Psychalist

Hike-a-bike

2009-12-22T23:00:00.005Z

Same conditions again this morning. Whilst I enjoy an hour or so walking, this adverse weather is a challenge that has to be met. Bikes I have, which might be more suitable for these conditions are either unavailable or in bits so it fell to my trusty old commuter road bike to be tested in today's snow.

The first part of the journey was a walk as the snow and ice was treacherous. Once on the main road, I followed the tramlines all the other vehicles were following. Even this morning, in hazardous conditions, I had someone overtake me whilst I was navigating round a parked bus resulting in the oncoming car having to brake sharply. Why is it drivers don't associate passing a cyclist with normal overtake rules? It's like speed and distance judgement goes straight out the window.

Once off the main road again, it was back to a bit of walking, then cycling. Overall I enjoyed it, so I'm not complaining, unlike many of the motoring minded majority (which is OK if you can't walk, bike or use public transport). I quite like the maxim of Bob Harrison, a Rough Stuff Federation member, who said "I never go for a walk without my bike", though I've yet to take hike-a-bike to those extremes. I'm also not sure about using snow boots with clips - that bit needs refining I think!

I saw another cyclist on the way home in the dark. He was gliding along the other side of the road dressed in black without lights on. Maybe it was a mirage - certainly the looks I got today suggest I'm viewed as somewhat unhinged being on two wheels but, since more people left their cars at home and were walking today, maybe tomorrow there will be load more snow bikers out there.

Solstice Commute

2009-12-21T23:05:00.003Z

Great weather for a white Christmas. Very scenic, but not good timing for commuting today, on the shortest day of the year. Especially by bike, none of which spotted whilst walking this morning.

Smart Polaris II Light Set Review

2009-12-20T21:32:00.000Z

5 LED front and 317 Rear

At the beginning of last year to improve my chances of being seen on roads at night, I added a set of flashing lights to my bike. My existing static lights, although visible, didn't seem to alert road users to my presence. From experience as a motorist, I believed adding flashing lights would enable me to be seen better and sooner. Experience soon bore that out as I sensed cars and pedestrians taking extra caution around me. What I hadn't anticipated was how bright the lights were and so how successful they would be at improving my visibility to others.

The Polaris II's 3 LED front + 5 LED rear lights I got are still going strong and, despite initial feedback to the contrary from others, have proved faultless in their reliability. In the third winter of using them, I've already benefiting from the extra safety they provide as dark nights arrived.

Further details of the Smart Polaris II 3 LED front and 7 LED rear are in my original Smart Polaris review and follow-up.

I have taken the opportunity to check out the light-set next up the Smart Polaris range. The 5 LED front and 317 rear distributed by Fisher Outdoor and available from numerous retailers, mine coming from Wiggle and their latest offer (currently out of stock). The set comes in the same format packaging and with the same mounts as the previous set. Batteries are supplied, 2 x AA for the front and 2 x AAA for the rear. I'll not repeat the details of the mounting, the descriptions of the light housings and general operation as they are the same as before, so I refer you to my original review. One thing I noticed from the packaging I didn't mention previously, is the diameter supported for the front mount. It's stated to support handlebar diameters of 25.4mm through to 31.8mm. I have used it on bars at both ends of that range quite successfully and transferring the light is easy and requires no tools.

To make this review shorter, I'm concentrating on the differences this new set brings. All the experiences of the original set are had with this uprated version. The quality is there and the same neat clean design provides a performant bike light set that should last many years. The difference is in the amount of light emitted from those powerful Nichia Japanese LEDs.

Front light

The front light has 5 LEDs and, logically, you might assume 2/3rds more light than the 3-LED version, but the rating is 298 candle power compared with 144 candle power of the 3 LED version, so twice as much incident light. How this is measured is not stated on the packaging. It does suggest this unit is using more efficient LEDs. Both sets are bright but the 5 LED version is like looking at a car with headlights on full beam so the claim to be visible from a mile away is believable. The reach appears similar but the extra brightness is noticeable and, on the road, the alert to road users obvious. Battery life, stated at 100 hours, is excellent (120 hours on 3 LED set) and understandably less because of the current that two extra LEDs draw.

