Here they are for your viewing pleasure!

1. Giant Squid Bike Rack

Nothing says I’m a totally awesome hardcore cyclist like…a giant squid? Well maybe not but this bike rack will definitely help you remember where you parked your bike. I’m not quite sure how you’d lock the bike to anything other than the front tentacles, but it’s kooky and it’s secure so why not! The design is by Susan Robb.

2. PlantLock

The PlantLock cycle stand plays double-duty as a planter and a secure method to lock up your bike. Rather than turning cluttered hallways and stairwells into walking hazards, the PlantLock adds a bit of greenery and a lot of security since this hefty (75 kilograms…empty) stand cannot be moved.

3. Yarn-Bombed M Stand

Take a simple M cycle stand and cover it in colorful patterns of yarn, or ‘yarn bomb’ it to make it stand out on your standard dreary grey street. I don’t know who has time to yarn bomb a cycle stand, but it sure looks pretty darn cool, doesn’t it?

4. Rainbow Slinky Cycle Stand

This colorful cycle stand in Denmark reminds me a lot of the infamous slinky, not just because of the rainbow hues but also because, well it looks like a fallen slinky. You’ll never forget where you’ve parked your cycle with this colorful stand.

5. Comb Cycle Stand

This bicycle stand/art weighs in at 181 kilograms and as you can see, is shaped like a gigantic comb. Just slide your wheel between the teeth of the comb and secure it as you normally would. It’s rather fun to look at!

6. Rolling Bike Stand

These letter shaped bike racks were designed by David Byrne and can be swapped around to form different words.

7. Pit In

This super cool “bike stand” by Store Muu may not be the most practical method of storing your bike, but it certainly secure. Simply park your bike right into the table and use your bike seat as your desk seat, and get to work. Imagine how easy it’ll be sliding into your desk after rushing to the office or getting a table without locking away your bike!

Best of all, your cycle never leaves your side.

8. Car Bike Port

For cyclists wishing for motorist-cyclist equality, this bike stand design by Cyclehoop will definitely soothe your sense of righteousness. Shaped like a car, this bike stand takes 1 car space and turns it into parking for 10 bicycles. Now you too get prime parking when you’re out and about.

9. Bike Hanger

If you’re like most cyclists you’re tired of never having any place to secure your cycle when you’re shopping or dining out. But this cool new bike hanger offers vertical storage on the side of buildings, kind of like a bicycle carousel storage facility. We don’t know all the details, but the concept is appealing.

10. Sexy Silhouette

How many times have you wished to use your bike to get close to a sexy lady? It may not be quite what you have in mind, but this sexy silhouette bike stand puts you one step closer. Find an appealing body part, grab your locks and let this beauty keep your cycle save and secure.

If you’ve come across any more crazy designs, please share them below!

The post 10 bike stands I’d love to leave my bike in appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Does your grandad cycle?

Mine doesn’t.

Here’s the image my grandad has of cyclists: A bunch of lycra wearers, who ride two abreast, that avoid paying road tax and go on cycling holidays in France.

Running London Cyclist, we’re bound to come to blows at times.

Don’t get me wrong – I love my grandad. He’s offered to help me out when I needed funding for an idea I had for London Cyclist, he’s always happy to chat and he’s always offering me a lift when I visit Birmingham. All in all – full points for a grandad!

However, things can get a little heated at the dining room table at Christmas.

I always find myself trying to hold back, so that it doesn’t turn in to an argument.

“Cyclists don’t pay road tax”

Road tax was abolished 76 years ago. Winston Churchill was the first to start the process of abolishing it. Car tax is based on CO2 emissions, so even if cyclists had to pay a fee it would be £0. Plus, the local councils pays for many of the roads, so in fact we are all paying for the roads.

“Cyclists ride two abreast”

I’m a driver as well as a cyclist and that can be annoying. Fortunately, most cyclists know when to switch to single file to allow cars to overtake.

