internet Protocol (or Internet Telephone), for you non-techies bikers!).
Its bicycle-powered system brings not just VoIP but also e-mail and Web browsing to remote areas, with 15 minutes of cycling providing enough power for 1 hour of chatting.
The fine city of Glasgow has been chosen as the starting point for this year's Tour of Britain, which begins on August 30, and attracts top cyclists from around the globe.
A cycle route through Beddington Park is due to open next month, allowing cyclists to avoid a busy stretch of the London Road.
The route will be the second in the park to open this year after a cycle path, parallel to Croydon Road, was completed in April.
In Llandudno....
Details of the proposed new section of the North Wales cycle route will be on display to the public at the town hall on August 12th and 13th between 10am and 4pm
In Machynlleth....
A new shared use path has opened between Mach and Derwenlas. Hopefully the kids will use it to get to school. Hopefully their parents will let them!
Back in the day when John Tomac was king and you were lucky to have a bit of elastomer for suspension (we're talking 15 years ago!!) these tyres were the coolest of the cool.
Onza made 2 versions of this racing tyre with the black one being the usual compound and the white ones being the very first to use a softer sticky rubber which meant it was the daddy for the downhills, although the tread wore out pretty damn quickly.
Fortunately for the guy that bought them, he hardly rode on them (I'm guessing they were bought to look good, not for going down hill). As such they're in nearly-new condition.
According to
this article in the Guardian, London cyclists are the meanest, most miserable, dispirited bunch of two wheeled bastards on the planet.
Quite how they differ from other Londoners is a mystery to Wheelism, except of course that they ride bicycles.
Seriously though, the article does raise some good points about the ludicrous design of cycle lanes (which affects not only London, but the rest of the UK too!)
A Bristol postman was knocked from his bike whilst delivering letters, in a brutal sexist attack by a seagull.
Stop laughing!
It seems that the birds only attack male postment and so postwomen are being used wherever possible to deliver the mail until the gulls have finished raising their young chicks on nearby houses.
Oldham City Council is making use of the Government's
Green Transport Plan (GTP), which provides tax incentives and a 50 per cent saving on new bikes and equipment, in order to encourage its 10,000 employees to travel to work by bike.
Well done Oldham CC!
1 comments Most Recent Post: 12/01 06:03AM by Anonymous
I know I don't normally feature stories from the US of A, but this article by Marc Fisher on his return to cycling is very funny.
A quick excerpt....
"Reluctant exercise is a branch of calisthenics whereby the participant comes up with every possible reason not to exercise until the reasoning becomes more tiring than the actual exercising."
"Delays in delivering a complete cycle network across London are preventing the streets from being safe for cyclists",
claims the London Assembly
Transport for London says "Transport for London is investing record amounts in the capital's cycle network and we remain
fully committed to working with the London Boroughs and cycling groups to complete the network on time."
Wheelism says "What the fuck? Only last week we published a story about the Corporation of London
refusing to create more cycle lanes on Hampstead Heath! This seems like a case of the right hand not knowing that the left hand is a two-faced conniving little twat with only 3 fingers and not an ounce of conscience."
Erm, sorry about that. I just couldn't resist a headline like that one.
What's it about? Well, it seems that Casualty star Simon MacCorkindale has been ordered to pay compensation of £5000 to John Lilley, after knocking him off his bike causing Mr Lilley a fractured skull, and then doing a runner.
I wonder if he didn't understand the correct procedure in the event of an accident?
On a cold and rainy night, you are sitting at home, warm and comfortable. You decide to make a trip to the store, so you eagerly put on your rain gear. You leave... on your bicycle!
Sounds crazy?
www.BikeWhenever.com
is a website whose goal is to help you use a bike as practical transportation, no matter what the conditions outside.
It's an excellent site covering:
I've been resisting commenting on the unfortunate events which took place in London last week as I don't want to get into a rant about Iraq, "Bring it on!" statements, and the miserable lying tw*ts that took us to war under false pretences and still won't admit it.
