Brooks saddles

The other day whilst sorting through my 'Box 'O Bits' I rediscovered my Brooks team Pro-



This used to be fitted to my work patrol bike and I removed it when I 'retired' from bike patrol. I decide to fit it to G G G G granville, my commuter/ tourer.



A Brooks saddle is a thing of beauty. All I need to do now is get my backside reaquainted with the saddle.

Yehuda believed it?

One of my regular sites to visit (and one of my favourites) is Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery.

On visiting today I saw that they were inviting folk to add the daily comic to their blog.

"Why not" thought I.

Hope you like the addition.

Time Travel

I don't know about your riding habits but I am an all weather cyclist. I commute by bike come rain, shine, ice, snow- whatever.

I will put my hands up and admit to the odd chikening out session when the wind is stupidly strong and gusty (I do not want to get blown accross the road into/ under a truck or bus).

I do have favourite weather conditions however and this time of year is when my favourite conditions start to crop up. Warm but not too hot, clear and bright.

These conditions make me smile and feel far too chirpy when I'm in the saddle.

Another benefit of this warmer weather is that it creates my new found ability for time travel.

My regular commute to work takes in Marlow High Street, accross William Tierney Clarks suspension bridge, left after the Compleat Angler Hotel and up Quarry Wood Road. This first section of my commute takes me 10 minutes to the top of the hill. This morning saw the time travel kick in and I got to the top of the hill in 9 minutes.

Dr Who eat your heart out.

The Bats are back in town!

Every spring, SWMBO and I spend time in the evenings keeping an eye out through the patio doors waiting for the first bat of the year.

Last night was the night. At about 7:30 we spied a lone bat doing aerobatics around the garden hunting bugs for dinner. It spent about 10 minutes doing circuits and loops and wingovers, at times nearly bouncing off the windows.

In previous years we have had usually 2 but occasionally 3 bats doing their thing at the same time.

I love watching bats.

Happy Birthday Mrs Secret Cyclist

The young lady (in the red T shirt) below is Anne, Mrs Secret Cyclist, my loveley wife. She celebrates her birthday today.



I'm too much of a gentleman to tell you which birthday but, it is a milestone.

Needless to say, I love her as much today as I did mummmbley mumbley years ago when I first met her.

Happy Birthday Darling

XXX

Spring

The other day I posted about Cherry Blossom and it being Spring hurrah!

Well- Spring? Hurrah!

Chuffing Hayfever? Gaaaahhh!

That is all.

Punishing killers on our roads

Yesterday the family of Rhiannon Bennett, a teenaged girl killed when she was struck by a cyclist on a road in Buckingham in 2007 were present in the House of Commons when their MP presented a 10 minute bill to the house. The Dangerous and reckless Cycling Bill will now receive its second reading in November 2011.

This incident was tragic and I believe that all road users who, by reason of reckless or negligent action, cause the death of another should be punished accordingly.

My slight problem with this matter however is that the outcry over the incident that caused the family to lobby their MP was because the cyclist, Jason Howard was convicted of Dangerous Cycling and fined £2200.

I imagine that Rhiannons family expected a custodial sentence. If this was their expectation I fully understand it. This was not an option available to the Magistrates however as there is no prison sentence tariff for this offence.

I believe the option of sending the responsible party to prison should be open in all cases arising from a death of another being the result of someone’s actions. All I ask is that the punishments are used equally and fairly- driver, rider, or pedestrian.

There are plenty of examples of drivers causing deaths and being 'punished' by paltry fines.