Twitter Updates for 2009-01-05

• you can buy a similar one but this has different text and is industry only.
• Today is ‘most stressful day of year’: cold, credit crunch, end of festivities. Scream, urges head doc. Press Assn wire: http://is.gd/ezYY
• Wedgewod pottery firm to close if buyer not found. http://is.gd/eA1d Principal shareholder = Alan Finden-Crofts, owner of Raleigh.
• Finden-Crofts has owned the biz since 88. Other funding partners brought in recently. FC is a decent guy.
• However, FC’s execs haven’t always been decent. I ran stories about US CEO of Derby who crippled Stumey Archer
• US writer (non-bikie) says Bike to Work Book is ‘Fantastic book from start to finish.’ Thanks, ‘SiaSia’. http://is.gd/9fwP
• Another one to make you happy: I’m loading a PDF to Issuu with the new back cover.
• Diversify! From journalism.co.uk: http://is.gd/abZA
• Momentum Magazine’s Bike to Work Book has new back cover and a ’short-distance…ordinary clothes’ tweak. http://is.gd/eAmV
• General Carlton Reid. I like the sound of that.
• RT : Ann Richards: “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, except backwards and in high heels.” http://bit.ly/2nL545
• Thanks. And I love Momentum Magazine. I wish they placed all their mags on The one I embedded was maybe done by a reader.
• Motorbikes now allowed in London bus lanes. http://is.gd/eAqA Plus pix of panto dames on bikes, great PR by LCC. http://is.gd/eArO
• Happy New Year, Donna. Are social media managers allowed to digitally switch off?!
• RT : San Francisco considering congestion pricing - http://tinyurl.com/7a8qys [Don't be like Manchester & Edinburgh, no vote!]
• “Given the challenging economic times, we would hate to impose too heavy a burden on commuters,” SF spokesman. Congestion is a burden!
• RT: Washing machine hack sends tweet when load is done [YouTube video] http://tinyurl.com/8boz6d
• Democracy is good. But not when it comes to congestion charging. Frogs stay in water that is put on the boil.
• Noon sustanance: big slice of my mum’s Christmas cake, sans icing. Marzipan, I love. My mum makes two cakes, one with just marzipan for me!
• RT : RT Blog Posting: Addressing the Privacy Concerns Of Our Users - http://blog.mrtweet.net/?p=91
• Sending 375 digipix of kids cycling to publisher of my family cycling book. c. 300 of the shots are of the Reidlets!
• Very cool. I wish more English, Welsh, Scottish and NI dealers were as forward thinking as your good self.
• This is the kids cycling book. It’s from Snow Books. Cover pix will change. http://is.gd/eB1w
• I didn’t know was on Twitter. Duly followed.
• If only we still had the full length and height of Hadrian’s.
• My co-workers have really been annoying me today, first full day back. Well, they would if I had any.
• At dentists. Lovely.
• I used to employ people. Years ago. We still keep in touch. But I’m glad it’s now just me. I can get more creative work done.
• I was wondering where the voices were coming from.
• Under-utilized advertising spaces of today: dental surgery ceilings. Posters or flatscreen TVs would be good.
• Anything to take mind off the poking and prodding.
• Thanks. I’ll take it as read that the best bits had my name on. Although may take me to task…
• I’ve had a DM from somebody who frequents a dental surgery with flat-screen TVs on ceiling. And earphones to drown out chat. In Utah.
• BikeBiz Jan edition in flippy-flippy mode. http://tinyurl.com/7sz999
• Double page spread feature in BikeBiz on Momentum magazine ‘for self-propelled people’. http://is.gd/eCb8
• It’s a hacked account! http://is.gd/eCq4 http://is.gd/eC1o
• The Britney one is Not Safe For Work on Techcrunch UK but the offending orifice has been blanked on US
• It was only a matter of time, Donna. You need an iPhone to be the Social Media Queen. Hive, indeed.
• The switch from Blackberry to iPhone is enough to elevate you to royalty.
• Just added and to the bike tweeters list at http://tinyurl/biketweeters
• RT : you have the wrong dentist. Mine has had tv on the celing for ages.
• Good graphic and good posting, Karl. I added my thoughts.

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Bike to Work Book tweaked

The main Bike to Work Book sampler on Issuu.com has had nearly 15,000 views, with nearly half of readers clicking through every single one of the 50 pages.

