Running an old chain too long on the Surly LHT has buggered the middle chainring on its triple (to the extent that is slips alarmingly when standing to climb, or sprint - suddenly finding you have no power and a load of impatient Audi drivers behind you is not my idea of fun). Whilst I wait for a replacement 39t chainring, the Giant is doing commuting duty.
The saddlebag is my Carradice Lowsadde Longflap, held on with ViVa bag loops on the rails of the Fizik Aliante saddle. There's always been a bracket on the seat stay for a Smart Superflash, so that's just switched over from the LHT - the other rear light (Blackburn Mars 4.0) is in the light loop on the Carradice. My M520 SPDs were put on (it's a very stop/start commute, and the usual SPD-SL would get annoying). My Knog Bullfrog goes up front as a flashing light, and a Dealextreme "flood to throw" torch goes on as the front steady light. This bike has always had a set of wheels with 23mm tyres (Aksiums and GP4000, currently) and one with 25mm tyres (handbuilts, DRC ST17 Elegant II rims on Tiagra hubs[1], with Pro Race 2 tyres) so the latter went on for the commute.
Since buying the LHT, I made some changes to the SCR2.0 - a 130mm stem as opposed to 110mm, FSA Wing Alloy bars, a 31.8mm seat post - all of which makes this a less practical, more leisure oriented bike, in theory. The sort of bike the Yehuda tendency would scoff at. (To be honest, even the solid, steel framed LHT is on thin ice with the Yehudas, on account of its 30/39/50 and 14-25 gearing - as any fule kno, you can't haul load with that sort of setup).
I shouldn't really be surprised, as I commuted on this bike for a couple of years, but I enjoyed today's commute a lot - the Giant is a lot more responsive than the LHT (although it needs watching far more around potholes & other imperfections in the road). Dry days, maybe I should treat myself to a fast commute more often.
[1] A really nice set of wheels, built by Paul Green of Rick Green Cycles. Highly recommended.
NEW SURLY If you don't want to be spoilered before Interbike, look away now.
Surly have outlined the new things in their range in a blog post here. I guess the trailer is the big addition - with a hitch that attaches at the rear dropout, by the looks of things, and capable of carrying 300lbs. Blimey.
Also of interest is the Troll, for all the world this looks like the sort of classic steel frame rigid MTB that makes a great beater/commuter/trailer hauler &c &c, with modern touches like disc compatibility. Like the Cotic Roadrat, in a lot of ways.
REDBIKES Is gradually coming back from his injury;
3 weeks ago I was starting to wonder if I would ever get back on the bike. 2 weeks ago I was cursing the fact that I couldn't ride over 5 miles. Last week 10miles / hills seemed impossible.
Hopefully his recovery will continue in this speedy fashion! THE PREDATOR I really think that using masking tape as handlebar tape is taking thrift too far. Although, given the amount used, wouldn't regular tape be cheaper than buying twenty rolls of masking tape?
ARE MODERN BIKES FASTER? ...or what part has bike technology played in the increase in race speeds? Cozy Beehive looks at one examination by Bicycle Quarterly, and attempts to untangle the different factors involved.
BAILEYWORKS Their "flag" messenger bags really look cool - hopefully these will move beyond the prototype stage soon. (Story at Urbanvelo.com).
ANOTHER DIY TRAILER I like the idea of this one - its designer aims to make a "global" DIY trailer, i.e. one constructed from materials that are easy to source anywhere in the world, and simple to put together.
OTHER PEOPLE'S PROJECTS I'm really enjoying Kim Harding's account of his bike build. The build is based on a 2009 Genesis Croix de Fer frame (one of the "do it all" cross bikes that are becoming more and more popular), which was an unusual bike at the time it was introduced because of its disc brakes.
It should build up into a really nice commuter/light tourer/off roader.
CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE DEPT. I've been irritated by Copenhagenize's occasional jabs at the "sport" cyclist, so it was nice to see him speak favourably of Robert Penn's "It's All About the Bike" here.
SHOULD IT BE CALLED THE ROULEUR'S JERSEY? A great article on why Petacchi's disqualification from the Tour would not mean Mark Cavendish taking green, here on the Pave blog.
The Utility Cycling blog had this nice Streetfilms film about Copenhagen's people friendly spaces. It's good because it shoots holes in many of the reasons people give for not taming the car a little in our cities. As has been said before, if we can make the spaces between our buildings into more than the parts where motor traffic goes as fast as it can, good things happen.
ARTHUR DE PINS AT THE BEACH Drawn.ca features the work of French artist Arthur De Pins, here. Appropriately for the time of year, if not the weather *I'm* experiencing, it's beach themed.
THEY DRAW AND COOK Artists and illustrators write and illustrate their favourite recipes. Featured on the Lines and Colors blog.
SALSA UPDATES Salsa have an update on the clever Wanderlust, and downright nifty minimalist racks they showed earlier in the year.
They're also making a Snowbike, the Mukluk, which looks very cool - check out the design features they've put on the frame.
Whatever you think of Rapha, they do little details extremely well - this should be how women's kit works, attention to stuff that matters rather than producing pink flowery versions of mens kit.
COME AS YOU ARE A good piece for new commuters on the Bike Commuters blog, boiling down pretty much to not worrying too much about bikes, kit &c - just ride!
