Going Going Bike’s Co-Founder Andrew Nethercot is getting married to his girlfriend Rita Tetere this Saturday.

As you’d expect the whole team is attending the wedding to see them tie the knot. This means there will be no Wheelie Good Round-Up this Saturday with blogging activity returning next week.

From the rest of the team here at Going Going Bike, we’d like to wish Andrew and Rita all the best as they get on their saddles for the onward journey as a married couple!!

The Tour de Latitude ride itself will take place on the first day of the festival (Thursday, July 12)  The Festival itself runs till July 15th with the line-up featuring the likes of Elbow, Bon Iver, Laura Marling, Paul Weller and The Simple Minds. There will also be comedy and literary tents available on site plus much more.

Three routes

Festival goers who sign up for the Tour de Latitude have the choice to start along three points that all eventually lead to the Latitude site in Henham Park.

The three routes for the Tour de Latitude are Hackney in London, 113 miles from Latitude with an estimated journey time of 8-12 hours; Sudbury near Colchester, 55 miles from the festival with an estimated journey time of 3-5 hours and Ipswich, 35 miles away from the festival with an estimated journey time of 2-4 hours.

If you fancy signing up to the Tour de Latitude and take in the festival week without entering the competition, you can register for the ride here. The registration fee for the ride, which includes festival tickets, is £350.

Help on the ride

All routes for the ride will be sign posted, with bicycle mechanics, cycle guides, emergency response, and free food every step of the way. Cyclists’ baggage will be transported separately and cyclists will have their bikes securely stored at the festival on arrival.

On the ride, there will be a rest stop every 20 miles for participants to have a break with full facilities, and food and refreshments courtesy of Marks & Spencer will be provided.

For the return trip, cyclists that do not want to cycle home will be able to claim a bus ticket with bike transfer to their start point origin for the Tour de Latitude.

Win tickets for the ride and festival

To be in with a chance of winning the pair of tickets for the Tour de Latitude ride and the weekend festival (total cost of package is £350 if bought), all you have to do is answer a simple question that can be found on this online form.

Please make sure you read the Terms and Conditions for the Tour de Latitude competition before you enter, they can be found here.

The competition is open till June 4th and the winner will be notified by email from the organisers with the winners’ name also appearing on the Tour De Latitude Facebook page. We will also be announcing the winner on our website as well as on our Facebook and Twitter accounts.

1. Introduction

1.1  This Prize Draw (as defined below) is operated by Festival Republic, company number 02948536, whose registered office is 2nd floor Regent Arcade House, 19-25 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TS (“Our”, “Us” and “We”).

1.2 The following are the terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) for a free prize draw to win two free Standard Weekend tickets to  Latitude Festival and two free cycling passes as part of Tour de Latitude (“Prize Draw”).  The Prize Draw is run through the Latitude Official Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/LatitudeFestival)(“Website”). These Terms and Conditions are in addition to the terms and conditions of the Website (available here http://www.festivalrepublic.com/terms/) which govern your use of the Website and Our privacy policy (available here (http://www.festivalrepublic.com/privacy/) (“Privacy Policy”) which governs how We may use the data We collect from you. [NB: please check this process is correct]

1.3 Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully.  These Terms and Conditions set out who can enter the Prize Draw, how the Prize Draw will be run and the circumstances in which We may withhold all or part of the Prize and/or disqualify you. By submitting an entry for the Prize Draw, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and agree that if you win, you will grant to Us the right to use your name and/or image in Our publicity as set out below.

1.4 We reserve the right to cancel or amend these Terms and Conditions and/or the Prize Draw at any time without prior notice to the extent that it is reasonably necessary.  When you enter the Prize Draw you are deemed to accept the Terms and Conditions at the date you enter.  Any amendments to these Terms and Conditions will be posted on the Website.

1.5 We reserve the right to disqualify you if We have reasonable grounds to believe that you have breached any of these Terms and Conditions.

1.6 The Prize Draw is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook and if you enter the Prize Draw, You release Facebook from any and all liabilities in connection therewith.

