Roundabout

For the second time in the last two days I have faced with drivers who seem to ignore the golden rule that they must give priority to traffic from their immediate right.

They sped up and went into the roundabout despite the fact that I had the priority.

Needles to say, we as cyclists, must stay alert and expect those kind of motorists, especially at the roundabout.

b'Twin folding bike: a rather comprehensive review

I posted my initial impression of the b'Twin folding bike I have been riding in the last month or so.

Now I want to share with you my overall opinion.

First of all, the bike has seven speed with 20 inch tyre. Having 20 inch means I don't have problems after riding a road bike.

The bike feels normal just like any other bikes. Two other people who tried the bike drew the same conclusion.

It is solid, comfortable and can handle any type of roads with ease.

I like the flat handlebar which makes the bike feels more sporty.

I have to say the ride quality is spot on. In fact I do not expect to be that good.

As I said before you need a little bit of practice to fold the bike. It takes about a minute to fold so not that good compared to Bromptons where you can fold them in less than 20 seconds.

It is also quite large once you fold it. Again, do not compare with the Bromptons.

As you can see from the picture, the folded bike still occupy almost the whole part of the boot.

At about 14.7 kg it is also relatively heavy. I am not sure whether it is practical to fold, carry, and unfold it for your journey in daily basis.

If you don't need to fold and unfold the bike that often, it is obviously a sensible choice. At £200 it is absolutely a good value for money.

Note: my green b'Twin folding bike is unfortunately no longer on sale. Decathlon now offers almost the same specs at £400. The different is the new model has better handle bars and seat.

The best Christmas gifts for cyclists - in pictures

Some Christmas best-buys for your cycling-mad friend, brother, sister, dad or mum, selected by The Guardian. It covers gifts for budget concious people (like me) or for people who think money is not the issue.


Click here to read further...

More cyclists in town?

When the weather is not that friendly I sometimes leave my bike at home or just cycle to the station and catch a train central London. I noticed the other day I couldn't find a parking spot for my bike. It was still 06.40 in the morning however all the spots were taken. I wonder if more people in my area now prefer pedalling to driving to the station. And it is winter. It could be much more difficult to find parking spot in spring or summer...

Buy cheap, buy twice

You probably knew that someone stole my rear light the other day.

I did not have time to buy a proper replacement so while browsing in my local Poundland to buy a toy sword for my daughter (she needs it for her Christmas play) I could not resist myself not to go the bike section.

After a minute or two I found what I wanted: a rear light! It looked OK and was only £1.

I heard many of my friends found a good stuff in this store. Today could be my lucky day.

However it turned out soon that my luck was short-lived. I tried many times to open the battery compartment but I failed miserably. On the fifth or sixth attempts I snapped the holder.

Until now I still don't know how to put battery on to this light. Poor me...

Neck warmer, do you really need one?

Winter is on the air and the temperature is getting colder. If you decide to continue cycling, one of the thing that you will notice is the chill wind (especially in the morning) getting into your neck. To cover your neck with a scarf is obviously a sensible solution.

So, while wandering in a Decathlon store in Surrey Quays on a Saturday morning I can't resist myself not to buy and try a neck warmer.

There are a couple of models and I choose the cheapest one: a warmer made of fleece which set you back £3.99.

The next morning, when the day is wet and cold (which is perfect for a try out) I give it a go. Surprisingly, the little warmer is comfortable and covers my neck nicely.

I bet this little warmer will be my best friend until the winter is over...

Review: Blackburn and b'Twin hand pump

Blackburn hand pump (left) and b'Twin counterpart (right)

Hand pump is one of those tools that you should bring with you when cycling. It can come handy when you suddenly realise that your tyre needs some air. It happened to me in a number of occasions.

But which pump that should attached to your bike or inside your back pack all the time?

I have two. A Blackburn and a b'Twin.

The first one is very pretty and comes in several colours. It is so light and small you barely notice it is in your bag. The design is spot on. It looks like it comes out from the Apple design room in Cupertino.

However when comes to function it fails miserably. You need a lot of push just to inject air to a tyre. I try many times but the result is disappointing. I come to a conclusion that this pump does not live the expectation.

B'Twin pump, on the other hand is ugly. It only comes in black. Size wise, the pump is a bit longer than the Blackburn.

The design is straightforward. When comes to pumping air to your flat tyre, this beast obviously has the upper hand. The process is effortless. It really does what it says on the tin. At £4.99 it is also cheaper that the Blackburn.

The b'Twin hand pump definitely a cheap and cheerful choice.

Someone nicked my light

I was gutted when collecting my bike at the station and the back light was gone. I was sure nobody would be interested in taking it and that was why I always left it attached to the seat post. But I was wrong, very wrong.

Surely, my back light was attractive enough. Anyway, my message for you is always take with you the front and the back light. Now I know how it feels loosing a bike. Loosing a light is hurtful enough, let alone the whole bike...

Btwin folding bike. Is it any good?

My folding bike on a train from Greenwich to London Bridge.

For the last two weeks I have pedalled a folding bike. No, not that Brompton bike. Well, that cute bike is beyond my budget. At least for now. I plan to have one though and it means I have to start saving.

The one that I ride is Btwin, a brand by Decathlon. I got it last July for £200 after the store slashed the price from £300. It said the green colour bike that I purchased was no longer in production.

Right, enough the introduction. The ride is surprisingly reassuring. I do not have complaints because it feels right. Just do not forget to adjust your seat post and the handle bar.

Now come to one of the most important thing of a folding bike, the folding process. I have to tell you I need some time to master how to fold the bike. (Even the staff at Decathlon looks puzzled when he showed me how to fold...)

When you are familiar with the process it takes about a minute to fold. Yes I know, it is far cry from the Bromptons which require only 20 seconds to fold.

