All Blog Posts (79)

This morning I decided it was time to put more effort in to my mornings cycling over the last 10 months I have increased my cycling from 3km to about 18km, my fitness has improved I have lost a little weight and am enjoying my cycling. So in February i brought a new bike with much better parts which makes my cycling experience more enjoyable anyway I do digress back to this mornings ride.

I joined the Stratford canal at the chop locks proceeded to Kings Norton Junction …

Hi all,

You may or may not know that there is a great cycle route around Walkers Heath Park in Kings Norton. Partially surfaced it offers a nice start to lots of local lanes where you can access routes to Redditch and other places. The park has some surfaced route, some grass and there is even a slippy mucky route that goes uphill for the more hardcore riders. Im new to BC so sorry if other members have posted similar.

I stopped riding to work before Christmas. There were so many dos, dinners and drinks taking place in December, that it was a rare day when I'd be leaving town sober or at a reasonable hour, so I knocked it on the head for a bit.

And of course, there's that childish contradictory streak of mine that means I deliberately avoid anything resembling exercise in early January. "Made a New Year's Resolution, have we?" No. Naff off.

But it's almost February and the…

any ideas where second hand  bikeshops are in birmingham,im looking for a reasonable priced town 3 speed town  bike

Study suggests "increased sales resulting from bike improvements outweigh losses incurred by having fewer car-driving customers".

"Can a city’s bicycle infrastructure be an attractive amenity luring new residents, and therefore potential new customers in the local economy?".…

This week started with some difficulty. For many years, I have been a hockey player, representing a club in Solihull. A couple of seasons ago I suffered a knee injury and I’m not entirely sure I have recovered from it or if I will properly. I makes riding a bike in the next three days after a match uncomfortable. Now that I have made a more pronounced financial, personal  and emotional investment in cycling, I have decided that this season will be my last as a hockey player. It means I can…

On Your Bike - Quantifying CO2 savings of cycling has just been published based on research in Denmark.

Part of the executive summary reads:

"This study shows that if levels of cycling in the EU-27 were

equivalent…

I took the Cole Valley route to work this morning for the first time in a few months. There were a few changes...

These annoying things have been painted green, there are five of them between Stratford Road and the Ackers.

The path visible above has been resurfaced but it ends at the bend so only…

Way of the Enlightened Cyclist

There’s much talk on these pages at the moment of lobbying the government and Birmingham City Council for a better standard of cycling facilities. It has also been mentioned that a facet of this is encouraging cycling in non-cyclists, or at least generating a level of sympathy to our cause from them. I see this as the aspect I would…

Another cyclist has died negotiating Bow Roundabout whilst using an East London bicycle "superhighway".   Bow Roundabout is the junction of the A11 and A12.   Surprisingly it is only a two lane roundabout, but it does also feature a cycling facility.   Looking on Google Streetview this was the usual, lethal cycle lane around the outside, but I don't know how it has been modified for the "superhighway" other than what you can…

Jeremy Clarkson is vocal in his loathing of two things that I hold very dear, cycling and the city of Birmingham.

This being the case, I…

(Pedal) Power To The People

My original intention was to blog every Friday. The Friday just gone, however, was the first Friday of the month which is when some particularly enthusiastic bikists turn out in the name of Birmingham Critical Mass to cycle around the City Centre. I had never attended one before and I wanted to make it the nub of this week’s piece.

All last week, my excitement built in anticipation. I had joined the various Facebook groups as well as…

So I'm sat here, Sunday morning, at work, waiting for all the trains to wake and and start breaking down, or the track to break and I'm casting my mind back over this week and what a week it was.

This time last Sunday I was just setting off to join my second skyride local. A jaunt through the south Birmingham countryside. I had decided to ride down there to get myself a 50 miler in. The ride was very well attended, excellently led and very enjoyable. I think Skyrides will form a large…

It’s Just A Ride

As an urban hybrid riding commuter, my routes to and from the office were direct selecting the quickest route possible. Now I want to be on my road bike as often and as long as possible but I still need to get to work, so what to do?

I live in Kings Heath and work in Longbridge. In years past, I have gone via Kings Norton Green and through West Heath, which could be fun, speeding down Parsons Hill in the morning and fighting up it in the evening.…

TLC and elbow grease

I have been a fairly regular, albeit fair weather, commuting cyclist for around seven years now. The new found enthusiasm for biking that my new road bike has inspired in me has got me out and about in less clement conditions and loving it! When I had just the one bike, my Marin Muirwoods “hybrid”, a certain amount of vanity meant that I did not fit mudguards to it. I only cycled in the rain if I got caught out in it or if I came in to work on a…

Raleigh racers and quiet streets

I have recently purchased a shiny new bicycle. It is a Focus Cayo 105 - a carbon framed, drop handlebar road bike. After twenty three (ish) years of various mountain bikes and hybrids (with one exception in 1992, which I will get to another time), it is has been a daunting experience to be back in the drops once more, contending with having to brake in the aero position - and these days change gear too!

I can just about remember…

In a similar vein to Mark Cavendish I joined Sky for a ride this weekend, No doubt he will find his more challenging in the year to come as mine was a mere 28 miles and a moderate pace. I cycled to the meeting point to add another 12 miles to the tally, which seemed more fitting for a Sunday ride

I didn't know what to expect from the experience. I hoped for a look at some new lanes in the area and meet up with similarly untalented and weighty riders. I knew the pace would be slow and…

Well seeing as I am sat heat with an infra red heat pad on my lower back, it appears to be the ideal time to rekindle my love of blogging and to start things off as I am new here, here is a potted history.

Four years ago, whilst at an international Archery competition in Estonia, I hired a bike for the day to sample some of the wonderful countryside the country had to offer. At the time I was 171/2 stone, if I breathed in and closer to 18 when I breathed out. Exercise was something of…

I didn't attend this but was sent a press release with photos. Also seen on Birmingham Mail website.

Photos by Jonathan Melhuish…

Hi, having taking part in the Warwick 100 earlier this year I am considering doing the London to Paris ride next year (I was ready for it this year as I've only just bought my new bike) for a children's charity. There's a fundraising target of £1400 but the registration fee is only £99.

I'm just wondering if any of you have done this ride before and if so how did you find the fundraising? I'm considering doing it with a couple of friends and having spoken to the charity it is…