2. Eligibility

2.1 To enter the Prize Draw you must:

(a) be resident in the United Kingdom;
(b) be able to comply with all the Terms and Conditions; and
(c) be at least 16 years old.

You must not be an employee, agent or a director of, or a member of the family of an employee, agent or director of:

(a) Us or any of Our associated companies or subsidiaries; or
(b) any advertising agency or web company connected with Us.

2.2 You can only enter this Prize Draw once. No third party entries, bulk entries or entries submitted by agents will be accepted.

2.3 We reserve the right to verify the eligibility of entrants. We may request such information as we consider reasonably necessary for the purpose of verifying the eligibility of an entrant and prizes may be withheld until and unless We are satisfied with the verification.

3. Entry Requirements

3.1 Entries to the Prize Draw must be received by Us between Monday 14^th May and Monday 4th June.  Any entries which are received outside this period shall not be considered regardless of the reason.

3.2 To enter the Prize Draw, you need to submit your email address, name and gender.

3.3 We shall be entitled to disqualify any entry which We believe (i) includes false or misleading information; or (ii) otherwise breaches these Terms and Conditions.

3.4  We cannot be held responsible for entries which are lost or corrupted nor for any entries to the Prize Draw which We do not receive as a result of any technical error, however caused.  In addition We cannot accept any liability for any difficulties experienced in submitting an entry.  Proof of entry or submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt.

4. Selection of winners

4.1 Following the closing date set out in condition 3.1, We will select 1 winner at random from all entries received by Us which comply with these Terms and Conditions (“Winners”). The Winner will be notified within a reasonable time after Monday 4th June by email.

4.2 If we notify you that you have been selected as a Winner and you do not acknowledge such notification by the method specified in it within three (3) days from the date of notification, We shall be entitled to withdraw your selection as a Winner and may select an alternative winner in Our absolute discretion.

5. Prize

5.1 Subject to these Terms and Conditions, there is 1 prize consisting of 2 free Standard weekend tickets to Latitude Festival and 2 free cycling passes as part of Tour de Latitude  (“Prize”).

5.2 There are no Prize substitutions or cash alternatives and the Prize is not transferable.

5.3 Where for reasons outside of Our reasonable control We are unable to deliver to Winners the whole or any part of the Prize We shall have the right to substitute all or part of the Prize offered for an alternative prize which We reasonably nominate.

5.4 The Winner and 1 permitted companion will be solely responsible for all their own expenses, including accommodation and travel expenses. We assume no responsibility and are not liable for any costs, charges, expenses or taxes which any Winner may be required to pay at any time in connection with the Prize. The Winner and 1 permitted companion shall at all times be subject to all applicable ticket terms and conditions and venue rules.

6 . Winner

You agree that if you are a Winner:

6.1 You consent to Us using your name and/or image in Our publicity for the Prize Draw and in such promotional materials as We see fit whether now or in the future, anywhere in the world; and

6.2 You will not resell, offer for hire or otherwise transfer the Prize to any third party.

7. Final decision

7.1 In all matters Our decision will be final and no correspondence or discussion shall be entered into with you or any other party on your behalf regarding the process or details of such decision.

8. Limitation of liability

8.1 We cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred by you in entering the Prize Draw (whether or not such entry is successful) or in relation to you taking part in the Prize Draw.

8.2 We will not be responsible for any losses you suffer as a result of Our breach of these Terms and Conditions unless those losses were reasonably foreseeable to both you and Us at the date you enter the Prize Draw.

8.3  For the avoidance of doubt, We will not be liable to you, in contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence) or otherwise in connection with the Prize Draw for:
(a) loss of revenues, profits, contracts, business or anticipated savings or loss of data; or
(b) any loss of goodwill or reputation; or
(c) any special or indirect or consequential losses however caused.

8.4 Nothing in these Terms and Conditions shall exclude or limit Our liability:

(a) for death or personal injury resulting from Our negligence or a deliberate act or omission of Us or any of Our officers, employees or agents;
(b) for fraudulent misrepresentation; or
(c) to the extent that such liability cannot by law be excluded or limited.

