London Cyclist

Note: This is a small section taken from my Guide to Cycling in London. I wanted to post it up here as a bit of a preview of what people can expect from the guide. If you haven’t yet grabbed a copy you can see this post for details.

In my first London apartment we had 3 bikes in the hallway. It looked cluttered, made it hard to move around the flat and caused plenty of scratches to our bikes. What I’ve since realised is that this age old problem has been addressed by a number of manufacturers. Therefore, it’s not something you have to put up with. Various bicycle storage solutions are available and luckily most cost less than £20.

Pulley system

Also sometimes called Bike Lifts. This solution makes use of the ceiling for bicycle storage. You simply hoist the bike up and it is stored off the ground. It’s a good solution to the problem and costs around £20.

Hook or a Vertical Bike Rack

Storing a bike upright saves floor space and looks less messy. It also means the bikes are not leaning against each other which can cause dents and other damage. There are various hooks specifically for bikes. Alternatively you can improvise and make your own but be sure to cover it with padding so as not to cause any damage.

Anchors

If you have a shed or a garage then this provides something sturdy you can lock your bike to. It should be attached to a solid wall or floor.

Checkout some bike anchors

Cycloc

Whilst a little overpriced at nearly £60 the Cycloc is a handy and clean looking invention allowing you to store your bicycle on the wall. It is designed so you can quickly slide the back in and out of the stand.

Take a look at some of the different designs

Shelter

If you have a garden then you might want to consider a bicycle shelter such as this one. This allows for security and some protection from the elements.

Soon I also want follow up with some quirky bicycle storage solutions as well as talk about how you can DIY your own bike storage.

See also:

• Guide to cycling in London
• Review of the ultimate guide to bicycle maintenance
• How to find a good pair of cycling shorts
• Q&A Where to store a bike?

Friday is the big day of the cycle hire scheme launch. If you have a key that is and if you’ve activated that key. Apparently 10,000 keys such as the one below (Thanks Adam) have been sent out.

Along with the key you also get various maps and information about staying safe. Wokingham Cyclist has posted about this if you are interested.

If you are part of the cool gang with one of these keys you need to “activate it”. This can be done through the London Cycle Hire website or by calling the helpline.

The process of using the key is as follows:

• Check that the docking point has no lights illuminated
• Before taking a cycle from a docking point, check that it is roadworthy (tyres, brakes, saddle, lights, bell)
• Insert your key into the docking point key slot
• The amber light will illuminate while your account is being verified
• As soon as the light turns green, undock your cycle by placing one hand on each of the handle bars and firmly pulling it out of the docking point.
• Remove your key from the key slot before you set off
• When re-docking your cycle, return it to any empty docking point which has no lights illuminated by pushing it firmly into place
• Wait until the light turns green to ensure you have successfully docked your cycle and completed your journey

Or as this TfL woman kindly demonstrated earlier today:

As you can see it’s so easy even a drunk person wanting to get home at night could do it. Though they would probably miss the key entry point a few times and then fall over the minute they ride off. Oh, and also they probably would have left the key in their other trousers and cursed the gods for not been able to just use the Oyster card.

By the way, the annoying clicking sound in the video isn’t the noise the docking station makes to let you know you’re about to hire a bike. In fact a cool sound the docking station could make the minute you put the key in is to have the recorded voice of a woman magically start playing so you can listen to how great Barclays are. I might suggest that to TfL.

I’ll leave you with this nice picture of the Mayors Transport Advisor Kulveen Ranger looking smug:

And looking less smug as a HGV is about to run him over:

Despite the dry humour and sarcasm that plagues this post I am in fact very excited about the Friday launch and will be there covering it for London Cyclist. It will be great to see all the docking stations around London filled with bikes ready for Londoners to hire and I look forward to using it. My housemate for one is very excited to have his key and will no doubt be one the first people to hop on these beautiful blue bikes.

See also:

• Will you be registering for the cycle hire scheme?
• Test riding the cycle hire bike
• Announcing the Barclays Cycle Hire
• Get your free guide to cycling in London

Today I’m releasing a second eBook to subscribers called “Guide to Cycling in London”. Most of the content from it is applicable to cycling in any city. It is a 37 page eBook filled with great cycling advice catered for everyday cyclists.

Here is quick overview of what you get:

• How to find the perfect cycling route through London
• 3 must-try London Cycle Routes including an impressive 25 mile Grand Tour of the Grand Union and a quirky 5 mile gentle ride around the unusual sights of central London.
• How to undertake and enjoy your first long distance bike ride
• The three tricks you won’t learn at cycle training
• How to never have your bike stolen
• How to meet fellow cyclists and go on group rides
• Turning your cycle commute into a workout
• London’s coolest bike shops and cafes
• Guide to buying a second hand bike
• All the best gear that makes a difference
• Storing a bike in a “cosy” London flat
• How you can make London a better place for cycling

Plus more but I don’t want to list everything and would prefer you just download it and have a look through for yourself!

Of course if you are a subscriber you also get another free eBook that guides you through the basics of Bicycle Maintenance. I’ve lost count of downloads of that guide but it is well in the region of 5,000 to 6,000 downloads. I’m very pleased it has done so well and is helping so many people look after their bikes. I hope this guide will be equally well received.

