CyclingDiver Once More... Well Nearly

The first part of my blogging name is accurate again; I'm back on my bike, and very happy about it. I like cycling for a lot of reasons, partly the free transport, partly the ability to move heavy stuff around without knackering my back, but mostly for the same reason kids ride BMXs; it's just fun. Even if I did have to spend fifteen minutes with a headlamp, a tiny screwdriver and a lot of swearing to put the new battery into the bike computer's sensor.

I will be back swimming in the sea tomorrow. Not fully diving - the sea isn't really open for business just yet - but it's good training for when I'm back donning the drysuit to play with the seals. I also managed to run 5K without stopping the other day, and whilst doing this on the treadmill is not particularly impressive, it's still something I'm quite proud. All is well in the domain of CyclingDiver.

Headbutted a Bee

I'll admit that my approach to blogging is to pick the most bizarre-sounding title I can squeeze out of anything that happened to me recently, then fit the post to it. I'm quite proud of this one, as it really did happen.

I was heading over the Armstrong Bridge in Jesmond on my bike, probably doing about 15mph, then felt something smack hard into my forehead, then slip down behind my glasses. I pulled over, removed the glasses, and a very stunned bee fell out.

I'm not sure which of us was more surprised.

The Crackle of the Jacket

Just a short post this week. I'm back on my bike, and happily pedalling the highways and byways of Heaton (at least, I was, until it snowed!).

Truly, I am not really happy unless I'm on the bike on a regular basis. I need the endorphin rush, and the familiarity of pulling on my gear; thermal socks, balaclava and cycling jacket in Evil Fluorescent Yellow. Hey, I'm British - we're not comfortable with leisure pursuits that don't include a certain amount of physical discomfort. (See also: diving in the North Sea).

Best of all, I have discovered a route to work that does not involve the Chillingham Road / Coast Road roundabout. No longer must I take my life in my hands twice a day. Yes!

The Bells! The Bells!

Well, this was going to be another post about diving. But I do other things too, and one of those things on Friday was to mount my bicycle and set forth at an hour earlier than I am accustomed to leaving my home on a weekday, to go and ring a bell and herald the arrival of the Olympics. 

The best reason I can give for doing this was “It seems a shame not to join in”. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, I was ringing a bell as part of Martin Creed’s mass art project, “Work No 1197. All The Bells In A Country Rung As Quickly And As Loudly As Possible For Three Minutes.” I saw an article about it on the Thursday, thought, “Ah, hang on, I meant to find out about that”. A quick Google later, and it turned out that Arts Council North East were taking part. 

I arrived at their rather nice office (far better than the Civic – it has hot water and heating and everything) at the back of Central Station on a sunny morning, locked the bike to the nearest railing, and trotted indoors. A motley collection of bells lay on a table, surrounded by twenty people with that mixture of embarassment and good cheer that the British exhibit when asked to do anything communal in public. 

We trotted on out, and I unlocked the bike and wheeled it round. I have a rather good bike bell as it has that unmistakeable “bring bring!” sound everyone associates with a bike. (Hence why I have it – I like a bell that says to people: “Bike!”. I have flashing lights for the same reason.) I thought it would be rather nice to include a bicycle, even if it did mean I had to lug the bike around with me whilst everyone else held a dainty bell. Except for the organiser, Bill, who had enterprisingly made his own bell from a tin can with a hole in and one end taken off, a piece of string and a washer. 

We stood in the sunshine and listened intently to the radio, then when the signal went at 8.12am it was all go. Amazingly, the motley collection of bells blended together into a charming melody, although one china bell was rung so hard it cracked! People trotted around taking photos with one hand and dinging valiantly away with the other, and even a passing train driver joined in on his horn. We made it onto Radio Newcastle, so if you were listening, the bicycle bell was me – I haven’t rung it so much since I nearly got run over by a lorry. 

As it finished, we smiled at each other and went indoors for tea and bacon sandwiches.

How To Fit A Rear Reflector To A Mudguard

• Highly recommended (by me) since this gives drivers a good idea of where your bike actually is. Reflectors on the saddle post are helpful, but can be a little deceptive at night, since they show where the saddle is, not the rear wheel. Most are sold with the advice that you will need to drill a hole through the mudguard. Do not let this put you off, here’s how to do it even if you are a mechanical idiot (like me).