The sampler can be personalised for any bike shop, bike company or advocacy group. Here’s one I just produced for Canada’s Momentum Magazine:

Get your own - Open publication

This version of the sampler has a new back cover and a new sidepanel on page 12. The new text reads: “No need for Spandex or Lycra, bike to work in ordinary clothes. Start with short trips.” It then links to the Clif Bar 2milechallenge website.

Momentum - the ‘magazine for self-propelled people’ - is brilliant. Here’s the latest issue (also flickable on Issuu.com):

Get your own - Open publication

Twitter Updates for 2009-01-04

• Watch out for this phishing attack on Twitter users - steals your account: http://bit.ly/ieJw (via )
• What White People Like and FatAmerican.tv create t-shirt featuring bike, Apple, Ikea, recycling, icthus etc. http://is.gd/ewwr
• Going crazy, downloading accounts files for tax purposes. I hate book keeping part of running a business.
• Pies out of the freezer. Defrosting. That’s the last of ‘em.
• I’m more easily distracted when I’m doing book-keeping than at any other time. Sorry to any accountants reading but I’d hate your job.
• No, not jailbroken. Do you use Truphone? Good app for overseas roaming.
• Yes. Needed wifi at the time, but doesn’t now, although I can’t trial new version until I next hit the States.
• Mark and at Singletrack mag kindly sent me an industry-only hip-flask. Trialling it now, with tiny tot of body-heated Glenfiddich.
• Here’s a pic of the hip-flask. http://airme.us/z2d05
• wow, they raced at the NE CX champs on the Saturday. Did you have podium places for u12 boys and girls?
• No but I use spanning sync for the bike dates thing http://tinyurl.com/bikedates prefers BusySync.
• Bicycling is excellent for steady sustained weight loss. And longevity in general.
• Sipping thigh-heated Glenfiddich.
• Pies RIP.
• How is Casablanca on Apple TV available in HD when it’s a 1940s movie?
• re HD. Makes sense. And The Simpsons, too?

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SWPL wants ideas for non-profit t-shirt cash (and Fat American says cars ain’t smart)

The acerbic and entertaining Stuff White People Like blog has linked to a t-shirt being offered by FatAmerican.tv. All profits from sale of the shirt will go to a non-profit org nominated by readers of SWPL.

Send an email to with “Non-Profit SUGGESTION” as the subject. Include a link and a short description of the organisation and their work. How about a bike non-profit?

What White People Like has previously taken a loving potshot at bicycles:

“A good place to find white people on a Saturday is at a Bike Shop. Bike shops are almost entirely staffed and patronized by white people!

“They love expensive Road Bikes and the accompanying spandex uniforms. This enables them to ride long distances and wear really tight clothes without any social stigmas. These types of riders will spend upwards of $5,000 on a bicycle and up to $400 on accessories, but will not ride to work. Perhaps because they cannot wear the spandex. It is important that you never question why someone needs a $5000 bicycle since the answer is always ‘performance.’

“But there is a special category of bicycles that appeal far more to white women, the European city bike. White women have a lot of fantasies about idealized lives, and one of them is living in Europe and riding around an old city on one of these bikes. They dream about waking up and riding to a little cafe, then visiting bakeries and cheese shops and finally riding home to prepare a fancy meal for their friends who will all eat under a canopy with white Christmas lights.

And of course, it goes without saying that white people who ride bikes like to talk about how they are saving the earth. If you know a person who rides to work, you should take them aside and say ‘Hey, thanks. Sincerely, The Earth.’ Then give a thumbs up. That white person will ride home on a cloud.”

FatAmerican.tv has another bike-themed t-shirt, Smarter:



The site says:

“The ‘Smart Car’ isn’t smart; it gets the same fuel efficiency as other economy cars but only seats 2 passengers. When compared to bicycles, all cars tend to look down right idiotic. Where’s the logic in working tons of hours to pay for a car to get to work to pay for a car? What’s the sense in driving to the gym to pay a membership to get some exercise?

“Move within biking distance to work, sell your car, cancel your gym membership and start living smarter. Increase your quality of life while not contributing to the political, environmental, social calamity created by the world’s dependency on oil.”