To get these two free amazing guides all you have to do is join the 1,211 cyclists who receive the London Cyclist newsletter. You’ll get plenty of great cycling tips and a weekly roundup of the posts on London Cyclist. Also you can unsubscribe whenever you want in just 2 clicks by following the links at the bottom of the email.

If you enjoy the guides then all I ask in return is I would really appreciate you spreading the messages to others by pointing them to this blog post using your blog, Twitter, Stumble Upon, Facebook or good old e-mail. Thank you very much for helping!

Note: I’m expecting high demand for the eBook so I apologise if the download crashes / becomes unavailable. Currently I’m hosting the file on Dropbox and will move it around if that becomes an issue.

Last Saturday was the Dunwich Dynamo. A 200km ride through the night from London Fields to a beach near Dunwich.

I’m not one for preparation but this time I stocked up on the advice. From previous blog posts such in the Guardian Bike Blog and forums such as LFGSS. I took with me lots of food, drink, batteries, spare inner tubes and a bright bike light. I also invested in a bottle cage to be able to refuel without stopping. I had the route plotted in my iPhone and turned down the brightness and the 3G off so that it would last throughout the 10 hour ride.

Although, I did manage to undo much of the preparation by going out for drinks the night before. Oh well..

Arriving at London Fields around 9 for the start of the Dunwich Dynamo I picked up the turn by turn directions and looked for my ride buddy.

We quickly got going and settled into a fast pace. The atmosphere was great and it was incredible to see so many cyclists together, red lights flicking and groups forming. We wanted to quickly get out of London to start enjoying the country lanes. Soon after Epping Forest our wish was granted and we were enjoying the ride. There is something quite magical about riding at night in a big group.

The first stop was at Moreton. Here quite a few people were already on the beers and it was a good chance to catch up with some fellow riders. As it was still early in the night lots of pubs were still open so there was plenty of great places to stop. We didn’t stick around long as we were keen to get going.

Again we rode at a high speed doing lots of overtaking looking for a group of riders going at a similar speed. So far it was the over enthusiasm for the ride that was causing this huge boost in energy and I was sure there would be a serious drop in speed later on.

The quiet country lanes were the perfect condition for cycling and I was glad of my Ixon IQ bike light shining the way ahead. If you are looking for a good light for the ride that isn’t too expensive then I can highly recommend it. In a couple of the quaint villages some of the people that lived there had come out to cheer everyone along. This was good fun and it was good to see people supporting the ride.

At one point we came across someone that had taken a bad fall. He looked rather worse for wear but as there was a lot of people already stopped to help we kept going. It reminded me of the dangers and to stay focused.

The next stop was at the Village Hall. Here I managed to catch up with the guys from Going Going Bike and also SuspectPackage who was easy to spot donning the Hello Joe t-shirt. Various sandwiches were being sold and also it was a good place to fill up the water bottles as from here on there would be far less pubs and petrol stations open.

At around 90-100 miles in we took a short break to grab some food. Daylight was on the way and as we sat eating some sandwiches various people cycled past and turned back around. We realised we had missed a turn. Most of the way the directions were very easy to follow.

The last 20 miles were tough. Tiredness was setting in and time seemed to be standing still as did the mileage count. I left my riding buddy to do some solo cycling. Eventually I came across the sign for Dunwich. There was a big relief and the last 5 or so miles were a bit of daze. After just over 9 hours of cycling I arrived at Dunwich, wheeled my bike onto the beach and sat down to take in the ride.

About 15 minutes later I was joined by the other guys I was riding the Dunwich Dynamo with and we set about getting some breakfast. We joined up with Silka from TfL who had also finished the ride and recounted our experiences. I wanted to catch up with various people such as Karl and Sparkes but was feeling that bit too tired.

It was great to sit on the beach and think about the whole thing. Easily my favourite experience was about 25-50 miles in, riding at high speeds and enjoying the dark setting. The Dunwich Dynamo is a great ride that I would highly recommend.

See also:

• 10 London Cycling Events you can’t miss
• Hackney Bicycle Film Society
• London Cycling Cafes
• Definitive guide to bike lights

Registration for the cycle hire scheme was today launched and if you want to be one of the first to use the scheme you need to register. Registration for the year costs £45 which is generally considered the best value for money. Otherwise you can also choose weekly and daily plans.

This can be completed via: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/14808.aspx

Upon entering your name, date of birth, relationship status, what you had yesterday for breakfast you’ll be sent a key that you then need to activate.

They key itself costs £3 and the obvious criticism is why couldn’t this have been integrated with that other famous key we have to London. The Oyster card.

Generally, the £45 plus £3 key is the only thing you’ll end up paying for. This is because most people will be aiming to stay within the half hour free limit. Thus it does make this one of the cheapest forms of transport around London (and most eco-friendly).

Some crazy rumours had been flying around that there would be volunteers redistributing bikes during the day. I don’t know who started that rumour but it is of course false.

In fact yesterday on my cycle home I saw the little vans that will be re-distributing bikes around the docking station. I was going too fast to take a picture and they were stuck in the traffic jam so you’ll have to imagine what they looked like!

So, will you be registering for the cycle hire scheme? and Why? Can you see yourself using it? Are you happy to pay the £45? Any problems registering? Opinions please..

