Dear Iain Duncan-Smith, Thanks for nothing....... goodbye!

Reblogged from Just What I Was Thinking.....:

Dear Iain

I've got BIG news!!  I've got a job!!  I know, shocking isn't it?  I mean, I've been nothing more than a lazy, work-shy slob for the past 15 months; sitting around all day doing nothing, waiting each fortnight for my dole to drop into my account so that I could continue to fuel my lazy, low-down lifestyle.  It's been fabulous.  

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Not long until my first Audax…. :-)

I have entered my first ever Audax and with just over a week to go I am getting rather excited!!  Although I haven’t got as many miles in my legs as I would like, I know I am still going to love it.  I will be cycling my fellow Stourbug’s, so with some good conversation the miles should roll away nicely on one of the first Audaxes in the calendar.

Sun Rise Audax  76 miles of lovely Worcestershire lanes!

I will let you know how I get on, so watch this space!………………….

If anyone is interested in entering any Audax please click here

Political leadership is needed to 'Get Britain Cycling' (press release)

Reblogged from :

Leadership from the top of government is needed to transform Britain into a cycling nation, a parliamentary inquiry concluded today.

Witnesses at the first session of the All Party Cycling Group’s Get Britain Cycling inquiry were in agreement that political will and leadership is needed to ensure that cycling is put at the heart of the government’s transport and health policies – so that measures like transforming existing road infrastructure, and promoting cycling across all ages groups are given the impetus and funding allocation they require.

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Completely agree, we need support from the very top!

Cyclists, you have an image problem

Reblogged from The Alternative Department for Transport:

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Note: This piece is about how cycle campaigners present themselves, and therefore cycling, to the media and the public. Maybe that's not clear, or maybe people comment without reading the article, but I don't want to hear about your daily commute in the dark from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Also, there are comments from people behind Pedal on Parliament…

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WW2 public service bike art

Reblogged from CycleStuff:

Love the artwork in this image. A beautiful piece of bike art from a bleak period in history (used between 1939 and 1946).

Artist: Tom Gentleman. With thanks to Brain pickings.

Love this bit of artwork!

Fun in the White Stuff.

 

 

All photos taken by Jodie Murrell.

A Right Pair of Bags!

Picture taken from Carradice website.

 

The Carradice Kendal panniers are, like the other cotton duck bags, available in black/white or honey/green and waterproof.  They also come as a pair.

With a 32 litre capacity for the pair, they are not big panniers by any means, as they are intended as front panniers.  However, I use them as additional shopping space to my Veelar Cargo trailer.  Perfect for the job!

If you like simple, then these are your bags, with no inner pockets and separate sections for various bits of stuff, but a large outer pocket per pannier; these are the panniers for you.  The stiff corrugated boards that line the bottom of the panniers have allowed me to ram the panniers, with milk, bread, bottle of coke, biscuits, fruit, veg and bike lock.

Like with the other Carradice bags, the top of the bag works by way of a drawstring, which with the additional material, allows you to stuff the bag and secure the load, before covering over with the flap and thick leather straps.

The Kendal panniers, use the C system hooks, which which lock on to your rack securely.  They are made of a very good quality plastic and just are just as easy to detach for your rack as they are to attach.  The bags also have a convenient little handle for carrying the bag round the shop. (If indeed that is what you use it for.)

 

The C system hook.

 

 

 

When the Kendals arrived the C hooks were not attached and neither were the plastic clip that hold the bottom of the pannier secure to the rack.  Obviously, this allows for different types of racks.

The C hooks and plastic clip fit to metal rails that are fixed to the back of the bags.  So, if you can use a screwdriver, then you are sorted!  It is as simple as that really.

Now comes the price, at £95 for the pair, they aren’t cheap.  However, they are of a very high quality and bear the Carradice name.  You know that with Carradice you are going to get a great product and personally, I don’t mind paying more because of that.  I know that I will be able to use these  for many, many shopping trips and years to come, so I see it as a good investment.

For more information you can visit the Carradice website.