Mice Log Summer Day 107

10.5 miles, top speed 16.8, average speed 9.1 on the Brommie to the West End and back via Hyde Park.

An appointment in the West End followed by a visit to  Velorution in Great Portland Street (and also Selfridges).  It is one of my favourite bike shops because in addition to what you'd expect - knowledge, stock, in-house mechanics - it also always has really interesting and unusual bicycles and accessories.

For instance.... What's the Time, Mr Wolf?  It's time for a bike ride.....

and less than a week after The Tweed Run,  a limited edition Carradice saddle bag in Tweed with a reflective thread

and I found the perfect small Carradice to add to my collection - the Zipped Roll.  This is ideal for my road bike. It has a 2L capacity so can look after my pump, spare tubes, over trousers, extra layer, batteries and food.

So, less Goldilocks and the Three Bears more the5milecyclist and The Three Bags - small (Zipped Roll 2L as just bought!), medium (Nelson 15L) and large (super C 23L) that will fit on all my bikes (except the Brompton) and I have the quick release system so I don't have to faff about undoing buckles in the rain.

 

Then this caught my eye!  The owner explained that at a bike fair in Rome, the bicycle manufacturer had branched into luggage.   

Perfect for the summer, not too big or too small and a really neat design.

Prices for bicycles and accessories vary like mountain ranges - for me, some are way too steep, some can only be dreamed about, some are such fun they have to be bought on the spot and some are real bargains! I shall continue to keep Velorution on my radar as every time I go there I find something that I haven't seen anywhere else that, for me, is well-designed and different.  And it stays competitive in terms of pricing.

Tomorrow is Lidl Day!   Their special offer day (or whatever they call it) which is really good for total bargains.  A great place for new cyclists to start as all the bits and pieces you need - kit for the bike, kit for the cyclist - can be quite expensive when added together.  Last months Special Offer day had cycling shoes for £12, a set of lights for £3.  I went to two stores and made these observations. I will be haring off there tomorrow as I think a set of lights for £3 even as back up cannot be sniffed at.  

I don't think I need any more luggage.....!

Mice in the City

Star Log 106. 12.5 miles, top speed 17.9, ave speed 6.8 in 1hr 54 on the Brommie (I think traffic lights and having to do a bit of walking lowered my average speed!)

The novelty of cycling in sunshine never wears off! Two days running the sky had blue bits and the temperature in double figures! Wowser! Is this still London?!

Cycling along The Mall it seems the preparations for Margaret Thatcher's funeral are keeping many people busy.  Railings are going up along the pavement, lamp posts are being crowned, the TV outside broadcast trucks are parked up and ready.

As I went past Australia House on the Aldwych I swerved to avoid a road sign that was lying in the middle of the road. It was being crumpled by buses but would definitely take a road bike out if hit.  It was unsafe to stop so I found a policeman and asked him to help.

On to Fleet Street. I love Fleet Street. It is narrow, the buildings are higgledypiggledy and the road is sweeping as it drops down then up to Ludgate Circus.  With the magnificent St Pauls Cathedral as a backdrop.  Gets me every time.  It was a bit full of extra traffic and a lot of police.

I rode past St Pauls, stopped to wonder at its serenity, history and iconic effect on London's skyline.  Sir Christopher Wren drew a legacy that in turn made me draw breath in awe.

 

Up to London Wall and along to the Barbican where the architecture is a whole different ball game.  Tall, skinny and concreted.  

Hard, cold lines glaring down.  I did find a bit of a route that would have been a great helter-skelter.

 Sadly the authorities have got there first - spoilsports!

On to Liverpool Street Station - suits everywhere! Only me and a delivery guy wearing jeans!  Cycling past vistas not seen before, buildings old and new, spaces where demolitions have been completed and the sous-terrain pillars are being whacked into the ground. I am sure I saw a concrete lift shaft in the mix.

 

Down to London Bridge for a coffee and then home.  

Mice the Tourist rides around London in The Springtime

Mice Log Date 105.  20 miles in 1hr 45, ave speed 11.7 max speed 23.3 on  the Marin.

For me, there is no better way to explore a city than on a bicycle.  Especially when it's a city in which I have lived for quite some time - it is full of things I have never seen before, nor would ever see unless I was on two wheels.

From Admiralty Arch and along the Strand, up through Covent Garden and onto Tottenham Court Road where the pot holes are so big they should have a Council Tax Banding.  

Ambling along just taking in the views, I cycled past this and thought of a friend - who to be honest was probably in there!!  

Just along the street I saw this - I have no idea what it is or means but it was quite striking.

Then I was overtaken by this catering organisation.  Darwin Deli have been delivering sandwiches by bicycle to offices for a decade and this company  is probably one of many more since.  Slowly but surely the bicycle is becoming a standard asset for many businesses. Huzzahhhh!! 

 As I headed east along Oxford Street towards Tottenham Court Road the bus in front stopped at the red lights.

 

It was a 73.  "Hmmmph" I thought, "the 73 used to go to Warren Street so should be turning left here." I stayed behind it.  Was it indicating? Was it heckers like?  Nothing. Nothing at all.  I watched in horror as a cyclist went down the inside of it.  Thanks to absolutely nothing other than incredible luck, the lights stayed red.  The cyclist carried on past the bus.   The lights changed, the bus pulled forward and then  - and only then - did it indicate left.

