London Bike Show 2015

Posted on 22 February, 2015 by doug

Screen Shot 2015-02-15 at 08.24.21

The London Bike Show 2015 came up in conversation last Friday evening over dinner and before you could say “rusty bike chain” my ticket was booked.  I haven’t been to this before and so I was really looking forward to it.  An extra box ticked was the 6 mile run to the train station, followed by the 6 mile run back.  I went with my friends Barry and Angela and it was really nice being able to meet up with the McCroys and the Hobbs at lunch time.

The first thing to strike me was the huge scale, pretty much as I expected.  What I hadn’t really clocked beforehand were the other industries also exhibiting.  It was amusing to see the contrasting difference between us runners, cyclists and triathletes compared to the queues for the neighbouring motorcycle exhibition.  It was Barry who summed them all up as being 5 stone heavier and balding.  He was being polite.

The show spanned the big names (Specialized, Trek etc) right through to smaller fledgling businesses.  Aside from the trade stands were some cycling displays, such as BMX stunts and the like.  Arguably the most popular was the opportunity to try out some bikes yourself – this was great fun and fantastic trying bikes in identical conditions right after each other.  This exposed a surprise or two, I will blog about this soon.

First up I need to give a mention to some of the enterprises which really caught my eye…..

Osomount
These guys make smart phone holders for use in cars but also there’s a pretty impressive cycle version too.

Osomount cycle holder

Osomount cycle holder

Goes without saying I am always sceptical when a manufacturer makes an outrageous claim.  So I put my phone in and gave it a good wiggle around; fair play it didn’t move a bit which seemed pretty impressive.  A fuller review is now in the pipeline to make sure this good security holds up in real life on the road.  In the meantime, here’s their website and it’s worth mentioning they do dashboard clamps with a really powerful sucker pad – click here.

Jura Cycle Clothing
Jura had a welcoming stand with mother and daughter proudly showing their Merino wool cycle clothing.  These unisex jerseys are unashamedly retro in their appearance and quality.  Nice colourways with interesting combinations, almost as if they’re depicting the different seasons or possible complexions of the cyclists who would go for these.

Jura Cycle Clothing stand

Jura Cycle Clothing stand

In terms of who would go for these, well there is a personalisation service where you could have your name, club or event embroided onto the jersey.

It has to be said these are a little more expensive than jerseys mass produced from synthetic ‘technical’ fabric.  Merino wool is said to have all the advantages of body temperature regulation, comfort and the all important odour resistance i.e. after a while Merino wool does not smell in an unmentionable way (unlike like my Smelly Helly tops which cause all kinds of complaints in our house!).

It was really nice chatting to the owner and to hear the fuller version of setting up this business.  As with some of the others, I admire these folk who have the courage, drive and vision to set up a business which then becomes successful.  I particularly like these small internet based businesses (and often wonder myself….).

Jura Cycle Clothing website

Cycle Origins

Cycle Origins

Cycle Origins

Another interesting and new enterprise making it’s presence felt at the show was Cycle Origins.  The experienced and well connected owner Richard Allmark has an interesting range of eye catching cycle accessories on offer.  These cover quite a wide range from boutique style bags, some of these are feminine in their appeal, through to other very practical looking bags.  All this supporting the principle that you don’t have to be an ultra-functional, Lycra-clad performance orientated powerhouse of a cyclist to have your place on the road.  The range also includes a couple of leather saddles (can’t help but think “Brooks” except they’re not Brooks and considerably cheaper) which are very attractive through the inclusion of a lightweight titanium version.

Amongst the other lines which grabbed my attention was the interestingly named Ugoe Pilot Extremely Powerful Headlight and at 3000 Lumens I think that’s an understatement. I tend to think of my own front light at 280 Lumens as being pretty bright but this dwarfs it! At £200 it seems a snip (i.e. cost per Lumen) and providing it performs well in daily life it seems incredibly good value for the enthusiastic night rider.

The Cycle Origins website is clear, clean and, I think, still developing nicely.  If I read it correctly, you place an order here in the UK (or wherever you are) and it gets shipped to you directly from Taiwan, thereby avoiding middlemen, agents, warehouses and the like.  While I haven’t tested this out myself, I think there’s a good chance this would work well. My family are getting into the expectation that our mail order shopping arrives within a few days (we use Wiggle, Amazon etc quite a lot) and I think we are fairly average with this view.  So shopping direct from Taiwan in that time?  Meeting the needs of the fussy UK buyer?  Well, I think they’ve made a great start with an interesting business model and certainly wish them well!  Check out their website here.

For now
Plenty more reflections of the London Bike Show to come, must blog on these soon.  I can’t help but be impressed by the variety of different businesses represented at the show and I did like those on the fringe of cycling, encapsulating other healthy pursuits.  These include nutrition, food and other sports.  In fact I have been pretty impressed by the climbers I’ve seen in recent years and come to appreciate the skill, physical strength and mental strength needed for this sport.

With the different businesses that are new and at the fledgling stage, I admire people who take the plunge and have a go.  Naturally some of these will fail; others will tick-over and some will truly succeed through offering what the market needs and wants.  I imagine the key to long term success is the need to keep things under review – what sells well this year might change completely next year and trying to predict this is difficult.  Even neater is being able to influence the future demand through being ahead of the game – strikes me that’s risky business but potentially lucrative.  Others maybe in slightly different markets which are more stable – one of these is Cherry Active.  I will blog about this soon but I think this is an under-rated product which needs to be known more out there.  This doesn’t need to change as such, it simply needs a greater exposure.