• You will require a couple of Phillips screwdrivers, one smaller than the other, the rear reflector, a black marker pen, latex gloves if you have them, possibly some Blu-Tack, and a rigid but thin board. This latter can be anything: cardboard, plastic, metal, antyhing so long as it will fit in between the mudguard and the tyre. This, of course, assumes that your mudguards are plastic. If they are metal, you may wish to trot down to your friendly cycle mechanic and smile nicely.

• Mark (with the pen) on the mudgard where you want the reflector to go. Put the board inbetween the tyre and the mudguard.

• Put the point of the small Phillips screwdriver against where you want the reflector to go, press it against the mudguard, and twist until you make a small hole. The board is a vital part of this operation since, to paraphrase the great Terry Pratchett, it takes a great deal of effort to push the screwdriver through the mudguard, and almost none whatsoever to put it all the way through into the tyre, which is a bugger.

• If the hole isn’t big enough, use the large Phillips screwdriver to widen it – insert and twist.

• Fit the screw through the mudguard, and fasten with the nut that came with it. Check as you do this that the screw is not rubbing against the tyre at all. it will weaken the tyre if it does. Hold the bike off the ground, spin the wheel, and listen for any sounds / feel for resistance against the tyre.

• You may find that the screw is slightly too long to put the reflector flat against the mudguard without the screw pressing against the tyre. This is why you have Blu-Tack. If this happens, get the reflector as close to the mudguard as you can without putting the screw against the tyre, then press the Blu-Tack in between the reflector and the mudguard. This is a good idea anyway, as it helps to hold the reflector onto the mudguard. Believe me when I say that whenever you turn the bike round, the rear reflector will get bashed against doors / walls / bike stands / whatever, so it needs to be very firmly fixed on.

• If you’re feeling fancy, colour in the Blu-Tack with the marker pen so that it doesn’t show.

• Done!

Toddlers With iPods: Some Further Thoughts on Cycling

1. Assume that all pedestrians you see have the road sense of toddlers with iPods, particularly if they happen to be students. Most of them aren’t, but this will prepare you to deal with the inevitable one or two who are, and who will step right out into the road without bothering to look. You would think that people who have voluntarily deprived themselves of the sense of hearing would be extra-vigilant when crossing roads, but it doesn’t work like that.

2. Ride assertively, but don’t be an arsehole. Give cars room to pass whenever you can, but only when it’s safe to do so. You have an equal right to be on the road, and you must claim it. If you need to pull out around a car and there’s another car behind you, get in position nice and early. If they have to slow down, they have to slow down. Drivers will deal with this far better than if you suddenly swerve out at the last minute.

3. Never, ever, undertake. Do not go up the left-hand side of a lorry or bus. More cyclists get killed doing this than any other manouevre. They can’t see you and they WILL squash you. Filtering up the left-hand side of a row of stopped cars at a traffic light is a different matter – UNLESS one of them is a lorry or bus!

4. Flashing lights are legal as of 2005. I used to think they weren’t, and rode with steady lights, but not any more. As a driver, I realised that when I saw a flashing white or red light, I immediately thought “bike”. This is the reaction you want. No other road vehicle uses flashing lights, so they immediately identify you as a bicycle, and they are more eye-catching than steady lights. My two cents – choose what suits you.

5. Keep the wheel reflectors on your bike. As a driver, often the only time I’ve seen a bike crossing a junction or road in front of me at night is when the headlights reflect off the distinctive rotating reflectors.

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

With a special focus on maintaining the bike, to round things off.

