CYCLE CLIPS
April 2004
Newsletter
of CTC Grampian DA
CYCLE CLIPSNewsletter
of CTC Grampian DA
There is no proper foreword this time because there is nothing that I
can think of that deserves the name of foreword. Thanks to all those who sent
in their contributions and also to those who thought of sending in a
contribution but were too late and will think of it next time (which is in June
2004).
2ND GRAMPIAN RALLY at TEMPLARS, MARYCULTER
ABERDEEN
Friday 20th to Wednesday 25th August 2004
Planning for the Rally is
progressing steadily. The scout camping ground at Templars Park, Maryculter has
been booked for the use of tents and caravans (no electric hook-up) and the
George Smith Centre at Templars has been reserved for HQ, pre-booked meals
(limit 45 per day) and for socials. The Old Mill Inn has been booked for a
final night 3-course buffet meal and Ceilidh – so put the Tuesday 24th August
2004 in your diary for the social event of the year.
Rides
20, 40, and 60 mile runs (+/10) for Saturday,
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday have been researched and written up. Final proof
riding will take place in the coming months by the Wobbly Wheelers and anyone
else interested in a midweek run (usually on a Thursday).
Social evenings
Friday: Introductory slide show of the area followed by a Wine & Cheese
session.
Saturday: Cycling Novelties followed by a social round the campfire (NB No
organised singing!) This is weather dependent and can be interchanged with
Sunday’s programme if the weather is bad.
Sunday: Quiz night – multiple tables with a different subject on
each table and teams move to next table every 4/5 minutes.
Monday: Wine & Slide show – “Galapagos Islands”
Tuesday: Buffet Meal & Ceilidh Dance in The Old Mill Inn, Maryculter
Runs
As stated three runs a day
are planned together with leaders and sweepers. I have already one volunteer to
lead a favourite 60-mile run and we will be looking for volunteer leaders &
sweepers for all the other ones.
Publicity has been disappointing in
that no mention of the rally has been made in the past two editions of CTC’s
Cycle magazine. John’s e-mail of October apparently didn’t get opened! However,
we are assured that we will get a mention in the next edition of “Cycle”. Meanwhile
Cindy has contacted all those who attended our first rally and is getting
positive results.
Booking forms are now available for the
rally – get yours now by e-mail from Cindy or sae/word of mouth to Cindy.
That’s all for now,
Gordon MacKay
Over the past year, a lot
has been written against speed cameras (e.g. Cycle Clips October 2003). Now it
is getting worse, the authorities are caving in; they are reneging on their
duty to make roads as safe as possible.
“Under new guidelines from the Scottish Executive a fixed speed camera can
only be set up if there have been at least four collisions resulting in death
or serious injury and eight collisions involving personal injuries in the past
three years”. Sunday Times 23/11/03
Another report on 24
November states, “In England Ministers are alarmed by the growing public
hostility to the cameras”.
Every year our roads claim
over 3000 deaths and 140, 000 serious injuries. I sincerely hope somebody
will prosecute the authorities or the police for neglect of duty to protect
people. Are the above-quoted guidelines a defence in a court of law? If that is
the case, the law is an ass.
This august body came to
life about 8 months ago. We should all be grateful to the Aberdeen Evening
Express, whose various ignorant articles against cycling got up our noses and
drove us together. Members of the CTC, the Friends of the Earth, the Bugs of
Shell, BP and the Marine Lab (Bugs are Bike User Groups), and other interested
parties (my apologies if I have forgotten some important group), came together
on the initiative of Derek and Jacqui.
The Forum plans to publish
a cyclist’s map of Aberdeen in time for National Bike Week in June.
The group has also given
its opinion on the Western Peripheral Route (all 120 million pounds of it!) and
the demand that all present East-West cycling routes should remain open.
This is the price the
victims have to pay before a Speed Camera Partnership is allowed to put up a
new camera.
(this only applies to
people who receive this on the internet):
WHAT TO DO:
1. Leave your hand on the mouse
2. Email Gerard for the optical.exe file (gerardvlaar@yahoo.com) - it is virus checked
3. Concentrate on the dot in the middle of the screen and count to 30.
4. Now look at your hand on the mouse
5. Don't scream!
We know that the Editor
loves the puzzle of acronyms, so we will leave you to guess this one. We
attended a meeting with the engineers planning the AWPR, along with the City
Cycling Officer and reps from Aberdeenshire Council Cycling/Access staff and
the consultant engineers Babtie.
