4ucycling

There were 45 of us, brave souls all. Under an optimistic blue sky, we stood with our bicycles on the shores of the Bosporus on the Asian side of Istanbul, posing for the camera, helmets strapped on. The date, August 4th, 2007. In 15 minutes, we would embark on what some regarded as an impossible, even a foolish, expedition -- a 10,700 km journey that followed the legendary Silk Road. A three and one- half month trek across Asia, ending in front of Beijing's Forbidden City. Difficult? Certainly. Foolish? Perhaps. Impossible? Not a chance. Indeed, it was not the first such epic bicycle journey that I had undertaken. In January 15, 2003, I and 32 other adventurous spirits embarked on the inaugural run of the Tour d'Afrique -- from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa in 120 punishing days. That very first day, in the shadow of the Pyramids, the question I posed to myself was: 'can this really be done'? Can we cycle every meter -- later acronymed and defined as EF...

I have a friend Barry, a professional driver who regularly drives from Toronto Ontario to Long Beach California, a trip of roughly 4,100 KM. I have done the same drive a number of times, so we often compare notes about restaurants, places of interest, etc. We also talk about how long the drive takes, and what is interesting is that if you take the weather out of it, he tends to make the drive in about 2.8 to 3 days, while it usually takes me 4.75 to 5.5 days. We both go to the same destination, covering the same ground, driving within acceptable and safe speed limits. Looked at another way, if we both got $2,500 every time we got to Long Beach, and another $2,500 every time we got back to Toronto, Barry would collect $187,500 in a 225 day work year; while I would only collect $102,272 in the same period. Wow, not what you'd call chump change! We see a similar phenomenon with many of the sales people we work with, some close a sale in 16 weeks, while the lady in the next stall c...

I am off to buy a new bike today after my last one was 'borrowed' by an unknown party. So, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the benefits of cycling. I did not grow up with a bike, so for me cycling is not something that comes naturally at all. However, now that our roads are becoming safer and dedicated bike paths are much more common, there are some great reasons to get in the saddle... 1. Simple to get started The great thing about cycling is that you can decide how much you want to invest. Unlike a gym or other fitness activities, there is no monthly fee or regular outgoings. There is a lot of equipment to choose from, but if you keep things simple you can get started for a very reasonable cost. My tips include buying a second hand bike or keeping an eye out for the end of season sales. You will find some great discounts this way. Once you are committed to the sport, then you can decide what added extras you want to invest in. My favourite is the ...

In light of this upcoming long-weekend ride, I present my top 11 tips for improving your cycling technique: Pedal with flat feet: Some people think of keeping their heels down, and some point their toes towards the sky. A couple of analogies we use are to picture the linkage on an old steam engine and visualize your foot as the linkage come up and staying flat throughout the revolution of the wheels. The other is to picture an equestrian rider, riding a horse with heels down, while toes are in the stirrups. Toes down is a no, no in my book, and you'll see why in the next two tips, as they all go together. Get on the pedals early: This means you start pushing forward on the pedals before they reach the top of the arc or 12 o'clock. With your feet flat to slightly toed up/heeled down you'll be able to increase your power band from two to three hours if you look at the face of a clock. With left foot, start pushing at 10 o'clock instead of one o'clock. With toes down...

A shop tune-up costs $40 to $60. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, here are five quick safety tests recommended by Calvin Jones, a bike mechanic for more than 30 years and author of The Big Blue Book of Bike Repair (Park Tool Co.). Grab Each Wheel. Pull back and forth to test whether they're loose in the frame. Spin the wheels to check that they're not touching brake pads. Ensure a Secure Seat. Hold the frame with one hand and the saddle with the other, then try to twist the saddle. Tighten, if needed. Look for Rust. A little surface rust is okay, but if the frame has rusted through or if the chain has rusted so much that it's stiff, it may be unsafe. While you're eyeballing the chain, lubricate it with one drop of bicycle-specific chain lube per roller. Check for Tire Cracks. If the tire sidewalls look like fishnet, they're too old and worn to be ridden. Dig Your Thumbnail into the Brake Pads. If the pads are too hard to allow you to press your thumbnail int...

