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Bon voyage and bon appetite.
As they say in Barnsley...
A Slow Boat To Santander - Cycle Touring Northern Spain
There is something wonderfuly liberating about looking at the blank pages in your diary. No meetings with journalist, no proofs to read, no work to do in for the antique dealer and no schools to talk in. Just clear empty pages with nothing but days of the week, Bank Holidays and numbers. Which m...
Regret won't be able to attend.
Bit off my patch down here in Darkest Somerset.
Looking forward to seeing the book, though.
Hungry Cyclist Book Launch 7th May
Click Image For Full Size The Hungry Cyclist Book Launch will take place on 7th May at The Imperial Arms. Everyone is invited so do come along for an evening of readings, dance, drink and good old Latin merriment. There will be books for sale at the launch but if you cant wait that long pre...
Indeed!
And while we're on the subject of "liability", don't forget that with that £30 we get £10 million worth of 3rd Party insurance. I've no idea what proportion of the £30 the insurance premium represents (neither do I care); whatever it is it's still cheap as chips and demonstrates that the insurance industry has a better take on the risks that cyclists present than the "cyclists are a menace" detractors have.
Apparently with our £58 family membership we as a family of four appear to present an even lower risk to the world at large.
(Or it might reflect the fact that we only get the one bi-monthly magazine between us...:-))
Cyclists will receive less accident compensation if not wearing a helmet - Telegraph
Another good reason to keep a helmet on when cycling in town. Cyclists will receive less accident compensation if not wearing a helmet - Telegraph. The plot thickens...
..."any injury sustained may be the cyclist's own fault" and cyclists themselves could be held partly liable...
A common belief. Blame the victim for getting in the way of the motor vehicle. Another symptom of the sad, sick, car-obsessed, bike-phobic culture we are unfortunate enough to find ourselves. When will they ever learn?
...Although the speed of the collision meant the helmet made no difference to the eventual outcome of Mr Smith's case, [because he wasn't wearing a helmet] in which the motorcyclist was held fully liable, it is feared the ruling could open the door to attempts to reduce damages by insurers...
This has happened in the past. The CTC fought a similar case and beat off an insurance company trying to dodge its responsibilities. A cast iron reason why everyone who rides a bike should be encouraged to support a campaigning organisation like the CTC.
Cyclists will receive less accident compensation if not wearing a helmet - Telegraph
Another good reason to keep a helmet on when cycling in town. Cyclists will receive less accident compensation if not wearing a helmet - Telegraph. The plot thickens...
This helmet business runs and runs, doesn't it!
I think that most of us accept that there is no established evidence that helmets save lives, but there is plenty of evidence (New South Wales, for instance) where helmet laws have reduced cycling (thereby reducing cycling casualties, but not in the way intended). Most of us who cycle know that there are greater risks (due to the side-effects of a sedentary lifestyle) in NOT cycling.
We accept that a bike helmet is only designed to protect our heads when striking the edge of the kerb at 12mph (19kph). We accept that if we are hit by a tonne of moving metal a helmet might as well be made of soggy cardboard.
Having said all that, I'll admit to wearing a helmet most of the time. I don't know why. I think that the helmet serves a similar purpose as a child's comfort blanket; I wear it "just in case".
But if a compulsory helmet law is brought in in Britain I'd probably give up cycling. Which is probably what the Bike-Phobic British Establishment and their Daily Mail reading supporters would be delighted to hear. The next thing I'd do would be to leave Britain for good. It would indeed be the final staw. I'm that close packing up and going.
Helmet Or No Helmet? - That Is The Question
Nice piece in the Independent this morning about cycle helmets. Simon O'Hagan: I use my head when I cycle, not a helmet - Commentators, Opinion - The Independent. Mr O'Hagan clearly feel better with the wind running through his hair and pints to our French cousins for an example. 'In London ...
...only when I get the heads-up, as in that article. That's my story and I'm stuck to it. :-)
BTW I'm amazed the paper hasn't gone all holier-than-thou on how dangerous it is to ride a bicycle round a supermarket.
Damned right! Supposing you collided with some little old lady with a trolley-load of her week's supply of Guinness?
There'd be hell to pay for that buckled wheel...
