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.