Waiting at the lights.

Commuting by bike is fairly popular in Oxford, despite some difficult roads / junctions to negotiate. Cyclists are a fairly widespread cross section of the population, though probably most popular with students. Students often find it very difficult to have a car in Oxford. Also many of the university buildings are accessible from car restricted areas. The difficulty of driving is definitely the biggest factor in encouraging such a bike uptake of cycling.

Waiting at lights

It just shows that you need some fairly drastic measures to get a real increase in cycling – either car free areas, restrictions on parking or higher taxes on driving.

This report shows the difficulty of getting people to commute / travel by bike. You can’t just paint a few cycle lanes and hope for the best.

Figures by the Department for Transport  show:

• The number of vehicles licensed in Britain rose from 7.8 million in 1959 to 28.3m in 1999, to 34.2m by the end of 2008.
• The number of kilometres travelled by bike was 14 billion in 1959. This had fallen to 4bn in 1999 and is still at about that figure.
• During this period the relative cost of motoring has fallen compared to other modes of transport.
• Yet, Holland show that you can buck the trend and encourage more cycling in the era of the motor car

On Broad Street

Bikes November

Reflective Gear

Low Sun

Related

• Oxford Cycling Photos
• Bikes for Commuting
• BEst Commuting bike under £500
• Tips for Commuting by Bike

But cycling has its very own history of shell suit fashion, corsets and marmite ice cream. These are some things in the world of cycling that seemed like a good idea at the time.

The All over Skin Suit.

In the 1970s, these all over skin suits were all the rage in the timetrialling community. Apparently, dressing up in this figure hugging lycra piece is 0.1sec more aerodynamic over 25 miles. Well, it is quicker if you don’t get put off by all the bemused bystanders sniggering at why you are riding a bike dressed in something akin to giant condom with a hole in it.

Not Drinking water.

For many years, the top training tip of the European continental pros was, wait for it – not to drink any water. Only an amateur would resort to drinking water. A really good training ride was when you could make yourself faint with dehydration and spend 48 hours without having to visit the bathroom. Even organisers of races made it difficult for riders to pick up water. Water was only allowed and considered helpful if it was mixed with a certain percentage of performance enhancing substances such as amphetamines, alcohol and beta blockers. If water had drugs in then the organisers didn’t mind so much. But, plain water – well that was just downright plain cheating.

Eating that raw steak

As late as the 1980s, the conventional wisdom for pro cyclists was that there was no better food for cyclists than eating a raw steak before a short 300km race. Apparently, raw steak was the perfect food for racing.

Using a piece of steak to prevent saddle sore.

Apparently a popular cure for saddle sore was to place a raw piece of steak in your cycling shorts – it provides a natural seat. Though whether this piece of steak was then eaten for the next days breakfast is a matter procyclists seemed somewhat reluctant to disclose.

The bike with Square wheels.

Credit: Stan Wagon
I think this must have been thought up on a late night after quite a few beers. But, it’s one thing to think up a crazy idea, it’s quite another to actually put it into practise. Of course, after creating this bike with square wheels, the inventors soon discovered the great problem it has – You just try getting a square inner tube – nowhere stocks it!
Though to be fair, if you come across a road with equal sized bumps, this bike works just fine, apparently.

Iron Seat Warmer

OK, I’m the first to admit than when it’s just above freezing, the idea of a heated seat could seem like a good idea. But, I can’t help but think this iron is like taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut, so to speak.

The Bike Caravan

What better way to see the country than cycle around with your own bed on the back? Erm B&B anyone?

Drugs

Somewhere in the history of procycling someone must have thought, why don’t we all spend 30% of our income on buying drugs so that we can put our lives on the line for a bit of added excitement? Of course, this drug culture was justified on the grounds that it didn’t change the results in anyway. Since everyone was taking drugs, it just meant they could ride events doped up to the eyeballs and take away that sensation of sitting on a piece of raw steak and the interminable dehydration of trying to ride 200km with a single glass of water.

If it takes 10 pills to kill us we’ll take 9 pills.

