Central London CTC blog

BANG! Clatter-clatter-clatter! “Oh b*llocks!” (or worse).

Thus the exploding transmission announces itself, generally on a hill as you’re putting your back into it, sometimes tromping across a major road through a gap in the onrushing traffic.

It can be a comedic moment for the subject’s fellows, though the guffaws soon die on their lips when they realize how long it’s going to take to fix. Let’s face it, repairing transmissions with the tools we generally take out on the road isn’t the matter of a moment. And standing around in a sodden hedgerow while the subject wrestles with the bike is no barrel of laughs. Funnily enough, it’s happened on my last three CTC rides. I forebear to name the guilty parties – they know who they are. more »

Autumn slipping into winter today, and we six enjoyed a relaxed start to our ride with a coffee stop at Cafe Roma on St Peters Street .  Two cyclists from Shenley already there.  Off out the Sandridge Road and down Sandridgebury Lane, you get a lovely view of the village nestled below Woodcock Hill, church spire in the middle.   more »

Some creative navigation on my part, as well as a reassuringly knackered Metropolitan Line, meant that the Central London team were well warmed up by the time we made it to Amersham Tesco for the rendevous with Rocco’s flame-attired West London crew. more »

Inez and I saw 3 films on the programme, and would definitely recommend the event for an outing next year. It is always in the first week in October, and you know that you’ve come to the right place if you see rows of fixed wheel bikes, some sans brakes with brightly coloured rims tethered outside. more »

Strange weather day. I woke up late, too late even for coffee, and rushed out the door into a cold mist. Ended up early at Euston, so went to a Costa over the road, unfortunately just after an Italian coach party. Gave up – at least it was warmer in town. Surprisingly large group, 13 in all. Paul’s route basically took us along the Falling Leaves – including most of the climbs and a few long descents – so glad I dusted off the trusty Condor. more »

Bicycle helmets are compulsory in Australia. Visual evidence suggests that the law is obeyed and, apparently, policed. Like anywhere, you see roadies in the latest carbon fibre confections, little kids in barbie pink ones, and teenagers in skateboard helmets. Most of the rest of cyclists appear to have a lump of spare TV packaging balanced on their heads, straps flying in the breeze. You can, and regularly do, buy such pieces of life-saving equipment in charity shops. Of unknown age and provenance, slightly mis-shapen, with no circumferential adjustment and a chin-strap that slips, extra bits of foam super-glued inside in a vain attempt to make it ‘fit’. Ventilation if you’re lucky – but they all have a quality approved sticker inside and they make you legal. I know. My mother has one.

Studies have apparently shown that motorists leave more room for cyclists without helmets, perceiving them as ‘vulnerable’, and one piece of research in Australia suggests compulsory helmet wearing has reduced cycling more than reducing head injuries.

Would it not be safer to let those who choose to, pay for something well-fitting, comfortable and effective, and let those who don’t be given a wide berth?

On 12th October 2008 I led the Fall Flyer from Amersham tube:

David McColl (with a Titanium Litespeed Tuscany frame that he had got for just £300 via E-bay – superb value) and Brendan Colreavy made up the non-veteran (that’s under 40) contingent, with Roger Cline, Rory Rhodes and me the right side of 40. Nick Dean joined with Rick Featherstone – like Grayson Perry a Mosquito sponsored mountain biker. more »