Spindles at the Tour De France

I just had to go to see the Tour in Yorkshire so my brother-in-law and I hatched a plan to cycle from Kirkby Stevens to Muker.  I went up the day before in the rain to by sisters house in Ings, but the next day (Saturday) was warm sunshine.  Before we got to Kirkby Stevens we were seeing bikes heading towards the tour and after getting provisions for the day at Kirkby we turned off onto the B6270 which ascends a 1600ft pass before descending  into Muker.  I've never seem so many bikes go over a 1600ft pass and as the roads were closed they were almost traffic free.  As we got closer there were more yellow bikes, campsites and car parks as evidence of the numbers of people.

The Howgill fells are a stunning part of the country, with quiet roads with the occasional 'arrow' to indicate steep gradients

After arriving into Muker we found a spot on the wall and waited for helicopters to appear which indicated the first rider was about to come through.   But the Tour De France is about advertising

With the advertising safely through the helicopters arrived, then disappeared and re-emerged along with the first rider  

Soon after the Peloton came through

What was really good to see was the number of people to had ridden on bikes to get their spot.  Not only middle aged blokes on new racers but families with their dogs, old and young, shopping bikes, MTBS the list is endless.

Heading Back home

The sides of the road became a temporary bike park

Cycling Shoes you can walk in.

This is one of my pet hates. I've lost count of the number of cycling shoes I have gone through in the last ten years. OK I do a lot of walking in them as well but what tends to happen is that the sole wears through to the air pocket allowing water to get in making my feet wet. This happens within about 2 years and is all the more galling because the uppers are in perfect condition. I think its a technique employed by shoe manufacturers to make the sole so flimsy that buying a new pair within two years is inevitable. 

I've taken my latest pair to several cobblers who scratch their heads and then say no because of the hard sole. I then struck upon the idea that I could glue some old bike tyre to the bottom of the sole thus fixing the problem. And here is the result.

I used a specialist rubber glue and some old 700c tyre. OK it not brilliant and after a couple of weeks the tyre tread had worn through.  Don't get me wrong these Exustar shoes are great but like most cycling shoes they are not designed to be resoled. Next I will try mountain bike shoes.

Anybody know of a good cycling shoe that will stand up to a bit of walking?

Truvative Bottom Bracket acts as Sonar

A few weeks ago my day bike developed a strange intermittent 'ping' noise that emanated from the bottom bracket/ pedals area. The next few days the ping got louder and more annoying so as the good weather had arrived, I dusted off the summer bike and started using that, hoping that ignoring the problem would make it go away.

Sooner or later I needed to use the day bike again as that's the bike set up to take the trailer. By this time the ping had developed into something that was akin to a submarine sonar searching for oncoming traffic. I determined that the ping was created on the down stroke of the left crank. The pedals were good quality Velo Orange which left the bottom bracket as the suspect which was confirmed as the culprit when I changed the pedals and the same noise persisted.

One Chain Reaction purchase later provided a replacement Shimano UN55. When I took the existing Truvative sealed unit Bottom Bracket out I found that the sealed bearing assembly had come apart from the rest of the housing. The rather cheap construction method employed by Truvative is a disappointment since its almost bound to go wrong. The unit had only been in place for about 2 years and I can only assume that the load of pulling a trailer was too great. The Shimano construction is much better since the bearings are an integral part of the housing and not a 'bolt on'.

You can see that the Truvative uses a separate baring whereas the Shimano baring is integral

Great news, we have a location

We have an agreement with Corsham School to site a container on their premises near the Springfield centre.  All we need to do now is to get a 20-30ft container transported to the school, get our stuff out of storage and into the container and we are back up and running.  It's probably a lot harder than it sounds but I think that sometime in June we should be back on line - just in time for the Tour de France.
We will probably have an art project to paint the container so that it blends in with the surroundings.  I have also thought of erecting solar panels to charge batteries (and electric bikes) that would provide lighting and mains power via an inverter.  Edgar thought of installing a wood burner for the winter months however, a recent meeting with the Community Campus liaison officer has provided the opportunity to work in the Campus during the winter months using the container for Storage.