“Cyclists are a bunch of Lycra wearers”

Most cyclists actually cycle in their everyday clothes. I don’t wear Lycra unless I’m heading off on a particularly long bike ride.

“They go on cycling holidays in France”

Lots of people go on holiday in France. They just happen to be on a bike!

I usually find more sympathy with my grandma. I’ll turn to her and bring back happy memories created by bicycles. I’ll ask: Didn’t you ride a bike?

Her eyes light up and she recalls the time when she was a dancer and would ride her bike everywhere.

I always hope this will be enough to win over my grandad.

In reality, I don’t mind in the slightest that my grandad holds these views. What worries me is that he represents a larger section of society that don’t “get” cycling.

It’s this big group of society that politicians resist upsetting. However, without stirring a few feathers, there can be no progress.

Yet, there’s no need to stir feathers, as long as you carefully select your message.

At the start, I’d talk to my grandad about how much I enjoy cycling, the environmental benefits and the need for more money to be spent on bike lanes for cyclists.

The mention of more money, road space being reallocated to cyclists and environmental benefits, was enough for him to huff, dismiss his grandson and get back to enjoying his roast dinner on a hot plate.

Instead, I should have focused my message on the benefits to people, not cyclists.

Indeed, this is the new tactic by London mayor Boris Johnson.

The message he’s now spreading is that more cyclists mean less cars in front of you in traffic. More cyclists mean less tax, thanks to the health improvements mixed with a reduction in pollution and therefore less of a burden on the NHS.

This is the language cycling bloggers have more widely adopted in the past two years.

The new message is that this isn’t about cyclists, it’s about everyone.

If I can convert my grandad, I can convert anyone!

The post Why my grandad doesn’t get cycling appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

The week of events will kick off with a Mountain Bike Demo day. If you’ve been considering a MTB purchase but you aren’t completely sure what you are looking for then you can try different models out and see what features suit you.

At the event you’ll be able to pick from a selection of high end mountain bikes including:

• Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Carbon – One of the most capable 29ers out there. Great for tackling the toughest trails you can find.
• Specialized Stumpjumper HT Comp Carbon – This beautifully designed, cross country machine promises lightweight performance.
• Lapierre XR 529 Standard & EL versions – This high end mountain bike is great for climbing those muddy hills thanks to the light weight frame and components. It’s just as agile on the descents.
• Cannondale F29 Carbons Cannondale Scalpel 29ers – a dual suspension 29er that offers excellent handling combined with a lightweight frame.

The full list hasn’t yet been finalised so keep your eye on the website for that.

To demo one of the bikes, all you have to do is register your interest beforehand on the Primera Sports website. This will ensure people aren’t waiting around for ages to test a bike.

At the event there’ll be plenty of opportunity to chat to experts so they can offer their advice on the bike most suitable to you. There are often many questions around buying a new bike so it’s a great opportunity to have any queries answered.

The test event will be followed by an evening in the pub. What better after a day of mountain biking?

There is also the option of taking on the local trails on your own bike. That will be a great option for those who are not in the market for a new mountain bike.

The whole demo day takes place at the award winning Bankers Arms in Studland, nestled on the Jurassic coast in Dorset it’s as near as perfect place to the spend the day as any.

The following Saturday, the 21^st April, will play host to the all-new Dorset Knobbler. The 100km sportive takes in some of the classic Purbeck & Dorset inclines! Participants will enjoy some of Britain’s finest scenery for an entry fee of just £15 (or £20 on the day). All proceeds from the day will be donated to the Steve Bernard Foundation.

The rest of the week’s activities will be announced on the website in the coming weeks. Amongst them will be Roller Racing. If that doesn’t sound appealing then the guided rides may.

Hopefully the success of Primera Sports Bike Week will lead it to being a regular fixture in cyclists calendars; not that we need an excuse to head down to Dorset for the weekend! But the promise of some good riding and the chance to chat with the experts before we buy is a definite lure.