So, what should a potential new commuter do to give this thing a try? Here it is in a nutshell: find a reliable bike (it doesn’t need to be anything special), take a look at some maps to find an enjoyable route and GO FOR IT.
There's links in the piece to articles about changes to make if you need to carry things, and considerations like rainwear &c too. They also tackle one of my personal bugbears, the notion of the "perfect" commuting bike as a heavy, changuarded internally geared tank.
GIRO D'ITALIA Yesterday's stage on the Zoncolan was a fantastic day's racing for fans, and Cyclingnews has rounded up some of the rider reaction in this piece here. Cadel Evans seemed to ride so far beyond the pain barrier that I began to wonder if he might just keel over - the World Champion's jersey seems to weigh heavy on him at times, although he's ridden a champion's race every time it's asked of him in this Giro. My favourite piece of commentary came from from the Velocast's John Galloway on twitter;
[J] I don't care if he looks like he's trying to strangle his bike, @CadelOfficial is a GREAT world champion.
I was also pleased to see Sastre put in an amazing ride to recover from being distanced at the bottom of the climb.
SUPPORT MACMILLAN, WIN STUFF Cyclist, triathlete and all round good egg Karl on Sea is spoiling a 112 mile bike ride by doing a 2.4 mile swim before it, and a 26.2 mile run after it, by way of competing in an Ironman triathlon. He's doing this in aid of Macmillan cancer support, a great charity that works to improve the lives of people affected by cancer.
You can sponsor Karl at his "justgiving" page here, but if you like, you can also enter his competition to win four "money can't buy" prizes from his sponsors. You can find details of the competition and how to enter at Karl's blog here.
Among our available dose of cliches, one you'll hear many say is that real cyclists are the ones who race. Or that real cyclists are the one's who ride fast, break bones, lose skin and come back to bite the tough again. Or that real cyclists have so many well-defined muscle groups. And so on...
He invites your comments on what makes a "real" cyclist, and indeed, whether there's any such thing.
YEHUDA MOON A lovely comic today dedicated to the "Ride of Silence" in memory of cyclists killed in traffic collisions. Also proof that there's no comic too classy that commenters won't ruin it with a pointless discussion on helmets. Or what type of bike you should ride for commuting.
GIRO D'ITALIA The most interesting stage of a race that's already been pretty damned interesting unfolded yesterday. Cycling Weekly has an account of Stage 11 here. I can't remember a grand tour stage that has changed the complexion of the race in such a dramatic way. Essentially, the people we'd thought of as being beyond the reach of the two main GC contenders, are all back in the game again, with the GC turned on its head.
Whilst I'm disappointed for Evans, who's ridden a champion's season (particularly so in this race, with his victory on the gruesome, mud drenched Stage 7) for the fans the race has become all kinds of interesting once again, with Sastre and Wiggins among monkey favourites now back in serious contention. Also having an amazing first grand tour is Richie Porte, holder of the best young rider jersey, and now in the Maglia Rosa leader's jersey - superb stuff.
Incidentally, a commenter on Simon Lamb's "La Gazzetta Della Bici" has heard a rumour that the weather had interfered with radio at the giro, and that could be why the break got away. If this isn't proof that a radio ban is a good thing for exciting racing, I don't know what is.
This is another really interesting product from Salsa cycles, well worth a look. I can't decide if it's fantastic, or the most barmy thing I've ever seen, personally.
BADGER II From BikeHugger, this Piet Mondrian saddle. So, you grab your Look bicycle, mount this on it, buy the "La Vie Claire" kit from Prendas, and your rolling Hinault/De Stijl tribute is complete.
SPEZI 2010 Velovision has this quick rundown of the recent SPEZI show, with LOADS of pictures.
Spezi is a show for Recumbents, Quads, Tandems, Trikes, Folding Bikes - those slightly out of the ordinary things that you don't see all that often in most bicycle media. Worth a look.
ARTS AND CRAFTS Simon at La Gazzetta Della Bici shares this post on wrapping handlebars. From an original post by Simon's friend James, the method he uses to make custom finishing tape produces a *really* nice effect. (Manufacturer finishing tapes are crap, as James rightly points out, even, and it pains me to say so, Fizik's).
For wrapping the bars, I think it's hard to beat the guide on Park Tool - use the "self tightening" method described in their advanced tips. And do melt the ends of the finishing tape as both Park and James recommend.
TRAILERS Biketrailerblog.com is always an interesting place to look for utility cycling inspiration.
"Dean found that walking to different parts of trails that required maintenance and carrying tools took way to much time out of the day, and sometimes when you only have one day a month do to trail work time is of the essence. Dean felt that pre-made retail bike trailers where not cost effective, So he decided to design a bike cargo trailer that he could attach to his mountain bike and that would allow him to carry the tools he needed for effective trail maintenance."
PORTLAND I'm not sure it's even worth linking to BSNYC because EVERYBODY reads it, but on the offchance that you might miss his Portland write up...
"Yes, that's another Rivendell (with wooden fenders to boot), which people apparently even use to ride to the store here. I don't think I've ever seen two Rivendells in a single week in New York City, let alone in the space of a day or two, and I've certainly never seen one locked up outside. ... If I ever were to see more than one Rivendell in a day in New York I would just assume some kind of beard convention was in town."