The corridor that the route
will take is agreed, the precise line of the road and details of the junctions are
still to be fully determined. It's a big project and even if all goes to plan,
it will not be finished until 2010. In general, they were receptive to many of
our suggestions and reservations, though only time will tell if they come up
with solutions to some of the major problems, which were raised. The worst of
these for cyclists will be at major intersections, where cyclists will
encounter fast flowing traffic on large roundabouts – we will all have to
practice on Mounthooly in preparation! We have argued for no loss of amenity
and alternative cycle facilities if large gyratories are used.
The centrepiece of the
whole development will be the Dee crossing. The bridge is not allowed to have
any support pillars in the riverbed and so will be a structure arching from one
bank to the other. It is likely that a showpiece design will be commissioned
for this strategic location. The downside is that there is unlikely to be any
pedestrian or cycling crossing to be associated with it: it was claimed that to
implement this would cost an additional £1million at least and couldn't be
justified. Suggestions on how we can effectively lobby for a non-motorised
crossing at this location would be very welcome!
A by-product of the meeting was that we learned that there may be some
improvement to the Causeymounth route to the South. Aberdeenshire are to review
the route of NCR 1 from Stonehaven to Aberdeen, and one option might be a new
cycleway on the line of the Causey Mounth emerging at Leggart Terrace. There
will be consultation with CTC and others in the summer.
Mark Hagger & Dave Lindsey
As a Council employee, you
will receive a couple of pence per mile if you cycle on business. If you take
your car, however, you get 50p.
Apparently, the average
cost per mile travelled by car is about 50p, the same (relatively speaking) as
in the 1960s.
In Holland in 1990, I got
about 2p per mile when I cycled to appointments.
In my youth, there was not
much recycling. There was not much to recycle! If you wanted something you had
to improvise. A cricket bat was made from a plank of wood and the inexpert use
of your father’s saw and knife. Similarly a galleon consisted of a bit of plank
suitably carved, three sticks for masts and the card sides of cigarette cartons
(having first taken the cigarette cards for your collection) to form the sails.
It didn’t sail very well but it was good fun making it.
A youthful habit born of
necessity, has now passed through the stage of being eccentric and is now
socially, and politically, acceptable. Which brings us to the humble inner
tube. Once it has performed its initial function of inflation, the life of an
inner tube becomes fascinating! Therefore I suggest that we add to the fame of
the DA by listing:
The 101 uses of a cycle inner tube
1. Inflate tyre
2. One cycle magazine
showed a picture of a 1930’s club testing how far you could inflate the tube –
it appeared to be at least 8 feet in diameter! Any idea of the danger imposed
by a tube exploding @ 100psi or greater?
3. Strips of tube are very
useful for tying bushes to stakes in the garden.,
4. or as rubber bands of
multiple size and thickness,
5. as single ties for
cables,
6. lashing things together
– very useful especially as the stretch effect can give a very tight lashing,
7. multiple thickness binding
in place of handlebar tape,
8. small patches for repairing
punctures in an emergency,
9. cut out the bad hole and
stick the two ends together to form an emergency tube (Sandy says it can be
done!),
10. cut the tube, seal up
the two ends and use the straight tube to force carbon fibre into a mould to
form a tube. It has been done.
That’s the hardest bit done
can other members come up with the other 91 uses?
11. Swing the dog around in the garden by letting it bite the tube: it
won’t let go, so you will get very tired.
Gerard
12. Cut tube into rubber bands and stretch them over each other until a
rubber ball has been formed – the original bouncy ball. Bill Sinclair
13. Use as a chain guard to prevent the chain oiling the chain stay.
14. Emergency – use as a narrow arm sling to give an injured wrist or
arm some support in the event of an accident. N.B. (a) Take care that it is not
tight around the wrist thus stopping blood circulation. (b) Watch where you
place the valve!
15. When moving floppy/awkward to handle mattresses, use two tubes as
slings under the mattress makes it easier to carry it.
16. Binding mudguard stays to bike frame in an emergency when the bolt
is lost when cycling. Stretching the tube strip when binding gives a very tight
job.
17. A catapult
18. [Variation on (12)] Squeeze some paper into a ball and use as a
“core” then cut a tube into bands and wrap round the paper core to form a ball.
Gerard says that this used to work for a while and then broke up. Perhaps
1940’s tubes were not very elastic.
19. Binding 2440mm strips of mouldings to the cross bar of bike – useful
for transporting them from B&Q to home.
20. Tie two strips into rubber bands and use as Cycle Clips.
21. TV’s Scrapheap Challenge (Dec 2003) used two inner tubes for aiding
the suspension when making replica 1903 aeroplanes using the tools of the time.
Any takers?
A group of Danish
Philosophers, Scientists and Engineers recently produced the Biomega. This is a
bicycle with integrated cables and no chain. The colour was produced by no less
an artist than Beatrice Santiccioli (who?). She was the person who produced the
iMac. The bike costs £940.
