Archive | March, 2012

Cuba: A rusting reminder of simpler times

By on 30/03/2012 in Break out of London

There were many things I expected of Cuba before I landed. Cars from a bygone era, shops with empty shelves and wall murals of Che Guevara and the revolution. However, on my flight in to the country my mind was elsewhere. I was worried about actually being allowed past emigration. As a British citizen with [...]

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Rapha women’s softshell jacket review

By on 29/03/2012 in Cycling accessories

Post by Katy Beveridge I don’t often get excited about bike clothes. That’s to say they’re often bought with a sense of begrudging necessity. Bike clothes, especially for women, still find it hard to know where they stand with us. I almost gagged the other day in a rather trendy bike shop on Upper Street [...]

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London Bike Kitchen is London’s newest social cycling enterprise

By on 28/03/2012 in Cycling in London

We all have those moments where we dream “Wouldn’t it be great to have a place nearby, where I could work on my bike and get some advice on how to maintain it”. Throw in a little bit of creativity, a loan from the London Cycling Campaign, a hint of luck and a credit card [...]

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£500 of Wiggle vouchers up for grabs – closed

By on 27/03/2012 in Blogging

Competition now closed. As a regular reviewer of cycling kit, I know it doesn’t always come cheap – so I’m willing to bet that the chance to win a £500 worth of Wiggle vouchers will spark your interest. I have joined forces with eHarmony, the specialists in London Dating, to offer this great prize. With [...]

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Miraculous story of how one Londoner recovered his stolen bike

By on 26/03/2012 in Cycling in London

If your bike gets stolen in London your chances of getting it back are pretty grim. You may have a quick look on Gumtree and eBay, report it to the police and then forget about it. However, this story of how Marc recovered his stolen brand new Charge bike should give others hope of recovering [...]

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London Mayoral Election: To Boris or not to Boris?

By on 23/03/2012 in Cycling in London

The election campaign for the next Mayor of London is in full swing and candidates are vying for votes. Early polls suggest it’s a two horse race between Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone with the result too close to call. Keen cyclists in London will be asking themselves: Has Boris done enough for cyclists and [...]

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Following a cycling route

By on 22/03/2012 in Routes

Say you are the leader of a ride and you need to follow a route. Or, you’ve just bought a copy of the London Cycle Routes eBook and you want to follow one or the rides. Or, you are cycling a sportive from London to Brighton and you want to have the route handy. Oddly, [...]

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Cycling across London

By on 21/03/2012 in Cycling in London

A question that I frequently get asked is: How do I cycle across London? The answer is: You get your bike, you climb on to it as your dad taught you when you were little and then cycle across. Obviously, that isn’t what is really being asked here. The question referrers to how do you [...]

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Topeak Tri Bag review

By on 08/03/2012 in Cycling accessories

When you are out riding your bike you tend to need quick access to a few key bits. Such as money, sunglasses multitool, mobile and keys. The Tri Bag mounts quickly to the handlebars so you can easily reach what you need. The bag is reasonably priced at £15.92 on Amazon. At that price a [...]

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Free bicycle maintenance classes in London

By on 07/03/2012 in Bicycle maintenance

If you want to learn the basics to bicycle maintenance then a number of free courses and workshops exist in London. They can help you reduce the cost of your bicycle maintenance by completing basic tasks such as replacing brake pads. Below is a list of the free maintenance workshops and classes I’m aware of. [...]

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5 big sticking points that put people off maintaining their bikes themselves

By on 06/03/2012 in Bicycle maintenance

Recently, we ran a survey on the topic of bicycle maintenance. I wanted to know more about readers thoughts so I can better serve them on this blog. The results of the survey are private (won’t be shared with any nasty marketers etc.) but I wanted to post up some of the early insights I’ve [...]

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Safe cycling TV advertising – Good or bad idea?

By on 05/03/2012 in Safe cycling in London

We all remember the advert. A child is being filmed by his friend on a camera phone playing around. As he crosses the street he doesn’t look left and a car runs him over. The advert still sends shivers up my spine. Some will claim the advert is a good and dramatic way to get [...]

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