On Tuesday night I bemoaned that I was unable to borrow my wifes brompton fold up bike because it has been out of service for several months. One nut had fallen off and we had never gotten round to getting it fixed. For some reason I had gotten it into …
I am attending an event at n Edinburgh tonight, a fair distance from the city centre. In the past when going to this venue, I would take a train, with my wife's Brompton, then cycle the rest of the way out.
Unfortunately my wife's Brompton is out of service just …
I had my first long cycle in the dark tonight after a series of events that ment I had been using the car. It is amazing how much faster things seem when the path is lit only by the lights from the bike.
I am sure that it would be …
This morning, I was up and ready to go to work with time to spare. I started looking for an excuse, some reason to avoid the bike and take the car instead.
It was dark outside and I was expecting the journey to be cold wet and horrible. I am …
After yesterday's post, I have decided to review the activities I spent my time on and consider whether these activities add true value.
The first activity I want to consider is my cycle commute.
Time wise, it takes about 15 minutes to cycle to work …
As eluded to yesterday, I had planned to get back to commuting by bike. On the days that the kids are in nursery, this means cycling across town to pick them up before heading home.
Yesterday was going to be the first time I did this after the accident. Unfortunately …
Plan - cycle to work
Then cycle the kids back home
But.. not in that storm
I am still not back on my bike yet, but there is one extra thing that is encouraging me to do so this week:
When cycling, I don't have to bother de-icing the car!
I was involved in a crash this morning. As I was cycling to the shops, a slight detour on my way to work, I was turning right at a roundabout. As the person on the roundabout, I am supposed to have right of way. But you only truly have right …
I attempted to get on with some deep work today, trying to get my head around some concepts and work out what the best way to approach a certain problem is. I don't manage to get very far. Despite several attempts to focus on the problem, my brain wasn't having …
It is on mornings like this that I appreciate getting to cycle and enjoy the view.
This morning I was cycling about an hour earlier than normal because I was attending a gym class. This was the first journey this winter that required my bike lights.
When I first looked out I was disheartened. I didn't want to go out in the dark. I didn't want …
The distance between the kids nursery and our house is 5 km. This is the same distance as a parkrun.
Tonight, I realized that the time it takes me to cycle home was almost exactly 50% longer than when I ran the same distance at the weekend.
Admittedly I am …
On my way home tonight I was involved in a road rage incident. Annoyingly I don't have video of the first part of the encounter, I had forgotten to turn the recorder on until after the first horn blasts.
Some driver decided that he needed to be ahead of me …
Usually, I prefer to commute by bike. On days that the boys are in nursery, I will cycle for about half an hour after work to get to the nursery, then cycle for another half hour home towing a trailer carrying the kids.
Usually I don't mind the weather too …
This morning I went to the park with my eldest son and had him practice cycling his bike while I trotted along beside him. He has only recently learnt how to cycle (with pedals and without stabilisers) and hasn’t had that many opportunities to practice.
As we made our …
The weather over the last few weeks has been lovely and has made the cycle commuting much more pleasant. In particular the cycling with the kids in the trailer on the way home from nursery has been a pleasure.
Yes it is tiring and hard work but, due to the …
A green wave is when you manage to travel through a built up area arriving at junctions just after the lights have turned green to let you continue. In some places the lights are actually engineered to work like that for the majority of traffic. If they are traveling at …
This weekend will host numerous Pedal on Parliament protests around the country. Pedal on Parliament is a campaign to improve facilities for active travel, that is walking as well as cycling. The theory being that if there are better facilities, safer and faster paths, more people will travel by active …
Well that didn’t last long. My shiny new bike managed two days of commuting and has already had its first flat tire. So it is back to driving.
My bike isn’t the only one feeling flat. I think it is a combination of fighting a cold and the …
We went out as a family for a day of cycling. Well, some cycling and lots of playing at the Falkirk Wheel. It was a good opportunity to enjoy my new bike.
On the way home I was pulling the trailer and about to enter calendar park. I hit a …
Today I spent the morning looking at various bikes to replace my aging cyclo-cross bike.
