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10 things I wish I’d known when I first started cycling

By on 11/04/2013 in Cycling tips

Use two different locks I’ll never forget the day I walked back to the bike shed after my college lessons, only to find my bike had disappeared. Confused I asked myself: Did I lock my bike? Is this a friend of mine playing a practical joke? Did I even ride my bike in today? The [...]

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Do you need a bike fitting?

By on 28/03/2013 in Cycling tips

You may think that a bike fitting is only for serious racer types, but as I hope to show you it is applicable to a far broader range of people than that. Do you spend a lot of time on your bike, perhaps you have a long distance commute, ride sportives or race in some [...]

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How to restore waterproofing on your jacket

By on 16/01/2013 in Cycling tips

After a particularly wet weekend of walking in the Peak District, my much loved DHB waterproof jacket was letting water in. The waterproofing was failing. Fortunately, through London Cyclist readers, I’d heard about the Nikwax range of products. You simply washed your waterproof gear in the Nikwax mixture and the waterproofing is restored. It seemed [...]

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Cycling in the snow

By on 14/01/2013 in Cycling tips

The snow is coming down over London and many cycle commuters will be having a chilly ride home, beautifully framed by snowflakes. This morning I cycled in with a friend of mine, to show her the ropes about cycling in London. Her biggest complaint: “It’s too hot! I’m sweating!” It’s bitter sweet that on one [...]

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Staying warm but not hot on your bike

By on 11/12/2012 in Cycling tips

When you are pedalling in to work, you want to feel warm on the bike but you don’t want to get so hot that you start sweating. Here’s how I achieve that. The buff The first item in my arsenal against the cold is the buff. A favourite amongst protesters in Athens and cyclists in [...]

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Healthy eating as a cyclist

By on 29/11/2012 in Cycling tips

With the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) announcing that inactivity is now as big a killer as smoking, it’s a great time to keep feeling smug as a cyclist. To supplement that, I would love to know if you guys follow any specific healthy eating habits? As always, please leave a comment [...]

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Are you going to cycle through the winter?

By on 31/10/2012 in Cycling tips

The leaves are coming down, the clocks have gone back and the weather reporters are presenting us with temperatures in the single figures. Some cyclists will slowly start leaving their bikes at home. The underground will become their new daily ritual. They simply don’t want to cycle in the dark or in the cold. There [...]

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Where do you store your bike at night?

By on 28/09/2012 in Cycling tips

I’d be interested in hearing how many people’s hallways look like the one above! Where do you store your bike at night? Leave a comment below. I’ll start us off: As our apartment doesn’t have any secure space for storage and I don’t particularly want to leave my bike outside overnight, my flatmate and I [...]

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How to carry a suit on your bike

By on 26/09/2012 in Cycling tips

For commuting cyclists a question I’ll commonly hear is: “How do you carry your suit in to work when you are riding a bike?” There are a few different solutions. 1. Take it in by public transport and leave it at work The first option is to leave the bike at home once per week [...]

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Taking part in charity bike rides

By on 21/06/2012 in Cycling tips

“Hey mate – have you sponsored my charity bike ride?” Is a phrase many will get tired of saying and many more will get tired of hearing. However, each year millions of pounds are raised for good causes through this simple exchange. If you are thinking of raising money for charity through a sponsored bike [...]

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Cycling in a group

By on 11/06/2012 in Cycling tips

“Do you guys want to ride in a group? You gain around 20% efficiency”. I’d never been asked to ride in a group before, it felt new and exciting. But what is this strange foreign concept of cycling in a group? Well, I was about to have the ropes shown to me by a much [...]

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Two components that make your bike thin

By on 07/06/2012 in Cycling tips

One of the nuisances of living in a small apartment in London is that two bikes in the hallway take up a lot of space. Nobody really likes getting knocked in the ribs by a pair of bicycle handlebars as they try to carry a plate of food to the lounge. Therefore, when I came [...]

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