4ucycling

So, the last time I hopped on my bike and decided to have a lovely bike to work experience, the adventure was over soon - before it had a chance to actually develop into something long term. It lasted a day. And a sweaty day, full of cycling disappointment it was. Almost three years later I was ready to give it another shot. I was quite happy with my car and congestion adventure until this May and yet another inhuman increase in gas prices. The fact that my colleague from work kept babbling on about all the wonderful benefits of cycling in combination with flashing her lovely cycling legs, just made me more determined to try again. I can do it, damn it! I too, with as little effort as cycling for 20 kilometers to and from work every single day, can have legs like that! Well, needless to say, my adventure began not like any adventure in any of the movies that Hollywood is able to produce. My once lovely little city bike became almost unusable after withering away for almost three ye...

I have a very interesting job title, I'd like to share it with you and talk a little about what I do. I am a strategic cycling officer and infrastructure consultant. Quite a mouthful right? Let me tell you what I do. I go to schools on a Monday (a different school every week) and I leave on a Thursday. On the Monday I hold an assembly with all the kids and teachers and tell them why I'm at school. Basically my job is to make an overall assessment of the school and its surrounding area in terms of its suitability for cycling. I tell the kids that I am here so that more of them can cycle to school. They are on my side. I spend the next few days cycling around the local roads and making reports about the suitability for cycle paths. I also look at the school itself, where can they put more cycle shelters- do they have enough cycle shelters? I liaise with the head of the school and give them information about funding - there is up to £5,000 available in grants for schools that ...

Every year about 300 people are killed on UK roads as a result of a driver falling asleep at the wheel. Driver tiredness accounts for one in five fatal crashes occurring on motorways and other major roads in the UK. Tired driver crashes are three times more likely to result in serious injury or death than other road accidents, because drowsy drivers do not brake or take other avoidance action. These accidents tend to occur most frequently at night, peaking between 2-6am and also in the mid-afternoon, roughly between 3-5 pm. Men, particularly those aged 18-24, are most likely to be involved in these accidents. But statistics also show that some occupations are at particularly high risk: Truck drivers Company car drivers Shift workers, particularly on the first night after a shift Skilled manual workers (e.g. bricklayers, carpenters, electricians) Microsleeps If you are very tired but continue to resist the urge to sleep, you will soon start to experience 'microsleeps...

The bike-share industry is exploding and for good reason. Bicycles are essential to solving a persistent, everyday problem, traffic. My – call it bold – prediction is that bike-share companies will eventually become bigger than car-based services such as Uber. This, however, depends highly on getting the regulatory framework for bike-share systems right. Bicycles will win because in the trafficless future of liveable, sustainable cities only a few will afford or want to drive a car every day. Infrastructure will favor the majority, cyclists, and self-driving cars will make streets safer for biking. Bicycles will win, and bike-shares will play a key role as they allow for better modal integration, especially for the rail and bike combination. The venture capital world has finally woken up to the potential of bike-sharing. So far Ofo and Mobike have each raised upwards of $500 million. The remaining 30+ bike-share startups, including the one I’m co-founder of, Donkey Republic, have a...

Smaller Batteries While firms such as Bosch and Shimano are always looking to improve and refine their drive systems, this year’s important e-bike technical developments are more likely to be associated with power sources. Battery size and efficiency is something that’s an important topic for a vast range of modern products — from mobile phones to electric cars — and with the digital consumer hugely reliant on electrical power on the go, battery manufacturers are constantly searching to make theirs smaller, lighter, and hold a bigger charge for longer. In the case of e-bikes that is particularly important because the battery is the main thing that makes pedal-assist models bulky, heavy and obviously different from ‘normal’ bikes. The battery’s ability to hold a charge is also key to an e-bike’s range — effectively regulating how far you can go on your e-bike before it runs out of power. However, one increasingly popular idea is that manufacturers will start shying away from routi...