I find that absolutely shocking.  Indicating is a warning, a notification of intention - what on earth is the point of doing it after the manoeuvre? What was worse was that the No.10 bus did exactly the same thing.

 I find this unacceptable. Transport for London should be ensuring that their drivers indicate.  Who to write to I wonder?

On to Charlotte Street and found this company (which is probably a sort of Snappy Snaps) but it caught my eye.

I then came across someone with a birds eye view of what his colleagues were up to - a reminder of the ever changing and evolving buildings that make up this great city.

My next discovery was a bike shop!  What's not to like??!

I headed home via Hyde Park - the air was slightly cooler than anticipated but the daffs were happy!  And indeed - so was I!!

Mice Maiden Voyage in a Velomobile

Celebrating Warm Sunshine Log Date 104. 17.57 miles, top speed 23.5mph (that I saw) on the road bike.  Stats for Velomobile not recorded although the thrill factor is priceless!

 

Finally the weather forecast was predicting warm(er) weather and sunshine! Whoop! Whoop! About time too!  I met up with four others for a gentle pootle around London.

It was a reminder as to how very easy it is to make ridiculous judgements about people.  The expression "never judge a book by its cover" should apply to people on bicycles.  Assumptions that cyclists in Lycra are all ego driven, hard core speedsters is simply not true.  There are I am sure people who have that trait but they are not necessarily always in Lycra!   

 

Lycra is about comfort.  Padding in places that need it and keeping the correct body temperature in a fabric that moves with each rotation of the pedals.

Today everyone was in Lycra except me (I was in leggings) and we were all in cleats, gluing our feet to our pedals to help go faster.  We were all on road  bikes but one of us was in a  Velomobile.

Surrounded by a carbon shell the shape of which has been created using computer software normally associated with yachts, is a recumbent trike.  But you can happily tell members of the public as you pass by - their mouths wide open in truly gawping mode that there are three people inside - and they believe you!! Sorry Andy!

                                                          (Thanks for the picTC1)

The plan was plotted - a lap of Hyde Park and onto Regents Park for a lap there then on to the cafe.  Perfect.

 Regents Park is a 2.76 mile circle with not much traffic and very popular with speed hungry cyclists to push their bling and themselves as much as possible - many of them timing themselves so they can measure their improvements and fitness.  As with all things in life, some people are simply faster than others. No matter how much Lycra, luggage-free and carbon-accessoried some bicycles are - they will be over taken.  But they don't necessarily expect it and they definitely don't like it.

As we passed London Zoo, I waved at the giraffes - all three of them were out in the sunshine but with the velomobile on my heels there was no time to stop. On we went, the velomobile whooshed by-by-bye-byeeeeeeeeee until it was a white dot ahead!  Hahahahaha!! What a combination! Aerodynamics is a science on which the design of the Velomobile is based and with Andy's super cycling strength he overtook absolutely everything. Very, very fast!  The disappointment on some of the cyclists faces had to be seen to be believed!

 

We popped into The Honest Sausage, a cafe in  the middle of Regents Park. Even though we were sitting by the bikes we locked them all together. Bike theft is always happening, indeed a friend of mine had his bike stolen last week even though two of his friends were standing by it at the time.  Awful.

 

 

As we admired the Velomobile, one of our numbers was given the opportunity to try it - he was clearly impressed. And there it happened.  The offer was made to me - "M - would you like to have a go?" Well it was too good to say no. What an offer! 

We walked out into the Broadwalk which is a shared pedestrian/cyclists space and in I climbed.  I have a recumbent trike so I am aware of the recumbent position of both the seat and the pedals although I haven't ridden mine for a very long time so it took a bit of getting used to.

 

(Thanks for the pic Dave)

I just managed to reach the pedals although I have different cleats so couldn't clip in but I have to say that with the very first push with my right foot I was halfway up the Broadwalk! Good Grief!!  It really is fast.

                                                  (Thanks for the pic Dave!)

It was a very gentle test ride - as Andy Veloman is taller than me I had to sink very low into the seat which meant I couldn't see too much of where I was going.  I tried a three point turn - ooops - Andy came up and pulled me back enough to go round.  The next uturn I managed on my own.  It is a very impressive speed machine and I can't believe I rode it!

Andy has ridden it from London to Brighton in three hours, to Cornwall in a few more and to Norfolk.  He is one awesome cyclist.

Over coffee the mention of Swains Lane came up which is in a nasty little book called 100 Hill Climbs.  Andy hasn't done that in the VM yet so this was the perfect opportunity.

I said I would go with them but as I'm on light duties only in terms of cycling (under instructions from a physiotherapist) I knew I shouldn't cycle up it so stayed at the bottom in Corks and Forks - excellent food and coffee!

  

 

The rest of them headed to the top (so they say, I haven't seen any pics!) and joined me for coffee at the bottom. 

 

We headed south, the VM shot off home and the rest of us had a couple of drinks in Look Mum No Hands (which is definitely overpriced).  Whilst we were there a cycling journalist was having a good look at our bikes.  I said to my three friends "Do you think he is looking at my bike" and you cant believe the speed and togetherness in which they all replied "No"!  Cheeky so and so's!!

The route home was via Hyde Park and a bakery for a very large piece of cake - catching up with but not exceeding the calories burnt!

A really lovely way to spend a day - cycling with friends and in sunshine!