Olympic Games cycle leaders needed!

This sounds like a nice way to get involved in the Olympics…leading groups of cyclists along pre-planned routes into the Games’ venues. If I was London-based I’d be seriously considering getting involved. Here are the details:

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS – RIDE LEADERS NEEDED FOR THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS GAMES

BikeBuddies has been appointed by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) to run a series of Led Cycle Rides for visitors to the Games and Paralympic Games.

These rides are completely free and aimed at Games ticket holders who may wish to go to their event by bike.  We are serving 15 venues in all and are looking for experienced cyclists to volunteer to lead specific cycle rides.  Maps, tabbards and basic ride leader training will be provided.

We are specifically looking for cyclists who live within striking distance of one or more of the following start points:

• Arsenal FC, Emirates Stadium
• Beckton Alps, the Greenway
• Chelsea FC, Stamford Bridge
• Clapham Common
• Dorchester, Sports pavilion
• Kew Bridge
• Ladywell Fields (south Lewisham)
• Maidenhead, near the station
• Peckham, behind the Library
• Sadlers Wells Theatre, EC1
• Shepherds Bush Green
• Spurs FC, White Hart Lane
• Tower Bridge, north side and south side

Most rides are early in the morning, which would allow volunteers to continue on to work after the ride into the venue has been completed.  The rides are limited to 10 members of the public and there will be a Ride Leader and an Assistant Ride Leader at the rear.  All routes have been designed by Sustrans specifically for the 2012 Games to be as safe and pleasant as possible and to provide legacy cycle routes for years to come.

If you think you might be interested in getting involved in this once in a lifetime opportunity, please get in touch in the first instance by sending an email to info@bikebuddies.com with a rough indication of where you live and contact phone number.

Chasing Legends trailer

Can’t wait to see this.

Racer Rosa Bicycles, London

I journeyed to the northern tip of the Victoria Line this afternoon to visit Racer Rosa Bicycles in Walthamstow. I only came across Racer Rosa about a week ago via Twitter – and the business itself has only been going for three months – but I was so taken with the spirit of the company that I really wanted to pay a visit. I’m very glad I did.

Racer Rosa was established by Diego Lombardi – who I met today – and his wife. Diego’s Italian (as you might have guessed) but has been living and working in London for the past six years. He’s passionate about cycling – his interest was sparked as a child by his father, Piero. There’s a lovely picture of Diego’s dad on the wall in the studio. It was taken in 1949 and he’s standing by his road bike on the side of a picturesque Italian mountain. (Some brands spend tens of thousands of pounds trying to create the illusion of authenticity, but when it’s real, it’s real!)

Racer Rosa positions itself as an ethical bike company. The most obvious manifestation of that is the fact that they will happily take an old steel bike and completely refurbish it; using as many of its original parts as possible and using ‘new old’ bits and second-hand where things need replacing.

But the ethical stance goes much further than that. Racer Rosa can build you a custom steel frame, handmade in Italy. The craftsmanship is outstanding. The frames are steel because it’s more environmentally friendly than producing bikes in aluminium and even when you have a new frame made, they’ll build it up with ‘new old’ and refurbished bits. Nothing is air freighted between Italy and London either. It’s about as green as a bike gets.

Most of the bikes Racer Rosa creates, however, are blue. It’s a colour that Diego created and therefore carries his name: Lombardi Blue. They’ll happily do any colour you like, but I think it shows how immediately people are connecting to the brand that most go for the house colour.

In the pictures here (and excuse the quality – the only camera I had with me was the one on my phone!) you can see an old white frame. Diego’s refurbishing it for a friend in Italy who was given the bike by his own father. The frame’s a Berma, manufactured in 1967 in Padova, Diego’s hometown. Honestly, the place – tiny as it is – is just dripping in cycling romance!

I’ve got an old Viscount steel bike which I’m going to try and get down to Diego when I’m next in town with a view to Racer Rosa refurbishing it for me. I had been thinking I’d get it painted in Véloiste green, but now I’ve met Diego, I really can’t see past Lombardi Blue! See what I mean..?

Honestly, it’s well worth a trip up to Walthamstow for a visit and chat with Diego. He makes a very decent cup of coffee too. Racer Rosa deserves every success.

Citroën Type H

Anyone who’s visited the Rapha Cycle Club (right) since it opened a few weeks back will no doubt have been charmed by the beautiful Citroën Type H broom wagon in there (more pics of the cafe here).

A couple of years ago, the wife and I were wandering round a local brocante (essentially the French equivalent of a car boot sale) when we can across a fella selling a load of stuff which he’d brought along in his own Type H.

I was all over the van of course, ignoring the stuff he was selling, and we got chatting to him. He’d had the van restored and had been planning to have it converted into a camping car, but his wife refused to go in it. He was therefore planning to sell it. I took his number but, at the time, wasn’t really in a position to buy it (in fact I’m not really sure it would make a lot of sense at any time!)