Rear light

The rear light is probably the biggest design difference. Whereas the 7-LED rear of the other Polaris set had two LEDs to the side and two at 45 degrees and three to the rear, this set has three to the rear with the main brightness coming from the powerful 0.5 watt top LED. This has a dedicated clear lens arrangement, but also projects a good deal of light sideways, making up for the loss of the other side LEDs. Rearward, the brightness is significantly more than the 7-LED set and is more akin to a car with fog lights on. This makes it difficult for motorists not to see you at night and presents the option of not using in flashing mode since the extra brightness makes it a perfectly acceptable static rear light. Talking of flashing modes, the 3-LED set has three modes: all flashing, alternating and steady. This set has just flashing and steady. Having never used alternating, it's not a mode I shall miss. Battery life, like the front light, is less than the 7-LED version but still very good at the stated 60 hours. The mounting has a useful clip to hook the light on clothing, saddlebag or rucksack.

Batteries

Experience for each individual light is noted above but some general comments might be useful. The packaging recommends only using alkaline batteries but I use NiMh 2500mAh rechargeables in mine and they last a couple of months of commuting using them in flashing mode, though my commute is quite short. I've always used rechargeable batteries and had no problem. The only downside to not using alkalines is the lights are slightly less bright than fresh alkalines since, with NiMh, the lights only get about 2.5 volts instead of 3 volts and at that level are lower down their specified operating voltage range. Lower voltage, means less current and therefore less light emitted. Typically, for each type of battery, this might be around 70mA/1.8 lumens compared with 150mA / 2.8 lumens per LED for LEDs of similar characteristics. The lower current using NiMh batteries may result in longer operating time depending on battery capacity. Perceptually there is a small difference visible in the light intensity and the choice will be yours, weighing convenience against brightness required. Certainly with both types of battery the units are very bright. Using good alkalines, producing a healthy current at 3V, is the way to achieve the rated luminous intensity but at some point during use, alkalines will produce less light than their rechargeable counterparts due to the way they discharge. Tail-off with partially depleted batteries of either type is gradual, giving a reasonable time to continue cycling before changing batteries although with this set it is quicker than the previous set. For me, this means not carrying spares on the commute but you have to be careful to notice when the lights are losing brightness so you can replace the batteries in good time.

Comparing 7 LED and 3 LED front lights

This is difficult to do as it is quite subjective. Based on perceptual differences with no scientific basis, the 7 LED is brighter both to be seen by and seeing with. How much brighter is difficult to tell really as they are both too bright to look at.

The following two images were taken on an unlit country road with the same exposure for both lights taken from the same position. The brightness has been increased the same on each photo. You still may not be able to see much as a camera isn't as sensitive as the human eye. Consequently you may conclude they aren't for country lanes at night but, combined with a head torch, they are OK as long as you don't go too fast.

7 LED Front Light

3 LED Front Light

If when buying them there is no difference in price, it would seem sensible to get the 7 LED.

Conclusion

Overall, this is a great light set for the money (especially when you find it on offer). Ideal for winter commuting even in extreme cold (rated to -40C). For use on unlit roads or for off-road, this front unit is probably OK for occasional use, but not sufficient for regular full darkness runs or fast riding where a higher specification (and expensive) dedicated off-road light would be better.

RRP £34.99 (Wiggle offer 60% off £14)

Likes: Blindingly bright to look at (don't do it), functionality, easy mounting, battery life, price (on offer)
Dislikes: None


Quality:            9/10
Performance:        9.5/10 (for its target market)
Value for money:    9.5/10 (depending on discount)

Signs of the recessional times?

2009-12-07T23:46:00.003Z

Compare and contrast

Top picture: September 2008 08:15

Bottom picture: December 2009 08:45

Where did all the cars go? I might have caught a quiet moment but there is certainly less traffic in recent weeks and actually, despite winter, one or two more cyclists. I even encountered a guy commuting on a fixed the other day - common in the cities but unusual round here.

"You need to slow down"

2009-11-19T18:28:00.003Z

It's been an eventful couple of days on the bike. Yesterday is best forgotten as it was the usual being taken advantage of plus topping it all my neighbour nearly running me over but he's forgiven as he's been threatening to do it for a while anyway. (We're still friends).

Today though was the pinnacle of a series of bad driving incidents, leading to my conclusion that we, as the increasing minority who cycle, will need gentle diplomacy to overcome the ignorance that some drivers exhibit when sharing the road with cyclists.