In the followings are 10 telltale signs that you’re officially a cyclist (congratulations) 1. You can’t recognize your biking friends when they aren’t wearing Lycra. And you haven’t known whether to be flattered or offended when one of them has seen you in your street clothes and said something like, “Wow! You look really good!” 2. There’s never room on the top shelf of the dishwasher for anything other than water bottles — and no matter how many times you’ve scrubbed them, they still look dirty. 3. You’ve tried every energy bar, gel and powdered electrolyte mix on the market and have homed in on the exact right combo to keep you from bonking on long rides. 4. The “check engine” light in your car has been on for months, but the most minor mechanical issue on your bike is resolved immediately… 5. …that might be because your new bike is worth more than your car. 6. And that bike has a nickname. 7. You have at least one Facebook profile shot of you posing on or next to your ...

Being a popular sport, cycling  has become a fashion for people in different ages. Cyclists form actual cycling clubs and spend years of their lives working to become great cyclists. It's as serious as online football betting to those who are betting on the outcomes! And with Lance Armstrong managing to win the Tour de France so many times, it brought a little bit of glory the sport for people in the United States. However, it doesn't mean that there aren't teams that seem to take the sport a little less seriously. Over the years there have been some truly hilarious names that cycling teams have given themselves. Pedalphiles : The Pedalphiles are a group of dedicated cyclists that reside in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. Despite their definitely questionable name, the group holds the record for long distance outstation rides in Malaysia and they attend cycling events all over the world. Suck It Up Buttercup: There is also a group that calls itself "Suck It Up Bu...

A bicycle storage area is a section of the road, before an intersection with traffic lights, where you can wait (for the traffic lights to change) in front of the stopped vehicles. A bicycle storage road area will have painted bicycle symbols, be between two parallel stop lines and may be painted green. Bicycle and motorcycle riders are allowed to cross the first stop line to enter the bicycle storage area but must stop at the second stop line at a red traffic light. Motor vehicles, other than motorcycles, must stop at the first stop line. A bicycle rider may choose to enter a bicycle storage area from a bicycle lane. When you enter a bicycle storage area, you must: give way to anyone that is already in the bicycle storage area give way to any vehicle that is entering the area on a green or yellow traffic light.

Whatever we do, safety is always the first. When you ride a bicycle, motorised foot scooter or a personal mobility device like a segway, you must wear an Australian Standard (AS) approved bicycle helmet. You must securely fit and fasten it. An approved bicycle helmet means a helmet that complies with AS 2063 or AS/NZS 2063. You may only carry passengers on your bicycle if the bicycle is designed to carry passengers. If you carry a passenger on your bicycle, they must also wear an approved helmet, securely fitted and fastened. However, if they are a paying passenger on a 3 or 4 wheeled bicycle, they do not have to wear a helmet. You do not need to wear a helmet if you have a doctor's certificate stating that, for a specific amount of time, you cannot wear a helmet: for medical reasons because of a physical characteristic that makes it unreasonable for you to wear one. If you have a doctor's certificate, you must carry it with you when you ride without a helmet. You also ...

If you’re getting a new bike, go to a reputable bike shop, where they can advise on the best type of bike and make sure it’s the right size for you. If you’ve already got a bike, get it checked to make sure it’s in a safe condition. It’s best to get your bike serviced regularly at a cycle shop. Check your bike regularly yourself, especially before taking to the road. Here are four things to do regularly: Check brakes and brake blocks or discs to ensure safe stopping in wet and dry weather Clean and oil moving parts to keep the bike working smoothly Tighten nuts and bolts to prevent any parts working loose Make sure lights are working properly and that reflectors are clean. Replace any batteries that don’t give a bright light.

