edafe.org » commuting

Bicycle weight and commuting time: randomised trial

edafe — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 11:11:13 +0000

“Evidence based cycling is not high on the bicycle salesman’s agenda. No one will tell you how much more efficient one bicycle is over another; they just say it is better.” Steel or carbon? Jeremy Groves buys a new bike in the hope of saving up to five minutes on his daily commute…
www.bmj.com
With thanks to Lutz Meißner.

If the bike fits…

edafe — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:32:31 +0000

“Following on from last week’s show on well-being, we look at the importance of getting a good fit between rider and machine.” Scherritt Knoesen and Jack Thurston talk about finding the right position on your bike.
thebikeshow.net

Whodunnit?

edafe — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 22:30:25 +0000

“Clearly, somebody in this room murdered Lord Smythe.”
youtube.com

How to ride a bike forever

edafe — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:03:52 +0000

The following article by Grant Peterson was first published in the 1994 Bridgestone Bicycle Catalogue.

Ride when you like

Don’t ride out of guilt over last night’s meal. Don’t be a slave to your bike, or else you’ll resent it, and feel guilty whenever you think about it or look at it. Soon you’ll be avoiding it altogether. If all your rides are like a swimmer’s workout, you’ll burn out on bikes as fast as swimmers burn out on laps. Ride when you want to ride.

Go slowly

Don’t push yourself too hard, physically or mentally. Don’t ride with racers or obsessive aerobicizers. (If you’re a racer, don’t race with riders, let them be.) Learn to relax on your bike. Of course your bike can be a tremendous tool to build cardiovascular fitness, but why let that get in the way? Unless you race, you can rely on something else, like running, to get fit and lose weight. Running is more efficient for this anyway.

Go short

A ten-minute ride is always worth it, even though it won’t elevate your heart rate to your ‘target training level’ and keep it there for twelve minutes. (Or is it supposed to be eleven? Or fourteen?)

Don’t keep track

If you never use an on-board computer or a heart rate monitor, you can ride with us any time. Avoid ‘logs’. Forget the graphs and the home computer programs. Keep your bicycle free of extraneous wires and LEDs. You don’t need them.

Own more than one bike

This is not a commercial message! Runners have learned that nothing improves a run as much as a new pair of shoes, or shorts, or socks, or something. Bikes, unfortunately, cost a lot more, but the effect is the same. Make your bicycles so different that your experience on one is unlike the other—a mountain bike and a road bike, a multispeed and an single speed, or a clunker, or a recumbent. For some people, even different handlebars are enough of a change, It’s worth a try.

Learn how to fix your bike

Learn to fix a flat. Learn how to install a wheel. Learn how to adjust derailleurs. It’s all easy, and you’ll never feel at ease on a bike if you’re at its mercy. Being able to fix your bike will give you enormous confidence and satisfaction, not to mention self-sufficiency.

Don’t chase technology

You will never catch it, and if you pursue it year after year it will break your wallet in half. Some wonderful things have happened to bicycles in the last fifteen years, but so have a lot of dumb things. You don’t need a fancy machine with the latest equipment to enjoy something that is so joyous and simple. A simple, reliable bike will do.
www.sheldonbrown.com

The spectral memorials that haunt our roads

edafe — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 11:21:08 +0000

“It would be unfortunate if the proliferation of ghost bikes frightened off nervous waverers, because there is quite a lot of evidence that the more cyclists there are, the safer cycling becomes. But if white bikes grab the attention of motorists, give them pause and remind them to take care, they will mark the past and help safeguard the future.” Geraldine Bedell reports on the phenomenon of the white bike reaching the UK.
www.guardian.co.uk

Street smarts

edafe — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:06:55 +0000

“The only things that will keep you alive in traffic are your skills, your awareness of your environment, and always having a tremendous respect for the danger involved.” Richard Katz outlines his approach to riding in traffic.
www.urbanvelo.org

Bike commuting: a better way to travel

edafe — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:29:06 +0000

“Nothing has enhanced my life as much as the decision to start bike commuting. I’ve stopped smoking, I don’t drink any more, and I’m always outdoors. I’m saving money, I feel all self-righteous about not polluting, and I can eat plenty without worrying about getting fat. And I arrive at just about any city destination faster than if I’d driven.” Paul Dorn enjoys his ride.
www.runmuki.com

Riding advice for urban cyclists

edafe — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:46:32 +0000

“Understand the principles and then apply them to develop a style that suits your needs and personality.” Read Patrick Field’s excellent guide to riding in traffic.
www.leedscyclists.org.uk

That’s me: radical superhero of the streets

edafe — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 19:48:48 +0000

“Cycling in London is an extreme sport, little safer than base jumping. A journey begins with trepidation and ends with me slightly high that I’m still alive.” Janice Turner does not depend on timetables or traffic. On two wheels, she enjoys the pleasure of knowing exactly what time she’ll arrive.
www.timesonline.co.uk

The door zone project

edafe — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:27:31 +0000

“Many cyclists make the mistake of riding too close to parked cars. This is extremely dangerous. Many cyclists have been seriously injured or even killed because they were riding in the door zone.” On her bike, Riin Gill never gets closer than 1.5 m.
www.riinsrants.info

Road positioning

edafe — Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:09:39 +0000

“Cyclists are being told that road positioning is a critical part of riding safely—but are there any rules, or does it require some kind of two-wheeled sixth sense that you can only gain from experience?” Richard Peace answers some of the most commonly asked questions.
www.bikeradar.com

Danger? What danger?

edafe — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:18:26 +0000

“But what I hear all the time from people is that they would ride a bike but don’t because they feel it’s too dangerous. I completely sympathise, but, of course, I disagree.” Matt Seaton compares cycling in traffic to a peculiar kind of ballet on wheels.
www.guardian.co.uk

Life expectancy

edafe — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 19:07:14 +0000

Fact: A regular London cyclist enjoys a longer life expectancy than a Londoner who takes no exercise.

How to not get hit by cars

edafe — Sun, 21 Nov 2004 21:02:29 +0000

“Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car.” Only a small proportion of accidents involve the collison with a motor vehicle, yet they account for the vast majority of fatalities among cyclists. Michael Bluejay explains how to avoid getting hit.
www.bicyclesafe.com