Padded Shorts » bikes

The birth of the bike

extra — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:35:24 +0000

Over on British Pathe they have a film from 1937 called the The birth of the bike.

M/S of a lady on an old-fashioned ‘hobby horse’ bicycle, she is wearing a long dress and bonnet. C/U of the bottom of the bicycle, there are no pedals so she has to use her feet. M/S of a man on a smaller bicycle also propelling himself with his feet.

Next we see a machine from 1839, the handlebar was carried in an iron fork and wooden wheels were propelled by pedals and cranks fitted to one of the axles. Various shots of this bicycle. Then came the Velocipede in 1861, it has four wheels and is made from metal and wood with front driving and rear steering, various shots of this bicycle.

BIRTH OF THE BIKE

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LINK : British Pathe – The birth of the bike

What a waste of a young life

extra — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:57:14 +0000

A SCHOOLGIRL killed in an accident on her way home from school was riding a dangerous and unfit bicycle at the time, an inquest was told.

Sadly this is a terrible way to remind you, but do check you and your loved ones bicycles over now and again. Click here to read what I wrote, “a plea to parents”, then again you don’t need to be a parent. to carry out a simple check on your bicycle.

Last night, assistant deputy coroner Richard Whittington called on schools and parents to teach children basic cycle maintenance.

Hear Hear, the state of bicycles I see every day is really shocking. And I don’t work in a bicycle repair shop, I just commute in London and teach Bikeability as schools.

Not only do the kids need to know how to tell if there is something wrong and even able to fix them. But the parents need and SHOULD check the bicycle over REGULARLY and if they can’t fix the bicycle TAKE IT TO A LOCAL BICYCLE SHOP!

But parents who are the (and should be) responsible one, really don’t care and see the bicycle as a toy which IT IS NOT!

Quite often they give little Jr. a Magic Hat*), which is also often ill fitted **). And that ticks the box that say “little Jr. is safe and sound”. Then they don’t think about the state of the bicycle or how and were little Jr. is riding it, because he is safe as he got a lid***) on.

I do not know what kind of bicycle she was riding, but my money is on a BSO, since that is what most kids are riding. They are of pour materials and quite often never put together right and will fall apart fast even when used with care.

Sad and tragic lost of life.

LINK : Herald Series – Girl cyclist, 11, fell into path of lorry.

*), ***) Magic Hat and Lid is nick names for a bicycle helmet.
**) If you choose to wear a helmet, please do fit it correctly, remember an ill fitted helmet is as good as wearing no helmet at all.

Pump your lights

extra — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 14:27:53 +0000

Yeah I know you might think I have lost it here, but now I do mean pump your light. As in charge your lights while pumping.

Now what a great idea have a light that you charge while pumping or just use your pump to charge when your batteries are running a bit low.

20 seconds of pumping suffices for 45 minutes of track-illuminating LED power. Simply pump up your tires, or perform the pumping motions merely to recharge the device, then clamp it into its holder and away you go.

Even though it did win a Eurobike 2009 award it is still just a prototype.

LINK : treehugger – bike light tire pump recharges while pumping.
LINK : formpasch – PUYL bicycle pump and portable light combined

Pardo, a tricycle ?

extra — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:42:53 +0000

Now this tricycle looks a bit mad in a good way.

Instead of pedalling you have to kick/push with your legs to get the trike to move forward. It does looks fast and very suspensioned (if that is a word) which it has to be since you are laying on your chest on the tricycle.

I wonder if it fits a 6’4″ person. The best part is that the tricycle can be folded up for easy storing and when you are moving about when off the trike.

Can I have a go, please ?

LINK : treehugger – Move Like a Cheetah with this Incredible Human Powered Vehicle

Recycle your bicycle

extra — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:06:16 +0000

Today when I went out with our recycle box to our recycle bin, I found a bicycle inside.

Well it was a classic BSO and in bad nick. Unfortunately, your LBS will not take this bicycle in and give it a new life. It will simply cost too much to get it back on the road. But by all means it is not the end of its life as a bicycle. With a bit of TLC and some spare parts you could get this up and running again as your backup bicycle.

Or you could give it to some of the various organisations who will happily take your old bicycle and do their best to give new life to it.

Here are a few below …

UK Based :
www.re-cycle.org – Bicycle Aid for Africa: Re-Cycle’s mission is to collect second hand bicycles and ship them to Africa. Our partners distribute bikes and teach riders the skills to repair and maintain them. Our bikes also help health/AIDS workers reach remote villages and even provide an ambulance service in remote Namibia.

www.bikerecycling.net/: It’s a directory of all the community projects, non-profit businesses, training and rehabilitation schemes and other projects that are happy to receive your donations of bikes, parts, accessories etc – and of course financial donations…

www.uk.freecycle.org/: Well at least just put it on this website and I’m sure that someone will be around shortly to pick it up.

www.bikeworks.org.uk: We recycle & refurbish used and abandoned bikes so that they can be re used or when this isn’t possible materials (steel, aluminium) are put into the recycling system.

www.thebikestation.org.uk/: The Bike Station is Edinburgh’s bicycle recycling and cycling promotion charity. We repair unwanted bikes and put them back on the road.

