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the same rant as last year, and the year before that, and...
i would dearly have liked to have written the following for online publication yesterday, but to a certain extent, the fact that i haven't done so until today, rather underlines the point that i've not quite reached as of yet.
my daily grind, so to speak, is in the realm of news publication, albeit of a rather parochial nature. however, it well behoves me to keep abreast of matters in order that, when i do write of more serious matters, i do so from an informed point of view. thus i have the artist formerly known as twitter active down one side of my imac screen, and periodically peruse pertinent news sites both for stories of interest and helpful information. however, until yesterday morning, despite being a famous member of the cycling media, i confess i was blissfully unaware that thursday 3 august was 'national cycle to work day'. discovering that fact at the start of the working day is what might be kindly termed, 'belated'.
one of the twitter feeds i regularly monitor is that of cycling uk, but i appear to have missed the solitary occasion on which they promoted the event (a common problem on social media), while cyclinguk in scotland seem to have been more occupied with the uci worlds in glasgow, that well-known series of commuting championships. other than that, up until yesterday morning, i, and presumably thousands of others, were blissfully unaware that the pointless exercise known as 'national cycle to work day' was taking place.
i excuse myself from participation predominantly on the basis that it would take me longer to get my bicycle out of the bikeshed, than it does to walk to work, but i fear that many who might easily have considered joining the merry peloton will have found themselves continuing with their regular daily commute. and therein lies the nub of the problem, at least, as i and several others see it. if the normal commute to work consists of taking the bus, train, or even the car, so doing is quite likely a long cultivated habit. and as we have been advised since we were knee-high to a grasshopper, habits are often hard to break.
at the risk of pointing out the glaringly obvious, cycling to work on one day of the year, does not constitute a habit. it is, or would be for many, an aberration. as i have said year, after year, after year, if the nation and its cycling organisations are serious about getting the population at large onto their bikes for travel to work or school, we need at the very least, a national 'cycle to work month'. common knowledge would advise that, for anything to become a habit, it need best be practised for at least twenty-one days. i have no means of verifying that particular statement, but it does have a certain ring of authenticity, based purely on anecdotal evidence, and couldn't do much in the way of harm in the middle of summer.
if i might make what i believe is a valid comparison, nobody i know of ever signs up for a one-day slimming course. slimming clubs tend to require a period of at least two or three months, firstly to engender weight loss and secondly to foster a habit. yet the velocipedinal powers-that-be seem to think that cycling to work for a single, solitary day is going to make a difference to britain's transport needs, lower pollution and alleviate climate change in the process. that being true, i believe i'm in line to be the next president of the united states.
if more people are going to adopt the way of the saddle in preference to buses, trains or motor cars, a substantial change of mindset is going to be required, and at the moment, nothing that is currently being done looks likely to achieve that. certainly not a solitary day of riding a bicycle to work. for starters, many folk might find that, on arrival, there is nowhere safe to leave that bicycle, nor any facilities in which to change. no company or business is going to provide those facilities for one day per year. but, if the same folk were to ride to work on a regular basis, and perhaps recruit one or two colleagues, there would be a far better case for provision of changing facilities and safe bicycle parking at the behest of their employers.
however, i have little doubt that, this time next year, i will be scribbling the very same rant, still unaware that 'national cycle to work day' was taking place until after the horse has bolted. and cycling uk will still be posting solitary tweets that preach only to the converted. though it's never going to happen, what might be required is either rishi sunak or humza yousaf riding bikes to their respective offices (rather than the former taking a private jet or military helicopter), or having jeremy clarkson use twitter to inform his acolytes in a positive manner.
as you might perceive, my presidential aspirations are looking better by the day.
friday 4 august 2023
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................oh dear (part 37)
i would dearly love to report that i have been inundated over the years with queries as to why an ostensibly cycle-related blog gives over very few, if any, of its pixels to the pursuit of offroad activities - other than my disparagement of the gravel fad and comparable joy in the cyclocross genre. but, in my defence, nobody has ever asked such a question. perhaps those who might have done so were more intent on learning why a website entitled thewashingmachinepost was bereft of listings depicting tumble dryers and industrial size laundry accessories.
in years gone by, i was a regular subscriber to singletrack magazine and even its cyclocross offshoot, grit, but confusion over my subscription and disappointing apathy on my behalf led to no more issues landing on the welcome mat. so my appreciation of the world of sprung farm gates has disappointingly waned, even though its a cycling genre i still feel is better left to the ministrations of the experts and enthusiasts. it's surely bad enough that i give vent to my concerns over the road-going aspects of both cycling activity and cycle sport.
that's not to say, however, that quality writing and photography exists on the dark side. or rather, existed. arguably the originator of the quality side of cycling media - rouleur magazine- once fostered a mountain bike equivalent entitled privateer, edited by the inimitable andy waterman. i cannot deny that my concealed arrogance wondered whether mountain bikers would be keen to purchase a magazine that inhabited the upper-boundaries of the luxury price bracket. as it transpired, i may have been correct, as the magazine closed its doors almost ten years ago; a lack of impressive sales numbers was quoted as the reason.
