Nightrider

Buoyed by the success of the Dunwich Dynamo I’ve been out riding in the evenings recently. After riding the whole night in darkness an hour at dusk doesn’t seem too much of a challenge. Having bought a pretty decent Cateye font light that cost more than some bikes I’ve bought and a Gore gilet I’m set up for evening rides. Shame the weather isn’t on my side.

Hairspray and handlebars

Cycling thrives on insider knowledge, like many other sports. One tip I’d never heard was that hairspray should be an essential part of a cyclist’s tool kit. Well in their workshop at least. Every struggled to get handlebar grips to slide on and then stay in place? Well not with hairspray – it lubricates the bar allowing the grip to slide on, then sets preventing it from swivelling off.

My daughter’s trike (a very stylish red Giant since you ask) is now ready for action. Let’s just hope she doesn’t change her mind about the style of grips!

This is probably going to be of more interest to fixed-gear Hoxtonites than three-and-a-half year olds concerned about their old, perishing handlebar grips.

UPDATE – it turns out this isn’t insider knowledge anymore. Font of all things cooled and fixed, Fresh Tripe are also in the know.

Olympic report

It’s a good job I waited until the end of the Olympics to write something about the success of Team GB’s cyclists otherwise I’d have been tied to the computer for two weeks.

The “gold rush” from the cyclists has been a success in so many ways. Here are a few of the things that have struck me:

• The hard facts of money-for-medal funding shows that Team GB secured a record haul of medal, totally dominating the discipline for the annual salary of a Premiership footballer. Ironic really that David Beckham should be chosen for the closing ceremony – hardly the face of a new generation.
• These athletes are true competitors – Shaneze Reade refusing to settle for a silver medal. Again compare this to England’s footballers who are consistent only in the poor international performance
• Seeing genuine, hard working athletes like Chris Hoy and Victoria Pendleton getting wider public recognition
• Really putting cycling on the map as a sport for all. Yes, sailing, kyacking, rowing all great – but with a £50 second-hand bike you are one step closer to being the next Chris Hoy
  Watching the reaction of the mainstream press – there’s no doubt about it there’s an intangible “feel good” factor that surrounds Team GB’s success.
• Listening to Kate Garraway gushing over the size of Chris Hoy’s thighs means that cycling is mainstream
• Reading gossip about David Brailsford’s photo opportunity with Ronahaldinho in the Daily Mail makes for a refreshing change from stories of “lycra louts jumping red lights”
• David Brailsford’s clever manipulation of the UK press’s obsession with teenage obesity, the credit crunch and knife crime saying that cycling could successfully address all three
• Bradley Wiggins saying in an interview that he wanted to appear on the Jonathan Ross show – if only he’d won his 3rd gold in the Madison then maybe he would. Despite the fact he won as many golds and broke as many world records as Rebecca Adlington, he not young, blond or female, but then that doesn’t stop Ricky Gervaise from regularly appearing on the show.

It’s been a canny move by Halfords getting into bed with Team GB. The Boardman range looks classy, is ridden by top riders and whilst it doesn’t have the romance of say a Colnago Master looks a very impressive range, particularly the time trial F1 machine. Spot on product development and perfect timing from Halfords.