As the late Tom Simpson used to say, if 10 pills kill me, then I’ll take 9. Unfortunately, many cyclists got this calculation wrong and since they were so drugged up with all the LSD they were taking it meant they saw double and couldn’t count properly.

The Penny Farthing.

OK, the penny farthing looks pretty cool. When a penny farthing goes past you think that looks great. But, how many penny farthings do you see negotiating the streets of London? Cycling is dangerous enough without lifting yourself three feet of the ground so when you fall off a grazed elbow becomes a broken wrist.

Related

• Unusual Uses for the Bike
• 10 Irritating types of cyclists

Wrapped Up against Autumn cold.

Waiting at Lights (well most do, but, there's often one who will ride on pavement and go through red lights, which is quite dangerous at this junction)

Taking it easy

It's busy at these Lights, cyclists waiting

There’s a nice uphill after the lights. So if you sit at the back, you can then show off as you cycle past them all on the incline.

Cyclists in London

I was in London last weekend, going to help count runners at a 24 Hour Race, Tooting Bec. I got a couple of shots in Fulham on the way there.

London. Cycling in Bus Lane

It’s busy cycling in London.

more cycling photos

- It’s good to have time to  stop and admire scenary. I took this photo with a simple point and shoot Panasonic, and was pleased at how well it came out.

After spending past couple of months throwing myself up steep hills almost to the point of passing out, it has been nice to take a break from interval training and get back to a more traditional form of cycling – cycling for the pleasure of it. This autumn has been particularly good, with the autumn colour lasting for a few weeks.

Yesterday I rode 70 miles to Shipton Under Wychwood on the border of the Cotswolds. It’s the longest distance I’ve ridden for quite a while. The end of the season has given me one of the biggest mileages this year, as I don’t have to worry about having too many miles in the legs for the next race.

near Charlbury

Readers Question: I have to ride on a trainer in my shed in the winter because of my chest. any suggestions for style etc.

I’m not a great fan of training inside on a static turbo trainer. I rarely use it, even though it does have some advantages.

• dry
• warm
• safe from cars and other road users
• protects bike from winter salt
• More protected from bad weather colds e.t.c

I think if circumstances mean you have to train inside, the most useful things to know are:

• Try and enjoy it. We tend to look upon static cycling as boring. If you get bored after 15 mins, you are going to struggle to do any proper training. Try music, getting a TV / DVD to help pass the time. Try stick to a training programme, rather than just stopping when you’ve had enough.
• Be Comfortable. It is easy to overheat on a turbo trainer. A fan is essential, even if it is very cold. Make sure there is a good draft in your face to keep cool. There should be enough air to justify wearing one wicking layer. It is not good to be so hot you ride naked. The problem is you can catch cold, cooling down very quickly.
• Replicate Riding Position on Turbo. It is very important that your bike set up is the same on the turbo as it is on the road. The easiest thing is just to use your same road bike. However, you will want to make this modifications.
  • If you do alot of training, choose a special tyre for a turbo. Like this Continental turbo training tyre. This special tyre will also help keep turbo quieter – good for your neighbours and good if your trying to listen to music
  • Make sure bike frame is protected from corrosive sweat
  • Put front wheel on a brick to lift up the bike
• Cadence. It is great if you have a speedometer fixed to back wheel. This will typically give you cadence as well. Again you want to be replicating the same kind of cadence you would be using on the road. The winter may be a good time to increase your cadence. If you are used to pedalling at 70rpm, try increasing this to 80 or 90rpm. It will be useful, especially for longer rides.

Related

• Tips for winter training
• Turbo Trainers at Evans Cycles

The Climb out of Burnsall. Taken during a recent ride through the Yorkshire Dales.

It’s the end of the season, but, I don’t feel much fatigue from cycling. Many riders have  break from the bike at this time of they year – perhaps 2 or 3 weeks. It is argued that a break from the bike can be a great way to recover before the next year.