"...not the book of a champion, but rather of the guy who had a few good rides over thousands of races. This is something that most bike racers can relate to. He talks about cycling in America’s competitive cycling heyday, the 90’s. Most of the races that he competed in are long gone."
"According to some polls, Cameron won, or at the very least tied with Clegg. Which is odd, because to my biased eyes, he looked hilariously worried whenever the others were talking. He often wore a face like the Fat Controller trying to wee through a Hula Hoop without splashing the sides, in fact."
Standing in front of their cars, my brother and I asked them if their truck had the iconic Tour de France car horn. They didn't understand what we were asking. I mimicked the sound, that sound that I hear in my sleep during hot July nights after days of watching the Tour. Over the years, I've developed a Pavlovian response to it. The horn means watching races, it means riding in short sleeves. That sound has been bouncing around in my head since I was seven years old, and I listened to the Tour on the radio for the first time. Once I mimicked the sound, the guys finally understood what I meant. They honked the horn, I recorded it...and now I share it with all of you as my gift.
"a clearinghouse for U.S. bike maps and advocacy groups — and he’s asking for your help to add more to his lists. If you know of a good bike map produced by your local/regional/state planning groups or advocacy organizations that deserve some extra recognition, please let him know by using the “Contact Me” buttons on the Bikeway Central site. "
TWITTER DATA BUFFET Is how Flowing Data aptly describes Infochimps' Twitter data repository. It's an enormous set of data subsets, some of which can be accessed for free, and some of which are paid for.
You'll be pleased to know that "users by background colour" is in the free set.
CYCLING HISTORY Dave Moulton has another great historical piece on his blog, this time about the Campagnolo Cambio Corsa derailleur system. I really enjoy Dave's pieces on the history of bicycles, and this is another great example - look at the way the system solved the problem of tensioning the chain - fascinating stuff.
VISUALISATION From Flowing Data, a real time visulaisation of Twitter conversation.
Add another piece to the ever-growing list of twitter visualisations. What makes Moritz Stefaner's Revisit different is that it focuses on the conversational threads between Twitter users over time. Tweets (symbolized by authors' avatars) are stacked vertically and organized by time horizontally. Tweets that have more attention via @mentions are closer to the middle.
It's a lovely piece of work.
MURDER MOST FOUL Carlton Reid has put a copy of J.S. Dean's 1947 work on road safety, "Murder Most Foul" on Issuu. Dean argued that the responsibility for avoiding road "accidents" should lie largely with the motorist.
".... In the first place this "education" is the worst possible training for the children as the drivers of the future since it teaches them to believe that the driver is the master of the road and that the only role for the other road-users, including the youngest children and the oldest and most infirm persons, is to keep out of his way and that if they are killed or maimed through not doing so this is something they deserve..."
You only need to see the DoT's "Tales of the Road" campaigns to see that we're still following the same path Dean warned us about over 70 years ago.
ELECTION Are you fed up of it yet?
If you're a cyclist, please consider joining CTC's "Vote Bike" campaign. This urges your political candidates to state clearly where they stand on six key cycling issues. If you're anything like most of us, this won't be the sole basis for awarding your vote, but you can help move cycling up the transport agenda, and hopefully have a clearer view of where your candidates stand.
The CTC "Vote Bike" page will provide a form letter to send/email to your candidates, which you can personalise. The letter asks them to state their position on the six issues. Once your candidate replies, CTC will tabulate their answers to help you, and other cyclists know where they stand on the issues.
BROMPTON ON TODAY About 22 minutes in, still on iPlayer here.
"Interviewer - "Your factory is located in Chiswick, one of the most expensive parts of London. Is that wise?"
Will Butler-Adams - "No. Completely barking"
(He does go on to explain why it makes sense).
FANCY DAN TYRES Panaracer's Pasela is a good, and surprisingly reasonably priced tyre for commuters and tourers - I ran the TG flavour on one of my old bikes and really liked them. Now you can now get a practical tyre in a fancy colour, see here.
THE RULES Another set of Cycling Rules has popped up, to join rules of the euro-cyclist et al.
Of course, the only rule you really need obey is JUST BLOODY RIDE. All else is secondary.
I used to love using Black and white film, and although I've shot the occasional "Once in a lifetime" set using it, I don't think I'd have the bottle to do something as high stakes as a wedding. shows how digital has spoiled us, I guess.
PHONES Get better battery life from your N97 Mini. Smartphones EAT batteries - especially if you're using the GPS to track your rides, the internet to faff about on twitter, &c This article gives you a little checklist of things you can do to prolong battery life.
Also, if you have an S60 Phone, want to use GPS to track running, cycling, walking, ski-ing (you get the idea) and don't yet have Nokia's Sports Tracker, you should grab it.
BIKE LIGHTS Ok, it's a bit early to start thinking about this in this hemisphere, but Treadly & Me has written a good article on bike lights that you can read here.
LOVELY BIKES Bicycle Design has this, pointing you towards the Tyrell company and their rather nice looking road bike. The frame is based on the slant frame of their 20" mini velo frames. It makes for a striking looking bike.
