#Errandonnee 2016 Challenge: Ride 12 (Sunday London Ride)

Errandonnee #12

Date: Sunday, 6 March 2016

Errand:  Sunday London Ride

Category:   Social Call/Ride

Destination:  Hyde Park Corner, London, to Fatboys, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London 

Distance: 37.3km (23.4km on ride itself + 13.9km getting to it and back home again)

Steed: Petra the Puch Princess

What I learned/observations:

The day dawned (or, more accurately, the darkness gradually lifted on an extremely foggy morning) and we were out the door by 7.30am to catch a train to London to join friends for the long-running Sunday London Ride. We were shocked when our calculations suggested that we haven't been on one in three years!

We decided to use the new East-West Cycle "Superhighway" aka Crossrail for Bikes to make our way from Blackfriars towards Parliament Square. I am disappointed to find that this brand new, not yet finished, cycling "superhighway" is woefully inadequate. I don't know when the plans were drawn up but bi-directional provision within the width of one car lane is simply not good enough. After years of dangerous over-capacity, the Tavistock route has been upgraded to one full-width lane in each direction -- and that's not a so-called "superhighway"!

#Errandonnee 2016 Challenge: Rides 7-11 (The Herald of Spring)

Date: Saturday, 12 March 2016
Steed: Petra the Puch Princess
Total Distance: 19.4km

Overall Lesson for the Day: I love doing business with local people, whose names I know. 

Errandonnee #7

Errand: Haircut

Category:  Personal Care (2)

Destination:  Charisma Hair & Beauty Salon, Caddington, Bedfordshire

What I learned/observations:

Not a lesson or observation as such but I realised this morning that Kay, the owner of Charisma, has been cutting my hair for over 3 years. At intervals of 3-4 weeks, I probably see her more frequently than anyone else I know who does not actually live with me! (Which is fine, because she is lovely.)

#Errandonnee 2016 Challenge: Ride 6 (Life Behind Bars)

Errandonnee #6

Date: Thursday, 10 March 2016

Errand:  London Commuting

Category:   Work (2)

Destination:  Fitzrovia, London, W1

Distance: 2.3km

Steed: Lorelei the Puch Princess

What I learned/observations:

Had a guy in a sharp suit and trenchcoat in the Tavistock cycle path this morning -- on his scooter. I can't see I'm too pleased about mixing dissimilar vehicles in the same space but I suppose it's better than having motorised scooters in the cycle lane as is allowed in the Netherlands. And given the choice of footway, cycleway and roadway and considering his overall speed, the cycleway no doubt made the most sense to him. (No photos of him, unfortunately.)

Malet Street between RADA and Birkbeck College.

Bedford Square, where the cycle countraflow is officially on the footpath.

#Errandonnee Challenge 2016: Rides 4 & 5 (Urban Night Riding)

Errandonnee #4

Date: Monday, 7 March 2016

Errand:  Evening Commute from Office to Train Station

Category: Work (1)

Destination:  St Pancras International, London

Distance: 2.3km (each way)

Steed: Lorelei the Puch Princess

What I learned/observations:

I often wish I had my camera to hand when I'm commuting. From time to time, I do stop to photograph things that catch my eye, but these have tended to be on my morning commute and therefore in daylight.

Tonight saw my first attempts at taking photos in central London from a moving bicycle. In the dark. With gloves on. Of course there were 3 bad shots for every half-decent one. Good thing I took quite a few!

I quite like the area I work in (Fitzrovia). It's a buzzy mix of old and new, not at all 'sterile' like the City. 

Liberated from her usual bike stand (just out of sight to the left).
I intended to take a photo of Lorelei at the stand, with the glorious Charlotte Street Hotel behind,
but a couple was standing there having a rather heated debate (in another language)
so I unlocked in a hurry and moved a few yards away.

#Errandonnee 2016 Challenge: Ride 3

Errandonnee #3

Date: Sunday, 6 March 2016

Errand:  Luton & Dunstable Cycling Forum Ride

Category:   Social Call/Ride

Destination:  Luton to Shillington and back

Distance: 44km

Steed: Riley the Enigma

What I learned/observations:

1. Amiiee is one heck of a strong rider. She rides an old-style mountain bike with 21 gears and uses just one. She only rides her bike once or twice a year -- usually a 20+ mile ride with the Forum, nothing else. She wears a mixture of gym kit and streetwear, with a borrowed cycling jacket over the top. And almost without exception, she does these rides after a hard night on the tiles, while all her mates are asleep and/or nursing serious hangovers. I just couldn't even.

#Errandonnee 2016 Challenge: Rides 1 & 2

Errandonnee #1

Date: Saturday, 5 March 2016

Errand: Go to my Quiet Place to Study for my Exam

Category: Education (I propose changing "Work/Volunteering" category to "Career/Vocations")

Destination: Thompson Close, Harpenden

Distance: 4km

Steed: Lucy the Brompton

What I learned/observations:

Some days, the portability of the Brompton trumps* all other considerations.

Errandonnee #2

Date: Saturday, 5 March 2016

Errand:  Collect Fresh Raw Milk from Local Man With Small Herd of Jersey Cows

Category:   Non-Store

Destination:  Crabtree Lane, Harpenden

Distance: 1km

Steed: Lucy the Brompton

What I learned/observations:

1. Timing errands in between hailstorms can be tricky - but is so worth it.

2. Also, mid-way through the day is not the ideal time to realise you should have worn (or carried) waterproof trousers - see point 1.

*And so we mourn the loss of a perfectly good word, forever spoiled by one of the most horrifying personalities ever to seek public office.

Something Rather Remarkable

I've just been browsing through the tandems on UK Ebay (as you do) and stumbled across something quite unusual -- 

Wire sculptures of riders on bicycles. No, not just bicycles but a wide range of human-powered wheeled vehicles, from city bikes to BMX bikes to tricycles to recumbents (and recumbent trikes) to tandems to velomobiles. 

Have a look for yourself HERE. 

Here's a sampling of views of a few of my favourites. 

the tourer

Hip Hip Hooray! Let's Hear It For The Errandonnee!! (2016 Edition Starts TOMORROW!!)

Full details HERE.

When A Bicycle Can Do MORE Than A Car

This recent post by Edinburgh Cycle Chic has attracted a lot of attention. It features just one example of being able to fit more onto a bicycle as cargo than could ever be shoe-horned into your average passenger car.

We have a few examples in our household too, featuring our own Circe Helios.

The Helios easily handles the weekly shopping trip for a household of four adults.

Madison's iceBike* Event: Practical Discoveries

Sorry for the radio silence. I am now back on the bike and "back in the game" after a bad bout of dermatitis. I hate when these things strike: it takes all my mental energy and focus to keep on top of treatment and in control of my feelings (frustration + sleep deprivation = despair). 

Never mind, my life is no longer a prison of itching and pain. Yesterday was one of the first 'nearly normal' days since 2nd February -- so Adam and I went to the iceBike* Show in Milton Keynes. 

iceBike* is an industry show held by Madison, one of the largest distributors of cycling brands in the UK and supplier to many bicycle wholesale and retail businesses. The show is open only to trade for three days and is then open to the public over the following weekend. It chiefly functions to inform shop owners and managers about new products and upgrades and launches, so they can plan their purchase and inventory decisions for the coming year. Because Madison handles so many brands, the range of products on show is quite extensive, including brand new products coming out of years of research and development that have not yet been made available to the public. 

For us, attending the show felt much like viewing an exhibition.