Cabbage in Tow

I went for a bike ride this morning to the Duchy Home Farm Organic “Veg Shed” and couldn’t resist this mammoth savoy cabbage. Fairly surprised it survived the nine mile journey back home.
Next time: bring a bigger backpack.

SmarterFitter in the Countryside

After three years of living in London, we’ve decided to up and move to the countryside. It’s a huge life change and I can’t wait for it to begin. I love London, but it’s time to do something completely different. I’ve always dreamed of living in the middle of nowhere, and I’m [...]

Food Diary: Learning to Grill Tofu

I’ve been enjoying the grilled tofu lately. It’s such an awesome and easy way to prepare tofu, so much less complicated than pan-fried tofu, which I find takes a certain amount of finesse (and oil) to make the tofu crispy and delicious. But this grilled tofu thing is a no brainer – why [...]

Bikely for Bike Routes

Yesterday was a GORGEOUS day here in London – cloudless blue skies, cool autumn air, a mild breeze, PERFECT weather for a bike ride.
London may not seem like a great place for a leisurely bike ride, and for day-to-day practicalities, that’s pretty much true. London roads are riddled with traffic, pollution, potholes [...]

How-To Videos For Bike Repair and Maintenance

Thank you, Lifehacker, for introducing me to The Bicycle Tutor, a website that shows you how to fix just about any kind of bike problem.
Run by a photography enthusiast and serious bike geek, the site offers plain-English tutorials in both hi-res video and full text. The streaming videos are free to watch on [...]

Top 10 Summer Cycling Tips

Best cycling tattoo ever: the classic chain ring smudge on the inner calf.*
The always useful tredz blog shares ten great tips for summer cycling. Most of the tips are great advice all year round, such as staying hydrated and carrying a quality bicycle lock, but they do point out one thing that I always [...]

Paris and the Power of Bike Commuting

Last time I was in Paris, it seemed like everyone was getting around town on a shared bike. Velib, the program that runs the scheme, just released some spicy statistics that seem to support the popularity of bike sharing:

Trips to date: 20 million
Average trips/day: 70,000
190,000 annual pass holders
42% of users are female, 58% are [...]

Bicycle Fitting for the Ladies

You see it all the time: people cycling around town with the seat to short looking like their squatted over the toilet seat. Bicycle fit is complicated enough, but it’s even harder for women. Many women end up riding men’s bikes, which are designed for men’s wider shoulders and taller statures. Furthermore, [...]

The Trouble with Triathlons

This last year I’ve been swimming regularly and cycling every day. More recently, I began running. I’ve thought about doing a triathlon, but I’m a little worried. I should feel great from all this exercise, but often I feel sluggish and stiff. Am I not stretching enough? Sleeping enough? [...]

“Nerdcycle” Monitor-Mounted Exercise Bike

According to Martin, the bike’s creator:
I bought an exercise bike on Craigslist for $100. I rode it five times. It then became my footrest while I surfed the net, as it is next to my computer desk. Recently, I decided enough was enough, and I had to make it fit into my lifestyle. So, some [...]