8.5. We will not be liable for any damages or losses as a result of failure by Us to deliver the Prize Draw, the Prize or any other prizes as a result of any circumstances outside of Our direct and reasonable control including, but not limited to, as a result of a server failure (including but not limited to access delays or interruptions, data non-delivery or mis-delivery), any act(s) of God, war or terrorism, breaches of security or unauthorised use of personal data arising from hacking and / or failure or lack of reception of telephone or mobile telephone networks.

9. Your liability to us and your statutory rights

9.1 You aglree to fully indemnify Us in respect of all liabilities, damages, claims, actions, expenses (including reasonable legal fees), demands or costs incurred by Us as a result of any breach by You of these Terms and Conditions including but not limited to any breach of condition 6.

9.2 Nothing contained in these Terms and Conditions shall affect any statutory rights to which you may be entitled to as a consumer.

10. Your data

10.1 Your personal data will be used solely in accordance with the current data protection legislation and in accordance with Our Privacy Policy (available via the hyperlink at condition 1.2 above) which governs Our use of personal data We collect from you.

11. Governing law

11.1 These Terms and Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with English Law and any dispute arising from them shall be subject to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.

12.  Enquiries

12.1 For all enquiries, comments, feedback or further information please contact info@festivalrepublic.com.

12.2  Winners’ names will be made available on receipt of a stamped self-addressed envelope by Us.

12.3  All enquiries regarding the Prize Draw (including requests for a list of Winners) must be received by Us within 28 days of the closing date of the Prize Draw as set out in condition 3.1.

© 2011 Live Nation (Music) UK Limited – All Rights Reserved

Washington DC resident Danny Lesh took his Cannondale hybrid bike back through riding off on it from a seller after finding his stolen bike available to buy online

Danny’s Cannondale had been stolen some months ago after he loaned it to his friend. While looking at online classified service Craigslist, he recognised his bike for sale for $100. The photo on the classified displayed a prominent sticker that Danny had put on the bike, so he knew it was his bike.

Police unable to help

Danny initially reported this information to Washington DC Police but they weren’t able to deal with the case in a quick enough time so Danny took the risk of snatching back his own bike.

After arranging to meet with the man selling his Cannondale, Danny took the bike for a test ride and cycled off.

Danny told NBC Washington that the seller managed to contact him thereafter with the contact details he had left with him, and left a message saying he was going to call the police.

Warning

Danny put a post on Craigslist when he got home after taking the bike back, warning other users about the thief and his online sales on the site.

“Honestly… I couldn’t help feeling bad for all the other people he’d stolen bikes from,” Danny stated. ”I’m glad that, hopefully, his business is interrupted a little bit.”

For more great cycling news and stories follow us on Twitter or Facebook

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Welsh Govt launches consultation on proposed cycle route legislation

The Wheelie Good Round-Up

As stated, the proposed Active Travel (Wales) Bill would make it a legal requirement for local authorities to plan and deliver routes that link up schools, hospitals and shopping areas with traffic-free routes and cycle lanes. This legal duty to provide routes would be a first for any government in the world.

White Paper details

The White Paper states that local authorities in Wales would be required to identify and map the network of routes within their areas that are safe and appropriate for walking and cycling; identify and map the enhancements that would be required to create a fully integrated network for walking and cycling and develop a prioritised list of schemes to deliver the network; deliver an enhanced network subject to budget availability and following due process; consider the potential for enhancing walking and cycling provision in the development of new road schemes.

You can download the full White Paper on the Active Travel (Wales) Bill here (PDF).

Consultation

Throughout the development of the White Paper, many groups have raised the complexity of the legislation surrounding rights of way and cycle tracks as a major barrier to the provision of new routes to the Welsh Government. Therefore as part of the White Paper consultation, the Welsh Government is seeking views on whether some of the definitions of rights of way should be amended in Wales.

The consultation on the Active Travel (Wales) Bill is now open until August 14. You can respond by sending in comments via an online form or sending an e-mail to LGCTransportMailbox@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Labour does not have the majority required to pass this legislation without opposition support.


