Is this the best looking wardrobe around?

This popped up in our Twitter feed this week courtesy of Bicycle Basecamp. Absolutely love it!

I've already been looking in to making my own now :)

100-year-old cyclist rides 100km

It just goes to show that old age shouldn't get in the way of a full and active life!

A French centenarian became the fastest cyclist of his age when he covered 100 km (62 miles) at an average speed of just over 23 km/h (14.3mph).

Robert Marchand, a former fireman and boxing enthusiast from Paris, who will celebrate his 101st birthday in November, had been training every day for months to cross the finish line in under five hours.

"I did better than expected," he said at the velodrome in Lyon, southeast France, where he completed the 300 laps in 4 hours, 17 minutes, 27 seconds, averaging 23.305 km/h.

Read the rest of the story

Admiral reveals the most irritating road users

Apparently 36 per cent of people find cyclists the most irritating road users. 
At least we weren't top of the list eh?

Admiral has revealed Britain’s most irritating road users in a new poll, and it’s the older generation that winds up British motorists the most. 

The car insurance experts asked more than 3,000 people to tell them which road users they find most irritating as part of its annual Admiral Survey of Motorists with YouGov.  

It found that elderly motorists top the list, with four out of ten (41%) respondents saying they get them hot under the collar. Next was taxi drivers (37%), followed by cyclists (36%) and van drivers (34%).

Read the rest: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=161336

Potential cyclists ‘too scared’ to ride, says Transport Minister

Potential cyclists are too scared to ride on the roads, holding back the uptake of cycling in Britain, the Transport Minister admitted in an interview with The Times.

Norman Baker, the minister responsible for cycling, added that bike riding had traditionally been the “Cinderella” part of transport policy, overlooked in favour of other modes of transport.

Read the rest of the story here.

A few tips for safer winter cycling

Have you noticed the sudden change in weather? It feels like mother nature has by-passed autumn this year and hopped straight to winter!

Winter can cause he average cyclist a lot of trouble, so I thought I'd share some tips to help you keep up-to-date with your safety!

Make yourself visible

Ok everyone knows is not 'cool' to wear anything hi-vis when you are on your bike, but Winter is much darker than Summer and your visibility needs to be boosted. Have a look online to find clothing that offers you better visibility.

Avoid puddles and standing water where possible

Not only will Winter try and catch you out with its dark nights, it will also throw much more rain water at you than Summer (Huh, that might be arguable this year actually...!) so make sure you avoid standing water where possible.

Not only can it be dangerous if it gets inside your tyres, it can also affect your breaks and grip. Puddles can also cover up nasty potholes so make sure you stay away from them where possible.

The Best Ever Cycling Accessory?

I love cycling accessories. They can transform the practicality of a bike and make carrying difficult items a breeze.

That being said, this has to be one of the best I have seen in recent weeks:

A Wonderful Short Cycling Video

Check out this lovely little cycling film I recently found on Lo-fidelity cycling club. If only the roads were still this quiet eh?

A Small Collection of Gorgeous Fixie Bikes

Love them or hate them, fixie or single speed bikes have taken the world by storm thanks to their low maintenance and good looks.

Here are a few of the nicest I've seen on the web over the last few weeks.

How do you motivate yourself to cycle?

Motivation: sometimes we have too much at the wrong time and sometimes we struggle to find it when we need it most.

I must say that the weather this weekend brought a massive boost to my motivation towards cycling and I took the time to get out the old mountain bike, wash her down and list her on eBay ready to make room for a brand new hardtail. Not sure what I'm after yet but with a budget of around £800 I'm hoping to get something half decent, possibly a Specialized or a Trek.  (any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!).

I'd also love to hear any comments or tips on how you motivate yourself to get out on your bike! Please leave a comment below and then hopefully people will be able to reference this post when they are low in positive thought.

I've found the following help:

• Watching Youtube videos
• Washing and servicing the bike
• Reading Cycling blogs/forums

Bike Messenger Racing in London

I think I just found the definition of crazy on Youtube.