That much is clear to me once the family turns back (mechanical on my daughter's bike, her pedal has seized). There are protestations that I should ride back with them, Mrs. Monkey insists that they will be fine, and I should carry on riding. No excuse now. No one to slow and wait for. No one to keep the distance low for.
I love Mrs. Monkey.
The tourer has languished in the garage over the Winter, poor weather keeps me off the commute. Poor weather and family commitments devour my weekends. The new bell is fitted, the cushy 42c tyres are on, the brakes are adjusted, attention has been lavished, but the miles are not in my legs.
There is an account to be settled.
I kid myself that keeping my legs turning over with 7 miles of Brompton riding each day will have done some good. The road heads upwards. Was this the gear I was in last time I was here? Why do I feel so stretched out on this bike? Maybe my saddle is too low. Maybe the big tyres are heavier than my 32s.
Familiar countryside rolls by; thank god, the hill ends, I freewheel down. I should have bought rollers; a turbo. I did consider it - but I only missed two weeks the year before last. And a month or so the year before. I can't spend the money just for that. And can I sit in the garge, pedalling away after a day at work? No view, no breeze in my face, no joy, no spur of the moment diversions, just artificial miles, unrolled relentlessly with single minded purpose.
If only.
In November, I had skidded through the rain, bounced on the parts of trees that the wind had left in the gutter, half seen in the angry glare of headlamps. The dark, the wet, the cold had enveloped me, and pulled me to a crawling speed. The rain fell directly into my face, the tyres bounced and slipped on obstacles seen and unseen. The other traffic dazzled and blared and harassed. I put the tourer in the garage. I unfolded the Brompton.
Thirty miles becomes seven. Two hours on the bike becomes thirty minutes. I read more, I buy a more expensive season ticket for the train. I leave the house later, work longer, arrive home at the same time. At the weekends I put my cycling kit out. I see the weather and I lie in instead. I think about Summer, and lighter mornings and evenings. I put off the reckoning for my indolence. I try not to think about the ground I will have to make up.
The tourer is almost whisper quiet. The Brompton is accompanied by a comparative cacophony of squeaks and clicks. The folding pedal clicks metronomically. The suspension block squeaks on all but the driest days. On the tourer I listen; I can hear the hiss of tyres on tarmac. A slight complaint from the nosebolt of the Brooks saddle. The click as gears move up and down. The wind moving past me.
Up on to the big ring. Is this fast? I have no idea - measuring the new size of the front wheel and its larger tyre is still on the "to do" list. The bike computer is in my desk drawer at home. It feels fast. It feels like hard work. Change down a sprocket, take it easy for a while. By god this bike is comfortable. The big tyres and steel soak up the buzz from the road. My hands edge towards the hoods rather than the tops. Why does this bike feel so long?
Left onto the trail. Gravel and potholes - I've turned away from this before on high pressure tyres. The 42s roll over it, with a little bit of weaving to avoid the larger holes. Up over the bridge, around a tight turn onto the trail. Clear ahead of me, change up, pedal on.
The main part of the trail is busy, walkers, dogs, runners, families on bikes. Slow down, ring the bell, chat, thank, ride on. Through the crushes - just wide enough to allow me to go through sat on the bike. Just. Moss marks my shoulders, visible evidence of my misjudgement.
I love the bell. It rings like it's mounted on the desk of an old fashioned hotel. Maybe a smartly suited functionary will appear to offer me his wheel? Dog walkers call their dogs back to them; hold the lead tighter; wave as I pass and thank them. The parents on bikes nod, the children pedal furiously, as competition awakes in them, or ring their bells in reply.
The runners settle their own accounts, heads down, focussed, mutely accepting my thanks. There are resolutions to keep, their own lost, icy weeks to recover.
There is traffic noise ahead - it grows, until a gate comes into view. Beyond the gate, two lanes of main road. I step aside and hold the gate for a couple with a German shephard dog, they hold the gate for me. Exchange thanks and look at the road. The traffic here is quick, 60-70 miles per hour, I guess. There is no icy layoff to make up for here. No debt to pay before getting back to business as usual. Here you buy your speed, the link between sweat and motion stretched to breaking point. A gap - across the road and through the gate. Back on the bike, and on along the trail.
More walkers; more dogs; more runners; more bikes. Up over the little bridge. Mark that as a photo to take on the way back. The end of the trail, and a decision to make. It can wait. A drink of water and a biscuit first, it's lunchtime. I realise the bottle cage still has one of the bottles of orange I brought for the children in it. I mentally note the extra weight that makes. Kid myself again.
Back on the bike, too early to head back down the trail yet. Turn onto the road, and head for the NCN marker. Industrial units flash by, I try to recall where I am. The sign for the station, and Elworth - yes, now I know. The road is not busy, and it's wide. The traffic passes with good space between bike and car. I wave thanks. Could it be like this even in the dark and the rain?
Maybe this is fast? The road is level, I seem to be in a high-ish gear. Maybe. The NCN is contradictory. The gravel and potholes, the trail. Now clear, fast road. The next marker - that's not where I want. Pedal on.
I see the railway line, the sign for the station, the junction with the main road. My saddle is too low. Lean the bike up, get the multi-tool. Is that high enough? Maybe. Look at the main road. Follow that home, or double back?
Back the way I came. The bike is coming back to me now. I remember that I must change gear as I slow down. I need to get ready before I stop. Hub gears have made me lazy. I feel less stretched out, more at home.