Cycle hire scheme coverage:

• Test riding the cycle hire bike
• Announcing the Barclays Cycle Hire
• Delays to the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme
• London Cycle Hire locations revealed

Last week when I asked about the best cycling accessory people had bought in the past 12 months I knew exactly which one I had in my mind. My Topeak Joe Blow Sport which was recently sent to me by the nice people at Extra UK.

When I first pulled it out of the box I wondered where on earth am I going to keep this big thing. I marvelled at its beauty. Finally I owned something that wouldn’t look too out of place in a bike workshop. I no longer had to travel to my nearest bike shop and timidly ask if I can use their pump.

The big problem with the small hand pumps that we’ve all had since the days riding around with stabilisers is that they struggle to get a tyre up to the required pressure. The result is more rolling resistance which is inefficient. Meaning more hard pedalling and frustration at the bike holding you back. Not having the bike at the correct PSI also meant more punctures.

Those days are long gone. With the pressure gauge at the bottom of the Topeak Joe Blow Sport its easy to know exactly what you are pumping the tyre up to. A few up and down movements and the tyre has gone from completely empty to full. The best part of it is you can imagine yourself blowing up a building each time you raise and drop the bar.

The fun doesn’t end there. This pump can fit both Presta and Schrader valves. Simply flick the switch in the direction labelled P or S. This means all bike types are covered. You also get the various attachments needed for pumping up footballs and so forth.

The Topeak Joe Blow Sport has absolutely everything I could ask for from a floor pump and it is definitely one of those cycling accessories I’d recommend getting sooner rather than later. There is a reason its the pump you often see on the floor in all the bike shops. Unfortunately the size of the Joe Blow Sport does mean it’s a little hard to find a new home for it.

Good things about the Topeak Joe Blow Sport:

• Finally reach the correct pressure on your bike tyres meaning less effort and punctures
• Takes about 1/10th of the time to pump up a tyre
• Solid, good quality design and at a good price
• Feel like you are a demolitions expert about to blow up a building each time you pump your bike

Bad things about the Topeak Joe Blow Sport:

• Don’t expect to be able to fit it into your panniers

Where to buy

The best price I’ve found is at Chain Reaction Cycles for £28.99 delivered. Evans sell it for £32.99 and Amazon for £29.49 but you have to pay an extra £2.50 for shipping.

You may also be interested in:

• Can you get a good cycling jacket for £50?
• Take a look at the top cycling accessories London’s cyclists chose
• London Cyclist releases a bike maintenance iPhone app
• Heavy, folding and expensive. The Abus Bordo bike lock

When the bike thief is sneaking around with a huge pair of bolt cutters under his arm he doesn’t want a bike that is security tagged. A little sticker on a visible part of the frame can identify the security marking and lately I’ve been seeing an ever greater number of people donning these stickers. This makes it more important in your bicycle security arsenal not to let the security marking be the weak link.

Luckily, it’s a quick and easy fix. Police are holding various security marking sessions around London and the nice people at TfL have sent me a list of where they are happening next.

Bike tagging sessions in London

25th July               11.00am to 5.00pm          Cottons Park, Romford RM7      
28th July               10.00am to 12.00 pm      Walthamstow Town Square, E17
10th August           07.30am to 10.00am      Tooley Street o/s Evans Cycles SE1
13th August           09.00 am to 5.00pm      Haringey Youth Day, Ducketts Common N8
15th August           10.00 am to 4.00pm      Redbridge Sky Ride
17th August            4.00 pm to 7.00 pm       Duke of York Steps, The Mall SW1
19th August            7.30 am to 10.00am      Duke of York Steps, The Mall SW1
26th August            4.00pm to 7.00pm        Tooley Street o/s Evans Cycles SE1
2nd September      10.00 to 2.00pm            Golders green Road NW11
5th September       10.00 to 2.00pm            The Mall, London Skyride SW1

When you arrive at the marquee an officer will turn your bike upside down and place one sticker on the underside of the frame. This is the one that cannot easily be removed. He will also give you one more sticker to place in a more visible location. A copy of the frame number is then made, if you wish, to be registered into their database.

This means that the next time someone is stopped by the police they can check the frame number and see the security marking. Hopefully re-uniting the bike with its rightful owner.

Don’t have time to go to the police sessions?

If you’re pressed for time you can also use the power of the internet. A new start-up called Bike Revolution is aiming to get all bikes in the UK registered. They sell the Pulse ID tags which is  one of the cheapest and best ways to get a bike tagged. The tags are tamper proof and can be read by police.

The company is also aiming to build a big network of followers and make it possible for anyone to check if a bike is stolen using their mobile phones. This should hugely aid your chances of bike recovery if it is tagged as there is a much bigger army of people out there looking for your bike.

Bike Revolution is also developing various strategic partnerships with sites such as newly launched GoingGoingBike to make it harder for someone to sell a stolen bike. They seems to have great momentum behind them and have learnt from some of the mistakes of other bike marking companies.

Could we see bike crime drop by 50%?

Using similar techniques to those Bike Revolution is pioneering Norway saw a drop in bike theft by 50%. Therefore they are definitely pursuing a worthy cause.

Oh, and by the way the 57.5% figure is of course completely made up. Unfortunately, I have no way of scientifically judging how much less attractive a bike is to a thief though it would be interesting to see that figure.

