This is the second instalment of the Optimising for Speed series; speed is as important now as it was in the first article and it falls to the purpose of this article to address another issue or two that often hold(s) cyclists back from realising their speed potential. This time, I’ll look at gears – both setup and usage. [More]

Just added two new additions to the shop… check ‘em out now… [More]

City cycling may be outside of the everlasting quest for speed that racing cyclists undertake for the duration of their lives, but it's no secret that every cyclist wishes they could go just a little bit faster, cut down that journey time a little, or just enjoy the feeling of velocity.

And the good news? You don't have to be a racer to go fast, and you don't need to tire yourself out to get up the momentum you'd really like. With these few simple tips, you'll easily be going 20% faster without really expending any extra effort. This isn't a workaround in place of stamina and strength, but it'll go a long way to giving you that boost you need. [More]

As any city cyclist knows, safety and visibility are inseparably linked in the context of city cycling, and any way to make yourself more visible is definitely a bright idea. So let’s shed a little light on the subject of visibility, particularly at night, specifically with reference to what is of course a legal requirement for a bicycle – front and rear lighting.

The important advice in relation to lights is ‘always use them’. If the streetlamps are on, your bike lights should be on. You will feel much safer around other road users if you know you are visible to them. This is part of your presence on the road, which increases your safety no end.... [More]

A common problem facing many cyclists today is the issue of how to transport goods, items and property in general by means of a bicycle. As a mode of transport, the bicycle is very often considered primarily and perhaps solely for the purposes of transporting usually one person from place to place; yet being a versatile machine, the bicycle is more than capable of being a load-carrying conveyance as well. [More]

Well I hate to bring a downer on everyone but I thought it might make sense to talk about what to do when things go badly wrong for a cyclist. I refer of course to 'falling off' and 'being hit by a car' – both of which are well within my areas of expertise! I'll be brief, but hopefully the stuff I talk about here will be useful enough in preventing accidents or – if the worst comes to the worst – minimising the impact... as it were. [More]

This article complements a good understanding of clear signalling and careful, deliberate indications of what you are about to do and when. Communicating to other road users your intentions is essential for safety and smooth, uneventful journeys. A few notable points are included here, but it should be said that many more situations will arise than are mentioned here; by applying these simple principles, however, you will be a safer and happier cyclist. [More]

In the main, cycling in the city is not a social sport. You will probably not be conversing at length with other cyclists, much in the same way that motorists tend not to converse with each other from car to car even if they are able to. City cycling is a very functional phenomenon and many of the other cyclists on the road will be simply trying to get from one place to another. As such, it is an individual and solitary pastime. However, a certain degree of communication is essential for maintaining happy cyclists and safe cycling through the city context. [More]

Overtaking isn’t solely a city cycling issue, but the fact is that it occurs more in a city context than it does in any other comparable context. Knowing how to overtake correctly will save you a lot of energy and embarrassment, and make life easier for everyone involved. Most of the advice in this article refers to the overtaking of one bicycle by another, but if you’re up to the task then it can be applied to the overtaking of motor cars as well. [More]

Sometimes a cyclist just doesn’t have the luxury of a lock. Maybe the mechanism on your old lock has finally given up the ghost, or perhaps you just left it at home by mistake; whatever the case, if you turn up in town without a lock, your options are limited. You can either go home and get your locks, or you can find a way of parking without using locks. [More]