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bike repair app

easy bike repair app

one of our occasional cycling colleagues (and i am using the word in its loosest sense) bought himself a new bike recently, after very rarely slogging his way about the isle on something less than equitable for the task, even allowing for the unlikelihood of him being offered a professional contract anytime soon. or ever, for that matter. in the light of his new purchase (a well-respected brand no less) we had naively expected him to be more than eager to be waiting outside debbie's of a sunday morning, ready, able and willing to burn us off his rear wheel before bruichladdich became a distant memory.

i did say naive.

according to popular lore, he needs a few weeks to 'get used to it.' a phrase that smacks of an excuse. surely one of the best ways to get used to a new bicycle is simply to ride it somewhere and to do so in pleasant company (we are nothing if not self-effacing)? i mention this because throughout the years in which a motley gaggle of velocipedinists has transmogrified into velo club d'ardbeg (a similar gaggle, but with nice jerseys), we have been surly advocates for the great unwashed to join us on our perambulations. if the aging mighty dave t can still sprint for the speed signs near debbie's, there is every hope for members of the younger generation. disappointingly, our machinations seem to have fallen on deaf ears; it would still be possible to hold the club dinner dance in the phone box at carnduncan.

easy bike repair app

yet we have been assured by all and sundry that cycling is the new golf, that bicycles have been literally flying out the doors of evans, halfords and every local bike shop in between, though it would be foolish not to mention that none such exist this far west in the atlantic. however, should those recently possessed of the latest in bicycle technology steadfastly remain individualists, they're undoubtedly going to come across the sort of questions more often asked mid-peloton, and quite often answered there too. for everyone knows that each and every gaggle of cyclists in christendom has at least one real or would-be mechanic, happy to divulge the secrets of their trade.

from this point of view, the loner, to put not too fine a point on it, is stuffed.

or at least, was stuffed. for though i'm still one of only two people in the world without a mobile phone, many riders are making excellent use of those zipped pockets on the back of today's cycle jerseys in which to carry a so-called smartphone. (no, i don't understand it either.) in which case, the latest easy bike repair app from jacob obarzanek might conceivably make an on the bike substitute for a chattering peloton.

easy bike repair app

questions such as 'what crank length ought i to be riding?', 'why would i need to carry a power-link?', and 'how do i centre the brakes?' are all confidently answered by way of text and photographs and easily selected on ipod touch/iphone or android device. not only that, but it's not that hard to find the answer you may be seeking, even in the middle of a galeforce, hailstone battered uiskentuie strand. and the bike-fitting section might even assist those who have no idea what size to buy en-route to future pelotonic delights

i have every faith in my mechanical abilities, bolstered by several years of setting up review bicycles, so my lack of a smartphone in the zipped pocket does not fill me with dread. but for those new to the activity of cycling and concerned they might not recognise the difference between a dual-pivot caliper and a wheel skewer, the easy bike repair app could mean the difference between riding home and scuffing those delicate cleats on the road surface. and should that be insufficient to tempt you to either apple's app store or the similarly constituted online department for android devices, the price of only only £1.49 ought pretty much to seal the deal.

very clever in my humble opinion.

iphone | android | easy bike repair website

monday 24 march 2014

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the calling

the calling

according to common consent, there are one or two subjects of which it is inadvisable to discuss in polite company. basically these consist of politics, sex and religion. with the impending opportunity for scots residents to vote in a referendum concerning yes or no to national independence, i'd be taking my life in my hands to make any passing reference to the first of these, and i'm sure as heck not going to make mention of the second. the third? well, again it would be unseemly to turn the daily post into anything resembling a sermon; i doubt so doing would likely add to my readership in any desirable manner, but since i feel the subject to be at least in the vicinity of my principal subject, i'm going to throw caution to the wind and forge ahead regardless.

the calling

though i will refrain from mentioning the specific denomination of the person i am about to introduce, it makes sense to admit that he was (and as far as i know, still is) a church minister. it turns out that this was not his mode of employ before moving to the isle, but would only admit to having had a calling to the ministry. despite my having something of a reputation for being cynical, i will try to keep it in check, however, he was the first minister i had met who not only had a business card, but required that it be printed in colour.

