Dealing with squeaks, rattles and other irritating noises

Posted on 25 August, 2012 by doug

Although I know how a bike works and appreciate a nice smooth running bike, I’m not always quick to react when something might be wrong.  I should know better and yet I don’t want to become a bike nerd and get preoccupied with the mechanics too much.

Nevertheless a new noise started on my bike and gradually became louder over the last 100 miles.  At first I thought (and hoped) it was nothing more than my keys rattling in the saddle bag.  I eliminated that along with making sure nothing else was rattling in the bag.  The rattling, ticking noise continued and seemed to get louder.  I knew it was nothing to do with the pedals, bottom bracket or the chain as it was there all the time.  It didn’t seem to be affected by the road surface (i.e. smooth Hertfordshire or rough Buckinghamshire) and I was starting to think it might be connected to the rear hub, as that it where the noise seemed to be coming from.  I ignored it for a little, wishfully hoping it might fade away but I knew that was stupid of me to be in denial.  Get a grip Doug.

I took the back wheel out having checked there was no obvious side-to-side play.  I turned the axle and to my delight it was as smooth as it could possibly be (BTW these hubs are Miche RG2 as recommended by the LBS and they’re brilliant).  I checked a few other things and was still puzzled.

Then I remembered an old trick I learnt back into the 1980s about this.  IN fact it is what any cyclist should do before going for a bike ride:

  1. Lift the bike up off the ground, by about 10cm.
  2. Let go and drop the bike onto the floor and listen.
  3. Does it sound right?  Does it clatter and rattle?
  4. If it does, repeat dropping the bike but perhaps one wheel at a time until you find the problem
  5. Feel the tyres to make sure they are as hard as they should be and be confident you haven’t got a puncture.
  6. Go for your cycle ride

Had I gone through these steps myself, I would have realised instantly a mudguard stay was rubbing against the rear pannier rack.  Fixing it took five seconds, that’s all.  If only I’d done that first, instead of cycling for 100 miles and almost talking myself into buying new bearings etc for the rear hub.

Isn’t life a bit like this sometimes?  We can go through life with little niggles and we can hope they’ll go away. They rarely do on their own and procrastinating often leads to the issue becoming worse still over a period of time.  All too easily we can be our own worst enemies and yet it doesn’t have to be like that at all.  Once again I hear myself say “Get a grip Doug”.

Hey, what about you?  Do you stay on top of those niggling rattles on your bike (and maybe in life) or deal with them promptly.  I’d love to hear a few views on this….. please leave a comment below for me.

Posted in cycle maintenance | 2 Comments

Review – Raleigh Outback SPD type pedal

Posted on 24 August, 2012 by doug

My daughter has treated herself to a pair of these pedals for her Birthday Bike Project.  She went into our LBS and selected a pair of shoes, having tried on every conceivable pair (at least twice), walked around in them, looked in the mirror and negotiated the price.  According to Rachel (Mrs Ramblings) it took ages.  Much quicker was the selection of the pedals with the friendly LBS man saying “you can have the lot for £75”.  We’ll do a review on the shoes soon but in the meantime, we’re not too sure about these pedals.

To put them in context, the ticket price is £29.99 and are distributed by Raleigh  and manufactured in Taiwan.  I don’t think SPD compatible pedals come very much cheaper than that very often.  They are double sided, with adjustable spring tension and come complete with a pair of cleats.  The box says they have “smooth running ball bearings” which we may dispute a little.  One side is perfect, the other is a little on the rough side but I’m sure that’ll wear in quickly.  The price is curious in a way.  By the time you take off 20% VAT, bear in mind the LBS will probably make around £8 to £10 profit, Raleigh themselves will take a slice, someone will pay for the cost of shipping them half way around the world.  Then there’s the packaging and the ex-factory price.  No one is getting rich out of these pedals.  The actual cost of making these must be very little.

Becky seems to have adapted very well to using them and fully recognises the benefits of this type of clipless pedals.  All good stuff.

Then, out of curiosity, I thought I would try these myself, while wearing my own SPD compatible Specialized Sonoma shoes.  They snapped in with the familar click alright but it was less easy to get out.  Twisting my heal outwards was simple enough but then I realised the technique required pulling my foot slightly backwards.  This is a little unnerving and on closer examination of the pedals the metal guide that guards the cleats in is more pronounced.

