Red Hook Crit in London

A few photos from Red Hook Crit in London

Will riding for Pedlas

Waiting...

East London Fixed

Will and Matt

Track stand

Here's what happens when you ask these guys to wait...track stand on a desk

Alleycats (film)

Alleycats, the first feature film from director Ian Bonhote, is a high-octane, action/thriller set in London against the backdrop of the cut-throat world of alleycats (bike racing).

I joined some days of filming as an extra (playing myself cycling with a bunch of couriers, bicycle-heads and actors) and as a stunt double.  Through it, i met some awesome people and have experienced shooting the same scene a thousand times. I also experienced how each team on set and behind the cameras work to produce an action movie. 

I had a great time and I am excited to watch the movie. Best of luck to the Alleycats film and its crew! 

By the salt lake

The best idea I had for christmas was to take one of my bikes with me while visiting my parents.
My parents' best idea for christmas was to give me a GoPro with a chest harness included.

Portlandia -bike clip

I remember watching this ages ago... got reminded of it again this week! still awesome! :-)

On Track (Dublin) -at 32 Cook St, Dublin 8

If you are in Dublin and into track, fixed wheel, single speed bikes On Track is the shop for you. 

On Track is a small shop full of fixed gear goodness; even Eigthhinch frames (yes all the way from Milwaukee), Surly and Leader and with links to Brick Lane Bikes (London) which means access to the catalogue which includes Affinity products - so your all american fixie urges are met! 

in terms of parts and accessories: Chrome and Bagaboo bags, Velocity and H Plus Son wheels! Yum!!!

Yes, i was like a kid in a candy store! 

And i must say the guy running it was extra polite and chatty and *drum roll* he let me ride the rapparee!!!! what's a rapparree? - it's an IRISH made bike - made in Meath in the 1980's by a sweet man called Des (that's another story for me to tell you!).

Dubliners, you have a little treasure hiding at 32 Cook St, Dublin 8.
For a full list of products: go to http://ontrackdublin.com/index.php/brands/

[On Track lads, if you are reading, how about i give you a Leader frame, Dawes Londoner, and a lo pro Paul Donohue for that Rapparee!? :-) pleeeeeeeease! ]

Chasing Rapparees

To all the people told me there has not been an Irish made bike frame.... well you are wrong! i rode one last Friday - a pure track frame, made in Meath, in the 80s. Build by a man name Des, who does not make any bikes anymore, but runs a workshop fixing bikes. His frame building stopped when aluminium bikes were imported - our loss. 

On Friday, i had a tiny tiny test ride on a burnt orange Rapparee - made in Meath! 

Rollapaluza at Sprint King of London

Rollapaluza at the Levi's store for The Sprint King of London:
500 metre sprint on a static bicycle.  If you are the fastest of the day you get a pair of jeans free.

My time was 30.94 seconds and my second attempt a few tenths of a second worse (i blame the champagne drinking).  No free jeans for me due to being one tenth of a second too slow *insert tantrum here*

My advice for a betterRollapaluza performance:
1) do not eat a whole plate of cakes right before you have a go
2) be.ruthless. go go go go go go!

getting ready Io Vs Pia

Leader bike

Newly built bike.  One tantrum (that lasted a day). No injuries.
Happy days

it's oh so quiet

 I've been relatively quiet, engrossed in converting a geared Dawes Mirage to a slick fixie; and when the job was done fixie and I took a trip to Dublin City. Aer Lingus was good enough for a careful transport of the bike for 32 pounds. Bikes need to be booked in advance and once this was done everything ran smoothly.

bye bye gears: old bits taken off the frame

 

Perfect Sense

I was watching one of those TV programmes about films the other night, and spotted a gorgeous fixie in the trailer for "Perfect Sense" starring Ewan McGregor. Apparently the fixie is from Tokyo Fixed Gear.
Here is the trailer with Ewan McGregor on the bike at 1:15 (look at that gorgeous smile)...

oh! look at that lovely bike in the background!

London's Calling 4

Every year a bunch of bicycle messengers hang out in London causing more chaos than usual. This year, with a post-apocalyptic theme, London's Calling 4, brought ally cat races, a sprint competition (that resulted in a guy losing half of his face after it scraped the ground *ouch*, a skid competition, track stands, Rollapaluza Roller-races, and *drum roll* tall bike jousting! This year, the contestants were slightly  wiser and refrained from setting fire to the jousting sticks!

Jousting Knight down

Track Stand 

Premium Rush - Movie Trailer

ugh! looks abit stupid, but, here it is

Bike Love

I 

love it. 

When we are together. 

Indoors. Safe. You wait for me. 

And we ride in the early morning, home. 

 Resistance Gallery, London

 Pie and Mash shop, London

At Home. With friends.

Snow Rides

Today, i had one of the most wonderful cycle rides: the views were amazing, the traffic was not that bad, and the drivers were amazingly polite and careful: it seems like the snow had some good impact!

Although, slightly reluctant to ride fixed in the snow, i prepared myself this morning to ride to work as i could not bare the crowded tube or yucky buses. And, it was the perfect choice; once in gloves and waterproofs the journey was great and here are my tips for riding in the snow:

TYRES
- if you have the option choose some thicker tyres with tread (don't be a mindless hipster)! Mountain bikes come in handy in these conditions!
- Let some air out of your tyres; they'll hold better with that better grip
RIDING STYLE
- resist turning by leaning sideways! turn corners by turning the handlebars but keep away from sudden handlebar steering. Use your hips to direct the turn
- make eye contact with drivers and let them know if you need space
 - use hand signals
- ride slowly
- stop slowly and in a straight line
WHICH ROADS
- Avoid ice! Snow turning to slush is manageable - Ice is not!
- i chose main roads today as they were less icy
- don't ride on the edge of the roads as they tend to be more icy
SAFETY
- wear a helmet and hat underneath to keep you warm!
- use your lights
- check your brakes
- be aware of your mudguards as they may clog up snow! Might be better to ride with no mudguards; just use some waterproofs instead
CLOTHING
- thick gloves
- hat that covers your ears and still allows you to wear a helmet
- buff for your neck
- thin merino base layer, a hoody and a waterproof
- long socks, jeans and waterproof trousers
- warm shoes with a bit of a grip

Enjoy the ride!

 

Fix Me Up!

So i decided to put a 17t track (fixed) cog on my bike.

Cog sizes are measured by how many teeth they have: obviously the bigger it is the more teeth. And the bigger it is the easier it is to ride (but the quicker you have to pedal to gain speed, like when you are on a easy gear on a geared bike).

I have a 42t chain ring which means in combination with a 17t cog the gear inches are just below 70; in other words , a relatively easier gear than my singlespeed set up of 42-16t, less knee pains and hopefully more chances of controlling the beast with my weak legs! Here is a handy fixed gear cycling calculator in case you want to calculate your fixie / single speed set up...

...and below my cheesy video installing the fixie cog!

PARTS NEEDED:

- 17t cog (i chose the Halo one)
- a lockring to secure a track cog on a track hub.
- fixed hub (already on my wheel)

TOOLS NEEDED:

- Combined Chain Whip and Lockring Tool (bought from VeloSolo) to tighten the cog and lockring
- wrench (to take off the wheel)