Related posts:

• Spending the day with the police cycle task force
• Guide to good bicycle locks
• How to lock your bike so it never gets stolen

Cast your mind back to the first day you started cycling in the city. Don’t worry this isn’t a therapy class where I now start to ask you “how did it make you feel?”. I’d charge for that kind of service and you’d probably want to demand your money back. If you started cycling 50 years ago or even just 3 months ago I’m sure you’ve learnt a lot. Whether that be through observing (Read: stalking) other cyclists, bugging your impatient local bike shop or reading incredible cycling blogs (such as London Cyclist). Or perhaps it was through making errors. The day your bike was stolen or the day you bumped into that parked BMW and made off before anyone realised (perhaps that’s just me? Let’s move on..)

Once your romance with cycling has begun you’ll want to learn more about it. That’s because you know the more you discover the more enjoyment you can get out of it. Whether that be going on your first big 70 mile ride, turning your commute into a workout or learning the speed benefits of being clipped into the pedals. You either still have a lot to discover or you’re well on your way to becoming a competitor in my cycle blogging niche!

To help you get the most out of your cycling, next Tuesday (in 7 days), I’ll be releasing a downloadable 30 page guide to cycling in London. The guide will have a ton of information for the early days of cycling, such as how to buy a bike and also more advanced discussion around things like pedal straps and tricks you won’t learn at a cycle training class. It is a culmination of everything I’ve learnt since wobbling around on a heavy mountain bike together with answers to a lot of the questions I commonly receive.

How much will it cost? I’m releasing it for free as a big thank you to everyone who joined the newsletter and helped London Cyclist reach 1000 subscribers. The only condition is you have to be subscribed to the newsletter. If you haven’t joined already then you can quickly join by entering your name and email below:

During the next 7 days building up to the big launch I’ll be releasing little snippets of content from the guide. I’m pretty excited about bringing this guide together as it’s something as a cyclist I wish someone had given me. I know that it will solve a lot of frustrations people have as well as giveaway some of the secrets you only learn after you’ve been cycling for a while.

I’m also open to suggestions for any more topics to include in the guide. If you think of something you’d like to see included then leave a comment below..

Image via sunnyUK on Flickr

Today the Barclay’s Cycle Superhighways were launched at a big press and public event. TfL kindly invited me along and also promised me a couple of quick questions with the Mayor. Of course this was too good an offer to pass by so I went down after canvassing everyone on Twitter for questions to ask. (My take on “open” journalism.)

Boris Johnson was on top form as he arrived by bike looking tired and tieless. He told us that along his 35 minute journey from Islington to Clapham Common it was him versus a boy racer and he only narrowly won thanks to the superhighways. An entertaining story although a quick check on the map confirms the majority of the route is not covered by a superhighway.

Speeches were given and many laughs were received from the gathered members of the press. Boris went on to explain that the blue of the superhighways was meant to represent freedom and be an international sign of how serious London is about cycling. He finished his speech by stressing the importance of London competing against other cities in order to receive investment. By growing cycling he hopes to prove that London has what it takes.

We were also given some figures about the superhighways. The money will fund 5,000 new parking spaces for bikes, over 17,000 hours of cycle training and 3,000 hours of cycle maintenance classes. Boris also told us that any rumours that the cycle superhighways would be less than 1.5 metres in length at certain points were not true.

Everyone seemed rather wooed by the speeches and was happy to walk away thinking how good us cyclists have it. This is highly arguable but you can’t help but agree that the visible nature of the superhighways is a positive thing.

When the opportunity came along to grab some questions with Boris I knew he was not really going to answer anything. However, it was worth trying anyway. I wanted to find out about his vision for the cycle superhighways compared to the reality. What I really wanted to know is how someone can look at the superhighways and think to themselves “yes, this truly is a superhighway, this will be great for new cyclists”. Boris simply said that of course his initial vision would not be possible due to the big range of stakeholders. However, he would like to see the blue tarmac all throughout London.

I also asked about the reductions in cycle lanes along certain points. He told me that of course there would be some problems at the start. What about the policing of the cycle superhighways? A lot of people on Twitter wanted to know what would be done to keep vehicles out of the lanes. He quoted the TfL research that suggests the visual nature of the lanes will be enough to help drivers recognise the sheer volume of cyclists passing through and thus they will stay out of the lane.

Our interview was cut short by a cyclist riding on the pavement. Boris approached him and shouted “why did we build the superhighways if you’re not going to use them?” I’m sure we could give him a number of reasons.

There are many questions still to ask – the congestion zone extension scrap, how fast the cycle hire scheme will be rolled out to wider London, prohibition of trucks at peak times and why London doesn’t have more bike boulevards.

They will have to wait for another time. However, there was one final question I wanted to ask. I managed to grab Kulveen Ranger, the Mayors Transport Advisor, who is pro-cycling. I asked him if he’d heard of the idea before of privatising car parking in-order to capture the true cost of parking. It was an interesting idea I’ve not heard before suggested to me by Paul Battley. It caught Kulveen unaware and he wasn’t able to answer. This is definitely an idea worth exploring more and I’ll see if I can chase him up on it.

Whilst I didn’t get to ask Boris all the questions I wanted, especially “who does your hair?”, it was an interesting launch and its good to see the first stage of one of the big cycling projects finally delivered. Now on to the Cycle Hire Scheme.