15. Chain cleaner, solvent and sprocket brush

This is edging towards the “bike maintenance” side of things. A chain cleaner is really two things: a set of brushes that clip over the chain, and a concentrated solvent used to make up the solution in the brush holder that dissolves the grease and muck on the chain. You will need to buy this from a bike shop, or you could look online. No particular mechanical skills are required to do this, but it does take a willingness to spent 15-20 minutes cleaning the bike, then cleaning the chain cleaner brushes. A sprocket brush is used at the same time to get the muck and debris off the sprockets and chainwheels at the back of the bike (this is, of course, assuming you’re riding a bike with derailleur gears!). Most serious cyclists will do this at least once a month as cleaning the muck off helps to stop wear and tear on the chain and sprockets, leading to easier gear shifts and making the parts last longer. If you are going to do this, buy yourself some latex gloves! and you may want to think about getting a bike stand (see below).

16. Latex gloves

Usually available for a couple of quid from Wilkinsons / the pound shop, or anywhere that sells motoring supplies. Few things can stick to your fingers quite like the unique mixture of road muck and cycling oil that the bike chain gets covered in. Latex gloves are great for avoiding this. Pop them on before you do any work on the bike, peel them off and bin them at the end, problem solved. (If you do get cycle grease and muck on your fingers, a nail brush and neat washing up liquid is what’s required!).

17. Bike stand

Again, this is for if you’re getting more into cleaning and maintaining your bike. You will probably need to buy it from a bike shop. A bike stand supports the bike, holding the rear wheel off the ground. This allows you to rotate the pedals freely, which is essential if you’re trying to clean the chain – it is well-nigh impossible to hold the bike off the ground with one hand, hold the chain cleaner on with the other, and rotate the pedals! Also essential for if you get into maintaining your bike and need to adjust the gears. About £15-£20.

18. Multitool

Essentially a cycling Swiss Army knife. They often come in “bike repair kits” from Wilkinsons, etc., or you should be able to get them quite easily online or at the bike shop. They usually consist of a set of Allen keys, and a set of screwdriver heads, the idea being that you keep it with you to help make any adjustments / running repairs to the bike as required (they are best kept in your saddlebag, rack pack or panniers). Well worth getting since, even if you don’t plan on doing any bike repairs, someone else might be able to use it. If you do buy one, bear in mind that they can go rusty if they get soaked in the rain, so it may be wise to keep it in a plastic bag (a sandwich bag is about the right size!). And finally...

19. Trouser clips

You may or may not feel you need these. They do have a rather dorky, businessman-on-a-folding-bike type image, and a lot of people never bother with them. Personally, I tend to avoid the need for them by wearing trousers that fit closely and don’t flap about. Since my usual cycling apparel is a pair of El Cheapo trackie bottoms from Primak, I usually adjust them by using safety pins to pin together any loose fabric at the bottom of the trouser legs. I really don’t like my trousers flapping around when I’d riding; it’s distracting, and the worry that they might get stuck in the chain is one more thing on my mind that I can do without. I’m also not a fan of clips, however, since I’ve yet to find any that don’t feel as through they are about to slip down your leg, no matter how firmly you try to clip them on – another distraction I can do without. However, one thing I have found that works well is trouser bands. These are elasticated fluorescent bands that fasten with Velcro around your calves, and they are a lot more secure. You can buy them from Poundland for a quid each, and if you are lucky you can get the extra-dorky but highly visible ones with flashing lights on. I keep a pair in my panniers just in case!

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

Some of you may have noticed a bias towards cycling and away from finishing up the Epic Tale of Glastonbury 2010. The reason is simple. I'm knackered and writing up a list of stuff that you need to go cycling with is way easier than dragging back my memory to June 2010, when the sun shone, life was simple, and I wasn't having to interview for my own job.

The Epic Tale of Glastonbury will be finished, probably some time in April.

Also, some of you who have read Nick's post may wonder what a cyclist in an Ozzie hat looks like. Here's a picture: wonder ye no more! (And yes, that is my bike in the background with the panniers on.)

More stuff to consider buying if you take up cycling:


12. Toe clips

Opinions are mixed. Some people feel they trap your feet on the pedals and prefer to ride without. Some people scorn them and prefer cleats; special pedals with special shoes, where the shoes clip onto the pedals. Personally, I find them the perfect compromise. They are much cheaper than cleats, not difficult to fit even if you are a mechanical incompetent, and mean that you don’t have to have two pairs of shoes: one with cleats for the bike, one without cleats for the rest of your day. They greatly improve your pedalling efficiency by holding your feet in the ideal position on the pedal, and meaning that your feet can’t slip off. There is a certain technique to getting your feet in both clips when starting off, but it takes around half an hour to master, and with practice you can do it with no thought. As for the trapping your feet thing, it’s not really an issue – pull your foot firmly backwards and it will come out of the clip!


