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We’ve had a few queries recently regarding the specifics of bicycle helmet law. Here’s the basic gist: It’s not compulsory. At the moment neither you nor your kids have to wear a bike helmet by law.
Not law. But a really, really good idea (not a close relation to law).
Although we prefer writing our own bike guides, we aren't going to shy away from pointing you in the direction of great advice on other sites. Quickrelease.tv has a fantastic article about bicycle safety, written by Brit cycling guru Carlton Reid. Honest, well written guidance on bike locks and not likely to be bettered by us, or anyone.
We've brazenly robbed some of the article below, but it's well worth reading in it's entirity for the whole picture.
As I mentioned in the last cycling for weight loss post, Gus is having problems with his on board computer, so he's invested in a new Cateye Micro Wireless. A mid range on board computer that has all the features and functions Gus needs to keep tabs on his programme, whilst thanks to its wireless connections its not as susceptible to the omnipresent Welsh rain as his old wired one.
When he told us he was fitting a new computer we insisted on getting some pictures of him showing how simple it is, but the humble bike pro insisted on always staying out of shot whilst he worked. Spoilsport.
Anyhow here's our pictorial account of how to fit an onboard computer.
What is Cyclo Sportive?
Cyclo Sportives (spelt in several variants e.g. cyclo sportifs) are long distance, organised, mass participation cycling ‘events’ - not races - typically held annually. Sportives challenge participants to complete a set course, usually between 100 and 200km, within a time constraint. Organisers typically offer two distance choices and will provide support with supervising marshals and food and/or water stations which will be heartily welcomed by entrants.
Sportives are the cycling cousin of running’s marathon. As with the 26 mile event, rather than racing other participants, sportives see cyclists challenge themselves in a personal battle against the distance and then ultimately, the clock. The already lengthy course will traditionally include climbs and difficult riding conditions, adding to the kudos of the event (e.g. the cobblestones of the Paris-Roubaix).
Who rides sportives?
These events are not just the preserve of hardened racing regulars, but they are certainly not for the faint hearted or unfit. The distance should be off-putting for any occasional summer cyclists, and, as the marathon would demand of a runner, genuine distance training must be performed well before considering joining the start line.
Sportives are open to all cyclists. No club membership or association is necessary, nor is there an ability criterion. This openness and the thrill of the challenge means sportives are becoming one of the UK’s most popular cycling disciplines.
This is the first post from our resident trainer, Nigel Nicholas. As the weather’s so bad we thought it'd be appropriate to look at turbo training sessions first. Here goes with a beginner’s guide:
The object of this session is to get used to pedalling on a turbo trainer if you are relatively new to cycling. It's a nice, short workout to raise your heart rate and practice good pedalling. It could easily be done before or after work. [Steady on the before work eh Nige, Ed.] The workout lasts 25 mins. Please start at the top of the chart and work your way down without stopping if you can.
Key to Workout table:
- The time relates to how many minutes to spend in each part of the workout;
- Turbo Trainer level is based on the Tacx Turbo trainer that has 10 level settings (level 10 being easy & level 1 being hard);
- Bike gear is the gear you should be using on your bike. This is based on a standard 18 speed road bike;
- Cadence or Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) is the term used for how fast you spin your legs when pedalling.
Okay, my learning to swim extravaganza is now into week 8 and things are moving up a gear (no pun intented). Coach Andy decided to give us all a fitness test - great! The basic idea for this week’s class was to see how many lengths we can get in during the lesson’s hour. The structure is in the form of a pyramid session. So we swim 1 length then rest, then swim 2 lengths (without stopping) and rest, then swim 3 lengths and rest. This goes up to 6 lengths and then back down to 1 again. To make it more difficult we were given a different stroke/technique to use on each section of lengths. This started with a float and a basic leg kick. The next 2 lengths are the same but incorporated holding your head under water and breathing to the sides. By the time we got up to 6 lengths we were swimming full front crawl using flippers to aid propulsion.
Suit you sir. But which one, there's so many? Over the last couple of years mountain bikes have lost their monopoly as the only type of cycle to offer more gears than most of us have fingers and toes. Road bikes have never been built with more choice. That choice comes from the trio of variant in chain sets. To state the obvious, chainsets are driven by a cyclists’ legs via the pedals; the size (measured in teeth) of that chainset plays a huge part in your gearing and consequential speed.
Double - as the name implies, a double chainset is two chain rings, typically 52 and 39 teeth, feeding a range of gears at the back, known as the cassette. A double chain set is likely to be light and offer fast shifting. Doubles are often the preferred choice of the seasoned cyclist who may think of it as the purest offering.
Note: Cassettes tend to be geared from 11 teeth (the smallest, hardest and fasted gear) through to 27 teeth (the largest and easiest to pedal – theoretical 1st). For example, my Specialized Allez Sport (27 speed) has a 12 to 25 tooth cassette.
Triple - three rings, typically 50, 39 and 30 teeth (mountain bikes are smaller: usually 42, 32 and 22). Power is comparable to the double but with an added smaller ring for steep climbs. Changing down to this ‘granny’ ring because of a lack of thigh muscle is when the purists may frown. Three rings makes it a heavier choice and asking the front mech to move further means shifting wont be quite as swift (I’ll be amazed if you notice though).