There were a number of the usual cars poking out of junctions and crossing the road in front of me. That's fairly normal. The first more major incident was at a give way I've had trouble at before. It's an awkward junction with two give ways right on top of each other. I approached to go straight on to the second give way but keeping to the left of the road. As I reached the give way line, a woman in an Audi A7 drew up to the junction and started to turn left. My shouting stopped her but she was less than understanding and didn't seem to understand she'd just overtaken another road user in a junction nearly causing a crash. My only solution to that one is to position myself so that a car cannot pull alongside but then I run the risk of being hit by cars entering the road especially the ones turning right who often cut the corner.

The second incident was a classic, if only for the dialogue. It happened on the straight going along the road in the picture. With the wind behind me, I was cruising along at about 20mph. The road is lined with cars either side. Consequently, I keep a decent margin on the left and use a fair amount of my lane to avoid being doored. As I was going along, the driver of a car, who had been hesitating to pull out from a road on the right, decided to come out just as I approached, clearly underestimating the speed I was doing. Realising that I was approaching she drove down the middle of the road until she thought she was in front of me but in actual fact ended up squeezing the amount of road I had available. It wasn't dangerous but it meant I had both to slow down and change direction. It wasn't much of a deal but I felt I should see if the driver understood what she had done. She probably thought she'd got away, but half a mile later, at the lights I came alongside and tapped on her window for a quick chat whilst the lights were on red. Here's how it went:

Me: Tap tap.
Her: Thinking, ignore him, he'll go away.
Me: Tap tap.
Her: OK, he doesn't look too aggressive (probably couldn't see my red face in the dark). Winds window down.
Me: "I think you made a mistake back there"
Her: "I saw you"
Me: "But you pulled out anyway"
Her: "I was over on the right"
Me: "But you're suppose to give way"
Her: "You need to slow down, you could see me coming out"

At which point the lights changed and I'd had enough

A clear case of NSMIDSYBYOAC (Not sorry mate I did see you but you're only a cyclist)

Taking the car

2009-11-17T21:01:00.003Z

I went to work today by car. The less often I do it, the more unusual it feels - it must be a couple of months since I last did it. I'm sure for most, it feels natural and is just a case of hopping in the car but for me, it didn't feel that way. Partly because changing mode means finding all the bits I need for a day at work, which are usually organised for cycling. It's also partly because of extra needed to commence a safe drive in a car such as demisting windows, adjusting mirrors etc.

I didn't enjoy it as much as cycling. My cycle commute flows a lot better, short though it is. None of the queuing and sitting behind the car in front. Probably significant is the isolation - only interacting with the radio that doesn't answer back, insulated from the outside world by glass and metal. It's not the same as talking to people (even if it is to tell them to watch out). By bike, from the off, visibility stays constant, temperature is pretty much the same all journey and it's more direct as I can go down side streets I wouldn't consider in the car.

One advantage of going by car is the time saved getting changed at either end of the day. The other thing today was is that it was a really nice morning for cycling - bad timing on my part.

Rush-Hour Cycle Lane - Don't you just love school holidays

2009-10-29T18:33:00.003Z

This was the main A road into Blackburn this morning during the rush-hour. Who needs a cycle lane when the road is so quiet?

Plenty of time to take some autumn shots in morning light, brighter since the hour change.

The Darkness

2009-10-22T18:04:00.003+01:00

It approaches, creeping like a thief in the night, with gradual increasing intensity. September and October are twilight months for the commuter. The remaining light is enough to see by and the visibility is good enough for us cyclists to be seen if supplemented with high visibility clothing and lights. This coming weekend sees the end to that softly softly approach. With the change in daylight savings time by one hour, we are thrown abruptly into real darkness, when ambient light conditions offer nothing to the cyclist.

From now on we have to rely on street lights and lights from vehicles to help other road users pick us out on the road. With highly contrasting bright lights and reflections in a black road scape, especially in the wet, the difficulty of seeing cyclists is increased dramatically. To make sure you stand out get some high intensity LED lights that flash. UK law dictates you should have a steady red rear light, for which you can use a cheap LED light, but for maximum effect a quality unit with Japanese LEDs is best. High intensity LEDS at the front also help bring us to a more equal standing with motorised traffic.

