bikes and things

So into breaking bad at the moment. Hard to believe he was the guy from Malcolm in the middle all those years ago.

Back at work and missing my bike already. The come down after a cycling holiday is always hard to take so here’s a few photos of some of the amazing scenery from last week.

Full ride report to follow.

I like to think I like all forms of cycling and have had the pleasure of owning and riding most types of bicycle. From mountain biking, folding bikes, fixed track bikes, downhill bikes, singlespeed mountain bikes, road bikes, BMX and I even harbour a desire to ride a touring bike over great distances. I’ve also plan to buy a cargo bike one day for various reasons.

What I still can never understand though is recumbents. I mean I just don’t get it and I’ve really tried to get my head around the idea. For me one of the best things about cycling is the elevated position that you have and seeing things differently – seeing over the hedgerows in the countryside or traffic in the city. It just seems weird to be in that low down position, barely visible to drivers and sucking on everyone’s exhaust fumes whilst lying on your back. The token flag the only indiction that someone is there below your line of sight. Every single one I’ve ever seen in London seems to be an overly angry individual who has to shout at everyone to survive from this low down position.

Image © kenjonbro.

It also seems to be a strange form to use considering that the bicycle we know today has evolved over the last 150 or so years into a fairly well developed and recognisable form. A rear then main triangle and then forks of some kind with an axle at the bottom and generally two wheels. It’s a form that has proved to be adaptable for the variety of types of riding above but also fairly constant and has served us well I feel.

The position of lying on your back also seems counter to the idea of being able to get out of the saddle to climb, accelerate or even just take the pressure off one’s derriere. The form would seem to limit the range or usefulness of the bicycle which is almost entirely counter to the amazing freedom offered by one.

Image © m4barcelona

Via parislemon

Just back from a trip away and I collected a series of photos of notes taped to or written on walls. All seemed to be telling us not do something, often laminated, mainly with bad typography or spelling and also often in red. I’m sure there’s a story behind each and every one of frustration with customers doing things improperly or just winding up the owner. Tourists eh!

SORRY

Burning of wood is prohibited.

NO

And my personal favourite of all…

Another shot of the Shard I’m afraid. There’s the potential for yet more to come.

Ever since getting the 70-200 I have been looking out of the window each evening waiting for a lovely sunset. Not as good as hoped but the light on the South West face was just too good to miss. Looks a bit sci-fi to me with all the red lights – a bit Blade Runner even.

I’m pleased to announce that I will be running a series of LinkedIn training courses this Autumn. The course lasts all day and cost £1000 per delegate including lunch and refreshments. The outline of the day is as follows:

9.00 am – Coffee, networking and name badges.
10.00 am – Turning our computers on.
11.30 am – Break for coffee.
12.00 am – Open web browsers and navigate to LinkedIn dot com.

1.00 pm – Break for lunch.

2.00 pm – Login to website.
3.00 pm – Create account.
4.00 pm – Add picture to account.
5.00 pm – Recap of the course and certificates issued.

Delegates will be expected to bring their own social skills and common sense.

THIS COURSE IS NOW FULL.

I can never quite understand why people ride without lights. The thought of not being able to be seen by cars, buses, lorries and even pedestrians is kind of dumb really. It seems to be a bit of a cool thing for some but then just don’t understand why you’d want to not be seen. Perhaps one of my favourite things is seeing someone with a high vis jacket on and no lights when it’s completely pitch black – maybe they’re entering this years Darwin awards?

It took me a few moments to see the two cyclists in this image © Ian Tindale

Cycling around other cyclists without lights is also dangerous as cars swerving to avoid them always seem to end up in my direction. I also feel that as a driver myself you should give others the best fighting chance of seeing you. I remember when I passed my test how intimidated I was by driving at night as I couldn’t make out the depth and position of other cars and their relation to me. It takes so much more concentration to drive at night as there’s so many other light sources vying for attention.

Perhaps even worse is buying lights, having them on your bike and not turning them on. Second to that is those stupid little LED lights that have become fashionable in recent years. I got some once, rode home, almost died and threw the stupid fucking things in the bin.

Don’t use these, they’re rubbish.

To me it’s an arms race with bike lights – the brighter the better. I’ve tried a few different combinations out over the years and have now settled on the following combination. They’re not cheap but they work well and I get seen and I haven’t died yet.

Front lights – I have an Expsoure Joystick which was around £170. I have this set of pulse flash mode which is pretty impressive. When I first got it cars literally moved out of the way. I have it aimed squarely at the passenger side mirror of cars. Next up I have domed LED light – Cateye SL-110 £8.99- which gives a bit more side light as the Exposure only emits light forward. I wouldn’t rely on it as a main light but it’s great as a backup and addition to the main light.

Rear lights – I think you’re even more at risk from not being seen from behind which is why I have a few different ones here. Again I’ve tried so many over the years but have now settled on the Cateye TL-LD1100 10 at £34.99 (who thinks of these product names?) which is two rows of LEDs that can be switched independently of each other. So I have one set on constant and the other on flashing – either mounted to my bike or clipped to my belt. It looks a bit like a grenade and also has excellent side coverage as the lens wraps around the sides. The other one I use is a Fibre Flare – £25 for one or £60 for two. It’s worth getting the longer one of these for more light. This is essentially a long LED which has a flashing mode. It’s super bright and I mount mine to my bag to raise another light source above the level of my bike – eye level if you’re in a car hopefully.

So not super cheap but considering I ride every day to work in all weathers I think it’s a suitable investment. The other lights I’d recommend are the Exposure Flare series. I have a rear one of these which I also occasionally use.

Anyway, GET SOME LIGHTS!

© 251 on Roadbike Review Forums

It’s hard to avoid management jargon and bullshit making its way into common language. David Mitchell has a point with this stuff you know.

The annual riding trip is fast approaching for 2012. It’s something that has taken many forms over the years since its first inception in 2004. It started as a regular trip to Les Arcs in France and has since been trips around the UK and occasionally skipped a year but thankfully it’s still going strong for 2012.

The only two original members are myself and my good friend Gavin. Gav made the first trip happen by driving us all the way to France on his own with four bikes on the roof – due to me not being able to drive. Things were a bit different back then in terms of skills as well as bikes.

And I had much less hair.

After that trip I was kind of addicted to riding. Others have joined and departed the group since, but in recent years there’s been a fairly steady crew of people who are keen to get their kicks on some trails for one week of a year and forget about all the other shit that’s going on. Those people started as people I’ve known online such as Vaughan, Matt and Graham and now are considered solid friends after spending many a trip riding somewhere decent.

This year it’s all about the UK and reconnecting with the trails that are overlooked by that trip to France with all its amazing ski lifts and sunshine. It’s about riding what’s on your doorstep (relatively) and making the most of whats there and earning the descents. So the five of us are doing a UK road trip with two vans and mixing it up in terms of trail centres and natural stuff. Personally I can’t bloody wait to get away from a desk and back in the saddle and ride some great singletrack as well as the usual banter. Sometimes the chatting is just as good as the riding.