I considered the bombing a disaster for public transport, knocking confidence in its safety (not that it needs much knocking after the events of the last couple of years), and hoped that it wouldn't cause commuters to revert back to their cars.
Thankfully not, and sales of pushbikes are up by about 150% in London shops.
Now I know this site is here to encourage cycling and the use of bicycles as a serious form of transport, but bombing people wasn't exactly the incentive I was hoping for.
Wheelism would like to send its condolances to all those affected by this latest atrocity.
To the terrorists we'd like to say : "You're a bunch of dozy f*cking idiots!. It was the politicians who started this, not innocent members of the public".
Currently there are 2 miles of cycle path on the Heath, and 4 miles of horse paths. CoL suggest that this is okay because there are fewer horses than cycles and so the risk to pedestrians from horses is much lower than from cycles.
What the? Logic twisted beyond belief?
The kids who were hoping to use new lanes to cycle to school must be overjoyed with this most ridiculous of decisions.
No doubt it won't be long till I'm adding one of their names to the Another One Bites the Dust section, after they're killed on the roads.
Hampstead Heath - suitable for dogs and horses only.
Further to the previous story, I've found a few quotes from George.......they're classic....
“It just goes to show I should act my age,” Bush joked with reporters.
Another.....
Mr. Bush said he was “flying” on his bike.
“The pavement was slick. ...The bike came out from under me”
And the best one.....
“When you ride hard on a mountain bike, sometimes you fall. Otherwise, you're not riding hard” - I couldn't agree more (and I never thought I'd agree with anything the Monkey could say)
And finally (some truth...)
“I think I found my limitation”
Hmm. I think you found your limitations a long time ago Mr Bush.
Mr. Bush, who was wearing a helmet, suffered minor scrapes and bruises to his left hand and arm that required bandages by the White House physician, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
The officer, a member of the police department of Strathclyde who was on a security detail, was briefly taken to the hospital and suffered a minor ankle injury.
The President said he called the officer's cellphone later Wednesday and talked to him as he was on his way home from the hospital. “He's doing fine,” Mr. Bush said.
“I was less concerned about myself and more concerned about him,” Mr. Bush said.
Mr. Bush's bike was damaged, requiring him to ride back to the hotel in a Secret Service vehicle.
On Thursday morning, Mr. Bush appeared alongside British Prime Minister Tony Blair with flesh-coloured bandages on two fingers of his left hand.
A year ago, Mr. Bush was cut and bruised when he sailed over the handlebars while riding a mountain bike at his Texas ranch.
GLENEAGLES, Scotland -- President George W. Bush collided with a local police officer and fell during a bike ride on the grounds of the Gleneagles golf resort while attending a meeting of world leaders in Scotland Wednesday.
Bush suffered scrapes on his hands and arms that required bandages by the White House physician, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.
The police officer was taken to a local hospital as a precaution, McClellan said. Police said the officer suffered a "very minor" ankle injury.
It was raining lightly at the time.
The officer was on a security detail. He is a member of the police department of Strathclyde, a nearby town, McClellan said.
The president was concerned about the officer's condition, and talked with him for some time after the collision, McClellan said. The president also asked White House physician Richard Tubb to monitor the officer's condition at the hospital.
The fall did not affect the president's schedule. Dressed in a tuxedo, he attended a dinner hosted by Queen Elizabeth at the annual Group of Eight economic summit. He showed no signs of distress.
If anyone has any pictures or video of this please send it to Wheelism - we could do with a roll on the floor.
In May 2000 Chris Smith left his comfortable Worcestershire home, but instead of cycling the routine twelve miles to work, he kept on pedalling.
Thirteen months later (having fallen off six times and worn out three sets of tyres, three chains and two pairs of boots) he arrived in Beijing.
During a gruelling 16,500-mile examination of physical and mental stamina he traversed scorching deserts, scaled lofty peaks, crossed mighty rivers and risked extinction in the chaotic traffic of the cities. He ate and drank in roadside cafés in the company of inquisitive lorry drivers and shared dormitories with farm hands and mosquitoes in remote Chinese villages. He survived bugs, blizzards, *censored*roaches, heat, hurricanes, sandstorms, cyclones, stone-throwing locals and lunatic drivers. Sceptical western existentialism encountered religious fatalism in the cafés and teahouses of the Middle East and India during a physical and spiritual journey that constantly raised questions about attitudes and values widely taken for granted in the West.
