Fahrradsozialismus

There’s a new bike shop in town, especially good news for those living in North Belconnen. I found it whilst going through allclassifieds, which incidentally is a good place to look for second-hand bicycles if you live in Canberra.

Nifty logo aside, I’ve dealt with Simon before who used to run the bike shop at Lyneham, he did a great job on one of my clunkers (before I started to tinker around myself) which was flatly rejected by another shop because it was “too old & not worth servicing”, I highly recommend his expertise & friendly service.

Website here.

So goes the somewhat unkind definition for cyclists who don’t wear helmets, using shock to convey the message, as is done in this German public awareness poster though far more sympathetically:

Australia is one of the few countries with mandatory helmet laws, so what self-respecting (regardless of what little there might be to respect) bike blog can do without at least some form of inane dialectics on the issue. I’m not going argue too much about the enforcement of law itself or the effectiveness of wearing a helmet, since there’s already much discussion covering many aspects. It is one of those topics that tend to generate voluminous amount of rather zealous repartee from all participants (cf. PC vs. Mac, CD vs. Vinyl), and so consciously avoiding the usual convolutions, I will simply say:

I don’t like wearing helmets.

Though of course as with all such generalised statements the clarification one must give in order to elucidate what it actually means would easily devour any genuine intention of trying to make a simple point, but verbosity will at least give a semblance of genuine content.

This being the blogosphere, the formula is often to introduce the subject with a personal anecdote enforcing one’s argument, as it is often more difficult to refute someone, at least openly in polite society, when people relate their own experience – though perhaps there’s less reservation in the virtual world. However lucid narratives are things I can’t even delude myself into being able to write, and it will suffice to say that I have had my share (fair or otherwise) of intimate congresses with geographical features – at least once post-bacchanally. As a result these have left some rather strong impressions on me to this day. Only once was I wearing a helmet, and upon that single occasion, the helmet most certainly did save me from something much more severe than a torn bag, a shattered helmet & nasty grazes.

But I still don’t like wearing helmets.

There’s one crucial difference between that single occasion & other times – I was riding my road bike, and I always wear helmet when I ride my road bike for fun or exercise, as I know that I’m far more likely to get hurt. To me this is the fundamental aspect of road safety for cyclists, i.e. the riding style, or perhaps more precisely, the riding mentality – something I referred to in that drivel about cycling attire, but is of more importance here.

Road bikes are optimisations upon what is already a very optimal design, and you can really appreciate the beauty of its streamlined simplicity when using it, in addition to the rush you’d get from the mental focus & sheer physical exertion. I don’t think there’s much dispute concerning the increased (arguably exponential) risk in going faster, indeed risk taking is a major part of what makes things fun & enjoyable. With such increased risks however, it is only rational to have higher levels of protection against accidents.

Cycling as a sport, that is to say road racing, BMX, mountain biking etc, the inherent risk is far higher than riding your clunker down to the shops for milk. Just like F1 or rally racing is far more dangerous than driving your kids to school. I tend to regard these are two very distinct activities, with the only similarity being the vehicle.

When I’m on my commuters, I adopt a completely different mindset, though often the route might be exactly the same. The pleasure is derived from something entirely different; it is a self-powered transportation with unmatched degrees of freedom that allows you enjoy the surroundings when you are travelling. Indeed sometimes I even think to myself why are these other cyclists go so fast – even though I am probably one of them when I’m on a roadie. Such dualistic, even dichotomous mindsets are too often observed in human beings when perspectives change, often subconsciously. It is probably inherently human, but without some degree of self-righteousness there can be no individuality, one of the defining human qualities.

I ride different bikes differently, but there is nothing to stop you from doing so on a single bike. Admittedly it’d be tough to keep a leisurely pace if you are on full Record carbon razorblade, but that is perhaps a reason to think about getting a more dedicated commuter if you travel frequently by bike.

The risk of hurting myself on a bike when I’m commuting is probably as high as hurting myself whilst taking a shower or going for a walk or cooking a meal, which is not exactly low since I am rather clumsy. I don’t really have too strong a position against mandatory helmet laws, since one life saved should be justification enough. But such overly paternalistic prescription are not exactly consistent considering there are many other “risky” thing left unregulated by law, and it is discouraging at least to some potential commuter cyclists, as biased as I of course am. Perhaps it is selfish, but I tend to think that risk assessment in this case can perhaps be left up to the individual.

