Bicycles for transport, a fender mind bender!

I was on the 10 past train from Yate to Temple Meads, waiting for the doors to close again, my lightweight coat and hair sodden by the sudden downpour from the journey to the station, i’m trying to make my own bicycle small and inconspicuous to the folk coming and going around me, rain and puddle water glistening on its panniers and mudguards, the guard skipping around it, trying to keep his staypress stacks clean. Each time the door open i see bicycles chained to solid things, i like to look, i like seeing these workhorses, locked and resting after transporting their rider to the station to begin another day of work. So there am i, gazing idly at these bikes, then from the blue. it struck me!!, that the majority of the bicycles i am looking at had no protection from the weather.

Now i am no stranger to a mudguard, i think they can look incongruous and its a skill to make them look sexy but i specialise in Useful Bikes and a big part of a bikes usefulness is their practicality, getting a wet arse or sodden shoes before a shopping session or a meeting is not cool, hence the bikes i sell generally have mudguards…

This is what shocked me! I reckon 70% of these daily commuter bikes did not have weather protection..no mudguards, no mudflaps, nothing, So there am i with a cheap sodden jacket (note to self, buy waterproof coat) but with dry arse and pristine brogues.

Had i not been riding a bicycle designed for the everyday, ( a Gazelle Esprit) i would have been drinking coffee in a business meeting with half of Yate common decorating my lower half.

Most of the bikes i saw were Mountain bikes, some exotic homegrown racer types and some pricey serious machines too. Sports bikes in the main, but people know they can fit mudguards don’t they? Surely after one sodden commute you would realise the need to protect your best workday threads from the mucky road spray?

Perhaps the riders opt for wet weather clothes, plastic trousers perhaps, over shoes…but then they would look like a cyclist, and the majority of the resting chained up bikes didn’t look like they would be ridden by cyclists, no disrespect to the owners but most of the bikes looked like beast of burden.

So why do these commuting bicycles not have weather protection? is it ignorance that mudguards exist? the thought that they’re not fashionable?  perhaps they bought some and couldn’t fit them. Perhaps a reluctance to spend on a bicycle that might get stolen? The fact remains that many bikes used for the commute are not really fit for purpose, if you get wet feet on the way to work, they are staying wet all day, and then perhaps you might have cold feet (see what i did there!) about using that form of transport again.

Bicycles used for transport are different beasts from the sports machines we tend to be shown in our UK media and our UK bicycle stores. What struck me, as i stood on the train with my Gazelle Bicycle, was the difference in culture and attitude we have from the Rest of Europe.

My bicycle was not the prettiest ( there are other Gazelles that are delightful to look at) but the function was the thing i needed for the journey, i didn’t want to be wet, i wanted to carry some stuff, i wanted to wear my own normal clothes and if it got dark before i got home (e.g. missing that 3.40 train back) i needed good lights.

Are my requirements different from the riders of the naked, unfendered bicycles i see chained up at the station? I can’t see that my basic requirements can be so different!  It’s akin to people visiting a car showroom and being shown a roofless convertible car as the standard offering! “you want a roof sir/madam?! we have a model over there with a roof,  but we can fit a one size fits all roof to this car!, and you want lights on your car too?” and your gearbox on the inside rather than hanging down in the dirt and rain??”  and so we can go on…., car drivers wouldn’t stand for it, yet bicycle buyers seem to know no different. Bikes can be cheap, but there’s a reason for that..everything can be cheap if you keep it bare bones..

If you want to commute by bike you need to ride a bike that’s been designed to cope with everyday conditions, have the features fitted that you need to keep you comfortable. It doesn’t have to be heavy, it will be heavier for sure than something without a rack, lights mudguards etc but these days with clever design and modern materials it doesn’t have to be noticeably heavier.

