Posted on

Charity Brompton

Untitled

This is the second year I’ve built a charity Brompton for Christmas – starting with an old bike kindly donated by Jon Oates, I repainted the frame and rebuilt it with all-new parts, then auctioned it – it raised £800 for Medicins Sans Frontiers! This bike had mostly normal modern Brompton parts, but with a 5-speed Sturmey rear hub and Brooks saddle and grips. Continue reading “Charity Brompton”

Posted on

Why Ride a Folder?

Why Ride a Folder?

Bikes can be very inconvenient when they are not being ridden. You need to find somewhere to park them safely or squeeze them onto some other form of transport. By contrast a folding bike is there when you need it, and when you don’t it packs away easily under seats or in lockers. You can commute by train using the same cycle at both ends, and a folding bike can be taken anywhere, even into a bar or restaurant with you for security.

Folding bikes have become very sophisticated – the old Dawes Kingpin of the 1960’s with it’s heavy frame and simple hinge has been replaced by a wide range of lightweight high performance cycles which fold much smaller and are far better to ride.

Posted on

Why Ride Recumbent?

art_position

Why Ride Recumbent?

 

There are some very good reasons for reclining. You rest on a supportive and comfortable seat, rather than perching on a saddle. Your diaphragm can expand freely, improving your breathing. Weight is taken off your wrists, your neck does not have to strain to see where you are going, and you have better all-round vision. Recumbents are quite often very beneficial to cyclists with back or knee problems, who would otherwise need to restrict or stop cycling altogether.

Recumbent bikes and trikes come in many flavours, and are often very fast machines, partly due to the improved aerodynamics of having your legs in front of you not below you. And with a firm supportive seat to push against, a recumbent cyclist produces just as much energy as an upright cyclist. It is also argued that recumbents are safer than upright cycles – for one thing, the first part of your body to hit an obstruction is your feet, not your head. Brakes can be pulled as hard as they will go with no fear of diving over the handlebars, and car drivers seem to be much more wary of recumbents. Read lots more on the General Info page….

Which Recumbent?

That all depends on what you intend to do with it 😉 Two-wheelers are generally lighter and faster, and happier in traffic. Three-wheelers are more stable, especially at very low speeds, and can be a lot of fun to play with as they’re like pedal-powered go-karts.

Posted on

Rail Incident Response Stretcher

Untitled

The Rail Incident Response Stretcher is a folding stretcher designed to run on a rail track, to make incident response safer, faster, and more dignified. Used by two personnel, the stretcher can be quickly unfolded and wheeled to the incident, but it is light enough to be carried by one person and small enough to stay in the boot of a car. Continue reading “Rail Incident Response Stretcher”