Beer, baskets and bikes
[via EcoVelo and Do The Right Thing]
And on a related topic, Hey Lady, Need help with that case of beer?
Penny Farthing
The National Penny Farthing Championships is on again this weekend at Evandale in Tasmania. Check out the photos from previous events—those guys are nuts (but in a good way).
Quality reading
The Ride of Your Life is a departure from cycling training books on the market today. Rather than focusing on physical fitness, I focus on the mental preparation that will ultimately make or break a your commitment to a training program, or to completing a challenging event. It is based on a structured, eight-step program that will compliment any cycling regimen, and increase the likelihood you will stick with it.
Looks good.
Conceptual bike design
When a bike is described as an "avant-garde concept" warning bells must start ringing.
As for the SPURT trailer, it's a very, very clever design. But I'm not entirely clear what design problem it solves without introducing others. Most notably, it looks unstable and vulnerable compared to a normal two-wheel trailer—in fact, this may not be the case but that's how it looks. And how do you keep it (and the bike) stable while you load a squirming infant into it?
Sloow doown
"Slow Down London is a new project to inspire Londoners to improve their lives by slowing down to do things well, rather than as fast as possible."
Perspective, the getting of
Interesting post at The MinusCar Project:
As I left [holding a coffee] she begged me to tell her I don't ride whilst drinking. I failed to ask her if she drinks her's while she operates a 4,000lb machine at speeds two to three times my own.
(Dang! I also always think of the witty riposte half an hour too late.)
Bike for commuting?
In answer to the question, "What sort of bike should people have for riding to work?", I'm inclined to suggest the following steps:
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Go to your shed.
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Take out whatever bike you find that's roughly the right size.
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Ride it.
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Repeat.
That said, when it comes time to think about a bike specifically for commuting, you could do worse than refer to the checklist presented at Do The Right Thing.
Now they tell me
Hmm, here's something that might have been good to know when I sprained my ankle:
A study of 600 patients found that a 10-day below-knee [plaster] cast is more effective than standard [RICE] treatment with a tubular bandage.
But then, how would I have kept cycling with my foot in plaster? I suppose I would have found a way…
Comments
" * Go to your shed. * Take out whatever bike you find that's roughly the right size. * Ride it. * Repeat."
Love it! Oddly enough, at the meeting I had where this was originally raised, the person I was talking to was thinking bike racks, sheds, lockers, showers, etc, etc. My response was that they just needed a bike, but then being the engineer I am, I got bogged down in details. Thanks for the reminder to keep it simple. :-D