In terms of the overall impression of the show, it’s clear the cycling scene is still alive in the UK, the bubble has not got anywhere near bursting.  This is encouraging.  Less encouraging is the cycling infrastructure in the UK but that’s another subject entirely!

 

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Learned about blogging

Posted on 1 February, 2015 by doug
Frosty landscape on my commute to work

Frosty landscape on my commute to work: I feel FREE!

Time to pause and reflect on blogging, taking stock, looking to refresh?  Time to consider what’s been learned about blogging.

Never underestimate your reach
Sometimes the most unexpected blog can really take off, or even a post within a mediocre blog.  I recently blogged about UKIP and their views on cyclists (click for post) and this led to finding Mum Juice who had already gone viral in breaking the same story.  Reading her relatively young blog Mum Juice commented that she had 77,000 hits in a short period of time, simply because of her own post.

In another blog of mine, I once did a “filler” post where I took a swipe at the drivers of black Range Rovers and this has turned out to be my most popular post to date in quickly hitting well over 22,000 page views.  Following closely behind is a more serious post which I did on giving up smoking, also scoring 22,000 hits but over a longer period of time.  No doubt other bloggers have had similar experiences with far more hits and have perhaps been seriously viral.

I am not sure whether to be amazed at these figures or not.  To think how any of us, all ordinary people, can set up a blog and then have an audience across the world.  Isn’t that amazing?

Bloggers need a strategy
When I started my first blog, I didn’t really have a strategy at all and I have since learned every blogger needs to be clear about this.  The need to be sure about WHY you are blogging is important and equally important is to stick to that.  Without a strategy a blog can become meaningless and without direction.

Therefore I believe it is important to pause every now and then to make sure the blog is still on track and ticking the right boxes.  For me, my cycling blog is about recording my cycling journey in life, giving mostly personal reflections on things.  The hit rate and my income from that is secondary.

Other bloggers will have a different purpose and these are all equally valid.  Examples can include being a resource for other like-minded people, to campaign or raise awareness, to market something, to amuse, to generate an income, to record a “project” i.e. my training and journey to XXXX event.

It is also important to be clear on how much time you will be required to invest and how often you’re prepared to write a post.  On this I could do much better, I know I am erratic.  Likewise it is important to know what style you’re adopting.  Is a blog going to be funny, heartening, encouraging, informative etc.  Again, be clear about this.

Don’t be afraid to “be yourself”
With so much identify theft taking place these days, it’s easy to understand how people can become paranoid about their place on the web, hiding behind some kind of anonymous avatar.  Speaking honestly I remember being cautious myself.

The blogs from other people I enjoy the most are those who write personally and not distantly.  By that I mean they are honestly sharing something about themselves, rather than hiding behind some virtual wall so the reader has no idea who they really are.

This leads me to comment on the advantages of being more personal in a blog.  I have enjoyed, far more, the interaction with readers when they leave comments and email me directly on a more human basis, rather than those pointless bland comments which are only a level above spam.

So, if a blog writer is being honest and open, why shouldn’t their readers behave in a like-minded way?  It all adds to the richness of interactions between people who might be on different sides of the world and will probably never meet face-to-face.

Google Blogger, WordPress
This has been a steep learning curve for me.  Like many amateur bloggers, the first foray into this fascinating world is through Google’s Blogger platform.  Some people knock Google for being so global, intrusive and universal, while this might be true they have done us all a favour by being able to blog easily.

Conversely I have had arguments from people saying the ease in which almost anyone can get on-line and blog has lowered the quality of the web’s content.  It is true there’s a lot of garbage around but the most important thing is the freedom people have in being able to enjoy free speech.  Their audience maybe small, perhaps deliberately restricted to a small family group, or it might potentially be world-wide.

Back to my learning curve.  Google’s Blogger is absolutely fine for a number of reasons – it’s free of charge, relatively easy to do and you can still be quite creative with different formats, colours and templates.  There are also some limitations, of which unless you are confident in playing with the HTML codes, can lead to all kinds of frustrations and I sometimes find on-line instructions awkward to follow.

While I could have gone down a WordPress hosted route, I have skipped that by buying this domain and self-hosting instead.  Sure the backend is WordPress and I like this (we use it at work and I’m responsible for our website and intranet) and it is arguably the most straight forward to use.

Every now and again I like to experiment with different widgets and plug-ins which is good fun but also slightly scary.  Still learning…..

Being accountable
Being accountable has been an unexpected aspect of blogging for me.  When I write, I am accountable for what I say and I do take this seriously.  I say this for a couple of reasons:

  • If I say “I am a cyclist, or a runner, or a Christian, or a father” I have to live up to that.  In practice this is more than simply minding my Ps and Qs; it is about living up to these things.  An armchair cyclist is not really a cyclist, therefore blogging about cycling also makes me get out on my bike at times when I don’t really feel like it.
  • If I talk about a product, I know that can have an effect on the reputation of the brand, or the supplier.  So when I say I like or dislike something, I have to do this in a defensible way.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with me but I must be able to stand my ground as well.

To be grateful for free speech
I am thankful I live in the UK and have the privilege of enjoying free speech.  I do not have to “look over my shoulder” or live in any kind of fear.  We do not live in a land where people disappear for saying the wrong things or having a different ideology or religious faith.

