The Wilds of Brixton!

I rode the xtracycle to work today, 30 miles or so, I havn't quite sorted the gears out yet and its ..well.. a bit clicky I'm sure a littl fettling will have it sorted, Streatham and Brixton were the usual congestion black spots, with the added attraction of the main road through Brixton being closed for something called a police incident...little numbered chalk circl es on te road with spatters of blood and other bits and pieces . I don’t know if it was an RTA or one of Londons regular shootings or stabbings.
The xtracyle got a lot of strange looks from fellow cyclists . The only problem though was it wouldn’t fit in the bike racks at work!

Scurry in a Hurry

I loaded up the Xtracycle and headed off for deepest Heartfordshire and a days scurry driving

As I cycle across the field behind our photographer’s 4X4, my bike’s pannier bags bulging with riding kit and waterproofs, I can see two perfectly matched grey faces peering over the top of a neat, well-kept stable door. “They aren’t small, they’re just far away,” I tell myself, as I follow the muddy tyre tracks. But I’m wrong, they aren’t far away – they are just small.
In fact, the two Welsh Section As, Topaz and Charley, are so small and impossibly cute that I feel as if I have been catapulted into the land of Lilliput. How can these two little mites who barely reach my waist propel cart, instructor and me around a field with anything approaching a meaningful velocity? Welcome to the world of scurry driving!
My instructor for the day is Sally Mawer, a top scurry driver and former HOYS champion. “Scurry driving lets you compete with the best and actually be one of the best,” she says. “Anyone can succeed, it just takes time.”
Sally’s proudest moment was her first HOYS win in 2001. After winning at Hickstead, her cart tipped over on a bend in the competition at Aldershot, and at the British Open her team decided to jump out of the arena! So all didn’t bode well for HOYS, and the win was a surprise and a delight.

Get set… go!
I squeeze myself into the back of the cart and brace my gangly legs on the bar underneath the driver’s seat, ready for the off. That’s my first mistake, although it may be more comfortable for me to sit like that, I should bend my knees and brace my feet against the side of the footplates. Sally then gives my some tips on leaning to balance the cart into the bends, This, I must remember, is very important if I don’t want us to tumble over on the sharp bends, and on reflection I probably don’t Then, after a few strides of trot, we are off like a cork out of a shaken bottle of Cava, It’s like the land grab scene from Far and Away with Tom Cruise, except at the end my prize isn’t a kiss from Nicole Kidman, it’s a dozen fresh eggs and a sausage sandwich – but more of that later! As we hurtle around the course with the tiny hooves of Topaz and Charley flinging up lumps of Hertfordshire soil, Sally explains the vital controls of whip, reins and voice, likening the whip to the legs of a mounted rider. As I listen, I gamefully fling myself to the appropriate side of the cart as we enter each gut-wrenching turn.

Taking the reins
After a few laps of the course it’s my turn. We climb out of the cart and I hop into the driver’s seat feeling like the Top Gear star in a reasonably priced car, under the tutelage of the Stig.
“Haven’t you forgotten something,” says Sally. “No, I don’t think so,” I respond.
“The reins?” Sally says, holding them aloft. “Ah yes… that would help.”
So how difficult can it be? I’ve seen Ben Hur, I know how it works. We start off at a brisk walk, and then a trot as I endeavour to get to grips with the steering, brakes and acceleration. I’m soon weaving all over the place by virtue of too much input on the reins, and the resultant over-compensation in the other direction.
“Think of it as the ultimate power steering,” says Sally, and she is right, the slightest pressure on the reins causes the two little stallions to instantly change direction.
“Go a little faster,” says Sally. “You’ll find the controls become lighter and easier.” A little encouragement with the voice, and a gentle touch of the whip soon has us going at a fair old lick around the outside edge of the field. Everything does indeed lighten up, just like power steering on a sports car.

Out on course
After a little breather and some more hints on handling from Sally, I get to try the course proper.
The course consists of ‘gates’ marked out by orange cones, in competition these would have balls balanced on top to make it doubly difficult. Each gate is 1.7m wide, which isn’t a lot when you consider that the rear axle width of the cart is 1.3m – not much room for manoeuvre!
On my first time around the course I’m all over the place, partly through over-excitement, and partly because I have no idea which way to go and I’m trying to concentrate on steering, controlling and listening to Sally’s instructions and directions at the same time. Over the clatter of the cart and the thunder of the hooves, it’s a case of sensory overload. By the second time around I’m beginning to get the hang of it.
We fly into the box – an arrangement of cones that form a sharp ‘u’ shape into which the ponies gallop and then almost spin the cart around on its axis and gallop out the other side. I’m not claiming any credit, as I suspect the ponies know exactly what they are doing, but we spin in and out like a fairground ride.
After another series of gates and sharp turns we enter the slalom, which is exactly what it sounds like. Sally tells me I have done really well and taken a good straight line… I’m feeling so pleased with myself that I completely demolish one of the cones at the next gate.