who does a minister give business cards to?

as is frequently the case with individuals moving to islay to take up gainful employment, his calling to the local parish did not last an eternity, for it seems he received a further calling to practice his ministry elsewhere.

the calling

i do not subscribe to his particular branch of christianity, and i'm not sure i'd know a calling if it knocked on the door and offered me a brooks saddle, but i did rather wonder at his point of departure why the calling elsewhere allowed him to leave his islay parishioners in limbo, particularly as it took over a year to find a replacement. perhaps the clue was in his need of a business card; his successor, to the best of my knowledge, has no need of such stationery.

of course, a calling is not something that is the sole property of organised religion, aptly demonstrated by an event of the very same name taking place over this past weekend. the calling in this case concerns the agglomeration of fourteen women cyclists comprising the rapha north american women ambassadors. since friday, they have been gathered in los angeles, where it is one heck of a lot warmer than it is on the road to debbie's. this particular calling does not involve the preaching of sermons, or at least, not yet. the women held an informal training camp during which the state of clothing (naturally) and racing were discussed in perambulatory fashion. it was also an opportunity to effectively re-boot the ambassador programme.

the calling

once all is over and done with, part two begins when six of the participants take to the road between los angeles and california's capital city, sacramento, detailing the trip via stories and movies that will subsequently appear on rapha's website. the selfsame fourteen will also participate in and lead several of the women's 100 rides leading up to 20 july. i do have certain reservations regarding the need to refer to it as the calling for reasons of pretension and the aforementioned religious inference, but i can only put my hands up and say i can't come up with an alternative right this minute.

at least not one that anyone would pay much attention to.

the calling

sunday 23 march 2014

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shand cycles phat stoater

shand phat stoater

there may come a time, in the not too distant future, when bikes like this chunky tyred stoater from edinburgh's shand cycles, will be de rigeur. after a winter that seems to never have ended, the country's roads are in less than pristine condition (if the highways and byways of islay are anything to go by), and it becomes a lot harder to avoid both potholes and cars avoiding potholes at the same time. suspension, to my mind, has no place on a bicycle; that's what tyres and legs are for. all it does is makes for a heavier, ugly bike. but that doesn't exclude the times when big, phat rubber has its place in society.

the phat stoater offers the possibility of replaing the landrover when it comes to flattening all that stands in its way, in particular when that is a pockmarked, crumbling road surface. but as an all-rounder, does a skinny framed, chunky tyred bicycle make enough sense to convince you to buy one?

read the review

saturday 22 march 2014

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utility

the dutch and their bikes

it surely happens to all of us. the conversation turns to cycling, whether by strategic turn or pure happenstance; it matters not. and that's when the third party guilt seems to surface "i used to cycle a lot when i was younger" is the most commonly offered remark. i find myself answering for all of us by pointing out that i too used to cycle a lot when i was younger, and i'm still doing so. in which case 'what's their excuse?'

cycling as a means of transport or simple utility has never really caught on in britain. at least not once the motor car assumed its faux superiority. a colleague used to regularly maintain that petrol simply wasn't expensive enough when the local boy racers can spend all night emulating top gear presenters in souped up corsas. again, there are more than just a handful of individuals who find it equanimous to drive less than 500 metres to work each day. the guy was plainly correct: petrol's just not expensive enough, though a common complaint on islay where the cost per litre is substantially higher than on the mainland.

the dutch and their bikes

i have yet to come across anyone locally of my acquaint who has actively sought reasons as to why bicycle transport might be a preferable option. in most cases, they'll spend more time presenting all the spurious reasons as to why they couldn't possibly leave the car at home and opt for two wheels, a saddle and pair of pedals instead. but then you knew that already anyway.