However we cannot take this for granted and I can see there are many threats to this, even in Europe and the UK.  These threats can come from the increasing pressure to live in a secular world, or to appease terrorism or be annoyingly politically correct.

Therefore I do value being able to sit here at home typing this, with no fear at all.  I am here in our house, February 2015, in an armchair by the sitting room window.  The radiator is hot, I can sip my coffee, glance out of the window and see the front garden and relish this.  I can press the publish button and know within seconds this post can be picked up almost anywhere in the world.  Marvellous.  Free speech.  Such a precious thing.

 

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Review – Continental Grand Prix 4 Season

Posted on 26 January, 2015 by doug
Conti's Grand Prix 4 Season

Conti’s Grand Prix 4 Season

This is a pretty good tyre from our experience and worth the little extra these cost over lesser tyres.  I got these initially for my daughter’s bike as we needed a reliable, puncture-free tyre that would be a good all-rounder.  As they seemed to perform so well, I have made the investment myself and I’m generally very pleased, even though I had one heck of a puncture….

Oh yeah, the puncture.  Might as well get the negative stuff out of the way first.  I had already cycled over 100 miles (towards Weston-Super-Mare) and I was near Congresbury on the A370 and suddenly there was a loud PSSSSSSSSST.  This was slightly awkward as I was weaving my way alongside a line of slow moving traffic and I think some of the drivers were frustrated that this middle aged bloke on some old fashioned bike was making better progress.  I must have hit something pretty large to cause such a gash in the tyre for the tube to be punctured so fast.  I am therefore thinking that the debris in the road would have punctured any tyre.  I changed the tube, not fully inflating to the normal pressure as the tube would be bulging out.

The tyres

The Continental Grand Prix 4 Seasons tyres are available in 700 x 23, 25 and 28 sections. This covers most of the usual sizes for training, sportives, racing and normal use. Puncture protection is from the built-in double layer of Vectran Breaker belt which Continental sum up as “Vectran is a synthetically manufactured high-tech fibre from a natural model. Like spider silk, Vectran is a liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP). Vectran is spun from melted liquid polymer Vectra and processed further to a multi-strand thread. Spider silk, like Vectran, has an enormous tear resistance at a very low weight – exactly the right properties to process into a premium Continental bike tyre as a puncture protection insert. A Vectran Breaker is lighter, more flexible and protects more effectively against cuts than the comparable nylon breaker. Vectran Breaker does not adversely affect the rolling resistance”.

The weight of these tyres is 240g each for the mid size 700×25, not bad and it appears the folding bead saves about 50g per tyre, not to be sniffed at.

I can confirm road holding is good and aside from the single puncture, these have been perfect.  They have covered about 3500 miles and no other punctures and appear in good nick, certainly well made.

And yet, it could be argued there is a bit of a compromise going on.  If durability is the name of your game, the Continental Gator Hardshell might be better.  If performance is the number one priority, the Grandprix TT Black Chilli tyres might be faster, as well as being thinner and lighter.  However, in the real world we don’t all find ourselves in the position of swapping wheels and tyres according to the weather or whatever whim we feel like.  These are a good all-rounder which will prove reliable, durable, with reasonable handling.  The handling is good – i.e. superb in the dry, perhaps a little care is needed in slippery conditions.

Would I buy these again?

Yes. And here’s the link to Wiggle – here – priced at £32.19 at the time of writing (List £54.95)

 

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Latest Busway news

Posted on 25 January, 2015 by doug

Unfortunately I couldn’t make the last Luton & Dunstable Cycle Forum’s meeting for the latest Busway news.  This was a real shame as it seems there was an interesting discussion and the very latest news on the Busway developments have now come out.  Credit really goes to the Forum for this news, not me, I’m simply relaying it along with a number of other people.

My daughter found the rough service unpleasant on her road bike

My daughter found the rough service unpleasant on her road bike

Here’s the news, direct from the Forum’s Facebook page:

The Cycling Forum is very pleased to note the additional Government funding awarded as part of a package to

  • Improve employment opportunities linked to upgrading the Busway.
  • Some of this money will be used to provide 3 new bus stops and add 5 new pedestrian/cycle links (subject to consultation).
  • The A-frame barriers will start to be removed – the first to go will be at White Lion Retail park where chicanes will be installed.
  • In addition, the funding will pay for the shared use path to be resurfaced with tarmac. This will take place this year. We’re hoping there will also be some money left over for some solar lights to be installed.

This is all very interesting.  What has surprised me is the news of tarmac being laid, presumably along the entire length.  Ironically many cyclists, myself included, complained bitterly when the cycle track was opened.  We were all complaining about the excessively rough surface owing to the “crushed limestone” material used.  This has since “matured” from being very rough, hard going and far too stony, into a track which is mostly gritty and ideal in freezing winter months.

Stark divide between smooth tarmac and a rough stony surface

Stark divide between smooth tarmac and a rough stony surface

While I dare wonder if the planners, commissioners, surveyors, contractors etc might have been right all along, it could have been helped with some more explanation from the “powers that be” that the surface would improve as it has done.

The other improvements to the access points, including the removal of those dreadful A-frames are very welcome.  Additional bus stops will almost certainly help local people.