Drivers and Cyclists Need to find Mutual Respect

After reading an article on Chester Cycling (Here) today it really got me thinking about why cycling accidents happen.

Do they happen because of bad drivers, is it bad cyclists, or is it people deliberately wanting to go out of their way to cause problems for cyclists?

The truth of the matter is that its probably a combination of all the above and more, but increasingly I'm seeing stories where aggressive people driving cars cause problems for cyclists for no real reason.

The big problem I see with this, is that as more drivers do this, the more cyclists hate drivers and in return the more drivers hate cyclists and the battle of Cyclists VS Drivers is fueled for another day.

In my opinion this is a terrible thing, because its not helping with the safety of anyone on the roads, its just getting people's backs up.

Its definitely a minority or morons that want to go out of their way to cause problems or cyclists but this is having massive repercussions in the cycling world because we're using it to hate drivers in general when not all of them are to blame. 

More needs to be done in this country to help cyclists and keep them safe, that I accept,  but in my opinion we should try are best to find mutual respect instead of trying to decided who's the victim and who's the perpetrator shouldn't we?

Are you a cyclists or driver that has a view on this? I'd love to hear your thoughts so please leave a comment below to see what we can do to solve this unfathomable problem.

Cycling to Work - Commuting without a hitch

I've tried cycling to work a few times and must admit that it can be a scary business. Yes I saved money on petrol (which is great), yes it kept me fit and active (which is great also!) but there are times when I question whether or not these gains were worth the sacrifice.

If you are planning on cycling to work and have a bit more will power than me to make it a regular thing, then these tips below might help you to avoid cycling accidents and other cycling related problems.

Safety:

1. Stay away from the curb

Its tempting to ride close to the curb in order to avoid an accident but cycling close to the curb is dangerous. You will often find that you have to dodge potholes grids puddles and debris so its best to keep about an arms length away...this is known as the 'secondary' position and is the correct position to ride anyway. It lets other road users know that you are happy to let them pass but keeps you out of trouble.

2. Move well out when passing obstacles

If you need to pass an obstacle such as a parked car then make sure you give yourself plenty of room by moving in to the primary riding position (middle of the road) well before you get to the obstacle itself.  This will show cars behind you that you do not want them to try and overtake and will make the procedure safer.

3. Try and Avoid Puddles 

Puddles are the enemy! They can leave you soaked through and they can also send you flying if you catch them at the wrong speed or angle. If you can ride around them safely then do so.

Preparation:

1. Have a change of clothes 

Having a spare pare of clothes at work can be an absolute god send, especially as the weather is so unpredictable in the UK. I've had rides where its been sunny at the beginning and I've ended up walking in to work like a drowned rat!

You're clothes will also get hot and sweaty so its best to have something to change in to when you get to work. A towel and some deodorant is also useful to have in the office just in case.

2. Lights and spare batteries 

Bike lights are essential if you ride in the dark as they warn drivers that you are there. I recommend also packing some spare batteries just in case they decided to 'konk' out mid journey. Obviously this would be a massive problem if you didn't have spares so carry some with you.

3. Pack Spare innertubes 

Instead of packing a puncture repair kit invest in a few cheap 'jockey' innertubes that will get you to your destination. This is a much quicker way of solving your puncture problem. You can repair the punctured tire when you have more time.

4. Inspect your route

If you are serious about having a safe journey you might want to head out at the weekend in the car and check that your journey is safe. Also time how long it takes so you know how early you will have to leave the house. 

Other Tips:

1. Take a snack

In my experience I always needed a boost of energy when I got to work so packing a brunch bar or a piece of fruit was great for crushing the hunger goblins and comes highly recommended.


2. If in doubt, give it a miss

If you are having doubts about your journey then the best thing to do is give it a miss. Cycling to work when you just don't want to cycle to work is not a pleasant experience!


That's all the tips I have the time to share right now, hope you find some of them useful. If you have any of your own please leave a comment below and I'll gladly add them to the list!

Thanks