I still think they’re brilliant though and would love to have one as a Véloiste team wagon.

Here are some pics of the van in question. I rode through the same village the other day and noticed a sign up for this year’s brocante on June 6th. I might pop along and see if he’s back…

Tom Simpson, as relevant as ever

I woke up with the sun this morning, which gave me time to knock off the last couple of chapters of William Fotheringham’s excellent Tom Simpson biography, Put Me Back on My Bike.

I’m a bit late to it and reckon that most cycling nuts will have read it already. But it’s been updated a few times (which just goes to show how much interest there still is in Simpson) so if you haven’t ever read it, grab a copy and make up your own mind about his status as arguably Britain’s greatest ever road cyclist. I’m certainly looking forward to reading Fotheringham’s Coppi biog, Fallen Angel.

Given the Landis claims right now (of which Fotheringham gives his view in today’s Guardian), the penultimate sentence of the Simpson biog’s afterword couldn’t be more apposite:

“The afternoon of 13 July 1967 will be pinpointed as the turning point, when cycling began a painful, and terminal, downward spiral from one doping scandal to another.”

La Gazzetta Della Bici jersey

Definitely worth the wait. It arrived this morning and I’ve taken it for a spin into Saintes this afternoon. It really is very classy indeed. Kudos to Simon and the guys at Shutt Velo Rapide. 50 notes well spent.

Going down well (literally)

When I met up with Simon of La Gazzetta Della Bici last week he very kindly gave me a bottle of his Rosso post-ride massage oil.

I’ve got to admit – and as I said to Simon – I’ve not been one for pre- or post-ride muscle treatments, save the odd application of Deep Heat (which I absolutely can’t stand and don’t know why I ever use).

I was excited to try it though as, if nothing else, it smells bloody lovely. This is something that – probably to my cost for reasons that will soon become obvious – my wife also realised.

As you’ll see from the label that Simon’s had designed for the oil, though for application post-ride, Rosso isn’t an oil that will necessarily soothe and relax your muscles, but rather “help awaken and rejuvenate tired, aching” ones. You really get the sense of that from the aroma – it’s got some real spice and zing.

Since being given the oil by Simon I haven’t really been on a ride long enough to get the full benefit, but did use some yesterday after a fairly short, sharp ride (and having aching muscles from doing squats on Sunday) and I definitely felt the benefit.

Now, back to the wife. She’s had a dreadful cold since the weekend and swears blind that a few drops (read: decent slug) of the oil in a hot bath is the best remedy for clearing nasal passages. I’m not complaining as (a) it improves her mood and (b) she ends up smelling fantastic.

So as soon as it’s on sale properly, I’ll be buying some more. And I can’t wait for the other versions too.

Coffee morning

I realise it’s been done to death in the cycle blogosphere already, but I popped into the Rapha Cycle Club this morning. An extremely friendly welcome, a free coffee because it’s the first week and a wonderfully serendipitous meeting with Mike Coulter via Twitter. They also stuck yesterday’s Giro stage on the telly and I browsed lovely books for a bit. Absolutely no complaints…I hope they do something permanent.

I was actually on my way to meeting Simon of La Gazzetta Della Bici fame just down the road at another of London’s new cycling-related coffee spots, Look Mum No Hands! It’s a nice bright spot, serves a smashing cappuccino and is also a cycle workshop.

It was brilliant to meet Simon. He’s every bit the character you’d expect if you’ve ever had a look at La Gazzetta Della Bici. He also very kindly gave me some of his handmade massage oil which smells fantastic. I shall be trying it out and reporting back.

Some pics from the morning:

On becoming a cyclist

Every now and then, little things happen that make me think that I might be getting the hang of this cycling malarkey. Two of them happened last week.

Firstly, I went five days without getting on the bike. And by day three I was getting really, really irritated about it. Properly pissed off. It was nobody’s fault really – just lack of time, lots of work to do – but I didn’t like it one bit.

I took it as a good sign.

Then, on Sunday morning, I got up and headed out on a ride just before 8.00am. A few spots of rain started falling as I left the house, but I didn’t think much of it (to the point that I didn’t even bother grabbing my rain jacket or full-fingered gloves).

Fifteen minutes later is was chucking it down. And it was cold. And I realised that it didn’t bother me at all. More than that, I was actually really enjoying myself. So much so that a couple of times when beating into the freezing, stinging rain I actually laughed out loud. I ended up doing a shade under 70km and arrived home absolutely drenched but happy as a pig in shit (much to the amazement of my wife).

I’m sure I’ve read somewhere that when you start enjoying the discomfort, you’re starting to understand road cycling. Maybe, just maybe.

Well I say

There’s no place for this in cycling. Pure filth. (Via Velorution.)