My thanks to all of the fellow Luton & Dunstable Cycle Forum of all they do for the cycling cause.  One of the things that make it work is the good relationship which exists with the local authorities.  It would be all too easy for such a relationship to be hostile, complaining, antagonistic.  Instead it appears there’s a good dialogue and, I sense, a good deal of respect for each other.  This is a credit to both sides i.e. the local authorities and the Forum.

Related: Tagged Busway posts

 

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UKIP and cyclists

Posted on 24 January, 2015 by doug

This week has seen the latest idiotic news headline concerning UKIP and cyclists.  The latest example of UKIP’s approach is from a Mr Lynton Yates (UKIP’s hopeful candidate at Charnwood in Leicestershire).

From Daily Mail

Mr Lynton has apparently said “Cycles should go back to the pavements yet give priority to pedestrians”.  The rationale behind this is a move to ease traffic congestion.

Furthermore he states unemployed people should have their driving licences suspended and be required to use public transport instead.

My view on this?

I have always viewed UKIP as a potentially dangerous party and, very worryingly, UKIP is all set to do quite well in the forthcoming general election in May 2015.  During the lifespan of the current Parliament they have picked up a couple of seats in by-elections and I dare say this trend will continue.  Many people like what they say on popularist topics such as Europe and immigration.

They are an immature party, with few of their likely candidates having any political experience of their own.  This is a recipe for all kinds of gaffs, dropped glangers and spats.  They are not working in a coherent way, instead they appear to be making things up as they go along as this latest daft suggestion is clear evidence.

UKIP’s stance on European matters is not helpful, in my view, to a harmonious and peaceful Europe.  They say they will reduce the foreign aid budget by £9Billion (which is relatively generous and generally has cross-party support) and I see this as being outrageous.  They do not appear to be prepared to act for the greater good, to support other countries and communities who are less fortunate and instead concentrate on behaving selfishly.  This selfishness is likely to be a vote winner for UKIP as they appear to act in the best interests of the UK by protecting our borders, wealth and assets.

Leisure or commuter cyclists in The Mall, London

Leisure or commuter cyclists in The Mall, London

And as for their stance on cyclists and the unemployed, I hope the electorate generally take note of this kind of rubbish and not get taken in by some form of patriotic propaganda.  If anything, cyclists are part of the solution to traffic congestion along with a more serious commitment to improve the transport infra-structure in a cycle friendly way.  People who are unemployed or drawing benefits may in difficult positions for complex reasons and offering support and assistance seem more appropriate instead of isolating people in society.  While other political parties genuinely want the best for this country and the population (although their approaches naturally do differ), they are generally more trust-worthy, experienced and have a better track record of diplomacy.  After all, diplomacy and a wise, thoughtful approach should be essential features of any Government.  Not ideas which are on-the-hoof and badly thought through.

Rant over.

Related: Mum Juice blog post about this is definitely worth a read about going viral with this story – click here.

 

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Raspberry smoothie recipe

Posted on 10 January, 2015 by doug
raspberry smoothie

raspberry smoothie

My Mother-in-Law is a bit of a hoarder at times and this applies to her stash of frozen raspberries, as well as 40 year old home made mead in her cellar.   So I’m thankful for a couple of things: firstly that she doesn’t read my blog, secondly she’s happy for me to work my way through her frozen raspberries.  They are now mainly of 2008 vintage, as the younger ones have now been consumed.

I do like raspberries, one of my favourite fruits and they do remind me of summer so much.   Below I will expand on their health properties along with the other fruit.  Firstly, here’s my recipe for one of my favourite smoothies:

4oz Raspberries

1 Pomegranate

Quarter of a pink or red grapefruit

Apple juice and/or water for preferred consistency

Method

Couldn’t be easier.  Wash or defrost the raspberries.  I normally check them over as raspberries are a soft and delicate fruit, so avoid any bruised or damaged fruit.  With the pomegranate, cut into quarters and spoon out the pink flesh, discarding the skin as best you can.  Pink or red grapefruit is best and use about one quarter, peeled and cut into small slices.

Put all of the fruit into a glass jug, add some juice or water gradually and then use a sharp hand blender to whizz them all together into a scrummy smoothie.  I don’t mind having a slightly thicker, soup-like smoothie but I imagine many prefer a more liquid consistency.

Why this smoothie is so good

Above all else, this is a kind of “cleansing” smoothie and delicious.  This is why:

Rasperries contain Vitamins C and B3, folate, biotin, folate, manganese, citric acis, fibre and some sugars.  Also, according to Eating for Immunity by KirstenHartvig, raspberries activate the body’s natural self cleansing ability and improve the health of the skin, hair, sweat glands, nerves, liver, bone marrow and mucous membranes.  Actually their usefulness for the body goes much further and at least this will give you an idea about their precious health-giving qualities.

Grapefruit is a very powerful detoxifying fruit, even on its own and helps to remove harmful microbes and strengthen the immune system.  It also has Vitamins A and C, potassium (helps deal with my frequent cramp) and a number of other nutrients.  Of course, grapefruit is not to everyone’s taste; I will have it because I know it’s good for me and it’s quite nice and refreshing on its own.

Pomegranate is a funny kind of fruit that takes a bit of work to get the edible flesh out.  I think it tastes quite nice, sweet but not overly sweet or sickly.  I always had it in the back of my mind that pomegranate was a protective fruit benefitting the prostate gland.  From this NHS article it appears this might be the case but research is not viewed as conclusive at present.