Music, rides and thoughts of Spindles to come

An email on Friday from the Pound Arts asked us whether we could service some bikes that belonged to that nights performer, Richard Durrant and his mate Sean.  By chance we had tickets for that nights show as seeing a world class classical guitarist who cycles to his gigs is not to be missed.  I dropped in at the pound and arranged a bike service that would be done on the Saturday.  The performance was great.
The following morning we found a couple of broken spokes on Richard's bike.  He is towing a trailer with all the stage gear on it (40kg+) and the bike wheels were not made for that kind of punishment.  We fitted some new spokes and tuned the gears and brakes on both bikes.  Good to go. You can watch Richard's blog below where we get a credit.
  

or follow him on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Durrant/132278903555391

That day we went for a ride and stopped at Holt cafe for a meal.  It was rather an unusual way to spend a Saturday for us.  In fact its been years since I've sat in the sun on a Saturday drinking lattes as Spindles is always busy.  We returned to the Pound which was hosting a repair cafe and a bike had been brought in to be brought back to life. Just keeping our hand in.

We had a metting with Corsham school this week which is keen to host Spindles.  We surveyed a good site that they had identified which is outside of the school perimeter fence but on school grounds near the Springfield centre.  All we need is a container and an art project to turn it into thing of beauty.  This is the kind of situation that is made for Kevin McCloud or a least Corsham's answer to Kevin.

We have also been contacted my Wiltshire Council's community support who would like to see us and an other school in Corsham that would like to borrow our delivery bike.  We have never been so popular.

Spindles moved into Storage, appearance at Repair Cafe At the Pound, what's next?

Packing away was not easy 

It has been a sad experience over the last few days to pack spindles stuff away into boxes and put it into storage.  All the bikes bar two were sold thanks mostly to ebay and the customer bikes were picked up.  The stock can neatly be stacked while the work benches fold and the shelving comes apart.

It was an opportunity to rationalise and a lot of the old reclaimed stock was re-evaluated and scrapped. Even the obligatory soft porn free calendar from our wholesaler, an object of ironic mirth,  was surplus to requirements especially since it was left under a leaking roof.

An empty room replaces Spindles Bike shop

 There was nobody around today , the wind whipped through the open doors pushing the curtains around, finding its way through the condemned building.  The knitting group was meeting for the last time as were the retired dancers.
What remains are empty rooms.  What will be in June is rubble, ground down to make a base for the car park.  


Next week Spindles will be at the Repair Cafe at the Pound Arts Centre.  It will be a kind of reunion as we spent 2 years at the Pound.  We may resume our spot at the back through the peacock gates and keep our hand in.  

We are currently considering a number of options, some of which include erecting temporary buildings.  This will take time to evaluate the respective potential of each opportunity and fully understand the pros and cons.  We want to get a more permanent place so that we can do more interesting activities.  For now, Spindles is safely packed away.

Spindles In Storage

Bikes ready to return

Spindles Film

Here's our film that shows a little of what we do including our Saturday workshop, the work we do for Sustrans and our occasional rides.  I would like to do some evening rides when the world cup is on as the roads should be clear.


The sound track is great. See also http://www.everydaylifeonashoestring.com/2014/05/like-bicycle-without-wheels.html for a write up on the last day.

Bikes to sell before we move

We will need to move in the next two weeks so these bikes are now on Ebay

see http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181393934852

Raleigh Racer 5 speed boys bike

see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apollo-XC26s-Ladies-Mountain-Bike-/181393985450?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2a3bec8faa

see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apollo-Incessant-Mountain-Bike-/181393996433?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2a3becba91

see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Apollo-full-suspension-mountain-bike-/181393978816?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2a3bec75c0

see http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Raleigh-Attitude-mountain-bike-/181393971337?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2a3bec5889

An idea for how our streets could be

One day all streets will be like this

Spindles in the Papers

The Gazette and Herald photographer came around the other week to take some photos and a feature article resulted which you can read using the following link.
gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/towns/corshamheadlines
The boys could not get into the community centre as the combination lock had been changed hence the lack of photo of the workshop.  The spindles publicity machine has limped into action over the past few weeks and we have had a number of enquiries about new accommodation for Spindles.  The G&H article is as good as it gets.
We are winding down the stock at the moment so if you want to get yourself a bargin bike or tyre, wheel etc then now is the time to do it.  We hope to move in the next two weeks and are current playing with various options which include doing some long awaited projects.  The options for working on the High Street are complex,  potentially expensive and include setting up/down time which is not attractive.  Nearly all of the options are out of town so Spindles will be leaving Corsham.

