In the near future I should be in the fortunate position of being able to buy another bike - possibly at the end of this month. In anticipation, I thought I would do a little planning in how to do this.
I've narrowed it down to two ways: a day shopping in London and going straight to my local Halfords.
Unlike a lot of men, I like shopping, and nothing more than on little treats for myself - such as a new bike. I think I know what the next one will be, just not sure where I should purchase it.
I also like London, where I was born and lived as an infant. I like days out seeing the sights, visiting shops like a kid in a sweet shop and - with the money to buy - unlike most of the time! There's also a good nosh up that adds to, for me, a great experience.
The shop would need to do mail order as I wouldn't want to take it on the train - not while it's nice and new anyway. There's also the great feeling of anticipation. May buy something totally different if it takes my fancy - a spontaneity factor if you will. Better study the Transport For London Journey Planner to make the most of it.
The other option is the local Halfords who, if I remember correctly, can get pretty much anything bikewise on request. I'm quite a fan of Halfords, unlike a lot of cyclists. I buy a lot of my accessories there and consider the Bikehut range to be good quality and value. If they can order it for me, I'll know exactly what I'm getting, it'll be convenient and I'll save money on the day out which I could put towards accessories but won't have the day out in London and spontaneity factor...
Decisions, decisions...
Why London or Halfords? Well, what I want, to be revealed in a future post, is pretty unusual and whilst other shops in the UK sell them, they are even further away and the locations where they're based don't offer the same as London and, (I don't have a car) are more expensive and time consuming to get to.
What about the internet? Indeed. The internet should be a first start in seeing what's available and at what price. Whilst my previous two bikes, a Dawes Geneva plus the current Kettler were ordered without me seeing them first, I think this time I actually want to see it first.
So, undecided, but am glad to be in this position and am looking forward to a new acquisition. Will keep you posted.
Sunday, 14 April 2013
Sunday, 7 April 2013
Safety And Consideration For Others - Ring That Bell.
To many reading this, it might be common sense, but common sense isn't common and using a bell on a bike certainly isn't common where I live - anything but in fact...
Main reasons to use a bell especially on shared cycle/pedestrian paths - safety and consideration. I think my own experiences as a pedestrian illustrate why using your bell is a good idea.
When walking, I now try to look over my shoulder before crossing the path for any reason. The other week, I was walking along when someone on a mountain bike came whizzing past. Had it hit me it would have hurt...if not put me in hospital...
Also, have you ever been walking along and you're suddenly aware of a bike trying to push past, hearing only a squeak of the brakes or click of gears changing? Startling and annoying, I find, especially given they cannot be bothered even verbally, to let you know they're there. Try not to be that cyclist...
I like to ring when at least 10 metres behind the pedestrian. This has gone down well and I've been thanked on several occasions: the pedestrian pleasantly surprised at my courtesy.
As well as enhancing safety and consideration, bells can be complementary to an urban bike's looks - it seems incomplete without one. They're generally inexpensive, ranging from under a pound to around £40 for one made from titanium:
Basic flick bell - these come in many other colours:
Classic ding dong bell (source: flickr/baudman):
Different: Source: Flickr/J Ferguson - this type isn't actually unique - but I haven't seen them outside of the net. I would have thought they're less ergonomic as you would have to take your hand off the grips. Adds variety and style though - which being individualistic, I like. Something else on the shopping list.
:
Main reasons to use a bell especially on shared cycle/pedestrian paths - safety and consideration. I think my own experiences as a pedestrian illustrate why using your bell is a good idea.
When walking, I now try to look over my shoulder before crossing the path for any reason. The other week, I was walking along when someone on a mountain bike came whizzing past. Had it hit me it would have hurt...if not put me in hospital...
Also, have you ever been walking along and you're suddenly aware of a bike trying to push past, hearing only a squeak of the brakes or click of gears changing? Startling and annoying, I find, especially given they cannot be bothered even verbally, to let you know they're there. Try not to be that cyclist...
I like to ring when at least 10 metres behind the pedestrian. This has gone down well and I've been thanked on several occasions: the pedestrian pleasantly surprised at my courtesy.