Water and a dash of apple juice helps make the smoothie the right consistency and sweetens it a little.  I hope you like my raspberry smoothie recipe – let me know!

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Which cycle shoes?

Posted on 9 January, 2015 by doug
My Christmas present - an IOU note!

My Christmas present – an IOU note!

Let me take you back a couple of weeks and tell what I got for Christmas from Rachel.  Off came all the wrapping paper as I was watched by my family, only to discover a shoe box and a pretty light one at that.   After all the excitement of unwrapping the substantial sized box, strangely light, I found inside a simple little note saying “IOU a pair of cycle shoes.  Love from Rachel”.  So which cycle shoes should I go for?

Specialized Sonoma cycling shoes

Specialized Sonoma cycling shoes

This now has started a chain of thought about which kind of cycle shoes to buy.  Apparently the reasoning behind Rachel’s choice of present for me was:

  • I only have one pair, never mind the winter and summer shoes that many a decent cyclist will have
  • For the last SIX years I have complained about them being too big.  In fact I used to have some newspaper stuffed in the toe area to pad it out.  Trouble is, this was not a good solution on wet rides
  • For the last EIGHT years I have never been overly enthusiastic about my existing Specialized Sonoma shoes, although I guess they’ve been okay
  • The Sonomas are heavy, especially in the wet as the foam used in their construction is super-absorbant
  • The Sonomas are slightly worn out.  As my friend Barry recently pointed out, I do tend to wear things out beyond the reasonable limit.  This was partly based on Barry observing my paper thin tyres when I had TWO punctures on ONE ride with him
  • The Endura overshoes I have are really hard to pull on as the shoes are simply too big

So far I have visited THREE shops in search of the ideal shoe and none have quite leapt out as being the right shoe in terms of what I need.  Oh, I forgot to mention my “shopping list” or specification.  I want shoes that are compatible with Shimano SPD cleats, reasonable for walking short distances without falling over, breaking an arm, shoulder or anything else.  Additionally, I don’t want white shoes, which seem increasingly popular.  I want them to be practical and perform well on and off the bike, so they have to be comfortable.  The final consideration is that I want to look “normal” and not some extreme, hard core racer when everyone knows that is something I am not.

Specialized MTB Comp shoes1

Specialized MTB Comp shoes1

So far I have checked out a few shoes from Specialized and a possible contender has been the Comp MTB at £130.  I like the Boa S2 snap dial, meaning they’re easy to do up and loosen to take off.  They seem quite light, walking is possible but not brilliant.  The fit is too “snug” i.e. too narrow.  Not that I have narrow fat feet, instead I believe pretty normal ones.

We also popped into Trek Cycles at Milton Keynes (pretty nice outdoorsy and sporty collection of retailers) and took a good look at some Bontragers.  No denying they’re nice shoes but not quite what I’m after.  We also checked out Evans and their shoes.  Again some were nice but not quite right.

So the search goes on.  Next to check out will be Shimano – not expensive, locally available and said to be wider fitting.  Other possible brands worth a look are Giro and Mavic. Both of these offer some interesting and hopeful looking shoes

Thankfully there was no “use by” or “best before” date on the IOU note.  I think it might take me some time before I settle on the ideal shoes which I hope will last a good 10 years (and I’ll be retired then, hopefully!).

Related: Specialized Sonoma shoes review

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Cannondale Supersix Evo – review

Posted on 6 January, 2015 by doug

 

Cannondale Super Six Evo

Cannondale Super Six Evo

My friend Barry treated himself to an early Christmas present in the form of a lovely Cannondale Supersix Evo.  It’s fair to say he likes it and I must admit it’s very nice.  This is what Barry has to say about it….

When Doug saw my shiny new Cannondale for the first time he asked me to do a review, so here goes.  I have had it about 4 weeks now but only done about 80 miles so far due to the grotty weather, however I have set new Strava PB’s on Bison Hill, Toms Hill and Dunstable Downs. If you don’t like reading reviews you can stop here, all you need to know is it is fast.

There are various models in the SuperSix Evo range, all of them Carbon. I went for the 2014 Ultegra model with carbon cranks and purchased it from Pedalworks in Dunstable. As the 2015 models are now in stock it came with a healthy discount.  The standard wheels that come with the bike are Mavic Aksiums. These are really good wheels but not that light.  My old Boardman had Aksiums on it and I wanted to step up a notch, so I struck a deal to upgrade them to Mavic Kysrium Elites, saving nearly 500g!

Well that’s the details of bike, so how does it ride?  In short great.  It is a full-on race bike with a low front end and only weighs a little over 7kg. It accelerates really quickly and climbs well.  On average my hill climb PB’s have improved by about 10%, which is significant.  What stands out is how composed it is over our typically rough roads, particularly at speed.  This might in part be due to the 25mm tyres, but is mainly down to the frame that has super slim seat stays. When the weather improves this feels like a bike that can be really pushed.

Since getting the bike I have changed the supplied Fizik Arione saddle, which I found rather uncomfortable, for one of the new Fabric Scoops.  The Scoop is a much more compliant saddle and is a better shape for my derrière. As a plus I sold the Arione on eBay for more than the Scoop cost!

So from this you can probably guess I really like the bike and am looking forward to exploring more of its potential when the weather gets a bit better.