Don't skimp on the cost of buying locks - they're often the only thing stopping your valuable bike from being stolen! There are a wide range of locks available and, generally speaking, you should be looking to spend at least £20 on a lock. Ask your local cycle retailer about Silver or Gold standard locks. These offer the best protection. The police also recommend you use two different types of locks to secure your bike if possible, such as a cable lock and a D-lock, as thieves are rarely equipped to break into both. Security A good bike, if well maintained and well secured, will last for several years. Don't let yours get stolen! Local cycle shops can offer advice on how to protect your bike against theft, and recommend the right lock for your bike, but here are a few handy hints: Get your bike security marked if you can. See the Safer York Partnership website for more information on this. Invest in a good quality lock such as a D-Lock, extension cable or heavy ch...

Once you've rounded up the essentials (helmet, pump, seat pack, patch kit, spare tube, tire levers, mini tool, cycling shorts, gloves, jersey, shoes/pedals), these accessories will make your cycling even more enjoyable. Floor pump: The frame pump (often called a "mini-pump") is essential for emergencies on the road and trail, but for everyday use you'll want a floor pump. It'll make short work of airing your tires and save wear and tear on the frame pump. Cyclo-computer: One of the joys of cycling is being able to cover lots of ground and a cyclo-computer can tell you how far, how fast and how long you've ridden. Some even have extra functions such as heart rate, cadence (how fast you're pedaling), altitude, and temperature. There are wireless models for a super clean installation too. Vehicle (car) rack: The trails or roads you bike aren't always riding distance away, so you may want a rack designed to easily and safely transport your bike on yo...

Vintage bikes, especially steel racing and track bikes, have always had their fans and collectors. In the 2000's, a new generation of riders have also taken interest in owning, collecting and in the best case, riding these beautiful machines as an everyday commute or in events like L´Eroica or Tweed Rides. If you consider buying a vintage racer for yourself, make sure you are spending your money on the right one. What makes a vintage racer valuable? Some collectors favour nothing but handcrafted bikes that were manufactured only by the dozens to low hundreds. Bikes made by the master builders like Ugo De Rosa, Faliero Masi and Ernesto Colnago are some of the most sought after in the world. These bikes will probably retain their resale value the best in the long run. Other icons like Cinelli, Colnago, Pinarello, Peugeot and Gios are very desirable brands among buyers, even though some or all of their models were mass-manufactured in great numbers. Complete bikes usually cost mor...

Many cyclists enjoy treating their bike to new equipment even if it doesn't need it. Irrelevant as to what type of bike you have - getting the right saddle is the most important factor in being able to ride comfortably. Sitting on the wrong one can lead to quite an unpleasant experience. Riding style With many choices out there and with very subtle differences to the untrained eye, it can seem confusing which saddle is the one for you. Just like the unique specifications of an individual, a saddle is a unique and personal product. There are many different variations of shapes and sizes that not only fit your riding style, but also the width of your sit bones. Consider your riding style and position on the bike first. Are you sitting upright? Or are you leaning your body towards the front of the bike? Once you know this, it narrows down the selection process. Some saddles have very helpful packaging where it describes its intended riding style, which makes your decision a lot ...

Finding a bike to take on your daily commute is not that hard, if you keep in mind some basic things. Here you will find five tips that will help you choose your first commuter bike. So, if your last bike ride was twenty years ago and you're trying to figure out how to approach the unfamiliar world of using valuable commuting time to keep yourself in better shape, look no further. 1. Ride Length Matters Knowing the length of your commute could make all the difference in your wallet and your ride comfort. Every three miles or so, the general requirements and goal of your commute will change based on what the length of your ride does to your body and what your bike should be designed to handle. Be aware of cycling conditions in your city and try to accurately gauge how much you’ll be riding throughout the week. If you find yourself riding less than three miles per day, any bike will fit your needs. At six miles your ride comfort will decline without paying special attention to yo...