Cycling in the Autumn

Posted on 18 October, 2013 by doug
This morning's misty commute near Preston, Herts

This morning’s misty commute near Preston, Herts

Cycling in the Autumn can be a very special time.  You have the benefit of your summer fitness and we are sometimes treated to some glorious weather conditions.  This all adds up to be a fantastic opportunity to clock up some high quality miles.


Enjoy your surroundings

The different seasons bring different delights of the countryside around us.  Autumn in England is famed for mellow colours, the first woodsmoke coming from little cottages and gentle soft sunshine.  A time of year when leaves lose their summer greenery and treat us to an infinite range of reds, oranges and yellows.   A time of year when some people lament the passing of a lovely summer and shortening daylight.  Others revel in the changing seasons of the year and life as a whole.

Clothing and staying the right temperature

In mid October, temperatures here in Southern England can range from about 5C to 20C, all in the space of a few hours.  With that range layering clothes is probably the best option and cycle clothing caters for this with numerous base layers, jerseys and jackets to choose from.

Added to that arm warmers and leg warmers are worthwhile as well.  These are often made from Lycra and you won’t look aout of place wearing these on a bike.  Then when the temperature rises, they are easy to take off and slip into a pocket or saddle bag.

Autumn is also the time of year when gloves might start to be worn, especially in the early mornings.

Shorts are certainly an option, especially for warmer days and also three quarter length tights are fine too.  Don’t go anywhere without a waterproof jacket of some kind.  Even if it doesn’t rain, misty conditions can be surprisingly cold at times and an extra layer can make all the difference in staying warm or thoroughly chilled.

Making sure your bike is okay

After many miles during the summer months, it’s always worth looking over your bicycle before a ride, just to make sure all is well.  It takes no more than one minute to check the tyres are sufficiently hard and spin the wheels to make sure there’s nothing rubbing against mudguards or the brake blocks.  With the brakes in mind, try pushing the bike forward to check the front rake works sufficiently.  Squeeze the rear brake lever and try pulling the bike backwards to make sure they’re still effective.

As with all rides, make sure you have a minimum repair kit.  I recommend a spare inner tube, one or two tyre levers, a pump, a multi tool and a mobile phone.  The multi tool should have allen keys for your bike – normally 4, 5 and 6mm.  Posh ones have chain rivet extractors, screw drivers and kitchen sinks.

You might want to consider having working lights on your bike, even if you don’t intend to be out after sunset.  Even if you don’t get delayed, some days can be grey, dull and having a flashing rear light is a wise move.

Take care

Sometimes there are patches of leaves around: these can be slippery, slimy and could easily thrown you off.  Wet “manhole” covers are also hazardous.

And finally

Enjoy at least three great rides this Autumn.  Make yourself a promise you’ll find a way to have three memorable rides when everything goes well – do this before 1st December.  Making that effort can bring real rewards of unforgettable rides which you can cherish through the worst of the winter months when cycling isn’t so easy.

cycling in the autumn

 

 

 

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New venture!

Posted on 15 October, 2013 by doug

Healthy Living – Back from the Edge

Take one forty something, flabby, overweight, stressed out public sector manager and push him to the limit.  Does he crack?  No way.  He turns a dreadful situation into a positive and life changing situation by improving his own health.  Now this 50 something has lost loads of weight, runs marathons and loves inspiring others.  That person is me!

If you live and work in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Bucks or London, why not book me to come to your team or company?

IMG_0011

I will run an interactive seminar or training session for your colleagues.  Aimed at keeping stress under control and looking at the first easy steps many can take to get into better shape – it could be a wise investment for your company.  It can benefit you by lowering sickness rates, helping address stress levels and bringing people together for a reflective time which is fun, thought provoking and engaging.

It might even be life changing – it was for me – and it could be for you or your colleagues too.

Just use the contact page and I’ll get back to you in a flash – simply click here

Personal Best at the 2013 MK Marathon

Personal Best at the 2013 MK Marathon

 

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Another way to annoy car drivers

Posted on 15 October, 2013 by doug

Screen Shot 2013-10-14 at 22.03.35Ever tried cycling down the hard shoulder on the M1 motorway?  Ever tried sticking your head in a gas oven?  No? I thought not, both are equally daft and potentially deadly.

Unlikely as it is, on 14th October Police were called with reports of a cyclist riding along the hard shoulder near Junction 9 on the M1, heading south.  Apparently he was heading towards London and after the Police had spoken to him he agreed to catch a train instead.  While this was against the law, no further action has been taken against him.

This must be an incredibly dangerous thing to do.  To make things worse the conditions were really awful. Secondly he was riding along without any lights or reflective gear.

This must be the kind of thing which absolutely terrifies motorists.  Just imagine moving over onto the hard shoulder in car, and then having to make an emergency stop because somebody is riding a bicycle along, not what you’d normally expect to see.  At least he was riding in the right direction.  I don’t think this is just a case of a cyclist annoying car drivers, it is a case of absolutely terrifying them.

Perhaps this will actually add to the arguments of cyclists being bad news?

Cycling on A roads

Many cyclists avoid using A roads, especially busy ones.  My friend Wallie will sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to avoid them.  And yet I think many A roads are reasonably safe for cyclists: they tend to be relatively straight, without any tight bends.  They tend to be fairly wide with enough room for cars and commercial vehicles to pass cyclists with a good amount of room.  Also maintenance is (probably?) better with fewer potholes etc. I will use A roads if I need to, sometimes there’s little choice but I do prefer the quieter country lanes – I’m not extreme here!