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Bicycle market to ride high for years to come

Papergirl Cardiff – Delivering art by bike

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff

Below is a picture of the world’s most expensive bicycle. It is worth a cool £1.2m. Yes we know it looks like a sports car with four wheels but there is a bicycle in there and the whole thing moves by pedal power. The bike is hidden under the red carbon shell of the car, which is modelled on the Ferrari FXX supercar. Designed by Austrian artist and cycle enthusiast Hannes Langeder, the Fahrradi Farfall FFX, as it has been called, has a top speed of 16km/h. Mr Langedar has previous form with such bike/car contraptions having also made a pedal powered Porsche GT3 RS. The Fahrradi Farfall FFX also features 200 LEDs so it can be ridden at night and it totally road legal in Austria.

Danny MacAskill’s Number 1 fan

As kids we all have heroes, someone who you really want to be when you grow up. The video below features Jack, a budding five year old trial bike rider. His hero is trials and stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill. Danny inspires him to cycle so much that he wanted to make a video for Danny to show him what he can do on his bike.  Jack, you are a true inspiration for all us bike mad kids.

Obree’s Saucepan bike

Graeme Obree quite rightly is held in high esteem by the cycling sport community for having twice broken the one hour record for cycling back in the 90s. He is known for his eccentricity, however, having built the bike for the one hour record attempts himself. Now, 46, Graeme revealed this week that he is attempting another record, this time the land speed record for bikes. The current record stands at 82.8mph. Typically, Graeme’s bike for this record attempt is made from an old saucepan and was designed in a bath. The attempt will take place in September.


Suits you sir!

While on our collective commutes to the GGB office in London, we see very few people cycling in suits. This is no surprise given the likely pitfalls of a commute or turning up to work a sweaty mess. A Japanese apparel company may have the solution to some of these problems. AOKI Inc’s “Les Mues” line of business suits for bicycle commuters features water resistant and stain repellent finishing with stretchy material for comfort. The trousers have patches inside to strengthen areas subjected to frequent rubbing, such as the inner thigh and hip, while the jacket hem can be snapped to the suit’s pockets with snaps to allow for more comfortable riding. The suit includes reflective tape under the collar for riding in darkness.

Simplicity in functionality and design

We all know Danes live for their bikes. No more so than Danish design company Copenhagen Parts. Set up in 2009 by bike enthusiasts (who also happen to be designers), they’ve been busy developing products that can improve the bicycling experience. Their design ethos focuses on urban mobility, functionality and style. This ethos is encapsulated in the remarkably simple Magnetic Bike Light, which will launch later this year. The lights turn on as soon you put the Magnetic Bike Light into contact with a steel-frame bike. Remove the light unit off the bike and the light turns off automatically.  The lights, which are LEDs, are battery-powered. The simplicity of the concept means that the lights do not need a holder and can be positioned anywhere on the frame.


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Bicycle market to ride high for years to come

Papergirl Cardiff – Delivering art by bike

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff

Mintel projects sales of bikes to reach £700m in 2012, a rise of 8% on 2011. Mintel expects the sales momentum to continue over the next five years with the bike market forecasted to increase by 23% to reach £800m by 2016.

What makes the figures all the more impressive is that the bicycle market had a difficult year in 2011 when sales fell 7% (almost £50m) from £698m in 2010 to £650m in 2011, according to Mintel’s research.

Volume sales of bicycles also declined by 15% between 2006 and 2011, in value terms, but the market saw strong growth of nearly a fifth (19%) reflecting a shift towards cycling as a leisure and lifestyle choice rather than buying a bicycle purely on price alone. That said over the past five years, the retail price paid for bikes has increased by more than 40%, according to Mintel.

Long term prospects

Michael Oliver, Senior Leisure Analyst at Mintel, commenting on the findings of his company’s research, said that although the UK market for bicycles contracted slightly in both value and volume terms in 2011, the longer-term prospects for the industry were very positive.

“An unusual combination of circumstances led to oversupply in 2011, which resulted in discounting, impacted on both turnover and profitability. With obesity rates rising among both adults and children, there is clearly a political and financial imperative to encouraging greater physical activity and cycling is a relatively inexpensive way of doing this. Role models in the Olympics means there is now an almost unrivalled opportunity to try to stimulate cycling participation but it needs some central funding and co-ordination.”