Thanks to my fellow cycling blogger Rob Ainsley for the picture. Also make sure you read his take on the launch.

See also:

• Cycle hire application for your iPhone
• Are people for or against the cycle hire scheme?
• Is there anything super about the cycle superhighways?
• Two visions for the cycle superhighways

Alongside with today’s Cycle Superhighway launch Boris also pointed out to everyone that from the 23 of July you’ll be able to register for membership of the cycle hire scheme from: www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire

The bad news is that unless you register you won’t be able to use the bikes for another month. The reason given is that “This will enable TfL and its contractor, Serco, to understand and learn from how pioneer members engage with the scheme, including patterns of bicycle usage.”

In order to use the scheme when it launches on the 30th of July, you’ll have to have a Cycle Hire Key and it will need to be activated.

TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, David Brown said: “Barclays Cycle Hire will revolutionise how we get around central London.  Building on the experience of other cities who have launched similar schemes, we and Serco will use the first month of operation to learn more about how Londoners engage with the scheme, including patterns of use, how we can best support customers and to enable the scheme to bed down."

A membership key costs £3 with membership costs at £1 for a 24 hour membership, £5 for seven days and £45 for an annual membership.  The first 30 minutes of any journey will be free.

This is a delay for the scheme and will mean a lot of people that have eagerly been waiting to try it out will have to wait another month. It’s not very impressive to hear about this now and it’s also a bit of a strange reason that has been given.

When I asked about the best accessory people have bought in the past 12 months Trevor mentioned a blog post he had written about some new upgrades to his bike. His post was exactly what I was hoping to hear about when I asked the question. At a cheap cost of around £30 he achieved extra speed and enjoyment – even better he made all the little upgrades himself. As I liked the post so much I asked Trevor if I could re-post it on London Cyclist and he said yes. Here it is..

Everyone I spoke to about it told me that changing my tyres would make a huge difference to the efficiency of my bike. It made sense, but how could I be sure until I tried it for myself?

And so when I rode to work this morning on my transformed bike I was interested to see just how it felt. Okay, so it’s not exactly a representative training ride, as I was only on the road for seven and a half minutes, but boy what a difference. It just feels so much better:  smoother, swifter, swooshier. (Swooshier? Is that a word?) I notched up an average speed of 14.2 mph without really putting any effort at all. Now that may not be my best average, but the difference in feel is well worth it even if I find that it doesn’t translate to an increased speed.  Seriously, if you have a mountain bike but only ever ride it on the road, you’ll do yourself a huge favour by ditching the knobbly tyres.

I’m also feeling pretty chuffed that I did all the work myself. I fitted a pair of Continental City Contact tyres:

[Ed: Just £16 each]

And a set of mudguards. Not just silly clip-on mountain bike jobs, either, but a proper set of full mudguards. These ones, to be precise:

And managed to adjust my gears so they’re not slipping like they were before, which feels like a real achievement for me. I’m not especially mechanically minded, and I don’t like getting my hands greasy, but the thought of paying someone else to do this work was just a bit too much and so I pulled my sleeves up, got my hands greasy, and jolly well did it myself.

And I must mention Chain Reaction Cycles, the site where I bought the tyres and mudguards, whose service was second to none, prices excellent, and free delivery. Top marks.

See also:

• What is the best cycling accessory you’ve bought in the past 12 months?
• Barclays cycle hire arrives on the Android
• DHB Amberley cycling jacket – can you get a good cycling jacket for £50?
• Bike lock guide

Technorati Tags: tyre,bike,bicycle,accessories del.icio.us Tags: tyre,bike,bicycle,accessories

There’s a lot of tempting goodies out there for cyclists. However, only a few are a worthy addition. Perhaps for you buying an expensive Cycloc revolutionised storing your bike at home or perhaps a great bike computer has encouraged you to go cycling more often.

Whilst I’m very thankful for my iPhone bike mount because it helped me find my way before I knew London more like the back of my hand it can’t win because it was more than 12 months ago. Recently acquiring a Topeak Joe Blow pump has made a huge difference. I’ve always favoured a hand pump to save space but reaching the required pressure in the tyre was a very tough task. It meant I was frequently riding around on a tyre not at at the recommended pressure which was slowing me down and causing more punctures. Whilst the pump takes up a lot of space it is definitely a great purchase and one I should have made ages ago.

If you think about the cycling accessories for your bike you’ve bought in the past 12 months is there one (cheap or expensive) that stands out for you? Share in the comments below and it may be useful for others.

Update with some suggestions from my Twitterers:

danceralamode My portable pump with hose…Morph…finally stopped ripping presta valves on the go…

DWAkin I love my Halo II headband under my helmet. Keeps most of the sweat out of my eyes.

joeharling Chrome Corsair messenger bag. #beautiful

See also:

• 3 new initiatives that make cycling in London safe – will they work?
• Who are the least courteous drivers in London?
• Would you like a fine or a safety course for jumping that red light?
• What’s in your bike bag?

If you own an Android phone and think your going to give the cycle hire scheme a try then you’ll be glad to hear an App has been developed. It is called London Cycle Hire and can be downloaded from Android Zoom for just 50p.

The app helps you find the nearest cycle hire station. It also integrates a clever little timer to keep track of how long you have been using the hire bike so you don’t go over your free 30 minutes.