I imagine the man caught for riding his bike along the M1 – arguably the busiest motorway in England – is comfortable with A roads? Was it because he wanted a direct route from A to B?  Wanted to avoid some steep hills?  Maybe just a bit reckless….?

 

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Rainy ride with a Trek bar stop

Posted on 14 October, 2013 by doug
Rainy ride and stopping for a Trek snack

Rainy ride and stopping for a Trek snack

Here I am stopping for a quick snack: a Trek Peanut & Oat bar (more on this below).  Eagle eyed readers will know I’m booked in for the Coast to Coast In A Day challenge for 2014 and some of my friends are also taking part.  We’ll be having some more cycle rides together as we train but for this afternoon, it was just me.  Me, my bike and the rain.

Ride in numbers:

Distance: 29.6 miles

Average speed: 15.6 mph

Mother-in-Law stops: just 1

Trek bar stops: 1

Gashed tyres: 1

Punctures: 0 (thankfully)

Today’s ride:

Turned out I was on my own for this ride but that was okay.  As I set off I was vaguely aware of a few spots of rain which got heavier and heavier as each mile went by.  At one point I remember thinking about turning back or perhaps taking a shorter route but decided to press on.  Why?  Simply because I’d been looking forward to this ride all week and I wasn’t going to let a little rain spoil it.  By coincidence I covered the same route as last weekend as that was, for the most part, gently undulating with no serious hills.  I was quite pleased with the pace and I even enjoyed the rain after a few miles!

As I always seem to be more vulnerable to getting punctures in wet rainy conditions, I was painfully aware of a nasty gash in my front tyre.  Noticed it a few days ago.  Having survived this ride with a tyre like that, I’m pushing even my luck too far.  So I’ll be ordering a new one soon.  Won’t be another Panaracer Pasela though – even with Tourguard built in, I’ve had too many punctures from these.

Gash in Panaracer Pasela - oh dear!

Gash in Panaracer Pasela – oh dear!

Trek time!

It’s nice to stop for a snack sometimes and I was eager to try out the latest Trek bar to come my way.  This is the Trek Peanut and Oat whole food energy bar, it’s vegan and GM friendly.  First bite was familiar – a nice solid consistency.  This is useful for us cyclists as no one wants a snack that falls to pieces after a mile in the saddle bag.

The Peanut & Oat flavour was new to me and I am a real fan of these snack bars – especially because they have minimal processing and they’re good wholesome foods.  I liked the savoury taste a great deal.

I suspect Trek and nakd bars will be featuring quite a bit in our Coast to Coast training as we need to have a compact source of energy as the miles increase between now and June 2014.  A few of the others in the group have already said they’re keen to try them out.

For now the Trek Peanut & Oat protein bar from Natural Balance was pretty good.  I like the slightly crunchy texture (the peanut pieces I guess) and the feeling you’re eating something substantial.  Packed into the 68g bar is 11g of protein and 239g of carbohydrate which we all know to be a good dose of slow release energy and this is what we cyclists need.  Having dates as a principle ingredient means there’s an nice taste, along with some more instant energy (some fellow runners like to eat dates on long distance runs).  I certainly felt well energised.  Peanuts, or peanut butter, is really healthy in my book as part of a healthy well balanced diet.  This means you should frequently have a little to contribute good things to your diet.  In the case of peanuts they provide monunstaturated fatty acids (these are healthy fats).  These fats are healthy in the right quantities.  Some people assume they’re fattening but in practice we are likely to have them in small quantities there is no problem – and that’s why these healthy snack bars are great for delivering a sensible amount for us to enjoy the taste AND the benefits.

Mother-in-Law time

I usually drop into see the Mother-in-Law on a Sunday afternoon and today was no exception.  She thought I was a little mad for cycling in the rain but confessed to having got used to this sort of thing over the years.  I dried out for a bit, cuppa tea and the final 6 miles blast to our home.

I feel great!  I really do.  I need to cycle longer to enjoy the same ‘high’ I experience from running.  A big part of me just wanted to carry on further – 29 miles was just enough to get going.

Trek Peanut and Oat snack bar

Trek Peanut and Oat snack bar

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iPhone 5c review

Posted on 13 October, 2013 by doug
New iPhone 5C

New iPhone 5C

I know this iPhone 5c review is a bit of a departure away from more explicit cycle related reviews, however, this does have a connection and I think it’s worth a mention.  The iPhone 5C is a big step for me and I absolutely love it.  Here’s why (see below second photo for more details):

  • My old Motorola phone is getting a bit “long in the tooth” having bought it second hand in 2006.
  • An iPhone, through adding applications is incredibly versatile in terms of what it can do.
  • It solves the problem of being tempted to buy a Garmin (GPS watch for running), a new satnav for the car and a new camera.  Never mind a new this, new that etc.  All these devices, and more, in one neat package.
  • I already have an Apple computer, so now everything syncs beautifully
My new iPhone alongside the Motorola

My new iPhone alongside the Motorola

And some of my first impressions and other thoughts….