Barry will hopefully share a few more details once he’s had the opportunity to clock up a few more miles and really put it through its paces.  Having taken a look at the Evo, it is beautifully finished and nicely put together.  If it rides as well as it looks, this is one great bike.

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First 2015 white knuckle ride

Posted on 4 January, 2015 by doug
Rachel cycling on the Busway

Rachel cycling on the Busway

Astonished.  Amazed.  Absolutely flabbergasted.  Read on.

“Let’s go for a bike ride, just us” I gingerly suggested “might be a nice thing to do in the sunshine and we can take it easy” I added, trying to make the thought a little more palatable.  After all, you might have read about the Reluctant Cyclist and how one needs to choose the time to make such suggestions with care.

No sooner had I suggested that and got an agreeable response, I must have blinked as instantly Rachel was there waiting in the driveway with her cycling trousers, helmet and bike, all raring to go.

“Did you say Bison Hill?” enquired Rachel.

I should say, for the benefit of readers who aren’t too local, that Bison Hill is the hill around here that cyclists like to tackle.  It’s just outside Dunstable, here in undulating Bedfordshire.  It’s a decent hill in terms of training, exercising and has its very own cluster of Strava segments at various distances.

“Bison Hill?  Really?” I asked, not quite sure whether to take Rachel seriously.

“Well I suppose if you’re whimping out Doug, we could simply have a little amble along the Luton-Dunstable Busway.  Let’s go”.

And so we did.  We did 3 or 4 miles or so, mostly ambling along side by side, trying not to unnerve each other too much as it can be a bit tricky, here and there.  It was lovely but freezing cold.  I had my winter gloves on and my fingers were feeling pretty cold, err white, white knuckles to put it mildy.  Rachel on the other hand was beaming and laughing her socks off at my wobbly attempts to photograph her using my iPhone.  These things just aren’t made for this kind of thing and I wouldn’t want to drop it.

Related:

The Busway’s Reluctant Cyclist

How to encourage a reluctant cyclist

Cycling up Bison Hill, Bedfordshire

Posted in cycling with others, family | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Veteran Cycle Club

Posted on 3 January, 2015 by doug
Veteran Cycle Club, Whitehall, 1 Jan 2015

Veteran Cycle Club, Whitehall, 1 Jan 2015

On New Year’s Day we encountered the Veteran Cycle Club after driving into London on our way to the National Portrait Gallery in SW1.  Unexpectedly we got caught up in the New Year’s Day Parade around Westminster (yes, we were walking as planned at that point!) and the only thing I really stopped to look at was the Veteran Cycle Club.

It was quite fortunate as there was a bit of a “parade jam” ahead of them and so they stopped right in front of us.  Quite a mixture of strange looking bicycles, all lovingly restored and the cyclists themselves were in period costumes to add to the picture.

It wasn’t surprising when I heard a little voice say “Is that like your bike Dad?” and then I realised it was a young lad asking his nearby Dad the question.  “Not bloody likely!” he said, in a stern semi-serious way.  At least it wasn’t me being asked by either of my daughters, although I could tell they were tempted to ask.  Instead I simply gave them “the look” and they instantly changed the subject and asked about lunch plans (years of parenting practice now paying off).

Please don’t be put off checking out the Vintage Bike Club by my lousy photo above.  It’s quite an interesting site although I must confess I don’t know much about real vintage bikes.  The nearest I can go is having a 1984 Dawes Galaxy hanging up in my garage and my eldest daughter has a splendid Argos fast tourer from the late 1980s.  Both of my own bikes have a Brooks B17 leather saddle – vintage design, comfort and tradition in their own right but somewhat quirky nowadays.

All this is giving me a nudge to call my friend Geoff as we normally have a New Year phone call.  He has a collection of Moultons and a curly stay Hetchins or two, amongst others.  I  have enjoyed listening in the past to Geoff waxing lyrical about the painstaking work and research needed to restore some bicycles back to their original state.  I think it’s a “labour of love” as nobody can ever do it as an investment as I’d be astonished if anyone ever got their money back, or made a profit.  However, that’s not the point.  People restore bicycles for the love of it, the challenge, the nostalgia, revisiting their youth, preservation and almost certainly there will be other reasons as well.

I mentioned that I’m not knowledgeable about vintage bicycles at all.  Nevertheless I cannot help but marvel at the ingenuity of bicycle engineers of old.  Although the materials and technologies were crude and basic by today’s standards, we have a lot to be thankful for.  It is amazing how they overcame technical problems with the available materials and ingenuity rather than the clever, high tech solutions around today.  One example springs to mind – the Sturmey Archer 3 Speed hub – internal gears which were incredibly reliable, durable and easy to use and produced decades ago and arguably very under-rated.

Me?  I appreciate the wonder of bicycles and how they help with efficient, sustainable transport.  I love bicycles for being a great way to stay fit, healthy and happy.  Bicycles are cheap to run (but not all the time according to my wife), the cultures and subcultures are fascinating and always developing.  I can appreciate the craftsmanship, the technologies, their occasional beauty and their clever designs.

All fine, but you’ll never catch me in tweeds.

Related:

London Tweed Run

WW2 bicycles at Hughenden Manor

Website link to the Vintage Cycle Club

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Half full, or half empty?

Posted on 2 January, 2015 by doug
is your glass half empty or half full?

Is your glass half full or half empty?

