Cycling UK

Oxford in Winter Photos

tejvan — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:39:41 +0000

Santa and Cyclists

Wrapping up against the cold

3 cyclists by Long Wall Street

Red Cyclist - Red Car

Smiling through the gloom

More Santas

Tandem Cycling

tejvan — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 20:13:12 +0000

A couple riding a tandem. As taking their photography I couldn’t help hear part of their conversation.

“compared to your daughter you…..”

And they cycled off into the distance, leaving us uncertain whether the tandem is an extension of marital bliss or an extension of a nagging wife.

Tandems are great fun. They can be a lot quicker, especially on descents and the flat. They are not necessarily slower up hills, but, it needs good technique between two riders, especially if of different ability.

A tandem has double the pedalling power with only slightly more frictional loss in the drivetrain.
It has about the same wind resistance as a single bike.

High performance tandems may weigh less than twice as much as a single bike, so the power to weight ratio can be slightly better than that of a single bike and rider. Tandems can reach relatively high speeds, especially downhill and on flat to rolling terrain.

Armadillo Tyres

tejvan — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 19:23:03 +0000

One of the best things I bought for my commuting bike last year, was a pair of Armadillo tyres. I have only had one puncture in the past 12 months - and that was a large nail, that could have punctured a car tyre. They are not completely puncture proof. But, my own experience is generally backed up by others who have used them. In my experience, they definitely have reduced the incidence of punctures on my commuting bike (which is good because I don’t carry a spare tube and tools on my commute)

I have toyed with the idea of putting them on my winter training bike. However, I have been put off because they are slightly slower. It’s hard to quantify how much slower, but, it’s not a huge difference.

They are also seem to be much longer lasting than other tyres. My commute involves a rough canal path and they haven’t needed changing for 12 months of commuting. So even though they cost £25, they are good value.

Specialized All Condition Armadillo Tyre - £25.00
Armadillo Tyres at Evans Cycles
Puncture resistant tyres

Car vs Bike

tejvan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:52:55 +0000

On average I cycle 7,000 miles a year; I also probably drive on average 7,000 miles a year. - Which is the best form of transport - in my opinion?

Cost - Bike is the clear winner. Bikes are cheaper to buy and cheaper to run (cost per mile cycling)

Tax. - Bikes only have VAT. Cars need to pay road licence and petrol tax (50p a litre). Also with the cycle to work scheme, buying a bike can lead to big tax savings.

Parking. - Bikes can be parked almost anywhere (within reason) It will be free to park and there’s no risk of receiving a parking ticket. With the car, you may be forced to park along way from the shops and pay significantly for the privilege.

Versatility. - In city centres, the bike can go places a car can’t - down canal paths, small streets, streets closed to traffic. In Oxford, the one way system gives a big time advantage to bikes. On the other hand there are roads and junctions which are just not practical for cyclists, unless you fancy riding against 3 lanes of speeding traffic.

Speed. In city centres, many commuting journeys are quicker than car / bus. It depends on your journey and speed. But, for anything over 3 miles, the car will be quicker.

Comfort of Journey. Cycling can leave you wet from sweat or rain. It’s pretty tough cycling in cold rain or freezing conditions. There are things you can do to reduce sweat, and good waterproofs will keep you reasonably dry. But, the car has a clear advantage.

Fitness. With many people leading physically inactive lives, cycling is an excellent way to get a minimum level of aerobic exercise. Most people in the west are unfit and as a result levels of heart disease have been increasing. Cycling everyday enables you to reduce the risk of serious diseases such as heart disease.

Obesity. Driving will do nothing to burn extra calories. As part of careful diet, cycling can definitely help you lose weight and reduce the health risks of obesity.

Definitely cooler than going to school in a 4WD

Image. Cycling is cool. You don’t have to dress like a ‘lycra lout’ and arrive for work with helmet hair. In these eco conscious days it is far more fashionable to turn up on 2 wheels than a gas guzzling 4WD.

Luggage. A bike can carry more than people may imagine, if you invest in panniers, you will be able to carry most of your small shops. you can even carry 2 children tax free. Of course, for big shops and carting large loads, the car is the clear winner.

Security. One of the great bugs of many cyclists is the frequency of bike theft. If you report a stolen bike to the police, they will probably display little interest. Then on the other hand, if your car gets stolen it’s an awful lot more to replace it with.

State of Mind. I cycle for pleasure. If you tell work colleagues you cycled 100 miles because - it was something to do, many will shake their heads and smile knowingly. But, generally, I enjoy cycling more than driving. With cycling there is a sense of freedom. Driving and being stuck in traffic jams is little fun. Also, exercise releases serontin into the body which is said to make us happier. - What better reason to cycle the three miles into work?

I’m both a motorist and a cyclist. I cycle for pleasure, I drive because I have to. Both have their role; but, I think, in my biased opinion, that many people underestimate the benefits of cycling. If they tried it, they would be pleasantly surprised.