Duffy Pedals For Coke
Don't panic, don't panic our Duffy is not going the same way as Miss Winehouse. You will have to excuse the red-top headline but it seemed suitable for the news that soulful Brit-collecting Welsh-Warbler Duffy has in fact sold her soul to fizzy drinks giant Diet Coke in a £35 million advert cam...
Of course the buffoons at the Daily Star are doing their usual worst by accusing Duffy of
"...setting a shocking example to her young fans because she is riding illegally through dark streets without lights or reflectors and is not wearing a helmet..."
Idiots.
(Before you ask, no I'm not a habitual reader of redtop trash; I picked up the link from the CTC website. :-))
Duffy Pedals For Coke
Don't panic, don't panic our Duffy is not going the same way as Miss Winehouse. You will have to excuse the red-top headline but it seemed suitable for the news that soulful Brit-collecting Welsh-Warbler Duffy has in fact sold her soul to fizzy drinks giant Diet Coke in a £35 million advert cam...
As Charlie and Hungry are post decimalisation people we can forgive the slightly inaccurate "ten bob" title Pre-decimal old gits like myself would know that a "bob" was the nickname for a "shilling" or 5p in decimal money. So, "ten bob" is 50p. "50p Britain" would indeed be a challenge.
Totally irrelevant and totally pedantic of course, and in no way detracts from Charlie's project.
Good luck, Charlie. Enjoy yourself and looking forward to reading your blog.
Ten Bob Britain
Another year and I'm sad to report another no score draw on Valentines day. Not even a card from my mum landed on the door mat, but while I was busy sulking in bed one brave man was taking to the road on an epic round Britain bike challenge. On Saturday Charlie and his aptly named bright-red s...
Luckily for me and my family there is a very similar family butchers shop just ten minutes walk from where we live. G Mitchard and Sons in Radstock, Somerset, UK is family concern now into its fourth generation of Mitchards. How you describe Buntings very much matches this shop. One of the few places left where shopping is still a social event. Long may it last.
W.F Bunting
butcher |ˈboŏ ch ər|nouna person whose trade is cutting up and selling meat in a shop. "Bweeeeeeeeeeeeeeerp!" Pulling away from a blinking amber traffic light and negotiating my way around a deep puddle of black water a beige estate car behind me vented its frustration aggresivley on its ho...
The first port of call would be here: CTC
If you're in London this might be of interest: CTUK
This is where I took my training course: LifeCycle UK
Transport for London - Do The Test
Well it seems Major Boris has finally started to weave some magic. Just when we thought all he was good for was mumbling a few words in Latin and bringing back the Route Master, under his leadership TFL (Transport For London) have come up with this pair of superb adverts to help draw motorists a...
...i'm not sure your motorway metaphor works...
I know what you mean. I was only trying to illustrate that just because it's there does not necessarily mean that you have to use it. Just for the record, I'm just as trapped in the car dependent culture as anyone, as well as being very pro-cycling - Accredited National Standard Cycle Instructor and all that...
Transport for London - Do The Test
Well it seems Major Boris has finally started to weave some magic. Just when we thought all he was good for was mumbling a few words in Latin and bringing back the Route Master, under his leadership TFL (Transport For London) have come up with this pair of superb adverts to help draw motorists a...
It's well to remember that the use of cycle lanes is not compulsory - just like using a motorway is not compulsory should you wish to use the parallel road. It's also well to remember that many cycle lanes are regarded as next to useless and others are either so badly designed that they are either unusable or even dangerous. That's why many cyclists don't and won't use them. The Cyclecraft manual, published by the Stationery Office - essentially the definitive guide to safe cycling - shows that it is usually safer for a cyclist to take his or her rightful place on the road with the traffic. Of course, this implies that the cyclist is skilled and experienced. Cycle lanes might be perceived as "safe" by less experienced and less confident riders. A good case for anyone who wants to cycle "properly" to get themselves some good training from one of the numerous organisations that are springing up around the UK.
Transport for London - Do The Test
Well it seems Major Boris has finally started to weave some magic. Just when we thought all he was good for was mumbling a few words in Latin and bringing back the Route Master, under his leadership TFL (Transport For London) have come up with this pair of superb adverts to help draw motorists a...
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