London Singlespeed Society

Well we’ve just got back from a tour of the Annapurna circuit, a commonly walked, but rarely cycled route through the Himalayas in Nepal. And no, of course I didn’t do it on a singlespeed, don’t be daft. The route is nowadays ridden as an annual race called the Yak Attack, but we were there as tourists. Despite falling ill, falling off the bike, smashing my rear derailleur clean off on a rock (an instant reminder of why singlespeeding is so great) and some altitude-related unpleasantness, the trip was unbelievable and I would highly recommend it to anyone. There’s a lot of un-rideable sections, mostly very steep rough staircases cut into the mountains, but when it’s rideable, it’s breathtaking. Despite mountain bikes and components being impossibly expensive in Nepal the country has some very skilled, and very strong mountain bikers, so if you ever go, expect to be humbled by the locals.

Marco crosses the landslide on the way to Tilicho Lake, the highest lake in the world:

Tenzing and Marco wait to cross the Thorung pass – 5416 metres above sea level:

Marco, Calden and Tenzing descend from the Thorung pass:

Check the London Singlespeed Flickr account for some more photos from the trip and if you want to know a bit more about it, do get in touch.

Yet more evidence that tweed is slowly making a comeback:

http://www.tweed.cc

The Club’s wheelmen and ladymembers wish for a return to the honest virtues of lugged steel, dynamo lighting and canvas saddlebags. A stout pair of plus fours offer day-long comfort while a Fair Isle vest takes the chill out of a frosty spring morning. Merino wool moves smoothly over a leather saddle. As the Club passes the village green, a jaunty cap is doffed. The only performance-enhancers are warm beer and woodbines.

Well, quite.

Photo by Kit Oates, with thanks.

Incredible. Not only do the Japanese have the best technology and a never ending supply of pimpy bike bits, they also appear to have converted missile silos to use as off-street bike storage. Want want want.

With sadness we report the death of one of cycling’s greatest Internet proponents. Earlier today the Harris Cyclery announced that Sheldon Brown has died of a heart attack.

“One of the cycling community’s most passionate members,” Sheldon was an inspiring writer, inventor, mechanic and fixie rider whose knowledge created possibly the best archive of bicycle technical information on the internet.

Our thoughts are with his family and everyone else who will miss him.

The Bristol to Bath cycle path is under threat. Having lived there for some time (though not now, obviously) I’d like to see the path survive so would hope everyone can take a couple of minutes to sign the online petition here.