it would be, however, somewhat disingenuous to point the finger solely at the world of knobbly tyres, given the subsequent demise of both cycle-sport and procycling magazines. since rouleur, was sold by rapha to bruce sandell and then to the fellow who owns passoni bicycles, while diversifying into different language editions and losing both ian cleverly and andy mcgrath in short order, things seem to have stabilised at present. but other than rouleur, this side of the fence is populated only by cyclist magazine and the perennial cycling weekly. but, with the oft-reported parlous state of publishing these days, we can but hope that matters at least remain intact for the time being.
on the other side of the pond, the closure of the excellent peloton magazine was a cruel blow from a parent company that goes to great pains to emphasise its support of the outdoor life and its concomitant activities.
sadly, on the dark side, there's now one more reason as to why that latter description may have greater implications, with the announcement of the closure of cranked magazine, as of the upcoming september issue. though it can hardly have helped matters in any way, i once purchased a copy of cranked from the wh smith outlet in glasgow central station. though the notion of riding across muddy fields aboard a fully suspended set of girders has never offered the same attraction as slowly perambulating the estates with skinny wheels and bendy bars, i'm a glutton for quality writing accompanied by a similar level of photography, particularly if it includes bicycles (of any description).
admittedly, the announcement of cranked's impending closure does not cite any form of economic distress, leaning more towards the founder's (seb rogers) contention that "After eight and a half years, I feel I've done what I set out to do. [...] From my point of view, it's time for a new challenge." however, there appears no mention of what that new challenge might be. that said, whatever the real reason for the magazine's closure, it's a sad day to see yet another cycling publication hit the buffers.
i'll agree that there are several mountain bike websites that might equitably fill the gap, but even though i have inhabited the pixelated world for the last 27 years, there is no way on this earth that browser fodder can replace the tactility of the printed word, to say nothing of the aroma of ink on paper as you open the subscription packaging, or slowly inhale while stood opposite platform two in glasgow central.
it might seem a trivial point to many, but it seems that disappointment is slowly chipping away at the substructure of our velocipedinal world. and i don't like it.
thursday 3 august 2023
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................lost and found
though it's possible to purchase external bottom bracket cups from campagnolo, for some, it still comes as a surprise to discover that the parts themselves are devoid of bearings. though similar components from shimano and sram have the bearings located within, campagnolo elected to fit the cartridge bearings to the crank arms. the more astute amongst you, over and above those who already ride campagnolo cranks, will already have realised that, when time comes to replace worn bearing sets, life might be a smidgeon more complex.
and it is.
while the left-side bearing is a press fit onto the bottom bracket spindle, the drive-side bearing is held in place by a circlip which, obviously enough, requires to be removed in order to get the bearing off the spindle. and those bearings can't simply be yanked off with a strong tug in an upward direction; perhaps not surprisingly, removal requires a bespoke bearing puller which arrives alongide the necessary tool to press the replacement bearings in situ. i own one of these tools, and i know that it is in the bike shed, but even were my life to depend on it, right this minute, i couldn't tell you precisely where in the shed it lies.
when time comes for bearing fettling, i will have to tie a rope around my waist and enter into unexplored territory. however, were the tool, and any others likely to find themselves lost in the carnage of cardboard boxes, to have been outfitted with apple's airtags, perhaps i could have saved myself a lot of potential trouble. but then, isn't that a bit like using a jcb to crack a nut?
i am, of course, being slightly facetious; rummaging around in a few boxes is hardly the worst way to spend a saturday morning. yet in a possibly comparable case, power meter supremos, 4iiii have apparently teamed up with apple computer to create the first find my power meter technology, a notion that seems, to me at least, somewhat superfluous. is this development set to accommodate thieves who specifically target power meters alone, leaving the rest of the bicycle behind, or is its emergence on the market simply a technological means of tracing a stolen and presumably expensive bicycle. in which case, what was wrong with the airtag principal outlined above?
but in addition to the advent of being able to trace a stolen 4iiii precision power meter, the collaboration between the two companies has resulted in a new apple watch app "...designed to offer cyclists another way to track and analyse their performance." just in case there weren't sufficient options already available.
like many a contemporary cyclist, i affix a garmin gps unit to my handlebars at the outset of any ride, whether 'cross bike or road bike. i'm willing to admit that this is purely for the purpose of timekeeping, since i do not wear a watch when cycling, but i cannot deny that the integrated thermometer comes in handy now and again. however, the main advantage of a bar-mounted device is its line-of-sight visibility, meaning i can always see what time it is, without having to look away from the road for more than a second or two. i see this as a distinct advantage, but 4iiii would appear to view things differently, if you'll pardon the pun. according to them, " Cyclists can now access workout views, live heart rate, power, speed, cadence and distance directly on their Apple Watch. With the app, there is no need for a conventional head unit; cyclists can rely on the Apple Watch to capture key information, whether they are on the road, gravel, or in the mountains."