See also:

• Cycle hire application for your iPhone
• Are people for or against the cycle hire scheme?
• The lessons London can learn from the Velo’V scheme
• 10 reasons you’ll love the London Cyclist newsletter

London Cyclist has finally reached over 1000 subscribers (With still 11 days to go before the deadline!). That’s fantastic news and if you haven’t joined yet then here’s 10 reasons I think you’ll love it:

1. Exclusive tips

Every couple of weeks I send out a new exclusive tip not available on the blog. This can help save you money, get more enjoyment out of your cycling or solve a frustration you have!

2. Weekly roundups

Never miss out on an interesting post or tweet on London Cyclist or on other cycling blogs. The weekly roundups that go out on Friday are a quick and easy summary that allow you to stay on top of cycling in London.

3. Exclusive competitions and offers

Newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about a free giveaway and often the only ones to hear about it! Vouchers and great cycling gear are up for grabs. I also keep my eye out for great offers that I think will be of interest.

4. Free guides for you

Get my free eBook which shows you the maintenance you should be aware of on your bike to be sure it lasts for longer and doesn’t cause you a problem. Also, receive 3 free great cycling routes through London.

2. Be the first to know

As a newsletter subscriber you’re the first to hear about unmissable events, news or free eBooks and competitions you might want to enter.

6. No messing around with spam or overloading you with emails

I know your busy and I know you hate spam. I’m the same! Therefore, on most weeks you will not receive more than 2 emails from me and of course your email address is kept completely private.

7. You are my first class passenger!

I treat my newsletter subscribers like they are in the BA executive lounge! Therefore, I’m always making sure I’m only sending interesting and relevant content that will be useful to them.

8. You can unsubscribe at any time

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Final update: What an incredible day. Today I got interviewed by BBC London, I met Boris Johnson and we also signed up 65 new people. The total now stands at 1050. Incredible, thanks everyone for joining and for anyone who hasn’t joined yet then get on it! Plenty of great content on the way..

Last month residents of Lyon in France celebrated 5 years of their cycle hire scheme by cycling up to the mountain that overlooks the city. The hire bikes have become a part of every day life and are considered to be a big success. In London, on the 30th of July, our Cycle Hire Scheme will launch. There are a lot of similarities between the two which are both based on the Bixi design. The benefit we have is that we can learn from the experiences of older schemes. Here are some of the lessons picked up so far and a look at the lessons we have perhaps ignored.

Design of the Barclays Cycle Hire Bikes

In Lyon as well as in Paris each cycle hire bike comes with a bike lock. This is a flimsy lock that can easily be cut by a bike thief. The result is a high number of thefts. In London the bikes will not include a bike lock. Instead, TfL want to encourage people to return the bike to a nearby cycle hire dock. This not only keeps the bike safe but it also means a higher availability of bikes for use.

Design of the Hire Docks

In Lyon docking a bike is a two step process. The second part is when the bike is locked. This means a number of people push the bike into the dock thinking they are done and leave. A thief would then easily come along and simply pull the bike out. In London things have been redesigned to be much simpler. It will be a one step process of pushing in the bike.

Additionally the design in London has been revised so it is far more difficult to pry the bike out of its docking station. Again this is one of the reasons so many bikes were initially stolen in similar schemes.

An increase in accidents

The introduction of the Velo’V cycle hire scheme did result in an increase of 6% in cycle accidents. However, luckily these were none serious and none fatal. This is a positive sign but Lyon and London are of course two different cities. The traffic in London is more intense and so is the size of the city. The worry therefore, is that the introduction of the scheme will result in headlines about cyclists hit on a hire bike. There have been some efforts made to introduce additional safety and training for cyclists. TfL run a subsidised cycle training program in all the London boroughs. There are various other safety initiatives being trialled.

Making the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme a success

Velo’V in Lyon is a success story of shifting the transportation mode from cars to bicycles. Initiatives such as less car parking and lower speed limits have all helped this change in attitude towards bikes. In London there are worrying signs of not wishing to compromise the experience of motorists to aid the progress of cycling and other methods of transport. The scrapping of the extension to the Congestion Charging zone is one of the most worrying signs.

Walking around Lyon and using the cycle hire bikes you get a sense of the positive impact the scheme has had on the city. There is less congestion, less noise pollution and it is a much more welcoming place to walk around. The scheme has been so successful that it was quickly rolled out to a much wider area.

London may be heading in the right direction but simply introducing the bikes is not enough to really boost cycling in the capital.

See also:

• Test riding the new cycle hire bike
• Barclays announced as the sponsor
• Where is your nearest cycle hire stand?
• What everyone thinks about the new London Cycle Hire Scheme

Lately London Cycle Cafes have been getting a lot of exposure. Whether that be the Evening Standard, Time Magazine, Timeout, Bike Hugger or the Financial Times. Therefore, I thought now may be a good time to actually take a better look at some of them.

Look Mum No Hands Cycle Cafe

Where? 49 Old Street, EC1V 9HX www.lookmumnohands.com

Quickly becoming London’s most popular meeting point for cyclists this great cafe provides a workshop where you can work on your bike yourself or hand it over to a mechanic, delicious meals and a great place to relax with a coffee. Closes at 10pm.

