HelpMyChainCameOff! has COME OFF

Ah my dear, dear, dear bicycle friends. HelpMyChainCameOff! has COME OFF and when I say come off I mean OFFLINE!

Yep, I'm officially signing off from this blog and would like to wish all you readers and supporters a bicycle GOODBYE. I'm not giving up my two-wheeled adventures and will continue commuting and leisure cycling forever. I'm just stepping down from the stage of bicycle blogging in pursuit of other hobbies I want to get started.

It's been a swell couple of years and all good things have to come to an end right? I see this like Fawlty Towers and The Office, I'm bailing out whilst it's still good because I'm cool.

Thank you to everyone who has commented and read all my posts and supported my work - The bicycle community are a vocal, inclusive bunch and we make the best team.

So, with the wonderful weather on the weekend, I went out on my bike to celebrate the last post of HelpMyChainCameOff! and took some pictures of my adventure to Richmond Park which I want to share with you for the last time.

Cruising through Hyde Park dodging the tourists on their Boris Bikes.

Winging it through Chelsea, darling.

Passing by the rowing clubs in Putney.

Waiting for the level crossing to cross the railway line.

 It's the attack of the MAMILs! They swarmed to Richmond Park in flocks.

Arrived at Richmond Park and observing MAMIL behaviour. Favourite quote I overheard was 'My glucose levels are down, I'M HUNGRY!' Ah vintage MAMIL saying.

Sitting back and basking in the sunshine.

And then it was time to go...

Over and out.x

SPIN London Bicycle Festival 3rd - 5th May

Ahoy there fellow cyclists and trendsetters, did you get out and about on the weekend? Did you? Did you?

Because I did, and look what I saw.

Picnic on Boris Bikes

Turns out that Boris Bike docking stations make the perfect setting for a Brick Lane picnic. There's nothing like the idyllic scenery of Bethnal Green Road and the lorries and buses which rampage through it. Whatever you do, don't tell the Mayor of London otherwise he'll probably introduce a hefty rental charge for the picnic pleasure and these guys will have to sit on the littered street corner next to the Saturday night vomit to eat their Brick Lane bagel instead.

Enough of that, because I'm here to offer you guys a treat. It's competition time!

For all you scenester cyclists who wish that you could hang out in the Old Truman Brewery off Brick Lane with all your favourite cycle apparel brands at arms distance, well your wish has come true. I'm giving away 2 free tickets for the SPIN LONDON Urban Bicycle Show taking place on 3rd - 5th May.

And now let me tell you  bit about it because what's the purpose of giving away tickets if I don't?

Spin is 'the world's first urban focused bicycle show and festival' featuring progressive, forward thinking cycle brands such as Vulpine, Mango and Tokyobike.

Haven't got any money because you squandered your last tenner on the overpriced burgers at MEATmission? Well hey guys, this is a culture thing as well.  You can:

+ Race your friends at Rollapaluza static cycle racing
+ Scoff some food at Jimmys' cycle bistro
+ Watch a film or talk at the pedal powered cinema
+ See the themed Bike V Design exhibition
+ Watch bikes being built
+ Go to some talks or demonstrations and cycle-art installations

You can buy tickets here for £7 or otherwise, ENTER MY COMPETITION TO GET A PAIR FOR FREE!

Enter to win the tickets by tweeting or liking the HMCCO Facebook page using widget below! Deadline to enter is midnight on Monday 22nd April. A winner will be selected at random through the Rafflecopter widget.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ENJOY!

Oh the Glamours of Cycling

Sometimes I think I look like this on my bike...

Source

But from recent experience I learned that this is not always achievable. I'm going to tell you something about cycling which I like to think is taboo.

I am brave and I think it's time to tell you about the REAL world of cycling.

Because when it's a sunny day and the birds are chirping and you think how nice it would be to go on a spring ride.

BEWARE

If you haven't noticed, there are quite a lot of scraggly pigeons in this city, eating up London's finest leftover chicken shop food and tucking into Friday nights discarded kebabs. Well, these pigeons obviously don't take the underground to get from Finsbury Park to Soho and choose aerospace as their chosen method of transport (which I guess is fine as they don't use petrol and flying can help them keep in shape). However, this means us humans pedalling on the ground may be the target of unwanted droppings from the urban pigeon.

And that my friend, is what happened to me last Friday. I have censored the image as it is too revolting to plaster of the internet in it's natural form and I wouldn't want to jeopardise any future employment opportunities for myself.

Oh, and on the Monday I rolled my front tyre in some dog pooh which I then had to watch go round and round and round on my commute on Tuesday.

So my bicycle friends, cycling isn't always 'cycle chic'.