Folding bikes to Weymouth and other stories

AM and I went to a wedding reception in Weymouth over the holidays which meant that we had to get the train from Bradford-on-Avon to Weymouth which is a journey that only the brave take with bicycles. Anyone who has done this journey by bike will know that sometimes you are refused entry onto that particular train.  This happened to us last year when we ended up getting a taxi to Yeovil which cost £70.

We decided to try folding bikes as I've had my Moulton for a couple of years now and AM can borrow Edgar's Brompton. The journey went smoothly with bikes being disassembled and reassembled accordingly.

Constructing the Moulton takes 5 minutes - The Brompton takes seconds

The Brompton was a bit of a special with 5 speed hub gear coupled with a Shlumpf 2 speed bottom bracket making 10 gears.  The Brompton fold takes seconds however for the uninitiated, its ingenious origami styled magic trick that takes some thinking.  The Moulton is a game of two halves which takes one bolt and a set of cable breakers to achieve a bicycle.

The wedding reception went well helped by an endless supply of cocktails and champagne.

After the main  event we travelled to Southampton for a family visit.  This consisted of getting the train to Wareham and then cycling to Poole, Bournmouth, Christchurch, New Forest and then getting the replacement bus service from Brockenhurst to Southampton.  Our folding bikes were accepted on all the services.   The cycle along the sea front was car free if a little crowded but the New Forest was sublime.  Please note avoid the main roads in his area because they are narrow and busy beyond belief.

New Forest - The only danger is the horses 

The replacement bus service at Brockenhurst accepted our folding bikes which were placed on the seats and as no conductor was available, we had a free ride into Southampton.

Bike Party

I came across these videos that show just what is possible on a road bike.  Martyn Ashton and Danny MacAskill on a £15,000 Colnago bike


Good Disc brakes help

Still no sign of a new place

With only 6 weeks to go to the 14th May  deadline there is no sign of a new place.  We arranged for an email to be sent out to the Transcoco contacts list (with thanks to Sue) and got a response from a local storage firm.  The fact that we got something straight away was encouraging and the offer of a small lockup was appreciated however the site would not be accessible at the weekend.
I investigated a garage that was for sale however the location and state were far from being ideal.  So for options:

1. We could find a quite shed/garage/lockup somewhere and do some interesting bike projects.  We would advertise and the very keen would seek us out.  We would not be in Corsham.
2. We arrange to have a market stall every Saturday in the centre of Corsham with a lockup close by.  We would use 'loadie' bikes to transport the spares/bikes/gazebo/kit etc.
3. We would deploy a 'pop-up' bike shop around Corsham school/Springfield centre area. Again 'loadie bikes would be used to transport the kit.

Options (2) and (3) seem to entail a lot of set up and set down time which is frustrating.  Also the range of repairs would be limited without access to a workbench wheel jig etc.  Option (1) is tempting as it would provide the opportunity to learn how to braze or weld with the option of building better trailers and other bike related devices.

It's a shame that we haven't got a place as I think Corsham needs more bike journeys and fewer cars and parking spaces.  I notice that the space in front of the Corsham court gates are now No Parking with just about the most ugliest signs that could possibly be imagined being used.  Well done some tier of local government.

The Historic Gates to Corsham Court are now a fetching No Parking Sign

  The Guardian have also reported that cycle take up is not as strong in the rural areas as it is in the cities.  Will the 600 students who destined to make their way to Harthem (on Harthem Lane) each week contribute to the scary prospect of carmageddon occurring in Corsham.  When the old community centre is demolished it will make way for.. you guest it, a car park.  

It does not have to be like that...    

A bicycle park in Amsterdam. Forecasts that the UK would soon become a nation of cyclists, much like the Netherlands, have proved wildly optimistic, with lack of cycling infrastructure partly blamed. Photograph: Peter Dejong/AP

It's all lies!

We were at Sheldon School in Chippenham this week where we did a Dr Bike.  The weather was cold sunny and dry which brought out Sheldon's cyclist and we had a full day of brakes and gear fixing.

Nick servicing a Bike a Sheldon School

No sign of Josh's wooden bike which he is keeping under wraps.

With this event came the news that our tenure at the Community Centre will be terminated on the 14th May.  To be comfortable we need to be out two weeks prior to that date at the start of May giving us 6 weeks to find a new place and move.
There is not much to go on however, we have made some more connections and the word is getting out.  We have embarked on bike selling programme hoping to clear the decks before the deadline.  There are three on ebay at the moment.  We seen to sell at least 5 a week to clear all bikes.  We will keep the best frames and all the components however most of the wheels will have to go.