Would we buy these again?  Probably not but they do work in a satisfactory manner but  without setting the world on fire

Posted in birthday bike project, cycle maintenance, reviews | 1 Comment

Pumping up bike tyres

Posted on 21 August, 2012 by doug

Every cyclist needs one of these – a track pump – but not necessarily a Specialized one.

Problems from an over-inflated tyre

Tyres can be blown off the rim if the pressure is too high and this can occur in a few different ways.
Don’t ever use one of those air lines at a petrol station for inflating tyres.  They pump air in too quickly for bicycle tyres.  Half a second too much and you could add 20psi too much.  Besides, the roller style gauges are renowned for being totally inaccurate.
Don’t do as I did recently.  I fitted a new tyre onto my daughter’s bike.  Pumped it up to the recommended 105psi and left it in the sun.  Ten minutes later there was a loud BANG just like someone firing a gun.  The tube burst and threw the tyre off the rim.  Could have been caused by the tyre not being seated properly, although I did check it while I was inflating the tyre.  I’ll never know.
Lastly, imagine your tyre is pumped up to the recommended pressure.  It’s a summers’ day and you are freewheeling down a long steep hill.  Naturally you apply the brakes gently to keep a steady speed.  The friction of the pads on the rim can heat a rim and inner tube very quickly and thereby increasing the air pressure drastically.  I once knew someone who experienced this frightening accident.  What made it worse was it was the front tyre that exploded off the rim; which inevitably caused the tyre to instantly get jammed in the brake and launch the cyclist in flight over the handlebars.  Not recommended.

Problems from under inflated tyres

  • Getting punctures – under inflated tyres have more tyre in contact with the road and all the debris that’s there and consequently increasing the chance of getting a puncture.  Hard tyres often seem to flick bits of gravel to the side.
  • Dents to the rim, rim going “out of true” – caused by a very soft tyre bottoming out on a kerb, stone or maybe a pothole
  • Losing control – if you have a soft tyre on the front wheel and hit a bit of rough road surface, it can easily lead to losing control if you’re going fast
  • Increased tyre wear – as simple as that
  • More effort needed – you’ll use more energy 
  • Taking the trouble to ensure your tyres are at the correct pressure will probably cause you to notice other things on the tyre.  This could include bits of glass working their way into the tyre, sidewall damage etc.

Track pumps

Having a track pump makes it so easy to bring your tyres up to the correct pressure.  With 700c tyres typically running at 100psi or more it’s hard work to achieve this with an ordinary hand pump (like the kind you could carry on your bike).  With a track pump it’s simple and needs hardly any effort.

Probably worth me commenting on this particular track pump and why it’s important to buy one with care.  This is a few years old now, probably no longer sold and therefore no need for me to review it properly.  The main down side is that it feels a bit flimsy.  When you have your feet holding it firmly to the floor and you’re pumping hard, make sure you pump straight down and not slightly sideways.  This is because it feels a bit flimsy, especially where the barrel joins the base.  It’s not all bad.  The gauge is fairly accurate, it pumps efficiently  Specialized have given it an ergonomically well designed handle and the tube is generously long.  It works with Schrader (car type) and Presta valves.

Other track pumps worth “tracking” down

SKS Airkompressor 12.0:  not bad but still a little flimsy.
One23 Pressure+: works okay but cheap and cheaply made
Pedros Prestige: more expensive at £40 but durable.  Performance is adequate
Topeak Joe Blow Max HP: another short hose but effiicient
Leyyne Sport FD:  worth getting for good all-round performance and a quaint wooden handle.  Easiest to switch between value types.
Blackburn Air Tower 1: not bad at all for one at the cheaper end (£24.99) and a good brand
Posted in cycle maintenance | 3 Comments

“Hills hurt, couches kill”