13. Cycling glasses

Essentially wraparound shades that cover the whole of your eyes, including the sides. These are mainly handy for people who don’t wear glasses, as they keep wind / rain / flies out of your eyes, but people who do wear glasses may also find them handy! I have two pairs; a tinted pair for daytime, a clear pair for nighttime. Again, you can buy them cheaply on Ebay.


14. Water bottle

Available dead cheaply from anywhere that sells cycling supplies, but not often actually sold with the bike. Most bikes have a place on the frame – usually on the bottom tube – with holes where you can screw the water bottle holder onto the bike. Remember to remove it if you lock the bike up outside! Change the water in it frequently.

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.

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”.

Stuff You Don’t Realise You Need When You Start Cycling, But That You Do Need

(For Brow of Oscillation.)

Here’s a post which I hope will be handy to anyone thinking of buying a bike. One of the aspects of getting a bike which I hadn’t expected was that the buying of the bike is only the part. You need a whole load of stuff along with it. Well, okay, maybe you don’t need all of it, but you do need some of it, and the rest will make for a more pleasant cycling experience.

Be aware that much of this can be purchased quite cheaply, depending on what it is. The only areas where I have found that paying more money results in a difference I actually noticed is with cycling-related clothing, and even then only with clothing designed for cycling, like my jacket and overshoes. My standard cycling outfit consists of a base layer (available from fitness shops – less sweaty than a t-shirt, but optionl) and jacket on top, with optional layer in between for cold weather, fleecy tracksuit bottoms and knee-high socks from Primark, pair of old trainers, helmet from Argos and an old pair of thermal gloves. (Pants are involved too, I hasten to add.) The only clothes worth more than a tenner are the base layer and jacket.


1. Helmet
Controversial. Some people will argue you should never ride without one. Some will argue that they are ineffective, and some will argue you are actually safer without one. It’s up to you. Personally, I almost never ride without one, unless I’m on a long ride on a quiet country road and at risk of overheating if I wear it.

You do also have the consideration of where to store your helmet, which depends on where you’ll be locking up the bike. If it’s in the shed at work and you can keep the helmet in your desk drawer, this is somewhat less inconvenient than having to carry it with you if you’re doing the shopping on Northumberland Street – albeit a helmet will usually fit easily into a backpack and weighs very little. With some helmets, it’s possible to thread a cable lock (see below) through one of the ventilation holes in the helmet, and thus lock it onto the bike when you leave it. You can pay anything for your helmet, from £8 in Argos to £130 at a specialist bike shop. Whatever you decide, you need to consider the issue.

Something else no-one tells you when you start cycling. On many helmets, the thin plastic band inside the rim of the helmet (that holds it on your head), plus any strips of padding inside, are removable. (Mine stick on with Velcro.) This has the advantage that you can remove them and wash them, which is a good idea if you ever get a sweaty forehead during cycling – it avoids the dreaded “forehead break-out in spots” syndrome. You can machine-wash them, or just rinse them under the tap!


2. Lights

You can pay as much or as little as you like for your lights, but you do need them, even if you don’t plan to ride at night – they are important in bad weather during the daytime as well. Fortunately, these days good lights are easily available for a cheap price. You want LED lights which are not very big and which easily detach from the bike so that you can take them off if you are leaving the bike in a public place. Most LED lights come with a choice of “steady” or “flashing” settings.


3. Puncture repair kit, spare inner tube, pump, and a bag to carry them in.

There is, as far as I know, no cycling equivalent of the RAC. If your tyre goes flat on a lonely road in the rain, it’ll be you needing to fix it, unless you fancy pushing the bike all the way home. Fortunately, all of the above can be purchased for about £10 from Argos or Wilkinsons. If I had to give only one piece of advice to anyone buying a bike for the first time, it would be “Buy all of the above, get someone to show you how to change an inner tube / stick a patch on a puncture, then put the pump, spare tube and repair kit in the bag and attach it to the bike”. Do this and you will always be able to get yourself home.