Stay safe, and happy commuting.

Coniston in Drizzle

2009-10-20T20:22:00.004+01:00

This is a picture from the ride at the weekend when we went out for a ride with the South Lakes Group of the Rough Stuff Fellowship. It's an organisation with an interesting history of getting places with a bike that you might not think possible or is the domain of hardened mountain bikers. The RSF pre-dates mountain bikes and has been getting off the beaten track since 1955.

Despite the drizzle and rain, it was a great ride with some peaceful and moody views along Coniston and up to Grizedale. Plenty of folk out too, which I suppose is the norm for Grizedale. More photos on the South Lakes Group site.

"Sorry Mate

2009-10-11T23:51:00.000+01:00

- I didn't see you."

If you ride on the road regularly, this is something that is likely to have happened to you. It happened to Mrs P this very day when a woman turned left into the local recycling centre and nearly took out her front wheel. It happened to me a couple of weeks ago in Staveley when someone pulled out without looking.

The close-shave, near-miss or other heart stopping moment where man and machine nearly collides with another man and machine is all too common and often the excuse is they didn't see us. For the cyclist, being the more vulnerable one in the encounter, this is to be avoided as the outcome is not usually pretty should a collision occur. It's also a problem for motorcyclists.

What can you do to avoid it? There are a number of things but the Cycle Touring Club want to do more to raise awareness and support cyclists. They have created a new website where you can report your SMIDY incidents and get help and advice.

http://www.stop-smidsy.org.uk/

Other SMIDSY resources:

http://www.smidsy.co.uk/
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/smidsy.html

Something's eating my handlebars

2009-10-11T21:34:00.001+01:00

I must admit to being somewhat bemused by this statement, utterred by Mrs P, on return from her ride. My mind pictured some terrible chemical accident that resulted in some corrosive potion getting on her bike and, more frightfully, herself. The damage, it turned out, was not done on the ride but was evident before she departed, it was just the way it was disclosed that caused my alarm.

Sure enough when I looked, the right-hand side of her butterfly bar's foam has small gouges all the way round. Our shed obviously has rodent visitors who like nibbling on rubber and plastic. The little blighters! They also destroyed some roof-bar covers. We need to nip this problem in the neck before any more expensive damage is done.

Aldi Bike Light Review

2009-10-06T22:10:00.004+01:00

Aldi recently offerred a twin set of front and rear LED cycle lights at £3.99. A set of lights at this price is a snip but, like most things, you get what you pay for. So what are you getting for your four quid? Not a lot, it has to be said. The lights come in plastic sealed packaging is probably more durable than the lights themselves.

Fixings

Included are two mounts and batteries. The mounts are of poor quality with nuts and bolts that don't fit particularly well and require tools to fit. Basic spacers are provided for fitting to different diameter bars and stems. The rear mount is for a seat post only not frame. The lights are fixed to the bike by sliding their clips into the holders on the mounts. This clip on the rear of each light is a nice touch since it can be used to attach to a rucksack or clothing.

Construction

The lights themselves are three LED units running off two AAA batteries. Both lights are of similar design and cheap construction with a hard plastic seal, which probably doesn't so I wouldn't anticipate continued operation in wet weather. They are basically a back plate with batteries either side of a central circuit board holding the four standard low power LEDs and the switch sensing circuit. These are not high power high intensity LEDs and consequently the light output is relatively weak. The battery contacts are also flimsy. On one set they didn't make contact with the circuit board so the lights didn't work. The lens cover snaps onto the back plate to close the unit, it's clear on the front and red on the rear. The units are are small, which is a nice thing about these lights - they are easy to pop into your pocket.

Operation

The lights work by pressing a small rubber button on the back of the light. Two modes are available, flashing and steady. The front uses cheap light-green LEDs rather than the better white LEDs more commonly found in lights and torches these days. The rears use red LED's. In operation, these lights fulfil the basic legal requirement for UK Road Vehicle Regulations but are not very bright. They certainly don't emit enough light to see by and only sufficient to be visible in the right conditions. For winter use in traffic and bad weather, these lights are inadequate to be seen by. Battery life is indeterminate - I haven't used them long enough to find out.

