Powervest Testing

I am looking forward to trying this out tonight. I think drivers may just slow down anyway, thinking, what is that Christmas Tree doing on the road?! Sometimes being a novelty slows people down, it is human nature!

Hello to my Tales of the Gutter listeners! I know I haven’t been doing much podcasting lately because of ’stuff’. Maybe when I have some time off perhaps.

My Cycling Powervest.. What’s that?

I bought  new fangled florescent vest that has flashing red and white lights. I saw it a few months back in the paper as  a ‘new invention’. It is only about £14 or so.

It’s brilliant but I still haven’t worn it at night but I will tomorrow!

The thing is this florescent vest is really really bright and it comes with pockets so you can stuff a mobile etc in (so it isn’t useless like some so-called cycling vests). I certainly like to wear it during  the day, flourescent has impact and it makes drivers look really thick if they don’t see us! I put it over my Copenhagen chic clothes when I feel like a rabid bicycle activist.

Cycling Job Vacancy – Manchester Velodrome

I saw this job advertised in the British Cycling website. If you are quick, it may still be available. If I find any others, I will let you know! Good Luck if you want to go for it. Of course, if you get it, you will have to let me know!

 UPDATE: 29 JUNE 2008 9pm I have just created a separate blog (see my blogroll on Worldwide Cycling Jobs)

British Cycling Recruit Cycling Events Administrator

 

News Posted: 27 June 2008
If you want to build your career around your passion for cycling then we have the perfect role for you. British Cycling are recruiting a Cycling Events Administrator to join the Cycle Sport and Membership Team and coordinate the administration of cycling events across specific disciplines including mountain biking, BMX, road, track, cyclo-cross and cycle speedway within the UK.

As one of the leading governing bodies across all sport in the UK, British Cycling currently has a membership base of over 22,000 members who have access to well over 2,000 events. Increasing both of these numbers is a key strategic objective for British Cycling, and Cycling Events Administrator role is integral to achieving this.

Based at the Manchester Velodrome – home of Team GB – and working as part of the dedicated and enthusiastic events team, you will liaise directly with event organisers to ensure they receive an efficient and professional service. If you feel as passionately about getting more people on bikes as we do then click here for more information.

 

UPDATE I HAVE A NEW WORLDWIDE CYCLING JOB LINK  thought it could be helpful.

If you know of any jobs that have anything to do with cycling please let me know on theurbancyclist@gmail.com

Hidden London: Tip!

The tip is.. The Bridge in St James’ Park is a great place to watch London’s Fireworks.. it is also a great place for a Bicycle First Date!

See how wonderful the view is.. and I am surprised you never see postcards with this view

Bicycle Advocacy Postcard

I like this one!

It is a little blurry, but with my camera, I should be grateful for anything.

It reads ‘I CAN HANDLE BARS AND CYCLE PATHS BUT I CAN’T HANDLE CARS AND PSYCHOPATHS’

I picked it up in the Atlantic Artshop in Whitechapel.. Gatheredimage.com…they stock plenty of alternative postcards.

Cars in Cycle Lanes

I hate cars in cycle lanes.. but I have a weakness for ambulances. I will let them go like I did in East London yesterday. Give and take in the cycling world eh!

Lately, I have been looking behind me to see if a ‘ Scumbag motorist’  is in the cycle/bus lane. If he is, then I glare at him and make it look like he shouldn’t be on there as I go in front of him. OK it is risky but on some occasions I have pushed the driver  back to the queue (!) where he should be. Then I go back to the left bit of the lane. If he shouts at me, I will say innocently ‘well, I thought it was just a cycle lane!’

 

Taxi drivers are the worst offenders.

 

Speeding Motorists – Gripe of the Day

Why do Motorists speed and ignore Slow and Bend signs? Because they’re B+stards!

I got so fed up with my life in danger (yet again!) that I took videos of the vehicles and bend in question. I ended up emailing my MP about it and the police and now I have got to contact the Highways.

Considering they ignore these signs, I will ask the Council for ‘A Dreaded Speed Camera’, that way, these scumbags will be disqualified off the roads!

 

 

Cycling Mags like to play safe all the time, it’s very ’standard’

I would only say SOME though, but very very few.

One or two are very good but some are designed for the ‘male techy lycra cyclist’.  They are often very blinkered in that the news coverage is very limited and rarely is it controversial ie why is our Olympic Team going to the Olympics despite China’s abuses considering how many people were against it including some Olympic athletes. Even some cyclists disagree with the mag’s dumbing down policy. Not everyone goes along with the mags’ ’let’s be happy about them going’ cycling media policy propaganda.  But try and write an article on that . it just won’t be published! That’s mainstream cycling media for you.

But this ‘political issue’ has not been covered by Cycling Mags who have kind of glossed over it assuming All Their Readers are happy about this.  When there were huge protests round the world about this issue, nothing was mentioned in the mainstream cycling mags or in the editor’s letter, perhaps because they  ‘don’t want to be seen as controversial’ (after all, they’re running  a business) but it should be up for debate. As they ARE going, some of us would like to hear their views but no, cycling mags, don’t want to give readers their views as to why they will go and whether or not they care about abuses. If  they want to go that is up to them, but I think it is in public interest why they are going and supporting it, other than for ego purposes. Of course they worked hard and it is pretty ridiculous that Beijing was picked in the first place.

Another thing they say their stats are often mostly full of men as some cycling mags are not targeting women readers properly so they are doing something wrong. It would be interesting to find out why cycling mags are not reaching women readers. I could give a long list of reasons why though!  

Cycling mags should be more open to question and should branch out more with new ideas to make their mags less dull and predictable. They should do something more to get more women readers, disabled people and people from ethnic communties for that matter.

In short there many be readers who read some of their mags but they don’t always conform with the mag’s demographic readership and they should be open to an exciting challenge from readers who  have different views other appreciating the OTT techy image they like to project, which is ‘just a tad’ boring!

 

 

There are nice people in Tower Hamlets!

Tower Hamlets has a bad press.. but on two occasions, when I have dropped something whilst cycling, my stuff (ie strawberries and an umbrella) were picked up by someone.

The bag with the strawberries was picked up by a bloke from the London Mosque and a mysterious person found my new umbrella. He or she left it on the rails. Ahh.

Thanks to all those nice people in Tower Hamlets!

A Different Breed Of Cyclist I just cannot fatham!

 

The type of cyclists I just can’t work out are the ones who are ‘titanium obsessed’ and who are ’so competitive in the cycling world’ they barely have any other interests. They are very anti-bicycle advocacy too. They think that bicycle activists are a ‘nuisance’ and they say this, without a) being knowing any bicycle activists or attending in an activist event. No they just get their ‘factual info’  from well, some drunk bloke in the pub.  Then, they also assume bicycle activists are all unemployed people with nothing to do bent on causing trouble. This breed of cyclist has no concept that people enjoy other cycling pursuits… as the only cycling pursuit that means ‘you’re a cyclist’ is if you are a competitive club cyclist with all the fancy garb. If you remotely question anything, God Help You.

Thou must not cross the Path of the Competitive Cyclist