Archive | July, 2012

Don’t lock your bike to old iron railings

By on 11/07/2012 in Safe cycling in London

Many of the railings outside old Victorian homes are made of weak wrought iron. Even if you’ve got one of the best bike locks, the thief can easily get to your bike by cutting the iron. Special thank you to London Cyclist reader Daniel for allowing me to share his picture. See also: Safe locking [...]

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BikeCharge: Reach your destination with your phone fully charged

By on 10/07/2012 in Cycling accessories

When I was invited to be given a sneak preview of the new version of the Tigra BikeCharge, I was intrigued and at the same time fully prepared to be disappointed. Why? I’ll explain in a moment.. The BikeCharge is a £69.95 device that can be fitted to your front wheel. As your wheel spins [...]

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I need a strapline for the London Cyclist Handbook – Can you help?

By on 09/07/2012 in Blogging

The launch date for the new London Cyclist eBook is set: 17th of July 2012. But if you want to get your hands on a copy before everyone else (for Kindle, iPad, Google Nexus, laptop or pretty much any digital device) then help me come up with a strapline! The handbook has six distinct sections: [...]

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Re-Cycle is aiming to double the number of bikes it sends to Africa

By on 07/07/2012 in News

I got an email recently from Merlin, the founder of Re~Cycle, a London based charity which sends bicycles to Africa. I thought I’d share it around in case anyone wishes to help out with their project. At Re~Cycle we have traditionally not called upon our friends and contacts to support our work but we are [...]

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What type of brakes do you use on your bike?

By on 06/07/2012 in Cycling accessories

I’d be interested to see what type of brakes everyone is using on their main bike. Therefore, I’ve put together this quick poll. What type of brake do you use on your main bike? When we’ve got the results, I’ll write up an article on the pro’s and con’s of each type. Feel free to [...]

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What goes in to a bike service?

By on 04/07/2012 in Bicycle maintenance

Today, I took my bike in to Lunar Cycles to discover what goes in to a bike service. Something that has always been a bit of a mystery to me. This is the service frequently used bikes should have at least once per year. Lunar Cycles charge £65 for this service. Alternatively, for £80 they [...]

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How to clean your rims and brake pads

By on 02/07/2012 in Bicycle maintenance

If your bike is anything like mine then after a couple of bike rides in the rain, the rims and brake pads will be fairly caked in road muck. This greatly reduces braking performance and speeds up the wear on the rims and the pads. To get them clean, the best method is to use [...]

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Topeak Pannier DryBag DX review

By on 01/07/2012 in Cycling accessories

The Topeak Pannier DryBag DX would stand out among any other range of panniers. With the sheer size of it, it comes with certain advantages that put it on a scale of its own. The first thing that is definitely worth noting for anyone considering this as their pannier of choice, is that due to [...]

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