My Cool Bike Book

Got this from the library. One of a series of books on cult things (couldn't think of a better word) and the people that own them - another is "My Cool Camper Van" about the Volkswagen vehicle and another is "My Cool Shed". (Haven't seen it, but probably about sheds).

Subtitled: "an inspirational guide to bikes and bike culture", it is a short book comprising short articles about different people, their bikes and associated culture, glossy pages with lots of colour photos. It's a very diverse collection of individuals and groups from around the world - private and businesses. They remind me of me - highly individualistic (or weird, depending on your POV; some minds are about as open as a closed bank vault - especially where I live...:-(), I would say a lot more so. They know what they like, why they like it and they stick to it regardless of trends or fashions. Their fascination and obsession doesn't seem to wane after many years. It may have started in childhood. Evident is their sentimental attachment to inanimate objects. Some of them will wear period clothing when riding, eg The Guvnors' Assembly, a collective of Pashley Guv'nor owners who ride in something a gamekeeper wears.

One example is DJ Norman Jay MBE who, fascinated when first seeing a Chopper bike in the early 1970s, bought one secondhand in the late 80s and now has 18 of them which are kept with family and friends all over London. I fully understand and agree - more than he needs but probably not as many as he wants...

Needless to say, this diverse range of people have a diverse range of bikes - there doesn't seem to be any particular pattern except, save for a few, they are either very old or styled old. The only one featured you'd find in a typical UK bike shop is a Brompton, one on my wishlist.

Personally, very little featured in this book appealed to me, which isn't the point. What the book shows is a collection of individuals doing their own thing outside the mainstream and indicates levels of creativity possible when customising the bicycle. Quite interesting to read and an idea generator to get me thinking.  Might get you thinking too. Inspirational. So the subtitle is accurate.

The Value Of Video

Or rather internet video. I've found the video sharing sites very valuable for in learning how to maintenance my bikes. I think they are an excellent resource in learning how to maintenance your bike, but shouldn't be the only one.

Whilst you can learn bike maintenance and repair on formal courses (something I hope to do in the near future) or someone you know can show you, the courses can be a bit hard to come by outside of major cities (UK-side) and if you don't know anyone, you are going to have to teach yourself through books, trial and error, websites, web forums and video. Of course, this is in addition to the instructions that came with the bike or accessory that you kept, didn't you? Because you never throw anything bikewise away do you...

So that's 6 ways in which you can learn bike maintenance by yourself. Of course, this can apply to just about most other things self teachable. One thing I've found is, it's best to use all these different types of media when learning. Oftentimes (thought I'd go American there), you might get stuck reading the instructions or book, and have to go to YouTube to clarify things. Oftentimes it might be the other way round.

This all ties in with multi-sensory learning some of us have heard about in our quest to be brilliant at everything in the shortest possible time; the recommended way of picking things up: when you see it, read it, hear it and do it, your learning is more effective, and faster.

Each learning method has its pros and cons - (in theory and reality through personal experience...). You are likely to have a preference for one method over the other.

Reading - you can misinterpret what is written so you do it wrong and it doesn't compensate if you need manual dexterity through repetitive practice. Then again, the written word can be referred back to time and time again. It can also give an overview, background and facilitates going into detail, better than a website.

Audio - if you hear it just the once, it's easy to forget - in one ear and out the other. You can also misinterpret what is said. You might then get accused of not listening...On the plus side, someone can say something that makes it all click, something missing from the website or reading material.

Seeing/Doing - very good for practical things like bike maintenance; the downside is that you can be very good at doing what you need to do when you need to do it, but you may never know why, so if you're faced with a different situation, you might struggle. It depends what it is. I knew at least two people who had attained supervisory and managerial roles as accountants at a mid-sized company but who didn't know the basics of bookkeeping...

Whatever methods used there needs to be a degree of repetition, so that it sinks in to build confidence, speed and expertise.

Videos allow you to learn through reading, hearing and seeing so should help you learn that much quicker. They can be entertaining too - always a help in learning something. Via internet, most of them are free to watch. Some are easier to follow than others. Some will be produced better than others eg by a business and some will make things "click" quicker depending on who's watching.

I've found Youtube to be an invaluable resource when it comes to bicycle maintenance. Seems you can find out just about anything, which is handy when it comes to hubgears for example, because in the UK, these can be a little esoteric - one of the best ways to learn is to buy secondhand off ebay and practise taking it apart and putting it back together.

So, when it comes to internet video, I've narrowed it down into two sections: everything and general. Come to think, maybe that should be YouTube and everything else...

Youtube - the best for  subject choice from mainstream to the obscure; they come from just about everywhere though - from professional productions by businesses as a form of marketing, to individuals who might have good intentions, but should have made a better effort on things like lighting, which might be poor. You would have thought that if you were going to submit something you wanted lots of people to see, you would have ensured it was easy for them to see...