I would like one, but it
has no bell. I would like to know what the Philosophers contributed to the
bike.
Sandy gave me a copy of an
article written by Steen Heinsen, presumably Danish. He rides a bamboo bike
made by a man with the wonderful name of Flavio Deslandes, a Brazilian. The
article has lots of words. (People do not like reading lots of words unless
they get paid for it). The article does not say whether they are for sale in
Aberdeen. The address is www.americanbamboo.org
Too good to be true for
someone who uses the bus or the train and a bike. Giant has produced a
twistgrip seven-speed folder complete with a nylon bag for carrying it. Price
£249. It looked very good in the advert, especially the girl who was holding
it.
And I am going to buy it.
It is produced in Holland and weighs less than 9 Kilo, about 22 Lbs, if you
prefer. You can buy it on the way to your departing aircraft in Schiphol. It
costs 399 Euro’s. It is called the Mantella and can be viewed on the internet
under that name. Good for in the back of the car when I have to take it (the
car) to town.
A Dutch woman writes to the
Australian Cyclist with suggestions for a PAB, a power assisted bike, as
opposed to a Motorbike, as opposed to an MTB (Moun Tain Bike, as suggested by Chris
in a previous CLIPS). She believes the charge could be obtained with
re-generative braking on a downhill run or when stopping. The rear brake lever,
just prior to actually applying the brake, could trigger the switching circuit
to change the electric motor to a generator for recharging the battery. She
also believes this would make cycling more popular in hilly countries.
(I bet Sandy thought of
this many years ago and dismissed it with the slogan, you get nothing for
nothing).
In The Times the absolutely
thrilling question was raised what is the purpose of these turn-ups. The CTC
Scotland secretary, Mike Harrison, sent in his reply: “They are to stop one’s
cycle clips from sliding down to the ankle and releasing the trousers to flap
about and get caught in the chain wheel”.
In my humble view that
answer is far too logical, I prefer something more whimsical. “One day in 1857
a tailor had some left-over cloth and decided to put it at the end of the
trouser leg. George III saw it. He liked it and thus it became the fashion of
the age”.
These turn-ups were also
very useful for catching thieves and murderers in Sherlock Holmes’s day. He
always found clues in them.
As we know, Maureen always
cycles to work in Robert Gordon’s University in Garthdee. She could place a
notice which I once saw in Amsterdam: “Students are not allowed to park in the
parking space where the professor would park if he had a car”.
‘Winner in the professional
category was, of course, Tyler Hamilton, who broke his collar bone on the
second day of The Tour de France and carried on until the sweet end, bandaged
into position on his bike every day. Certifiable, obviously’.
The Independent 27 December 2003
Woman: My boy's behaviour is so
bad, I don't know what to do about him.
Neighbour: Why not get him a bike?
Woman: Will that cure his
bad behaviour?
Neighbour: Maybe not, but it'll spread it over a bigger area! Alan
A car overtook us on a
narrow road. Sandy came up with the expression “metal infestation”. It just
tells you what he thinks of the tons of metal so beloved by many (and
unfortunately needed by many).
There are handy sprays
available to kill of all sorts of infestations, but so far, nobody has invented
one against metal infestations.
Sheila informs me that
UpDAte (previously known as DA News) can be viewed on the Grampian DA web site.
This is an HQ publication with news and ideas from CTC local groups. Go to www.ctcgrampian.org.uk/Ja04update.html
for the current issue Number 11 - January 2004.
You may have read that the
Raleigh Chopper is coming back. If you have an old one in good condition, it is
worth at least £400. The new ones on the market will be priced £250. The major
difference will be the gear lever, which will move from the crossbar to the
handlebars for safety reasons.
Read in The Times
(16/12/03): “The last Rolling Stone tour was carbon neutral, the band having
calculated the CO2 emissions of everything from the car exhausts of
the fans driving to the gigs, to the industrial processes involved in pressing
their new CD’s”.
I applaud the Rolling
Stones for that, if for nothing else.
Only two entries so far in
the cycling limerick competition:
A skilled wobbly-wheeler named Vlaar
Fitted drop - handlebars to his car:
A much nicer 'feel'
Than the old steering wheel
And the cornering's better by far!
Alan
There once was a cyclist from Sauchen,
Who punctured remarkably often,
He invented a wheel,
That when cut could self-heal,
But then – he's a bit of a boffin!
Maureen
The next issue of Cycle Clips
will be published in July 2004. Any comments and contributions to Gerard by 10
June at 01224 734799 or to gerardvlaar@yahoo.com
Web: www.ctcgrampian.org.uk
Secretary: 01224 639012 (sheila.rusbridge@btinternet.com)