The post First ever Primera bike week starts on 14th of April appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

If you have managed to escape the furore around the RideLondon-Surrey 100 bike ride – you can definitely expect to hear a lot more about this event in the next six months.

Following on from 2012’s summer of success/Olympic year/cycling is the best sport in the world, the UK is riding the two wheel wave and the RideLondon-Surrey 100 legacy event has been launched to take place on 4^th August this summer in London. A completely closed road event, covering 100 miles and setting off from Queen Elizabeth Olympic park through the capital and into the Surrey hills.

It’s open to all abilities, but like events such as the London marathon, you can choose which time you expect to finish in, so that you’re placed in the line-up with people of similar speed (meaning you won’t be stuck in a queue of cyclists if you’re looking to use this as a real speed challenge).

There are 20,000 places available, and before the ballot closed 55,000 people had registered their interest – so competition for a spot is tough.

The ballot has now closed, but the charity Action on Hearing Loss has 20 guaranteed places that they’re looking for keen cyclists to fill. Registration is £50 and each cyclist is asked to raise £750. With over 6 months to get yourself ready, put on a pub quiz, or do a sweepstake at work etc. this should give you enough time to raise some sponsorship and get yourself fit and ready for the big day!

If you want a bit more information from these guys call: 0207 296 8172, email events@hearingloss.org.uk or just visit their webpage www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/ridelondon100

The post Ride London to Surrey on a two wheel wave for Action on Hearing Loss appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

It’s not often when you are busy surfing from website to website, that you just pause to appreciate something beautiful. That’s exactly how I felt when I happened upon:

http://www.thediscerningcyclist.co.uk/

Not only was the site design great, the illustrations were amazing and the articles on cycling fashion and style caught my attention.

I had to find out the story of the founder so I interviewed Ste…

Where did you grow up? Where are you living now?

I started off in Bootle just outside Liverpool, but did most of my growing up in Whiston and then Rainhill. Rainhill is where I am now, it’s near a town called St Helens about 10 – 12 miles away from Liverpool.

What bike are you currently riding?

Currently I’m riding an Orbea Aqua, it’s black with a dash of white and red lines here and there. I got it as I adore the Orbea Orca but that is a tad too high spec for my commuting needs. When I got it I was a major bike dunce and just went on looks and really the aqua is a bit too sporty as I’m definitely in the commuter class category of cyclists but its so pretty!

3. What was the inspiration behind setting up the discerning cyclist?

I love style and good looking smart gear and I wanted to integrate it in to a career, I just wasn’t sure how. I love drawing and… you get the idea.

So a conversation gets brought up with a chap from work and I came up with the idea of a website that showcases, advises, promotes and sells a discerning and carefully chosen list of stylish clothes that look great off the bike, but also are good to wear whilst you cycle too. 

Mr Porter is a site I love that deals with style for men. That was a great inspiration to try and do something similar with cycling fashion for urban cyclists but not just men, women too. I had a good look around and at first I couldn’t see anything like that around. I did see 1 or 2 great websites that provide great reviews, like yours Andreas, but the Discerning Cyclist isn’t just about reviewing gear, but hopefully helping people with their style questions and make them look good whilst they cycle

What’s one item of cycling gear you couldn’t live without?

My Rapha Rain Jacket – I love it! Before I had it I had this amazingly big mac that was just like cycling with a tent on. British weather being what it is. You need something that keeps the rain off most days and the Rapha jacket is lightweight, stylish and does the job.

If you could design the ultimate cycling jacket – what features would it have?

That’s a tough one as there are a lot of awesome jackets. I love pea coats so I’d maybe take a pea coat and turn that into the ultimate cycling jacket. Windproof water-resistant, stain-resistant – the works. I’d also make the back pocket as concealed as possible for maximum style.

How do you feel clothing designs for cyclists are changing?