Posted on 15 August, 2012 by doug

“Hills hurt, couches kill” is a quote that caught my eye from the amazing 39 stone cyclist, Gary Brennan.  If you’re overweight, obese or even morbidly obese please do not give up.  Follow the link below which will take you to his blog and read his story.  Better still, follow his progress, be inspired and maybe even support him in his quest to help other people.
In his 30s he weighed in at over 39 stone which is roughly three times what he ought to have weighed.  Just imagine, weighing three times the weight you are now: unbelievable!  As you can imagine he was having some health issues and, according to his website, discussed with his Doctor the possibility of a gastric band operation.  In the end the surgeon said his situation was far too dire for such an operation like that.  Cutting a longer story short he didn’t have the operation but instead bought a bike and started cycling.
You might say the rest is history, which it is but actually I think it’s more that just that.  It is a story of a man whose now on a mission.  He’s outspoken, loud, to-the-point and effective with it.  He’s totally dedicated to losing weight, keeping it off and yet there’s a side to him which is far from his normal brash in-your-face style In his blog he refers to people’s demons, the fear of over eating and ending up where he started from.
In his blog and he’s got a style all of his own, you can read about his progress, take in all his comments about his bikes, components as well as the ins and outs of cycling in busy urban environments.  Take a look, especially if you’re on the edge of wanting to do something positive like lose weight and ride a bike.
Posted in health, people | 1 Comment

Routine brake pad check

Posted on 11 August, 2012 by doug

This is about the importance of taking a closer look at your bicycle.  As an example of why this is important, this morning I checked over my bike, I discovered there was an issue with the rear brakes on my Thorn Audax.

On one side there was a tiny bit of metal embedded into the brake pad.  This was enough to cause a horrible grinding noise which is why I took them off for a closer look

Note the vertical grooves: these are wear indicators

The brake pad on the other side shows how the pad was a little too big for the wheel rim.  As it gradually wore down, you can see how it was just starting to wear into the tyre.

Running horizontally is the wear line of the rim (not very worn at all)

These brake pads are manufactured by Shimano and are original equipment on my bike.  Their performance has been adequate but not outstanding at all.  It is, of course, worth bearing in mind other factors do make a difference: levers, cables, cable outers and of course the brake callipers themselves.

For a moment I felt rash and decided to buy some new pads even though they weren’t completely worn out.  After all, in nearly 3,000 miles I have replaced one inner tube and now some brake pads; whatever next?  Heck, does this mean my bike is nearing the scrapheap?

For quickness I have bought another pair of Shimano pads (£10.99 from Evans) but will research alternatives that might be a bit better.

Posted in cycle maintenance | 6 Comments

Cycling with children

Posted on 11 August, 2012 by doug

Cycling with our two daughters is sometimes , shall we say, “interesting”.  It’s almost like their characters and outlook in life are being expressed through the way they cycle.  This can be seen from all kinds of different angles and perspectives and almost a reflection on life.  Might be worth exploring a little here, so let’s see how this turns out….

Here’s Hannah who’s 12, our youngest daughter.  Not a keen cyclist by nature but wiling to have a go.  Determined to cycle at her own pace no matter what everyone else is doing – anyone who doesn’t accept this may have to grapple with Hannah discarding her bike there and then and walking, possibly in the opposite direction.  It’s fair to say you know where you are with Hannah!  Even when she was learning to ride her bike there was that solid independence – “you can show me what I need to do and then I’ll work it out myself” with Hannah refusing any help in mastering the art of balancing.

Then there’s the cute side of her – the smiley sticker on her helmet, the little animal stickers on her bike.  Who cares if she’s covering up the upmarket manufacturer’s logo.  There’s a determined side as well, perhaps one of not wanting to be outdone by her elder sister in going up hills.  Hannah’s technique is to plod along, allowing her sister to wear herself out by blasting up a hill in top gear.  Meanwhile Hannah ambles her way up the hill, slowly and in bottom gear.  They both arrive at the top at the same time and thoughts of the Hare and the Tortoise spring to mind.

Becky on the other hand is different.  She appears more at-one with a bike and has been a natural.  Now she has stepped into the world of road bikes I have difficulty in keeping up with her.  We wonder if she will become a future Victoria Pendleton.  Seeing her on a bike is seeing her full of ambition and youthfulness which needs capturing, nurturing and coaching to see where it may take her.