So to conclude..i was glad that day i rode my Gazelle Dutch bike, i appreciated the fact that it got me to my meeting with dry feet. I suspect that many riders that day did not. If you get wet feet on a rainy day, you need a good pair of mudguards…or a new ride. Think about what you as a rider need from a bike for transport, and don’t limit yourself to what’s in the shop down the road, look about and take time to chose, be prepared to pay a little more but a quality fully equipped bicycle will save you money in servicing (if it has hub gears and brakes) and there will be no add on spending needed. A good Useful bicycle will keep you comfortable for many years to come.

Perhaps when folk appreciate riding a bicycle with dry feet, we will see more bicycles at the stations.

Rob

http://www.gazelle.nl

http://www.reallyusefulbikes.co.uk

A Brompton day out

So Sunday was a glorious day, not just for the yellow disc in the sky, shining great heat and sunlight upon the great and the not so great or good but it was also the day of the Brompton world championships…held at blenhiem palace yearly, this year it has formed the mainstay of a 2 day festival of cycling….
What a day we had..i awoke at about 6 to a glorious sunrise, made my peanut butter sandwiches, fed the chickens to keep them quiet and was picked up promply at 7 by my good friend Mr Gary Lovell, enthusiast and lover of Brompton and dutch bikes and a good all-round level head on the use of bicycles everyday…We arrived in oxford in good time, R.U.B conspirator and co-founder Mark Forster had entered for the Brompton Marathon which kicked off at 9. After a quick expresso he headed off to the start line slightly worried about his tyre pressures…that was the 2 stage race preparation he had planned for his bike …the first bit of race prep was to remove two huge bags of his travel stuff, stage 2, think about tyre pressure…we fitted marathon plus’s a few months ago after Mark had suffered a few punctures, not uncommon with the little wheels…so tyre race trim was to pump 100psi into them….but no track pump was available so 80 psi ish had to suffice. The lack of more elaborate race prep is might have contributed to the lack of a winners cup, or perhaps it was something else……it could have been the stopping to assist fellow brompton eer Dave Haliday with mending a puncture or it could have been the lack of an aerodynamic hat but that’s what sensible bicycling is all about… and what’s so jolly nice about this event, good people ,simple pleasures and a bit of a jolly jape feel to it. We saw Dave H a bit later joining the championship race (morel of the story appears to be hot weather and instant puncture repair patches do not mix), the other moral of the tale seems to be, if you want a brompton to be fast and funky, fit folding kojaks and carry spare tyres/tubes, if you want no hassle, then fit marathon plus’s…(free fit onto loose wheels when you buy tyres and tubes from R.U.B).

So that was Mark off and riding…gary and i wandered around the much larger than last year exhibits/tents..the Warlands guys were very chatty as ever, they also sell the Scottish built Paper bicycle, deal a lot with hub gears. as do we, they are great for Brompton of course …so a very good shop if you are near Oxford..We saw the fat bloke who isn’t actually that fat from 3 sailing blokes?! (i could be his stunt double if he put on a few pounds) and that Will Mellor doing a channel 5 thing about championships….? The chap from Schwalbe was very interesting. he had tyres cut so you could see then in cross section and for those baffled by the science around puncture protection strips it was ace….it might be my age but i had to take pictures….i do like schwalbe tyres..good style, great range and reliable..i’ll do a separate blog bit about it, tyres are an underated bit of the bike…not enough thought or money goes into choosing a tyre..As Mark on his Brompton knows, the right tyre can make or break an ownership…the dreaded shed effect can happen if you get too many punctures or if your bike is not comfortable enough, tyres can make or break your bicycle relationship.
Then we met the very lovely Betty and her equally lovely colleague from www.velo-re.com lovely ladies who know the value of a nice watch and make belts and wallets from old tyres, bags and other ‘scrap’ materials. I will treat me to a belt i think…individual and very nicely made..i think i’m a 700c man….perhaps a Brompton tyre belt for your 5 year old..
From there we met stolen goat, nice young chap with a very new business…some nice prints and clothing…onto Milk bikes then, mark is a great chap..a kindred spirit, he builds lovely bikes with practicality, commuting and style in mind..www.milkbikes.com a small scale manufacturer, he has the ideas and functionality that is lacking in so many of our mass produced everyday bicycles.. next door to Milk were the wonderful Paulus Quiros, whose bikes might not carry a weeks shopping…but oh my they are a lovely thing to behold…and from South Wales too..we need to make the most of our local Industries and they are out there if you look… they had a nuvinci hub mountain bike there…a hub which we have built into a few big dummies and works very well…a great hub for cargo bikes..a good reason to visit Bespoked the Bristol handbuilt show in 2013 is to see both Paulus Quiros and Milk and more of our home grown builders..
There was an energetic American showing his Bromfoot, http://www.bromfoot.com/ it looks a good product but what was great was to see a Burley Travoy trailer out in the wild, we sell a few and it’s great to see one being used and very successfully too….and nice foldable unit with a Brompton…it came all the way from the USofA and it facilitated his trip, which is what all of R.U.B’s products set out to do…