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London Bike Kitchen presents: Them’s the Brakes

Papergirl Cardiff – Delivering art by bike

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff

This biking paperboy/papergirl concept is the inspiration behind an art distribution project in Cardiff that encourages people to participate in making art and making it accessible more people.

Called Papergirl Cardiff, the art project involves members of the public submitting pieces of art over a period of a couple of months. This art is then exhibited before it is then distributed to unsuspecting city centre pedestrians via an organised bicycle ride, where the cyclist distributes the rolled up art whilst on the move!

Art

Organised by Cardiff-based ThinkArt and Cardiff Cycle Workshop, Papergirl Cardiff is currently in the final stages of planning for this year’s event, the second year it will have run.

At the moment the organisers are waiting on final submissions of art, with a date of May 11 being the deadline for submissions. Papergirl Cardiff accepts any type of artwork, including drawings, paintings, posters, photos, prints and textiles, but they must be flexible enough to be rolled up if they are sent it.

Papergirl Cardiff has also been running printmaking workshop sessions where some of the artwork that has been submitted have been turned to posters.

Exhibition

The resulting artwork will be displayed at The Printhaus in Canton ward of Cardiff from May 26 to June 3. The exhibition will be open on May 26 from 1pm-5pm, May 29 and 30 from 2pm-5pm and 7pm-9-m, and May 31 and June 1 from 10am-4pm.

The Papergirl ride

Registration for the Paperboy/Papergirl ride is also now open. The ride will take place on the afternoon of Monday 4th June. The route is yet to be confirmed but organisers say it will be made as family friendly as possible. You can sign up for the ride here.

Last year, more than 200 artists submitted 300 pieces of art, while 30 cyclists distributed the art work paperboy/papergirl style over the hour-long ride.

Though there are only two days to go before the submissions deadline, if you do want to submit your art at this late stage you can find out how and where to on Papergirl Cardiff’s website.

To keep up to date with further development’s with the project, please visit the Papergirl Cardiff Facebook page.


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London Bike Kitchen presents: Them’s the Brakes

Documentary follows para-cycling athletes journey to Olympics

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff

Changing your brake pads/blocks is uber easy and is a quick way to make your ride enjoyable again. You should change your brake blocks when the little grooves have worn away. If you are scraping metal on metal, you have been very naughty!

This is what BAD brake pads look like

What you’ll need for this job: allen key (probably size 5), spanner (probably size 10), new brake pads, philips screwdriver (V-brakes only). For simplicity, today we’re only dealing with the most popular rim brakes (sorry hub/disc brake folks!)

Step one

Determine what kind of brakes you have (V-brakes, Calipers, Cantilever) and buy a new pair of pads that are the same style as your old ones. DO NOT replace only one pad without replacing the other – this will cause, yet again, an uneven wear. Break the cycle!


Step two

Release your brakes from the rim, either by flipping the switch (calipers), or unhooking your brake cable (cantis) or brake noodle (V-brake). This gets rid of any tension and allows you to remove the brake pads easily.

Step three

Remove your brake blocks by unscrewing the allen bolt that’s holding them. Throw away in bin.

Step four

Put new brake blocks on, the same way you found them. Make sure you position the pad in the right direction. There are usually arrows telling you which way they should be pointing forward. Position the brake block so that it is neither touching the tyre nor is off the rim. If it touches the tyre, the brake pad will wear away at the tyre and cause it to explode. If it’s off the rim, the pad will wear away in a funky uneven way, and nobody wants that!

If you have V-brakes or Cantilevers, you will have a series of washers to wade through. This is so that you can get a nice angle on your block so that it’s flush with the rim. Caliper brakes, you don’t need to worry about this, you’re so close to the rim anyway that all you get is an allen bolt.

Tighten the brake block with one hand while holding the pad in your other hand, steady along the rim. You want it to be pretty tight!