so why is it that a central european country such as holland, which is no less under the influence of the motor car than are we, can find itself in thrall to the bicycle as a means of getting from point a to point b. common consent on this side of the channel is that unless a similar philosophy at least begins to pervade the british psyche, cycling will remain in pretty much the same state as it currently inhabits. periodic situations such as the much vaunted wiggo effect will always increase the number of mamils on the roads each weekend, but that, like fashion, is nearly always a cyclical affair (if you'll pardon the pun).

the jury is still out on whether this will last.

the dutch and their bikes

however, take a look at the photos in a new book from shirley agudo the dutch and their bikes - scenes from a nation of cyclists and you'll struggle to find anything with drop bars, multiple gears and carbon fibre construction. the mighty dave t has oft remarked when we're passed by a car showing its age, "your bike's worth more than that" which, more often than not, is perfectly true. however, bikes such as those are generally way too good for me, ridden only to maintain that mamil membership for a few more years. strictly speaking it could hardly be described as transport.

dutch bicycles, as you're no doubt tired of hearing, are somewhat different, designed for transport and utlility rather than for pretending you're philippe gilbert in a one-day classic. portland, oregon has, to a certain extent, modelled its bicycle culture on that of amsterdam, though you'll see few sit up and begs down martin luther king boulevard. different cultures, different continent, different bikes. europe has an historial connection with the type of machine proffered by the likes of pashley, taurus and albabici.

the dutch and their bikes

the contention that we would do well to emulate the dutch model when it comes to treating the bicycle as an intrinsic yet utilitarian form of transport is patently not mine. as made mention of in the opening paragraph of agudo's excellent book, current uk prime minister, david cameron (in mid-august 2013) promised to spend £77 million on a cycling infrastructure, pointing to the netherlands as a suitable role model.

i wonder whatever happened to that?

ironically, the first bicycles arrived in holland during the latter half of the 19th century, imported from both france and great britain. yet here we are around a century and a half later attempting to import dutch cycling values to britain.

the dutch and their bikes offers a photographic insight into the myriad ways in which our beloved velocipede has threaded its way into dutch sociology. the downside is that it's likely only the converted that will ever view its pages, take note and relate them to their own transportational needs. the individuals referred to in my opening paragraph will be still too concentrated on finding reasons to both avoid ever acquiring a copy, or giving up the infernal combustion engine in favour of cycling.

one of life's major conundrums, but one that will probably need solving sooner rather than later.

you can view an excerpt from and purchase a copy of 'the dutch and their bikes' from dutchandtheirbikes.com cost is £18.10 (€29.90

friday 21 march 2014

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the cancellara effect

rubbee

though i find it hard to believe, the uci have apparently provided their chaps at the coal face with scanning devices that will alert them to the existence of secretly concealed motors in the bicycles of our heroes. you and i know that the professional code of ethics would never allow any form of cheating to infiltrate the upper strata of professional racing, but for reasons best known to themselves, the uci are less inclined to agree.

the suspicion that such small, yet powerful motors exist in a format that would not only allow them to fit inside carbon tubing, yet survive on similarly miniaturised batteries in a form that would offer sufficient power to achieve their intended goal, is a factor that can be squarely laid at the pedals of fabian cancellara. though it has been all but conclusively proven that fabian did not, at anytime, resort to so-called mechanical doping, his ability to ride away from the likes of tom boonen with apparent ease was regarded with suspicion.

rubbee

so just in case while fab was taking the flak, others had sneaked a motor or two into their own bicycles, the uci sought out appropriate scanning devices and handed them to the fellows in charge of this racing stuff.

there have been times recently when i would have happily reached for the on button of such a device to provide much needed anti-gravity assistance at strategic moments. new year's day was a case in point where the road from kilchiaran heads ever upwards at an average gradient of 14%, though jumping to nearer 20% on one or two occasions. after seriously creaking knees on the ascent, it was of little comfort to discover that the chain had been failing to make it into the 25 sprocket, meaning i'd struggled up in 39/23. i'm just not that fit, so a little motor assist wouldn't have gone amiss.