There is an account to be settled.
My legs fill with a good ache. I take the photo I'd noted earlier. I think about whether I can fix my daughter's pedal. I try and remember the weather forecast for next week. The niggle in my knee subsides. Stop and wait while a family comes down the trail with their dog. I am in the right gear when I move off. I remember now.
I've often heard it said that pro-cycling teams sell some of their kit at the end of the season, as a way of raising funds and divesting themselves of unused bikes and parts.
Obviously the Tour de France doesn't mark the end of the season, but we found these interesting little snippets in the classifieds section of a little known cycling magazine.
(Or we strung together a lot of tenuous in jokes as an excuse to put another post up without doing too much work).
ITEMS OFFERED: Team Astana Rider Trading Cards. Complete Set Available, Happy to Split. Contact: J. Bruyneel.
"Win Friends and Influence People" Book (French Edition). Unread. Contact: B. Hinault.
"It's a Family Affair" - Sly and the Family Stone (CD) Contact: A. Schleck
"O Brother Where Art Thou?" DVD Contact: B. Feilliu
"Tales of the Unexpected" DVD box set 2009 Italian and French editions available. Contact: B. Wiggins.
"Nice Guys Finish Last" book. Contact: K. Van Hummel
Stage Winner T-Shirt - Euskatel Euskadi Colours. Medical Condition forces sale. Contact: M. Astarloza
ITEMS WANTED: Mountain/All Terrain Bikes (x9) Can exchange for 9 slightly dirty Time Trial Bikes. Contact: BBox Bouygues Telecom Team HQ.
Complete Team Kit. Most pro-tour considered, Not Astana please. Contact: A. Contador.
Stabilisers / Training Wheels, or Racing Trike. Cash offered, or can offer exchange/part exchange (can offer road bike, tt bike (with torn handlebar tape and some scrapes from use) or several pairs of bib shorts (torn)). Contact: D. Menchov
CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE: Entire post inspired by a joke I saw on twitter about Denis Menchov offering several pairs of scraped up Rabobank bibshorts for sale.
I picked this book up on a recent trip to Devon. It's been my pleasure, on such occasions, to visit a great little book shop on Station Road, Teignmouth.
The owners of the shop had, as their interests, both rock climbing and cycling. The cycling section of the shop was my destination, and however little I might think it able to offer me after previous visits, I'd inevitably leave at least £20 poorer, and several books richer.
It was at Teignmouth Books that I picked up William Fotheringham's "Put Me Back on my Bike", and Freddy Maertens' autobiography, for instance. (I also bought Lance Armstrong's two books, but I won't hold "Every Second Counts" aganst them). The shop is a treasure trove, full of interesting tomes, some devoted to subjects as specific as space-frame Moultons, and some as wide ranging as studies of the bicycle in "War, Love, Life and Literature" (S. McGonagle), some rare as hen's teeth, some as ubiquitous as "It's Not About the Bike". (Few people know that by law, there must be at least one copy of "It's Not About the Bike" in every book shop's "Cycling" shelf - shopkeepers found guilty of breaking this law are made to read the English translation of "A Tempered Passion", the Indurain biography. Cruel and unsual indeed).
Sadly, it seems, the shop is to close - despite my best efforts to empty their shelves, fill mine, and fill their coffers, it seems that they're unable to keep going in the present climate. The proprietor was kind enough to point me in the direction of the book whose cover adorns this post. I know nothing about it, or the author, but am a sucker for a striking cover, it must be said. A couple of touring books (one from the '60s, one from the early '90s), a Graham Watson coffee table book "Heroes of the Tour", a training guide from 1975, and the McGonagle book I mentioned completed my purchases.
If any of you are heading over Teignmouth way soon, you'll find that I've left some books there for you still. Have a browse, buy something interesting - if you've the money, that history of Spaceframe Moultons looked really interesting...
Cyclists are an unusual bunch (no pun intended) in many ways. Not least, in the UK, is the tendency for those following the sport of Pro Cycling to be cyclists themselves. (I could be wrong, but I don't see the same proportion of fans of other sports participating and spectating).
In the cycle commuter, the excitement of a grand tour, like the Tour de France, can bring out a certain enthusiasm for the course, and a desire to emulate your heroes in a way that can be inappropriate on the public highway.
Being a civic minded monkey, I thought it might be useful to outline a few ways to relive the Tour on your commute in a responsible way, rather than Silly Commuter Racing.
The Early Years
Maurice Garin (centre), Image from Wikimedia Commons
Given that the tour De France began over a century ago, you'd be forgiven for thinking that you had little hope of emulating the very first riders. But don't despair!
The Spares and RepairsExperience
"The sky is gloomy and washed out. Huge, grubby clouds extend to the horizon. It is as if nature itself were grieving. In the outskirts of Valenciennes, Eugene Christophe stands on the pavement. He pushes in front of him, the saddle towards the earth, his bicycle: the fork is broken. It seems to me a mighty lyre whose broken strings sing his final misery." -Henri Desgrange
In the early years of the Tour, riders were expected to carry their own spares, and effect any repairs required themselves. Obviously most of us bicycle commuters do this already. However, do watch out for people offering to lend you tools or assistance as you crouch by the road refitting your punctured tyre - should they help you, the commissaire will undoubtedly impose a hefty time penalty upon you.
