Riding a Bicycle - Why would you do that?

Riding a bicycle has a secret. A big one.

 Whilst there are many things you may have been told about cycling:

• "it's good for your health"
• "it's economical because you don't need a travel card so it doesn't cost anything to run it (apart from food to fuel you)"
• "it's environmentally healthy as it has no CO2 emissions"
• "it's faster than using public transport or cars in towns and cities"
• "blah, blah, blah, whatever"

There is something that you may not know:

It's fun.  Really big fun.  It doesn't matter how fast you go or how far you go. It's still really big fun. There is nothing quite like the freedom, the total control you have over your bicycle, where you steer, the speed, the road you choose, when you are going to stop and start.  The overwhelming effect of the wind in your hair, the air on your face, the endorphins that give you an incredible feel-good factor which literally change your mood and make you feel fantastic. Every ride no matter how long or short is an adventure. It's exciting and invigorating.  You very rarely see a grumpy cyclist!

Through cycling I have met the most incredible people, seen parts of the country in a way you just dont see unless you are on a bicycle. You become part of the scenery without being an intrusion.

                                                                   Enjoying the sunshine

 

                                                                         Silently cycling by

                                          
                   Arriving in Scotland from London (LonJoG - London to John O'Groats)

                 The bottom of the descent, Arthur's Seat, Gower Peninsular, Wales

                                                                Cyclists sailing

                                                
                                                   Along a beach on the way to Harwich

                                                   Cycling up Semnoz, Annecy in France

                                                Arriving in Bognor on a recumbent

                                                          A ride around The Hague

                                                                      A Coffee Stop


And it's not just about cycle rides.  There are so many other things to do

                                                                    

Bicycle Polo

                              

                                    Circuits at Hilllingdon Track with the Minets Cyclist

                                            Herne Hill Velodrome in South East London


Not forgetting mountain biking, time-trials, hardcourt bike polo, triathlons and all the other ways to bring a bicycle into your life.  Whichever one(s) you choose, they all have the most amazing amount of fun!

Have Bike - now what?

A little bit of bike maintenance will keep you moving.

Every day before I ride my bike I check that my tyres are pumped up well (by squeezing them to check they are hard), that both brakes work (by pushing the bike backwards and squeezing the left brake, the right one by push the bike forward and squeezing the right one) and that the chain is working (by turning the pedals).   

Cycling with insufficiently inflated tyres really makes a difference to your ride. For instance it's far less smooth and if you go into a pot hole you really feel it.  Also, pedalling needs much more effort and the lack of air can really damage the wheel itself. 

At some stage punctures will happen. Its just unavoidable. But once you have learned how to fix them you will be amazed how easy it is and how important it is.  Looking after your tyres, checking that there aren't any pieces of stones or glass in them, letting out some air and removing the bits gently with a needle then keeping them pumped up to their maximum pressure (which is embossed  on the tyre not always easy to see but is there!) will make a big difference to how frequently you have what friends call "a Visitation from the P*^*^*^ *Fairy"!!  

If you do have a visitation, stop cycling and put you and your bike on the pavement out of the way of traffic and pedestrians.    It is important to identify what caused the visitation so inspecting the tyre and the tube to find out what caused it and remove the thorn, piece of glass or stone before you fit the new tube will hopefully stop you putting another hole in a replacement tube.  You wont always find something but it is worth looking.  

When I first started cycling I was not keen to learn how to do fix it but a friend of mine knew how important it was so he showed me how to do it.  He then deflated one of my tyres and made me swap inner tubes.  Every time I made a mistake he would make me start again from the beginning!!!  It was hilarious and rather a harsh way to learn but I can now do it and here's the proof:

 

Rear wheel removed

                      Tube replaced, tyre reinstated and inflated, wheel back on the bike!

You won't need to learn the same was as I did but do learn how to do it.  I also learned that my hands are not strong enough to remove tyres unless they are folding tyres which are more malleable so I only buy folding tyres.

In order to fix a puncture you always need to have with you:

• a pump
• a set of tyre levers (to remove the tyre)
• a spare tube (I carry 2) 
• a puncture repair kit
• a rag (to run around the inside of the tyre to find the culprit that caused the deflation)
• a pair of gloves (I carry a pair of disposable ones) 
•  

Once you have inflated the tyre as much as you can it is worth looking out for a bike shop some of whom leave a track pump outside their shop so you can inflate the tyre to the correct pressure.

                              Here is another ride I was on where there was a "Visitation"

                                                            And another one!! 

Hopefully this shows how easy they are to fix/replace - in this team of three the chap in red is inspecting the tyre looking for the cause of the puncture, the chap in yellow is looking for the hole in the inner tube and the chap in black and white is pumping air into the tube to help identify where the puncture is.  But you can do these things yourself on your own without any difficulty.  Don'f forget - I can do it so that is proof that it is not that hard!

Most bike shops do bike maintenance course, some local authorities offer them and local cycling groups and clubs can help show you the basics.

