The Bugle | Blast 358


Friday 26th October 2018
Fast & Far Edition



 

QUOTE  OF THE WEEK


"A person pedalling a bike uses energy more efficiently than a gazelle or an eagle. And a triangle-framed bicycles can easily carry ten times its own weight – a capacity no automobile, airplane or bridge can match.” - Bill Strickland


 

BICYCLIST OF THE WEEK

This is Martin Love - a passionate cyclist but crosses over to the dark side to earn his bread as motoring editor of The Guardian & Observer.

Why cyclist of the week? It should perhaps have been a few weeks ago when he was brave enough to enter the niche world of 24 hour cycle racing. The Revolve24 competition was as many circuits of  Brands Hatch as you can. its up to you if you stop, eat or sleep. Martin managed 280 miles which is very impressive to us lesser souls.

But if you think that good - the winner Lindsay McCrae rode 433 miles, including 37,380ft vertical feet of climbing. Must have got bored with the view though: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/30/weird-and-wonderful-world-of-24-hour-cycle-racing-revolve24-brands-hatch

 

HANDCYCLE OF THE WEEK
Spotted shooting past Shurguard last Sunday and going at quite a lick pursued or guarded by a conventional cyclist. You don't see many these days now that disabled sports people use something like this:

I guess they go even quicker as you bring more arm and shoulder muscles to bear.

I do remember many of those old black handcycles in London as late as the early seventies powered by legless veterans of the first world war. Search as I can I can't find a picture of one.

 

HOW TO MAKE AN E-BIKE

Last week we reported on how Anerley's finest were scalped by an old West Kent CTC man on his converted Cannondale. Well I was rightly taken to task by our very own Vince H who had done a similar conversion for his good lady but hidden the details away on Facebook. 

So for those who didn't or can't catch it - I've put his report on the website with a photo slideshow here: https://anerleybc.org/how-to-make-an-e-bike/

 

FREE LIGHTS, FREE BEER, FREE LOVE?


The City of London is to offer cyclists free lights (and fruit) after the clocks go back. But you will have to be quick getting to the Blackfriars Bridge event next Monday October 29

The first 250 cyclists to attend the morning event (7-9.30am) will be offered free lights, a free brake check and fresh fruit: https://road.cc/content/news/250715-city-london-offer-cyclists-free-lights-and-fruit-after-clocks-go-back

It's a longer ride to get free beer. To Bologna in Italy. There people who use bikes earn points for every journey no matter how short. Over time these add up to vouchers you can exchange for beer, cinema tickets and other stuff: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p06pjwck

Will that idea come to a pub nearer home? Unlikely as it is financed by the EU and, err, it looks like you will need another referendum first.

Free Love? Still looking .:-)

 

BRITAIN'S OBESITY CRISIS

Cars getting stuck between bollards, NCP increasing the size of its parking bays, insurance companies paying out more as cars scrape past each other.

Yep, the size of our cars is expanding faster than our waistbands. And we are not just talking SUVs. The humble Nissan Micra has grown in width by 22% in less than 20 years.  The latest  Ford Focus is currently 2.01m wide excluding wing mirrors when the standard UK restrictors are only 2.0 metres wide.

Garages haven't got any wider so more cars have to park on the road.

Its a crisis that hits the cyclist hard - literally. Most streets in London have parking on both sides of the road. Residential streets are not wide and the space between them is narrowing every year.

Cars can't get past each other holding us up. If a car is coming the other way you have a choice of risking entering the door zone or having a close pass from the approaching car.

No one is doing anything about it. Restricting parking to one side of the road is politically unacceptable. Some councils are stealing pavement space which makes walking less attractive/dangerous which encourages more car use ...

More here: https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/cars/1015133/Car-crash-accident-bump-scrape-new-cars-bigger-wider

 

RIDE REPORTS


Saturday 20th October: Redill Aerodrome, Worth Way and Easy Rider Graham: https://anerleybc.org/saturday-ride-20th-october-2018/

Sunday 21st October: Vanbrugh, Clermont & Capability Mark: https://anerleybc.org/sunday-ride-21st-october-2018/

Tuesday 23rd October: Truckin' Ranmore Common: https://anerleybc.org/tuesday-ride-23rd-october-2018/

 

UPCOMING RIDES


Saturday 27th October: CANCELLED. Too cold.

Sunday 28th October: Meet Shurguard at 9.00 am..
Barrie leads to Ruby's Cafe, Capel and possibly the Half Moon, Charlwood.

Tuesday 30th October 'A': Meet Shurguard at 9.30 am.
Tim S leads to Four Elms .

Tuesday 30th October 'B': Meet Shurguard at 10:00 am.
Fran leads a more relaxed ride to Four Elms.

Thursday 1st November: Meet Shurguard at 10:00 am.
Mark H leads somewhere

 

ITEMS FOR THE AGM


From Mark H:

Tour of the Western Isle from June 1st 2019 to the 9th of June taking in 11 islands. Cost about £310 without food.

10 mile club time trail in the summer need marshall's and rider's.

Should we buy a new sportive shield? I can bring a book with cup's and shields in. I need the shields and cup's back at the AGM if possible.

Should we do a pink version of the club kit for the ladies?

 

FINALLY

 

Justice. Road rage motorist who punched a cyclist into oncoming traffic has been jailed for two years. 

The court heard the cyclist suffered multiple injuries, including a broken collar bone, multiple broken ribs, a damaged lung, shattered pelvis and dislocated hip.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45989288

 

 



Happy Cycling!