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Cycling, Bikes and Bike Maintenance

There is now a growing section on bike maintenance.
Elsewhere you can have your say on being a dedicated cyclist!

I cover many aspects of cycling as a means of travel, including towing children about. Various aspects of recreational, commuter and competitive cycling are covered. There are Tandem bike reviews, child trailer reviews, time trialling advice and results, and lots more!

The Joys of Cycling

[07 May 2005 21:35]

I've been focussed on bikes ever since I started University and had to think about how to get about on a budget. Back in 1992 I used to cycle a few miles each way on a heavy but useful mountain bike (Carrera Kalarahi, a Halfords semi-cheapo brand).

A year later, and for the next few years, I rode the same bike 20 miles a day to Uni through some pretty attrocious Norfolk lanes. At the time I wasn't aware of optimisations to make a cyclist's life easier, such as lycra, but I persevered until 1995. The mountain bike went slowly downhill, changing colour a couple of times in the process and getting gradually more rusty. A brief foray into tri-bars did little to improve aerodynamics, but did add a few unsightly scars to my limbs.

1995: my awakening to 'real' cycling. I don't know what brought it about, but all of a sudden I was riding the same country lanes, in Lycra, on a new Dawes Horizon tourer. In October I had also joined the UEA Cycling Club and was persuaded to enter my first competition event, a 1400-yard hill climb in Yorkshire. I rode it on my tourer (stripped down, of course!) and finished some way down the table. But it was fun!

The tempo gradually increased from there, and by the next summer I was time-trialling on a Cannondale road bike. I was entering time trials left, right and centre with my UEA team-mates (mainly Andy Tyler, Jo Tuck and Dave Cooper - aka Cooperman). I gradually improved, but seemed to plateau at around 24 minutes for a 10 and just over the hour for a 25. At the same time Andy was putting in 21's and 55's, but gradually going downhill as he struggled to identify a problem in his diet.

We used to do training rides back then, up to Wells-next-the-Sea or down to Diss, or along to Yarmouth, and life was grand.

Enough rambling! What you really need is some useful information, either about places to cycle, performance cycling or how to look after yourself and your bike.

Our musings on Tandem Bikes

Cycling in Norfolk

Cycling in Loughborough

Time Trialling

Misc bike photos

Bike Maintenance

Performance Matters

Staying Dry

Under Test

Still can't find what you're looking for? The Links section might be of some use...

Where Else?

Vote Bike!
[03 March 2010 21:37]
The Cyclists Touring Club (CTC) has fired up a campaign aimed at politicians. With the general election coming up, now is the time to make sure ...

Make Your Turbo Trainer Pay
[22 January 2010 22:02]
Want to feel super-incentivised strap your bike into your turbo trainer? Try attaching a dynamo! The ETA (Environmental Transport Association ...

PCD (Pitch Circle Diameter) Defined
[28 April 2006 21:31]
PCD, or Pitch Circle Diameter, is the diameter of an imaginary circle drawn through the fixing holes of a chainring. Since it's not possible ...

Portable Bike Lane
[02 February 2009 20:48]
Take your bike lane with you! It might not be as good as the real thing, but this laser light projection of a bike lane gives drivers a clear ...
Cycling Resolutions: Twenty Reasons!
[03 January 2009 12:04]
The Independent has published a list of twenty reasons for you to take up cycling this year. Like you needed an excuse, eh? The article is ...

Breaking Away
[30 December 2008 11:44]
This cycling movie is on my 'might watch' list: Breaking Away. Its listing on IMDB gives a brief plotline of a boy in Indiana, obsessed with ...

Satmap Active 10 GPS with Bike Mount and Half Price Maps
[18 November 2008 20:58]
This GPS unit with Ordnance Survey mapping is quite expensive (£320 on offer from Wiggle), but with the whole of the country available ...
Fleet Moss 200KM Randonee
[06 October 1996 08:00]

View Larger Map
Horse Enters Cycle Race
[09 May 2008 21:42]
Here's a hilarious video of a horse that decided to join in a professional cycle race (the 1997 Criterium International, near Toulouse) around ...
The School Run - Dutch Style
[18 April 2008 13:29]
Here is a video from Copenhagenize.com which shows a typical school run from a cycle commuter's perspective:
Budget Helmets
[31 March 2008 20:38]
Bell Venture Helmet 250g - £24.99 Met Formula Helmet - £24.99 Met Volo Helmet - 275g - £19.99 Specialized Air Force 3 Helmet - £24.99 ...
How to Fall Off a Bike
[25 March 2008 22:19]
It was pretty icy this morning. Here's footage from my handlebar-mounted camera, showing how I managed to slip over whilst going pretty slowly ...
David Cameron Still Pedalling Hard
[21 March 2008 11:23]
From MumsNet - David Cameron live webchat, Friday 14th March: Yes, bike is still in use - I ccycled to work twice this week. I always ...

Matthew Parris - Cyclist's Friend or Foe?
[04 January 2008 19:03]
Has Matthew Paris done cyclists some good after all? He wrote a column in the Times about how cyclists should be decapitated as penance for ...

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About Us:

Julii is finishing up work as an Environmental Economics Researcher at the University of East Anglia to give more time to the children.

John is lead developer of Blurtit.com, Qhub.com and other exciting Web projects.

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