"The Tour de France is finished and the second edition will, I fear, also be the last." -Henri Desgrange
There are several ways the bicycle commuter can relive the uneasy atmosphere of the 1904 tour.
Instead of gesticulating futilely at the car that passes too close, imagine yourself to be Garin, or Pothier, who were attacked by masked men in a car trying to delay them on the first stage of the race.
Cycle paths (or the Etape Caledonia) provide ample opportunity to relive the 1904 tour's fifth stage, during which nails were strewn on the route. Users of cycle paths will have to substitute the (usually) ample broken glass for nails, but isn't it the spirit of the thing that matters? Extra authenticity could be gained by finishing your commute on two flat tyres, like eventual winner Henri Cornet, although this monkey advises that there is authenticity, and there is buggering up your wheels, and the former should be sacrificed in favour of not doing the latter.
The Octave Lapize Experience
"++Have crossed the Tourmalet on foot stop ++ ++Road passable to vehicles stop ++ ++No snow stop ++" -Telegram from Adolphe Steinès to Desgrange
Relatively few of us have a commute including anything much resembling the Tourmalet and Col d'Aubisque, beyond a general trend upwards. However, if you have a hill that leaves you knackered and grinding away in your lowest gear to ascend it, why not shout "Assassins!" at the top, to relive a moment of tour history from 1910?
Gear(s)
"I still feel that varable gears are only for people over forty-five. Isn't it better to triumph by the strength of your muscles than by the artifice of a derailer? We are getting soft...As for me, give me a fixed gear!"-Henri Desgrange
Very much a feature of the modern tour, the doomed French breakaway allows riders that are French, or Jens Voigt to ride ahead of the pack for most of the stage, only to be reeled in and passed with 5-10km to spare (usually).
Inevitably, there will be times when you find yourself ahead of a group of cars, simply because the motor vehicle isn't that efficient at getting through cities. Ride away, and then allow the "catch" to occur once the roads have cleared enough for the "peloton" to get to you.
The Doomed French Breakaway Experience, #2 Again, more easily done in the city.
In this case, the cars passing you are the break, and you're the peloton. Inevitably (unless you're riding at three in the morning) the cars will choke the street and slow to a stop - at which point the "peloton" makes the catch.
A fortuitous combination of traffic conditions can sometimes mean that you get the rare (although less so in the 2009 tour so far) occurrence of the successful breakaway, with your pursuers left fuming in your wake. In such a case, you're welcome to zip up your jersey and roll to the end of your commute with your arms aloft.
Although you may never live this down if your workmates catch sight of you.
The Mountains Experience Again, the poor state of Britain's cycle paths comes to your rescue here. As you're unlikely to encounter crazed fans waving flags in your face, why not pretend that those branches and bushes the council fail to trim back every year are the flags of the Basques, or the trident of the devil? Ride through them with a grumpy look on your face, but don't get carried away and throw your bidon at them, there's usually nettles in the bushes as well...
Added authenticity can be gained if you can bring yourself to believe that the frequent graffiti along the path names famous local cyclists, in the style of the names painted on the roads of the tour. Hard to do when all you have to work with is a spray-painted Dazza, or Wayne, but needs must.
The Marcus Burghardt Experience
Lots of Britain's dog walkers seem keen to recreate this, with you in the position of Burghardt.
DON'T - it's not the dog's fault their owner is an idiot.
(See also, The Sandy Casar Experience)
The Astana Experience For this, you'll need some sort of group ride - if you have a "Critical Commute" or similar organised ride with a dedicated leader, that could work.
Ride until the group splits while the back markers wait for traffic to pass, or a green signal. At this point, ride like fury on the agreed route, ignoring the protests of the designated leader. If possible, put "your people" on the front, and either;
a) explain to anyone that asks that "the road has decided who is the leader". b) explain to anyone that asks that "my legs felt good, and it was a spontaneous attack to gain a few seconds".
Coming Soon;
The Denis Menchov Experience In which you forget which way up your bike goes.
Someone pops up to ask for advice on which trainers to buy. The questioner intends to start jogging to work, and may do a bit more running at the weekend if he finds he likes it.
The first post in reply points out that the only answer is for the questioner to go to his LTS (Local Trainer Shop), and try several to see which he likes running in the best.
Then someone should turn up and insist that the only proper choice is a hand sewn trainer built to his exact specification by an expert local cobbler.
Someone else should then post saying that for the sort of running the questioner does, he'd be better with a pair of heavy Dutch clogs, as they are virtually maintenance free, and can be left outside with no ill effects in all weathers. Pointing out that this is all the rage in Europe is optional, as is disparaging the use of a "sport" shoe for commuting to work or running errands.
Someone else should then post saying that as the questioner will mostly be running on the road, his best choice is a top of the range lightweight shoe, probably made at least partly from space age fabrics. The shoe will be uncomfortable in the wet, but the questioner should have a "hack" shoe for running in the wet anyway, as any fule kno.
Yet someone else should appear to say that the ideal choice is actually a track shoe. The spikes may be inconvenient, and a bit hard for the new runner to get used to, but they foster a zen-like connection with the road, or something.
