More folding bike

The Raleigh IKEA folding bike has one unfortunate weakness, namely that the chainguard is made of a rather fragile plastic. As if to emphasise the problem, when the bike is folded the chainguard becomes very vulnerable to impact with the ground or other hard object. My bike was slightly damaged in this area already when it was delivered to me. I reckoned that it would be easier to repair it than to parcel it all up and send it back but it was a long time before I carried out the repair.

Actually, it was not so much a repair as a modification and reinforcement. Originally the forward end of the chainguard was supported by a rigid black metal bracket, the bottom end of which can be seen in the picture above. The top of that bracket is hidden from view but that, too is bolted to the chainguard.  This original bracket was kept and I attached to it an additional bracing piece (coloured silver in the picture) to give added support to the chainguard. Then I curved another strip of metal to fit inside the chainguard and attached it with the three bolts shown in the picture.

I cut away about 3cm of the plastic at the botton of the chainguard which was broken already or at least cracked and serving no useful purpose. The external appearance of the bike has barely altered.

The Raleigh Oakland is gathering dust in the garage as, unfortunately, I have done very little cycling this year and I do miss it. The plain fact is that the prospect of cycling within a few miles radius of my home is not very enticing and I have been busy with lots of other things. It might be a different story if pleasant company were available but no club activities seem to apply in this area. All the same, a bit more exercise would do no harm so perhaps I should try to form a group of leisure cyclists based on the east side of Cardiff – anyone interested please comment and we can see about getting in touch.

Cardiff cycling and buses… …free!

What a pleasant surprise to read in WalesOnLine about the plans for Cardiff’s transport.  I have been disappointed by Cardiff’s provision for cyclists for some time but this scheme seems likely to bring about big improvements, and fairly quickly too.
The free bike plan for the city centre will be useful provided that some anti-theft provision can be included. Otherwise I can see a lot of Cardiff’s bikes going missing very quickly. Apparently the Paris scheme suffered from a large amount of bike theft. If the scheme proves both secure and popular I hope it can be enlarged without delay to meet the demand. If around 200,000 people travel into Cardiff daily, 60-70 free bikes spread between a dozen or so bike rack locations seems a touch less than adequate!
It occurs to me that it might be surprising to see how many older people use these bikes. I, for one, can cycle without ill effects many more miles than I can walk. Perhaps, for those who own bicycles already, a substantial increase in the numbers of bike racks in and around the city centre would be more useful than the free bikes themselves in the first instance. Then our presence, on our own bikes, might encourage others to use the free bikes when they become available.

To see the sea

For some time my daughter, Jennie, and I have been wanting to see what the shoreline looks like to the east of Cardiff Bay in the Severn estuary. The opportunity came yesterday when we set out on a walk, of uncertain length, in sunny, mild weather. We were accompanied by grandson Mk II (normally referred to as “Cheeky” on Jennie’s blog) who is not quite five years old but who walked most of the way with us and seemed to enjoy every minute as much as we did and we adopted a fairly slow pace for his sake.

Tredelerch Park, Cardiff. It will be interesting to see this in a couple of months when all the new foliage is growing.

 It wasn’t the prettiest of walks although it started quite well when we left the houses behind and walked past a large sports ground, over a railway bridge and into Tredelerch Park. Here a large lake supports dozens of coots and mallards and a pair of swans. There were other walkers in the park, some of them walking dogs, but it was quiet and a pleasant open space. From the park’s small car park we crossed a couple of roads at the roundabout next to the main entrance of the Lamby Road recycling centre and then walked a short distance along Wentloog Avenue before turning off on a footpath.
If the rest of the walk lacked picturesqueness it must be said that it had a certain character, offering for much of its length a panoramic view of a major landfill site and recycling centre, separated from our path by a reen. This is a man-made waterway which acts as a drain. These are numerous in the low-lying coastal area between Cardiff and Newport. Unlike many of the others that I have seen on my cycling excursions, this reen appeared to be  almost totally devoid of any form of life. Apart from two swans that we saw right at the beginning (and which may have been the offspring of the pair on the lake, driven away to make their own home somewhere else) there was no sign of living creatures.
After a long and slightly winding stroll we climbed on to the sea wall alongside the Severn, which is a few miles wide at this point, and waved at England on the other side. I don’t think anyone waved back. They probably had better things to do in England.

Looking across the wide Severn Estuary towards Weston-Super-Mare. Flat Holm island is just visible on the right.

The sea wall was like a railway embankment minus the railway. I believe that there are plans to complete a public footpath all the way around the coast of Wales within the next two or three years. I am not holding my breath but at least this sea wall will provide a fine base for such a footpath and I hope that those responsible for the development will have the vision to make it multi-purpose. There is adequate space for cyclists as well.