Even State side they are at it.
www.recycleabicycle.org/: Recycle-a-Bicycle is a community-based bike shop and non-profit organization that provides educational/job training programs and encourages environmental stewardship and everyday bicycle use. Through programs such as Earn-A-Bike, Ride Club, Cycle Craft, and Summer Youth Employment Program, RAB is dedicated to the health and well-being of NYC youth.

These are by all means not the only ones, this was just found after a quick googling around on the net, there are plenty more out there.

Prince Philip Designers Prize 2009

extra — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:13:37 +0000

We all have know that the bicycle is probably the best invention since the wheel. Just the simple joy of riding it and all the different ways you can use it.

In the year that the “Prince Philip Designers Prize” turns 50 the Brompton or rather its ~~dad~~ inventor Andrew Ritchie got the award. Bloody good show, what what :)

Andrew have really won the war on folding bikes. Its fast to and easy to pack down and a great little thing to ride around town on your small trips. Pack it up in our car, under the stairs and within seconds it is ready to put a smile on your face when zoom around town. I even have hear that someone did ride on it from Lands Ends to John O’Groats !!!

The Brompton, wholly manufactured at the company’s factory in Brentford, sells in more than 30 countries, driving a successful business that has grown by 25% for the last three years.

The bike’s success is based on the ingenuity of its folding mechanism, its balance of functionality, durability and comfort, and a consistent 30-year commitment to refining the product and its 1,200 parts – many of which are unique to Brompton.

Ritchie, an engineering graduate, started designing the Brompton in the mid-1970s after seeing an early version of the Bickerton folding bicycle. ‘I’d had a folding bike in mind, and this was evidence that it could be done,’ he said. An initial design was finished within months, but it took more than a decade of development and looking for investment before the Brompton was ready for full production in 1987. ‘There were eureka moments, but it was mostly a lot of patience and waiting for muse to work,’ recalls Ritchie.

Click here to read the full article over at the Design Council.

BSOs please don’t.

extra — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:17:00 +0000

Yes I know it is a bit old news but I just have to say it again.

Please don’t go to a shop that “sells bicycles” but go to a “bicycle shop”, see the different ?

A shop that sells bicycles, stacking them high selling them low, are only into selling the bicycle for profit. And quite often are selling other stuff which is not related to cycling at all, and therefore can’t service the bike at all or have the experience with selling bicycles or the staff that has.

A Local Bicycle Shop (LBS), on the other hand, will be staffed by cyclist and will be interested in selling you a bicycle that you will enjoy to ride. And best of all they will remember you, when you come in and want to upgrade, which you will because you want more since you really enjoyed riding the bicycle they found for you.

The Guardian, have a great article/blog about the Bicycle Shaped Object (BSO) that a supermarket is trying to sell.

Yes it sounds like it’s a deal, it’s a steal, it’s the sale of the *beep*ing Century, a bike for £39.99. But please don’t, it will be heavier, harder to ride and before you get home have to go to your LBS to fix something. And that will cost you more than what you spend on the bike in the first place.

Please spend a bit of money on your bike, at least £250 (you can sometimes get a better deal from your LBS). Yes for some £250 or more, is a quite a bit for some, but look at it this way …

A good quality bicycle and a bit of TLC will last you easy 10 years. Even with new tyres, brake pad etc., which will wear down (just like your shoes), it will be less than £500 over the next 10 years, so £50 a year.

How much does your travel card cost you a month ?

So to find your LBS, ask your friends, neighbors or the people you work with, because one of them will be cycling and know a good bicycle shop. Shop around, talk to the staff, tell them what you want and need. Don’t just take the first LBS you find, find one you like, it could be 5 miles away or more, but the service you will get since you will be coming back, will be worth it. Then keep using it, they will come to know you and your needs and will take care of you.

Happy riding :)

LINK : Guardian, ASDA cheap bike
LINK : The cycling experts, the bicycle shaped object/
LINK : South coast bikes, NO BSO

There is hope :)

extra — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:39:00 +0000

I was training a wee lad yesterday, he was clearly getting to big for the bike, just give it a week and he would be.

So I told his daddy that it would be a good time to spend some money and find a new bicycle for Jr.

And half way though telling the dad what he should look our for when getting a bike. He said well I’m looking at getting an IslaBike for Jr.

Result, Lucky kid :)

Yes, Islabikes are a expensive, but it is very good quality, your child will be able to lift it and therefore able to control it and it will not fall apart on you.

And best of all …

We understand that your child is growing fast and it can be expensive keeping up! To help out we will buy back your Islabike when you buy a bigger one, as a part exchange, at a value dependant on its condition.

If you are wondering why it it worth spending a bit on a bike, just read this article, BSO, Please don’t do it.

LINK : http://www.islabikes.co.uk
LINK : http://www.southcoastbikes.co.uk/

The X Bike Concept

extra — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:25:00 +0000

just one look at the size of these wheels I know I will not get onto this bike in London, any pothole will eat them up in no time. Good idea for a folder though.

Link : http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/11/marking_the_spo.php

-extra