I think it really depends on how you feel. Last month was an intense month in terms of interval training, but, very mild in terms of miles. This is probably why I don’t feel tired. If I was a professional training and racing in 250km races I probably would be welcoming a winter break. But, since I don’t feel any psychological need to have a break, I will be riding whenever the weather is decent for riding. The good thing about not having a break is that:

• You don’t lose fitness and have to claw it back in January and February.
• If you have no break, you don’t feel bad if you need to take a week off due to illness / bad weather.
• Often when you take three weeks off, when you’re due to restart training, there is something that prevents you for another two weeks, and before you know it 2 months have passed and you’ve hardly touched a pedal in anger.

My philosophy for the winter will be to get some good miles in. I get bored spinning pedals at 15mph, so I still like to train relatively fast. I won’t be doing any interval training until February, though if there’s a steep hill I won’t feel obliged to hold back into some target heart rate zone.

It’s also quite nice to be able to go cycling with time to enjoy the autumn scenery and not just throw yourself up steep hills!

Related

• Winter Cycling Training

Spiderman on a Bike

Just in case you need evidence that Super heroes use bicycles.

A short piece from the BBC reported the outcome of  a UK public accounts committee. It seemed to find three things.

1) Roads are dangerous places -
2) Pedestrians and cyclists are particularly vulnerable road users because they don’t have the protection of a metal box.

It said pedestrians and cyclists were particularly vulnerable – largely because they had little physical protection from crashes. In 2007 more than 30,000 pedestrians and 16,000 cyclists were injured, while 646 and 136 respectively were killed on Britain’s roads.

Well so far the report is hardly breaking new ground. I hope they didn’t claim a raft of expenses to highlight these previously unbeknown revelations of transport policy.

3) The report recommended cracking down on people riding bikes on the pavement.

Well, generally I have no objection to this. As a cyclist, I want to ride on the road – not the pavement. Sometimes I see people cycling on pavements in a reckless way and it is a real nuisance. It can also occasionally cause serious accidents and is a frequent source of minor annoyance.

But, as bad as cycling on pavements is, it is hardly the cause of 3,000 road deaths a year. Maybe the report made other recommendations not reported by the press, but, a policy of issuing fines to pavement cyclists is not really going to do anything to tackle the fact road accidents are one of the biggest killers of young people.

That doesn’t mean, we shouldn’t try to stop anti social behaviour like cycling on pavements, but it has to be given the appropriate priority. As well, what about cracking down on car users who pass too close to pedestrians, jump red lights, ride on the wrong side of the road, break speed limits, drive under the influence / too tired / with mobile phone e.t.c?

I  feel cycling on the pavement is a very visible example of bad road use. When motorists drive on the verge of sleep, pass too close / without due care and attention it is actually hard to spot it, which is perhaps why MP have highlighted a more visible and easy target of cyclists on pavements.

Also, whilst I strongly support pedestrians who want to have pavements without rampaging cyclists. I hope, that any implementation of the law would follow a policy common sense. If a cyclist is going a few metres to get from one road to another / avoid a very busy junction / cycling at walking pace less than 5mph, this is a very different case to cycling at a very fast pace expecting old ladies to jump out of the way. People will say the law is the law, but, these will be the same people who routinely break the speed limit. If someone does 80mph on the motorway, they would hardly expect to get a speeding ticket, even though they are technically breaking the law.

Like all things, it requires a degree of common sense. Fine those reckless cyclists, but don’t issue a ticket to every 6 year old child learning to ride a bike who might happen to use a pavement because the roads are too dangerous.

Richard Devereux, the top civil servant at the Department for Transport, made a well balanced quote:

“There are, without doubt, some elements of the cycling community who are in that position and there are equally, I imagine, rather more people who are far more dangerous drivers as well,” he said.

At the top of the hill – Dave Clarke left, Dan Fleeman right

It was the last race of the season at the weekend. A three – four minute climb on Pea Royd Lane, Stocksbridge. The hill was pretty steep all the way up, with a nasty turn half way up. Like all National Championships it was a good event, well organised by Thurcroft CC. The road is closed to traffic and there were quite a few spectators on the 0.65 mile hill. It’s the kind of hill that really makes you suffer by the time you get to the top.