  • My wife and daughters each have iPhone 3s so now it is easy to keep track of each other via ‘Find Friends’
  • I got it from an Apple store.  They set it up for you, just as you want.  It  even came with the battery 70% charged, more than enough to get set up in the shop and have a little play on the way home.  I got it on a Saturday afternoon and they were seriously busy so another customer and I shared the Apple employee as she took us through set up together.  Ideally I would have liked a little more 1:1 attention but then arguably I was expecting too much on their busiest time
  • I love the earbuds.  They sound good and are a very good design although they do appear to resemble Barbie’s hair dryer.  Through the thoughtful design, the “speaker” points the right way in your ear but you need to quickly get into the habit of knowing the L and R shape.  There is also an in-line control for volume and pause, plus a microphone for voice memos, talking to Siri and the telephone
  • I like the blue plastic body and prefer it to the 4 or 5S.  It is so rigid it doesn’t feel like plastic.  Nice and slim and smooth.  It comes with a choice of other colours to suit your personal choice.  Some people imply this new iPhone is aimed at a younger customer group who enjoy a more colourful world.  It goes on to imply the 5s is aimed at a more mature and sophisticated market.  Maybe it is but who cares?  Who cares if 50 somethings buy colourful iPhones?
  • It appears very strong and incredibly well made.
  • I loathe the box it came in (Apple like the tactile qualities; this time it is naff)
  • I also loathe the pretentious video on the Apple website where some big cheese waffles on about the concept and the “experience”.  Oh man…. don’t spoil it, please!
  • It’s very user-friendly and logical, once you’re acquainted with the Apple approach
  • The staff at the Apple store give a brilliant service, explaining and showing you how to use it
  • Seems as future-proof as it can possibly be
  • Siri (the voice command feature) and I are getting to know each other and it seem quite good until you ask some personal questions.  My daughters have been asking how old he is, does he have a girlfriend etc.  Hilarious!
  • The battery life seems great which is what I need as a cyclist.  When I go on long rides with GPS enabled, I want to know where I am, take photos throughout the day and be able to review the stats when I get home.  So far so good.
  • First book I got from the iBook store is the user guide – free!  Second book – the Bible
  • The camera is worth a mention.  It is okay.  Nice sharp pictures, effects to choose and some different formats.  The formats include a panoramic feature which really does work!  You don’t have to take a series of pictures and stitch them together afterwards, this does it all for you – brilliant!  Only snag is, the scene really needs to be a similar brightness from one end to the other as it does NOT apparently adjust the exposure seamlessly through the whole scene.  Still amazing though!

I am probably going to be required to “eat my words” as I have said in the past I’ll never get one of these things to go running and cycling with.  How wrong I was!

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How cyclists annoy motorists

Posted on 12 October, 2013 by doug
Waterbeach crossing CCTV

Waterbeach crossing CCTV

It has to be said, some cyclists push their luck a bit; so often this simply seems to fall into the hands of car drivers eager to moan about cyclists.  What kinds of things cyclists do to annoy car drivers?

My friend Jon has also been blogging about this from the perspective of a car driver who loathes cyclists.  Sad to say he actually has a point in saying some cyclists are irresponsible and they bring their troubles on themselves.

So here’s my list of things some cyclists do to annoy car drivers:

  • Firstly the above photograph.  Thankfully a rare event when a cyclist over takes a row of cars, passes the STOP barrier at a railway level crossing and is narrowly missed by a passing train.  This cyclist came within inches of being killed and to be honest it is impossible to blame anyone else other than the cyclist herself.  She was, by the way, spoken to by British Transport Police afterwards…..  This kind of thing, quite rightly, outrages everyone and not just motorists!  I bet the train driver had a fright, phew, flippin’ heck.
  • Cyclists over taking.  Picture the scene – slow moving traffic and a cyclist passes the whole queue with complete ease.  This annoys the motorist, not because the cyclist has done anything particularly wrong other than being completely free and not constrained by a long queue in which they are still burning fuel getting nowhere.
  • Cyclists under taking.  Can be risky business for us cyclists zooming passed on the inside.  Most concern is for the drivers of flash Bentleys having a pedal scrape along the paintwork (another reason to have 3rd party insurance with the CTC).  Serious issue is for cars turning and cutting a cyclist up…. who gets fined, who gets squashed?
  • Cycling without lights!  Could range from people being caught out unintentionally to cyclists sticking two fingers up.  No sympathy with that.
  • Car drivers not being able to overtake a cyclist.  So many seem to think bikes should be in the gutter and never mind the Highway code of waiting until its safe before overtaking.
  • Fat cyclists wearing Lycra.  Need I say anything more?
  • Cyclists not having to buy a tax disc, insurance, congestion charge, car parking fees and also pay out the huge amounts of money to keep a car on the road.  Sorry car drivers, that’s just tough.  Buy a bike.
  • Cyclists being all green types.  These are the annoying environmentally friendly, tree-huggers who ride around on 50 year old 3 speed bikes who make a point about saving the planet.  You biking guys – just carry on!
  • Cyclists are mostly lean and fit, not needing to spend £25 – £100 a month on gym membership.  They stay slim for free.  That annoys car drivers who are middle aged and already have a spare tyre, or two and maybe shelling out lots of money to burn some flab.
  • Cyclists who consider themselves above the law – flouting one-way signs, red lights etc.  Nah, shouldn’t do it.  But what annoys car drivers is that cyclists always get away with it, nobody cares.  But if a car drives the wrong way up a street, that’s a big deal and the Police take delight in nailing a car driver for that transgression.