General maintenance videos - all pretty professional but deal with standard subjects:

Videojug. This site covers a lot more than bike maintenance, but also cycling in general and a lot of non-cycling related subjects (how to do the moonwalk for example).

The official Bikeradar video site - Bikeradar is very sport oriented.

Evans Cycles - a chain of shops in the UK catering for the quality bike market.

Bicycletutor.com has good, professionally produced videos amongst other things, but it's a paid subscription service if you want to watch them.

Anyway, I shall share more as and when I come across them.

Thoughts On Lycra...

At the moment with attention given to and promotion of, cycling, it's common to criticise cycling specific clothing especially Lycra - at least UK-side.

Seems a lot of people have the wrong idea about lycra.

Never worn lycra. Have no problem with lycra. Lycra has its place. Like many other things, time and a place, eg skin tight rubber clothing if you're going diving...

The criticism seems to stem from the association of cycling with sport and athletics eg lots of serious effort, ergo lycra, which is a good idea when it comes to cycling and serious effort as it makes it more comfortable and therefore more enjoyable. I read that upwards of about 10 miles is the distance where lycra/cycling specific togs make the difference with regard to comfort. This corresponds with my own experience on occasional rides to a town 15 miles away. I recently decided to purchase some cycling shorts made from polyester and elastane (will have to look that one up) - not lycra, but they look the same. Probably helps you to put in a good performance in a race. It's also more durable so you won't ruin your everyday street clothes.

Of course, town bikes are supposed to facilitate riding in your everyday clothes and usually ridden for short distances with minimal effort - so no need for lycra. But given the dominance of sport oriented cycling in the UK, it is easy for so many to think cycling = lycra, as they haven't seen anything different.

2 other issues with lycra. Many judge form over function. For some time now, critics judge on what clothing looks like as opposed to what it's for...I suspect lycra is criticised because it's skin tight. You therefore get people judging lycra because in their opinion, the wrong people are wearing it, people who shouldn't wear skin tight clothing. One example is MAMIL acronym here in the UK - Middle Aged Men In Lycra.

And then you also have poseurs, dressing up to convey an image; this is easy to deride; dressing up just to impress others instead of for its original purpose.

I've always thought clothing ought to be function over form - and I don't think I have ever been fashion conscious. But if I like something, or need to wear something for a specific purpose, I'll wear it. So, with regard to lycra:

If the riding you do justifies it - wear it - your comfort is more important than what people might think. I would say you were being overly self conscious if you really think people are looking at you and sneering. Chances are you don't stand out as much as you think you do.

Your backside will be grateful and you won't ruin your business clothes...

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On the different note, I thought I would tell you that I'm reverting back to publishing once a week on a Thursday, after this post.

Don't Throw Anything Away...

Now, trying to be tidy (difficult for me), I try to consistently get rid of anything that I don't need - it might not be thrown away, it might be given away eg to a charity shop. When it comes to bike spares though, I've learnt through experience to keep just about everything no matter how small because it is likely to come in useful later on.

This becomes apparent particularly when I buy a new accessory; typically it doesn't fit the bike as it comes and needs something or other to fit it properly. This might be spacers, screws or zipties. These will have come from something else I've bought previously, where I've found that they weren't necessary.

One of the most useful things to keep are the little bits of rubber that come with accessories which I use as spacers to stop things slipping on the handlebars eg lights. They can be used to stop things slipping or metal on metal grating.

Anything small can be kept in the "biscuit tin" whilst larger items can be kept in the improvised spares cupboard:

Plenty of space for new bits 'n pieces and I've bought another "biscuit tin" for when there isn't

Not exactly super tidy but at least it's all in the same place...

Funnily enough, whilst I knew it was a good idea to keep spares, I would have drawn the line at the cardboard boxes in which I'd received my new bikes which I recently disposed of. Lo and behold, I found myself regretting it when I came to work on them; could have done with the cardboard to lay on...

Also, probably more importantly, best to keep any instructions that come with anything you've bought. Many, including myself have through experience, had to follow the rule that, if all else fails, read the instructions...

A lot of manufacturers' instruction manuals are downloadable on the internet, but in case they aren't, best to keep the ones that came with whatever you bought; they don't take up much space (usually). It's good to use them as a reference point as well as use other media.

My instruction collection: thought I'd play about with contrast, brightness etc on the Windows picture controls: not sure it was a good idea...

Electric Bikes - Nothing Against, But No Thanks, Well, Not Yet Anyway...

Recently, whilst at a supermarket, another cyclist looked over my Kettler Spirit: he asked if it was an electric bike because of the internal hub rear and the dynamo front, which do look quite large compared to other bikes.

We got talking and he related his experiences of test riding an electric bike at a local bike shop. He was impressed, telling of how it made short work of one of the local steep hills.

Electric bikes are becoming more and more popular - especially in Europe, if the increasing number of new models available from established manufacturers is anything to go by.

