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.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Friday, 27 June 2008
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.
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
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.
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?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)