For Becky there’s more of a sociable side to cycle: much less likely to ride alone for the joy of it but loves riding with others.  Like her sister, she has no concern about the mechanical side to a bike.  Just so long as it’s a personable possession and does the job.  Thankfully no regard to the latest groupset or aerodynamic spoke design.

I put the idea to her a while ago about cycling competitively.  Having mulled it over there’s now a little interest and I think there’s a little potential there to be harnessed and see where it leads.  It’s wonderful seeing that zest for life, that joy of rolling along through the countryside taking in all that is around, enjoying the experience.

Becky and Hannah are full of contrasts when compared to each other.  Both have their own characters and determination to do things their way and, to a certain extent, on their own terms.  Isn’t life a bit like that – having to make yourself heard, sometimes to push yourself forward and yet to recognise times when you need to allow others to go first, to consider the “greater good” and what’s best for the family or the team as a whole.  What parts do we as individuals have to play in a team, a family, a class, an office, a church group or simply our place in the world.

For me trying to pull all this together while we’re on the road is like trying to herd a pair of playful kittens along.  I’ll never get it right but trying is a wonderful thing each and every time.Every time we’ve been off together cycling, there are such precious memories and a life lesson on two wheels.

A London Skyride one or two years ago

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Project Birthday Bike – next stage

Posted on 4 August, 2012 by doug

Becky is still delighted with her new bike – the c1980s Argos fast tourer.  She had it on 25th July in the full knowledge that it needed some updating and a little TLC.  So far we’ve replaced the tyres and tubes, having some really nice folding Continental 4 Season tyres which promise an excellent all-round performance with real puncture resistance.

The brakes have been a bit of a problem.  The original Shimano 600 callipers and levers were good in their day but for a 14 year old girl the levers were too big for her to easily grab and too stiff to pull.  The brakes themselves were not too effective as a result.  Of course, knowing the brake blocks were equally as old, it is possible they have become hardened.

While I know there is a case for keeping things authentic and faithful to the original specification, we have to be pragmatic here.  This is a bike for a 14 year old girl to enjoy riding (safely) and not be ruled by the eccentricities of a vintage bike in which she has no understanding or interest in the heritage.  It’s simlpy a good light frame that needs riding with enthusiasm.  And so she does; and because of this I believe it is worth doing well for her.

So the brakes.  I suspect the bike is going to need some new callipers but in the mean time we have invested in some really nice Sram levers.  We tried out a couple of different ones for size and these seemed good.  You can’t see them too easily in the photo but believe me they are good.  She can ride with her hands stitting on the hoods and looking comfortable and pull the levers fairly well.  We still have the problem of the brakes not being too effective and I suspect that some new Sram callipers will do the trick in hopefully being well balanced for the levers through being designed with each other in mind.  This means a pull of the lever being translated into the right amount of cable being pulled and closing the brake pads onto the rim in the right way.  So that continues to be a work in progress.

Another little challenge has been dealing with the LBS. I know I have been waxing lyrical (click here) about the merits of dealing with a LBS but I have felt a little let down.  I asked them to regrease the bottom bracket and hub bearings which they happily did although the usual mechanic was going to be on holiday.  I had a faint warning bell ringing in my mind about this.

Campag Record hubs are good no matter how old

On looking at the hubs at home I’m not convinced there’s any fresh grease in there at all.  Turn the axle and it was stiff, graunchy and rough.  As a matter of principle I took it back in for it to be readjusted, knowing the full time mechanic was back.  Then it was done properly.  Those Campagnolo Record hubs were about as good as you could get in the 1980s and were known for their good quality.  Now they should last.

The bottom bracket is worn and in all fairness to the KBS it is difficult to adjust so we’ll have that replaced in due course.
Not too worn but not the right make

The freewheel is puzzling me a little and I must query this with Wallie and Angela sometime.  It is a French Maillard type running with Shimano early indexed gears.  Unsurprisingly the spacing between the sprockets isn’t quite right and therefore the gear lever’s clicks don’t quite match up.  Becky doesn’t seem too bothered and manages to ride well with the minimum of gear changes, which is probably not a bad thing.

