CYCLE CLIPS March 2004

Foreword

We are a very active club: we organised about 160 rides in 2005. Apart from one or two snowouts or drenchouts, all those rides actually took place. The committee appears to do a good job, because they were all re-elected during the AGM in November. We only have one problem: we do not quite know what to do with our money. In previous issues, we have asked all readers for suggestions what to do with our funds. If you want to know exactly how much we have, Stewart Taylor, our Treasurer, will tell you the exact amount in the kitty. (staylorstew@aol.com)

Flashing revisited

In the last issue I wrote that flashing lights are now allowed. I forgot to tell you that you must flash at least once a second and no more than four times per second. That is the law and we do not want to break it.

Talking of flashing lights

They were invented by butterflies. No doubt, you will want to know how they did that. Here goes....

“Swallowtails belonging to the Princeps nireus species live in eastern and central Africa. They have dark wings with bright blue or blue-green patches. The wing scales on these swallowtails act as 2D photonic crystals, infused with pigment and structured in such a way that they produce intense fluorescence. Pigment on the butterflies' wings absorbs ultra-violet light which is then re-emitted, using fluorescence, as brilliant blue-green light. Most of this light would be lost were it not for the pigment being located in a region of the wing which has evenly spaced micro-holes through it. This slab of hollow air cylinders in the wing scales is essentially Mother Nature’s version of a 2D photonic crystal. Like its counterpart in a high emission LED, it prevents the fluorescent colour from being trapped inside the structure and from being emitted sideways. The scales also have a type of mirror underneath them to upwardly reflect all the fluorescent light that gets emitted down towards it. Again, this is very similar to the Bragg reflectors in high emission LEDs”.

Source: news.bbc.co.uk 22 Nov 05

So, there you have it in a nutshell. I am sure you enjoyed reading that and you will tell all your friends about it.

Slides about India

Jonathan, or JEJ as he is usually referred to, gave us an evening of slides about his visits to development projects in India. For the first time that evening, we used our own digital projector and it worked very well. (By the way, anybody who wants to use it in their own house can rent it for £10). Even though there were not many people present, we collected about £70, which is going to be sent to the Melghat Community Development Project, where it will be worth about £700 in local value.

Talking about socials

In the cold months of late autumn and early spring, Maureen organises social get-togethers, which are published in the runs list. There is an open invitation to all readers of these Cycle Clips. I would heartily recommend them, they are enjoyable and people do not spend talking about bike parts all the time.

Most socials are hosted in members houses and it would be good to know if any other members out there would be willing to host a social night? Any volunteers should contact Maureen (m.young@rgu.ac.uk).

AGM

Again, it was an enjoyable AGM. This is mostly due to the efforts that Sheila puts into the preparation. It was, as usual followed by a party in Sheila’s house. And we are all very grateful to her.

Wisdom of ages

*When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant.

*The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement.

More 101 uses of inner tubes, sent in by Gordon

52. Use as an emergency dust cap for pedals.

Suggestions 53 and 54 will prevent water and grit entering between the outer and inner cover of brake and gear cables:

53. New cable: cut a small circle of tube and make a small hole in the centre with a pin. Thread onto wire cable above and below the outer to act as a cap.

54. Wrap a piece of inner tube around the cable and the outer. Then tie tightly at both ends. This should act as a watertight “bellows” and flex with the cable movements.

N.B. In a U-shaped tube e.g. under the bottom bracket to the front changer, try filling the outer with oil for lubrication and rust prevention.

The 101 uses again (fame at last!)

Hi,

Searching the web to buy something to keep my trousers from getting caught in the web, I came across your 101 (21 actually) uses for an inner tube.

Two I use are:

55. as a shed door closer – screwcup a piece between door and frame – stops door banging open; and

56. over the metal bars of the car cycle rack –prevents scratches on the frame.

All the best!! David Feiven, Birmingham

The P & J Special

On 8 December, the P&J had an item which was beyond me, although it refers to bicycles and dogs. Here follows an extract:

Greyhounds manage to make bends at speed by mimicking bicycles, scientists have discovered. Their sprinting style is more akin to that of a human on a bicycle than to a human runner.

Human sprinters alter their running style when taking a banked curve. To cope with the additional centripetal force each foot spends longer in contact with the ground.

