The highway code

01/09/2010 The highway code does also apply to you as a cyclist, after all your are a road user on a vehicle. So do spend some time and have a good old read of the highway code. It will open your eyes and see how many people disregard it. It is after all made to make it easier and safer for you and others to move around in the traffic. The Lo ... read more ...

SillyDriver III

31/08/2010 I have just got back from my holidays. Cycled 260 miles north on our touring bicycles and only had two incidents, where only one of them was outside London. An overtaking taxi who was very close to me on way back from the station, a nice welcome back. Anywho, there I was cycling in front of my partner who is 2-3 metres behind me. We are coming to a hill where ... read more ...

Plea to parent part II

29/03/2010 Today a trainee at one of the schools I’m working at at the moment came up and said that she'd got a new bicycle over the weekend. Lucky girl, I said. Let's go down and check it out before we go out on the road. No need, she said, they checked it down the shop. Anyway I had a quick look over and found … - The head set was very loose. - ... read more ...

SillyCyclist X

24/03/2010 A couple of days ago, four of the six cyclist following me down Chiswick High Road was wearing helmets. And all four of them were jumping the red lights, hmmm. Please do remember wearing an helmet does not make your cycling safer it is the way you cycle that makes your cycling safe. So jumping the red light, cycling on the pavement, jumping up and down the kerb and cycling around ... read more ...

Scared of cars

14/03/2010 When I teach a group of kids on how to cycle on the road, I quite often find a quiet T-junction or quiet side road to talk them through the drill we are about to teach them. Mainly so that we can walk around the junction or take them out on the road so they can see what we are taking about, e.g. the door zone etc. The reason for ... read more ...

Cycling in the snow

14/01/2010 I have done my fair share of cycling in the snow and snow storms where I couldn't see further than 50 metres ahead. Quite often I had to stop to remove the snow out of the wheels and away from the brakes. The most "fun" to ride on is when there is one layer of snow that have plenty of tracks from people moving about on bicycles or foot. Which ... read more ...

What a waste of a young life

13/01/2010 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 ... read more ...

Start riding now

12/12/2009 Today I read this article over on the Telegraph, Copenhagen climate conference Danes launch campaign to get the world cycling. And it got me wondering why the UK has such a hard time in get on their bikes. The first thing people over here think is that it is dangerous and it is going to get you killed. I'm sorry but you are wrong it is not, there I have said ... read more ...

SillyDriver I

10/11/2009 Well since I have the SillyCyclist and SillyCyclelLanes going I thought that it would be a good idea to also have a SillyDriver section. And I will start this section off with a small pop quiz. Q: Picture this, you are driving in your car down a residential road with speed bumps. And you come upon two adults wearing orange tabards, with 6 young kids standing next to them by the side ... read more ...

Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel

16/10/2009 So this a new take on the dear old training wheels, which are a pain to work with *), this is called Gyrowheel Gyroscopic Bicycle Wheel. I will let the video below explain how it work as it would be easier than me rambling on here. I wonder how it is to ride with when you have learned how to cycle, as I'm sure that it will be working somewhat against ... read more ...