Quite a few times recently I have been referred to as a “half full” person and I think that’s something I can take as a complement.   While being optimistic and hopeful, I believe this has some real tangible benefits which might be worth outlining”

Health

I cannot prove this scientifically but I do believe people can make themselves ill by believing they are ill, or perhaps wanting to be ill.  I have seen this amongst some of the people I work with and it’s almost as if some might talk themselves into being ill and are wanting sympathy and understanding from those they meet.  In fact some people can appear to be constantly ill with one thing after another and relentlessly let every one know about it.

Conversely I think people can stay well and healthy by thinking in a healthy train of thought.  Likewise being positive and optimistic might help recovery from some illnesses or (and I cannot speak from any experience here) recover from operations and injuries more quickly.  Arguably some people recovering from serious situations might be more determined to recover and prove everyone wrong through being bloody-minded and utterly determined.

Now I know I have no evidence to back any of this up, apart from my own observations.  If you’re a Doctor or a medical type person, please feel free to correct me!   I am sure I’m being overly simplistic, but I don’t want to be.  Neither do I want to be glib or disrespectful to anyone.

Being a cyclist

Half empty, half full

Half empty, half full

Life is full of decisions.  A few people may have little choice and are forced into cycling through some kind of necessity.  Other people choose to be a cyclist for a whole variety of reasons (see 50 Reasons to be a Cyclist).

Could I argue here that people who choose to be a cyclist do so through being naturally optimistic and positive in their outlook?  After all, it would be so easy to think of reasons why you shouldn’t cycle on a particular day.  “Oh it might rain, or be a bit windy” might be heard by some and yet many a cyclist will totally disregard these things and go ahead anyway, in preference to using another form of transport.

There are times when it has been pouring with rain and I have decided to go for a what-the-hell bike ride or a run, just for the fun of it.  On one level that might sound ridiculous and yet you’ll have to believe me it can be fun, memorable and exhilarating at times.

And then there is the unexpected.  You never quite know who you might meet or get to know.  Even though you might be cycling over familiar routes there is always the chance of something new and different happening.   Plus there is always the option of looking out for a new lane or road that you’ve never cycled down before.

Typing this has caused me to remember the time, last summer, when I cycled to work in Stevenage one day.  Now I am fortunate in having many different routes which I can take and there is a network of little country lanes around my part of the Hertfordshire / Bedfordshire border.  I am still getting to know these lanes and on this particular day I deliberately had no map and decided to do some exploring on my way home with some “where does this go?  I wonder what’s along here?  I bet there’s a nice view from the top of that hill”.

Problem solving

Cycling does bring up a whole set of challenges and problems.  Are these obstacles?  Or are these challenges which need to be solved?

Are they challenges about mechanical things?  Many modern bicycles are a bit on the fragile side and do need a fair bit of attention.  I ride one bike for 99% of the time and there always seems to be something needing attention.  This is general maintenance rather than dealing with a breakdown and it seems this is far more than with my car.  If I have to do anything with my car in between the 10,000 mile services, that troubles me.  And yet a bicycle in that time would need tyres, brake pads, a chain, cleaning etc etc.   But these are not problems.  Taking care of a bicycle is enjoyable and gives good results.

Questions of fitness can be seen as opportunities to improve fitness and health.  Surely no one disputes the immense benefits from cycling?

So, are cyclists naturally “half full”?

I am a cyclist.  I believe I am naturally “half full”, optimistic, sees good in people, likes people, likes new experiences (but not quite everything!).  I’d like to think this is a common trait amongst cyclists.

Am I right?

Related:

Cycling in East Africa

Posted in confidence, health, people | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Bamboo bicycle frame – tempting!

Posted on 1 January, 2015 by doug
Calfee bamboo bicycle

Calfee bamboo bicycle

I could be so tempted with one of these bamboo bicycle frames. First off, this strikes me as being a realistic and viable material for a bike frame and one that challenges convention.

Straight away I like the idea of challenging convention; that’s just me. Just because something is tried and tested there is no reason why innovation and novel approaches shouldn’t be tried out. The World would be a worse place without quirky inventions.  But is “quirky” a fair term for these bikes? Think “bamboo bikes” and it is easy to imagine bamboo poles taped together with Gaffer tape and some conventional bike parts fixed on in a crude way.  Nowadays there is nothing further from the truth….

The benefits of bamboo

Very sustainable and environmentally friendly. All bikes have green credentials; these go further with a low carbon footprint

arguably, these are works of art and there will be relatively few on the road
the quality of the ride: reading published material there seems to be a blend between softening, dampening the vibrations arising from the road surface, through to a stiff ride where virtually no power is lost with the frame flexing (or “crabbing”)
And for myself?

Well, I really would like to try one out! Even better would be to go a step further and evaluate bamboo rims at the same time: yes these do exist as well!

Calfee, California

Perhaps there are some around like that and maybe even the prominent manufacturer Calfee started off like that. Craig Calfee is based in California and has had a bike business since the late 1980s. It started with a $10,000 loan to make the tooling equipment needed to make carbon fibre frames with some success. That has led on to being (almost certainly) the first to make a carbon fibre frame tandem. Innovation didn’t stop there because in 2003 he perfects a Coupled Carbon Frame. This where the frame can be dismantled for travelling etc.

