Would you be quickerbybike?


Quickerbybike.com is a campaign to promote cycling to non-cyclists
& decent cycling to existing cyclists.

If you commute to work or school but not by bike,
would you consider switching?

It's probably quicker, healthier, more friendly, more independent, cheaper, quieter & brighter.

If you already ride, would you promote cycling via your shorts?

If you ride like a bit of a wally, running red lights & annoying other road users,

would you wear the shorts and ride decently?


Monday 20 October 2008

Jamie Cameron in action at Gorrick 12-12

Jamie placed 3rd in the solo event at the Gorrick 12-12 over the first October weekend, flying the quickerbybike flag.

Next season quickerbybike.com will be a registered club, with a few riders representing us at mountain bike events, time trials and triathlons.

Wednesday 1 October 2008

How long can you go without re-fuelling?

I confess I have a car. However, I'm trying to abandon it. The last time I went to use it, the handbrake was rusted on so now I leave it off.

Two things are driving me to ditch my car. The first is a childish and geeky sort of competition I'm having with myself to see how long I can go without having to stand guiltily at a petrol station, pumping fuel into the thing. I filled it on Monday 29th September - anyone wanna compete with me for the longest interval before re-filling?

The second reason is a genuine reluctance to be in a car. I feel such an idiot these days when I find myself either stuck in traffic or spending £50 on fuel. In fact even a hassle-free car jouney feels wasteful to me these days. Plus I properly enjoy being on trains and busses.

I hope someone will compete with me on the fuel thing.

M

Tuesday 2 September 2008

Quickerbybike kit is now cheaper!

We want to get more kit out there on bums (and less in here under my desk).

Baggy shorts (Endura Singletrack) now £30.
Clickfast liners now £10.

In the mens there's lots of small, medium and large and XL but no XS.

There's XS, S and M in the ladies Singletrack shorts and liners.

There's still plenty of lycra kit in the s, m, l but no xs or xl, except for girls.

Rucksack covers now £5. They ain't waterproof but they're bright and they say quickerbybike.com on them.

Friday 1 August 2008

Talk to red-light jumpers?

My normal commute is out from town but sometimes, like yesterday, I ride towards town with all the other cycle commuters.

If you think other riders are riding badly, you should go and talk to them, I reckon.

I hollered at 6 riders yesterday who'd run red lights. I also made a point of catching up with, patting on the back and chatting to two guys.

It's always going to be difficult because nobody likes being preached to / told they're wrong but I think you have to have a go.

Be super friendly about it but say something. Shout something if you have to, even if it's only "red light!" Best to avoid "red light *!#*" as that's not very constructive.

Anyone agree? There is a dearth of comments to these threads. Leggy, any do-gooding on your commute?

Thursday 17 July 2008

Piles of new kit!

It all arraived yesterday.

The new Endura Lycra kit is here. Lycra road jersesy (unisex) and lycra bib shorts with boy or girl pad.

The new kit differs from the kit in the photos in that the logo on the bum is much bigger and the logo on the back is HUGE.

Girls keep telling me they'd rather have non-bibshorts, so that's what I'll order next.

New girl-specific baggy shorts are also in and well-liked.

A few girls have mentioned they'd prefer 3/4 length. If this is a general consensus, would more people email me to say as much please?

New rucksack covers are also here. Just like the photo below but with the logo big across the back.

Photos of all the kit will be up soon.

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Rucksack covers and more lycra ordered.

There's a big batch of the new Endura lycra kit on it's way, due 16th July.

Shorts £41, Jerseys £35. All shorts are bib shorts but there are girl-specific pads for the girls.


I'm a bit stressed that all the kit is expensive. This is 'cos it's good cycling kit for people who expect to ride a lot.


The rucksack covers might be the answer. They're on their way and I hope they'll be under a tenner. You'll have to use your imagination, they're like this but with the quickerbybike logo across the back:


Splendid. I confess I wouldn't normally consider wearing a rucksack cover because I'm too cool. If it's gonna say quickerbybike.com on it though, I'll be wearing it all year.

Monday 30 June 2008

Website is up.

The quickerbybike.com website is up. You probably came here from there.

There are a few teething problems with it and some of the content is not quite what it should be but it is up.

You can now buy kit via the website. If you know us though, just email what you want.

Friday 27 June 2008

Best pictures yet of the kit.


After this it got muddy.

Quickerbybike at Mountain Mayhem


Three new pairs of shorts, fresh out of their placcy bags, head for the hellish mud of Mountain Mayhem at the weekend. The London Dynamo team placed 22nd of 650 teams (including the pros). Amazing event. I highly recommend it. Next year there'll be at least one quickerbybike.com team racing. Anyone else wanna race for us?


Tuesday 24 June 2008

Is it quickerbybike?

Can you be persuaded that riding is a good idea?

Is it quickerbybike? With quick meaning clever, as well as fast.

Is it fasterbybike?

Typical journey times for 4 miles in central London look like this: bike 22 minutes, tube 30 minutes, car 40 minutes, bus 62 minutes, foot 90 minutes.

