Monday 28 February 2011

Stuff Which Is Not Essential, But Which You May Wish To Consider, Part the Second

9. Rack pack

Highly useful if you have a luggage rack. A rack pack is a single bag which straps onto the luggage rack and can be used to carry cycling essentials such as the lock, puncture repair kit, pump, etc. Crucially, unlike a set of panniers, it comes with a shoulder strap and is small enough to sling over your shoulder and carry around, meaning that if you are locking your bike up outside, you can strip anything removable (lights, water bottle) off the bike, stick them and your helmet in the pack, and off you go.


10. Gloves

Essential in cold weather – thermal ones are ideal. Handy in warmer weather as they provide an extra layer of padding between you and the bike to absorb jolts and knocks. You can buy cheap padded cycling gloves from just about any sports shop or Wilkinsons for about £5. You may like to buy some bright yellow / reflective / fluorescent ribbon (haberdashery shops often sell it) and stick it across the knuckle area of the gloves; this means you can give hand signals at night and drivers behind you have a better chance of seeing them.


11. Cycling jacket

Not essential, but purpose-made waterproof cycling jackets are usually better at keeping you warm and keeping the rain out than an ordinary jacket. Be aware that if you buy one that does not have a lining, it will have all the insulation properties and comfort of wear of a crisp packet. This is not a reason not to buy one – my own jacket is unlined and does a fantastic job of keeping the rain and wind out – but it does mean that you’ll need to wear something with sleeves underneath it.


12. Balaclava

Not fashionable but invaluable in cold / rainy / windy weather. You are a bit more exposed on a bike than you would be walking: the extra speed increases the windchill factor (although the exercise will warm you up nicely on longer rides, hence the popularity of wearing layers for ease of temperature control!). You can buy thermal skiing-type balaclavas for less than a tenner on Ebay, which are warm but thin and fit nicely under your helmet. Ski caps are also popular for keeping the cold off. Important safety tip: if you wore a hat or balaclava the last time you wore your helmet, and you’re not wearing one this time, take a few seconds to adjust the helmet so that it fits snugly. A helmet that slips around on your head might as well be made of chocolate for all the good it will do you if you fall off the bike.


13. Waterproofs

See note above re: being more exposed. Depends a bit on the sort of cycling you intend to do, and whether you mind being damp or soaked when you get there. A full head-to-toe set of waterproofs includes the following: rain cover for your helmet, possibly a balaclava, waterproof jacket, waterproof cycling trousers (standard hiking waterproofs can have an unfortunate tendency to leak when cycling, and can catch in the chain or wheels if you don’t clip them around your legs), waterproof Sealskinz gloves, and “booties”. These latter are neoprene covers that fit over the top of your shoes. They are not very fashionable, but keep the rain out like nothing else. I have tried waterproof Sealskinz socks with mixed results: fine for a short ride or mild drizzle, can give you soaking wet feet over a long ride as the water runs down your legs. Unfortunately, proper cycling waterproofs tend to be on the pricey side. If you are limiting your spends, I’d recommend that gloves, a waterproof jacket and raincover for the helmet are the priorities.

Sunday 20 February 2011

Overheard in a Coffee Shop in Newcastle

"So I was having this dream last night. We were out riding."
"Was it fun?"
"Yes. I was on the Patient Horse, you were on the Little Red Pony, your beloved was on the Giant Horse. Then I fell off."
"Ouch!"
"It was okay, I was just surprised. I got back on again."
"Excellent, that's what you're supposed to do."
"Then the zombies attacked."
pause
"Did you order the hot chocolate?"
"I'll go and do that."

Sunday 13 February 2011

Overheard in a Curry House In Newcastle

As I returned from the bathroom, somewhere around the sixth round of the evening...

"So which of these beer bottles is you?"
"None of them."
"None of them? They were ALL Filipino gangsters in a beach bar who you defeated using martial arts?"
"That's right. [pause] I'm the rogan josh."

Sunday 6 February 2011

Stuff Which Is Not Essential, But Which You May Wish To Consider

6. Foot pump

Not something many people think about buying. This is a shame. It’s important to keep your tyres at the right pressure; soft tyres make for more difficult cycling, and are slightly more prone to punctures. Unless you possess the upper-body strength of Arnold Schwarzeneggar, however, it is difficult to pump tyres up to the right pressure using a handpump, and the gauges on many hand pumps are not very reliable. A foot pump makes it much, much easier to get the tyres up to the right pressure. (Note: it will say what the pressure for your tyres should be on the tyre wall AKA the side of the tyre.)


7. Luggage rack

Up to you if you want to get this fitted. Some people prefer not to have the extra expense and weight on the bike. On the other hand, a bike with a luggage rack has a much higher carrying capacity and thus becomes a much more versatile machine. Riding with heavy backpacks is not ideal as it throws off your centre of gravity and is likely to give you backache. If you decide to go for, ask about getting this fitted if you’re buying a new bike – they may give you a discount and fit it for free.

If you go for a luggage rack, you will probably also want at least two stretchy “bungee” cords (thick elastic cords with hooks at each end) to hold stuff onto it. Panniers are also an option if you plan on carrying a lot of stuff around with them. Both items can be bought cheaply from Argos or Wilkinsons. I’ve hauled my gear (work clothes, gym kit, shopping, six days’ worth of clothes and other supplies for a cycling holiday) around in a pair of £20 panniers from Argos for years. A bike with good gears, a luggage rack and a set of panniers can haul a mighty amount of stuff for surprisingly little effort.


8. Mudguards

Like a luggage rack, something of an optional extra. Some people prefer not to have the extra weight or expense. Also, they do not look “cool”. Some people take the view that cheap plastic mudguards add little in the way of expense or weight, and that there is nothing terribly cool about arriving at your destination covered in muddy spray from the wheels if it rains.

Again, it’s worth asking the shop to fit them if you’re buying a new bike. You may like to ask them to fit a rear reflector to the rear mudguard at the same time. This aids visibility, as it’s at the same height as a car’s headlights (all bikes are sold with a rear reflector, but it’s usually mounted higher up the bike, under the saddle). It also means that if you decide to go for a luggage rack, you can pile stuff on top of the rack and not risk obscuring the rear reflector.

As may be apparent from this article so far, I subscribe to the view of Richard Bernstein, author of the Bicycle Book, that: “Cycling at night can be dangerous. The only really safe way to do it is looking like a Christmas tree gone berserk”.