Incidentally, Mandatory helmet law is one of the main concerns raised in regard to the possible Vélib’-style bike rental system into Australia, as there would be immediate issues concerning hygiene, storage, tracking & fit.

I don’t know whether it’s unhealthy to feel empathy for certain things other people discard due to neglect or upgrade, but it’s certainly a state I find myself in frequent enough to be self-aware of such sentiments, especially when it comes to bikes, as irrational as it maybe.

The Gentleman I purchased this off got it second-hand in Canada back in the 80s, and having just retired this year, treated himself to a brand new Dahon, which admitted was very nice, though I fail to see how it could displace rather than supplement his existing bike, or perhaps such anthropomorphic attachments to inanimate objects only a few.

Thanks to Google, it is almost certain that the Bike is a Crescent Mini circa 1965 made by Velocipedaktiebolaget Lindblad, though it is unknown whether the date is for that particular bike or the date range for this particular model.

The original paint was in rather appalling condition, so I repainted the entire frame, again rather amateurishly, especially since I failed to detach one side of the bottom bracket, thus unable to remove the single piece crankset. I also replaced the handlebars & saddles to my liking. There’s of course the standard mudguard & rear rack, though the original chainguard was no longer present when I got it.

I’m generally not too fond of smaller wheel bikes simply because of they handle no way near as well as full-size bikes, as well as requiring a higher cadence for the same speed. However that’s not what they are designed for, apart from portability, I think many of them are simply rather cute, including of mine - and yes, I am a Tintin fan ever since I was wee lad in China, and have geekishly named all my bikes after the books (good thing there were many colours to choose from!). Despite the blatant racial & cultural stereotyping especially in the earlier ones (though these are of particular interest again but different reasons), they still contain some of the most likable characters in fiction, including one of the best dogs anyone can hope for. But I digress, as tradition demands.

There are a few noteworthy features that are not too common on modern bikes readily available in Australia today. The most curious for those with mechanical predilections (which I unfortunately lack the skill & know-how to appreciate fully) is perhaps the rear hub, it being the Sachs Torpedo Duomatic, two speed with integrated back pedal braking. The gear change is also achieved by back-pedalling, which takes a little getting used to. There’s some further information including a diagram on the hub here.

I am not sure exactly what gear inches it gives combined with the original chainring, but have found it a good combination for the terrains of Canberra, which can be quite sinuous in places. For reference, I use 39×17 & 53×17 most often on my 700c road bikes.

The down/top tube can be detached from the seat tube allowing easier storage & transport. Not strictly speaking a folder in the modern sense, since it’s actually in 2 parts, but it also means the mechanism is more simple & arguably more structurally stable, which is not really too much of an issue since the frame is steel & certainly feels it. Ironically this is almost as heavy as my main commuter even though it is far smaller.

A feature which will not be surprising in the least to most European or Asian cyclists, but fairly uncommon in Australia, is the built-in rear spoke lock. In places like China where such locks are standard on most commuter bikes, bikes are very rarely locked to bike racks, lampposts or the occasional tree, nor indeed would there space to do so given the numbers. Such locks are great for preventing people riding you bike away, though in a culture where such locks are unfamiliar to most, including the thief, one has to wonder how likely it is to return and find a mass of broken spokes.

It’s a great little bike for the shorter leisurely trips around the town, as I have it setup to a very up-right riding position. I also have a pair of panniers which can be fitted for extra luggage space.

Having mentioned the possibility of having a Sentai show (re-edited into the Power Rangers series in the West) about cyclists in jest a few posts ago, it occured to me that the stereotypical cyclist, in this country at any rate, have more in common with the your average sentai member than meets the eye, which is plenty in itself.

Or El socialismo puede llegar solo en la bicicleta in the original Spanish by José Antonio Viera Gallo. Came across this quote whilst search for random associations between political movements & the proliferation of bicycles. My knowledge of Spanish rarely extents itself beyond the culinary fields, and thus I have no idea whether the English rendition is a faithful one or not (If any Spanish speaking readers can help out, it’d be muchos bueno. Gracias!). The most obvious interpretation I get politically is that socialism should take place gradually & not through violent & reactionary social changes, evolution, not revolution - to use an over-used phrase.