Pony power
The session ends far too soon as I’m really enjoying myself, it’s brilliant! The ponies seem to love it. Out of the arena they are calm little chaps pulling the cart along as if they are delivering milk, but once they see the cones in the field they are all fired up and ready for action, then when they leave the arena they are back to their domestic duties. It’s fascinating to watch them.
I could see myself getting hooked on this, as it’s a tantalising mix of skill and excitement, and a great adrenaline rush. I would recommend anyone, even non-riders, to have a go. Now all I need to start competing are two ponies, a cart and plenty of spare cash!
Oh yes, and the eggs? Sally has a flock of hens and ducks that she keeps at her yard, and was only too glad to part with them, along with a good cup of tea and an excellent sausage sandwich as a reward for my endeavours.
I met up with Sally again at the Edenbridge and Oxted show over the August bank holiday weekend, where she won her class with Whistle and Flute, her larger pair of ponies, and Topaz and his partner Cally qualified for HOYS.

l See Sally Mawer in action with her nippy ponies at the Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham’s NEC, from 8-12 October. Tel: 08719 45 45 00; visit: www.hoys.co.uk

Rain!!

well the holiday has been good in as much as I havn't been at work and my wife and i have spent more time together. But the weather has been wretchid. I'm posting this from my phone during a gap in the monsoon! The xcyle has been fantastic for the garden center and shopping, even managed to get it on the train for my scurry driving trip! Thats another story!

Woo Hoo!

Last day at work today for two weeks!.....so lots od gardening cycling and general holiday type stuff!

Red light Jumpers and pavement riders

It drives me mad...
On my cycle ride into work the number of people see jumping red lights weaving in between pedestrians and riding on the pavement is unbelievable, no wonder cyclist get a bad name!..

If you are in so much of a hurry that you have to break the law and endanger people.......lose weight, get fitter and ride faster between the holdups! You impatient @$£&*@!(((Q's


OK Rant over.

Pretty uneventful ride apart from the road works in Brixton!

Elongating Jake

My wife uses our car each day for work as there are no alternatives near enough to her school to do otherwise, I use a combination of train and pedal power. After ditching the convertible and buying a Honda Civic Hybrid, I was looking around to find another way on cutting down the car usage at the weekend, I thought of a trailer for the bike, but didn’t really like the idea of it and having tried one I didn’t like the feel either. During my googling for trailers I came across these people http://www.xtracycle.com and thought it would be the perfect solution to my ‘problem’. I tracked down a supplier in the UK http://www.thisisloadsbetter.co.uk/, and bombarded them with questions

Before

The Free Radical, kit arrived intact and promptly courtesy of Mark Forster at Loads Better, I ordered the 700c kit, as that would mean all Jakes existing components should fit…or so I thought…actually I had to buy a new rear brake as the Free Radical isn’t set up to take cantilevers. If I had read the technical faq on the Xtracycle web sit I would have known this but hey ho!

It also had to be a mini v brake, as STI levers don’t have the cable travel for full size v-brakes. An alternative would have been to use cable actuated disc brakes..but as this would necessitate a new wheel as well I went for the mini v’s. Although in the future I may convert to a 26-inch rear wheel and discs to give a greater tyre choice.

Other extras needed where two nine speed chains, as the supplied extension chain is 8 speed, a longer rear wheel spindle, a new rear mech mine turned out to be on it’s last legs, and a couple of spacers to go onto the hub as is was not quite wide enough to be held securely in the dropouts by the pressure of the quick release. Two spacers were too much one not enough so I sanded one in half and that worked perfectly.

Home made spacer


Mark supplied an extra FAP. The alloy plate here. As the chain stay brace on Jake was too far forward to allow the bolt to pass through the tongue of the free radical.

FAP's!

It’s really not a difficult job if you regularly do your own maintenance
The instructions are easy to follow and concise.

It may look a little odd but it rides really nicely, very stable and utterly brilliant for hauling the groceries and diy stuff.

After

Fruits and flowers

Well the garden is looking a little different now, and we have been enjoying the home grown produce.. Broad Beans, spuds, runner beans, rocket, land cress, lettuce, onions, turnips and heaps of other stuff ...not to mention the flowers!

Told you it was dangerous

Off the bike twice in one week..first knocked off by a van turning left across me Front wheel turned into a pringle! Second well I just sort of fell off..the new front wheel turned into a pringle!....Go figure that one!...now sporting a £9.99 ebay special!..well its round and it rolls and I have no pride.