Step 5

Repeat on other side, then hitch your brake pads back in line, either by flipping back your switch (caliper) or hooking your brake cable/noodle back in. You may find that as your new pads are wider, they will be closer, if not touching the rim. If this is the case, first squeeze your brakes several times to get them settled in. If they are still touching on both sides, you might want to screw in your barrel adjuster (turn clockwise) to relax the cable, or else just release a bit of cable. (More on this in the next blog).


Step 6

If you have caliper and cantilever brakes, you should be fine and finished here. If you have V-brakes, you can adjust their springability by using a philips screwdriver on the small screw near the brake pad and brake arm. If you screw it tighter (righty tightly), this will apply more pressure on the spring, and it will move away from the rim. If you screw it looser (lefty loosely), this will lessen the pressure, and it will move closer to the rim. You will have to go back and forth between each to find balance between the two, but when you do – boy! What lovely brakes you’ll have.

In our next blog, we’ll talk about how to adjust brake cables and use barrel adjusters in order to make your brakes more responsive.


*Jennifer is also involved in the organisation of Pedalpooza, a DIY bicycle festival in London that will be taking place from June 3rd to June 10th. The festival will feature a variety of bike-related events that aims to bring together people of all ages, backgrounds, and skill levels through cycling. The Pedalpooza site allows you to post your own event, with the Jennifer and her colleagues promoting the event for you.


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Documentary follows para-cycling athletes journey to Olympics

Used bike buyers buy more

The bike bell is wonderful but does it really get the attention of a motorist when we cycle out on the road. For most of us the answer is no, which is why one inventor has developed a bicycle equipped with a horn that is louder than a plane when it passes overhead. The bike, which is called the Hornster, emits 178 decibels. According to its maker, London-based Yannick Read, the Hornster’s level of sound is so powerful that if used in anger it could deafen any motorist who veers too close. Yannick has specially adapted a Dutch style bike so it can accommodate a triple air horn. The horn’s sound power comes from a scuba diving cylinder, which is also located on the bike. We’re not sure about the legality of the horn but it is a great bit of bike design by Yannick.

Dog bike guard

Who needs a bike lock when your friendly canine friend can be your bike guard for you. The video below of Li Li, a bike loving mutt, guarding his master’s bike in city of Nanning in the Guangxi Province of China has gone viral this week. So much so that Li Li now has his own website put together by the man who shot the original video. Despite this dog’s ability to ward off potential thieves, we suggest your stick to two good locks here in Blighty.





Riding those rails

We’ve heard of an integrated approach to rail and bicycle transport but actually using a bike to ride on train rails is maybe taking that approach a bit too far. One US cyclist, Will, does this regularly with his Rail-Bike. The front wheel on Will’s modified bicycle has a device attached to it so that the bike won’t steer off the rail while an outrigger is used to support the bike using the other rail (see picture below). Let’s hope there isn’t a train coming the other way for Will’s sake.

Motion activated signalling

If cycling at night, we’d always advise on getting a high viz cycling jacket. You get seen by other road users better in high viz when it is dark. We sell the Proviz brand here on Going Going Bike but that doesn’t stop us looking at innovation in this area. This week, Visijax launched their jacket with the world’s first motion-activated signalling system. The Visijax jacket detects movement so when a cyclist raises their arm to indicate, an amber flashing signal is automatically turned on. The flashing signal remains on for around five seconds after a cyclist has put down their arm to allow sufficient time for them to turn safely. For additional cyclist safety, there are LED lights on the back of the jacket. The complete system is powered by three AAA batteries. A ‘one-touch’ button placed in the front of the jacket activates all the lights and the motion-activated signalling system.


Bike greeting card

If you have a loved one, family member, friend who loves cycling as much as you then you know it always quite easy to buy them gifts for their Birthdays or Christmas. Buying a cycling themed greeting card is a bit more problematic however. Luckily, mountain biker, artist and graphic designer Anthony Oram has recently put together a collection of bike themed cards that are available to buy from his website. We think it perfectly rounds off any cycling gift that you plan to give.


For more great cycling news and stories follow us on Twitter or Facebook

See also

Documentary follows para-cycling athletes journey to Olympics

Used bike buyers buy more

from Going Going Bike – Auctions, Bike News, Cycle Stuff