‘Why Don’t You Fly?’ is the account of an epic quest to rediscover a misplaced sense of identity in which exhilaration and exhaustion trade positions against a backdrop of prodigious physical endeavour.
1st July 2005 sees another Birmingham Critical Mass taking place, attempting to encourage more people to consider cycling as a serious way of getting around the city.
Critical Mass is described as an 'unorganised coincidence', when lots of cyclists happen to be in the same place at the same time and decide to cycle the same way!
Weymouth Council is reviewing the laws governing cycling on Weymouth Esplanade - an activity that has been illegal since 1976. Get the full story at This is Dorset and send them your thoughts...
According to an interesting article in the
Hampstead and Highgate Express children from a local school have reignited the debate about the lack of cycle lanes in Hampstead Heath (2 miles in 790 acres).
The Heath's owners - Corporation of London (CoL), and the conservation group Heath and Hampstead Society, have brushed off the complaints, stating that the park is for the use of pedestrians, not cyclists.
Schoolkeeper Bob Speller said "A lot of people who are against more cycling treat the Heath as if it is one big dog toilet".
Cyclists were left stranded after the London-Brighton cycle ride during BikeWeek, because the train company (not mentioning any names, Southern Trains) didn't have a suitable carriage to cater for all the bikes. The latest designs cater for less bikes than the old designs - now that's what I call progress. Fuckwits. Check out the full story at the BBC
A recent survey from Oxfordshire states that cycling is more dangerous for women because they aren't able to look over their shoulders.......hmm. Right.....how come then that when I got my wallet out in the bike shop the other day my girlfriend spotted it through the back of her head. There must be a joke here somewhere.....surely? Check out the full story at
This is Oxfordshire
Check out this guy 'Adler' whose front garden looks like my shed, except for a whole bunch of exotic frames and a stack of bikes with motors on (apparently they're called 'Motorbikes').
Read all about the King of Scrap here....and then tell my girlfriend that even if it's not new it's still valuable.
Erm, yes. It's true.....
Check out the full story here.
How drunk was he? Well, he's on a bike and only gets 200 yards before the pedestrian policeman catches him. Right.
Bike Week is the UK's annual 'celebration of cycling', first started by cycle campaigners in 1923! This year more than 2,000 local bike events and rides are expected to attract at least 300,000 participants Most bike events are free to enter and suitable for new or occasional cyclists including families and children
All bike events are aimed to encourage 'more people to cycle more often' especially instead of making car journeys
Check out the Bike Week website for details of events happening near you.....
Can't attend an event? You can still make a difference: get your bike out and ride to work! Loads of useful information available from the Bike2Work site
I couldn't resist mentioning this story, even though it isn't from the UK........
In El Cajon, California on Thursday 26th May, a man robbed a bank and then made his getaway on a bicycle!!
Witnesses said the robber looked like he was in his 20s. He handed the teller a demand note and escaped with an undisclosed amount of money, police said.
CYCLISTS are being targeted in a campaign to stop them scaring horses and riders on tracks and bridleways.
Leaflets warning cyclists of the dangers are being distributed at bicycle shops and clubs across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, but this is surely a countrywide issue.
Here's the advice: If you see a horse on the trail, make yourself known - shout 'Hello' so that both the horse and rider know you're there. Then, move to the side of the trail and let the horse pass by.
Bike Week is the UK's annual 'celebration of cycling', first started by cycle campaigners in 1923! This year more than 2,000 local bike events and rides are expected to attract at least 300,000 participants Most bike events are free to enter and suitable for new or occasional cyclists including families and children
All bike events are aimed to encourage 'more people to cycle more often' especially instead of making car journeys
Check out the Bike Week website for details of events happening near you.
Can't attend an event? You can still make a difference: get your bike out and ride to work! Loads of useful information available from the Bike2Work site
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