On Last Hair Pin - Photo by Techno

I finished 12th,10 seconds off 3rd place but 32 seconds off the winner, Dan Fleeman. Dan rides for Cervelo, a top European road team. His time for that hill is amazing.

1  Dan Fleeman Cervelo Test Team 03:17.8
2   Matt Clinton MikeVaughan.co.uk 03:31.6
3   Jim Henderson Southport CC 03:39.4
4   Michael Smith Team Milton Keynes 03:39.9
5  Adam Pinder Blackburn & District CTC 03:43.1
6  David Clarke Pendragon Kalas RT 03:43.4
7  David Griffiths Paramount CRT 03:44.0
8  Charles Taylor South Pennine RC 03:46.0
9  Robert Gough Chippenham & District Wheelers 03:47.4
10  Mike Cuming Raleigh Avanti 03:47.5
11  Chris Myhill Peak RC 03:48.1
12  Tejvan Pettinger Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team 03:49.6

Full Results at CTT

Below is a video of event

Me warming up at the start.

A spectator, enjoying the racing.

At the top, all riders got a free bottle of water from the Co-op. At the sign on we got a free mug, so if that isn’t incentive to have a go next year, I don’t know what is.

Firstly, doping is prohibited. There is a long list of prohibited substances athletes can’t use. Using better equipment (within UCI rules) is legal. Doping is cheating, using better equipment isn’t.

But, another question my boss at work often likes to wind me up with is  ‘I don’t know why cycling doesn’t just allow drugs so there’s a level a playing field. He says it half in jest but half in seriousness. But, whilst he laughs it off, it is no laughing matter for all the athletes who died prematurely from drug misuse.

Firstly riders can be racing upto 150 days a year. To legalise drugs would mean athletes taking considerable quantity of drugs.

1. Drugs Damages Mental Health.

There is no doubt in my mind that prolonged drug use, damages mental health. Marco Pantani, Jose Maria Jimenez are high profile cyclists who slipped into a drug related depression. In Paul Kimmage’s book he points to many of his former racers who suffered from prolonged amphetamine use.

2. Drugs damage Physical Health.

In the height of the EPO craze, cyclists were taking so much EPO they were ending up with ridiculous heamocrit levels of 60% and more. Their blood was so thick that they had to set their alarm for 3am in the morning. It was necessary to stretch in the middle of the night otherwise they risked never waking up because their blood was so thick. Some people will say legalise drugs, if they are safe. But, the safety or danger of drugs may not be apparent until it is too late. Often the effect of drug taking is cumulative meaning the athlete’s health is at risk after his career is over and people have forgotten about him / her. Why risk lives for no point?

3. No Level Playing Field.

People argue legalising drugs would create a level playing field, but  it wouldn’t. People respond differently to drugs. For example, EPO has more effect on those with a naturally low hemocrit level. Also, it would mean the cyclists with the best doctors / pharmacists would win. All cyclists have access to excellent bike technology. The difference in bike technology between the top teams is all but insignificnat. But, not all cyclists would have access to the latest wonder drug.

5. Athletes need protecting from themselves.

In a study of Olympic athletes. A depressingly high % of athletes said they would take drugs that would guarantee them a gold medal even if it meant a risk dying after 5 years. Tom Simpson famously said “If it takes 10 [pills] to kill you, I’ll take 9.”  He probably thought he was making a joke, but it backfired disastrously as he collapsed on Mont Ventoux with alcohol in his blood and amphetamines in his back pocket.

When Richard Virenque was been tried in court after the Festina affair. He tried to claim the masseur Willy Voet gave him drugs without his knowledge. Willy Voet replied that if he had given Virenque all the drugs he wanted he would be dead by now.

There are many more reasons, but, put it simply would you want to join a sport where you had to risk your mental and physical health to have a chance of competing. If drugs were made legal in cycling, I would stop that same same day and take up clay pigeon shooting or something.

Athletes on drugs won’t make the spectacle any more interesting, if average speeds are 1mph higher what difference does it make to spectators?

• Cycling Doping scandals
• List of Cycling doping scandals at Wikipedia