With regard to the inner tube: you do need a spare, in case you can’t find or repair the puncture in the old one. Bikes come with two types of valve: Schraeda or Presta. It is not particularly important to remember which one is which, but it is important that a) your spare inner tube has the right type of valve for your bike and b) your pump will inflate a tube which uses this type of valve.

3a. Framebag or saddlebag.

Part of “3” above. These are the smallest types of bags that attach to bikes, either at the back of the saddle, or strapped onto the top tube / seatpost. Ideal for carrying around puncture repair supplies and spare batteries for your lights. (You might also like to chuck in some tissues / wet wipes / plasters.)

4. Chain oil

Available cheaply from Wilkinsons. Add a couple of drops to the chain each week.


5. Locks

Ideally you want two locks. One is a D-lock, which is a rigid metal hoop which can be used to lock the bike firmly onto a post / fence / cycle rack. The other is a chain or cable lock, which can be used a) in situations where the D-lock won’t fit round whatever you want to lock the bike onto, b) in conjunction with the D-lock, where you use the D-lock to lock the bike onto a post or whatever, then wrap the cable lock around the frame and through the wheels to immobilise the bike and make it impossible to nick the wheels.

Again, you can spend as much as you like on your locks. Some people recommend assuming that you should spend the equivalent of 10% of the bike’s value on them. Personally I use the El Cheapo locks from Argos, but then my bike is not massively valuable, except to me. If you don’t plan to ride with panniers or a luggage rack, you’ll need to either remember to pick the lock(s) up every time you get on the bike, or find some way of permanently clipping them to it. Many D-locks come with clips that attach to the frame for just this purpose. (Cable locks can be coiled around part of the bike’s frame to keep them out of the way when you’re riding. I’ve seen quite a few people keep their cable lock permanently coiled onto the bike.)

More in this vein soon!

A Ride in the Rain

The "Cycling" part of my blogging name is still active, which is just as well, as an ear infection has temporarily stopped me diving (though I expect to be back in the water a week today). I cycle to and from work, and last Tuesday I went for a ride from work in Newcastle out to Derwenthaugh in Gateshead, shown on the left.

Boy, was it a mistake to decide I didn't need my waterproof trousers and overshoes! The top half of me was dry, but the heavens opened both on the way there and back, and my legs were drenched. Not as drenched as our group leader, who is famous for cycling in her ordinary clothes including, on this occasion, white trousers and red high heels. In a funny sort of way, I really respect that, although on this occasion it did mean that we were pedalling like maniacs to keep up with an angry Frenchwoman who wanted to get home to a towel and a shower.

It was actually quite a good ride, in a strange way. There's something in the British psyche that derives a certain pleasure in being out of doors when it's tipping it down. The world was being washed clean, and only those few of us out of doors could truly appreciate it. It wasn't that cold, and as the sun came out, we had some glorious views of the Tyne and its bridges. Even so, it was a very welcome hot chocolate that I consumed when I got in!

CyclingDiver's Rules For Cycling Whilst Wearing A Hat

1. Don't.

2. If you do, tie the hat on firmly first.

3. If you ignore rules 1 & 2, avoid cycling down hills.

4. If you ignore rules 1, 2 & 3, and you go down a hill fast, and the hat starts coming off, ignore it. Under no circumstances give in to either of the contradictory urges to a) grab the hat, b) hit the brakes.

5. Otherwise you will plough the bike and yourself smack into the tarmac, knees first, knock the wind out of yourself, and knock your front wheel out of alignment, such that you have to pay the bike shop a tenner to realign it. And end up with bruises like these:

Yep, that was the famous "Fell off my bike whilst on a cycling holiday incident". That it was my own fault, and that I fell off because I'd gone to view a church, just added insult to injury.

An Interesting Approach to Cycling Hydration

I swear I am not making this up.