So that is a potted history of our day, Mark conquered pain and adversity from the previous weekends skateboard injury, attempted to save travel guru Mr Halliday from deflation, Gary met few old friends, i met a few newish friends, saw TV stars, lots of sweaty Brompton riders and drank a little bit of cider, it was just like a day back in the big smoke……
Bromptons are great, this Brompton event is developing into an interesting day out with a very nice vibe…We had a good time, so do i enter for next time?….i might just check to see if they have defibulators on site…better get in quick though, entries are strictly limited..

Gazelle Cabby. A users review.

This is an unsolicited Gazelle Cabby Review from a R.U.B customer…

We have been riding the Gazelle Cabby most days for a couple of months now. We all love it. Here is a more detailed breakdown of our reasons:

Price:
The Cabby is a significant investment. But it is also a high-quality machine. Everything on it is built to last. We feel that everytime we use it we are saving fuel money. We hope that if we ever wanted to sell it then it would still be valuable. But one of the other ‘investments’ is that we are teaching our children that cycling is fun, safe and possible as a means of transport not just leisure. They think it is much more fun than driving, and that means a lot to us.

Overall handing and experience:
The Cabby took us only minutes to get used to riding. My wife is 5ft 6 and I am 6ft 4, and we both find it easy to balance, steer and manage (we have the longer seat post which can be quickly adjusted for either of us). Neither of us have felt worried that we might drop it. After a little practice is is no more difficult to handle at slow speeds than an ordinary bike. The long wheel base means that it does feel different to an ordinary bike, but it is not a problem for either of us. It is heavy: there is no denying it! Lifting it would be impossible for one person. However, the low gearing makes managing the weight very easy under normal circumstances. The saddle is comfortable, the upright rider-position is very good for visibility and comfort, and still allows good peddling.

There is no way to ride this bike, especially with two waving children in the front, and be inconspicuous! People do comment, point and wave. We find this a bit stange at times, but it is not unpleasant, and we like the fact that we are making a visible statement about cycling. In terms of safety, it feels ok – neither of us really felt happy with a bike trailer in taffic, which was one of the reasons for getting the Cabby, and it feels much more solid and visible (the handling is much much better than riding with a bike trailer). Car drivers seem to see the rider first, sitting quite high, and then the children. We like to think that when they see the children they are reminded to drive carefully.

I would say that the time when you notice the weight is when putting it on its stand, loaded. This is more about technique than strength, although it does need a bit of strength too.

I cycled the bike (un-loaded) about 20 miles in two hours, and I think that this is about the top average speed one could expect. However, we find that we don’t really want to cycle fast. The high riding position makes it seem more like the difference between being in a car and a van – slower, but you take more in! But it would be possible for a reasonably strong cyclist to cover 40+ miles in a day, as long as the cargo was happy!

