Two Wheels Better

Winter Mountain Bike Jackets for the UK

2017-08-25T15:36:00.002+01:00

So every year I go out and buy a new winter MTB jacket and I never spend more than £50 and every year I find a new flaw in the jacket.

Either

The seams aren't watertight
The arms are too tight
It looks like an acid house reject
It rubs on the neck
Water drips down my back and soaks my ass

This year thanks to reading the guide from my mates at WideopenMag to the Best Mountain Bike Waterproof Jackets under £100 I am going to buy this bad boy from Altura.

It's called the Altura Mayhem and should cost more than £35. Anyone care to place a bet now on what is going to go wrong with this one. Surely my luck is about to change.

McC

Best Budget Mountian bike socks for the winter.

2017-02-10T14:07:00.000+00:00

I am getting a little tired of being massively overcharged for MTB gear. It's not that I can't afford new kit (although I can't) it's jsut that if you ad the word cycling in front of anything it seems to cost twice as much.

KINDA LIKE A WEDDING!!!!

I have decided to buck the trend and try to buy as much gear as I can for my bike from non cycling sources.

For example the best budget mountian bike socks that I own come from Mountain Warehouse. If you knwo of any other great deals then drop me a line #sharing is caring.

TWB

Electric mountain bikes - buyers guides

2016-05-31T14:20:00.001+01:00

So I am a man of a certain age, I am not so old that I can't happily ride my bike for hours on end but I am definitely not as fit as I once was.

I regularly get passed on the climbs of my local mountain bike trail by younger chaps, who are rocking all mountain bikes and enduro helmets, only to pass them tangled in the nettles and roots on the way down.

Don't get me wrong I am not quicker than them, it's just that I have fallen off enough times to know better than to go to quick downhill.

Imagine my surprise the other day when I was passed on the climb by someone easily 15 years my senior (I am 40 so you do the maths) and never seen him again on the way down.

How can this happen, well he was cheating as he was riding an e-mtb?

Obviously I am only joking as I don't see an electric mountain bike as cheating but I never thought they were any good going downhill.

Apparently I was wrong!!

So I am going to have a look at some e-mtb buyers guides and possibly even try and demo a few of them.

So keep your eyes peeled for more posts from me and possibly even watch out for me smoking you up the trail for a change you little enduro brats.

You may call them electric motor bikes but I call them a natural assist for my years of riding bikes with v-brakes and less than 100mm of travel on the front fork.

Eat my Watts!!!

Battle Mountain - A Graeme Obree Story

2016-04-06T15:58:00.001+01:00

We can't wait to head to the little cinema in Bath to see a screening of the documentary about Graeme Obree's tilt and the Human Powered Vehicle Land Speed Record in Battle Mountain.

If you are interested too then you can see the trailer here

If you have seen it already, PLEASE NO SPOILERS!!!

We are only joking, we know he doesn't beat the record....ooops! (or does he)

How to build your own mountain bike pump track

2016-02-16T19:59:00.001+00:00

It's the dream of every bike rider to have a garden big enough to have your own mountain bike trail in it...or at the very least a pump track.

Only problem is that once you actually have the land how to you build the pump track.

I found a pretty easy guide to building your own pump track but you will need to buy a mini digger and a lot of top soil.

If you actually manage to build one drop us a line and let us know what it looks like.

Star Wars EpVII and the Bicycle

2015-12-13T11:00:00.001+00:00

If you go out into the shops right now you are going to find it very difficult to find something that doesn't have a star wars logo or character painted on it (Thanks Disney).

Home Made Star Wars Chic..

Don't get us wrong, we (McC) loves Star Wars and he already has his ticket to go and see the movie but....do you have to brand everything.

There are some things however that benefit from a little Star Wars branding and when you combine cycling and star wars you have a match made in heaven.

If you want to see all of our favourite Cycling and Star Wars related products then you can find them here.

How do you make this stuff even more awesome, easy just add Lego.

Cycling + Lego + Star Wars = Awesome

Now why are you still reading this you should either be out riding your bicycle or in the cinema watching Star Wars.

Buying a cheap Mountain bike - how to

2015-12-11T06:35:00.000+00:00

We have tried to pull a few of the best articles we an find together here with advice for beginners who are looking to buy a cheap mountain bike. Most of this is quite UK focussed (sorry but that is where we live) however the principals are the same where ever you live.