Cardiff from the sea wall at Rumney. Part of the Millenium Stadium can be seen near the middle of the picture and Capital Tower is to the right of the righthand pylon.

 The tide was out so that all we could see was several hundred yards of mud flats with the sea sparkling under the bright sun in the distance. After taking a few photographs it was time to go home.

Here we go again!

It looks pretty good for a 20-year-old doesn’t it? Or at least it did until a couple of days ago when it acquired the dent next to the headlamp. On Friday evening, four weeks (almost to the hour) after the first incident, my car was attacked again on our drive by someone armed with a double brick removed from a nearby wall. Once again the noise of the impact was muffled by double glazing and by my slight deafness and, once again, no-one was to be seen when I looked out. The culprit escaped along a short footpath which connects the closed end of our cul-de-sac to a nearby road.

This time no glass was broken (which was pure luck) but a professional repair would cost even more than it would have done the first time. Presumably the method would depend on whether an original wing could be obtained and a wing replacement carried out followed by preparation and painting. Alternatively, a good panel beater could beat out the dent and get the wing more or less back into shape, with the finishing touches done with body filler – followed by preparation and painting. The latter procedure would be more complicated than it appears at first sight because there are three slight creases built into the original shape of the wing, plus fairly sharp folds at the front and top edges.
I haven’t decided what to do about it yet other than to prevent rust getting started before the repair is done.
Once again I reported the incident to the police who arrived somewhat apologetically a couple of hours later. Two very polite officers called. One noted all the details that I could give him while the other knocked on neighbours’ front doors to find out whether anyone had seen anything but with negative results. I felt sorry for them. It was Friday evening and they were obviously having a busy time. Their radios were going mad calling them to other incidents and they hadn’t got a minute to waste.
I have thought a lot about the frequency of this sort of mindless vandalism since the first incident. There seems to be no dispute that it has been increasing over the years and no particular reason to think that it will stop increasing.
It could stop increasing though, but only if and when the great silent majority of the population decide that enough is enough and then make enough noise about it to persuade The Government to alter its spending priorities drastically. So that they cease to spend billions, that in any case we cannot afford, on unnecessary wars and new aircraft carriers, on a grossly bloated Civil Service which is clearly increasingly incompetent and inefficient, and on propping up failing businesses so that their senior executives can have their bonuses and their “jollies” as if nothing had happened.
Just think what the umpteen billion pounds saved could do if spent instead on greatly increasing the police presence on our streets, on improving local facilities for youngsters who have nothing better to do but roam the streets, on bringing back government-supported old-style apprenticeship schemes to take the place of unemployment benefit and give back to the feckless minority of our youth some pride in achievement, hope for a better future and respect for themselves and for others.

Cardiff Bay Vintage and Classic

The Millenium Centre in Cardiff Bay provided a dramatic backdrop to a display of around 60 vintage and classic cars on August 10th. The event, which was expected to take place between noon and 4pm, was intended to include classic motor boats in the bay but I saw little evidence of these during the first hour. The weather was blustery with a constant threat of showers and the water in the bay was choppy, not very inviting conditions for potential exhibitors. Perhaps this also explained the modest numbers of cars present where double that number could have been accommodated easily.

I must admit that where boats are concerned, my interest has always been with sail rather than motor, so on this occasion I concentrated on the cars. It was disappointing to note that no information about the cars was displayed on several of them. If old car enthusiasts hope to encourage new recruits from among young people in particular then they must be willing to display information explaining what the car is and what is significant about it. This small niggle apart, it was an impressive display in terms of quality and variety and it certainly made my journey worthwhile. 

  

 

Blogging, cycling, fitness etc.

I forgot to celebrate when this blog passed the 1,000 views ten days or so ago (now around 1,330) so a Thank You is overdue to everyone who has visited and suffered my inconsequential mutterings and an extra Thank You to all who have been so impressed by my sheer cheek that they have put links to http://justwilliams.wordpress.com on their own blogs.

So why do I blog? Well, until a few weeks ago I had mixed feelings about it and would have replied that it is an excuse to write, which is something I enjoy doing because it makes me concentrate and marshall my thoughts, and there is just an outside chance that someone else might read and even respond to my ramblings. Now I have that excuse plus confirmation that it actually works. Just as I am a regular visitor (almost daily in some cases) to many of the other blogs linked here, I too have the pleasure of being visited and of receiving comments. Who knows how this might develop, given the growing popularity of cycling, or where it might go. But like cycling itself, the destination is not necessarily the important thing. What matters is to enjoy the journey.

As for my cycling, progress is being made. I am much more confident and in control than I felt just six weeks ago and while I arrive home tired after a typical ride, I feel so much better for having made the effort. I am slowly getting fitter and certainly have the weight under control. Even the fact that the weight has remained steady these past few weeks seems a good indication because I must have built or at least strengthened muscle (which is heavier than fat) and must therefore have lost a corresponding amount of fat – and trousers which were a perfect fit only weeks ago are now definitely loose. So if you are thinking about taking up cycling to improve health and fitness you can safely assume that I think it is a good idea, with the usual proviso that it would be wise to consult your doctor first if you have any health issues that raise doubts about the wisdom of cycling.