Scientists (James Usherwood and Alan Wilson) studied the running style of some 40 greyhounds and found that their running is powered by the 'cycling' action of their back legs, with most force being absorbed by their front legs. The muscles that provide the power do not have to cope with the resulting forces, so the dogs power into a bend without changing their action, much as a cyclist does.

The article gives no explanation how these greyhounds watched us cyclists before they could take tight bends. I would have thought us cyclists mimic greyhounds. But I can’t see how...

The Deeside Way

John C. found that his chain had seized up after he had ridden a part of the above Way. This stretch had recently been re-covered with granite dust. Informed opinion tells us that this material probably contains lime. This lime, intended to bind the granite dust, will over time disintegrate into the soil. In the meantime, it plays havoc with your chain and other parts of the bike. Wash the bike thoroughly after a ride, is the message.

This does not mean that we are ungrateful to the City Fathers for the establishment of the Deeside Way. It will in due course stretch to Ballater.

Vertically challenged bikes

This is a Bicicletta Verticale, sent to me from Italy by Andrea Venturelli. The bike was made by his friend Romolo. It looks to me that it can be ridden by audacious people. The only problem is how to get off.

Andrew Wilson of Banff has recently restored another vertically challenged bicycle. He had to bolt new legs onto his giraffe and restore its paintwork. Eccentric wheels make the bicycle rise and fall and the motion makes the giraffe’s head nod and the tail wag.

Source: P&J 23 Jul 05

... and reverse steering bikes

In our Cycle Clips, Andrea read about the Reverse Steering Bike. He wanted to know how to get one. Sandy made the following engineering drawing, on which there is a copyright. We have sent it to Andrea and hope that his friend Romolo will be able to create another “Sandy-Reverse”.

Third Grampian Rally

26 – 31 May 2006

Keep these dates free for the cycling fest of the year. It will be held at Templars. Daily rides of 20, 40 or 60 miles. Daily evening entertainment (at least, that is the plan!), with a Dinner and Ceilidh to crown it all on 30 May. Every CTC member is welcome to any day’s rides and to the Dinner/Ceilidh. For application forms, please contact Cindy Blackmore on 01224 484891 or at cindy.blackmore1@btinternet.com

Thursday night still is pub night

In the Dutch Mill on Queen’s Road, you will always find a welcome from some other cyclists from 20.30. Subjects discussed range widely. You are allowed to bring your own hobbyhorse.

Spelling not important?

Don’t delete this because it looks weird. You can read it.

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid Aoccdrnig to rscheearch taem at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn 't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Such a cdonition is arppoiately cllaed Typoglycemia :)- Amzanig huh? Yaeh and yuo awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.

I don’t want to be facetious about the AWPR, but …

According to the Sunday Times of 20 November, the new road will cause irreparable damage to 16 ancient woods, these woods support 260 threatened species, which include the Capercaillie and the Scottish Crossbill, not to forget the pearl-bordered fritillary. Aberdonians would never have known about these many woods and the 260 threats without the planned new road.

Questions in Parliament

Mark Ballard - a Green MSP, will soon ask the following in the Scottish Parliament.

*S2M-3217 Mark Ballard: Folding Bicycles—That the Parliament notes that folding bicycles are a useful part of an integrated, sustainable transport system; further notes that such folding bicycles reduce to the size of a medium suitcase; additionally notes that, while other objects of similar size are allowed onto buses, travellers with folding bicycles are frequently refused access to buses with their bicycles, and calls on bus companies to revise any such policy that operates to the detriment of integrated sustainable transport.”

From Try Cycling to 100 Miles

One young woman of the Try Cycling Group decided she could do one of the hardest trips of the year, 100 miles including a 12-mile walk across rough terrain. We tried to discourage her, but she would have none of it. As it turned out, we did a hundred, but could not cross the Fir Mounth because of thunderstorms. No wonder she developed a really painful knee. We felt guilty, but recently she wrote to the Editor “I wish u would stop feeling guilty! Guilty for what? I was the stubborn mule who insisted I come and I am glad I came”.

She threatens to come out again with her husband.

What is a cycloid? (explanation sent in by Alan C.)

It is the curve traced out in space by any point on a wheel as it rolls along.

Interestingly, if a cyclist wanted to ‘freewheel’ downhill from one place to another in the shortest possible time the ideal shape of hill would be…. a cycloid!

Sir Isaac Newton proved this in 1696.

CYCLE CLIPS

January 2006