As far as using the material of bamboo is concerned, this started in 1995 when a bike was made as a bit of a stunt. The story then rolls forward to 2005, some ten years later, when bamboo framed bikes were into production. A link was formed in 2006 with Ghana (west Africa) following Calfee’s visit there and making the observation about the way bicycles are used there.

Nowadays there is a range of bamboo frames that can be purchased; ranging from the Luna at $2,195 through to the Dragonfly at $4,195.

http://www.calfeedesign.com/

Closer to home: the Bamboo Bicycle Club

Build a bamboo bike

Build a bamboo bike

Myself, I rather like the idea of doing something closer to home.  This could come in the form of building my own frame at the Bamboo Bicycle Club; see the link below.  What could be more satisfying than riding around on something completely unique that has been made by yourself?  Well the “by yourself” needs qualifying as it wouldn’t be me growing the bamboo or crafting the lugs and other bits needed to pull it together but it’s as close as I’ll ever get.

http://bamboobicycleclub.org/build-a-bamboo-bicycle/

The home build cost starts off from £289 and this includes all the bits and pieces such as drop-outs etc.  No doubt the cost would grow a little if it becomes more exotic and of course, you’ll need to add all the components yourself.  I think you could either look out for a new bargain-of-a-bicycle and discard / sell the frame or pick up a donor bike second hand (probably more cost effective than sourcing individual components?).

We’ll just have to see what 2015 brings…..

Posted in materials | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A unique Specialized Allez

Posted on 27 December, 2014 by doug
Single speed Specialized Allez

Single speed Specialized

One of my blog readers, David Stevens, has kindly sent me this photo of his Specialized Allez 2014 model which he has adapted into a single speed version.  David has added a few details of this unique bicycle within a comment he left on a review I did of the Allez – click here – to read his account.

It goes without saying that single speeds aren’t everyone’s ideal bike.  I have heard and read some serious debates on the issue with strong views being expressed.  Myself, I think there is some real attraction in the simplicity of a single speed.  Providing the terrain you cycle in doesn’t contain too many steep hills and you choose a sensible gear in the first place, I think this is a realistic option with much appeal.

David also explains “I have a 9 speed chain with a narrow/wide chainring, gearing is 42*16 for approx 70inch. To add gears all I have to do is drop on a rear mech, cable and shifter and cassette. With the n/w chainring a front guide is not needed. I sometimes drop the gears on for group rides, nine on the back, single chainring, 11/30. I fit the shifter (MTB trigger style) on a stubby, which is a little stub sticking out from the stem, just behind the bars, but 99% of the time I ride single speed”.

Thank you David for sending this through, I much appreciate it.  I bet your bike rides really nicely and those wheels must surely make quite a difference.

Some further detailed photos:

shifter

shifter

Shimano 105 chain set with narrow/wide chainring

Shimano 105 chain set with narrow/wide chainring

Excentriker bottom bracket

Excentriker bottom bracket

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 5 Comments

Sunglasses at night

Posted on 17 December, 2014 by doug

Funny thing happened a while ago.  I was cycling along the Busway and I encountered another cyclist coming towards me.  Nothing unusual with this, except it was after sunset and he was wearing sunglasses at night!  Yes, sunglasses.  Seems a bit weird?

Hard to know quite what to read into this, other than my immediate thoughts were about whether he could see where he was going and whether he was safe.  I should say he did have lights on – but only just.  The front light was flashing and was one of those with a diffused lens to spread the dim light so it would be seen from a wider angle.  His bike was a BSO and was squeaking along quite slowly.

I said “hello!” or something like that but there was no response.  I think he was listening to music with earphones in.  Or perhaps too super cool to react?  Yep they were definitely sunglasses, the kind you’s buy in a 99p Store.  It was actually quite a comical sight or plain daft, whichever you want.

I hear you cry out “But cyclists do wear eye shades at night!”!

In fact I think I even spotted my friend Barry wearing some eye shades as he was speeding his way home the other night (I was in my car!).  Mind you, with his stunning bright Exposure Strada I’m thinking anyone near him would need sunglasses.  I digress.  So some cyclists wear some shades even at night but why?

It seems even at night and in the winter there are flying critters around, even in December if the weather is mld enough.  In the country lanes here in Bedfordshire / Hertfordshire they tend to hang around in gangs as if they’re looking for a Dispersal Order or something.  Just waiting, hanging around mid air and in line with the faces of cyclists and car windscreens alike.  Getting an insect in your eye is horrible and at night in the winter is most unexpected and disconcerting.

And then there is all the mud, grit and general muck around that gets flicked up by passing motorists.  Possibly even self inflicted for cyclists without a front mudguard – the minimalists, the time trial cyclists, the can’t-figure-out-how-to-fit-mudguards group and so on.

Also it has to be said some cyclists, myself included, are prone to crying their eyes out while cycling.  No, not through being upset or overly emotional, instead through the cold freezing air making your eyes stream.  This sometimes happens to me while I’m bombing down a hill, 30mph and over, and I can’t stop it.  It’s quite funny turning up somewhere looking as if I have been crying my eyes out.

And me?

You know I hate wearing glasses for reading and also sunglasses for bright days.  I just do, I really don’t like it.  Besides, glasses of any kind seem to have a very limited lifespan owing to me keeping them in my pockets with keys, coins etc.  But sunglasses, in the dark…..?

Please tell me if I’m missing something here.

Related:

Cycling and sunglasses

Luton Dunstable Busway tag

Posted in people | Tagged | 3 Comments