It is neccesory for cyclists to wear pedal cyclists wear helmets? A study of 538 motorcyclists and 523 pedal cyclists who attended the A&E Ward of University Hospital in Nottingham following a road accident, including post mortem reports of 19 pedal cyclists and 87 motorcyclists who died. Pedal cyclists who died more commonly suffered head injuries than motorcyclists who died. Pedal cyclists who survived also sustained head injuries more commonly than motorcyclists who survived. Head injury was more likely to be the main (or only) cause of death for pedal cyclists whereas motorcyclists who died usually suffered other major injuries, but less severe head injuries. The report concludes that head protection could reduce the incidence and severity of head injuries among pedal cyclists

You may already notice that many people around us are cycling fans. Cycling is a fantastic way to get and stay fit. Regular cycling can also help you lose weight and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. People who cycle regularly in mid adulthood typically have a fitness level of someone 10 years younger, and a life expectancy two years above average. Yet, over half the people questioned in a RoSPA survey* said that they don’t cycle, with the main reasons being ‘concerns around the safety of road cycling’ and ‘concerns about drivers treating them badly’. Whether you are a driver, cyclist or both, by understanding other road users can help your anticipation and forward planning skills and ability to take evasive action, leading to safer roads and less conflict between road users. Misunderstanding is a major cause of conflict. Some cyclists feel threatened by inconsiderate driving and close overtaking. Whilst some drivers can’t understand why cyclists at times ride in the midd...

For the safety while cycling, we need to know something about SA laws. The National Traffic Act 93 of 1996 and the National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 promulgated on 17 March 2000 in Gov Gazette 20963 (as amended from time to time)  includes the following bicycle-specific laws: * You must be seated on your saddle * You must ride in single file * You may not deliberately swerve from side to side * If you are riding on a public road where there is a bicycle lane, you must use that bicycle lane Note: Regulation 296 of the National Road Traffic Regulations 2000 states: “A person driving a vehicle on a public road shall do so by driving on the left side of the roadway … .”. Driving is defined in the Act to include riding a bicycle. There is no requirement to ride on the far left of the roadway or on the shoulder. The Road Traffic Regulations impose the same obligations on a bicycle as on a motor vehicle in this regard. Regulation 298(1) requires a vehicle to pass a cyclis...

In the followings are safety tips which are applicable to all cyclists, but even more so for commuters who often ride on their own as opposed to in small groups. Always wear a helmet. Apart from it being South African law since 2004, you never know when a dog runs out in front of you or a car cuts a corner in front of you and causes a fall. And as they say: If your head is worth R50, wear a R50 helmet… Obey the traffic rules: * Most cyclists get killed riding on the wrong side of the road or because they were not visible. Always have a steady white light on the front of your bike and a flashing red rear light between sunrise and sunset, and wear reflective kit. * ALWAYS STOP AT RED TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND ALL STOP STREETS. And even if the light is green for you to cross an intersection, look out for motorists jumping the lights. Watch out for other road users at stop streets. Even if you are continuing straight at a T-junction stop street, there may be horseriders or people wal...

What is safe cycling? You’ll probably get a different answer from every website you read or any other cyclist you talk to. To me, ‘safe cycling’ relates to the combination of common sense, road rules and cycling knowledge to get you from Point A to Point B in a safe and efficient way, preferably with the journey having been a pleasant one and not fraught with danger. Firstly, please make sure that you are visible when you go out on the bicycle. Fit bright lights to your bike (steady white light in front; flashing red light behind the saddle); wear reflective strips or bands eg around your ankle where the motion attracts attention, and wear bright coloured kit (luminous colours work well) – especially when it is rainy, misty or overcast or at dawn/dusk. What do you need in order to cycle safely? a) You need the right vehicle… Choose the right bicycle for the job. I prefer using a hybrid or mountain bicycle for commuting purposes. It is more comfortable than a road racing ...

World Bicycle Relief (WBR), the charity that provides specially designed super-rugged bikes to help get people in developing countries mobile, has launched a campaign that will see any donations made by the public before December the 31st matched up to $1.7M (£1.3M) matched. To put it simply a £95 donation is usually enough to buy one Buffalo Bike but until the end of the year it’ll provide two! This year’s campaign, Together We Rise, highlights Umoja Secondary School in Eldoret, Kenya, where children of Christian, Muslim and traditional African faiths study together and embody their motto – “Together We Rise.” Like millions of children across rural Africa, many students at Umoja Secondary School endure long walks to school that put their academic futures at risk. Girl students face even more obstacles accessing an education- hours of obligatory domestic chores and the threat of sexual assault on the way to school. On top of these daunting challenges, Muslim girls in this region al...