Conclusion

These lights are cheap for the money and it shows. They are suitable only to be seen by on traffic-free routes, cheap back-ups or, at a push, getting back from the pub. As a get-me home option, probably OK for the summer, but for busy road riding on winter nights, steer clear and get something safer.

Supplier: Aldi £3.99

Quality:          2/10
Performance:      2/10
Value for money:  4/10

Three Peaks Cyclocross

2009-09-27T23:10:00.003+01:00

A day out at the races today, in fine Yorkshire countryside, for this 38 mile epic over the three major peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Pen-y-Ghent.

1st Nick Craig 2h 54m 13s

It was my first time watching cyclocross and it turned out quite exciting as long standing title holder Rob Jebb was beaten by Scott UK rider Nick Craig with a 15 second margin.

2nd Rob Jebb 2h 54m 28s

It looked tough going up those hills, but very exciting coming down as the riders bounced off the rocks and tried to avoid both oncoming riders climbing uphill and fell-walkers.

3rd Neal Crampton 3h 9m 47s

Congrats to all who took part. I have nothing but admiration for the fact that you do it at all, never mind doing it in 2 hours 54 minutes and 13 seconds. Even more impressive is the number of veterans including some in their 70's - there's hope for me yet. I was also cheering on TwinklyDave and ShaggyJohn, who I don't actually know, but one's local and the other I found following the Iditarod. They set PB and single speed records - well done guys.

Full report over on the British Cycling website.

Winter Drawers On

2009-09-09T06:03:00.002+01:00

As they say...soon be Christmas. It's getting cooler and darker on the morning commute. Especially last week when it looked like my shorts were to be relegated to midday rides at the weekends, as rain, wind and cool temperatures arrived. It's difficult to get warmed up in the limited distance between home and work, so it was back to the Ron Hills until our Indian summer arrives, which, according to the BBC weather forecast, is arriving today. It won't be long before the winter cycling jacket and lights come out as well.

Cycling Kentmere

2009-08-30T23:37:00.006+01:00

I've just returned from a few days in the Lake District National Park. It has an abundance of hiking and cycling opportunities, both off and on road, none of them particularly flat, it being in a region of mountains and lakes. A popular destination is Kentmere, known to many cyclists but perhaps not familiar to non-UK readers.

Kentmere is primarily home to a community of sheep and dairy farmers but also a site of ancient and modern industry. For most visitors to the valley, it is a huge playground for walking and cycling. It is steep sided but relatively flat for the majority of its length. The valley winds its way northwards for 4 miles along the single track road from Staveley to the church near where the road ends. The rise from the village of Staveley is a mere 200 feet although the lane's ups and downs add up to more.

This is as far as motorists go but mountain bikers and walkers can follow along the River Kent for almost the same distance again, past Kentmere reservoir, to the head of the valley at Nam Bield Pass some 1700 feet higher.

The Lake District National Park is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Kentmere sits on its easterly fringe and, like many places in the Park, in addition to the natural beauty, was and still is a place of work. Rural life may appear to be dominated by working farms but industry also plays its part even today.

The River Kent provided power and water for a variety of mills and the valley was also the site of a number of mines and quarries including a silica mine that created Kentmere Tarn that we see today. The mining has long gone and now heron and other bird life frequent the water.

For a many, a day in Kentmere begins and ends at Mill Yard in Staveley. This centre of small artisan businesses, is home to the two principle magnets for riders, the cycle store, Wheelbase, and the eatery, Wilf's, famous for outdoor catering at orienteering and fell running events. Other businesses attract visitors to the bakery, brewery or specialist craftsmen such as jewellers and woodworkers. Cyclists particularly like it because of its proximity to great mountain biking, bike wash, supplies at Wheelbase and re-fuelling at Wilf's and Hawkshead brewery.

Kentmere presents a myriad of outdoor opportunities with the many paths and bridleways that link up across the valley. What you might know as trails are what we call public footpaths in the UK. These footpaths are rights-of-way, many going back to ancient times. They criss-cross between settlements, over hills and passes across the whole of the country, not just in National Parks. They are governed by rules ensuring public access and have to be maintained with functional gates and no obstructions such as fallen trees. Whilst not unique to the UK (other European countries such as Switzerland and Austria have their wanderwegs), these paths form a major characteristic of our countryside and allow public access to lowland and highland areas irrespective of ownership.