If you drive to work in central London, you'll spend neary half your journey at a standstill and you'll average about 7mph. Tedious.

The average cycle commuter does 12-15mph. Pretty much anyone can cycle at 10 miles an hour without breaking sweat. Fast enough to make other transport look a bit silly.

Quickness is worth having because it makes good use of precious time. Life is short, after all.

For a cyclist in the uk, that short life will be typically two years longer than that of a non-cyclist. How else can you make that kind of time during your journey to work?

Riding uses precious time well by using it a few ways. Commute time becomes alive time, rather than the dead time that other modes tend to be. It's a bit of life in itself, rather than a waiting room between two other bits of life. Commuting by bike is exercise time; proper, regular, interesting exercise that will actually work.

Is it greenerbybike?

The bicycle is the best we've ever done, as a species, for efficient transport.

Because making a bike needs a tiny fraction of the materials and energy needed to make a car and because bikes don’t need fuel, 2kg of carbon are saved for every short journey made by bike instead of by car. Two kilograms, twice a day.

Riding a bike is quiet and cool. Picture a city artery during rush hour. Now picture the same with everybody on a bike; all you'd hear would be chatter.

I’ve never squashed a fox, badger, squirrel, rabbit, hedgehog or bird while riding my bike.


Is it betterbybike?

When I pass other cyclists, I smile and wave. I’m friends with the regulars commuting the other way. I don't talk to them but we always wave or shout or point to our new bike or gesticulate at the headwind / tailwind / sun / rain.

Cycling makes you fit (did you spot that? you don't have to start fit, cycling will do it for you). Regular cyclists tend to have a the fitness of a non-rider ten years younger.

It’s cheap as chips to cycle. I run my bike for about £100 a year. I pay no fares, no road tax, no MOT, no insurance, no breakdown recovery, and I do not buy fuel.

How many hours do you work to pay for your means of travel to and from work? Is it possible that you could cycle and simply not work those hours?

Within reason, I park my bike where I like.

Is it cool?

Clever is always cool. Quick is cool. If you're not convinced you can be cool on a bike (although you surely are, no matter what you look like) have a look at the bike chic links over on the right.

Mrs Leggy's commute questionnaire answers

Mrs Leggy rides to work 10k each way every day between North West London and Central London. She’s a lycra-wearing triathlete for the journey but must be smart for her job, which is something serious, clever and important.

Here’s how she answered my questions:

Who?
Boy or girl? Girl
How old are you? 29
Where do you live? North West London
What type of bike do you ride? Monoc racing bike

How?
What type of ride is it? Park roads / central London
How far is your ride? To work 10k each way. Pretend to train
Between where & where? NW to EC
How many days a week? Every day
Winter and summer? Yep
What do you do when it rains? Get wet on the bike
Have you got a shower at work? Yes
What do you do for breakfast? Normally have it at home, sometimes at work
What do you wear to ride? Bike clothes, lycra all the way!
What do you do with your work clothes? I have a cabinet full of clothes, transport on bike, sometimes take in bulk. Take home each day to wash.
How do you travel on the days you don’t ride? Run or tube
How often do you get punctures? Hope this wont jinx it, but not that often (go through phases)
Can you fix a puncture? Yes
How long does that take? About 10 mins (pathetic I know)

Why?
Does riding make you cheerful? Oh yeah
Rank these for bright they make you feel: train/tube/car/bus/bike Bike / car / train / tube
Do you wave “hello” to other cycle commuters? I nod to others , rarely wave
Does getting rained on when you ride make you miserable? Yep , especially when washed my hair
Is cycling cheaper than driving? Yeah probably
Is riding more reliable, time wise than car/train/bus? Yes
Do you resent driving or catching the train/tube/bus when you have to? Yes
Do you daydream whilst you ride? Sometimes
Do you feel safe as you ride? Most of the time
Is riding ever a hassle? Only when I have loads to carry
Do you own a car? Yes
Is cycling the only transport you can afford? No
Do you ride to keep fit? Yes
Do you ride to train for racing? Yes
Do you ride for the environment? Not really

Thursday 19 June 2008

Baggy shorts are here!




New baggies are here. Endura Singletrack baggies with quickerbybike.com logo embriodered on the bum. £40 the shorts, £20 for the click in liner. Until the website is up, if you want a pair, email me at martin at quickerbybike dot com

Tuesday 17 June 2008

wear quickerbybike for your commute














Baggy shorts Endura Singletrack, Lycra Shorts Endura bibs, lycra jersey Endura Road Jersey.




quickerbybike.com works like this:

Cycle commuters wear quickerbybike kit.

Other road users see the kit and visit the site.

The site encourages non cyclists to cycle and wear the kit.

The site encourages existing cyclists not to ride like wallys and to wear the kit.

would you be quickerbybike?

If you commute to work or school but not by bike, would you consider switching? Just now and then perhaps.

Chances are it’s quicker, more green, more healthy, more friendly, more independent, cheaper, quieter and brighter.


If you already travel by bike but tend to ride like a bit of a wally, running red lights and annoying other road users, would you consider riding decently and promoting cycling via your shorts?