Irrespective of what he meant, the quote is quite perfect for what the cycle-socialist cause stands for -as confused and confusing ideologically as it maybe, both literally & in its implied message.

There are increasing number of public demonstrations regarding the better recognition & general road rights for cyclists around the developing cycling cultures such as Critical Masses & more arguably more eye-catching World Naked Bike Ride. One must admire the level of energy & devotion the participants have in events such as these, and the level of exposure alone would indeed have some impact on the public perception of cyclists. However as fond of dynamic or even militant political imagery as I am, personally I tend to favour more subtlety in one’s words & actions in reality. And like all forms of political activism, there’s bound to be some hostile reactions to the act itself, regardless of how well-meaning & logically sound the arguments are. There is a great little discussion over at Zakkaliciousness’ site with some helpful suggestions & insights.

Look at Jesus for example, some of the most beautiful ideas to ever grace this earth, and look what happened to him?! Ok perhaps not entirely comparable, not to mention grossly irreligious, but the point is probably valid. so ardent activism aside, perhaps it also will help to take a rather more relaxed position in the promotion of cycling, a form of political passivism if you will. Instead of organised mass rides of power projection & tours of solidarity, try to influence those around you through your own actions through practical examples of using a bike for everyday purposes & not just something for the weekends. Sure the statement you are making won’t have the same “Shock & Awe” as riding an iridescent pink Penny Farthing through CBD in your birthday suit (though to me probably less confusing), but in the long run the permeation is more enduring.

Like what is said in the Tao Te Ching (or was it an episode of Futurama?)

The best sovereigns rule with insouciance. Once his deeds are accomplished, people will say, “This has always been the way it has been before .”

Going through the hit stats for the past few months revealed an curious fact – Audrey Hepburn is still really popular:

By far the most Google hits to my little rant factory are searches for “Audrey Hepburn” linking to the three images I alluded to here, which is really rather interesting since one of the points I tried to make is that having such graceful & elegant idealisations (no matter how selective) such as Audrey Hepburn or the inspiring snaps from Cycle Chic is great for getting people into cycling. If one more person got interested enough to hop on a bike because of this superficial but ultimately human mental association, then all the linguistic & logical burden I’ve placed upon the blogosphere & the English language in general will not have been in vain.

Having recently signed up for flickr, it was wonderful to discover some great pics of bikes with or without people on them, and finding communities where you can share your visual experiences in things that interest you. One particular group of some considerable interest is Vélocouture, dealing with an issue I think quite important to many cyclists & potential cyclists alike - that of what to wear when you ride a bike & look good at the same time. It’s something I think that deserves some serious intellectual scrutiny & contextual analysis - but since I lack the ability to even maintain rudimentary cohension, you’d have to look elsewhere for that.

“Vanity thy name is Whoah man those are some totally awesome jeans!” is something you will never hear or say unless you are a total fool with no regard for the sanctity of the Bard. But beauty, or more plainly looking good - be it appreciating it in others or pure narcissism, is something most people enjoy, regardless whether it is just an uncontrollable animalistic drive or not. Fashion is but one facet, albeit perhaps the most overt & immediate realisation of such mental processes. Whether we admit it or not, we do make choices, however minor, in what we wear most of the time, and having to alter one’s choice just so you can ride a bike is agreeably disagreeable, to say the least – at least in the minds of some potential cyclists.

As it can be seen, however, in all established cycling cultures such as Copenhagen, Beijing or Tokyo, you don’t really need to get all kitted up for the daily commute, though of course that’s all fine & dandy if you combine your exercise/training with your daily commute. In fact it would be actually quite an efficient way of utilising your time. But for most people, especially if you’re terminally lethargic like me, you really can’t be bothered to shower or change once you get to your destination, or lack the facilities to do such things conveniently. Many cyclists are therefore reluctant to commute by bike so they won’t be too sweaty and/or smelly for the rest of the day, and understandably so.