At this point, the questioner should then say that he might run on canal towpaths occasionally. It is here that people should variously suggest fell running shoes (they do it all! and you can tour in them!) and walking boots.
All parties should then get the arse with each other and carry on an argument about whether the "true" do it all shoe is the fell running shoe or a comfy brogue.
By which point questioner will have gone to Winfields/ShoeZone/Brantano and bought a pair of those trainers that look almost like Adidas, but with one too many stripes.
Born out of musings on avoiding slippy crisp packets, oddly enough, on this morning's ride, and mostly posted to Twitter.
Any person posting to a cycling message board asking for "which bike" advice as a new commuting cyclist MUST be recommended a hybrid costing not less than £700, and a further £200 worth of accessories by at least one respondent. The fact that the person asking is only commuting a 6 mile round trip shall not be taken into account.
The best time to realise that the rain *is* hard enough for you to need overtrousers is BEFORE you leave your house.
No matter what bike you have, or what kind of riding you do, someone, somewhere is waiting to tell you that it's the wrong bike.
No motorist's car is so old and rubbish that they won't say you'd be better off with one of those rather than your bike.
Most cyclists agree that taking up cycling to save money would probably be a good idea, in theory.
Surveys including the question "Why don't you cycle?" will never offer the answer "Because I'm too bloody lazy" as a possibility.
People who don't ride wonder why you'd want to on rainy days. People who do ride wonder why you wouldn't want to.
Junk food that you "earned" by riding all week tastes far better than junk food normally does. (Also applicable to beer, chocolates, takeaway curry, chinese food &c).
People will assume you're saving the planet and/or ridding the roads of Britain of cars even if all you want to do is enjoy riding in the sunshine.
No bike lane is so crap that motorists won't demand that you use it so that they don't have to reduce speed for half a second.
Riding your bicycle in ice is the best way of breaking your elbow and/or wrist (that doesn't involve interaction with other road users) yet discovered.
Whenever you decide to drive or take public transport, you will feel a deep sense of regret at the first cyclist you see enjoying their ride.
Anything shouted from a passing car will sound like "Blargh blah blaaaaargh" and is best not given too much thought.
Wearing any lycra at all allows people to jokingly call you "Lance Armstrong" and ask if you're off to the Tour De France.
Red light jumping, pavement riding cyclists allow any motorist to put your life at risk even if they've just watched you scrupulously obeying traffic law throughout your ride.
Injure any part of your body whilst cycling, and people will say that you should have been wearing a helmet.
Injure any part of your body whilst cycling, and people will say that it was good you were wearing a helmet.
The best day for a long ride will always be the day where you can't be out of the house for more than a couple of hours.
The further you are from your bicycle, the more ridiculous you look in lycra (unless you are a member of a glam rock band).
If you don't want to get wet, pack your waterproofs. Because then it won't rain.
No queue of stationary traffic is so close that a motorist won't overtake you to reach it.
The wet crisp packet is summer's equivalent of damp autumn leaves.
I've been taking the train all the way to work a lot more than I do normally, and this results in a walk of around 3 miles each way, in total. (Two miles to the station, a mile from the station at the other end to work, and the same journey in reverse in the evening).
As any fule kno, 3 miles is a distance that any bicycle laughs at, so I've been seriously considering a folding bike for those days when 28 miles a day of riding seems a bit much.
Why a folding bike? In their wisdom, Britain's railway companies offer little in the way of carriage for full sized bicycles, and will occasionally make you reserve in advance, pay a supplemental charge, &c &c. (A to B magazine provide an excellent summary of train operators' cycle policies here). The rail part of my usual commute is handled by the excellent and pragmatic Northern Rail, who will carry bicycles on a first come, first served basis, so long as they do not block exits &c.
However, because my "long train" commute is at a later time, I can end up travelling with different train operators, and at busier times, so my chance of being "bumped" from the service increases. Here's where the folding bike comes in - almost all operators will carry folding bikes without restriction. Plus, of course, on my later commute, I can unfold the bike at the other end, and cycle to work, an advantage over using a full size bike to get to the start of my train journey only.
Having read around a little, I'd pretty much decided upon the British designed "Mezzo D9" which looks to be a nice bike with compact fold and what's claimed to be "a big bike ride". (I think this is at least partly to do with it having a steering offset (it has a conventional stem on the fork, as opposed to a steering column directly above the forks).
(Mezzo bike Video)
Of course, no plan survives contact with a bike shop, so I've now convinced myself that the battle to be my folding bike has been joined, between the Mezzo, and the Brompton. Your take on either bike would be welcomed, but I suspect the final decision will hinge (no pun intended) upon a test ride, to be undertaken some time in the next couple of weeks.
(Not the updating of the blog, although that's unusual enough, given that I've not touched this since June last year).
It's been a fairly grim start to the year, at least in terms of cycling. The cold winter, and a large number of icy days (I don't ride in ice) have kept me off the bike, and on the days I have ridden, I've found Manchester's motorists in a worse humour than is usual. I've also read of a couple of nasty incidents recently, particularly this on Carlton Reid's "Quickrelease.tv" blog.
I was on my way home up Wilmslow Road (a quick road, nominally a 30 limit, but it is not unusual for the traffic to treat it as a 40 or 50).