Brakes:
The Gazelle claims to be lighter than its competitors, but it is still a relatively heavy bike. Therefore, it needs good brakes. It has Shimano roller brakes, a drum-based system very seldom found in the UK (Pashley cycles use them) but very common in the Netherlands. The advantages to this are that it is a completely sealed unit which is not affected by weather, and needs almost no maintenance ever. Since they do not brake by applying pressure onto the wheel rims, there is no rim-wear. They are considered to be less powerful than either V-brakes or disc brakes. However, they are powerful enough to stop the Cabby with both kids and shopping in it, so they certainly have stopping power. I think ours will “bed in” a little more in the coming months. They do take a litle bit of geting used to because they are so progressive – at first they feel a bit like a hydrolic system which is not properly bled. However, I feel that the lack of need for maintenance makes up for this slight loss of feel.

(Rob here…2011 cabby’s are fitted with IM45 front roller IM31 rear roller brakes, this reviewers cabby has IM50’s and feels no need at present to upgrade)

Gears:
The 7 speed Shimano Nexus hub is precise and enjoyable to use. It is great to be able to change gear whilst stopped and since everything is enclosed, not have to worry about keeping the chain and gears clean. I was a little concerned that the range of gears would not be enough. However, so far it is. We exchanged the rear sprocket for one with a few more teeth at the time of purchase, having the effect of lowering all 7 gears slightly. Gear 1 is low enough to take on hills fully loaded, and although not too hard, it is excercise! Gear 7 is seldom needed until on slight downhills – and I do not think the kids want to go faster anyway, since they are at the front and would find it rather breezy! Initially one or two of the gears felt a little bit crunchy and new, but they are smoothing out now. The experience of riding the Cabby is making me interested in getting a normal solo bike with the same type of gears and brakes, especially given the time I spend cleaning, lubricating and adjusting our normal v-brake/derailleur hybrid bikes.

Lights:
The hub dynamo at the front is good, and could power a more powerful front light, which I would switch to if we regularly travelled at night out of lit areas, which we don’t. The rear light seems rather large for the adequate amount of light it provides, and is not connected to the front dynamo, which seems a bit odd. However, this could be changed without too much difficulty. I would want to add additional flashing lights to my clothing or elsewhere on the bike for traveling a longer distance at night, as I believe they would help visibility. The Cabby has reflectors and refelctive materials too – tyre walls and around the carrier.

Locks:
The locks that come with the Cabby are useful, and reasonably strong, but I think that the main deterrant to stealing it is how unusual it is. If I was leaving it somewhere vulnerable for any length of time I would want more locks – a good D-lock probably.

Build quality:
Excellent. Solid, high quality components, frame and wheels, good finish. The tyres are high quality and puncture-resistant. The child carrier/cargo area is strong. The integrated bell is loud and tinkley! There is a sense that everything has been thought of and is fully integrated.

Child experience:
The three-point harnesses are strong and easily adjusted. The bench seat seems comfortable for the girls, although most of our journeys so far are just 1 – 4 miles. They like they fact that we can talk to each other quite easily and they wave at passers by. They need lap-blankets and coats in cooler weather, which they seem to not mind at all, but when we have used the bike in very cold weather (I think it was 3 degrees one morning!) they really had to be wrapped up, because they are right at the front, not tucked in behind like on a single child’s seat on a normal bike. I think we will probably keep a couple of bankets under the seat even through the summer. At least they are getting fresh air! They look forward to trips on the bike.

Other considerations:
I think it would be more difficult to own this bike if we did not have a garage. Although it would be possible to take it through into our back garden gate, the angles would make it more difficult.

It is very hard to take this bike on a train, partly because of the inadequacies of the booking service, partly because it is too long to get in a lift without help to tip it up, which I did not enjoy trying, and partly because most rolling stock would not be able to accomodate it. I will not attempt to take it on a train again after my initial experience! My suggestion for getting the bike home from the shop (if too far to ride), would be in a transit van! I was able to put in inside our estate car, with the rear seats down and the front passenger seat forward, but it was not ideal.

In the future we hope to take it on holiday with us. My plan is to get a roof rack tandem carrier, which is a bit pricey, but should be able to manage the length.

We have no regrets at all about our decision to buy a Gazelle Cabby. Rob at Really Useful Bikes was also very helpful and allowed us to have a good go on two different bikes to help us make up our minds, offering experienced advice.