We’ve had a few rides with each other and Becky seems really at home on the bike.  The size and dimensions seem exactly right for her and seeing her ride she appears very much at home on that bike.  I did remark that it was Victoria Pendleton (Team GB Olympic cyclist) who said her father recognised she had some potential when she was at the same age.  Who knows?  God certainly does!

I’m sure I’ll blog about this further another time but Rachel and I have noticed how Becky enjoys the sense of freedom and independence from being able to cycle around, either on her own or with me.  She’s even started a voluntary holiday job in the public library and it was a lovely sight seeing her pedal off for that on her first day.  A very special moment.

Taking off the original odd size tyres

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Sufferfest cycling activism group

Posted on 1 August, 2012 by doug

At work I get a email bulletin from G4S from time to time. If I were Mr G4S I would be keeping a low profile these days in view of the Olympic security debarcle.   It’s a circular email advising recipients of potential protests or flashpoints which could cause public disorder.  I was, however amused at the
following extract:


Sufferfest online cycling activism group intends to hold a counter-Olympic event at New Street, City of London from 1700 – 2200hrs. The event is supposedly to oppose the refusal of the Olympic committee for failing to recognise the movement. Any action is expected to be small, and is likely to assume the form of a bicycle event. Possibility of minor disruption.


It will take place on 2nd August (i.e. tomorrow).


Keep it peaceful and well ordered, people, please.  You have a right to protest regardless of whether we agree with each other.  If it turns into a “bicycle event” all well and good.

Posted in cycling, people | Leave a comment

Meridian Peanut Butter

Posted on 29 July, 2012 by doug

I have long memories of enjoying peanut butter, right from getting home from school feeling as if I’d not eaten for a week, absolutely starving and making myself a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich. Yes, mayonnaise with peanut butter: more about that later.   In those days it was always Sunpat as there didn’t seem to be any choice back in the 1970s.  Having bought a jar on my recent visit to Fairhaven Whole Foods we were keen to try it out alongside the Sunpat we STILL buy.

First impressions

Open the jar and you’re greeted by the (natural) oil that has separated out and it doesn’t “look” like peanut butter at all.
“Ugh” says Becky as she starts to stir it around with her knife “it’s like a mud pie.”  Nose turns up
“No Becky, don’t worry, that’s because there’s no E471 Stabilisers in there, just the natural ingredients”.  I was gobsmacked at Rachel’s support on this.  Sometimes my “eccentric” foods do not always enjoy the support they should here in the Rambling household.
Once the stirring had taken place, the taste testing began.  We all remarked how it tasted of, well, nuts.  Promising start, eh?

Taste testing

Somehow I missed the saltiness of Sunpat but it was good eating a proper peanut butter without additives.  The consistency seemed okay in that it could be spread fairly easily onto bread.  It wasn’t too much of a dry taste but quite a earthy, wholesome one.  
I quite liked the texture, which I hadn’t anticipated.  Although it is a smooth peanut butter, there are tiny little bits of nut in there.  For people with fragile teeth and who would ordinarily avoid crunchy versions, there’s no need to worry.  
I liked it a lot and it made a nice change to the regular Sunpat.

Ingredients

This is simple, it is 100% peanuts.  

Nutrition

Is peanut butter good for you?  Does peanut butter make you fat?  You will not have any problems with the answers to these simple questions, providing you don’t have it in excess.  It contains protein and the B vitamin folate which helps with cell health.  Yes, there is quite a lot of fat (oil) in peanut butter naturally.  this is monounsaturated fat and this is good for us, we do need it but in sensible quantities.
Comparing the nutritional values with Sunpat, there are close similarities.  This is unsurprising as even the Sunpat contains 95% peanuts.  The Meridian is slightly better with a higher fibre content, lower calories, less salt and less saturated fat.  To be honest, if you have a teaspoon of peanut butter each day, it’s not going to affect you much one way or the other.  
Whereas Meridian is just peanuts, the Sunpat version contains E471 stabilizer, cane sugar, peanut oil and some sea salt.  Not too bad but if you want a reminder of what the E471 is….. mono-and diglycerides of fatty acids (glyceryl monostearate, glyceryl distearate) an emulsifier.  

Mayonnaise?

Yes, try some with your peanuts butter.  It brings some moisture to an otherwise dry sandwich filling.  A little bit like putting pickle on your cheese – it just works.