Cycling just keeps getting more popular and more a part of everyday live as the cost of travelling by motor powered vehicles keeps going up. They’re being used more as a vehicle to get about rather than a leisure activity or a serious sport hobby/career so more practical, functional and stylish gear is cropping up all the time. For me Lycra and sportswear is a great and essential part of cycling, but it’s not the part I’ve seen change the most recently. Stylish urban wear is coming in to make it possible to arrive at a place in the same outfit you will wear whilst at that place.

How did you first get in to illustrating?

I honestly can’t remember. I remember being proud of a picture of cats I drew when I was 5, but I’ve always enjoyed doing it but have only recently got back into it so I’m still very much finding my feet.

What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?

At 12 I wanted to draw comic books, at 18 I had no idea, totally clueless, but at 30 I wanted to do the Discerning Cyclist talking about great, functional style for on and off the bike and include illustration somehow. It’s only recently I’ve figured out I want to pursue something passionately (I’m 31 now) as I love each aspect that makes up the DC. I can’t wait to see where this is going to take me.

What cycling brand do you most admire and why?

Can only say which cycling clothing brand do I most admire as my knowledge of cycling as a whole is still in need of expansion. 

This still makes it tough – honourable mentions to Rapha, Vulpine, Outlier & Howies and some newer guys in Carbonaut and Union 34 – all awesome. However, after much deliberation, I’m going to say Velovixen. There set up story is quite a romantic story and you don’t often get romantic stories setting up a company and as it’s near Valentine’s day that’s quite topical plus they completed a hell of a mission to decide they were going to set up (cycled around most of South America) plus they’re promoting stylish clothes for the ladies which is really good to see.

What are your eventual goals with The Discerning Cyclist?

To help people with their style & clothing needs and provide access to the best quality and best suited gear for on and off the bike. Doing this through retailing, advice, reviews, conversation, campaigns, etc. There’s lots of ideas. It’s all still fairly new so we’re just happy we’re being noticed. Fingers crossed it continues and we keep getting noticed for the right reasons

What advice would you give someone who wants to start a cycling blog?

Love doing it or it’ll fade away quickly. Don’t be afraid to ask people even though that can be scary, you’ll find a lot of nice people in the cycling community and you will have to find something unique to help you get there. I’m not sure if we’d of been noticed as much if we didn’t have the illustrations. Overall, the passion and determination will see you through, but come back in a year and I’ll be able to to tell you more.

Thanks to Ste for the interview! The Discerning cyclist can be found on at thediscerningcyclist.co.uk.

The post The Discerning Cyclist interview appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Needless to say, it’s going to be pretty good fun! With over 20,000 people taking part, it’s also going to be the UK’s biggest cycling event.

The ballot has already ended but you can still secure a place if you fundraise with Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Details are on the website.

Alternatively, if you were lucky enough to secure a place through the ballot then Breakthrough invite you to join their team.

By joining up you’ll also receive:

• A fundraising pack full of hints, tips and inspiration
• A pink t-shirt to wear during your fundraising and on your cycle
• Full support from the Active Events Team
• Additional fundraising materials on request
• Support on the day – plenty of cheerers to give you lots of pedalling power

This is the first Olympic legacy event being backed by the government and with over 60,000 applicants, it’s clearly proved very popular.

To take part, just take a look at the Breakthrough Breast Cancer website which has contact details and everything else you could need:

http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/get_involved/be_active/bike/ridelondon_100.html

The post Join Breakthrough Breast Cancer to join over 20,000 cyclists taking part in the RideLondon-Surrey 100 appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

There’s a great range bikes at Argos or indeed any other major retailer or small bike shop. How do you know where to shop from and indeed which bike to choose?

It’s a little different when you shop for a kids bike. You are just looking for something that will be adequate for your child, until they grow out of it. The requirements change for adults. You are now looking for something to stand the test of time, that will provide value for money and be a pleasure to ride in to work every day.

This was also the question I received from a reader recently:

I’m wondering if you or your readers could offer some advice ahead of buying my first road bike. I’ve read your post on the best value road bikes but I’m guessing things will have moved on since it was produced.