MiCycle

Where? 47 Barnsbury Street, N1 1TP www.micycle.org.uk

MiCycle is a very recent addition to London and it provides far more than a bike shop. It is also a place to borrow tools to work on your bike, grab a coffee and take part in cycling classes.

CycleLab Juice Bar

Where? 18A Pitfield Street, N1 6EY www.cyclelab.co.uk

London Cycle Chic recently highly recommended the service she had on her bike at CycleLab. The juice bar is a great addition.

Ralpha Cycle Club

Where? 146 Clerkenwell Road, EC1 5DG www.rapha.cc/london

Only open until the 31st of July the Ralpha Cycle Club provides a gallery, shop and cafe.

Lock 7 Cycle Cafe

Where? 129 Pritchards Road, E2 9AP

Perhaps London’s oldest “cycle cafe” Lock 7 provides everything you would expect from a cycle cafe. It is a great place to get your bike tuned up, find a second hand bike and rent a bike or a tandem.

FullCity Cycle Cafe

Where? 72 Leather Lane, E1

Petite cycle cafe and workshop down Leather Lane. Serves up £1 cups of Monmouth coffee!

See also:

• Foodnetwork.co.uk takes a thorough look at London cycle cafes
• 10 London Cycling Events you shouldn’t miss
• Hackney bicycle film society
• Why I love my local bike shop

You know when you have one of those great ideas and you think “I can’t believe no one has thought of that”. A few months ago I was thinking about how annoying it is that so many stolen bikes get sold on eBay and Gumtree. What someone should do is create a bike auction website that connects genuine sellers with buyers. That would be perfect – thieves can’t sell bikes and people have a good, cheap, reliable place to buy a second hand bike. Excited I searched the internet and came across a holding page for goingoingbike.com – someone had beat me to the punch! The site is launching next week on the 13th for sellers and 20th for full trading.

It will allow people to sell bikes and spare parts. To prevent stolen bikes appearing on the site there will be a requirement to upload the frame number. Uploaded frame numbers can then be checked against the BikeRevolution database to be sure they are not stolen.

It will work much like eBay with GoingGoingBike keeping 5% of the sale price of each bike (up to a maximum of £40).

You can keep up with GoingGoingBike.com as they launch on Twitter and Facebook – give them plenty of support, we need a great site like this!

See also:

• How much should you pay for a repair in a London bike shop?
• Recommend a cycling route for others
• Guns, burglary and cycling on the pavement
• Cycling magazines

Whilst I’m a strong believer in cycle training as a solution to London’s high cyclist accident rate it is important that the problem is tackled from many angles. Here are three of TfL’s new cycle safety initiatives. Take a look and let me know what you think of them.

Trixi Mirrors

These mirrors are being installed around key junctions in London. They have a dual purpose. They allow HGV drivers to see more of their road users around them thus spotting cyclists parked up next to the vehicle. They also remind drivers to check their mirrors frequently as there are an increased number of cyclists on London roads.

HGV warning sounds

When a HGV is taking a left turn a warning sound is played so that cyclists know to use extra caution and not try to undertake. There is also a sound played inside the HGV when a cyclist is in a dangerous position. This is being installed in some of the HGVs that operate around London.

TfL “All of these bikes are in the driver’s blind spot” poster advertising campaign

The traditional marketing route is also being taken. The criticism of the poster has mainly been at the lack of a cycle lane being included. This is because people frequently think cycle lanes can actually cause more accidents as they encourage cyclists to be on the left of vehicles which is a danger zone. Especially at junctions. However, a lot of people have praised its clear message and striking image.

What do you think of these safety initiatives?

See also:

• Bike Doctor App for your iPhone
• What would you do at this junction?
• Is there anything super about the cycle superhighways?
• 7 mistakes cyclists make that put them in danger

Cycling over to meet Nigel Hardy, the project manager for the cycle superhighways, I had one question running through my mind. “Why didn’t they just call it blue lanes and avoid all the hassle and criticism they’ve drawn?” Soon this question along with another barrage of questions from London Cyclist readers would be answered.

My test ride with TfL would finally put to rest which of the two visions would become a daily reality for 1000s of London Cyclists. Would it truly be continuous lanes that provide a safe and direct route into the capital. Or would it be more of a marketing gimmick, a glorified cycle lane that is a missed opportunity for real progress.

The first two of the cycle superhighways are on track for their completion date of the 19th of July. After this we will see an incremental increase in cycle lanes with two more superhighways being added every year. These two cycle superhighway routes are pilot routes and while a lot of criticism has been coming in it’s important to note that up until the 19th of July they are still not officially finished. In fact the final thing we will see is the signage being added and the last road markings going in on busy junctions.

Smurf lanes

The main criticism of the cycle superhighways is also the most obvious: “It’s just a lick of blue paint”. This is justified as large parts of the first two routes already existed as the more traditional green cycle lanes. However, TfL were keen to stress that a lot has gone into it that we don’t see. For example, the road surface has been re-done in many areas that were suffering from potholes. There’s also been a lot of behind the scenes engineering work, planning and testing. The blue paint has been running through light box tests where they run a tyre over it many times to test it doesn’t fade. A couple of previous revisions of the paint used have been scrapped as they were found to fade far too easily.

There are three types of road surface in use for the superhighways. The surface you will see near the junctions is high-friction to prevent accidents. I raised the reports that have been coming in of slippery road surfaces. TfL told me that they’ve run extensive tests and not found the paint used to be slippery.