If you don't know your hardtail from your full suspension bike and your 26er from your 650b then you need to read this guide.

First thing is first...budget.

If you are looking for a champagne bike on lemonade budgets you are going to get burned. Under £600 you want to stick to hardtail mountain bikes they are the foundation of mountain biking anyway.

So you have decided that hardtail is the way to go and you have a budget of under £500. Have a look at this guide to the best 2016 mountain bikes under £500.

If you are too lazy to read that then we have two bikes for you to look at. They are both stupidly cheap and both from retailers that most cyclists wouldn't touch with a barge pole.

We don't agree so here they are click on links under the pictures for more information;

Carrera Kraken

The Calibre Crag

Help the Bicycle Get a Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize

2015-12-11T06:15:00.002+00:00

Italian TV show caterpillar (see pic below) are pushing for the bicycle to be nominated for a nobel peace prize.

We found this on our parent site Two Wheels Better and like them we think it is a great campaign idea.

They list their reasons for nomination as (sorry its an auto translation);

The bicycle is an instrument of peace.
It’s the most democratic tool of transport for all mankind, it does not cause wars and pollution, it decreases car accidents.

If you want to be involved in the campaign (and why wouldn't you) then share this logo and use the hashtag #bikethenobel

Amazon Discount Cycling Gear trick

2015-03-19T14:22:00.002+00:00

When you think about cycling gear you don't normally think about Amazon. They sell books and DVD's and shit costumes for party's that you can't be bothered making your own for.

Well generally that's true but they are also a marketplace (like e-bay) where other retailers can list their stock and where you can find the odd bargain or six.

They wont have all the brand gear you want but they do have a wide range of basics and staples like, tyres, tubes, lights, base layers and waterproofs.

What we also found is that they often sell some of this stuff at a discount. So if you are looking for a bargain click here and bookmark this page.

Then scroll down till you see the icons below and let the bargain shopping commence.

Remember though to make sure you use your local bike shop for buying and servicing your bikes.

and never forget that....Two Wheels are Better.

What is so wrong with just going out for a ride?

2014-02-10T11:05:00.000+00:00

I spent a little bit of time at the gym this weekend and noticed that several rooms were full of parents watching their kids get involved in different sports from Taekwondo to Swimming and Indoor Football.
I think it's great that the parents are getting there kids involved in fitness and sport, it reminds me of an old (UK) TV show called "Why Don't You?"

It made me think though; this is Saturday morning...and whilst the kids were happy learning a new skill and getting some good exercise, the parents were swilling bad coffee and sweating away in a sports centre reception. Surely there must be more of an opportunity for families to get active together and have a great time.

Of course there is and whilst many of my friends with kids are telling me that they don't have time to get fit, I get the feeling they are missing the point....

So to these friends I issue a challenge...in the words of the TV theme tune to...

"Why don't you, switch off your television set go out and do something less boring instead!"

If you want a slightly more extreme solution then you could share the pic below with you friends but I refuse to smash my TV as then I would have nothing to watch Star Wars on (over and over again)

Best Ten Bicycle Meme's of the Month and Two Unicorn Bikes

2014-02-07T15:57:00.000+00:00

No I am not SEO grubbing...I was just looking for some interesting bicycle meme's to post on our facebook page and I happened to come across these beauties. They are not particularly pro or anti bike and they are not all great quality but they are all....interesting (or at the very least odd).

Oh and there are two unicorn bicycles at the end...

All that high viz and still no helmet...(tut, tut)

We know that a lot of modern bike are made in moulds and from carbon fibre but we still love the idea behind this one...

I've never seen my 100% as I tend to like to cruise along looking at the scenery but if you love pain, this one is for you...

On the odd occasion when I have given at least 90% this tends to happen to me...

This one is despicable...

This one should be prefixed with the words "Once they regain conciousness..."

Why would she, who told her, how did she...wtf!!!

Pretty accurate for the weather in the UK at the moment...

and finally just like we promised Two Unicorn Bikes....don't be a hater ;o)

Why Can't Bicycle Helmets Be More Interesting?