My budget is £600-700 and it would be for a 5 mile each-way daily commute plus longer rides at weekends.

I’m a bit dubious about buying 2nd hand as I don’t feel I’ve the experience to know if I’m being sold a damaged or stolen bike. I could be convinced though if people can recommend a reputable and friendly local bike shop.

I’d love it if people could chime in with their recommendations in the comments, but in the mean time I’d like to delve further in to what Robert hinted on in his comment.

That is buying second hand.

I’d thoroughly recommend most people looking to buy a bike investigate this option. The truth is the value of new bikes drops dramatically the day you wheel it out of the bike shop. Instead, of buying new, I’d therefore often recommend shopping around and then taking the bike in for a full service at a local bike shop. The full service will probably cost around £100 but you’ll still be saving major amounts versus a new bike.

To find yourself a good second hand bike checkout our guide to second hand bikes.

The post Your first road bike: What should you choose? appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

I am Sam, and I used to be fat. Not just a little big podgy, really really obese. There, now I’ve got that out of the way I can get to telling you the story of how I stopped being overweight and transformed myself into a slim, athletic cycling (and running) machine. Whether you are busy getting rid of the extra pounds you put on over Christmas, or you are looking to make a serious change in your life, read on to hear how I did it.

From 20 Stone to 11 Stone

In 2011, as every year, I was invited to take a medical by my then employers. What I was confronted with wasn’t pretty. 34 years old, 19 stone 9 lbs (125kg) and heading towards an early grave. As someone with 2 young children, a decent career and a desire to see as many more birthdays as possible, I was shocked into taking action.

I’ve dieted many times over the years – name a faddy diet plan, the chances are I’ve tried it and failed. Sure, I lost weight in the short term, but it soon piled back on along with more for good measure. This time though something clicked. I knew what I was after wasn’t a faddy diet plan or celebrity endorsed meal replacement shakes – no, what I needed was a complete and utter change of lifestyle.

The Secret Formula

That change came on two fronts. First – and most importantly – came the eating. Not a diet, but sensible, filling, balanced meals. Low in processed food, high in vegetables and fruit – pretty obvious stuff really.

The second assault was on the exercise front. Obviously, at 20 stone you have to be careful what you do. Risk of injury – or worse – is ever present, so small steps were taken – literally! I started walking, and hour or so every day at a reasonable pace. I also started getting back on my bike – bought years earlier at the start of a previous ‘health kick’ that didn’t last the distance. Not far at first, 2 or 3 miles was about my limit beyond that I was out of puff and had legs like jelly. It was frustrating, and at times embarrassing, but I kept at it.

From 20 stones to 26.2 miles

The weight started to drop off reassuringly quickly, and the exercise got easier every day. About a month into my new lifestyle I began to run – well I say run, the first time out I managed 30 second runs interspersed with a great deal of walking. I followed the well proven Couch to 5K programme ably assisted by the Get Running iPhone app, and built the running up each time and was walking less and less until, after 7 weeks, I ran for 20 minutes with no walking.

Soon I was running 5Ks, then 10Ks. Shortly afterwards, I completed my first half marathon in 2:07 in my hometown. To say I was emotional at the finish would be an enormous understatement. At that moment, on a grey and rainy September day, I truly believed I could achieve anything. Since then I’ve run 6 more half marathons and I’ve also run a full marathon in Edinburgh 2012 so from close to 20 stones to a marathon in a year.

A Cycling Obsession Emerges

However, my true obsession is now cycling. I now consider myself a cyclist who runs rather than a runner that cycles. I am totally cycling obsessed and everything in cycling excites me – from the daily commute, to a weekend club ride, to a long distance sportive, to touring, to racing – all of it.

I am sure most cyclists can relate, but what excites me most is the range of bikes and gear available. They say the correct number of bikes for a cyclist to own is n+1 where n is the number you currently own.