Linked

Do checkout the Meridian website click here
Posted in ethical, family, food, reviews | 3 Comments

65.9mph and time to review – Cateye Strada wireless

Posted on 28 July, 2012 by doug
Don’t be fooled by the maximum speed

A while ago I thought I’d do a review of my wireless Cateye Strada.   I generally like to review things over a longer term rather than base a review on mere first impressions.   This has coincided with a new maximum speed and I’ll say something about that further on.

The Strada is fairly modest in the Cateye range, though not the most basic.  It is an entry level wireless cycle computer and gives useful information about a ride in order to be an interesting gadget.  The set up is conventional with a spoke fitting magnet which passes a small sensor unit attached to the front fork.  The unit itself is designed to fit onto the handlebars or, as I have done, onto the handlebar stem.  This has the advantage of keeping the handlebars available for one or two LED lights or maybe a Satnav.

The unit itself is fairly small and unobtrusive, especially in black.  It is commonly available in black, white and, if you’re lucky, one or two other designs.  Cost is around £40.

Installation

Allow about 30 minutes from out of the box to functioning on the bars.  It’s pretty straight forward, instructions are okay and you don’t need to be a bicycle mechanic to do this; just don’t rush it.  Very helpfully, Cateye publish their instruction manuals online (click here) as it is all too easy to lose the instructions.  Believe me, I could not have managed without the online help when I changed the batteries.
It is also worthwhile to measure the exact circumference of your front wheel in order to programme the unit.  You can, of course, use Cateye’s guide settings and you can have confidence in these.  However, tyres of exactly the “same” size do vary from one manufacturer to another and if you want a really accurate read-out, why not use the most accurate settings?

What does it do?

The large digit is the current speed and can be set for either mph or kph.
The secondary read out toggle between:
  • clock time
  • cycling time*
  • trip distance*
  • distance 2 (an odometer which can be reset)
  • average speed*
  • maximum speed*
  • odometer
*these can be re-set simply by pressing down on the bottom edge for a few seconds.  This is quite good to do for each journey.
The distance 2 feature is quite a thoughtful touch.  It could be used as a slightly longer term trip distance.  So, for example you could use it to record how far you cycled during a cycle tour or perhaps during a year.

What is it like to use?

Overall, it’s good.  Would I buy one again?  Probably not but only because I find the secondary numbers are too small without my glasses.  In most other respects it is great, especially for the price.
One of the nice things about Cateye is the availability of spares.  You could also purchase a second fitting kit if you have a second bike and it can be switched across easily.  You can see in the above display the is a letter A.  This could denote bike A and then switch it across to Bike B if required.  Other spares are available.
Once the initial setting up is complete, it’s a complete doddle.  There is just one “button” i.e. the bottom edge which operates everything.  Other buttons are tucked away underneath and are only used during installation.
I did notice on one occasion it wasn’t picking up a signal.  It was only because the sensor had been knocked out of place.  
It is in obtrusive and arguably less likely to attract a thief – useful if you leave your bike in a vulnerable area.
Once I’d had it for 18 months the display began to fade so I replaced the batteries and it’s been fine since.  How Long the batteries last depends on their use and how long the unit was sitting in a shop waiting to be solved.  I replaced the sensor unit’s battery at the same time, although there was no sign of it fading.
It’s good fun and brings an interest to my cycling.  It does do cadence (pedal turns per minute) or pick up your heart rate.  Both of these features are catered for by Cateye but in the form of more upmarket models.

65.9mph?

Yes, I too was surprised at this. Alas no, I was not doing 65.9mph or anywhere near it and I’m sure I would remember that.  So maybe some kind of article could have been written about this but for now it’s a mystery and I have no explanation.  It’s only happened once, never before..
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Birthday Bike project continues

Posted on 26 July, 2012 by doug
Flipflops and Crocs: the new cycling accessory?  Hope not!

 Just a quick update on Becky’s birthday bike project…. we’ve had a tyre changing lesson having splashed out on a pair of Continental 4 Season 700×25 tyres and new tubes.  The old ones, while just about rideable, were cracking having been sitting unused since the last century.  We’ve also replaced the original Shimano 600 brake levers (which will be on eBay soon) as they were a bit awkward and too big.  They have been replaced by some nice Sram levers which are far superior in terms of their ergonomic design.