Other ways cyclists annoy car drivers……?  Tell me, leave me a comment

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Impromptu Coast to Coast training

Posted on 9 October, 2013 by doug
L to R Jeremy, Me, Paul, Joshua

L to R Jeremy, Me, Paul, Joshua

Amazingly there are now seven of us – as friends already knowing each other – we are all now signed up for the 2014 Coast to Coast In a Day.  We all know each other as we’re members of the same church.  In terms of our fitness and cycling experience, it has to be said, we’re probably at various stages.  Nevertheless we’re all nervously keen to have a go and some how or other the four of us got together yesterday for our first training spin.  Now I can tell, you’re already impressed aren’t you, you are, surely you are…..?

Allow me to give you a little introduction to the team.  On the left there’s Jeremy.  It is all Jeremy’s idea in a way having noted my previous remark about doing a more challenging coast-to-coast ride – having completed an easier C2C as a family with friends.  He’s an incredibly strong powerful cyclist who has probably spent more time on MTBs in recent years but saw the light and got a road bike.

Then there’s me, author of this blog, who likes the idea of long endurance rides more than racing.  Over the last few years running has been my main way of keeping fit but cycling is the goal for now.

Next is Paul, in red and with a big smile.  Paul is riding a vintage Falcon bike with ridlicuously high gears. I think we’ll be persuading him to do something about that.  You’ll see he’s also modelling the latest Aldi cycling apparel, which actually seems decent stuff nowadays.

Joshua is next, Jeremy’s teenage son.  Josh is growing into being a strong cyclist, like his Dad, and I suspect needs to hold himself back for the benefit of the rest of us.

There’s a few others in our group who will appear and be mentioned, no doubt, some another time – Phil, Bobby and Robin.

Heart rate monitors

With Aldi in mind, they have been selling heart rate monitors cheaply, or so I understand.  As we were about to set off I was wondering what kind of ride we were in for as the other three were all checking their ticker rates.  I don’t have one of these but I do have a pretty good idea of how it feels to have my heart rate in the right zone and then going further (this is having benefitted from a fair bit of treadmill running with a HRM).

“Strooth” said one “my heart rate is already 125 and we’re not even moving”

“Oh mine’s only 58” says another

“Mine says nothing” says the other…… much fiddling going on….

Honestly guys, lets keep all this in perspective!

In all seriousness having a HRM can be very useful to maintain your training exercise in the right zone.  For aerobic exercise I think it’s good for us middle aged men to keep around the 140-150bpm area while training and for myself I like to have a few bursts going much higher.  I know my bursts on the treadmill used to take me very high, too high but I have lived to tell the tale and really benefitted.  Clearly with cycling there will be times when the bpm will go up really high, especially on hills and we can think of these as being opportunities for interval training.

And off we go…. 

I led as we headed west from Dunstable towards Ivinghoe Beacon.  It seemed quite tricky knowing what pace was right for us as a group.  We had an undulating ride and fairly easy going once we’d got into our stride until I found myself being distracted by a little commotion going on behind.

Paul had lept off his bike and clearly suffering from cramp in his calf muscles.  While there was a funny side to this with all the usual banter, I can totally empathise with Paul over this.  I’ve had quite a bit of cramp myself and I’m not certain what the cause actually is.

Paul dealing with cramp

Paul dealing with cramp

Anyway, aside from Paul being in some discomfort, to say the least, have you clocked Jeremy’s dashboard.  Compact LED light, multi-function computer and an Aldi heart rate monitor: you can tell he’s a contemporary cyclist.

Our undulations, from Ivinghoe took us through Slapton, Little Billington and Leighton Buzzard and through to Woburn from where we split off in different directions.  It was a fantastic ride; for me a whisker under 30 miles in under 2 hours.   It was great fun cycling with the others and I’m looking forward to some more rides together.

Once or twice I have since found myself in a panic over the C2C ride we have committed to.  I find myself swaying from thinking some disastrous thoughts about trying to ride the 150 miles – what happens if the wind is blowing the wrong way and there’s some foul weather?  Will I get lost, will I be last?  And then I find myself swaying towards the more positive angle for a whole host of reasons.

 

 

 

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Travel Choices Dunstable

Posted on 5 October, 2013 by doug

I have been meaning to tell you all about Travel Choices for ages.  Based in Dunstable and funded by the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, the aim is broadly to help people to think a little differently about how they travel around and provide all the information you could ever need.

Travel Choices in Dunstable

Travel Choices in Dunstable

Dunstable town

Dunstable, by the way, is a average sized town in Bedfordshire.  It has quite a heritage with much medieval history connected to the Icknield Way (now the A505) and the infamous crossroad with the A5 (which in former times was Watling Street).  This historic crossroad junction from which the town grew has also witnessed serious traffic jams and congestion which is what stays in people’s memory of the town.  Fancy a town being known for its traffic jams?  Yes that’s true; to make things even worse it has been featured on TV as a town where the recession has hit the traditional High Street very badly and worse than many other comparable towns.  It has never been a town where cyclists have been out in number and the local authorities have done virtually nothing with the humble cyclist in mind.  All in all it has a pretty shabby and run down image.