I just crossed the road outside the Civic Centre, which is both a pedestrian crossing and a crossing for cyclists using the cycle path near St James' church. A woman pedalling a racing bike with two holders for water bottles on the frame came past me. (Common for people doing long rides: one is for an energy drink, one is for water, usually one is mounted on the seat post tube, and the other on the bottom tube between the pedals and the handlebar.)

I thought "Those are unusually big water bottles".

Then I looked more closely.

She had, and again I swear I'm not making this up, a bottle of white wine in one and a bottle of red wine in the other. I'd have taken a picture if I'd had my camera in my hand.

I'm not sure what my reaction is. On the whole I think "gobsmacked" would cover it.

The Carbon Footprint of Cycling

I thought this was rather interesting:

You Know You're A Cyclist When...

...you wake up and you hear rain and your first thought is "Yes! If it's raining that means it's not frosty, so I can cycle in today!"

I know, I'm bonkers.

Nobody Said It Was Easy

No-one ever said it would be this hard.

Right now I am in two places. contemplating whether to stay or to go (another great song which is stuck in my head...). I truly love Newcastle and all the people I know here. On the other hand, if I am ever going to make a move, to push myself out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge elsewhere, now is the best time.

This isn't a post with a conclusion, because I don't have one. Except perhaps that if the third decade of my life has taught me anything, it's that life is infinitely changeable, often in ways you didn't expect. Sometimes, it's best to enjoy the good times whilst they happening, but not to try to hang on to them when the world changes again.

So it goes.

I'm taking a weekend to think things through and decide on what to do, to clear out a few things that need clearing out and do a few things that need doing. In other, entirely unrelated news, I'm back on my bike. Cycling a little gingerly due to the presence of a few icy patches here and there, but this week I managed a full week of cycling to and from work, which hasn't happened since last year.

The diving season too will open up soon - it's too cold in the sea for me at present. I don't own or know how to use (yet) a drysuit, and even my semidry 7mm wetsuit with hood, gloves, and boots, ain't warm enough to be going in the North Sea in. Won't be too much longer, though, I hope!

Back Off My Bike Again

Fucking snow and ice.

Whee! (Back on my bike)

Well, this week the overnight temperature finally rose above freezing on a regular basis, and I happily de-mothballed my bike and got pedalling. Albeit with a brief detour to the bike shop to get it fixed after I managed to bugger up the gears whilst trying to lubricate the gear cables.

I've finally done the sensible thing and bought a proper maintainance stand, like the one in the picture, to hold the rear wheel off the ground so I can maintain it. (To lube the gear cables, you need to "shift the gears until the chain is on the largest sprocket, and then stop the wheel from rotating. With the wheel stopped from moving, shift your shifter all the way in the opposite direction, as if you were going to shift to the smallest sprocket. The rear derailleur should now be stuck on the largest sprocket, which will give you enough slack to fully release the cable from the frame." Thanks to the internet for that.)

£17 in the Edinburgh bike shop sale, it will be worth it for the amount of time it will save me when trying to maintain the bike. It is easy to shift the gears "on land" when the wheel is held off the ground and can spin freely, and an absolute bugger to try doing it any other way.

More importantly, I'm back on my bike, no more spending £11 a week on a Megarider bus ticket for me. This is good. There are few sadder sights than a cyclist deprived of a bike, waddling about on two feet instead of gracefully swooping about on two wheels as Nature intended.

So I had my first ride in to work for 2010 on Monday. And I had to yell at two pedestrians on the footbridge over the Central Motorway on the way in. This footbridge is the bane of my life; people, especially students, WILL NOT realise that it is split in two for a reason, namely, so that bikes can go over it. I don't ride my damn bike on their half of the path, now, do I?

It would be nice to think that people are rational and, if they are going to wear hoods over their heads whilst listening to music on earphones, thus depriving themselves of peripheral vision and hearing, they would be extra careful to look around themselves when walking over a bridge with big blue "cycle path" signs and pictures of bikes helpfully painted on the footbridge, especially if they are going to step out onto the cycling half of the footbridge. Alas, no.

Looks like another fun year of cycling and irritability awaits.

The Blog About Cycling

A natural topic for one of my posts, this:

The Guardian Blog About Cycling

Enjoy!