Travel information reminder

I recently received an email from Transport for London:

The bottle cage that is not a cage (Vincero Design bottle cage)

I just saw a report from the London Bike Show 2012 where a new kind of bottle 'cage' was presented: the Vincero (italian for 'I will win') bottle holder.

Time to fit winter tyres, again...

I had winter tyres (Schwalbe Marathon Winter) fitted for most of December 2011 and it didn't snow. It was icy at times, certainly cold enough to justify having winter tyres fitted, but I had yet to experience the beauty and joy of riding on snow covered roads this winter.

Dahon Mu P8 performance tweak: brakes

Right from the start, the brake pads on my Dahon Mu P8 were quite noisy.

Steve Jobs on bicycles

I love computers, and I love bicycles. I am a cycling geek. For that reason, you won't hear me quoting Steve Jobs often, but here is a pearl of genius...

"I think one of the things that really separates us from the high primates is that we’re tool builders. I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. And, humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing, about a third of the way down the list. It was not too proud a showing for the crown of creation. That didn’t look so good. Then somebody at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of locomotion for a man on a bicycle. And, a man on a bicycle, a human on a bicycle, blew the condor away, completely off the top of the charts.
And that’s what a computer is to me. A computer is the most remarkable tool that we’ve ever come up with, and it’s the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds.” ~ Steve Jobs

Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG review: Jan 2012 update

It's been over a year since I fitted a pair of Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG to my Kiron Scandium road race bike.

20 inch Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tyres review

I recently fitted a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Winter tyres to my folding bike, in size 20x1.6

These tyres are suitable for use in icy/snowy conditions and generally when the temperatures drop below 3C.

Tern folding bicycles: question about cable routing

I have recently seen a video review of the Tern Link P9 and what concerned me about the new folding mechanism is the routing of the cables over the handlepost.

Tern Link: Video review collection

The first professional video review of a Tern Link P9 by Peter at NYCE Wheels, a bicycle shop in New York City, dedicated to folding bicycles and intermodal sustainable transport solutions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3DwLVAaYz4&hd=1

Update on MET Forte review: after 18 months of use

After my review back in July 2010, I have been using my MET Forte cycling helmet nearly every day since. Recently I have also used it for my intermodal commute.

I have been very happy with the fit and performance of this helmet in regards to comfort. It is now showing some signs of wear and tear, plus a few accidental knocks during transfers.

Commuting with a folding bicycle

As I mentioned in a previous post, my commuting regime has changed considerably.
Not only I am cycling a longer distance on a very busy route through Greater London; I am also making use of what is commonly known as intermodal commute, using a Dahon folding bicycle.

Dahon Mu P8: Hints and Tips

After riding my Dahon Mu P8 for a few months and over 200 miles, I have a few hints and tips to help prospective buyers and fellow owners.

Dahon Mu P8 review

In September this year, I decided to upgrade my ageing and cheap Pyramid 16 inch folding bike to a Dahon Mu P8.

Change of commute

No more commuting on blissful Berkshire country lanes for me. Not any more.

I now commute in the hustle and bustle of Central London.

track pump showdown: Tesco Via Velo floor vs. Bikehut Performance track

Last week I bought a Tesco Via Velo floor pump with gauge for GBP 18.00

I tried it on both my hybrid's Presta tubes, and on my folding bike's Schrader tubes.

A rigid fork to improve the ride (Kinesis Maxlight XLT review)

Back in May this year, I replaced my old suspension fork with a rigid fork, a Kinesis Maxlight XLT.

The improvements are outstanding!

Kickstand

Soundgarden knew what they were talking about, when they wrote their song Kickstand.

Schwalbe Ice Spiker review

I recently reported my first impressions riding the Schwalbe Ice Spiker on dry tarmac.

Now I can finally report about their performance on ice and snow covered roads and paths.

Schwalbe Ice Spiker preview

NOTE: There is an up to date review of these tyres.

Over the last few days, the UK has experienced colder than average temperatures.

This is apparently due to a stream of cold air from Scandinavia which is going to persist for a few more days, possibly weeks.

It has already brought snow to several parts of Scotland and Northern England. It is expected to bring snow down South too.

In preparation for the possibility of snow and ice on the road, I decided to invest in a set of studded tyres.

Sportful winter cycling gear review

Sportful is an Italian make, and I have been purchasing their items ever since I found them to be the most comfortable and best value for money.

Exposure Lights Strada review

I recently purchased the 2010 Exposure Lights Strada.

I was originally going to wait for the 2011 mk2 model version of this light, but the light was not going to be available until November.

Being commuting daily (and nightly!) I needed a light sooner.

I managed to get hold of the mk1 Strada for £180, which was a fair price.

The light arrived with all the accessories, including the remote switch, same as the mk2 model.

