http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk Dens solus idoneus est Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:12:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Nice campaign from New York City's Department of Transport highlighting cyclists (yes, I know, I'm turning into Safety Pierre...) : P http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/nyc-dot-lk Probably the stupidest thing I've ever seen. No, wait... this is. http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/fixed-gear-chainring-stall ...is actually not bad. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/cycling/11598.aspx I was initially disappointed to find the "Cycling Journey Planner" looks like a lazy modification of the standard TfL journey planner, with the word "cycle" instead of "walk". However, click on the "start" or "end" maps and it actually gives you a full cycle route breakdown, albeit ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/tfls-new-cycling-page The yearly guided ride with numbers is on again. Registrations are open for SSUK 09.  It's taking place in Dalby Forest oop Yaarkshire way on the 6/7th June 2009.  Entry is £36 and includes camping, a place on the start line and a post race BBQ. It's always a great laugh full of beer, ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/ssuk-09-registrations-open Cycle chic or bicycle chic is the culture of cycling in fashionable clothes. It is now associated with the strong utility cycling movement. Cycling is an everyday transport choice and many cyclists choose to wear their regular clothes, as opposed to outfits generally associated with cycle sport, such as bicycle shorts, lycra, gloves and shoes.  Sydney Body Art Ride. Which is ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/velocouture Anyone out there fast enough for winged trouser clips? I'm definitely not nearly quick enough to wear them, and would undoubtedly look like a bit of a weirdo, but I still think they're a great stocking filler. http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/xmas-gift-watch-08 Although this was designed to highlight the danger of walking into the road while lost in your own little world, it's a good time to remember how idiotic being an "iPod zombie" on a bike really is: cars and motorbikes have rear view mirrors; cyclists have ears.  If you want ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/ipods-and-road-safety What's your score? Found on Urban Cycle Chic. http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/hipster-bingo I just came across Save Our Soles, a fab looking sock company based in Colorado (why are none of these sort of people ever based in the UK?).  They do a whole range of wool socks for cycling and other sweaty pursuits, including the rather nifty Argyll/hockey stick ones above. Anyway, check ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/performance-socks-for-the-enlightened-athlete Having arguably helped to spark the glorious comeback of tweed (which we have reported on time and again) for the modern urban cyclist with the subtle, but popular, tweed detailing on their shorts: Rapha have gone all the way and produced a limited edition tweed softshell jacket. Like many things Rapha, ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/rapha-kills-tweed-resurgence Posted on LiveLeak, a video of some people "freeway cycling": What interests me is not the sports metal soundtrack accompanying what appears to be fairly banal footage of some cyclists riding down the gaps in near-stationary traffic (something most of us would simply refer to as "commuting"), but the comments. "These ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/those-crazy-fools It never seems like a good idea. Thank you, FAIL Blog. http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/riding-with-no-hands I had originally believed that the problem of stupidly placed brake levers had been hitherto confined to New York and other North American cities at the cutting edge of fixed gear trendiness. But I am sad to report that London has fallen foul to this latest craze. While wandering through ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/lobster-claw-brakes-hit-london Travelling entirely by bicycle, carrying all of their instruments, accompanied by a two person film / support crew (with Buzz the travelling cat for company) and funding the trip entirely by playing concerts along the way, the Oregan based band Blind Pilot are touring the entire West Coast of the ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/music-powered-bicycles Courtesy of Mr. Crud, we've been testing a couple of prototypes of the 2009 Raceguard. The first Raceguard was invented in 1994, an innovative seatpost-mounted rear mudguard, and it rapidly became the market leader among mountain bikers and commuters alike as the simplest and best-looking way to avoid that "wet stripe" ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/2009-crud-raceguard-exclusive-preview From Bikesnob NYC last week: Of course, the truth is that on a lot of terrain a singlespeed mountain bike isn’t much of a handicap. In fact, often it’s an advantage. When confronted with a steep grade on a singlespeed mountain bike, you either have to stomp up it really fast, ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/spinning http://springwise.com/weekly/2008-08-06.htm#trekstop I can't decide whether this is a great idea, or a really terrible one. While round-the-clock parts availability is a Good Thing, I can foresee drawbacks.  I can just imagine the typical phone call I'm going to get at 2am from some random hipster who's snakebite-punctured his brakeless fixie slamming it ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/vending-machines-for-bicycle-parts Winston writes asking for a shameless plug, and here it is: Rollapaluza XI - Kingspin - is taking place on Friday 8th August at the (rather excellent) Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes, WC1.  £7.50 entry with DJs, a bar until 3am, cut price bowling, food and underground stewarded bike parking.  Better polish up ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/rollapaluza-xi This video on creating a mobile phone activated stun gun was posted as a follow up to the anti-theft Instructable. It works by attaching the stun gun battery connectors to the phone's vibrate function thus triggering the shock by calling the phone. The inventor (titter ye not, he's only naked from the waist up) ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/best-bike-lock-ever Instructables have an article up on how to keep your bike from being stolen. I am a particular fan of steps 9 and 10: Step 9 - Trying to make your bike unridable Fixed gear riders advocate fixed gear bicycles as a method of this, that they are somehow more secure because they ... http://www.londonsinglespeed.org.uk/how-to-keep-your-bike-from-being-stolen