Things, however, have changed in recent years….

Enter Travel Choices.  A while back I got talking to Alvina Farrow, the Active Travel Co-ordinator.  Alvina and her colleagues are real advocates of sustainable transport and together a mine of information on all the local travel options and different ways of getting around.  If you need to know how to go from A to B, they’ll tell you the best route, the bus number, bus times and so on; this all comes under the “personal travel planning” element of the service which is completely free of charge.  They’re particularly keen to assist those who are starting a new job, or attending a college or university for the first time – in other words reaching out to people who might struggle with making the best choice as far as commuting is concerned.

Their premises is right in the middle of Dunstable, playing its own part in town centre regeneration.  It’s quite conspicuous with a couple of planters outside which double up as places to park (and lock) your bike while you pop in.

Okay that’s all very interesting, now what about cycling?

In talking to Alvina, while professionally she keeps a good balance on travel options, it’s clear she is really positive about cycling and this shows itself through a number of their initiatives.  It is almost as if they have brainstormed all the different reasons why people don’t ride bicycles and then they’ve come up with a solution.  In other words, there’s no excuse for not cycling in Dunstable!

  • Dr Bike.  You say your bike is broken?  Flat tyre or squeaky brakes?  Well Dr Bike can do a free safety check and show you the best way of resolving the problem or even giving it a quick tweak here and there.  Dr Bike pops up at various community events with his mobile workshop.  Through links with Local Bike Shops (LBS) you could even get a discount on the cost of servicing etc.
  • Dealing with busy roads.  Travel Choices can either plan your route for you, to avoid busy roads.  Alternatively they’ll cycle with you to help you gain confidence and skills in getting through those tricky junctions with a bit more ease
  • No bike? No problem!  Bikes can be loaned from advice given about the Wheels to Work scheme.  Even battery assisted bikes are available.  This is supported by their links to the Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity
  • New cyclist?  The Bikeability course is available, again free of charge, to support cyclists who need some guidance or support in managing their early rides and getting to grips with cycling.  This is also relevant for children who otherwise would be prevented from cycling by parents who might be too protective, albeit well intentioned.
  • Not sure if you’re up to it?  That’s covered if you’re 40+ with being able to have a quick health check (blood pressure, weight etc) on your own body through their partnership with the local health authority.
  • Events have been organised to get local people in the mood and thinking about cycling.  These include the Cycling Festival and a 100 mile organised cycle ride along with many other initiatives
Alfina Farrow, Travel Choices Dunstable

Alfina Farrow, Travel Choices Dunstable

I couldn’t resist asking Alvina herself about her own cycling.  Does she ride a bike herself?  Yes of course she does!   A real sense of enthusiasm came through in our conversation.  She enjoys all kinds of different bikes and showed that through grabbing a nearby Brompton and folding it up in the blink of an eye (this is one of her “party pieces” in talks in local schools etc).  She also tours and simply oozes encouragement about getting out there on a bike.

It really is worth checking out their website (click here) for the latest events and promotions being organised.  It goes without saying there’s also a Facebook page (click here).

And the outcomes are…. ?

One cannot help but wonder how an initiative like this will fair in the longer term.  After all, we’re living in austere times with a shrinking public sector and are Travel Choices cost effective?  How do you know if it’s provding us tax payers with good value for money?

On one level this is a straightforward one to answer.  Undertaking surveys to measure the number of local cyclists making their way around the town under their own steam will be a positive measure.  No doubt the use of the newly opened Luton Dunstable Bus Way and its parallel cycle track will be a good indicator, along side the numbers using the Bus Way itself.  Local demand and interest in Travel Choices has been “absolutely fantastic” according to Alvina.

There’s no doubt there are so many positive reasons to support Travel Choices.  Almost certainly there will be other knock-on effects rising from getting people to re-think their local travel.  Through getting people out of their cars (especially for short local journeys) will improve the flow of traffic through the town; it will certainly have a positive environmental effect.  You could argue the health of local people will also improve – cycling is a brilliant way to exercise and address those expanding waistlines which are all-too prevalant in the town.

I firmly believe the best advertisement for cycling is seeing other people happily cycling around.  The more people that cycle, the more fashionable it will be.  I long for the day when cycling will be the norm once again instead of it being seen as a poor man’s car, a reserve for those healthy sporty types or something for eccentric middle aged men (MAMIL*).  Whichever it is, a rise in cycling has to be a win-win situation for the well being of local communities.

*MAMILS = Middle Aged Men In Lycra 

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Cotswold cycling, yesteryear

Posted on 3 October, 2013 by doug
One of my readers, Martin Lewis, has been in touch following a recent article (click here) I wrote about this curious sign and logo we spotted at Bourton on the Water.
CTC logo

CTC logo

Very helpfully Martin was able to shed some more light on cyclists who used to pass through Bourton on the Water and also talk through some contemporary cycling clubs and how Windrush Cycle Tours has sprung into life.  I thought this was worth sharing, so over to you Martin….
The Old New Inn Bourton on the Water gets quite a few mentions in the old diary logs of my local club the North Cotswolds Cycling Club.  The Club flourished in the 1930s  – but dissolved with WWII looming and never reformed  . . .  until . . . 18 months ago . . .
When a few local minded riders based around the Morton in the Marsh area decided to start a “new” club – and looking at various naming options and doing a little historical research we stumbled upon the idea of resurrecting an old one !
And with the blessing and support of a surviving relative of one of the oldest members we re-ignited the flame of the NCCC again.
Within 18 months we are now over 180 members strong and flourishing with all age groups and abilities joining us and enjoying regular Sat and Sun rides.
The spirit and camaraderie of cyclists in the Cotswolds rides on !
Check out the old website about the early NCCC club – and its mention of club rides out to the Old New Inn at Bourton with attached pics:
 