rubbee

of course, other than for those of humility, there are no real reasons as to why us civilian cyclists would have need of concealing that motor. even if visible to all and sundry, shame would be the only perceptible disgrace. bearing all that in mind, the opportunity to do precisely as i have described has taken a few steps closer, always assuming that the wherewithal of £699 is sitting untouched in the bank account.

a team of london-based engineers has successfully waged a kickstarter campaign to raise funding for the less than excitingly named rubbee device which can be retro-fitted to any bicycle, offering power-assist when needed. sitting in place, a rubbee will power a bicycle over a distance of 15 miles on a two hour charge, using a flywheel acting upon the rear tyre. though weighing a tad less than similar aids, its 6.5kg brings it alone only just under the uci's lower weight limit for complete bicycles. were i clever enough in the maths department, i'd work out an equation to check whether the power offered would offset the additional weight when fixed to a new colnago c60.

but i'm not.

having passed their funding requirements, the rubbee is expected to be available towards the end of this year, just in time for me to fit it to the cielo before next new year's ride.

rubbee in action | kickstarter page

thursday 20 march 2014

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racing weight cookbook by matt fitzgerald & georgie fear. velopress softback 254pp illus. £16.95/$24.95

racing weight cookbook

i have porage for breakfast pretty much every morning, topped with tinned peaches at this time of year, but fresh peaches when our averagemarket stocks something that tastes less like turnip. i'm not much into crisps or chocolate or indeed, sweets of any shape or size. i'm rapidly getting fed up with cheese, but that selfsame averagemarket stocks little else that the intrepid vegetarian could put on the lunchtime rolls.

the girls in the office have accused me (grudgingly) of viewing food simply from the point of view of fuel for the ride. that's certainly one aspect of it all, but basically, i don't really care for what passes as junk food. it's not a badge of honour, simply a culinary choice. i've no idea if this is an addendum to being a vegetarian or not, but many of these distastes have been a part of my nutritional make-up since childhood. maybe i'm just weird.

yet despite apparently fussy food demands (so says mrs washingmachinepost), my cooking skills stretch about as far as opening a tin of baked beans. as a flatmate once opined, "you could burn water", and i'm not altogether sure they were much wide of the mark. so on the rare occasions when i've started to pay attention to my calorific intake, all the healthy cookbooks in the world would find it hard to make any tangible difference. at least, not until now.

matt fitzgerald is a certified sports nutritionist, has consulted for a number of sports related companies, and peer reviewed for various scientific journals. and though i've no idea what this means, he is currently a training intelligence specialist. despite all these handicaps, and in conjunction with professional nutrition coach, georgie fear, they have produced a damn fine cookbook, if for no other reason than the proffered recipes look and taste marvellous even to those who have no earhtly desire to maintain or even achieve any form of racing weight.

perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of the included delights are slightly heavy on the calories. but then, if in the midst of a serious, periodised and relentless training schedule, you'll probably need all the body fuel you can lay your teeth upon. and to make life even simpler for those of you like me who bring new meaning to the word ineptitude' in the kitchen, the book is divided into three distinct sections: the athlete who doesn't cook, the athlete with some cooking experience, and finally, the athlete who loves to cook. despite the knowledge that i'll probably never live outside section one, i do so love a book that refers to me as an athlete.

the connection between the recipes in each section and the book's intent to keep us leaner, lighter and faster would be somewhat tenuous were it not for the comprehensive introduction as to just how we ought to conduct ourselves throughout the remaining chapters. admittedly, the chapter entitled food shopping made simple has a distinct north american slant (the book is published by velopress), categorising likely our principal or only choice, the supermarket, along with farmers' markets, wholesalers, and natural foods grocers. there may be pockets of such across the uk, but the hebrides isn't one of them. however, on perusing the recipes, all of which are illustrated with mouth-watering images of what marks and spencers would entitle serving suggestions, there were few ingredients that could not be found or substituted on this side of the pond.

