Lighting up

After the 'warmest Halloween on record,' winter is now well and truly under way. With the nights drawing in well before the commute home for most, being visible on the roads during a dark evening rush-hour is absolutely essential for the commuter cyclist and casual rider alike. While a hi-vis is an option for some, you can't beat a good set of bike lights to really make sure you'll be seen. Fortunately, here at Russell's Bicycle Shed, we stock a diverse range from a number of top manufacturers to guarantee you can find something to light your path.

Lights can be split into two main categories; to see and to be seen. The latter tend to be smaller and often cheaper, while the former are larger and brighter. On the smaller side of things, we stock the tiny Spanninga Pirata light set. Weighing at just 15g a light, visible up to 300m and with a battery life of 95h continuous or 270h flashing, we consider these as a great backup set of lights to keep in your bag or pocket whenever you're out on your bike - especially at £9.00 a set.

For a little more money, the Lezyne Femto light set offers incredible value (and a very nice looking light to boot). Consisting of a CNC anodized aluminium tube with an optical-grade lens/switch combination, the Femto offers 60 hours minimum battery life at 15 lumens (which is more than it sounds!) from two tiny CR2032 batteries. It's available in a whole host of colours to suit your ride, and is certainly a lot of light for £22.00.

So far, both sets of lights in this rundown have been lights to make sure you're seen on the road. However, the PDW (Portland Design Works) Spaceship 3 + Radbot 1000 combo set can certainly light up even the darkest of towpaths. The Spaceship 3 sports (as you may have guessed) 3 superbright Japanese LEDs which are focused through a precision lens to light up the trail ahead or ensure you're seen by road users for up to 100 hours runtime on 2x AA batteries. The accompanying Radbot 1000 rear light consists of a powerful red LED (the same used in the brake lights of new cars) and a precision reflector so any car coming behind you will know you're there. These lights are available as a combo set for £30.00, or individually at £20.00 a piece.

As with the smaller lights, Lezyne provide a high-end alternative. The Zecto Drive front + rear set are just as beautifully machined as their smaller Femto counterparts, but cram a fantastic amount of features into their low-profile bodies. USB Chargeable with an intelligent power indicator built into the side of the light body, the Zecto offers 80 lumens (front) from 3 powerful LEDs at a minimum of 3 hours from a single charge. The Zecto Drive set retails at £55.00, but all of us here agree that is a fair price for such a brilliantly designed component. Also available is the Zecto Pro which boosts the luminosity to a massive 160 lumens!

To round off on a more affordable option, the Union Superbright is a Li-Ion USB chargeable light available as a separate front and rear. Consisting of 2 LEDs giving 4 Lux of power over 4 hours, they're a convenient option for those who like the idea of USB charging without wanting to break the bank.

All these lights (except for the Zecto Pro) are available in our shop for you to try out (and accidentally blind yourself!). We'll even fit them for you in-store!

With cycle safety in the news again regarding Chris Boardman's controversial statements over the use of helmets, one thing that can unanimously be agreed on is that bolstering your visibility on a dark night with a set of lights can only be a good thing.

By Joe O (the big beardy one)

Cycle Rail Awards

Last week I was invited by East Midlands Trains to attend the National Cycle Rail Awards in London. We had been put up for an award with East Midlands Trains, in fact we had been put up for a couple of awards. So off I went down to the big smoke dressed in my finery to the Central Methodist Hall in Westminster, just down the road from Parliament.

Chris Boardman was one of the keynote speakers along with the Minister for Cycling Robert Goodwill MP. Both made speeches about the need to get people cycling and the need for the railways to assist this by providing good quality facilities and secure storage. It had been a massive year for cycling and the rail industry and everyone agreed that events had been successfully managed.

After the speeches came the prize giving and we didn't have to wait long before East Midlands Trains were picking up highly comended awards for their work not only in Sheffield but also Leicester. Station of the Year was presented towards the end of the night and this was our opportunity to shine. We were comended on the quality and 'joined-up' thinking for the new facilities provided here at the station including my shop. So I joined managers from East Midlands Trains with Chris Boardman and Robert Goodwill MP on stage to accept our glass trophy.

Yorkshire featured heavily at the awards Northern Rail winning best customer service and operator of the year for their incredible work during the Tour de France.

So after a few pints at the local tavern it was back to the hotel for a goodnights sleep.

The National Cycle Rail Awards are organised every year by ATOC and are closely linked to the All Party Parliamentry Cycling Group. The awards are designed to highlight excellence in promoting cycling in the rail industry.

Winter cometh......

Its getting cold outside and the snow will probably be coming down soon. So, are you ready for cycling in winter?

It is credible and thousands of fellow cyclists do it every year, its not complicated, but there are a few things you should think about before you take the plunge.

1. Are you warm enough? - You may think that just the act of cycling in the cold will keep you warm but what happens when you stop? All that sweat cools very quickly so make sure you layer up. A thermal base layer with a t-shirt over the top and then a long sleeved jersey will help create a warm barrier use windproof fabrics to keep out the cold and make sure you are wearing warm socks, or two pairs. A cap/woolly hat will keep your head warm and try a buff to stop those chilly winds going down your neck.

2. Is your bicycle ready? - For most bicycles the best thing you can do is give it a service, get the brake pads checked and make sure your batteries in your lights have been replaced. For bicycles with thin tyres you may wish to swap them for a deep tyre with more grip so if you normally ride on 700x23 slicks why not take it up to 700x25 with some grip, it'll slow you down, but you'll be glad of it in slippery conditions. Also take a little air out of the tyres check the Minimum pressure your tyres can run on and drop it down to just above that, this will give you a lot more grip.

3. Lights, lights and more lights. - Its amazing how quickly it gets dark now, so always carry your lights, they may just be needed to get home safely.

4. Are you eating enough? - In winter our bodies burn more calories to keep us warm, its important that you eat enough during these periods especially if you are cycling, your body will always thank you for that mince pie after a ride.

5. Snow is not a barrier. - Yes there may be 4 inches of snow on the roads but as a cyclist you potentially have the best form of transport available to you for those conditions. A chunky tyred hardtail mountain bike will make light work of the snow and if its that bad there will be fewer vehicles on the road. Take it steady and use main roads where you can. You may even enjoy it.

Here at last.....

After a long and anticipated wait I am finally moved in to my new premises at Sheffield Railway Station. Opening for business on Wednesday 13th August I will be open from 7am until 7pm Monday to Friday.

Its been a long slog to get here and the work is just really starting. The fit out is done, the stock is arriving and now I'm ready to welcome your custom.

I will be selling all the things a commuter needs; helmets, locks, lights, inner tubes and tyres. I'm also offering Marin Bikes and Tern Folding bikes perfect for commuting by train.

Hope to see you soon.

Russell

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