The North Cotswold Cycling Club: a revival
The story of the North Cotswold Cycling Club (NCCC) is not a complicated one. It was formed in the early 1930’s by a group of friends and acquaintances living in the Vale of Evesham who discovered a shared interest in cycling. Finding there was no existing club locally for them to join, they formed their own. The Club they started survived, officially, for about fourteen years, until just after the end of the Second World War, though in all but name the arrival of war in the autumn of 1939 put an end to its activities, and signalled the Club’s demise. The NCCC was therefore active for just seven years (1933-1939).
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“A more typical Sunday run was the one held on a cold January afternoon in 1937, to the Club’s customary watering-hole at the Old New Inn, Bourton-on-the-Water.”

Providence Lodge - Burford

“As the Club matured, a pattern of regular dinner and tea stops became established, although not all of these stopping places were necessarily CTC approved. 
The Old New Inn was invariably the place to take tea when at Bourton-on-the-Water”
Some friends and I have just launched Windrush Cycle Tours – based in the Cotswolds
– so please feel free to like and support us and check us out at:
and on Facebook – thank you.

Thank you to Martin Lewis for sending through the above information, I’m only too happy to support this. 

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London to Paris cycle ride for The Hospice of St Francis

Posted on 3 October, 2013 by doug

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I’ve recently been contacted by The Hospice of St Francis and their fundraising cycle ride. Its from London to Paris and taking place between 2nd to 6th July and you don’t need me to tell you its a good cause.  This is what they say….

A 300 mile sponsored cycle ride from London to Paris along one of the best cycling routes in Europe. The Sunflower Cycle is organised by professional events company, Skyline, for 150 Hospice supporters nationwide. We’re hoping for at least 15 adventurous supporters to join The Hospice of St Francis’ cycle team!  Its from 2nd – 6th July 2014 (4 days cycling with the 5th day in Paris.) and will be from London to Paris – and the 300 miles in between! Starting at Crystal Palace, London.  Everything is included (excluding dinner on the ferry on day 1 and lunch and dinner on day 5) – Travel by ferry to France, return travel to London on Eurostar, accommodation, all meals, mechanics, guides and medical support.

Registration fee is £99 non-refundable deposit payable directly to Skyline. Minimum sponsorship £1450 in sponsorship (50% covers event costs and 50% comes directly to The Hospice of St Francis.) Every penny raised over the minimum comes directly to the Hospice too!  As the Hospice only receives 20% of its funding from the NHS, it is hugely due to the generosity of people in the local community, like our cyclists, that we can continue to offer our vital services. Their sponsorship will help us to continue to offer total care when time is precious.

Further Information:  Visit our website www.stfrancis.org.uk or contact fundraising for a full information pack or Andrea Grant, Community Events Fundraiser.  01442 869555 or  andrea.grant@fundraising.org.uk

Please note: I am not associated with the Hospice in any way  Any enquiries, please contact the above fundraiser with any queries..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Further Information:  Visit our website www.stfrancis.org.uk or contact fundraising for a full information pack or Andrea Grant, Community Events Fundraiser.  01442 869555 or  andrea.grant@fundraising.org.uk

 

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Crickey – I’ve entered the Coast to Coast in a day

Posted on 2 October, 2013 by doug

Screen Shot 2013-10-02 at 20.06.15Crikey I really have entered the Coast to Coast in a Day event.  Gulp.   Just handed over my £60.  I have never cycled 150 miles in a day before, let alone 150 hilly miles.

Even my friend Jeremy (who is like minded about this kind of thing) has no idea whether he can do it or not has entered the event and full of questions…. can we do it?  How do we manage the logistics?  He simply addresses  those things as “therein lies the fun”.  How frustrating!  I wish I could be as relaxed about it but nevertheless I have entered.

I think to myself, I can ride 50 miles in a day without any problems, so surely I ought to be able to double and then triple it?  Surely I won’t be the only 52 year old doing the event?

No doubt I will be blogging about the training and no doubt there will be times when I will need a bit of encouragement, so please be on hand to say nice things!

As for Rachel, my loving wife, she simply says “describing this as BONKERS does not come anywhere close enough”.  Having said that, she is totally supportive and wow, do I need that?  Yes, beyond all doubt.

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Bison Hill spin

Posted on 1 October, 2013 by doug

P1150684Saturday morning.  It was dark when I half woke up and then my alarm clock finished the job and I was wide awake.  So too was Rachel but that was not part of the plan.  Sliding into my cycling gear I was up and ready for a ride.

When I crept out for my early morning ride I didn’t know what route to take, a kind of “let’s make it up as we go along approach”.  As the dawn broke it was a lovely day and I turned my lights off.  there was a little bit of early morning mist melting away and there was much promise for the day ahead.  I found myself heading back over towards Studham which could mean only one thing: down to Dagnall and up Bison Hill!  Yep, the Bison.