I had my usual mid-week ride again on Wednesday, from St Mellons to Marshfield, up the hill through Castleton and home again along the Newport road.  It was uneventful except that when I stopped to consult a map I had company again. This time it was a cyclist whose bike was in the back of his car. He was heading towards one of his favourite cycling places on the coast but had taken an unfamiliar route and needed directions. It was soon obvious that he knew the coastal area rather well and I will be extending a Sunday ride soon to go and have a look.

The sign said “Traffic Calming Ahead”. The hill in the picture above followed shortly afterwards and it certainly calmed me. I don’t know what the gradient was but I can manage that hill without getting off the saddle. My method on hills is to drop down through the gears early and pedal fast on a light load for as long as possible. If I find it too hard to keep going while remaining firmly in the saddle, then it is time to walk. There is no hurry.

This is Newport road at Castleton, looking towards Cardiff.  Though it is a major dual carriageway the traffic has been light between 11am and 3pm and the cycling has been quite enjoyable. 

My Raleigh Oakland having a rest before setting off along Newport Road. Whether cycling, motoring or even walking I have developed a new habit recently of looking to see what potential exists for better cycling facilities. Perhaps it is a bit tough on the Welsh Assembly Government, and on our esteemed local authority here in Cardiff, but I have only one fairly comprehensive standard by which to measure local progress towards a green and bike-friendly environment. That is the video by Professor John Pucher that was widely publicised a few weeks ago.

More rides

It doesn’t happen often but when I oversleep I tend to wake up starving and feeling awful. Last Wednesday I overslept by almost an hour, awoke feeling remarkably good and looked out on blazing sunshine and a blue sky. I needed no further encouragement to get out on the bike and try out my new saddle and a new local route.

There was time for just a short ride of about 5-6 miles. I cannot be sure of distances just yet because I managed to mess up the settings on my bicycle computer recently and have not yet succeeded in sorting it. The route was out of the east side of Cardiff, through St Mellons, to Marshfield and then a left turn towards the Newport Road and back along that road to my home. The hardest part of the route was the climb through Castleton to the junction with Newport Road.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Brooks saddle will need to become worn in to suit my shape etc. just like new leather shoes, and I expected it to be quite uncomfortable at first but it was better than the original saddle had ever been. I needed to adjust its position and  I stopped to do this on Newport Road. Two things happened on this road that set me thinking. First, when I stopped to adjust the saddle, another cyclist appeared and pulled up behind me, offering to help get me going again. What a kind thought!

Secondly, a bit further along the road I was anticipating a long climb, which ended shortly after a bus stop. A few weeks ago that slight hill had challenged me severely on one of my first rides and I clearly remember thinking that the queue at the bus stop had a perfect view of this red-faced, panting derelict and they probably thought that I ought to give up cycling forthwith, while I still had any choice in the matter. This time I was still looking for the hill as I passed the bus stop with complete ease. Needless to say, this time there was no queue. 

On Sunday I had my longer ride as usual but alone. It totalled about 12 miles. The route starts with a long downhill run along the residential Greenway Road, which must have one of the poorest surfaces in the district from the cyclists’ point of view but still enjoys the status of “Advisory Route” on the Cardiff cycling map. Then Mardy Road leads to Wentloog Avenue which passes through a semi-rural, semi industrial landscape which is neither one thing nor the other. It is a good, wide road with roundabouts and access to new-looking industrial areas and large tracts of undeveloped land. It would all look so promising were it not for various predictions concerning rising sea levels.

Having passed a vehicle dismantlers premises on the left and a scruffy looking caravan site on my right, and survived a long straight section of the wide road on which young boys were racing sulkies (pony carts comprising a frame with a seat on two wheels) flat out along both sides of the road at the same time, to the consternation of the few car drivers that were around at the time, I reached a more rural part of the ride. Now the ride took me past a few pretty cottages and where there were wide grass verges some were populated by tethered ponies.

There were very few cars about and only two other cyclists so far. The first one waved. The second one ignored me completely, no doubt because he was busily practising to be the next winner of the Tour de France.

The scene above is more typical. The area is drained by deep channels called reens which are numerous and run alongside many of the roads on my routes. All seem to have steep banks which are densely populated with reeds, sedges or rushes or all three perhaps. One day I will remember to take my Observers book with me and attempt an identification or two. And this friendly family group of cyclists came along just in time to complete my picture – in which the reen can be seen (covered in duckweed) running diagonally from the bottom left corner.

This is the vegetation which can be found on both sides of the reens. It is often 5-6 feet high. 