Local government authorities are responsible for ensuring access by liaising with landowners who's land the paths cross. Public footpaths often cross farmland, which can require navigating around cows and sheep. Going for a walk might involve linking a number of these paths (as would hiking, rambling or fell walking, the difference being the distance and height gained). This availability of these rights-of-way enables people access to the countryside to appreciate the outdoors and understand the make-up of our rural areas. The importance of this was realised in the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in 2001 that decimated the rural economy and resulted in no-one being allowed to use paths and bridleways.

There are other rights-of-way, the most important of which, for the cyclist, is the bridleway. These take the form of paths and tracks. They extend access to horse riders and cyclists as well as walkers. These routes are often nothing more than an overgrown single track path but can also be double track unpaved roads. Motorised traffic is not allowed and, like footpaths, are often ancient trade routes between villages or markets.

A great asset we have for helping access paths and bridleways is the excellent mapping available from the Ordnance Survey.

View this map on Multimap.com
Get directions on Multimap.com

They provide detailed mapping at various scales for the whole country. The 1:25,000 scale is ideal for walking and off-road mountain biking as paths are shown with a green dotted line and bridleways are shown with a green dashed line. Field boundaries are thin black lines and help navigation through farmland.

Other unpaved rights-of-way exist. These include Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs) and Roads used as a Path. As these also pass through remote areas of outstanding beauty, their use can be controversial, as they are available to motorised traffic. The presence of noisy 4x4 vehicles or trails bikes, often grates with other non-motorised users. In an attempt to harmonise the sharing of these resources, various groups such as Land Access and Recreation Association (LARA) produced a code of practice to minimise the impact of their activities. Despite this, the right to some tracks have been demoted to 'Restricted Byways' and motorised use outlawed in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006.

Kentmere has a fair representation of all these rights-of-way. The valley floor has the metalled road and some paths and bridleways spreading out to the higher ground. The flat part of the valley is great for a blast on road, which combined with the Crook Road, near where we stay, makes for a nice round trip of about 14 miles, useful for a quick hour's exercise. For longer outings, the many paths, bridleways and byways can be linked to make testing days out for more of a challenge. These access neighbouring valleys allowing more options, west via the Garburn Pass to High Street (2500 feet), north to Haweswater or east to Gatesgarth Pass and Longsleddale.
The combinations are many and provide enough choices for many a return trip.

Bowling anyone?

2009-08-20T20:10:00.000+01:00

Glenfield Park, a business space rental company, appears to have a lot of vacant units at the moment. A planning application has been made to convert the ground floor of its building into a bowling centre. I presume that's bowls as opposed to 10-pin bowling.

What next for the Cemetery?

2009-08-19T18:00:00.000+01:00

This former Lion Brewery hostelry had three attempts at being an Indian restaurant and proved it wasn't viable. It's up for sale yet again. I predict it going the same way as the Severn Trees pub and will become a private dwelling or perhaps offices. It's demonstration of a trend that people are increasingly staying at home rather than going out and sitting in front of their large flat screen TVs eating takeaways washed down with cheap supermarket booze.

Perhaps it would make a good cyclery: 'Cycle of Life' anyone?

Spontaneous Critical Mass

2009-08-18T17:46:00.003+01:00

What a great advert for cycling and one that organisers of local cycling awareness events must be jealous of, when a star of cycling invites one and all for a spontaneous group ride and 300 riders turn up. Lance Armstrong had a lot of new friends today after he organised a short ride around Paisley, near Glasgow. He set the time and place and said everyone welcome. Paisley's cycling advocacy received a serious spike as the group brought traffic to a standstill.

It was also a great demonstration of the power and influence of social networks as Lance Armstrong's Twitter invite connected direct with his fans.

BBC News: news.bbc.co.uk

Scottish TV: sport.stv.tv

Push Cycles (at slow speed)

2009-08-18T00:01:00.000+01:00

Eh, those wert' days mi laddo. Nice to see signs like this one, down by the River Kent between Burneside and Kendal, still exist. You can almost imagine the squeal of the rod brakes on the chrome rims as the bicyclists slow down and their bells go tring-a-ling-a-ling.