Bison Hill

I have mentioned this little monster before and it is turning out to be a popular challenge for local cyclists.  Every time I’m anywhere near the Bison there always seems to be at least one cyclist either plodding up or whizzing down; today was no exception.

I nearly had the perfect excuse when I reached Dagnall as there was a “Road Closed” sign.  “Well” I thought “that wouldn’t normally stop me, a mere closed road, so why now” and so I pedalled along wondering if the road would suddenly disappear – it didn’t and soon enough I was there at the bottom of the hill.

I remember from before there was a little bit of confusion about where the start and finish line were but now it was completely settled.  The start was at the T-junction.  Finish was about 0.6 miles further up the hill where it starts to level off, just by the water tower.

Finish line on the Bison Hill, according to Strava

Finish line on the Bison Hill, according to Strava

Off I went pedalling away in the outer chain ring which very quickly became the inner chainring and then the gears gradually became lower.  I a nice easy pace the first half until I became very out of breath, my mouth was wide open, as I was panting really deeply. Even though that was happening, and I felt like my lungs were going to burst. I was really enjoying it.  I reached the finish line just under five minutes and at the time which makes me is fast as the 17th woman according to Stravo.com.

Coast to Coast 2014

Any thoughts of backing out of the Coast to Coast 2014 has now gone.  I had previously said to my friend Jeremy, that yes I would do it with him, as it sounds like a really good opportunity to have challenge lined up for next year.  And then yesterday I spotted in my inbox, Jeremy had written to a number of our mutual friends raising the possibility of a group doing the Coast-to-Coast 2014.  He mentioned that I had agreed to do it! So there was no backing out now.  Today, first of October, is the opening of the bookings so I will need to get it booked pretty quickly now.

Jeremy explained his email that the coast-to-coast 2014 cycle ride will involve 150 miles in one day.  He also said that it would involve riding up the equivalent of Bison Hill 30 times.  “Flip I thought, that’s going to be like torture but why not?”.

He went on to explain he didn’t know whether he could do the ride, or what the logistics would be.  Jeremy being Jeremy, said “therein lies the fun”.  Of course Jeremy can do it, he’s 10 years younger than me and I know he’s a really accomplished cyclist who easily leaves behind on Bison Hill.

Therefore I have a sneaky feeling that I’m going to be getting to know the Bison Hill really well over the coming months. It’s going to involve a lot of training in terms of distance, and the ability to undertake climbing of 15,000 feet in one day along with the total distance of 150 miles in the day.  I have mentioned this challenge to a number of my friends and colleagues; the majority of which think I am totally crazy for entertaining such an idea. This reaction makes me all the more determined to do it.  After all I can ride 50 miles already without any difficulties in one day, so it should be fairly straightforward to do some further training and increase that to 150 miles.  I wonder if it is similar to having been at the stage of being capable of running 8 or 9 miles and then undertaking a marathon?  That is something that I have done and have really enjoyed it, having benefited from it so much already.

So there I go, the bookings are open today, Jeremy will, no doubt, be on-line booking his own place and yes I will too later on this evening.  One of the things that drives me is the horror of having future regrets about this – I just don’t want to be a 95 year old thinking to himself “I wish I had done that while I had the opportunity”.

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Repairing punctures on the road

Posted on 28 September, 2013 by doug
Roadside repairs

Roadside repairs

I have had two punctures in the last month while commuting.  Repairing punctures on the roadside is a necessary reality for every cyclist sooner or later and makes the difference between a 10 minute delay and being totally stranded.  I can tell you I mutter all kinds of things when I get a puncture which I won’t go into right now – but you can easily imagine what runs through my mind.

My 20+ mile journey to work takes me through urban and rural areas, which have their own hazards – bits of broken glass in the towns and thorns in the countryside.  This subject also makes me wonder why I was stupid and bought a bike made by Thorn (only joking!).

For every cycle ride, I make sure I have:

  • a pump for inflating tyres
  • a spare inner tube (possibly two?)
  • tyre levers.  
  • glueless or self adhesive patches
  • a mobile phone
  • a spanner to remove the wheel, unless you have quick release hubs

How long a tyre takes to go flat can range from a few seconds to a few hours, depending on the size of the hole.  Last week while I was riding home from work, I was just about to climb a hill and the road had quite a lot of gravel, dirt, patches of mud etc all over it.  The front wheel made a funny noise and I assumed a leaf or something had got caught in the mudguard, so initially I carried on.  Within a few yards it was sounding worse and I stopped and then I could see the tyre become totally flat.

I knew there was a gap at the side of this narrow country lane about 50 metres up the hill so I pushed the bike there, so I’d have a safe place to deal with the puncture on this quiet rural road.  As I was pushing my bike, suddenly loads of cars came zooming through.  How embarrassing, they probably thought the hill was too steep for me and I’b bottled out right at the bottom….