What bike?

It doesn't matter what kind of bike you have as long as it's in good working order, that it's the right size for you, it doesn't weigh a ton (an important factor in my opinion!) and you have suitable storage for its value.  

That is to say a runaround bike can be left outside, locked up to something for half a day but a more expensive bike should live inside, locked to something. Sadly bike theft is something that happens far too often.

                                                 Things have moved on a bit since these!

Finding the right bike depends not only on storage and budget but also what sort of cycling you intend to do which from my experience can change!   My introduction to cycling was with a fab group of road cyclists.  But to them it's not about what bike you have it's about the fact you have a bike.  

They allowed me to join them for pootles around town to build up my fitness and whilst I will never be as fit as them I am much fitter than I was! On top of that many of them are now very good friends.  As for the road bike, having handlebars that allow you to drop down over them really improves your aerodynamics and therefore your speed. 

Since my first road bike - and I started off on a recumbent trike but that's another story! - I now have an aluminium Marin and a Brompton.  They are all very different bikes and the one I ride depends on what I am doing and where I am going.  If I was told I could only have one bike I would keep my road bike, but hopefully I'll be allowed to have at least two others!

So once you have an idea of the sort of rides you will be doing, the best piece of advice I can give about choosing a bike is to take advice from others before making your decision.  It's so easy to think you've seen the right bike based on what it looks like but some of the parts - as in components - are better than others. Also, some brands fit you better than others depending on their frame size and shape.

                                                            Friends on their Circe Cycle

A folding bike may seem practical but one that you can leave outside a shop for twenty minutes frees up your hands and is one less thing to carry around the shop.  Folding bikes are also hard work on longer rides so you might be better on a full sized bike to keep your options open as to where you might ride. 

If you have a local bike shop nearby, pop in and have a look.  See what their fitting service is like, how long does it take, (mine took at least an hour), do they measure your sit-bones, do they seem to know what they are talking about, is there another bike shop nearby that can be recommended to you.

                                                                A Recumbenteer

Equally important is the storage and lock you buy.  No lock is thief-proof.  Having two different types (I have one stored on my bike) delays the amount of time it takes the thief to steal it.  Theft insurance is essential, often available through your home insurance. 

You are on your way!

An Autumnal day

For longer than five mile rides the wardrobe changes make things more comfortable.  The advancement in Lycra and Merino allow the body to move without restrictions, managing body temperatures and making the time on the bike about being on the bike and not about fabric malfunctions. Padded shorts, longs, threequarter lengths depend on your shape and how you feel.  I look better in 3/4 length rather than shorts but that's just me.  Cleats and SPDs or LOOK enable maximum use of pedal power.

Predetermined and pre-reccied routes mean that the ride is about the ride and not about being lost, hungry and late.  

A sunny day in August found me on a train to Brighton to meet up with a friend so that we could mosey around the seaside town and pop out to Lewes for a forty mile loop via Haywards Heath on one of their weekend routes.

 

Booking trains in advance when possible is economical and easy although battling with a bike reservation can add some stress.

A bakery stall at Brighton Station could have upset the calorie intake:calorie burn ratio for the day

                 Sahar in Lewes with her new wheels.  Too cool for school!

In Haywards Heath for Lunch at Cafe Rouge we hung up our helmets and enjoyed a lovely lunch

This sums up the day - a lovely route around West Sussex.  40 miles for the day.

Lingerie and Baselayers

With an eye on BBC weather and weatherspark the next step for me in terms of wardrobe is underwear.  We are all unique and for me, wearing a correctly measured sports bra makes a real difference to how comfortable I am when cycling.

   www.shockabsorber.co.uk

www.rigbyandpeller.co.uk

Many shops including M&S, John Lewis, Top Shop along with department stores offer a measuring service although not all of them are accurate.  Rigby & Peller are worth the extra cost and I have found them to be the most accurate.

The next layer I wear is a baselayer.  I am a real fan of Merino wool baselayers as they have a very effective and efficient way of absorbing any body sweat created whilst riding.

Endura are great Merino baselayers available from most bike shops and Helly Hanson for the summer as they wick away the sweat.  In the winter if you are wearing two baselayers and one of them becomes wet with sweat, remove the bottom one and put on a dry layer rather than cycling in wet clothing.   Evans and Cycle Surgery stock Endura.  Assos do a thicker baselayer which is more top of the range but worth the investment.

For the lower part of the body, making sure that everything fits correctly and there is no rubbing which will result in blisters and sores in sensitive places.  Whilst modern technology in fabric design means that it is possible to wear cycling shorts as underwear I prefer to wear seamless underwear available from M&S.

 

Socks depends on the temperatures, heavy merino in the winter, sealskinz if it is going to be very wet and lighter pairs in the summer.  As with everything else they need to fit so that blisters and rubbing are not created by wearing socks that are too big.  I often carry a spare pair - in a plastic bag so that they stay dry!