A triple is ideal for mountain bikers who are used to the set up and for anyone new to road cycling and finds climbing difficult. Wait there; surely that’s everyone bar L. Armstrong? Yes it is, and that’s why a triple is a popular choice. My Specialized Allez Sport runs Shimano Tiagra 52, 42, 30 – I guess that makes me a lightweight then?
Compact – back to just two chain rings here but these are typically 50 and 34 teeth. The big ring is fairly normal but that small ring is smaller than you’d find on a double. This gives the rider an easier set of gears in which to climb.
I hope this helps rather than confuses you further.
Its been a while since my first post about my 10 week beginners swimming course at Swansea’s national pool and I can safely say I'm really enjoying them. Initially we swam each stroke (including an attempt at butterfly!) but the weekly lessons now tackle only one stroke by going 'back-to-basics' on each. The main stroke for getting from A to B quickly is obviously front crawl so we have spent a fair bit of time trying to master it. My instructor, Andy, believes in using flippers to help keep legs in the right position in the water. These are also a great aid to propulsion while we concentrate on the arm movements.
We have been swimming using one arm at a time and Andy has commented that my technique isn’t too bad, but I do need to make myself more streamlined by keeping my head in the water. The aim is to have a nice flat body throughout the stroke but each time I lift my head out of the water to breathe I end up arching my body which slows me down. It’s my big weakness. What's good is that as I'm gaining more water confidence I'm now able to relax a bit more in the water which is actually helping with my breathing. I'm getting the hang of blowing out under water and turning my head to take in air but I still forget to use my nose which obviously fills up with water and forces me to stop and give it a good blow every now and then. Some of the guys in the class use nose clips but I'm going to persevere and try to get my breathing right. I have to say that I do look forward to each Thursday’s lesson and the hour goes really fast. I guess it’s because I'm concentrating so hard (for a change!).
Posted by James
Over summer I've raced a few duathalons (run/bike/run) and have really enjoyed the competition. So after lots of pressure from triathlete mates I've set myself the target of taking part in a triathlon (swim/bike/run) next year. Trouble is, the last time I actually swam properly was 1990 at college, so I am a bit daunted.
Anyway, feeling brave one morning recently, I went down to the National Pool and started with breaststroke not wanting to draw too much attention to myself splashing about. I had forgotten how physically hard it was and only just managed to keep up with a pensioner in her classic purple flowered swim cap. After a few exhausting lengths of drinking water and torturing my eyes with chlorine I quit. It took me a few months to pluck up the courage to go back. This time the 25 meter pool was being used and I was forced to get in the big boys pool (Olympic 50 meter). Well it looks OK from the side but once your in the water 50 meters looks a very long way indeed!
LED cycle lights have been around for a long time now. The trouble is although most of us think they allow motorists to see cyclists more clearly, many were actually illegal. Well that law - the road vehicle lighting regulations or RVLR - changed in October 2005. Seeing as the nights are now looming in and many of you will be buying new bike lights, we thought it an appropriate time to reiterate what’s what with bike lights.
LEDs
The RVLR now allows a flashing light to be attached to a bike if it
(a) emits a minimum light output of four candela (i.e. the strength of four candles, queue the Two Ronnies); and,
(b) flashes at an equal and constant rate of between 60 and 240 flashes per minute.
To summarise: a not-too-bright steady pulsing LED is fine - out goes your Nightrider strobe.
Unfortunately the British Standard regulation for cycle lights has not as yet been updated. So you may have a light that complies with the RVLR which will not automatically comply with British Standard and visa versa.
The Law
You are riding legally if your front and rear lights meet either the RVLR and/or British Standard 6102-3. This means you can also mix standards between front and rear. For example:
Cycle 1: is legal because its front light in constant mode complies to British Standard and the rear complies to the RVLR in flashing mode.
Cycle 2: is legal because its front light complies to the RVLR in flashing mode and the rear complies to British Standard in constant mode.
Note: the RVLR was set considering the requirements for riding in areas with street lighting. Therefore, RVLR lights are not required to give any ‘beam of light’. This can mean they more useful at ensuring the cyclist can be seen by other road users. A four candela front cycle light would not be suitable for riding down a dark road, even if it’s technically legal to do so.
The following lights comply with RVLR when used in constant flashing mode:
Front lights: Cateye EL-320 £29.99, Cateye EL-410 £29.99, Cateye EL-220 £24.99, Cateye EL-135 £19.99, Cateye HL-LD270 £12.99, Cateye HL-LD150 £12.99, Cateye HL-LD130 £9.99
Rear lights: Cateye TL-LD 270 £12.99, Cateye TL-LD150 £9.99 , Cateye TL-LD130 £7.99
The following lights comply with British Standard when used in constant mode:
Front lights: Cateye EL-300 £28.99 , Cateye HL-500BS £12.99
Rear lights: Cateye TL-AU100 £14.49, Cateye TL-LD260BS £12.99
The Department of Transport’s Guidance about lights on pedal bicycles can be found here.
Cycling as a sport, activity and an exercise offers huge aerobic and anaerobic rewards. Ride a bike for an hour and try naming a muscle group that wasn’t asked to contribute to the effort. Cycling offers an all-round training package without stressing the joints in the way running or racquet sports can. This is because pedaling is a rotational force, as opposed to the impact your heel receives when striking the ground with all your weight multiplied by your momentum. Indeed, cycling’s only peer in this complete-but-impact-free world of workouts is swimming.
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