The bike is really nice an light.  The frame is made with Reynolds 531C throughout with reasonably light wheels (Campag / Mavic).  Next we’ll replace the bottom bracket and get the gears sorted.

I should say that I’m pleased we invested in some puncture resistant tyres.  Fitting them was a real challenge and I had to resort to using a tyre lever to get the last bit of the bead over the rim.  I knew I ran the risk of pinching the tube but thankfully it was okay.  At least Becky knows the procedure, if not totally “hands on” for her.  It was one of those tender daughter / father times which I cherish so much.

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A birthday “project”….

Posted on 25 July, 2012 by doug
New cycling top co-ordinating well with her PJs

Many 14 year old girls get make-up, iPhones and clothes for their birthday.

Here’s our eldest daughter Becky with a birthday “project”.  It is an Argos frame (as in the Bristol bespoke frame builder) and is older than her by several years.  I bought it from our friends Wallie and Angela who I think were happy to let us have it knowing it was going to a new home.  It’ll certainly get plenty of use.

While it is rideable, it does need some TLC.  Just had the bearings regreased at the LBS.  As the usual mechanic is on his holiday, we have been dealt with by someone else in the shop who charged me £10 for ball bearings, in addition to the labour.  When I queried this he explained “well I did use caged bearings” which to my mind just makes it even worse!  The bottom bracket is shot; it goes from being tight to loose in 90 degrees.  The Campag hubs will, of course, last forever.

So soon we’ll have a bike repair workshop on the go and further blog posts to follow….

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Benefits of local honey

Posted on 23 July, 2012 by doug
Everyone knows that honey is good for you.  Almost everyone likes it.  Just some people know local honey is particularly good for you.  Why?  Read on….

Many people suffer from allergies these days.  Often these are perfectly natural, like hay fever which is an allergic reaction to pollen in the air.  These allergies can be a pain-in-the-neck but for most people it is no more than a small irritation.  Other allergies can be caused by dust, mould spores and other microscopic particles floating around in the atmosphere.  

By eating small but regular amounts of honey which is produced locally, it is very straight forward to build up an immunity to local hay fevers and other allergic reactions.

Raw honey has been used for thousands of years as a sweetener in food and drink; a good natural sweet taste.  Other qualities include having an anti inflammatory action, soothing respiratory problems

As pollens are relatively local, raw honey can help to treat respiratory problems because it has anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, qualities.  It is also said to have various anti cancer qualities which can inhibit the growth of some tumours.

Aside from the health benefits, supporting your local suppliers helps keeps them and their army of bees going – which I think is pretty important and collectively we should be supporting folks like C. Gorski.

Arguably the best benefit overall it that is it has a wonderful taste!
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Inspiration from Wiggins

Posted on 23 July, 2012 by doug
Bradley Wiggins
Source: Getty Images

No cycling blog could ordinarily be complete without mention of yesterday’s exciting conclusion of the 2012 Tour de France with UK’s Bradley Wiggins winning.

Wouldn’t  it be a wonderful thing if the spectacular achievement by Wiggins inspires some younger children to follow in his tyre tracks.  If not by the Tour de France itself then perhaps by the forthcoming Olympic Games, here in the UK in just a few days time.

This victory is historic for the UK and congratulations must go to Wiggins and all of the Sky Team.  I’m not a TV sports fan but I can tell you I saw the highlights on TV with much enthusiasm, there on the very edge of my seat!  Wiggins comes across as an ordinary bloke without any sense of self importance or elitism; that must be another quality to admire him and his achievement for.

There is absolutely no doubt, as a nation we must become more active in the light of such compelling evidence from the health problems we are storing up for ourselves in this country.  Just take a look at the rise of obesity levels alone:
obesity UK
It appears to be almost relentless and a huge public health issue.  As if the general upward trend was bad enough, just consider the more troubling rise of obesity in children, as if anyone should be surprised by that.  If the number one priority of any parent is to care for and nurture their children, this must be a wake-up call.

Related:
The horrendous spectre of UK obesity
Active parents = active kids

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