The Cardiff to London railway slices through the area and provides the straightest line on the map before curving around towards Newport. The few road bridges each provide a short sharp hill and great views all round. It was a good day for photographs. This train came right on cue as I stopped on a bridge for a rest.

 

Small Boys, Big Achievement

I have two brilliant grandsons – but you would expect me to say that wouldn’t you? Well, this week I have an extra reason to be proud of them.

My daughter is helping to organise the Cancer Research UK Relay for Life, at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday, August 30th, starting at 11.00am (the official website for Cancer Research UK is here and the Cardiff organisers’ blog is here). There will be lots of things happening on the day and the idea is to raise funds for cancer research. For a while now there has been an ongoing effort to recruit teams to take part in a 24-hour walking relay in which each team will aim to have at least one member walking throughout the 24 hours. Teams are being recruited from among families, groups of friends, local businesses, clubs and organisations – in fact why not form a team, register with the organisers and come and join in the fun.

The boys are aware of the event and volunteered recently to do a sponsored walk by way of their contribution. It is obviously a good thing to encourage such initiative and enthusiasm so a route was devised and family members and friends were approached for sponsorship. Their route was from Llandaff Cathedral in Cardiff to the Millenium Stadium, and I gather that it was about four miles. I thought this was quite a long way for two small boys – one is seven years old and the other one only four. They didn’t think it was a long way at all and in fact came bounding up to the finish line (I have never been a finish line before!) outside Gate 7 at the stadium. Then they walked some more and were suitably rewarded at a nearby cafe that specialises in pancakes and ice cream.

At the last count the boys had raised well over £300. Didn’t they do well? For some pictures and a better account of the walk, click here.

Fathers’ Day

My lovely daughter decided, quite correctly, that I needed a cycle computer for Fathers’ Day while my grandsons decided (equally correctly) that quantities of chocolate would be a good idea – and apparently they also chose my card which included a badge that says “Super Dad”. Needless to say I have no hesitation in wearing the badge.

So Fathers’  Day started off on a high note and, following a decent interval after lunch, continued in the same way when the aforementioned daughter and I took to our bicycles for a gentle outing into the wide open spaces of Wentlooge Level and beyond. As I explained last week (in “Between Cardiff and Newport“) this area provides easy cycling on level ground and our aim at present is to extend our range, both in distance and time spent cycling, knowing that our hill-climbing abilities will get quite enough practice nearer home, whether we like it or not.

As usual we took our time, stopping at intervals to stretch the legs, sip some water, look at a map and admire the view. The view at various times included numerous horses and cows, a few ducks, a goat, and by way of a special treat, a heron. There was also a close encounter with a couple of those nasty snappy little Yorkshire terrier type dogs.

On returning home I plotted and saved the route on Map My Ride (find it on that site by searching for Cardiff, and then Wentloog 2) and it totalled 11.99 miles, a new record for me.

Between Cardiff and Newport

At shortly after 10am today, Sunday, June 8th, there was brilliant sunshine from an almost clear blue sky. My daughter cycled the two miles from her home to join me and we set off on what proved to be my longest ride to date.

We cycled out of my usual territory, and away from the hills, into a very flat area between Cardiff and Newport, next to where the Bristol Channel becomes the Mouth of the Severn. This must be almost perfect cycling country, being flat with long, straight country lanes, often running alongside the long straight irrigation and drainage channels (locally known as reens) and with plenty of open views obstructed by nothing more than reeds rather than tall hedges.

We had chosen a short route, starting and finishing with the short sharp hills near my home, followed by more gentle gradients and then a small loop of about 3-4 miles through this flat, fen-like countryside called (on the Ordnance Survey map) Wentlooge Level. The open countryside was sparsely populated though there were a couple of small villages on our route. There were also several public houses and (I was told) an Indian restaurant. All of which will have to be sampled over the next year or two and there are longer routes within this flat area to which we can progress as we become fitter.

This appears to be cattle grazing country. At one point we stopped close to the group of local residents (shown above) who probably thought we were awfully rude to stand and stare. So they stared back, with the usual uncertain mixture if curiosity and laid-back indifference.

We took our time, proceeding at a fairly leisurely pace and stopping several times for refreshment. This, the easy cycling, and the much more enjoyable experience of cycling in company rather than alone, enabled me to more than double my previous maximum mileage. Just three weeks ago my first ride on the bike took me around the block by my home, a distance of under a mile. At the end I was overheated, very tired and aching all over for several hours afterwards. Today I cycled 7.74 miles with no ill effects at all. Perhaps the secret of success at my age is to take it in easy stages. Well, my targets for the next few weeks are a 4.4 mile route involving hills and further trips to Wentlooge where the routes will increase to 10 and then 15 miles. Perhaps by then I might be not just fitter but lighter as well.