The actual repair is pretty straight forward:

  • slacken off the brake if necessary.  Most brakes have some means of doing this, either on the lever or the brake calliper
  • if you’re taking off the back wheel it is probably easier if you put it in top gear (small sprocket) as this will make it easier when you refit the wheel
  • once you’ve got the wheel off the bike, take a look around the tyre to see if there is anything obvious causing the puncture.  If there is a thorn or something sticking in the tyre, it might be worth simply patching the tube.  Otherwise…
  • using a tyre lever(s) take out the inner tube and pump it up a little to find the hole.  Take care not to move the tyre on the rim as you might want to take a good look at the tyre and make sure you’re not going to get another puncture
  • either patch the hole a using glueless (or self adhesive) patch or use a new inner tube.  Don’t waste your time messing around with traditional glue which takes time to dry before the patch is applied – these seem awful nowadays in comparison with patches like the superb ones made by Park and others
  • Double check there is nothing else which is going to cause a second puncture.  Nothing else sticking in the tyre or any other rim damage etc?
  • Once the tyre is back on, pump it up a little and spin the wheel.  Does the tyre seem evenly fitted or does it bulge?  You might need to wriggle the tyre around to make sure it’s properly seated on the rim
  • Pump the tyre up as hard as you can – most road tyres need to be at least 80psi which can be hard work with a hand pump.
  • Put everything back where it should be, get yourself sorted out and carry on but do pay some attention to the tyre afterwards; just to make sure the repair is still good.
  • Sometimes you hear of cyclists simply discarding inner tubes in hedges or in a lay-by.  Don’t do it!!!! Don’t go getting the rest of us cyclists a bad name if that’s okay.  Besides, if you’re a thrifty person like me, you can repair the old inner tube easily at home and save yourself a few quid

If you get a run of punctures, do you need new tyres?  What’s going on?  Why?  What’s causing them?  Check out my previous post on preventing punctures.

Park tyre levers are excellent

Park tyre levers are excellent

I have tried lots of different tyre levers over the years and these made by Park Tools are the best in my view.  They work nicely and in bright blue you’re less likely to misplace them.  Their self adhesive patches are great and come in a little container barely any bigger than a postage stamp (so no excuses about having it with you!).

Finally, if you come across another cyclist who has his, or her, bike in bits and clearly having a problem, please make sure they are okay.  Please don’t be one of those aloof and snooty cyclists who doesn’t acknowledge or recognise other cyclists.

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Self adhesive patches by Park Tools are superb

Self adhesive patches by Park Tools are superb

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Busway latest

Posted on 27 September, 2013 by doug

Aside from rants about the Luton to Dunstable Busway’s rough surface and even finding myself on the local BBC 3CR radio station, there’s quite a few things worth mentioning.  Lately I have been cycling to my work in Stevenage twice a week; this is making the most of the perfect weather while it lasts.  Here’s some thoughts:

Cycle parking

There is some new cycle parking facilities at the train station in Luton, popular by the look of it.  These double-decker racks are appearing more these days and cyclists seem to like them.  I too have tried it out and I quite like them.  The Council have been thoughtful and placed them in a more public area which helps give that feeling of safety.

New cycle parking at Luton Railway station looks well used by commuters

New cycle parking at Luton Railway station looks well used by commuters

Some cyclists are almost trying “claim their own spot” by leaving their locks on the rack.  I can see the advantage in not having to cart around a heavy lock if it’s only going to be used at the station but it doesn’t mean you have a right to put your bike in the same place each day.

Cyclists often leave their locks behind

Cyclists often leave their locks behind

By contrast, the older cycle racks seem unloved now…

Older cycle racks are less attractive

Older cycle racks are less attractive

Other cyclists

Don’t know whether it’s just me but there seems to be quite a camaraderie developing between cyclists.  I like this.  Often we’ll say “hi” to each other and maybe even a brief chat, often having a moan about the rough surface!  One fella had a puncture and appreciated me offering to help him but he did (wisely) have a spare inner tube.

One or two, it has to be said, seem unsure of whether to pass other cyclists on either the left or the right.  This is confusing guys – let’s keep to the left, just as if we are on a road and then everyone knows where they are and what to do!

Some cyclists have been getting fed up with the barriers.  I can agree these barriers are a pain in the neck and even more so for Mountain Bikers.  Some have even decided they’re better off riding around the barriers, instead of through….

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Hatters Way

Many people are concerned about the narrow section on Hatters Way.  I have mentioned this before as it is concerning me how cyclists are meant to pass each other and be protected from the cars.

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The solution from Luton Council’s perspective is to put up a warning sign.  Sorry, this is still not good enough!  This morning I called Luton Council, thinking a conversation would be helpful rather than on-line grumbling.  From the Council’s perspective they didn’t seem to clock it as a big issue but in all fairness it might be looked at once more.  Fingers crossed….

This sign, on its own, is not good enough

This sign, on its own, is not good enough

On towards Harpenden

One of the nice things about the project is that it almost joins up with the cycle track which then heads down towards Harpenden (this means you can cycle a considerable traffic-free distance).  Sometimes I partly use this route for variety.  It can be fast!  This is a nice surface all the way along and seems well used by cyclists and walkers alike.

Luton to Harpenden cycle path is fast!

Luton to Harpenden cycle path is fast!

Overall….

It is far from perfect but a great asset for Luton and Dunstable.  Providing it is well maintained it will add to and improve the infrastructure in the area.  I still think the measure of success will be people using the cycle track instead of the Bus Way!  Already there is a growing number of cyclists using it and during the evenings joggers and runners are often out using it.  Good for them!

Some other time I will talk about the art works which are placed along the Busway as this is another interesting feature.  Can you tell it is growing on me?

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