Saturday was a good day with a steady throughput of customers.  At and end Ken came in to show us his latest build, a Reynolds 931 stainless steel bike which he has just built.  It oozes quality fitted with main Campag, Planet X and SRAM kit having given up on the dream of it being all British.  Hay even the Hope bearings are made in Japan.  Ken will be riding it up Mt Ventoux on it this year so lookout for him.

Ken's latest Build - Reynolds 931 Stainless

The was also a chap from Trowbridge to told us that Campag 9 STis work with 8 speed shimano cassette and he was riding a bike that had the arrangement to prove it.  He has been in the trade and he knew what he was talking about.  We will try this soon.

I went to see 'The Armstrong Lie' at the Pound on Saturday along with most of Chippenham Wheelers.  It was a sell out.  It's a documentary about Lance Armstrong who won and then was stripped of 7 Tour De France wins.  It reminded me of 'Breaking Bad' series where a Chemistry teacher who is hitting 50, has to supplement his lack lustre career by working at a car wash, is then diagnosed with incurable cancer and so decides to 'cook' Crystal Meth to supplement his income without telling his family including his brother-in-law policemen.
The story becomes tail of control, power and manipulation, not about money, where 'Walt' the main character, takes on a new persona as a driven gangster prepared to kill and control people in order to keep the truth from getting out.  This is also Lance's story, albeit without the guns, where in order to keep the performance enhancing drug taking a secret, he manipulates, bullies, threatens and does everything in his considerable power to exert control.  Old Friends and colleagues become the victims as it gets increasing more difficult to control events.
The film is compelling and well worth seeing,  I'll certainly see it again.

       

The Problem with old bikes and some creative solutions

Here's our dilemma, we have sold 7 refurbished bike this year however we have received 10 bikes in the last two weeks.  The workshop is getting full of bikes that need working on and we haven't time. The problem gets more acute given that we have to leave the Community Centre by the 14th May 2014 and we don't have anywhere to go.  In practical terms we must be out in 6 weeks.

What do we do? Well some are given to Robin to strip down so that they can go into the scrap metal bin with maybe a brake adjuster or even a saddle being reclaimed.  That leaves 6, which are a Saracen road bike, GT childs bike , Raleigh ladies bike, a shockingly bad Raleigh 1980s mens racing bike, some random kids bikes and another that escapes me.
To get these up and running would take us about 2 working days which we spend on maintenance jobs.  Next week somebody else will clear out their garages and 4 more bikes will magically appear and the problem gets bigger.

Some creative solutions could be:

• To spray paint a complete bike a primary colour, place a spindles advert on it and lock it in town.  Advertising is something we are not good at and this sounds like a good start.
• Create a hanging basket installation out of bicycle frames.  The idea is not as mad as it seems.  Tim has the welding equipment, there are loads of frames, build a good base for it and bolt it down.  Place a community notice board on it for local events.  Oh yes and find a gardener who will supply and tend the plants.  It does need considerable artistic input which could be supplied by Bath University Arts dept. who are resident in Corsham.
• Make a Dome out of the wheels.  It's been done before so its not very original but it uses the wheels.
• Sell some bikes.... maybe.

 I'll let you know how we get on and what solutions we come up with.  In the mean time the Trek 850 is finished.

Just found this very inspiring piece of art work by Ai Weiwei

Ai Weiwei – “absent” @ Taipei Fine Arts Museum (Part II)

It's an incredible art installation based on the bicycle, well actually 1000 bicycles.  Its a triumph of aesthetics, design married to engineering.

you can see other images here

What's up and coming

I just thought I would show this mountain bike that should be ready next week.  The frame is a great Trek 850 with GT CrMo forks.  It will make a great bike when its finished.  I've just put 6 new bikes on the main site see http://spindlesandsprockets.co.uk/?p=bikes

Trek 850 in the making

here is the pile of kids bikes that are waiting for a new owner.  A lot of these are marked as £10

Kids bikes for sale

1st Day of Spring

Winter is finally over and today the sun came out with a vengeance.  There were not many punters in the bike shop today but a refurbishment of a Gary Fisher MB should keep us busy till next week.  I suggested that we go for a ride as the day looked so good.  And with a couple of calls we had a group of 9 heading off to Lacock.