I'm at the lights in a lane that can be used as a left turn onto Turves Road, or straight on along Wilmslow Road. It'd taken me a while to turn out onto Wilmslow Road, and waiting in the queue at the lights I usually stay in the centre of the left hand lane to discourage left hooking. (A left hook is when a vehicle makes a left turn across your path). A chap pulled alongside me and rolled his passenger window down - I have to admit that I was expecting a tirade about moving over to the left (has happened before along here, and as I said earlier, drivers have seemed unusually grumpy after the new year in Manchester).
So, I marshal my retorts, and get ready to reply, when the chap says...
"Hey mate! Your lights are excellent - absolutely first class - I can see you proper!"
There's a bit more in which he thanks me for considering the other folk on the road by making myself easy to see, during which I, being completely confused, mumble some sort of thanks, and then the traffic lights change.
It was nice to have something good shouted at me though.
(If you're wondering what a first class lighting setup looks like, it consists of a Torch 9x light with integrated reflector on the third flash pattern, a Blackburn Mars4.0 on steady (both on the seat post) and a Smart Superflash on flash mounted to the seat stay). Up front there's a Knog Frog on flash and a high power, Cree emitter torch.
I must apologise for not posting context for my more recent images - I've been a little bit busy, largely repairing my daughter's bike (every time she falls off it, she seems to lose a piece from it).
Most recently, she managed to mess up her front brake (in that one side came off completely - the housing carrying the cable through, I think it's called a brake noodle, had also broken). Using bolts &c supplied by the excellent Bicycle Boutique (in Manchester, just behind the Sugden Centre off Grosvenor Street) I've made them good as new.
Bicycle boutique also supplied the natty new brake hoods I've fitted to my tourer (my main commuting bike). New tape for the bars will be the next treat this bike gets, I think. I rode my hybrid again (the bike to which I was fitting mudguards) yesterday, and was amazed by how sluggish it feels compared to the tourer - the seating position feels somewhat odd too, after riding drop handlebars.
This week will mark the second week of my commute to work on the bike, an experience I've largely enjoyed, despite occasional and momentary bowel loosening terror thanks to my fellow road users. I'm not sure how many car drivers read my blog (or how many people full stop), but in the interest of fostering greater understanding;
1) Yes I do know there's a cycle path. I generally prefer to use them when they aren't so pitted and potholed that bits fall off my bike when I ride through them. I also prefer not to use that one where the camber is so steep that I end up fighting it alll the way just to stay off the kerb. I also don't like using the ones with broken glass strewn liberally across them. Rest assured I do use them when it's safe to.
2) I do have to come away from the side of the road/out of the cycle path to pass parked cars. I try to do this in good time because I don't want to suddenly swerve in front of you. I'm sorry that I'm straying into the bit of road you regard as yours, but I'm not up to jumping vans/cars/lorries in a single bound just yet.
3) Yes I am quite a long way from the kerb. I do this because when I cycle nearer to it, some people (not you, I hasten to add, I'm sure you're very responsible and considerate) take it as an invitation to pass me with barely a cigarette paper's width[1] between me and their vehicle. Cycling where I do also gives me room to manouver out of your way/someone else's way should there be a need to. I might also be keeping out of glass/potholes/grids. I'm not trying to annoy you, I promise, as I'm very aware of the discrepancy between the sizes, weights, and speeds of our vehicles, and an annoyed person + their car is not a combination I'm anxious to deal with.
4) It does help if you don't roll your car into the marked cycle waiting bit at traffic lights. If I can get in there, I can clearly indicate whether I'm going ahead, left or right to you, and I know that you or another driver isn't going to turn left in front of me. Speaking of traffic lights, whizzing past me, nearly sending me flying, just so you can arrive at a red light two seconds before me seems a bit pointless, don't you think[2]?
5) If you're waiting to pass me, please do so by following about a cars length behind, if not more. Sitting just off the right side of my back wheel means that I can't turn right (I may need to), that a pothole might bounce me into you and reduces my capability to give us both room in the event of something happening ahead. Please also pass me giving plenty of room (at least half a car's width is terrific), for the latter two reasons.
6) A huge thank you to the many considerate and patient drivers I've encountered - I try to acknowledge people that wait for me to pass parked vehicles &c where I can - it is much appreciated. Sadly, I only have to encounter one person who isn't like you for something very bad to happen - hence my somewhat defensive style of riding.
[1] This happens particularly often on narrow roads - if you can't pass me where I am, it is not safe to pass me when I'm nearer to the kerb, believe me.
[2]Grey Xsara Picasso, Turves Road, Cheadle last night - I hate people who pass me next to traffic islands - neither of us have enough room in case of emergencies, and the draft from passing so close can quite easily send me into the kerb or another car.
No picture post last night, because I finally got 'round to developing the roll of HP5+ that has the last of my holiday shots, and PaD shots on it. I've decided to go back to my roots with this roll, and dev in 1+29 LC29, which you may remember (or not) was where we came in with this whole homedev lark. I'm not sure how many rolls I've done in total, but there's still something very satisfying about unspooling the negs and leaving them to dry - I guess peering at them trying to figure out what you have is the closest film comes to chimping.
I shall be scanning the cut negs tonight, and then hopefully posting the final days of the PaD challenge.
The Giant SCR2.0 As Fast Commuter
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