As I shall demonstrate here with obviously irrefutable proof by the very virtue of having given them myself, I’ve posted a few images of yours truly in the Vélocouture of the stuff I wear when I cycle around commuting. If you ignore the pretentious obnoxious poses, you’ll find everything there are just normal clothing that you see on people who drive cars, catch buses or if you’re James Bond, defuse nuclear devices wear.

To me it might have something to do with one’s attitude towards how one should cycle for different purposes. I must admit I do enjoy trying to catch up to (and usually fail miserably) the bike in front when I ride my roadies when I ride for fun, I mean it’s just like a car racing game - except for the car & game bit. Such competitiveness, innate or otherwise, is something we all experience every now & then, regardless of what things like Taoism preach in terms of achieving equanimity through disengagement – something so very ideal & yet impossibly difficult to convince oneself with. What is life but a continual struggle of the self against !self?

Again I did have a point to make apart from drivelling sentimentalities. For most people like me it doesn’t take long to work up a good puff & sweat when you pushing 30km/h, so riding in such a manner when you’re just trying to get from A to B is probably a little excessive, and I ride at a pace which only exerts my body minimally, in fact far less than walking since there’s always wind to cool you down. For most commuting distances – say around 15km one-way, you really don’t save too much time by going from sub-sonic to warp 5, at most perhaps 10-20 minutes depending on your easy going speed & “racing” speed. Indeed the faster your easy going speed is to begin with, the less time you knock off by pushing yourself & going faster still.

A few things that might help in changing the road racer mentality:

1. Ditch that Speed/Cadence/Power computer/HRM/GPS, etc, so you are not constantly trying to keep an eye on maintaining that golden AVG or Cadence whilst monitoring your heart rate to achieve optimum output. Also, your bike also looks less cluttered without all those dials & readouts which imho looks better.

2. Ride “clunkers”. I don’t mean something that’s mechanically broken down, but something that puts more emphasis on comfort & durability rather than performance or speed. In Australia, many who start out to cycle as adults often end up a mountain bike – or more usually an imitation of one, I know I did. There’s nothing wrong with these especially at the price point, and are perfectly adequate for commuting once you get some slicks on them & sort out the riding position. However if you are looking for something more specialised, then some of the modern hybrids are very good also based on what I have read and are designed for commuting, though I have no personal experience with them. For some style (again a personal thing), by which to me is old-fashioned roadsters & ladies’ step-throughs, there is eBay where there’s usually a few on offer in most major cities. Some Danish, Indian & Swedish models are also available in Australia through various retailers. To me, and I am sure many others, full on road bikes aren’t really ideal for everyday commutes, unless it is turned into something that resembles a tourer/hybrid/roadster.

3. Just relax & enjoy the view along the ride, you’ll find there’s so much curiosity & beauty around if you just look, it’s makes the ride a whole lot more enjoyable – just don’t get carried away & missed that turn to school or work, ahem, unintentionally.

Since Monday Canberran cyclists have been able to catch the bus for free if they bring their bike along with them.

I always thought it a great idea for buses to have racks for bikes to encourage cycling, though I’m not too sure whether there is any rational rationale behind it. I myself have only used the racks once, and that was when I got a puncture and didn’t have a spare tube with me. Indeed I don’t see myself using it unless this happens again. On the rare occasions where I did catch a bus since I’ve started cycling, I left the bike at home.

It might have something to do with the fact that the bus services in Canberra isn’t exactly what you’d call developed. Many routes come once every 30 minutes during weekdays, and every hour on the weekends, making it quite inconvenient as you’d have to plan rather carefully around the timetables.

Still, irrespective of exactly how efficient & effective such a system is for Canberra, as a highly visible & cycling-specific infrastructure it does demonstrate the government actively promoting bikes as a commuting alternative, and that is something commendable in itself.

More info here at ACTION Buses’ website.

No, not a neglected Sentai show from the 80s sporting fluorescent speedos outside lycra knicks, as interesting as it undoubtedly would have been.