On the face of it, electric bikes or more accurately, pedal assist (they have to be peddleable in the UK otherwise they get classed as a motorbike, I understand), are the perfect town bike, built for effortless, everyday cycling in your everyday clothes. Maybe more so, as there's less chance of perspiring due to less effort needed to pedal. Typically, just like the non-electrics, they come with hub gears, racks, all the accutrements per the town bike that I get excited about. And they look like them except for the big box thing behind the saddle or on the rack or wherever (think it's a battery) and extra large wheel hubs that made my acquaintance think my Kettler was one.

And yet, somehow, there's something missing in it for me...Nothing against them, but for some reason, they just don't seem to be the real deal. I expect a pushbike to be a pushbike. There's also the cost for some, usually a hefty premium over the non-electrics (as you would expect) although they're likely to get cheaper as they get more popular. Of course, you're still saving money compared to other modes of transport - motorbikes, cars.

I also think some of them are a bit ugly, obviously subjective, although I do like the electric display console thingy they have - like an elaborate bike computer.

Of course, I don't have a problem with anyone else riding them. They can meet a real need for some people according to individual circumstance; for example, one acquaintance where I used to work used to ride one because she had problems with her legs, ruling out non-electric bikes. So they suit some. They also add to the choices we have in personal transport.

They are still in their infancy and, like a lot of new things (remember when a mobile phone was the size of a house brick, came with its own base, and only made calls instead of like now, more powerful and doing more stuff than a desktop PC 25 years ago?), they'll likely improve some and become a lot more attractive - the Sunstar below, shown at the Japanese festival in Geneva last year, isn't bad aesthetically. Technological advances could even mean you could power them just by pedalling in the same way it powers dynamo headlights, instead of charging them up externally. I'm sure someone's working on it right now. I predict, like other things, they won't actually replace the pushbike, but complement it.

Not bad...not bad at all - looks like the battery is disguised as a 2 litre water bottle but you won't get thirsty because it's motorised...
photo taken by Clément Bucco-Lechat and sourced from Wikimedia Commons.

So yeah, I'm glad they're there.

It's Not Because I Think I'm An Expert...

There are plenty of people out there with opinions on all sorts of subjects that the know little about, generalising, where to me, the exception stands out immediately.

I'm admittedly something of a novice myself with regard to cycling and sometimes because of this blog and otherwise, eg through conversation, I have on occasion felt I'm giving an opinion or advice that I'm not really qualified to give. Which could be true if it was anything particularly technical. Visiting cycling forums, there are people with encyclopaedic knowledge combined with experience spanning decades. Their wealth of knowledge is impressive to say the least and I find myself consulting them on the odd thing or two.

But it isn't and what I can do is give hints and tips about the subject that have worked for me personally, attempting to write and articulate in an entertaining, informative style. (I said attempt...) When you have time to think, stand back, observe a subject or topic, you can state the obvious in a way that won't have hitherto been obvious to you or anybody else...even experts, who might be so focused on complexities that they might overlook the basics.

I can also tell of different sources for bikes, parts, and bargains, (think I'm pretty good at that).

So on that basis, I like to think that I have a valuable contribution to make to the cycling blogosphere.

Just to strengthen my point, another blog I follow, non-cycling related, came up with this, which pretty much nails it:

Your Point Of View Is More Important Than You Think It Is

So, if you're thinking about writing a blog giving advice instead of telling everyone what you've just eaten...go ahead...

Keep It Clean - Why Do I See So Many Dirty Bromptons?

Why do clean bikes seem to be such a rarity, even quite expensive ones? I mean, when I'm on the train, I frequently see Brompton folding bikes that couldn't have been cleaned since the day the owner bought it. The Brompton, a premium product and the one to have when it comes to folders, isn't, never has been and I hope it never will be, inexpensive - a new 3 speed starts from £865. You would have thought the owner would take better care of it. Especially as they seem to typically be middle management professionals and enthusiasts willing to pay sums for something many find prohibitively expensive.

Can't say I've noticed that much about the state of other expensive bikes, although I did see a Rohloff geared bike once (I haven't seen many Rohloffs, admittedly) and that could have done with a bit of TLC (tender loving care). And with a starting price of nearly £900 for these engineering masterpieces, should have...

I've found that cleaning a little, often - really doesn't take much time or effort - neglecting a bike like this is sacrilege...in my opinion of course. Some might say these owners see their bikes as purely a functional object to get about on. And they are. And so are mine when it comes down to it, but these functional objects function better and for longer if you look after them, starting with a clean. They don't just look better with a clean...and not only that, a Brompton given its size & the fold up feature should be that much easier to clean.

Was going to add some pictures of dirty Bromptons and looked on Flickr, but found it difficult - suspect most people won't take pictures of their dirty bikes. Also, having found one, it would be a bit cheeky to use their image in this blog and then criticise them with it...