Made in London: Lovely cycling mackintosh from Water Offa Duck's Back
Jack goes down to the London Bike Show, an annual fair of bicycles and cycling paraphernalia. He eschews the latest electronic gear systems in search of novel products made by interesting people.
The following products are featured on the show:
Georgia in Dublin: Stylish and waterproof clothing for women and men.
Respro: High viz gear for cyclists including the ubiquitous hump and the evergreen elasticated ankle bands.
Bill’s Bike Tools: Makers of the Pedal Aid, an ingenious tool for assisting the removal of difficult bike pedals.
Hornit: The world’s loudest bicycle horn at 140 decibels.
Water Offa Duck’s Back: Classically styled cycling macs with ingenious reflective properties.
In 1892 a young accountant from t, USA, quit his job and set off to cycle solo around the world. Frank Lenz rode a Rover Safety Bicycle, a revolutionary new design that would soon consign the traditional high wheeler – or penny farthing – to obscurity. It was the birth of the bicycle as we know it today. And Lenz is one of the pioneers of cycle touring. Cycling historian David Herlihy’s latest book tells the story of his courageous, extraordinary and ultimately ill-fated journey.
I’m Jack Thurston and I endorse this message:
Follow Al’s lead and make 2012 your year of microadventure. For more of Al Humphreys on The Bike Show: Around the World (The Hard Way)
Flowers and candles for Ellie Carey, a 22-year old woman killed while cycling on Tower Bridge Road on 2 December 2011. The flowers and candles were left by family and friends on 14 December following a short vigil at the spot where she was killed by a left-turning heavy goods vehicle.
Ellie’s father Allister has led calls for the Mayor of London to step in and reduce the danger to all road users of a junction that has been the subject of safety campaigns by cyclists and pedestrians for at least two years. Politicians and campaigners are pressing the Mayor to take action to reduce road danger at many of London’s busy junctions. In response, the Mayor has promised a safety review of 300 junctions but remains committed to a policy of ‘smoothing traffic flow’ that precludes significant reengineering of layouts to give cyclists protected space on the roads.
2011 has seen 16 cyclists killed on the streets of London.
Listeners write in with recollections of their favourite ride of 2011 and most exciting plans for riding in 2012. Plus clothing designer Amy Fleuriot tells of her new Cyclodelic boutique on Columbia Road and shows a few of the her new lines. Jack, Jen and Amy offer a few of their own style pointers for cycling fashionistas thinking about what to wear in 2012.
Next Monday 12th December will be the last edition of the show for 2011. A time both for looking back at the year gone by and ahead to 2012. To that end, we really really want to know:
(i) What was your favourite bike ride of 2011?
and
(ii) What is the ride you’re most excited about in 2012?
The best ride of the year needn’t be glamourous or high-achieving, just pleasurable and memorable. It could have be completing a long distance audax, an interesting urban excursion, a gentle roll in the countryside or a thrilling night ride. The Etape du Tour or a trip down to the shops.
Likewise, your most exciting ride for 2012 needn’t be signed and sealed. It could be just at the planning stage and in need of further development.
Email your responses to bikeshow@resonancefm.com by lunchtime on Monday 12 December including a name and whereabouts you live (or put them in the comments below) and they’ll be included in the broadcast later that day.
Allez-op!!
– Rob Van Der Plas
– Mike Burrows
– Michael Embacher
– Jean Bobet
– Richard Moore
– Amy Walker
– Eben Weiss
– John Foot
– Gerry Moore
– Matt Rendell
– Alistair Humphreys
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