Transport officials in Taiwan are trying to introduce a new term for cyclist – 速人 Su Ren, literally, “Speed Man”, and is defined as someone who uses a two-wheeled vehicle (presumably unmotorised), travelling at less than 25km/h, basically I guess someone who is a pedestrian & a slow moving vehicle at the same time with rights assigned to the respective role depending on circumstance & road condition. The concept is to allow cyclists to share existing infrastructure better with pedestrians & motor vehicles, a part of a grander scheme to increase bicycle usage in Taiwan. Despite of its good intentions, having such a vaguely defined concept could have serious consequences under actual conditions where disputes & accidents do happen, especially in high-density areas like Taiwan. Having dedicated, clearly demarcated cycle lanes like mainland Chinese cities & Europe would cause a lot less confusion for all users, as difficult to implement onto existing roads as it may be.

Having never been a big fan of anything that’s skin-fitting, I had very few pieces of actual dedicated cycling apparel – that is until I got into road cycling on a proper road bike. Riding for anything more than an hour on a “performance” saddle with normal pants is not an experience I wish upon the worst of my enemies. No, not even the one-eyed bastard son of Ming the Merciless & Megatron.

So I got a few pairs of cycling knicks, certainly not the most comfortable to sit down in, as basically you are wearing a glorified diaper, but there be certain localities concerning about oneself that would eternal gratefully thanked upon its own personage (as perhaps English as she is spoke will put it). Unfortunately there’s very little choice when it comes to the design of knicks, and as with all situations like this, I went with black.

Thankfully there are far more choices when it comes to jerseys. It is surprising how many riders from Predictor Lotto & Team CSC you’d meet on a daily basis. Many think it is pretentious to wear team jerseys if you don’t ride for one, and some would even consciously avoid wearing anything yellow whilst on a bike. I think people should have the freedom to wear (or not wear) whatever they feel like, but to me, most team jerseys, particularly in the modern era, are simply poorly designed & unattractive, regardless of contractual obligations with the sponsors concerning what must be displayed. They are too often covered with several vastly clashing logos displayed as often as space would allow. I pity the fool whose responsibility it is to design (unintentionally putting a rather heavy burden on the word) the jerseys, as Mr. T would say. But aesthetics is very much a personal thing, so who cares what others think – especially in the blogosphere.

One thing about jerseys, is that like the number fetish that is the modern clothing industry, sizing labels are practically meaningless. In addition to variations between manufacturers, depending on where the garment is marketed, the sizing can be very misleading. Always try to find out the actual measurement rather than go with the labelled size.

This is the first jersey I bought – unsurprising considering my unhealthy obsession with totalitarian symbolism & propaganda in general, just in case you haven’t noticed.

This is the second, purely typographic, can’t go wrong with a strong sans-serif. Thanks to google, I now know ARBÖ stands for der Auto- Motor- und Radfahrerbund Österreichs, sort of like our NRMA I guess, though it also caters explicitly for cyclists as well.

The hammer & sickle is one of the most recognisable non-commercial symbols worldwide, and imho one of the most successful asymmetrical symbols ever. As I am with most media that doesn’t exist in 1s & 0s, I am a certifiable imbecile, so the workmanship is definitely sub-standard, though I could claim that I was aspiring to capture the proletarian ambiance & spiritual voluntarism of the Spanish Civil War.

One thing I have notices is that many jersey from minor local teams are far better looking than those from the pro-tours, simply because they tend to have a lot less sponsorship details to cram in, there are many jerseys like these on eBay at a fraction the cost of new ones, and being the retro grouch that I am (especially when it comes to clothing):

Another important piece of garment for cycling in the sun a bandanna, they are great for soaking up the sweat, & will prevent interesting patterns on your forehead if you ride for any considerable period of time under the Aussie sun.

The recently released ABS Census data for 2006 showed that 2.13% of Canberrans cycled to work, risen from 1.94% & 1.85% in 2001 & 1996 respectively. Though more than twice the national average, the number is still insignificant compared with Amsterdam or Copenhagen, but it is still somewhat encouraging.

In a city where the chances of being shot at or beaten to death with baseball bats whilst riding is thankfully exceedingly low, where your worst enemy is probably the dreaded winter mornings & the occasional killer headwinds (I would add rain, but the term is almost mythical down here for the past few years, bureau of meteorology predicted rain for most of the past week; kilometrage on the bike: 492.1), it’s no wonder more people are joining the fun.