2014-01-21T11:33:00.000+00:00

I know that as I write this I am potentially wading into the minefield of the helmet vs no helmet debate. I have my own thoughts on this debate and they will remain as such, but if you are going to wear a helmet why can't they be a bit cooler, interesting and generally a bit more expressive of our personality as cyclists.

There are a bunch of funny kids helmets but as I searched the internet (and I do that a lot) it's really hard to find some genuinely interesting and cool bicycle helmets.

Below are some of the different helmets that I have found (none of which I think is that special) and some of which are there as gags;

This last one is a motorcycle helmet, but how cool would a full face Predator Downhill helmet be?

Star Wars and Bicycles a marriage made in heaven...

2014-01-20T13:54:00.000+00:00

Anyone who knows me or reads this page knows that I love three things -

My Wife and Family
Anything with two wheels
Star Wars

So the pics below ticks two of my favourite three things....enjoy.

Now if I could get my wife to pose for a pic next to my bike wearing Princess Leia's gold bikini, life would be perfect.

More Cycling Tattoo's

2014-01-20T13:40:00.002+00:00

Just a quick post today as after we posted our last batch of bicycle related tattoo's you guys sent us a bunch more.

So here they are in all of their glory below. The Good, The Bad and The.......

Bicycle Tattoo's Hot or Not?

2014-01-08T11:55:00.002+00:00

There are many things that can be considered as the badge of honour (honor if you are from the US) to the average cyclist; shaven legs, gravel rash, tan lines and a proclivity for lycra.

Most extreme amongst these is the bike tattoo. How much do you love cycling and would you ever get a tattoo declaring your love of cycling?

What do you think of the examples below, Hot or Not?

Would you get a bike Tramp Stamp?

Some Great Bicycle Propaganda and Promotions

2013-12-20T11:54:00.000+00:00

We have had so many images shared on our little Facebook page TwoWheelsBetter that we thought we would try and share some more of them on this blog. This particular post shows some of the best reasons to cycle and some of our favourite bicycle propaganda pics that we were sent in 2012. As soon as 2013 is over we will do another post so if your favourite pic isn't here then it might be in the next one.

I ride to put life in my days....who doesn't

Not everyone would agree but we are slowly hunting down those that don't and brainwashing them.

This one had never occurred to us as the TWB team are all blessed with superior posteriors but we can see why it might appeal to some.

This one is simply true on so many levels, unfortunately I only have one level but I am sure that you guys can appreciate it on more than one.

Occasionally Mad Boris (mayor of London) gets it right and even though he is crazier than a box of frogs we love his vision for a bike friendly London

Someone suggested to me that this one could be interpreted as being a bit dirty, but I am not sure exactly what they meant. I mean what could be more fun between your legs than a bike.

This has to be my (McC) personal favourite.

Too true, everything looks a little less rushed and a bit nicer from the saddle of a bike...don't you agree.

If you have any more pic then post a link in the comments below or simply send them to our Facebook page or by mail to twowheelsnowait@gmail.com

A ghost bike means a person died here

2013-12-18T15:25:00.001+00:00

Yesterday I was chatting to a friend on Facebook messenger (I know that isn't real chatting) and he happened to ask me "What these white bikes were all about. What was the point of painting a bike white and chaining to someones house?" I didn't realise that there were people who didn't know what this represented and what a Ghost bike was.

So according to wikipedia - A ghost bike, ghostcycle or WhiteCycle is a bicycle set up as a roadside memorial in a place where a cyclist has been killed or severely injured (usually by a motor vehicle).^[1]^[2] Apart from being a memorial, it is usually intended as a reminder to passing motorists to share the road. Ghost bikes are usually junk bicycles painted white, sometimes with a placard attached, and locked to a suitable object close to the scene of the accident.

In simple terms a ghost bike means a Person died here. The key word to use here is person as the word cyclist seems, to some people, to represent a petty annoyance on the road some thing that gets in their way and slows their commute home.

As long as some motorists think like this then more cyclists will die needlessly.

I applaud this movement and am quite sad that sites like http://ghostbikes.org/ are unable to keep an accurate record of all of the ghost bikes in the world. If you are aware of a resource that does do this then please comment below and I will update this post.

