On helmets

Cycling injuries account for approximately 20% of all head injuries in children . Riders with helmets have an 85% reduction in risk of head injury, according to Headway.

Bikes and anarchy

Who said bikes were tame - loads of publicity around this month's Critical Mass bike ride in London:

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/10/324891.html
http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/
http://www.urban75.com/Action/critical.html

As far as I can make out, Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of bicycles and other nonpolluting means of transportation, exercising the right to use the road.

Perhaps I reveal too much when I say I rather agree with the Guardian's view:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/wheels/story/0,,1600651,00.html
"Zero tolerance: the most overrated concept of our age. "

If you try and crack down on a peaceful and fairly harmless protest, you are asking for people to push back. I think the police have more pressing issues than a once a month bike protest - we'd all be a lot healthier if more people took to their pedals. If you force the organisation into the ranks of 'protesters' you're asking for more radical supporters to join. But there you go: they may know something I don't (almost certainly!)

The 'group' seems to have a laudable aim - cars can cause congestion at any time without a raised eyebrow, bikes are a good deal healthier. And the aims don't seem too anarchistic, although I've noted one or two websites which revel in protest (expecting revolution any day now) being highly supportive, which is sad in that it takes this out of the mainstream and puts people off joining.

Unfortunately the police seem to be imposing some kind of controls/limitations on the ride, which on the face of it seems a bit unnecessary, but my view is probably coloured by the fact that I don't have anything other than biased information.

I won't get a babysitter in time for this months ride, but it could be a great way to get in some road practise somewhere other than Reading. Or am I being naive?

Anyway, on my search for more information discovered people have been riding around London naked. I had no idea that biking could be so anarchic!
http://www.barewitness.org/worldnakedbikeride04.html

Bike locks

Reading posts on a professional press forum I subscribe to, discussion has been raging (well slowly chugging) about bike locks - which is slightly off topic for the forum, but obviously a subject close to some people's hearts - including mine now that I'm up and almost running.

Someone (Ben Tudor, as it happens) posted the following on Kryptonite locks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite_locks

The crux of this is that these superlocks can be undone with a Bic pen.
Apparently, according to one posting, a certain railway company's maintenance staff also have a habit of removing bike locks. I'd love to know why. Trying to get in and clean? Silent protest at privatisation?
And bike thieves pouring superglue into bike locks, so owners have to leave their bikes for longer, giving the thief time to strip the bike.

I guess you can't spend your life worrying about these things, and I don't think my bike comes into the 'splinky, must have, ultimate stealable object' category, but it does make you conscious that dumping bike outside of pub while you pop in for sustenance may not be the smartest move.

6% there - ouch

Well this blog has me thinking - until my registration is in and training really gets underway, there's not much progress, so I'm considering adding in some personal stuff: one to contemplate.

Anyway, this weekend we had a garage sale, which isn't the first step in me writing about all things other than bike rides, but provided an ideal opportunity for me to escape work and kids for a few moments on my own to really road test the bike.

My job was to put up the posters for the ride, and direction signs, for which a bike is ideal - you can jump off and leave a bike far more easily than you can in a car.

This little exercise offered up a number of salutory lessons:
1. If you're carrying bags on the handles of a bike, make sure they can't get caught in the spokes!
2. Cars regard you as a menace on a bike, even on an empty road at 7.30am on a Sunday morning.
3. Super comfy gel saddles aren't!

I cycled out a mere three miles - six miles in total, and although my legs didn't ache afterwards (which I find reassuring) I did have some saddlesore bits - will have to get that looked at (the saddle, that is).

I also didn't get above fourth gear on a bike with around 10, which I'm sure must mean something rather pathetic about the way I pedal. I have therefore made a mental note to ensure I'm at the Bath departure fairly sharpish on 'd-day' if I want to get to the finish post before last orders.

Still, I have 10 months to up my riding prowess up from six miles to almost a hundred.

I had already been warned about drivers not paying much attention to cyclists and advised to wear a proper cycling shirt as drivers are more patient if they think you're a speedy, experienced rider rather than Aunty Aggie ambling off to buy stuff from the market and taking in the view on the way. (Plus these shirts ensure you stay a decent temperature throughout the ride. Note to Father Christmas if you're reading this....)

I find this sad. I was taught to allow as much space for a rider as for a car, simply because if you don't and they hit a pothole as you're passing, you can say goodbye to your paintwork. And I really don't see how me always being in a last minute rush from one place to the next means I have the right to endanger someone else.

(Note re permanent rush mode: Mother with small children not only means social secretary and taxi driver, but that simply leaving the house can take well over half an hour whilst small child changes mind about shoes, ticks Smokey the toy cat into bed, comes back to go to loo just as you've locked the door, and insists on huge hugs goodbye of any remaining folks, several times over.)

Anyway, I'm off to surf for some super padded underwear for this ride... although I dread to think what this will bring up on a Google search, so maybe I'll just stick to some of the cycling sites.

Back on line?

Well excuse the absence which has been due partly to friends Richard and Kristina having the most amazing wedding bash down on Burgh Island in Devon (very magical, very OTT and they're absolutely besotted with each other) and partly due to a huge technological hitch which has resulted in anything and everything being painfully slow following a major system failure and really a blog was the last thing on my list of priorities.

Anyhow, we're nearly back to subnormal.

I will, of course, have to reload the evil daisy software in order to be able to post any pictures, a thought that fills me with great trepidation, and something I'm not even planning to attempt until my nerves - and IT system - have settled.

In terms of the ride, we had a meeting the other week - one of the few that I've actually, to my eternal shame, shown my face at. in my own defence, it takes me two and a half hours to get there, so it's 5 hours I could be using better for the charity.

Anyway, we have some great plans afoot for promoting the ride, and Ev Milker of mond is creating a new logo for the ride which enters its 25th year next year.

All very exciting!

Nore as thge stories unfold...watch this space.