Mice and the Brompton meet Dr Bike!

Mice Log Star Date 102.  15.07 miles, 8.9 ave speed, 16.8 max in 1hr 40.

A trip to Regents Park with a friend to attend a cycling event. A collaboration between LCC (London Cycling Campaign), CTC (Cycle Touring Club), Camden Borough Council and The Metropolitan Police which was full of good things. You could 

• have your bike marked and registered
• have basic bike maintenance carried out by Dr Bike mechanics
• sit in the drivers seat of an HGV and see the road from the drivers point of view.   

This last one is a real eye opener.  I did this a few weeks ago and wrote about it  here.  To see the bicycle in front of the lorry knowing that it was completely invisible to the lorry driver cannot be emphasised enough.  

From the drivers seat, neither the policeman nor the bicycle are visible in this position - not a thing can be seen, absolutely nothing:

The policeman and the bicycle moved into the position to be visible:

This is how far in front of the lorry the bicycle was in order to see it from the drivers seat:

 

This really is the case.  And this kind of space applies to all round the HGV including both sides.  Thank you Met Police for giving the demonstration. It is a real warning as to where to cycle near large vehicles.

Meanwhile, my Brompton was rather pleased to see Dr Bike!  I happened to have my replacement brake pads with me so they were fitted, the position of the brake levers was tweaked and most importantly the nut on the wheel which came undone yesterday was tightened to the correct position!  To top the lot a new brake cable was provided.

I also learnt about a Please Cycle initiative taking place in Camden  It is a website where you can sign up, register your details, download their free app and log all your cycling trips in their borough to earn what they call BikeMiles. You can also track personal mileage/carbon/calories and compete with friends on their Leaderboard.

I like this.  I asked if other boroughs were doing it but apparently not yet.  I did learn that the App is quite slow - someone I spoke to had logged 40 trips to do 20 miles which may seem a lot of logging but also a lot of cycling! (All the miles have to be in the borough!)  For me though, as an initiative to encourage cycling I still like it.  Perhaps Sustrans, LCC or CTC could set something up nationally. Possibly with Strava or Endomodo (making sure people dont sign up from right outside their homes as this can be traced).  Anything that encourages cycling is mighty fine with me!

As I headed home I cannot believe the rainstorm that occurred.  Absolutely soaked to the skin in seconds!  Hilarious!  

Except soaked jeans are really unpleasant!  I was too wet to fold the Brompton and take it into the bakery so a member of staff came and met me in the street where we made the transaction - olive bread for dosh!! Nice one!

Daff Bashing in the Park! (by the non spring weather!)

Mice Log Day 101. 12.57 miles, 11.7 average speed, 18.4 max speed in 1hr 04 mins on the Brommie! 

The rain scheduled for midday seemed a bit too heavy so I left at 9am to avoid being drenched!   

Off to a meeting via Hyde Park where the daffs have spent too long in the company of estate agents!   It's now all about Location! Location! Location!  

Some of them seem as though the sun has been shining on them since they peered up through the ground, others are looking a bit exhausted and then there were this lot which have been given a right good hiding by the elements!

 

Roll on Spring, I say!

One thing leads to another...

Mice  Log Star Date 100.  12.5 miles, Average speed 7.9, 16.2 max speed in 1hr 33 on the Brommie.

Last Saturdays ride home through Hyde Park with a friend using his Cyo R light really lit up both my mind and the Park in comparison to the ridiculously little battery powered beam I was using.

I have been considering a dynamo hub and light for my road bike so that I can do away with the hassle of recharging lights and batteries - let alone carrying spare lights and batteries on rides at night.  Top of my list are the Busch and Muller Cyo R light 

using either a Son or a Shimano Dh380 dynamo hub Apparently the extra effort involved in having a hub is teency in comparison to carrying the extra back-up batteries and paraphernalia.

The downside of a hub of course means a new wheel.  And if you buy a new wheel for the front do you need one for the back to match?  Bikes with the same amount of spokes in each wheel tend to look better but I shall see!  I am looking at having a rear light as well which isn't that expensive (£20 apparently) and can be powered from the front hub by cable.

This afternoon found me in  Bike Fix in Lambs Conduit Street London WC1.  They are a pretty relaxed sort of place - with a wide range of bicycles - and I say relaxed not least because their specialist subject is recumbent bikes!  

Whilst I was there the guy noticed that my pivot pin was very loose!  My eyes came out on stalks! "Yes, it is - it needs tightening rather urgently" I concurred!  At which point he gathered up some tools, removed the crank and duly tightened the pivot pin.  What excellent service I thought.  I will go back and have it looked at again, apparently it may need replacing.

He told me the owner of the shop had been at a Recumbent Day at Hillingdon on Sunday and had come third!!  Respect!

Later on in the afternoon, I was carrying my Brompton through a department store when I heard something drop and found that three pieces had fallen from my bike!  Not good. I worked out that they were from the front wheel attaching the clip to the frame when folded. As they hadn't fallen from somewhere important I put them in my pocket and carried on with my day.

Once home I put the question as to which order and which way round should they be on Cyclechat - the friendliest and most helpful gang of cyclists I have ever come across.  Within a minute I received reply with the answer.  Excellent!! A few more messages later and I had returned the items to the Brompton and all was well. 

More proof that the cycling fraternity is a very friendly place!  This even includes the comment from a friend of mine who is not just a very strong cyclist but who also taught me the importance of keeping bicycles clean.  Needless to say he noticed that the Brommie needs a clean. And it does!

As a sort of Post Script, seeing as it is Day100 of 2013, I see that I have cycled 1600 miles this year! 1600 miles!! That's 1,600 miles of fun, fun, fun on two wheels. How lucky am I?!

To all the fab peeps or rather friends who have led, laughed, accompanied and encouraged me on rides all over the place - thank you. Big time!  And it's only 10th April!

Fuelled by Porridge not Petrol

Mice Log Star Date 99. A pootle around the West End including Hyde Park.  18.35 miles, 11.7mph average speed, 21.3 max in 1hr 23. On the Marin.

My how things change!  For a zillion years I have been a car owner and for the past 10 a Vespa as well.  It never entered my head that I could exist without petrol-fuelled engines.  London, Scotland, France - I have driven to all of them in the car keeping the Vespa for local London trips.   

 Over recent years, the cost of filling the car has gone from £30 to £70 and the scooter from £4 to £9. But there was no alternative (thought I!).  Then three years ago I was introduced to cycling by a friend.  

Last year my car sat outside, unused, for three months. That was a bit of a hint so I got rid of it. I cashed in the tax disc, the parking permit and the insurance policy.  I have no idea how much I have saved in petrol.  Meanwhile the scooter has sat outside unused since early December 2012.  The time has come to get rid of it. So for the first time in my adult life I shall be powered by porridge, not petrol.  And I can't wait! 

And if the last three years are anything to go by there should be a bit of this,

 this 

and lots of this!

I love riding my bike!