If you see a ghost bike please share the image with your family, friends and colleagues and remember that next time you see someone on a bike they are someones; friend, mother, sister, brother, teacher, father, cousin, grandparent, or carer.

If that still doesn't sink in then watch this video and then make a pledge.

Together we can make the roads a safer place for our children but first we need to realise that we are people...not cyclists and motorists.

Some bicycle stuff we thinks is cool and some early Martyn Ashton Videos...

2013-12-17T16:16:00.000+00:00

During our time running the Facebook group Two Wheels Better we have been sent loads of pics and links and videos and we don't always get the time to post them all. Also the algorythm on Facebook is designed to throttle back your exposure if people don't like your pics. This unfortunately means that some of our favourite pics and videos never get seen on the page so we have decided to start posting some of them on here again.

So this is our December round up of stuff that didn't quite make the Facebook page.

Before there was ever a Road Bike Party 2 or even a Road Bike Party, the two Martyn's along with a certain Mr Rob Warner starred in this bad boy....Chainspotting.

Here are some of the coolest bike related pics that we didn't manage to post on the page this month too;

It's internet gold a cat doing something comical on a bike +1000 cool points surely

What is wrong with this BMX, apart from the fact that it is very white and would be murder to keep clean

On the subject of keeping stuff clean...have you cleaned your bike recently

Finally we are getting really bored with all of the hate that goes on between Cyclists and Drivers so we are going to make it our mission to kill those drivers.......with KINDNESS (sneaky huh)

Keep sending us stuff on our Facebook page and we will keep posting it.

(McC)

Bicycle Pictures Free and for Everyone

2013-10-04T13:42:00.002+01:00

I feel bad that we have neglected our little blog for big old soulless Facebook. So below you can find some of the coolest biek pics we have posted.

I'll try to post a few more every few days.

Feel free to share them around.

Cool Bike Tee

Start Em Young

The family that rides together (Amsterdam)

We all have to start somewhere

Some great share the road messaging

We just liked this one

It's a parrot and a bike...what's not to like

Bike Utopia or a bike thief....you decide

Watch out cars, we are coming to get you

TWB

At last something related to Cycling that is FREE

2013-06-24T15:24:00.000+01:00

Today my friends at Cyclingnews have released a groovy little app for mobile and tablet devices that allows you to track (in real time) all the action from this years Tour de France.

What is so special about this app, it doesn't look mega pretty (I'm not a fan of purple) and it is largely a collection of bit's of content that you can find if you look hard enough elsewhere. So why am I enjoying it, well mainly because it's Free and every other sporting app I buy usually costs me an arm and a leg.

Also because it gathers all this content into one place I don't have to look elsewhere for it (I am very lazy). So I'll play with it this year and if they decide to get rid of the purple I may even use it for the Vuelta too.

You can find more details on the app here and if you are interested below is a pic of the riders I will be tracking in this years race.

Lance Armstrong - Nike Ad Parody

2012-10-12T11:11:00.000+01:00

We don't blog very often these days but this seemed worth getting back in the habit.

Cycling I-phone Apps

2012-09-13T10:20:00.001+01:00

Doesn't it just piss you off that there are so many I-phone apps for Cycling, which apps are the best I-phone and Android apps for cycling.

BikeRadar has an opinion - best-iphone-and-android-apps-for-cycling

Surely the question is when did cycling require a mobile phone?

Do we really need all this technology?

Motorised Unicycle - with a difference

2012-07-12T12:57:00.000+01:00

We know you love unicycles but at 2WB we think they are so five minutes ago. We have now added this bad boy to our Christmas list. It should make the commute to work a bit more amusing.

Two Wheels are Better...even when one is a secret invisible wheel ;o)

Let's swap our psychopaths for cycle paths

2012-01-12T15:01:00.003+00:00

Prepare to be inspired as you learn how the Dutch developed their world leading cycling infrastructure..

If only the rest of the world realised that Two Wheels are Better.

Padraic (Flickr.com)

Riders are awesome - MUST WATCH!

2012-01-09T09:48:00.002+00:00

This is a beautiful montage of some of the most inspiring riding clips on the net. The big names include: Dane Searls (RIP), Mark Webb, Scotty Crammer, Travis Pastrana and many more. Enjoy: