Owner: CyclePig URL:http://www.cyclepig.com/ Join Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:59:03 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Cyclepig is a blog about the world of cycle touring and recreational cycling. Topics include cycling equipment, repairs & maintenance, cycling technique and cycling tour tips. Site statistics:Click here
Positioning the Rear Light on Your Bike 2008-04-30 04:58:08 Photo by Stop Down
Seems straightforward right? You just put the rear light on your seat post and away you go. For recreational and city cycling this approach works ok, but when on a cycle tour sometimes you have to cycle in less than desirable situations.
For example, when on a bicycle tour or long [...] Read more:Positioning
Do Your Bike Locks Pass the Test 2008-04-29 05:09:44 Photo by CBS Fan
According to The Independent 1,200 bicycles are stolen every day in the United Kingdom. That is an amazing 440,000 stolen bikes every year!
A bike left in Croydon, south London, was stolen within an hour and bikes locked up in the centre of Manchester and Liverpool lasted less than two hours.
So are [...]
BicycleTutor.com - How to Maintain Your Bike 2008-04-28 02:49:01 For many new cyclists the task of fixing their bike can be quite daunting, and for experienced cyclists there are still some jobs that are left for the shop - often costing large amounts of money. However, help is at hand in the form of Bicycle Tutor.
Photo by David Blaine
Alex, a bicycle mechanic from [...] Read more:Maintain
Road of Death Claims Another Victim 2008-04-27 04:22:38 The world’s most dangerous road, the Unduavi-Yolosa Highway in Bolivia has claimed another cycling victim.
Photo by Phillie Casablanca
It has the macabre name ‘The Road of Death’ due to the number of Bolivian buses that have tumbled off it’s cliffs over the years. Most road traffic now follows a new paved highway, but the [...]
Keep Your Cycle Shoes Dry 2008-04-25 23:59:03 Whether you like it or not, sometimes when you cycle you are going to get wet. Even if you are just doing a day ride you may still get caught out by a sudden downpour - particularly given the quality of most weather forecasts.
Photo by mikebaird
If you are just on a day ride this [...] Read more:Cycle
Sustrans - 10,000 Miles of Cycling Routes 2008-04-25 10:00:16 Sustrans are a United Kingdom based charity responsible for creating and maintaining the National Cycle Network. The cycle network is a great way to find local recreational rides as well as more adventurous country trips and tours. The network is continually being extended and currently exists of 10,000 miles of cycle friendly [...] Read more:Cycling
, Miles
Discover the World on One Wheel 2008-04-24 05:34:26 Photo by richardmasoner
The design of bicycles these day is pretty much standardised - two wheels, handlebars, triangular frame shape, a seat , a chain, brakes and perhaps also some gears. But that is not the whole story as there are many members of the cycling community that choose to do their cycling on somewhat [...] Read more:Discover
, World
Cycling Up Hills Made Easy 2008-04-23 06:04:25 Photo by Francois Schnell
Imagine cycling over the top of a hill with your breath intact and a smile on your face. In talking with new cyclists the complaint I hear most often is how hard it is to ride up hills. Now nearly everyone loves the downhills but when the road goes [...] Read more:Cycling
, Hills
Welcome to CyclePig 2008-04-22 17:49:01 Why do people ride bicycles? For some it’s their job, for some it’s the exercise, for some it’s for sport and there are numerous other reasons I’m sure. For me, it’s the feeling of freedom and escape. I feel much closer to the world when I am on my bike and I [...] Read more:Welcome
National Geographic’s Top 10 Bike Trails 2008-05-01 05:16:34 The NationalGeographic
’s travel guide ‘Journeys of a Lifetime: 500 of the World’s Greatest Trips’ includes a list of the top 10 bike trails in the world.
Semio6 provides some interesting information and useful links on the rest of the top 10 bike routes.
The winner is the Route verte in Quebec:
Located in North America, the Route [...] Read more:National Geographic
Map Your Rides Online 2008-05-02 05:28:28 I discovered this post on Bike Noob about Ride Mapping that provides a very helpful review of several online mapping sites. You can use these sites to map out your local rides or plan a long distance bicycle tour. They also provide a great resource for discovering new places to go cycling.
I knew [...] Read more:Rides
Bicycle Security On Tour 2008-05-03 02:54:21 One of last weeks posts included a video about locking up your bike in New York. Looking after your pride and joy in the big cities is one thing, but how should you best manage the security of your bicycle and equipment while on a bicycle tour?
Photo by desmondwyson
The key challenge here is that [...]
Children Not Allowed to Bike to School 2008-05-05 03:54:06 In the UK, 33% of children would like to cycle to school but less than 2% actually do. I am sure if I searched hard enough I could find a statistic like ‘80% of children would like to spend 5 hours a day using their playstation and 80% actually do’.
Photo by Jimme, Jackie, Tom [...] Read more:Children
, School
Bike Anatomy Made Funky 2008-05-04 06:49:48 Are you a beginner cyclist wanting to learn the cycling lingo? Do you want to know the difference between a bottom bracket and a braze-on? Have you been cycling for a while and finally decided it’s time to maintain your own bike?
If the answer is yes, then the first place to start is [...] Read more:Funky
Fixing A Flat Tire - Everything You Need To Know 2008-05-06 03:57:01 It is the most common bicycle repair and unless you like walking, it is the probably the first that you should learn. So how do you go about fixing a flat tire?
In this four part series we will look at:
Part 1 - The basics of removing your wheels and fixing a tire
Part 2 - [...] Read more:Everything
Fixing A Flat Tire - Everything You Need To Know (2) 2008-05-07 03:31:16 This is Part 2 in the series on fixing a flat tire. The full series is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
Not all tires like to play nice! Occasionally you will come across a tire where it is almost impossible to get the last part of the tire onto the rim. [...] Read more:Everything
Fixing A Flat Tire - Everything You Need To Know (3) 2008-05-08 04:44:56 This is Part 3 in the series on fixing a flat tire. The full series is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
So now you can fix a tire in the comfort of your own garage and even deal with really stiff tires, but what about when you are out cycling and [...] Read more:Everything
Giro d’Italia - Source of Cycling Inspiration 2008-05-10 01:34:11 Do you feel like going for a ride surrounded by some fantastic scenery? Why not set your sites on the Giro d’Italia
?
Ok, maybe that’s not quite realistic for the following reasons - firstly you need to be a professional cyclist, secondly you need to be able to ride 100’s miles over many consecutive days, and [...] Read more:Cycling
, Inspiration
, Source
New Campaign To Target British Leisure Cyclists 2008-05-09 15:52:23 Photo by kamshots
As reported on BikeRadar:
British
Cycling is to spearhead a new membership drive by focussing on its Everyday Cycling leisure and utility cycling package.
…
For the equivalent of just £2 a month Everyday Cycling membership gives members access to market leading legal and insurance support package for all types of cyclists in the UK along [...] Read more:Campaign
, Leisure
, Target
Fixing A Flat Tire - Everything You Need To Know (4) 2008-05-09 02:49:17 This is Part 4 in the series on fixing a flat tire. The full series is Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.
Fixing Flat Tires on a Bicycle Tour
So you have decided to leave the big city and take your bicycle on a multi-day tour. That’s great news, but what should [...] Read more:Everything
Blowing In The Wind 2008-05-12 03:33:42 How many times has this happened to you? You are out on a bike ride, feeling strong and going at speeds a few miles faster than what you normally do. You reach the half-way point, then turn and head for home…..and….SLAM!. You find yourself riding into a strong head-wind and struggle the [...]
This Is Why You Should Always Wear A Helmet 2008-05-11 03:42:48 Just in case you were thinking of going for a ride without your helmet, here is a quick reminder of why you should never leave it at home.
This is the first time I have ever heard of someone putting their foot into their own spokes…..not a great cycling technique to aspire to. Has anyone [...] Read more:Helmet
Why You Should Commute By Bike 2008-05-15 03:19:07 In case you hadn’t already noticed, this week is Bike to Work week in America. I know that we all think that bicycle commuting is a good idea. But what are some of the facts behind it?
I came across BikesBelong.org which is an American organisation trying to put more people on bicycles [...] Read more:Commute
Ride-Strong Holding Must Do Ride Contest 2008-05-14 03:25:05 Do you have a ride in your local area that is simply a MUST DO? Do you want to share it with the world for the chance to win $100? The popular cycling blog Ride-Strong
is currently hosting a competition for the best ride that is mapped online using www.RoadBikeRides.com.
I recently wrote a [...] Read more:Contest
Trophies of the Cycle Tourist 2008-05-16 02:09:56 Many sports have their trophies, so why should Cycle
Touring be any different?
Some well known long-distance bicycle routes, such as Lands End to John O’groats and the Raid Pyreneen, provide medallions for their completion. But I prefer the slightly less organised and self-planned side of cycle touring.
So what then could be some likely candidates [...]
The Terror Of The False Flat 2008-05-18 05:02:54 The False Flat is evil! It attacks with stealth and can leave you a broken mess on the side of the road. For the least you need to know go straight to the bottom otherwise read on for the full horrible story.
Original photo by Zevotron
The Departure
It was a Tuesday morning in May when [...] Read more:Terror
What Does A Bicycle Friendly City Look Like? 2008-05-17 05:14:41 This week has been bike to work week in America and it got me thinking about what it would be like if more people took more cycle journeys. What would a city look like where cycling is a way of life and much of the cities infrastructure has been designed with the bicycle in mind.
I [...] Read more:Friendly
Family On Bikes 2008-05-20 05:32:33 Are you stuck on the local block and struggling to take your cycling to the next level? Do you have children but think it is just too hard to get them all out on bikes?
Photo courtesy of the Vogel family
Well how about taking some inspiration from the Vogel Family
who are soon to set [...]
Dear Self in 2005 2008-05-22 11:57:17 Dear Self in 2005,
Why did you eat all those hamburgers and drink all that beer? You will regret it come 2008 when you need to do all that extra training for a 6 week bike tour.
Cheers Regards,
Your self in 2008
—
I came across this idea over on General Carlessness, where Jennifer is thanking herself for [...]