Sunday Morning Crank Breaker

I broke the original "cheapy" cranks on Mermaid

Sunday morning strava-ism.
Went for a little ride, starting at 06:15.
Get out there while the day is fresh!

Took on the local Cat 3 hill, and made my first ascent :-)
crawled up in a low gear, mind, pacing myself all the way.
Shows just how much progress I have made since Christmas - first time I took on that hill was in January this year, and I stopped 6 times to recover :-)
Managed to get that down to just one stop with Flame (the Pashley Mailstar).

BHF London to Brighton Ride 2014

The Royal Mail Aylesbury team on Marina Drive, at the end of the London to Brighton Bike Ride 2014.
I'm on the far side, with the yellow panniers

The Royal Mail Aylesbury team at the top of Ditchling Beacon, with their post bikes.
From the left, back line: Paul, Peter, Ray A, Scott, Jay, and Zed
Front line: Brian, and Dougie.
Also on the ride was Ray B, who dropped out with a broken bike after Turners Hill,
and finished in the official "broom wagon".
It's all downhill from here!

High spirits on the minibus on the way down, even though
it is only five-forty am. We assembled at four-thirty!
Scott (far left) was roped into the ride just 3 days earlier!
What a hero!

Brian and Jay on the way down

We were due to start at 06:30 (which is when this picture was taken). But where is the second van with half of the bikes in it? In the orange top is Steve C, one of the two support drivers that drove the "bike" vans, and in the dark blue top with the patterned brown short is Phil, our support driver that drove the minibus. But where is Steve F, the seond "bike van" driver? Why do I care? - well Flame is in Steve F's van!
Thanks for the help of Royal Mail, whom, as well as loan of the actual bikes, lent us a pair of liveried vans to move them, and thanks to Northgate Vehicle Hire for an excellent minibus at a great rate!
The support drivers, all three, including "late" Steve F, deserve our thanks as well. We get all the glory and the finishers' medals, but without the unsung support of our three support drivers, none of it would have happened!

A new-fashioned, old-fashioned, bike

I have come across an interesting bike that I though I would share with you.
Steel frame, naturally (Reynolds 525).
Carbon forks - hmm, maybe, maybe not.
2x9 Sora gearing, with Sora 3400 series front and rear derailleurs and shifters.
Weighs 12.8 kg (that's just over 28 pounds).

A fine enough specced bike, but nothing that special so far.
Until we get to the price.
Just £400 (US $680, about 500 Euros).
For that money, you usually get entry level stuff, like Shimano Claris, not Sora.
You get an alloy frame in that price range, not Reynolds steel.

Wow!

So what is this machine, and where can you get one?

My last big training ride before the BHF London to Brighton

Flame all kitted out. Tools etc. in one pannier,
Food and drink in the other.

Looking relaxed BEFORE the ride

Folks pay good money for old houses with slopey walls!
This is Aston Clinton

10.9 km in, and I'm at the top of the hill - Strava calls this one as a
Category 4 climb, as I have just climbed 122m in the last 1.7km
for an average slope of 7%, but as you can see from the sign,
the county engineers think it peaks at a 13% climb.

Union 4268 headlight update / Axa Pico 30 alternative

Axa Pico 30 headlight
(photo copyright Axa Stenman,
the owners of the Axa bicycle brand)

Union 4268 headlight
(photo copyright Marwi,
the owners of the Union brand)

When I was riding my folding bike, I had a Union 4268 35 lux headlight, with an automatic switch on it.

I got it from Dutch Bike Bits, and I notice that they no longer sell that item.

An excellent alternative would be the Axa Pico 30, reviewed here, which is a 30 lux headlight.

The Axa light is available from a variety of suppliers, but not, as yet, Dutch Bike Bits.