The ride was great despite only being 16 miles.  It was scenic, quiet and almost dramatic when 4 buzzards took off into the sky in front of us, free-wheeling on thermals.  We headed to Biddestone on Chippenham Lane where Edgar kindly made us tea and we discussed the finer points of urban development in the local area.

We have three months to find new premises.  We may need to dive into a garage or two over the summer before something permanent is found.  In the short term we have jobs at Ivy lane school and Sheldon school in Chippenham.  There is also the Bike festival in Katherine Park on 23^rd  March 2014 12.45-2.45pm where we hope to have a stall.  see http://www.kpra.co.uk/eventsDetail.php?Sport-Relief-2014-event-21

I'm going to start a email list for people to want to attend our rides.  They will usually be on a Saturday afternoon and will be very sociable.  If you would like to be informed - you may not get much notice, then email me and I will put you on the list.

First outing of the delivery bike

The delivery bike got its first outing last week adorned with Tibetan flags advertising Cafe Momo on Sunday 23rd February - they are serving soup from 12am at Church House - see here for details.  I rode it into town compete with flags and left it locked to a hanging basket frame.  

We also found out this week that we must be out of the Community centre by 31st May because the bulldozers will move in in June.  Only 3 months left at the community centre!

Today we had 4 bike donations and so despite our efforts to sell bikes on ebay we still have fifteen bikes in the workshop which is too many.  We have a pre dominance of girls bikes so if you want a cost effective bike for a young lady then get down to Spindles on a Saturday   

WE NEED A NEW HOME IN CORSHAM!

This is how to renovate properly - a very enjoyable video

Spoke Key Review

I've built a number of wheels before and well as renovating used wheels and I've gained an appreciation of what makes a good spoke key.  I've been using the SW-7 standard park tool spoke key for a number of years and then I discovered the SW-20.  The SW-7 is great  for general purpose but there is a point within wheel building where the nipple gets tight on the spoke as the tension increases and that extra leverage and control is required.  This is where the SW-20 is brilliant, although it is only one size (0 on the SW-7) its very comfortable in the fingers when making adjustments.  Recommended.

The SW-10 tool is more about turning stuck nipples without destroying them.  I've only use it on one spoke which seemed to work.  There is a wheel at spindles which is waiting for the treatment,  I'll let you know how it goes.

The Renovated Dunelt Trademan's bike

We have finished the 1939 Dunelt Trademen's bike so I though I would post a few pictures.  We have put the Hero saddle on it as it has that vintage look.  The handlebars have been painted red however the rest of the bike is black.  The brakes have been renovated but they are still rubbish compared to modern brakes. The rear stand is modern and will be replaced as soon as we find something more appropriate.  It needs a stand so that it can be placed in the high street without leaning on anything.

The chain is a motorbike 1/2 by 1/4 inch which is a perfect fit for the super sized sprockets.  We have also put new chain tugs on the rear dropouts.  Look out for it over the next few weeks in Corsham High Street.

The Dunelt built in 1939

1/4 inch chain

We are now looking for a basket

No we are not starting a delivery service in Corsham!

 See original condition + tyres at http://spindlesandsprockets.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/autumn-sunshine.html

Dr Bike at Walwayne Court Primary School, Trowbridge

A couple of weeks ago we put our Dr Bike hats on to go to Walwayne Court Primary School in Trowbridge.  Dr Bike is organized by Sustrans and paid for by the NHS and allows the kids to bring their bikes in for a safety check.  We try to fix every bike that comes our way and out of the 44 bikes done there was only one that we could not fix.

Bikes waiting to be done

The day started with bright sun but ended in rain.  We had audiences at break time all trying to solve the mystery of who was Dr bike? We each had a school meal which brought back vivid memories.  Nick has seconds!

Edgar, Nick and myself working 

Thank you letters 

I few days ago we received a letter containing a batch of thank you letters from the school. They are clearly very keen on cycling as it was one of the best turnouts we have had on Dr Bike days.
Our next Dr Bike is at Wiltshire College in Chippenham on the 12th February

Two Bikes on Ebay

The Raleigh Misty has been around for a while and needs to find a new home.  Its a 19" fame and has 6 gears.  see http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=181310718806

The likewise for the Apollo Pulse 16" frame girls mountain bike which can be seen here

A Tail of 2 Carradice Saddle Bags

About 6 years ago my partner and I got a Carradice Saddlebag each, she got the Nelson Long flap and I got the Super C.   Although I use mine every day and I have carried very heavy items in it, the Nelson Long flap has proved much better because its a better design.  The Nelson seems to ware better, is more versatile   and is not a prone to splitting apart at the seams.