Potholes Again

2009-08-12T18:47:00.006+01:00

Recently, I expressed delight at some of the road I commute on getting resurfaced, but also some dismay at the bits in between that will be missed by the repairs but still represent significant hazards to cyclists. It seems, from what I've noticed on my route today, some of those will get repaired in the next few days. Potholes to be filled have been marked.

I've actually come up with a cunning plan because the men that fill the holes aren't the ones that designate which ones are to be filled. Before any actual repair work commences, the 'surveyor' or person responsible goes along the road and highlights the holes to be filled with spray paint. In this case, white spray paint. All it takes for the plan to work is for someone who feels the 'responsible' has missed some hazards, to highlight with similar coloured spray paint any holes that need filling.

The one in the picture got its paint yesterday. I notified the council about this hazard via Fill That Hole back in February. Elsewhere on this blog I've praised Blackburn with Darwen Council for their responsiveness in making repairs but taking six months for this one is poor. Admittedly, it's not the worst one on the route but from today's evidence, the decision as to what gets repaired appears somewhat flakey.

Another hazard http://www.fillthathole.org.uk/hazard/19533, notified in April by someone else, hasn't been repaired or marked for repair but holes either way along the road that present less danger have been marked.

Little Harwood

2009-08-06T08:32:00.001+01:00

I thought we'd have a scenic piccy from my route since the weather has been looking up this week.

This is the war memorial clock tower in the civic gardens at Little Harwood. It was erected in 1923 at the suggestion of the local postmistress who proposed a lasting memorial to the local men who fell in the Great War.
In the background on the left is the old Star cinema, which sits in the shadow of the Clitheroe railway line and is now an Islamic centre. On the right is the NHS health centre.

Event: Tour of Pendle

2009-08-05T08:16:00.000+01:00

This year's Tour of Pendle cycle race kicks off at 9:30am this Sunday (9th Aug) in Nelson. The race is three laps of a course taking in Brierfield, Barrowford, Whalley and Read and finishes around lunchtime.

T'was not to be

2009-08-04T21:46:00.003+01:00

Brave effort, but the LEJOG tandem record remains unbroken as James Cracknell and Rebecca Romero called it a day north of Lockerbie this morning due to injury. My knees have been giving me jip on long rides, but I can't imagine what kind of pain Rebecca Romero was in after cycling over 24 hrs.

I hope they have another go - but carry a GPS tracker next time. Their efforts are great publicity for cycling and engaging followers with an interactive web application is great for drawing more audience. Thanks for the tweets guys.

Sleepless in the Saddle

2009-08-03T08:16:00.002+01:00

Not the more famous endurance race, but the condition needed for James Cracknell and Rebecca Romero when they pass through Lancashire in the wee small hours tonight. Their ambition is to break the world tandem record for Land's End to John O'Groats in 51 hours 19 minutes 23 seconds. Rest will encompass something like 3 minutes every three hours with a longer break at each 9 hour interval. They started 7am this morning from Cornwall and hope to be in Bristol by late afternoon.

Follow their updates on the Cycling Plus twitter feed http://twitter.com/cyclingplus or go out and cheer them on their way: their schedule is registered with the Road Records Association.

Roll on September

2009-07-29T21:18:00.002+01:00

I just found out some of the roughest patches of road on my daily commute are going to be resurfaced. Whoopee! Everyday I bounce around over these worn out bits of carriageway. Over the last year, my bike has gradually been falling to bits and I sure the these roads are a large factor in its demise. After numerous spokes failed, my handlebars sagged with fatigue and today my rear mudguard split away from its mountings.

The road bulletin from BwD informs that: "A666 Whalley New Road from Cemetery Entrance to Pearl St and from No. 574 to No. 700 - Resurfacing of carriageway - Off peak restriction". These two sections contain some very rough road or uneven surface, though not obvious from the general pictures here.

The first section is from the Cemetery for 500 metres towards Brownhill.

The second is 200 metres from the beginning of the bend (between Amethyst Street and Topaz Street) towards the traffic lights at Brownhill (Opal Street).

The bumps aren't that noticeable in a car, but on a bike they are terrible, so this is good news indeed. Work starts 1st September for eight weeks. Hopefully the other poor sections particularly the mess at Skew Bridge can be put on the list next. (That problem was notified to the council by someone using FillThatHole.)