Quadrabyke

The Quadrabyke converts from 4-wheeled pedal toy, to trike, to bicycle

Genius! Just what we need.

http://www.q-byke.com/

Nothing for the practical cyclist

I got this strange catalogue from Evans.

There was a whole section at the back about the Ride2Work scheme - a benefit-in-kind tax wheeze where the government subsidises commuting bikes. However not one bike in the entire catalogue was an ordinary comfortable road bike of the sort I would consider commuting on. Every single one of them would give me a crick in the neck; most had no mudguards, no lights, and no way to carry anything. These bikes are.. incomplete.

There was a piece about riding in hot weather. All tight fitting clothes made from 'performance' fabrics; not a single linen shirt! :-)

I understand that this sort of thing works for many of Evans' customers, but they're preaching to the converted. Buy a mountain bike or a racer for commuting if you're already into that sort of riding. But if we're going to get more ordinary people using a bike just to trundle around or go to work - which I think would be fantastic - we need to not put them off with this focus on high-performance machines and special clothing.

The last thing the non-cyclist needs is a bike with a razor-edge seat, skinny tyres and no bloody mudguards.

Health and Fitness Update

When I started this lark, one of my main aims was to improve my health and fitness. I've been properly overweight for nigh on twenty years now. So is it working?

Well I wouldn't say I'm back to the 1980s. I haven't even really lost weight - although that is slowly starting to happen. But I am definitely much fitter. I did nearly 15 miles yesterday with no ill effects. And even since last autumn I'm noticeably faster on the road: I'm using 2nd or 3rd gear on the steepest uphill bits of my commute, where originally I would walk or use 1st gear. And I quite regularly hit top (8th) gear, which used to be a rare event. So although far from the fastest, I am definitely not the slowest person on the roads any more.

At the beginning I was a bit worried about the effect of cycling on my creaky knees, and they did ache at first. I even consulted my GP. But the Doc was right: now my legs are much stronger it's really not an issue. I do still have to restrain myself from using the full force of my leg muscles, for fear of hurting my knees.. but 'mind your knees' speed is now considerably faster than it used to be.

So there seems to be no downside. If you're dithering, just do it!

Delivery Boy

Today I are mostly been impersonating G-G-G-Granville from Open All Hours..

Cyclebabble

On Tuesday I went to the launch of a new book "Cyclebabble", which is a digest of the best bits from the Guardian bike blog. The launch event was at Look Mum No Hands, a bike shop cum cafe-bar on Old St EC1.

Look Mum is a bit painfully trendy for my taste, but it was nice to meet a couple of the people behind the book, including Sara from the Guardian's tiny publishing department, and the very enthusiastic Peter Walker. I also chatted with a nice lass who turned out to be the girl behind the wonderful 101 Wankers project. Dawn was lovely and her blog is a laugh, as well as highlighting a serious and mystifying issue: why does riding a bicycle somehow make a girl fair game for witless comments and sexual harassment? Are the low-forehead fraternity somehow threatened by her.. I dunno.. freedom of movement? If so, god forbid they ever spot a girl in a sports car.

I was invited because I occasionally comment on the Guardian blog, but I don't know if any of my comments made it into print as I didn't have time to flick through all of it. They were selling copies for £6 instead of the cover price of £7.99 but I didn't buy one for two reasons:

- Everything in it is already available on the Guardian site

- Even if I did want a hard copy (perhaps for the loo) I thought it would probably be cheaper on Amazon (and it is!)

Anyway, it was interesting to attend and I enjoyed a couple of refreshing Slags. Thanks guys, and good luck with the book.

Most of them are fine, though

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/contact/pco/taxi.aspx

I am reporting DANGEROUS DRIVING and rude behaviour in relation to cyclists.

I don't know whether my witness is admissible as she is my wife: [MCMLXX's contact details]

At about 6.40pm on Wed 4th May 2011 I was cycling east along The Cut SE1. MCMLXX was a little behind me on her bike. As we approached the junction with Blackfriars Road, I moved into the right hand of the two lanes because I intended to go straight across onto Union St (the left lane is a filter left). The lights were green and several vehicles were already crossing the junction; there were no vehicles behind me at first but I took up a 'commanding position' in the correct lane to make it clear to anyone who did come up behind me that I was not turning left.

MCMLXX had not done so; she was just across the lane divider slightly in the left hand lane when a black cab swept past her.

As I crossed the junction, I was surprised to see this black cab RIGHT BEHIND ME. My wife said he was two inches from my back tyre. He was way too close; dangerously and aggressively close.

As we got onto Union St and the taxi started to overtake me, I raised my right hand (all fingers spread - NOT a rude gesture) as if to ask "what on earth did you think you were doing...?". The taxi roared past, again uncomfortably close.

It isn't even as if he needed to be so close to catch the lights; MCMLXX was able to cross behind him.

And unsurprisingly his aggressive overtaking was a waste of time, as he was soon stopped at the next set of lights. I was able to pull up alongside and lean down to speak to the driver. He opened his window and it was perhaps only at this point that he realised I had my 3-year-old daughter on the bicycle as well.

I told the driver "Don't harass cyclists on a junction - that was bloody dangerous!". I didn't catch exactly what he said first, but then he said something about "get a bloody car". I was just replying that I do have a car as well (at various times I am a motorist, pedestrian, cyclist, tube and bus user.. and a taxi passenger) when the lights changed and he roared off again. I saw him pull into an entrance on Great Suffolk Street.

As well as being rude and aggressive, this driver clearly believes that cyclists - even riding correctly and following the Highway Code and cycling best practice - do not deserve the same consideration as motorised traffic. That makes him a danger to other road users.

I've also given them the sod's number plate and description. Let's hope something comes of it.

MCMLXVII circa MCMLXXIX

Wow. Found this old photo of yours truly aged about 12 - with my first bike!