of course, in today's connected world, there is an apparent need (demand?) that surpasses the simple viewing of data; the app has the capability to upload ride statistics, including gps routes, in garmin fit and apple fitness files. configured as part of the apple health kit, it allows riders to track their activity, calories, and close those daily activity rings. it also supports auto sync to strava. the only facility that appears to be missing is the ability to provide a decent double-espresso mid-ride.
and, in what i can only surmise was intended as a statement completely without irony, 4iiii's director of global operations, sales, and marketing, Eric Gerstenbuhler, said, "The best innovations are the ones that simplify, not complicate."
remember when we just used to go for a bike ride?
wednesday 2 august 2023
..........................................................................................................................................................................................................substantial
returning from my regular thursday afternoon strong double-espresso (a cultivated habit- what can i say?) along bowmore main street, my eye was caught by a dark grey range rover parked at the side of the road. islay's reputation as an often more-than-expensive holiday destination hardly makes the sight of an costly vehicle a notable happenstance, frequently having led to the conclusion that islay may be the summer's landrover capital of the world, but it was less the vehicle itself than the word 'sport' emblazoned on the tailgate.
i'd imagine that the majority of cyclists are quite well acquainted with the often massive size of the range rover range, an apprehension which the above mentioned vehicle did little to dispel; the sizeable tyres and substantial bodywork of this particular model seemed highly unlikely to possess any sporting attributes whatsoever. unless jaguar landrover have found a means of shoe-horning a titan rocket under the bonnet, i doubt it would be anyone's first choice for 'sporty motoring.
but, if i assume that the apellation 'sport' to bear any level of accuracy, i have great fears for the safety of yours truly, or any other velocipedinist, were we to encounter said vehicle on one of islay's single track roads. though i'm sure there are many ready and willing to provide a succinct answer as to why anyone 'needs' such a substantial chunk of allegedly sporting metal, it's hard not to observe that recent motoring developments seem to revolve around the construction of larger and heavier vehicles, a practice that probably already offers grounds for concern as more and more become electrified.
i base the latter contention on a recent letter from calmac ceo, robbie drummond, when answering concerns over the transport of electric vehicles on the potentially claustrophobic nature of a ferry car deck. this followed concerns over potential battery fires on board while in transit. in his reply, he mentioned that e-vehicles are rarely, if ever, placed upon the mezzanine decks of the ships, due to a considerable weight penalty at the behest of the aforementioned batteries.
thus, increased performance attributes, combined with an appreciable gain in weight, does not, i believe, auger well for pedestrians or cyclists. the continued and possibly unnecessary increase in the number of suvs and e-suvs (purchases of suvs have soared in recent years, rising from 20% of new cars in 2012 to 46% of all cars by 2021. The rise continuing through 2022/23, includes significant growth in the us, india and europe) seems not only largely inexplicable, but highly unnecessary, given that the interior passenger and luggage space seems little different that than available in a standard saloon car.
however, perhaps it's not only the motor car that has gained apparently unrequired mass.
almost at the exact point where i had happened upon the range-rover sport, though confined to the pavement outside a local café, i recently observed a pair of e-bikes, the heft of which actually made landrovers look fragile. featuring what appeared to be fat-bike tyres and a frame tubing fashioned from the girders used to build the forth rail bridge, considering the increased weight incurred by both battery and motor, i would not wish to the the rider aboard when the charge ran out. in common with the dark grey range rover, i found myself asking 'why?'
to add insult to injury, the frames were painted in the military green regularly seen on army trucks. in other words, no redeeming features whatsoever.
i fully understand the poking of fun at so-called weight-weenies, many of whom will spend untold amounts of money to save a few grammes. however, i, and many others of my acquaint, find ourselves leaning towards making bicycles as light as can be practically achieved within a budget featuring as few zeros as possible. though there may be a few isolated and spurious reasons as to why certain types of motor vehicle may benefit from enhanced mass, by-and-large, i can think of few, if any, reasons why the same would be found necessary on a bicycle.
with the vast majority of e-bikes adhering to the pedal-assist mode of transport, surely the less the bicycle weighs, the more equitable will be its power to weight ratio? i have chastised myself for not taking note of the manufacturer of said e-bicycles, for i would be more than happy to name and shame. in an age and climate where the case for lowered consumption of pretty much everything would seem to be the sensible option, it may have become time for civil-rights to be infringed by way of legislation that applies a financial penalty based on the all-up weight of both motor vehicles and bicycles (subject to classification).
whatever happened to small is beautiful?
tuesday 1 august 2023
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