As well as enhancing safety and consideration, bells can be complementary to an urban bike's looks - it seems incomplete without one. They're generally inexpensive, ranging from under a pound to around £40 for one made from titanium:
Basic flick bell - these come in many other colours:
Different: Source: Flickr/J Ferguson - this type isn't actually unique - but I haven't seen them outside of the net. I would have thought they're less ergonomic as you would have to take your hand off the grips. Adds variety and style though - which being individualistic, I like. Something else on the shopping list.
Thursday, 4 April 2013
Getting What You Pay For, Part 2 - just because it's cheap, doesn't mean it's not nifty
OK, previously I've expressed the view that it's best to spend a bit of money when it comes to town bikes because they should last and offer creature comforts for comfortable everyday cycling. Here I'm going to cover a few useful items that I (and many others in the case of one of them) consider to be bargains and worth your attention. Now, I am writing from a UK perspective and stores selling these things are local to me - if you don't have a Tiger or Lidl in your country/city/town, you might find it hard to purchase them. But, at least for the UK, Danish and German readers...
First of these is a bell. Now, I've chosen this not just because of its price, but I also like the no nonsense style of it. Some bells look a bit toyish, suitable for kids' tricycles and maybe unappealing to adults, this isn't. It looks quite businesslike, gives a single "ding" audible from quite a distance, and costs 99p from Wilkinson's. You can even buy the same thing from some other stores for £4.99...
First of these is a bell. Now, I've chosen this not just because of its price, but I also like the no nonsense style of it. Some bells look a bit toyish, suitable for kids' tricycles and maybe unappealing to adults, this isn't. It looks quite businesslike, gives a single "ding" audible from quite a distance, and costs 99p from Wilkinson's. You can even buy the same thing from some other stores for £4.99...
Second is this cupholder I recently bought from Tiger - a chain of cheap novelty stores based in Denmark and established in the UK, with round prices - this was £2. Keeps my beverages close to hand. Seems to work OK - just fitted it and works fine - stayed put and provided the ground's not too uneven, the liquid doesn't spill...
Third, the Lidl bike maintenance stand at £30 - bit of a star product this...
Visit UK cycling forums and, chances are, you will see threads on this bargain of bargains. In short it costs £30, a third of the price of anything that comes close, has its own tool tray with a magnet for screws etc, (on others this is an extra to be purchased separately), is sturdy with a 30kg weight limit (many don't exceed 19kg, whilst town bikes can weigh over 20) and comes with a 3 year guarantee.
Lidl supermarkets (from Germany) have themed "weeks" once a year on different types of products/interests; during "cycling week" (around August/September if I remember correctly) - first come first served - these workstands go on sale (along with other cycling stuff) - and they're popular: advised to get there early, I got to the local Lidl just after 8am on the first day of "cycling week", when it opens, and about 10 people had already bought theirs before me...
To be fair, and going back to the getting what you pay for thing, this workstand is not the same as some of the more sophisticated stands from Park for example (costing over £250). It holds the bike by the bike's centre of gravity and you cannot position it exactly through 360 degrees. But as a starter for the DIYer, it doesn't get any better than this.
British cyclists can be a thrifty lot, so you can find out quite a bit about bargains from their forums. Lidl's is a favourite with lots of well made useful inexpensive stuff all with a 3 year guarantee. And no, I don't work for them! Another is their direct competitor, Aldi whom I've never been to (or at least I cannot remember).
Some links to start bargain hunting from:
Sunday, 31 March 2013
You Get What You Pay For
Typically, a good town bike ranges in price from £500 to £1200. Come to think, this is pretty much the price range of any serious bike meant to be used regularly and expected to last many years, with good components made by say, Shimano, SRAM et al. Some express surprise at this expecting them to cost less and unwilling to pay such a sum.
Town bikes and urban cycling are becoming more popular; new brands are appearing with the emphasis on style, quality and equipment, indicating a growth market. Some firms have seen an opportunity to sell bikes at a much lower price range - say, £200-£300 and some of these have appeared for sale. I don't think they're a good idea, because, all other things being equal you get what you pay for, which is important with a bike intended to be used regularly as transport.
Such bikes intended for leisure use have been available for many years of course, and they're perfectly adequate for this as they may only be used occasionally, eg weekly, and they tend to have next to no equipment (lights, rack etc) that make them useful for town cycling, because they don't really need it.