The only difference is that for 2011, Exposure have included their USB-compatible mains charger, which can be purchased separately anyway.

The mk1 model emits 480 lumens at full beam, compared to the 600 lumens of the mk2.

They both have similar road-oriented optics, which spread the light horizontally over the whole lane rather than in a torch-like spot.

And that's where I can recommend this light over any of the competition at this price point.

Clank from freehub?

Incidentally, this happened to me too recently.

Was the clanking accompanied by a slight skipping? As if the chain and cassette weren't mating properly?

That's what I thought initially, and blamed it on the KMC quick link I had installed on my Shimano 105 chain.

Eventually I discovered if was gunk in the freehub socket.

Vittoria Open Pave Evo CG review

I recently fitted a set of Vittoria Open Pave' Evo CG to my race bike.

I previously had a set of Continental GP4000S which I was pleased with in terms of reliability and handling, but never found particularly comfortable on British chipseal roads.

I was looking for a more compliant ride, with the same road holding characteristics in the wet, and the Vittoria's tyre description seemed to be what I was looking for.

I have now done about 300 miles on them, in wet and dry weather, and I can confirm that they are *exactly* what I was looking for.

Barclays Cycle Hire scheme key and leaflet

I registered for the new Barclays Cycle Hire scheme in London on Friday.

Continental Grand Prix 4000S review

I currently use a set of Continental GP4000S on my race bike.

Ergon GC2 grips review

A great improvement to my daily commute has recently been replacing my old and consumed Specialized lock-on XC grips (light, thin and round) with some beefier Ergon GC2 grips, which come with stubby bar-ends.

A helmet is for life...

... but should be replaced when broken!

Excited about the new cycle hire scheme in London.

I think the cycle hire scheme is an exciting opportunity to see London from a different point of view, something known as 'bike speed'.

MET Forte review

After my Limar 757 (777) helmet broke, I replaced it with an MET Forte (of which I recently posted an update on its performance after 18 months of use)

Update on Limar 757 (777) - Broken retention system

I am disappointed to report that the helmet I purchased and reviewed recently, is broken!

Daniele can ride a bike!

Daniele learnt to ride a bike on Sunday 11th April.

Altura Dry-line panniers review

An Excellent combo line

Pros: Adjustable, Attractive, Durable, Good Fit, Great Value, High Quality, Lightweight, Rugged, great package in combination with dryline rack bag

Cons: Limited Color Choices, no shoulder straps supplied

Trailgator review

Today Daniele, Geeta and I went for a ride.

The cool thing was, Geeta was able to pull Daniele's bike thanks to the Trail-gator!

Inside-Out London

I have just finished watching the Inside Out: London programme on iPlayer.

I think the programme, in 10 minutes, highlighted one thing which I think can't be dismissed: most people taking up cycling in recent years do need some further training.

Video of Sustrans National Route 4

First attempt at taking video of the NCN 4 cycle route.

The NCN 4 connects London to Oxford using a mix of cycle tracks, rural roads and main roads.

Sustrans National Route 4: Maidenhead: daily maintenance...

On a cold, icy morning...

I rode my bicycle to work!

Limar 757 (777) helmet review

I recently purchased a new helmet, a Limar 757, to replace my old one, an MET Velo.

It also recently broke; and therefore decided to buy an MET Forte.

I purchased the Limar 757 from Wiggle for £62, although the list price was £70.

Wokingham bicycle parking facilities have been improved.

I went past Wokingham's train station last night at around 10pm, and was pleasantly surprised.

The bicycle racks are now sheltered, and most importantly, they are in direct view of the CCTV security cameras!

Riding the Sustrans National Route 4

Today I rode part of the NCN 4, a cycle route which connects London to Oxford.

The part I describe in this article covers the Maidenhead section.

Twyford railway station's parking facility

These are a couple of pictures of the parking facility for bicycles at Twyford Station.
They were taken at 9.30AM on a snowy Monday morning.

Shopping at Morrisons

Today I went shopping for food at Morrisons, using my trusty commuter equipped with pannier rack.

Let it snow in Wokingham!

Well, it was more like the whole of Berkshire, but it made my bicycle journey back from work rather interesting.

Welcome!

Welcome to this blog!

As the title suggests, I am a cyclist living and commuting in and out of Wokingham, UK.

I was inspired to write this blog by the sheer amount of blogs about cyclists from all over the world, who not only details their adventures, but highlight what they and their local community does for or against cyclists.

I live in Wokingham and that's what I am going to talk about here.

In 2007 Halifax estate agents ranked Wokingham as the number one place to live in the UK.

Whether that is still the case or not, hopefully I will be able to help you decide for yourself whether Wokingham is the number one place to cycle in the UK.

I will post articles about anything that is Wokingham related, and cycling related, including pictures, movies and maps.

Please read my profile page to know more about me and the kind of cyclist I am.