Twitter Updates for 2009-01-03

• Fixed sync problem on Bicycle Dates 2009. It was a re-naming snafu. Google cal and iCal now back together. http://tinyurl.com/bikedates
• And the sky is where all our data is…so be careful out there.
• Back from NE England CX championships. No idea where Hanna came. Only boys got results & medals in the U12s. Great way to discourage girls!
• Welsh bike shop owner, mechanic to British Cycling, gets big Olympic-fuelled plug on BBC.co.uk, including URL mention. http://is.gd/etHX
• Welcome to Anthony, creator of the Plastic Peleton mag photo strip. . He’s now on http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters
• Check out Anthony’s avatar, Rock Racing on Lego person. The strip is part of Procyling magazine.
• Updated the Cycle to Work discount bike-buying scheme info on Bikeforall.net. Americans: read it and weep. http://is.gd/etTo
• New dates added to iCal/Google calendar, http://tinyurl.com/bikedates inc BikeRadar Live, York Cycle Show, Ironman 70.3 and other UK events
• What day is it? Computer tells me it’s Saturday but I’m not wholly convinced. Life goes back to normal on Monday.
• I might rant about it online soon. I’m not a pushy parent (that’s Jude’s job) but this got my goat. I told organiser so. Politely.
• Technically, it was a NECCA event, not BC. North East CX Assn.
• Over Xmas, Bike to Work Book has been getting 50 reads a day. On 3rd Jan it jumped to 435 reads. Now has had 14,267. http://is.gd/9fwP
• If you’re an Issuu member, I’d really appreciate more comments and star ratings on the Bike to Work Book. TIA. http://is.gd/9fwP
• Yep! The US Bicycle Commuter Act $20/month is rather poor is comparison. Some UK cyclists are saving many £000s http://is.gd/etTo
• iBike is the one reviewed way back when, I think. Have you tried latest version, David?
• I’m currentlky wading through the UCI’s MTB schedule. Boy, do those MTBers travel the globe! http://tinyurl.com/bikedates
• Our Tour Down Under dates differ.
• Per day? I wish! 14k in total for the main sampler, but some of others have had 1000+ views each…so LOTS of readers.
• Added Bike MS Bay to Bay Tour, Carlsbad CA, Oct 10-11 to http://tinyurl.com/bikedates How about your Alps tour?
• I’m looking at your page right now and am salivating. http://tinyurl.com/7u63nb
• Added Eroica, a Granfondo, the Etape and a load of other road events to iCal/Google calendar http://tinyurl.com/bikedates
• Try the Bible! Only half kidding…
• Actually, Gaza is very little mentioned in the Old or New Testaments. It’s a tiny strip of desert nobody really wants.
• Egypt doesn’t want it. Israel doesn’t want it. Palestinians would rather be in West Bank minimum, all of Israel preferably!
• Hamas fires few rockets. Israel reacts as if world is ending. Prez Bush throws fuel on fire. World is horrified but does zip
• Some background: I flew into Israel during 1st Gulf War. Cycled around during Scud scares. Best time to see sites.
• Now. I didn’t today and was later than planned for a race. Hit mechanical prob that could have been sorted night before.

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Twitter Updates for 2009-01-02

• Disqus forum platform now has iPhone interface. http://is.gd/epeO PS Sorry to those commenters I’ve only just okayed https://quickrelease.tv/
• Adding to the bike dates ical/Google calendar thingy, the iCal file now called ‘Bike dates 2009′. http://is.gd/emfo
• Gallup poll via Marketwatch: gas prices plunge but 52pc of Americans say they won’t go back to gas-guzzling ways. http://is.gd/epg3
• re #jpg_magazine Huge shame, if so.. JPG magazine gets HUGE views on Course, it’s free on there. That the reason?
• Depends on the product. Books and mags make very little money from cover sales so ditching the cover sales ain’t no bad thing.
• Added and to BikeBiz list of Tweeters at http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters
• That bailout chart - http://is.gd/8ith - is good. Here’s the FAQ on the 1st Jan Bike Commuter Tax: http://is.gd/eps5
• Added Bike to Work Day and Bike to Work Week (US) to iCal/Google calendar: http://tinyurl.com/bikedates Subscribe for dates on PC/Mac/iPhone
• Rock solid prediction (despite < gas prices): Bike commuting in US & UK will rise in 09 and keep rising. Fuel: http://is.gd/9fwP
• Does tri club provide free 3rd party insurance and old men in plus fours?
• You mean you *Kinetic* Koffee…
• RT : Mother Jones’ Prius alternative: “Ride a bike. You’ll save a bundle” http://tinyurl.com/96t7ch
• I ran out of my roast yesterday. Resorted to instant, and used a lot of imagination. Jude has now gone to buy me more beans.
• Paramedics. Fast. Caffeine drip. Hurry. Slipping away. When should be sipping away.
• Are people *working* today? My kids still off school so I’m snatching moments online but am not back officially until Monday.
• I hear them. Not angels, sirens. And they’re singing ‘Masi. Buy Masi. Masi. Buy Masi.’
• These are online maven Masi sirens. They accept PayPal.
• Working for work or working on podcasts? Do you differentiate mentally and financially? Every project blurs into one for me.
• Yeh! “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” Douglas Adams would have been major Twitter fan.
• Here’s another tip. Use a restroom in another building, preferably another city. Then ride to the restroom, burning lots of fat.
• Watch what you say, employers have ears!
• RT : please add me to your bike trade Twitter list. Thanks. [Done]. http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters
• re YouTube book. Shame it mostly covers well-trod ground, and doesn’t focus on the viral aspect, as per title.
• Cadel Evans: Oi, motorists, show cyclists some respect: http://is.gd/eqiJ
• The Caffeine Cavalry has arrived. Jude haz beans.
• Took 15 mins to prep me and bike for cold night-time bike trip to deliver birthday card to friend, 6ml trip. Much easier in car. But no fun.
• Tomorrow is NE England CX championships. Two Reidlets entering. Under 12s are free and every entrant gets a prize. My kind of race.
• 2008 was the breakthrough year for cargobikes in the mainstream media. 09 gonna be bigger? [hint: I think it will be].]
• When I say NE England I haven’t missed off a ‘W’. It’s North East England, near Scotland.