However, regular comfortable utility biking needs two things in my opinion which adds to cost: a degree of robustness and a level of equipment.
The bike will have to be made up to a standard in order to withstand everyday use. I saw a saying somewhere - think it was another blog which sums it up - half price? Pay twice. In addition, the level of equipment all adds to the cost - it can add several hundred pounds/equivalent currency on its own. Of course if you buy a cheaper bike without it, you can add this equipment later on, however, it's likely to be a lot be more expensive if you're not in the trade, as you won't get trade and bulk discounts that the companies making the bikes will.
Town bikes and urban cycling are becoming more popular; new brands are appearing with the emphasis on style, quality and equipment, indicating a growth market. Some firms have seen an opportunity to sell bikes at a much lower price range - say, £200-£300 and some of these have appeared for sale. I don't think they're a good idea, because, all other things being equal you get what you pay for, which is important with a bike intended to be used regularly as transport.
Such bikes intended for leisure use have been available for many years of course, and they're perfectly adequate for this as they may only be used occasionally, eg weekly, and they tend to have next to no equipment (lights, rack etc) that make them useful for town cycling, because they don't really need it.
However, regular comfortable utility biking needs two things in my opinion which adds to cost: a degree of robustness and a level of equipment.
The bike will have to be made up to a standard in order to withstand everyday use. I saw a saying somewhere - think it was another blog which sums it up - half price? Pay twice. In addition, the level of equipment all adds to the cost - it can add several hundred pounds/equivalent currency on its own. Of course if you buy a cheaper bike without it, you can add this equipment later on, however, it's likely to be a lot be more expensive if you're not in the trade, as you won't get trade and bulk discounts that the companies making the bikes will.
Wednesday, 27 March 2013
6 flats in 6 weeks...:-(((
OK, I had fitted my bike with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres, which are supposed to be pretty much puncture proof, having an extra thick kevlar shield inside. Not quite sure when I fitted them, but it must have been at least 2 years ago.
And up until around the beginning of this year, the number of punctures I had was maybe one or two, to be expected given that with the Marathon Plus tyre, punctures are supposed to be a "thing of the past". I'm sure I've done several thousand miles, including some of my longest daytrips - say, 60 miles without any problems.
But over the past two months - it's been one flat after another - I counted 6 in the same number of weeks; interestingly enough, it seems to have coincided with me consistently checking once a week that my tyres were at recommended pressures...I did think that maybe I was being a bit careless with attaching the pump and damaging the valve or something because I couldn't make out any punctures in the inner tube and on at least one occasion, I got a flat 1-2 days after making sure the tyre was pumped to the right pressure.
The latest one (on the front - 5/6 were on the front) happened when I was cycling to the shops in my lunch hour; having no pump (complacent because of the "puncture proof" tyres) and thinking I could ride the short distance on a flat, I tried before the tyre actually started to come off! I put in another inner tube at home, and pumped it up to the 80psi recommended pressure. I go upstairs when I hear a loud bang. Evidently, riding with a flat tyre had deformed the tyre so it wouldn't stay attached to the wheel and the inner tube bulged out of the gap and burst!
And up until around the beginning of this year, the number of punctures I had was maybe one or two, to be expected given that with the Marathon Plus tyre, punctures are supposed to be a "thing of the past". I'm sure I've done several thousand miles, including some of my longest daytrips - say, 60 miles without any problems.
But over the past two months - it's been one flat after another - I counted 6 in the same number of weeks; interestingly enough, it seems to have coincided with me consistently checking once a week that my tyres were at recommended pressures...I did think that maybe I was being a bit careless with attaching the pump and damaging the valve or something because I couldn't make out any punctures in the inner tube and on at least one occasion, I got a flat 1-2 days after making sure the tyre was pumped to the right pressure.
The latest one (on the front - 5/6 were on the front) happened when I was cycling to the shops in my lunch hour; having no pump (complacent because of the "puncture proof" tyres) and thinking I could ride the short distance on a flat, I tried before the tyre actually started to come off! I put in another inner tube at home, and pumped it up to the 80psi recommended pressure. I go upstairs when I hear a loud bang. Evidently, riding with a flat tyre had deformed the tyre so it wouldn't stay attached to the wheel and the inner tube bulged out of the gap and burst!