10 Reasons to take up cycling

Winter Cycling Photos from Yorkshire

tejvan — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 19:27:09 +0000

I’ve been riding up in Yorkshire. The minor roads are pretty dirty with mud from tractors, but, when the sun comes out they are very quiet at this time of the year. It’s a great feeling to be able to cycle on roads free of cars. One day, the sun even came out so I took some photos.

Cycling through the muddy lanes

The Road from Ilkley to Bolton Abbey - as many bikes as cars, but it’s prety muddy.

Group Mountain bike ride from Ilkely

By Cavendish Pavillion a car waits to overtake

Cycling in the Wharfe Valley. The sun manages to creep though, illuminating part of the Wharfe Valley

Bolton Abeey - sunlight streaming through

Oxford Cycling Photos

Best of Cycling Info 2008

tejvan — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:03:26 +0000

I started the blog, cycling info, about14 months ago, so 2008 was its first year. Thanks to all the readers and especially those who have left comments on articles. For next year, I have plans to write more cycling tips articles; I will also be doing more interviews with people from across the different aspects of cycling. I’m off to Malaysia on boxing day, so the blog might be quite over the holiday period, but will return to normal posting frequency in the new year. Don’t forget you can receive free email updates or subscribe by RSS to receive all the latest posts.

Favourite Cycling Articles

Cycling Tips

Cycling Books

The Hour by Michael Hutchinson
This Island Race by Les Woodland
Heroes, Villians and Velodromes by Richard Moore

Cycle Training

Cycling Interviews

Time trials

Cycling Personalities of 2008

Cycling Advocacy

Holidays

Cycling Photos

Procycling

Humour

Emergency Stops on A Bike

tejvan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:16:24 +0000

A key part of the driving proficiency test is the emergency stop. An emergency stop can often be an important part of cycling. The difficulty is that if you slam on the brakes, the back wheel will start to skid and you could lose control. Therefore, a good technique is to know how hard you can brake without losing control. Obviously if the weather is wet, it will be much more difficult.

Find a stretch of road where you can practise.
Get upto a decent speed.
Then apply the brakes hard, putting slightly more pressure on the front brake than the back break.
As the back wheel starts to skid or lift off the ground reduce pressure on the front brake slightly you have found the maximum that you can apply without losing control.
If you lean your body weight to the back of your saddle and keep head low, you will help stabilise the back wheel and reduce incentive to skid.

In wet conditions don’t apply more pressure to the front brake, you will have to allow more time and distance to stop.

This technique is important for descending and technical time trials. It is important for knowing the speed that you can approach a tight corner.

Urban Bikers’ Tricks and Tips

tejvan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:16:09 +0000

I was looking through Waterstones at the various cycling books. Many cycling books are really quite similar. They give the same basic articles on training, eating, how to mend a puncture e.t.c. The problem is that there’s no reason to buy books like this because I have read all about it before. I must have about 5 books which all give similar training advice and the same maintenance tips. I was trying to look for something a bit different - new ideas and new perspectives on Cycling.

Urban Bikers’ Tricks and Tips: Low-tech and No-tech Ways to Find, Ride, and Keep a Bicycle is quite a good read. It includes

Handling unexpected problems / accidents on bikes
Dealing with road rage
Buying a bike and preventing it getting stolen.
Dealing with ‘helmet hair’ - apparently a big disincentive for women to cycle.
Common reasons for crashes and how to avoid them
Cycling manoeuvres. It deals with a lot of the ‘unofficial cycling manoeuvrings you do on a city commute - like riding alongside stationary traffic.

For any commuter or city cyclist, I would recommend it. At least it offers something new.

Chris Hoy - Sports Personality of the Year

tejvan — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 08:36:05 +0000

Just a brief note to say congratulations to Chris Hoy for winning sports personality of the year. He faced stiff competition from many other Olympians such as Rebecca Adlington and World F1 Champion - Lewis Hamilton.

I was pleased Chris won the award - not just because he is a cyclist (though of course that is very nice), but, he seems a consummate professional and worked incredibly hard to get his 3 Olympic Gold medals (in addition to the countless World titles). His team collegues say he is great to work with and always encouraging the younger riders.

Its truly been an annus mirabilis for UK track cycling and Chris Hoy’s victory is the iceing on the cake. Now, all we want Chris to do is still be here in 4 years time so we can win a few more golds in London.

The British Cycling team won team of the year, and David Brailsford was named coach of the year.

By the way, the last British cyclist to win sports personality of the year was Tom Simpson in the 1960s.

Cycling Accessories for Winter

tejvan — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:21:46 +0000

Heated Cycling Seat

Well, its pretty cold out there, but, I can’t help but think this heated cycling seat is going to be another of those cycling inventions that just don’t catch on.

On a serious note, I suffer from Reynaulds diesease - cold hands and cold feat. I survive winter cycling through:

Battery operated socks
Hot Pads, which you push down your socks

Hotteeze Heat Pads x 10pcs at Amazon.co.uk