Berlin

I've just got back from a weekend away to Berlin with Miss S. One of the things I had desperately wanted to do was the "Fat Tire" bike tour (No link. You can google them). In Barcelona I had seen the tour go by after doing the bus tour, and it seemed a little more exciting. The main difference, and one that i hadn't considered earlier, was that the river in berlin was still frozen... whereas I was in Barca in August.

It was absolutely bloody freezing, but fun and informative. I can't reccomend it enough, and our guide (Tam) was possibly the most over-informed tour guide I have ever met.

After finishing I was able to warm up nicely at the slightly strange Badesschiff (Bath-Ship) with a silent bunch of mostly Germans.
There is still a section of the wall which is earie in the extreme.

There are loads of cyclists and nearly all of them ride very practical bikes. Very practical. Heavy steel frame, front dynamo, Brooks saddle (or similar). Some ride traditional road bikes but the vast majority ride utility bikes.

Personally I think this is great.




Weird Cats

Bejesus that must smart a little

This guy finished the race with that in his leg.

Azizulhasni Awang came third in the track cycling world cup despite coming off and getting a 9" splinter in his leg. That said I can see this type of piercing catching on in some circles

Bikelophone

I know... but I had to... find out more here

Sausage-skins for tyres

I have already had a couple of punctures on my new bike. I realise that not having armoured tyres means that this is more likely, but in three weeks I have had two punctures. I only had 2 punctures in 4 years of riding the crossroads, and 0 the 6 months of Brompton ownership I managed before an untimely theft.

I have also had to take the bike back under warranty to get the front derailleur and rear brake adjusted as they’d stopped working properly. The bikes that I had as a kid I rode harder and more often than the bikes in my adult life, yet had less go wrong with them. Are bike manufacturers too busy chasing the weekend warrior market to make multi use everyday bicycles?

I picked the Kona because, with 25mm tyres and steel frame, it seemed to be sturdier than the average road bike in alu/carbon. It probably is, and the way I ride I should probably have 4 season Kevlar tyres on...

Bicycle Art

I saw these lovely cut paper silouettes earlier. There is a great one of a couple kissing on a bike too.

WTF Scalextric!

What on earth were they thinking. Unless there's a cross over at the mid point on both sides then the inside bike will win. I bet they a massive car shaped base so they stand up. The remote controled motorbikes use a giroscope to stay upright, but these are tiny!

Full marks for an unrestrained cash in though.

Writing to your MEP

I wrote this letter to my MEPs yesterday. To my suprise they have all answered within 24 hours. Some in great detail about specific proposals and research into safety currently in progress. A littlr sad then to compare that UK MPs are having to fight to save essential services form the Con-Dem Government rather than better the lives of residents...

Monday 7 February 2011

Dear Jean Lambert, Sarah Ludford, Charles Tannock, MarinaYannakoudakis, Gerard Batten, Claude Moraes, Mary Honeyball and SyedKamall,

It's nearly two years since Eilidh was run over by a truck that failedto see her. Her mum Heather has been working with their local Member ofEuropean Parliament to try and get an EU declaration signed to get HGVsfitted with sensors and cameras to remove their blind spot. 4000 people, mostly unprotected road users such as cyclists,motorcyclists and pedestrians, are killed each year in Europe becauseof HGV blind spots. As a keen cyclist (I commute by bike and cycle for pleasure)I see thedangers of this blindspot daily. If HGVs are the way in which we chooseto deliver goods in the centre of our busy towns, then they mustn't make them any more dangerous than neccessary.

I am 38 years old I havelost 2 friends to illness, but 2 others have been crushed by HGV's whodidn't see them (one died in a car). This declaration needs to be signed to be signed by half of the 736MEPs before it lapses on Wed 16th Feb

Yours sincerely,

XXX

Weird Weekend

I have just had a very strange weekend.

Firstly Straight after work I headed up to ]Performancespace[ the new home of the Artevict lot. There were some durational actions underway when I arrived. I found the work moving and challenging. Highlights for me were Jamie and Victoria’s pieces. Anyway take a look at the site and make your own mind up.

Saturday we went to Brian’s to rehearse for the long distance busk (LEJOG). There was a frank and quite reasonable discussion as to how hard it would be and the fact we are all out-of-shape. It looks like we’ve decided to do it anyway, but we have agreed speeds and levels of fitness by certain dates to try and make it easier... can’t keep stopping.

Went to SHUNT’s new venue in the evening. What a lovely space. There is a section in the middle with a glass first floor and a viewing gallery at the top. Great DJs brilliant live acts. Good all round. Interestingly whilst I had to go on my own to both events (circumstances and planning issues) I wasn’t alone. A lot of people were there on their own.

A good weekend at that.

New year...New Stuff

Well It’s a new year and several other new things. First up I got a new bike. The Kona “Honky Tonk.” It was the most affordable all steel, nice riding, retro looking bike I could manage to lay my hands on. I’ll do a long term test/review once it’s done a few weeks of my daily commute and a couple of Long uns...

Which leads me on to my next project. I have joined a group of complete strangers to cycle from Lands-End-to-John- O’Groats (LEJOG) using the CTC youth hostelling route. Not content that this may be a challenge (nearly 1,000 miles), I was initially attracted to the idea as it combines my one of my other passions. We are going to be playing a gig at around 13 of the 15 stops, as part of busking cancer (A cancer research initiative). I’ll be taking the Uke, the Banjo Uke, and maybe a couple of oddities to play. We’re sticking to covers at this point as booking hostels in july for 10 people, planning the route, training and rehearsing may not leave us with much time for writing.

I hope to take some wicked photos (pinhole landscapes at dawn, Scotland, Cornwall etc)

We did our first training ride on Sunday. Assemble at an address in Brixton at 12:00. Great but that’s an 11 mile ride from mine. Everyone in high spirits despite a pre-start trip to buy a new innertube. All I can say is that Ken picked a cracker of a route. Over to Tulse Hill, up through Anerley, Out into Kent. Up a massive hill!!! In fact I didn’t realise how high we’d climbed until we got to ride the same route back. Very quick!

Back at Ken’s we popped out for a post-ride pint. Much deserved.

Then the cycle home... got lost... went via the houses of parliament and thereby adding about 3 miles extra.

Feel fine today... we might just pull this off... next week band practice...tonight Ukulele night.

Happy New Year

After a trial week of commuting in mid December, and my Christmas commuting happening by bike. Thanks to a generous top up from my nana I am able to purchase a shiny new bike in the next couple of weeks...

Wish me luck...