all the included meals are subdivided even further in the book's appendix into high-carb, high-protein, recovery and vegetarian the latter of which there are an impressive 67 recipes. a far cry from the dictum of the late usa cycle coach, eddie borysewicz, whose mandate included steak and pretty much nothing else. though i cannot claim to have been the chef du jour, i can thoroughly recommend the black bean and cheddar burgers as well as the nectarine and sweet cheese stuffed french toast, even if that which sat on my plate for a few moments looked not as aesthetically pleasing as the photo on page 186.

basically put, if this is the kind of food we ought to be eating during a bout of rigorous training, perhaps i ought to rescind my mantra of never training, only riding, because not only does this lot look way too yummy to avoid, i still have another 65 vegetarian recipes to consume.

,em>cordee books | velopress usa

i wonder if it's too late to enter the commonwealth games?

wednesday 19 march 2014

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gritcx

on my first visit to portland, oregon in 2009, not unnaturally i spent my first morning of sleep-deprived jet lag being taken for a ride up logie's trail, eventually crawling my way to skyline boulevard. in my experience, there are two ways of agglomerating for just such a sunday morning ride: either all meet at one point, or several are met at points along the way. the latter was a feature of my first portland ride, memorable for my struggle not only to figure out where on earth i was, but for desperately trying to remember that americans ride on the wrong side of the road.

several of those trying to keep me on the right side of the straight and narrow were members of a local cyclocross team with the distinctly belgian influenced name of hup united. sadly, on searching for an internet continuance of a team that wore jerseys made by vermarc (who else?), i could find only a blog that seemed to have given up the ghost in 2010. however, other than their name, i recall finding it endlessly amusing that, on the right shoulder was printed the words top tube goes here, an instruction that was, of course, obscured from the view of the wearer.

when the publishers of singletrack magazine recently announced they were to commence publishing a digital-only cyclocross magazine this coming autumn, amongst other features, i made mention that i thought their choice of name (gritcx) to be somewhat uninspired. the problem with making such statements in the public domain is that you can almost be sure that at some point, someone will retort with "so what would you have called it, then?" bearing this in mind, i had already gathered a number of options that i considered to be better choices than gritcx, the foremost of which was the previously stated top tube goes here, a name exhibiting a commonality of style with the soccer mag when saturday comes.

i'm sure you can see from where i was coming.

in a subsequent e-mail exchange with singletrack editor, chipps chippendale, the reality of his situation brought home a host of hurdles (see what i did there?) that i had foolishly not considered at all. if you'd care to look a few paragraphs north of here, you'll note that i said that gritcx is to be digital only. that means there are no bricks and mortar involved in its sales model, necessitating, amongst other things, an online presence. and any online presence has to start with an appropriate, though not necessarily obvious domain name; in this case, it was quite rightly perceived that this ought to follow the name of the projected magazine.

and that, in the reality of the modern digital age is where the problems start. "Basically anything with 'cyclocross' in the title was out as even if we went for crossmag.com or cxmagazine it would be too close to Cyclocross magazine", according to chipps "So we had to go for something more obscure." even the final choice of name hasn't come without unwanted baggage, as there is already a grit magazine in canada, though concerned with fashion rather than cyclocross.

and that fact in itself muddies the waters of masthead choice even further, for i cannot see that relationship between fashion and the word grit. i pointed out to chipps that very fact and that i thought gritcx might not be recognised in its field (there i go again) by those new to the sport. his counter argument, however, made it somewhat obvious as to why he is better involved in the publishing world than i: "You could argue that Rouleur and (especially) Privateer don't convey anything to the uninitiated either." he's not wrong, you know.

now finding myself in total agreement with his situation, i quoted from twitter, a message i had read that very day which stated that, in twenty years time, the biggest problem our grandchildren will face, is finding a username that hasn't already been taken.

"That's why I'm writing to you from a singletrackworld.com address and not a singletrack.com one. Saying that, though, there are a whole lot of new sub domains that have just been released. How do you fancy 'cyclocross.kitchen' or 'cyclocross.plumbing'?"

you have to admit, the man has a good point.

tuesday 18 march 2014

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