The bike also a little bit heavy, I think it is about 12 kg or so.

But it is still smaller than a road bike and you can bring with you on the train even on the rush hour.

So to wrap it up, I think it is fair enough to say that the bike is good if you are in tight budget and want to bike in some parts of your journey.

Rain 1 me 0

The autumn has come, the days are short. Bright and hot sunny days have long gone, which mean I have to be ready cycling in not-so-friendly weather or leaving my bike at home.

It happened a couple of days ago. It rained so hard that I had to take bus and train to central London.

I did not want to moan however I just could not stand waiting literally 12 minute for a bus to take to the station. And the waiting game repeated again in the afternoon. How I miss the independence of travelling by bike...

Carrera TDF road bike: one month on

I have used a Carrera TDF road bike for one month now. I have to admit that I like it. It is light and quick.

For £299 I can not complain. It serves me well navigating traffic to central London without any problems.

Some owners do complain about the pedals.

Yes they look cheap and horrible. But it is not a big issue. All you need is an allen key and take off the strapping. Problem solved!

Or if you have additional budget, you can replace them with better pedals. But, to be honest I will choose the first option. It is far cheaper.

In short, it is an ideal first road bike. This black and yellow bike exceeds my expectation.

Verdict: keep it or sell it? Definitely keep it.

White van man

I did not have problems with men in white van. Well, until two days ago. I was at a roundabout, ready to enter the second exit on my left. After passing the first exit, I saw a man in white van approaching the roundabout in relatively high speed.

As he was on my left, logically speaking I assumed he would give way for me. But that was not the case. He entered the roundabout and only hit his brake when he was about two metres away from me. 

I made eye contact with him and showed my face expression that I was totally not happy with his manner.

I was OK and could continue my journey home but this reminds me to expect the unexpected while on the road.

Just remember we do not live in a perfect world and there are motorists who lacks respect to other road users. What a shame...

I just don't want to cycle today...

There are times when I feel so tired that I don't want to cycle. I have to admit, it puts me off sometimes thinking about pedalling 18 miles to the office and another 18 miles back home, negotiating traffics all the way from Woolwich, Greenwich, Surrey Quays, London Bridge and Holborn.

So sometimes I go back to my old routine and take train (sorry....) and leave my bike at home.

Taking train means I have a luxury to read and I always bring bicycle magazines in my bag. As a cyclist convert I like to read various articles on shiny new bikes (which will set you back hundreds of pound in case you want one) and on cycling.

And you know what, just by reading those magazines, my desire to cycle to work is suddenly increased dramatically. And it will be multiplied when I walk along Strand and seeing so many people cycle.

So when I feel tired and bored of cycling I know exactly what to do.  As long as I get magazines (or books or cycling blogs) I am ready to cycle again...

Ready, cycle, pray

"So you cycle to work now?" a good friend of mine said to me the other day. I nodded. "Why did you ask?" I said.

"Well, just be very, very careful. I saw a cyclist knocked down by a bus in front of Waldorf Hotel this morning," she said.

"I don't know how bad the injury is. But I saw a pool of blood. It doesn't look good," she added.

It is not the first time I hear this kind of sad story: another cyclist knocked down on London roads.
Our safety doesn't depend entirely on our own hands.

There are reckless and mindless motorists out there. So, to be aware of road situation is a must. Look well ahead, glance to the right and to the left from time to time and always be ready to brake at anytime. Oh, one more thing. Don't forget to pray...

Help, my body aches!

Ok, I have a confession to make. I rarely exercise. Well, sometimes I swim on Saturday morning, but I do it once in three months or so.

That is why I get muscle sore all over my body in the first days of cycling to work. I tell myself, "Take a break for a day or two. Give your body time to adjust your new routine."

So I stop cycling for two days and take train to work.

The thing is, I sort of miss my bike. I miss the roads and the refreshing feeling after taking shower at the office.

On the third day, I cycle again. And you know what, I don't get muscle sore anymore. Great!!!

Cycling to work, how to get started

You might have planned it. You probably already have a bike in the landing, but then you do not know how to start pedalling all the way to the office.

What I would do if I were you is to start cycling a couple of miles for a start. Let's say from your home to the nearest station, then go further until you manage to get to the office entirely by bike.

That was what I did. I cycled about three miles on Monday, six miles, nine miles and by Friday morning, to my surprise I ended up doing 18 miles from Southeast London to Holborn.

I could not believe I finally did it...

Carrera TDF road bike

This what I ride to central London from the southeast.  A Carrera TDF I bought from Halfords for £299 (down from £449). I chose this as road bikes, I think, are better that hybrids or folding bikes for long distance journey.

So, is it any good? I read reviews from those who already bought it and I agreed with them. This Carrera is good first road bike.

It negotiates roads and traffics easily. Overall I am satisfied with the bike. Just don't mention the pedals...

Cycle in London for the first time

It was Friday afternoon, about 5 pm in August. I know it was not a perfect time to cycle for the first time in busy London roads. It rained heavily as well.

However, that was the agreed time that I had to collect my road bike.

So, when the rain eased I went out from a Halfords store and braced myself with the unknown ahead. It was the first time for me to cycle on roads after so many years.

I cycled slowly. The cars that passing me seemed went very quick. Suddenly the road went downhill and the bike picked up speed.

Why do I cycle in London?

"Don't do that. It is very, very dangerous," a good friend of mind tells me. "The traffic is just mad," he adds. I  agree with him. Roads are dangerous place. To cycle 18 miles to the office and another 18 miles back home is a daunting task.

But I already make up my mind.

Yes, it is not easy to cycle and navigate the traffic all the way from southeast to central London. However, London now has more cycle lanes and more people cycling to work. These force motorists to change their attitude.

And of course I can save money and burn excessive fat in my body in the process.