Talking to Nigel Hardy I was also very keen to raise the point of “why the blue?” and “why call it a superhighway?”

Branding was the short answer. Perhaps fears of a “marketing gimmick” were coming true. The hope with the branding is to make drivers aware that high volumes of cyclists will be travelling along this route. It also makes it easier for cyclists to follow the route and know where it is leading them.

Why not segregate?

Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Rio De Janeiro, Barcelona. All places I’ve seen segregated cycling infrastructure work well. It’s one of the main things cyclists request to feel safer. A small barrier between drivers and cyclists would surely make this more of a cycle “super” highway.

Segregation however, is not something that is being considered for the cycle superhighways. TfL said the routes are simply not being used frequently enough to warrant separation of traffic. It is only during peak hours that you will see many cyclists in the lanes. TfL claim that segregating the lanes would create many problems for loading vehicles. They also claim that cyclists don’t want to be treated differently to other vehicles.

TfL are more keen to address the problem of motorists in cycle lanes through police enforcement, branding and working with companies to ensure their drivers are not blocking the lanes during peak hours. The experience of cyclists will tell if this approach will have the desired effect.

Direct and continuous cycle superhighways

Cyclists have also been raising concern about how continuous the cycle lanes are. Around 80% of the route is covered by the blue lanes. The other 20% involves blue boxes with CS markings in them and crossings at junctions. The break in the continuity is meant to inform cyclists that they need to pay extra attention. It is used when a continues blue lane was deemed inappropriate.

A super experience

Riding the superhighway side-by-side with Nigel Hardy, which is barely possible along much of the route as the lanes are often just 1.5 metres wide, I wondered what he thought beginner cyclists would think of the experience.

As we stood at the final junction of our tour with Nigel pointing in various directions and explaining to me what cyclists need to do to pass this complicated junction I thought it was the right time to ask the question.

His response is perhaps the ultimate conclusion to the cycle superhighways. Without training he wouldn’t expect them to feel very happy riding along this busy A-road even with the superhighways in place.

A cycle superhighway should surely be designed to give beginners that confidence they need to tackle London’s roads. It should be a pleasure to ride along without any fear. This was my experience of the equivalent of superhighways in other countries and unfortunately it was not the same in London.

In the end the superhighways are a compromise. On one side you have organisations such as the LCC and bicycle activists calling for more to be done. On the other you have motorists. TfL and the Mayor have to try to decide how the two sides can work together. There has been a lot of obstacles to overcome in order to complete the first two routes. Whilst it remains hard to discover the “super” in the cycle superhighways they are a positive step forward in the vision to make London a cyclist friendly city.

See also:

• Two visions for the cycle superhighways
• What cyclists think of the cycle superhighways
• Barclays Cycle Hire
• What the 12 cycle superhighways will mean for London Cyclists

Everyone knows about strong D-locks such as the Kryptonite New York Standard, flexible chain and cable locks such as the Abus Granit Steel O Flex but folding locks? Until Abus emailed me about reviewing one, I’d never heard of them. My curiosity was firmly rattled so I happily said yes to send me one over.

A couple of weeks ago I got a knock on the door, signed the parcel and opened it up. What I saw inside shocked me. I didn’t know if someone had by mistake sent me Rambo’s knife or a bike lock. I mean, look at this thing!

Once the initial shock was over I thought about the two most important factors with a bike lock. Price and safety.

Before I tell you the price can I just check you’re sitting down. Okay, good. The price of this bike lock (The Abus Bordo Granit XPlus 85 CM Folding Bike Lock) is… £100. Yep.

The reason for this high price tag may be why it’s not carried in a lot of the mainstream bike shops (I couldn’t find it on Evans Cycles, Wiggle or Amazon). In comparison the Kryptonite and the Steel O Flex each cost around £55.

The second most important factor is safety. This comes with the maximum rating of 15 from the Abus team. It also has a Sold Secure rating of Silver. Therefore, it ranks mid-to-high in terms of security. In comparison both the Kryptonite and Steel O Flex both have the highest rank of Gold.

While other folding rivet style locks by Abus around the £50 mark have been known to be possible to break through in under a minute this one doesn’t mess around with your bikes security. In tests it was proven very difficult to break into this lock without the use of some seriously heavy machinery. Therefore, the Abus Bordo Granit Xplus can be used as your main lock.

The main benefit from this lock comes from the portability. It can fold down into a small size. The carrying case is also easy to attach to any bike frame with its Velcro straps. However, don’t expect it to be lighter than the other locks. It weighs roughly the same as the Kryptonite if not slightly more.

Another disappointment with the lock was also the fairly limited radius it covers. This was only slightly wider than a typical D-lock. In tests I also found it a little fiddly to use. By the time you had folded it out, messed around with the key and struggled to lock your bike you find yourself wishing you’d just brought your £50 cheaper D-lock with you.

Overall this is the first ever product by Abus I haven’t been too impressed with. The only person I can see that would find it useful is someone who is very keen on their portability and doesn’t want to carry their bike lock in a bag or around their waist.

eTredz carry the lock for £89.99

See also:

• Abus Granit Steel O Flex review
• Kryptonite New York Standard review
• Best bike lock
• Safe locking tips