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Twitter Updates for 2009-01-01

• Happy New Year from UK in 2009. I hope you have a prosperous year.
• New year resolutions. Josh, more cycling. Hanna, no nail biting. Ellie, sort my teddies. I’m with Josh.
• I’ve not been on a bike since last year. I’ve missed it.
• Childish, really. In fact, I shall soon be using it on the kids. “I’ve not eaten meat all year.” Their version will use ‘wee’.
• Good/bad/empty/relieved feeling?
• Had New Year’s lunch at my parents, with the Reidlets. They played mini-snooker, I updated the Google bike dates calendar.
• Bike dates 2009. Click here - http://is.gd/emfo - to get Google calendar bike dates & Mac iCal & ics & XML.
• Want to sync between Mac iCal and Google calendar - without fuss of CalDav - buy Spanning Sync. Here’s $5 discount code http://is.gd/emhA
• I love Spanning Sync. I did all the Bike Dates 2009 typing at my parents and when I got back home my iCal calendar already had all the dates
• Following cos said he talks about food lots. I’ve not mentioned pies since last year. Note2self: stop using that gag.
• Thanks. now added to https://quickrelease.tv/?p=697
• Added (ie Team Ouch) and , a Californian bike shop, to http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters
• Great new comment on Change.org. Automobile = Chariot of Ire. Bike countries more civilized. http://is.gd/cnjM
• NYT piece - http://is.gd/emBX - is informed and asks right people but is it any surprise that bike to work surge would slack off in winter?
• RT : My mom and dad are on twitter! Check them out
• is following but Floyd ain’t followin’ Ouch (or ). Real Floyd?
• Added to BikeBiz tweeters list at http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters Also added (provisionally).
• NYTmust have read your criticism of their sub’s holiday schedule…
• not saying much. Like, er, nothing. But, soon, lots of fresh stuff?
• Want to break out of a Twitter ghetto? Eclectic list via #Happy09 (Like ghettoes? http://tinyurl.com/biketweeters features
• And what about non-bikies? You have another twitter circle or two? Like techies?
• I’m banker. Kids playing Monopoly. The real world version, not iPhone.

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Hope you have a bike-filled 2009!

Happy New Year. 2009 will be a corker, I can feel it. And here’s how bike-filled it’s going to be. I’ve placed a bunch of bikey dates into an online calendar, which you can subscribe to. Once you’ve added it to your iCal calendar or Google Calendar, all new dates and date changes are handled automagically. Pushed to our iPhone via the cloud, that sort of thing.

There’s a Google calendar button on the left. If you’re not already a Google member pressing this will prompt you to become one.

Flick through the months on the calendar below and you’ll see 2009’s trade and consumer shows, major events – such as the Tour de France – and lots of other notable stuff. It’s by no means a complete list of every bike-specific date, there are many regional Google/iCal calendars which can fill in the gaps for you.

However, if you feel there are some international, or important national, bike events that ought to go on this calendar, please email the missing events, and their dates and URLs. Thanks.



Here are some other ways to get the data…

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Mac iCal.