I think I stated on the starting of this page I wasn’t entirely sure what would be on it! And there has been commented the page states “cycling thoughts and more” and we seem to be lacking the more. I friend, Sean, reached out to me and asked if he could write an article and I was stoked at the thought. Well other than the fact I was meant to do the very same ride with him but I had to wimp out with injury…. When you see the pictures from his Italian adventure I am sure you’ll feel like me and make sure it goes back on the bucket list. The Strade bianche has made such an impression in its short history. No doubt it will become an iconic classic (if not already so). Follow the link to his excellent report. You can also find it in the routes section.

I made a post a few days ago on how happy I was to see one of the cycle lanes I used repainted as I was concerned it might be returned to a regular road. If we are going to get more cyclists on the road commuting then key infrastructure is critical – not only for safety as they share the road with vehicles but also from a selfish perspective we also don’t want cycle lanes too congested. There had already been a change in the number of cyclists pre covid due the Greves in Paris. Post covid many new cyclists have told me how not having to use the Metro has been a big reason get be on a bike. Electric bikes are having an impact too – wearing warmer clothing and not sweating is easier with a little assistance and making it easier now the temp is dropping.

Big news however as Paris announced a plan to be 100% cyclable by 2026 with an injection of 250 million euros and 180 km of additional segregated cycle paths and 450 km of regular paths. The 60 km of “corona pistes” will become permanent and more will be added. Rules will change to give priority to cyclists and junctions (as well as taxis and buses). As a whole here the attitudes to cyclists are good and more and more seem to be changing to 2 wheels. I still feel like an exception as I commute but there seem to be a lot more exceptions! This plan still has to be approved by the municipal council.

Bottom brackets, a bit like ******. Everyone has one. A noisy bottom bracket is a literal pain the ****. BBs come in so many shapes and forms, press fit vs threaded is just the start. The industry is awful here when it comes to standards. It’s not only the BB though – an incorrectly size frame can also be the source of many an issue. Hambini has done a super job of showing some of the issues – his message delivery can be a little controversial but from an engineering perspective he’s pretty much there.The BB30 has a bit of a reputation for being noisy and when you are a bit OCD on the bike this can be untolerable. So the Slate has become noisy and today’s job (after John’s gear cable, handlebars and failed attempt to rermove his 105 crank) was to sort out mine.

Some time back late in the evening I watched another Racepoint Elite bike build. I love these along with Dream Build. Perfect late night fodder with a glass of wine. On one build I saw them using this weird pot on blue glop to prepare a bottom bracket. Pauses and zooms later I found it was R.S.P. Creakfreak. The OCD in me made me trace it down on ebay or Amazon and I am so glad I did. This stuff is increadible when doing a bike build. I have used it to sort several friends squeaks (yes I do have friends – both of them..) and so much more.

So this afternoon the crank was pulled from the Slate and a good coating applied.

Is it just me or is there very few things as satisfying as pressing in bearings with the right tool!

1. 

   I care too 😉

2. 

   Cheers Matt!

3. […] doesn’t stop, the pros are not going to be keen with crowds so close to them, destroying the joy…

4. 

   Sean – seems I have to approve it first – stops naughty comments from going live!

5. 

   Hey Matt. I can’t seem to like your article w/o having to create a WordPress account first. does that sound…

I woke this morning worried at the cold. Carlos had picked a 75 km hilly route and this was worrying to me as I haven’t done that distance since being not 100% let’s say. I set off planning to pull out early but the guys wouldn’t let me and were so kind to wait on the hills. BUT then the incredible happened – well sort of. I got past where I thought I would bonk – I felt fine….. The sun came out and the ride turned into an epic. I think everyone was stoked. I love this route and to share it today with Carlos, Rene, Sean, Lionel and John pulling me along was awesome. Perhaps one is coming back! Visit the routes page to get the GPS.

Commuting into work to day showed a promising sign. During lockdown a lot of new cycle lanes appeared in Paris but as life returns to normal (!) some have disappeared. The worry was will all of them go? On the Avenue to Colmar to day (heading to Mont Valerien) it is apparent all the cycle lanes were repainted yesterday (after Rene got a puncture there). So fingers crossed some of the lanes are here to stay – now we just need to figure a way of stopping people parking vehicles on them (flashing indicators don’t make it ANY better) or riding their moto up it. The need for these lanes was made clear only 5 minutes earlier on my commute when crossing a pont a car started honking at me for just being on the road. Said “good morning” to said car (or words to that effect)!

Head to the routes section for the first posting – with a video recap included. Flat and chilled – great “Sunday” recovery ride and/but there is some gravel. The CICC section has an update too. If anyone knows how to get the Strava widget to work on wordpress without a plugin (and the cost of a pro account) please let me know! Seeing as about 2 people will likely see this request I am perhaps requesting too much…

Thanks for joining me!  We’ll see how this goes along and if I have enough time.  basically it’s here to add thoughts all around cycling…  likely a bit haphazard..  again we’ll see!

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Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race

H G Wells