When I bought it, there wasn't much of a market in that area. I had actually wanted a fairly standard road bike, but the bike shop owner convinced me to go with the cyclo-cross if …
My bike is truly bust this time. After the chain broke previously, I tried replacing it but it still didn’t work, the chain just kept jumping. There was also more work required and the bike shop I took it to have recommended that to get a new bike will …
Tonight's plans were slightly upset when this happened:
As I was trying to cycle onto and around a roundabout, my chain snapped leaving me effectively standing in the middle of a busy junction. What was worse was that there was no pedestrian pavement at that …
Today was the first day back at nursery for the boys. The last few trips to nursery we used the car. As a result it was my first time cycling the boy home in several weeks.
Perhaps it was overindulgence over the holidays. Perhaps I didn't do enough other exercise …
There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
The above quote is often used by cyclists to encourage others to venture out during the wetter and colder times of the year. After tonight's commute home I call BS on that quote. Tonight was definitely bad weather.
I …
Normally when I collect the boys from nursery, I leave work and cycle across Grangemouth and into Falkirk to collect them. Then I hitch a trailer to my bike and tow them home.
Today, due to the bad weather1, I had the car and drove to pick them up …
This morning, on my way to work, it felt like I was flying and I think I have found a reliable way to be able to repeat the feeling.
Simply cycle home uphill while putting a trailer with two small children in it. That way, the next time you cycle …
Earlier this week, I cycled from work into Falkirk town centre. After the journey, I was asked how the trip went and my first reaction was that it was horrible. But then I caught myself.
Most of the trip went fine. It was just one particular part that spoilt it …
Once an engine attached to a train
Was afraid of a few drops of rain
It went into a tunnel
And squeaked through its funnel
And wouldn't come out again
The sad story of Henry, Rev. W. Awdry
The route I use to cycle to work goes under the motorway …
For a number of years now my preferred cycling bag has been a messenger bag but with clips built into it so it can be attached to a bicycle rack. I prefer this style over the traditional pannier bag style because it is more convenient to carry when you get …
This weekend has been pretty busy in our house. We had our 4th of July picnic (on the 7th) where we invite lots of friends over.
Normally we invite far more people than actually attend. This year we ended up with a record turnout and brilliant weather.
It was a …
Once again I am sweaty on the train having sprinted for it.
I am headed into Edinburgh for an Inaugural Lecture on Energy, Exergy and How We Can Achieve a Low Carbon Economy.
Unfortunately until this morning, after I was already at work, I had forgotten about it (must review …
I recently bought a Basil Urban Fold Messenger bag from athleteshop.co.uk. Shortly after receiving the bag, they sent an email requesting a review of their site however the place to review it is their facebook page (and I am not currently using facebook).
As such, I have decided …
I have been on holiday for the last week and have made a number of trips into Edinburgh during the week and have taken a bike with me to help get around the city.
In the distant past, to get a bike in or out of Waverly, you would simply …
I am currently trapped. Someone is asleep on my lap and I want to let them get as much as possible so I dare not move.
Unfortunately all the jobs and things I want to do require something about 3 to 5m out of my arm's reach.
It is rather …
I have in IChemE committee meeting in Edinburgh tonight and I had assumed I was not going to attend (or only remotely via Skype).
As I was picking the little one up from granny’s, I get a text from Denise saying if we time it right, I could meet …
I took the NEBOSH National General Certificate a few years back. The course was a comprehensive overview of health and safety in a work environment.
One of the mnemonics provided by my lecturer for the course was “Eric, P.D.”, as a way to remember the Hierarchy of Control. The …
So cycling home up Clarke street and car decides to turn left (with no indicators cos as we all know indicators don't work in the rain). In turning left the car proceeded to take me out and I don't mean for a drink. Whilst I can admit it wasn't the …
I have avoided writing notes on Wednesday nights because they would all involve cycling through Hollyrood Park and nearly getting killed or complaining about the cycle lanes/paths that are death traps.
This evening this problem was solved by getting the timing wrong, hitting the kerb harder than I had …
Car horns, if you look at your highway code, are to make other road users aware of your presence. If a cyclist is making their way to the cycle bay at the front of traffic lights (like they are supposed to), the light turns green and you happen to nudge …
This was supposed to go up yesterday, don't know why it didn't.
This morning I had to walk to Kings Buildings because I had left my bike there on Tuesday. Whilst this is not normally a problem I did notice a few oddities. First I took the exact same route …