Anyway, enough was enough and I bought another tyre and inner tube. The tyre isn't a Marathon Plus, but a Bikehut (Halfords own brand) puncture resistant tyre. Still quite expensive at £25. I also thought I would buy a self sealing inner tube (also quite expensive at £7.99) for it, the first time I've bought one. It's got this milky resin liquid in it which is supposed to seal any holes in the inner tube up to 3mm wide.
Here's to some puncture free cycling! (I hope!).
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
Saddle Height - Get It Right
Occasionally I find pedalling more difficult; sometimes it's because the tyre pressures are low, but sometimes it's because the saddle height has dropped over time through riding. A few months ago, the seatpost clamp screw broke, and I had to ride with the saddle at it's lowest, whilst waiting for another to come through the post. This was pretty uncomfortable to the point where I would only ride where I needed to, instead of walking, so I frequently check the saddle height and tyres. I also tighten the seat post clamp to recommended torque pressures using a torque wrench. This seems to work well and the saddle stays put. I take a note of the measurement of how much seat post is left between the frame and the saddle as a guide.
However, observing other cyclists, it seems, around 8/10 have the saddle too low all the time. Given the discomfort I experienced, how could anyone ride their bike all the time with the saddle at the wrong height? I doubt they go long distances. It's more difficult to pedal because of reduced leverage, probably why you sometimes see cyclists with 20+ geared mountain bikes choosing to walk up what is only a mild incline.
I've often thought, no wonder mountain bikes with tens of gears are so popular...because bikes with fewer gears would be too difficult to ride as the saddle would be too low...
Chances are, many adults carry on where they left off as kids when it comes to pushbikes when they were never really shown anything other than how to ride a "two wheeler" replacing the scooter or tricycle, so of course, they've never known anything different. Add to the fact that, many may buy cheap "Bike Shaped Objects" from a supermarket or general store that come in a box with no adjustments being made for the rider, plus no instruction from staff and this could explain it.
If you're reading this, you probably know what the right saddle height should be - roughly high enough for full extension of your leg without locking your knees, with the balls of your feet on the pedals - like they might have showed you at a gym for the stationery cycles. You can get a lot more scientific (and expensive) and ultimately you would have the frame individually made for you, but this is a start for general use.
However, observing other cyclists, it seems, around 8/10 have the saddle too low all the time. Given the discomfort I experienced, how could anyone ride their bike all the time with the saddle at the wrong height? I doubt they go long distances. It's more difficult to pedal because of reduced leverage, probably why you sometimes see cyclists with 20+ geared mountain bikes choosing to walk up what is only a mild incline.
I've often thought, no wonder mountain bikes with tens of gears are so popular...because bikes with fewer gears would be too difficult to ride as the saddle would be too low...
Chances are, many adults carry on where they left off as kids when it comes to pushbikes when they were never really shown anything other than how to ride a "two wheeler" replacing the scooter or tricycle, so of course, they've never known anything different. Add to the fact that, many may buy cheap "Bike Shaped Objects" from a supermarket or general store that come in a box with no adjustments being made for the rider, plus no instruction from staff and this could explain it.
If you're reading this, you probably know what the right saddle height should be - roughly high enough for full extension of your leg without locking your knees, with the balls of your feet on the pedals - like they might have showed you at a gym for the stationery cycles. You can get a lot more scientific (and expensive) and ultimately you would have the frame individually made for you, but this is a start for general use.
Sunday, 17 March 2013
1st Month
Well, blog's been going a month and I've generally had positive feedback. I'm still learning how to get the best out of the Blogger software, which I'm well impressed with - what to do with photos, links etc. Also working on the content - quality of writing. I plan to improve it incrementally with every post or in between posts. Quite enjoying it, although it can take a bit of time as you chop and change stuff as and when you think of it!
Hope it's informative, whether the posts tell you anything you didn't already know, or the links I've supplied - some of the subject matter can be a bit obscure.
Today, I've added RSS feed and am looking at Flickr as a facility for photos.
Hope it's informative, whether the posts tell you anything you didn't already know, or the links I've supplied - some of the subject matter can be a bit obscure.
Today, I've added RSS feed and am looking at Flickr as a facility for photos.
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