My own n is currently 5:

• A carbon road bike
• A winter aluminium road bike
• A steel cross bike/commuter
• A steel single speed rigid mountain bike
• A folding bike.

The Next Challenge : John O’Groats to Lands End

In June I will take part in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain – a 960 mile ride from John O’Groats to Lands End over 9 days with an average of 4000ft of climbing each day! To prepare for that, alongside my usual commute, I am putting in about 150 miles a week of riding and it’s only going to increase as the event gets closer. I am taking part in some pretty iconic sportives before the event to prepare so you can expect some tales of trials and tribulations along the way!

Oh, for the record, at the time of writing I am 11 stone 6 lbs (72.5kg) which is a loss of 8 stones and 3 lbs (52kg). I’d still like to lose a bit more – after all the less I weigh, the less weight I have to drag up the Great British hills in June!

[Andreas: Sam will be contributing to London Cyclist, bringing coverage of cycling gear and sportives (something I’ve always wanted to cover more of).]

The post From fat motorcyclist to skinny cyclist – A 12 month journey to health appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Please note this is a sponsored post.

Green Workforce, a bicycle powered handyman company in London that we’ve previously recommended, is offering a £500 reward for the return of their stolen Surly bike.

The company specialises in plumbing, painting and decorating, electrical and more recently has also added gas repairs thanks to a new Gas Safe certification.

The bike was stolen between 23.00 and 00.00 on Saturday 12/01/13 from outside Old Ford in E3, London.

The Surly bikes are uniquely imported from America and there are only a handful in London, so it should be easy to spot.

The model is called the Big Dummy and it should be noted that the thief is likely to have made modifications. The bike may well look like the one in the image below:

The reward will be given to anyone who provides information that leads to the return of the bike, or to anyone who returns the bike.

The bike belonged to one of their mechanics, Jérémie, who has only recently joined the company. To steal the bike, the thieves smashed the fence that it was locked to.

The bikes are crucial to the unique approach of Green Workforce, which is to travel to their destination with all the tools in tow.

The post Look out for a stolen Surly bike – £500 reward! appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.

Sponsored feature

When looking for somewhere new to live, whether you are renting or buying, one of the main factors that will affect your choice of property are the facilities available for your preferred mode of transport. If you are a car owner, parking spaces will be an important factor, if you use public transport, a short distance to a rail station or bus stop is preferable. And of course if you’re a cyclist, then the availability of bike storage might be an influencing factor.

According to the latest figures by TfL, between 2011-2012 levels of cycling in London increased by 9% and these levels are expected to keep increasing at a rate of 5% yearly. For many London commuters, cycling to work now makes much more financial sense, especially as the turn of the New Year saw London bus and tube fares increase by 4.2 per cent. If you travel from Zones 1-4, you will have to fork out an extra £93.60 a year as your weekly travel card will now cost you £43.60. Ouch! Therefore, more London commuters are starting to swap their oyster card for a bike helmet.

As this trend develops it is possible that the facilities that potential tenants and home owners are enquiring about may change. High end bikes, for example, are only covered by insurers if they are locked up safely. The growing number of cyclists may prompt a growing interest for properties with facilities for bike storage, because as the use of bikes in London increases so does the volume of bike theft.

Many new residential buildings are now being built with outdoor sheds and purpose built blocks for allocated bike parking. These facilities are not so readily available for buildings older than 5 years which means that it is specifically new builds that may experience higher levels of interest among cyclists.

Here at Stirling Ackroyd we are adapting and embracing the flexibility offered by using bikes in London. As an agency we have started to use the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme extensively around our central London offices with most of our managers opting to cycle to valuations and viewings.

So whilst there’s no revolution yet, it is possible that the growing use of bicycles may slowly start evolving the way some buyers and tenants view the facilities that London’s properties have to offer.

The post Can cycling change the way people look for properties in London? appeared first on London Cyclist Blog.