Jonathan and Emma

Gazelle Bloom special offer of the week.

The sun has gone to my head and i have decided to make available at a very good price an Unboxed new Gazelle Bloom in classic black (with subtle white flower motif) in a 53cm frame to suit a 5’2 to 5’7 person.

With its28inch wheels and low step over frame it is designed cycle comfort and for the easy mounting of two child seats on this bicycle, it features extra space between the saddle and the comfortable handlebars for a GMG or bobike mini and a rack that takes a GMG yepp directly, very tidy.

This classic Gazelle bicycle has an Aluminium frame, dynamo lights, 7 speed internal gears, its a great bike for getting about town, with or without a family.

The RRP is over £800 but on offer this week for £649.

(I also have bags and the various child seats to fit, a blooming good deal could be yours).

rob@reallyusefulbikes.co.uk

07801 150727

Summer is here… so get it while you can……

Sunday on the Bristol Bath cycle track is always a lovely affair. Yesterday Kim and i took the opportunity to support the dinotour, a joint event run by three different councils. yesterday it was lovely to see families out, sports cyclists swooshing along, old bikes dragged out of the shed and given an airing, there were even some time travellers from the 40 dressed to the nines and jiving to a jazzy beat, all these different folk with a bicycle as a common thread, all seemingly at one with the world and co- existing happily. We had a lovely day, a few chats along the way with cycle advisers and other cycle path users, a big breath of steam train and an obligatory cup of rosie lee at Warmely station, it was very nice way to get some exercise, some shopping and have the chance to purchase the most expensive pint I think I have ever bought, 4.50 for a Peroni in a fosters glass anyone…..i think the jolly sailer in Saltford is having a laugh…..

It was also the first outing for Kim’s new Rodford bicycle, freshly equipped with a new Brooks B18 lady saddle, we rode off into the summer sunshine in search of dinosaurs, Sainsbury’s and a little adventure.
Kim has been used to three speed bicycles up to now, and getting on fine, but the 7 speed shimano was a welcome upgrade, hills were less hilly and I had the new experience of getting overtaken if I dilly dallied. It is a useful thing to be able to ride with a new bike owner, to see if the gearing is fine, the seat is adjusted properly, little things that are easy to rectify if you know about them. In Kims situation, the gearing was fine, using 7th gear only once or twice and 1st gear on the steep bits was twiddly enough. Halfway around the seat post was upped by an inch and that made the hills easier too…with a bit of confidence the getting onto a higher saddle becomes easier and then riding with correct leg extension gives more power for hills and helps with comfort.

All in all a nice day, Kims is very happy with her new Rodford bicycle and I am still enjoying pelican 001. Thanks to organisers of the dinotour and just remember that the summer does not last for ever, so if you haven’t dusted off your bicycle this year, get on with it because it’s a very nice way to spend a day. (Just check the beer prices before you get a round in…….! )

Rodford bicycles are available exclusively from Really Useful Bikes and to order only.

an English European fusion for a bicycle  genuinely bespoke, uniquely yours.

Prices from £495,

Friction between Factions, Cycle City and the way forward!

BBC Bristol currently has a phone in program about cycle city, I get a bit wound up when i listen to programs like this. Am i the only one that can see both sides of the argument?. I can see why folk get annoyed with some assertive/aggressive cyclists, i can see why car drivers get annoyed with bicycle users taking up the road and being difficult to get past (adding a few minutes to a journey!).

For the record , this is my opinion,
3 things are required for safe and increased bike usage.
1) destinations with safe secure clearly marked cycle storage.
2) safe (segregated) cycle lanes, even if it’s just a kerb instead of a white line.
3) the right bicycle, one that can carry stuff safely, for urban cycling, one that is comfortable and sit up n beg style. This style of bike its ideal for confident riding with a good pace and good vision.

The cycle industry want to sell sports bike, that’s where the margins are…where the money for the upkeep of workshops is.