The Carradice Nelson on the Left and the Super C on the right

The Super C seams fail

The Super C lacks the reinforcements around the sides resulting in the wooden dowel poking its way out of the bag which can be seen in the picture opposite.  This has happened on both sides.  I originally got the Super C because of the D rings and the modern fittings as opposed to the buckle arrangements on the Nelson.  The Nelson also seems to be more weatherproof possibly due to the extra flap but its actually a much better design. 

The Neson seams are reinforced

The Nelson has extra leather studded reinforcements on both sides preventing the wooden dowel from ripping the fabric.  Also the seams are double stitched making for a better finish and stronger bag.   The Nelson did benefit from a Bagman support however this caused the bag to sag around the support.  The problem was solved by inserting a Corrugated plastic sheet in the bottom that provides the rigidity the bag needs

The Nelson long flap is a far better product and I would go for that one every time.

2013 review

The shop was open for that last time on Saturday the 14th December.  Next Saturday 22nd will be our Christmas meal and we are closed on the 29th.  Spindles will open again on 4th January 2014.  2013 has been a mixed year.  The move to the snooker room last August was a hit as we went from the dingy changing rooms to the light airy massive Snooker room and for once Spindles looks like a shop.  However, the impending demolition of the Community Centre is ever present and it dominates the conversation in the workshop.
We didn't have a huge number of commissions this year however we did have one or two blinding donations with the Gios the highlight.  We did get plenty of donations at the lower end of the market and we have started leaving them around Corsham with tags on saying free to a good home.
The project now consists of Edgar, Nick and me(richard); Josh and Alistair are regular volunteers; Tim is the unsung hero not forgetting the two Bens.  Last but not least is Robin makes 9 making the  doughnut run to My Loaf a significant task.  Josh and Alistair will move on to University in September 2014 so we may need more volunteers to replace them.
Spindles will have to move by May 2014 and morph into something that its next home can accommodate.  The most likely next home is a lock-up garage with no lights or facilities.   Sounds grim, but we have been very lucky with our premises, The Pound Arts and the Community Centre.   We have probably sold over 100 bikes, done countless maintenance jobs along with spares and accessories.

Thanks everyone for your support over the last year.  Have a great holiday and we hope to see you next year.


  

This is one for Twich

That is from Kickstarter.  Somehow I'm just not convinced, the box is too high causing instability and its open to the elements.  Panniers are just a better solution!

this is more promising

New Home Required for Bicycle Workshop

We heard this week that our application to use the Methuen Centre play ground has been rejected due the fact that Wiltshire College run courses on a weekend there, 'sometimes'.  We are therefore still after a new home: workshop, garage, old barn, anything that can be made into a bike workshop.  The space we have defines what we can do.  We currently occupy the snooker room the community centre which is a great space for a bike shop that will be demolished in 6 months time.

With half that space we could not offer a range of reconditioned bikes and would be much more 'picky' about what we would take on.  Our ever growing collection of wheels would need culling and the work bench would have to go.

The recent cold is bringing back memories of previous years trying to work outside with numb fingers on the verge of frost bite.   At lease this year we can be inside this year and stay warm and dry.

The red bike is looking good with its new coat of paint see below.  There are a number of gear issues to overcome but it should be ready in a couple of weeks.  My trawl of stems and bars for this bike turned up some Cinelli models I didn't know we had as well as some red Schwalbe Blizzard tyres, one of which is fitted.

Red Raleigh Touring Bike

The Sirius that we acquired has a hole in the right chain stay where there shouldn't be one.  It looks like its been caused by the chainset rubbing on the metal.  How the rider did not notice this is just impossible to imagine.  It can be repaired but we will not sell it as the possibility of it collapsing is just too great.  No wonder it was binned.

There were recent cycling fatalities in London (6 in two weeks) and closer to home in Bath and Bristol in the last few days.  I don't want to say anything about 'answers' as there are too many opinions already out there.  I would like to morn their passing and empathise with their families and the people who were driving.

Just for the record I don't drive