About bikes, cycling and cycle to work - Tredz Blog

Cycle to work bags

One of the most important things to consider when you begin cycling to work, is how to get your stuff to work. Another important question is getting it there without destroying your lunch/shirt/vital documents.

On a good day, maybe all three.

On top of keeping your kit safe, you’ve also got to think about your comfort. That rucksack you’ve had since school isn’t going to cut it. No bike specific structure means it’ll be drenched in sweat in no time. No unique compartments means your lunch may well meet your shirt earlier than you expected. Buying something that is fit for purpose will keep you comfortable and your gear clean and safe.

There’s a two ways you can achieve this. Cycle specific bags are one. Created with individual compartments, often waterproof with a good airflow system. Another is something that’s attached to your bike, large saddle bags and of course panniers. 

Both have their advantages…

Paralympic Cycling

After the attention-grabbing performance of the British cyclists in the Olympics there is definitely an increased interest in the Paralympic team we’re sending. The cycling gets under way on the 7th Sept. Step up Mr Jody Cundy, competing in the kilo and the team sprint. An awesome athlete, he switched from swimming to cycling after winning everything he could in the pool. Now he’s dominating the track sprint in much the same way.

On top of being almost permanently engaged in training (when he’s not competing), Jody is always happy to keep us updated with his news…

Dave Moulton moves on

For anyone that reads cycling blogs with the kind of eager/obsessive tendencies as myself, some sad news. Dave Moulton has, as of Monday 25th, decided to call time on his bicycle blog.

Even though his blog is no longer going to be updated, a wealth of knowledge from an ex-Tour de France and Olympic frame building cycling legend can still be found there.

Good luck in whatever you turn your hand to Dave! 

Cycle in a city?

Transport for London have recently jazzed up their Cycle London site, reflecting the increasing interest in cycling in the city.

Where to cycle, with quiet routes and routes through parks; how to cycle, with tips on safety and maintainance and a new and improved links section. It's now the best place to go for advice on how to start cycling to work, whether you cycle in this or any other city.

They're trying to take advantage of the increasing sense of community that is building up around urban commuters. Submit a photo (the one above is from fabbrici) to their Flickr group to try and win 600 quid then checkout the ever growing list of cycling events.

Cycling at the Olympics

The best ever cycling team Britain has sent to the Olympics, across the board. An incredible set of performances on track, road and (fingers crossed since I'm writing this before Liam Killeen and Oli Beckingsale compete) mountain has provided some gripping viewing.

Hopefully it can become more than just great TV though and act as a catalyst for future cyclists. Both those who can compete and those who ride their bike to work pretending to be Chris Hoy.

Next up, the Paralympics with the cycling starting on the 7th of September. Jody Cundy, Simon Richardson et al are more than capable of bringing home plenty of bling themselves...

Beijing bikes

What do Emma Pooley, Liam Killeen, Christoph Sauser, Paolo Bettini and Stefan Schumacher have in common?

If you just answered they're all pro riders, well you're right - but these riders all have a certain advantage over the competition.

Specialized bikes can be seen at all big (and small) races worldwide and it's testament to how highly they're regarded that the above pro's all choose Spesh. Here's the bikes they've used in Beijing.

Cycle to work clothes

Last week, in our guide to essential cycle to work gear, we ran through your options for keeping your lower half comfortable. This week it’s the turn of your upper body.

While your legs are hard at work on the cranks, your upper body is relatively inactive. So it’s going to need a whole different approach to keeping you comfortable.

On top of that it’s your upper body that is going to bear the brunt of bad weather, so with these two points in mind here is our guide to how to keep your upper body as dry and comfortable as possible on your cycle to work:

Bike to work book

Carlton Reid, of Quickrelease.tv and Bikebiz fame and his American counterpart, Tim Grahl, check out Commute by Bike, are on the point of releasing their eagerly anticipated guide to cycle to work.

Doing exactly what you'd think a book entitled 'Bike to work', would do, it helps new cyclists gain the confidence they need to get out on the road. Having said that there's something in there for us experienced yet lazy commuters too, so its well worth a read.

The hard copy will be out sometime in November, but prior to that there is a e-book available to download and even a free pdf via iTunes from late August. Checkout the pre-release pdf to see why you should try to get your hands on a copy when it is released.

Team GB

The Olympics have been an awesome watch this year. I probably know this better than most having been off sick (honest!) and bed bound. Practically 'forced' to watch back to back events, I've been spellbound as Hoy, Wiggins et al completely dominated the velodrome.

The BBC's coverage has been up they're usual high standard - and thanks to their iPlayer, it's been easier than ever to follow and catch up on missed events.

If unlike this sickly blogger you've been working this past week, or just defeated by the eight hours time difference - checkout the BBC's Olympic Cycling home page to catch up. Simply unmissable.

Bicycle commuting on Google

It seems that more and more people are searching the term 'bicycle commuting' on Google.

The blog EcoVelo has pointed out that this peaked at around the same time as petrol prices hit a new high in the US:

It's kind of sick, (especially since I own a car and occasionally drive it - if only to pick up my lazy girlfriend and her bike from work), but is anyone else seeing a benefit to higher fuel prices?

Fewer non-essential car journeys and more people cycling to work just sounds like good news to me...