I think (we) the cycle lobbyists have to be careful not to lose sight of what it is that they (we) want.
It’s not better facilities for cyclists, its bigger than that, it’s a better way of life for everyone. This is a fight for local not global, a struggle for personal freedoms and the right to travel freely without the aid of a motor car. This is not a time for arguments between factions (inc internal ones) but to campaign for what the cycle city should have been about all along and that is the 3 cycle constants, safe destinations, safe segregated routes and selecting the right bike for the job.

Just as the government is going to dig up areas of outstanding natural beauty to build a new rail link…they should be prepared to fund a proper cycle route system. overhead routes, underpasses, segregated paths…why not…lets all think outside of that box…the metal box we cling to…the car.

Its about facilitation, without facilitating the bike user, taking away threats and discouragements, its not about promotion and perks but a enabling people, mobilising folk, to do more, carry more, get out more.

Cycle City report on BBC4 this Monday at 1100.

March 2011 is the cut-off date for Bristol to turn itself into a Cycling demonstration City over three years.
Miles Warde, who surveyed the early stages of the project last year, saddles up again to find out where the money has gone, how it’s been accounted, and whether Cycling City has been a success.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z58b8

BBC Bristol are also having a series of short pieces about cycle city,

next week on Ben Praters show 16.00 – 19.00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0037kb0

Now cycle England has been dismembered in the Bonfire of the quangos..its an interesting time.
Public support is needed for those that are left to continue the work,  obvuiously there will be a reshuffle and a shortfall, Sustrans issued a plea for financial support this week. So its all change around here…..for me it’s about route 15….a safe link into Bristol and Bath for the beleaguered town of Yate.

Anyway, have a listen and keep an eye on things, support where you can.

Rob

stability in snow and ice on two wheels,

It’s icy on the roads and paths for sure, i’ve met one or two of you that have suffered injury with ice related crashes. Whilst you can change tyres over the winter months for something with more grip, something like the Schwalbe Snow Stud tyre, with studs on the side of the tyre and smooth on the raised centre ridge, properly inflated it rolls like normal, with lower pressures it gives great grip…but you can also change your bike to both aid your stability and your luggage capacity.  Yep, the xtracycle extends your wheelbase and provides you with a definite advantage in the winter months. With more time to respond to slips and slides i feel it’s a definite improvement to safely.
We stock all the available bits and bobs for the Xtracycle and full kits. we love it here, use it daily, we can colour match the frames too. we love the xtracycle. It’s an all year around winner.
The Xtracycle kit at £399 contains all you need to convert a vertical dropout bicycle. bags. frame, deck, cables, sidestand stickers…its all there…. If you have a doubt about whether it will fit, bring your bike to the dairy, we can check with you. We can even help you fit your xtracycle to your bicycle in our workshop and make sure it fits correctly. It’s an easy fit, a great product for your daily ride.

We also have a demo bike too…so come and test ride something that will help you ride your bike all year around.

Really Useful Bikes.
01454 319960

Dutch Workcycle bicycles, do you want one?

If you do fancy a workcycle dutch bicycle but don’t fancy the drive/train journey/flight to their lovely shop/s in Amsterdam. We are just ordering some bikes in now. So if you want to buy a new dutch bike designed and built by the lovely folk at Workcycles from the only dutch bike shop in the south west (thats us, really useful bikes) then we will do the rest, drop us a line..

It is my opinion that if you were told you could only buy one bike and it would have to last the rest of your life, you could do a lot lot worst than invest in a Workcycle bike. The’re special…

http://www.workcycles.com/

a blog entry from Samantha in USA, (thanks for your comment)

the epitamy of comfortable and lovely, definitely really useful bikes.

01454 319960

rob@reallyusefulbikes.co.uk

A bike for everything and everyone.

The Gazelle Cabby, my favorite ride at the moment.

The usefulness and fun of the bakfiets style bikes puts them top of my list, they were designed with children carrying in mind but we don’t have kids, we rent the Cabby to those that do have kids and they love it…its such a simple and fun bike to ride, makes you wonder why more people don’t ride them….