Escape From The Bronx March Madness

The next Escape From The Bronx bike ride is heading our way this March 28th. As always the ride is a come one, come all affair and the guys always have a really good time, and of course a good few beers at the end. Naturally. I’ve missed all the past rides, but I’m definitely attending this time guys.

The plan is to meet at Fratton Station at 9:30am, get the train to Chichester (£6.50 return), ride from there to Goodwood then Slindon, Fontwell, Bognor then back to Chichester station to get the train back to Fratton. There will of course be the usual pub stops along the way and then the traditional pint in LJR to finish off the ride. Good times for sure. The clocks go forward too. Winner.

Follow the event details HERE and take a peek at the route HERE

Tags: Escape From The Bronx March Madness

For SALE, my Kona Dew FS £350

Excuse the cheeky post, but needs must. It’s a genuine reason for sale as I’m making room for a new road bike and my beloved and trustworthy Kona needs a new home. It’s the 2007 Dew FS model which retailed at £600. I’ve taken extremely good care of this bike and it’s always been stored indoors and had regular services at Cycle World in North End. The last being in May of 2009, and honestly since then it’s hardly been ridden due to getting the Schwinn shortly after.

In May I had the gearing converted to a 9 speed Shimano Tiagra chainset and Shimano Deore Rapid Fire shifters. She’s running on Continental City Contact Reflective tyres which have wear, but still have miles left in them. You can see the reaction to bright light in the photo below. Always been seen, safety first.

I’ve also added Nitto Riser Bars, Oury Grips (The softest grips ever), a San Marco Gold Rolls Saddle and BMX pedals.

She rides really smooth and is perfect for not only city communting and minor off road, but performed exceptionally well during the 115km Isle of Wight Randonnee last May as well as countless other long distant rides and is still runs like a dream.

The rest of the spec can been found HERE at the Kona website.

If you’re interested drop me an email at tristan@strong-island.co.uk and we’ll take her out for a test ride.

Tristan

Click on the images for a closer look.

Tags: Bike for Sale

Strong Island Bank Holiday Bike Ride

Roll up, roll up, it’s The Strong Island Bank Holiday Bike Ride. Numbers are looking pretty good and everyone seems to be talking about it. As with the last April ride numbers are sure to vary as it could be cold, rainy or amazing sunshine. Obviously it’s going to be sunny and an amazing day.

The general concensses is to keep everything the same as last year. Starting from The Bridge Tavern at 2pm the ride will take us along the seafront down to Eastney, then back inland slightly and along Highland Road and Albert Road taking us back towards Old Portsmouth and finishing up at The Point, Spice Island. It’s a very casual 8 mile ride that’s perfect for people of all ages, fitness levels and of course any manner of bike. As always a few of us will meet up early at The Bridge Tavern for pre game drinks and food at 12.00pm.

Last years Summer Bike Ride saw over 120 riders and all manner of bicycles in attendance including wheelie popping Chopper riders, Fixed Gear tricksters, Shoppers, Customs, BMX’s, Racers, Trick Bikes, Mountain Bikes, Cruisers and Old Schools, it really was a fantastic mix of two wheeled Strong Islanders. We even had some visitors from as far as Bournemouth.

Head over to the Facebook Events page for updates and to see who else is involved and check some of the images from last years ride over at My Flickr and the Strong Island Bike Rides Flickr

As always this ride is by no means a political statement, critical mass, reaction towards the council or statement of any kind and is by no means an event, just friends in Southsea getting together for a bike ride to the beach. All very innocent. It’s all about Sunday fun with friends and bikes.

See you all there…

Click on the poster for a larger printable version.

Click on the route map for a closer look or head over to Google Maps HERE

Strong Island Roundabout from Tristan on Vimeo.

Filmed by Paul Stone

And for all you COR fans out there it’s the Balearic Easter Space Bonnet Boutique with DJ ALFREDO!! This starts at 6pm, so those of you on the ride will have to put your drinks down early and get your best Easter Bonnet on for the evening.

Tags: Balearic Easter Space Bonnet Boutique with DJ ALFREDO!!, civilisation of the rough, Strong Island Bank Holiday Bike Ride

Love Your Bike Portsmouth

Following on with more Claire Sambrook activity, you may have heard the whispers and nudges regarding the upcoming event Love Your Bike Portsmouth on 30th May. Claire has been working her knitted socks off getting this together with some seriously heavy local contributors including design aficionados ilovedust, Bored of Southsea, Ian Parmiter, Haslemere Cyles, PCM, Josie Young, Sifer Design, not to mentioned such amazing contributors from further afield like Ben Wilson and Toyko Fixed Gear to name a few, and of course our good selves at Strong Island.

“Bike culture is an important part of cycling and regaining the streets. Love Your Bike Portsmouth aims to encourage participants to fully embrace the possibilities of connecting with their bikes and explore the many ways that they can improve it’s appearance and design.

As part of a day event and showcase you will be offered the chance to ‘Customise Your Bike and in turn ‘Love Your Bike’.
Demonstrations will be staged by local and national artists and designers who will offer sessions in customisation and collaboration. International designer Ben Wilson will be welding bikes at the skatepark and also showcasing some of his work. There will be a wide selection of bikes and accessories available for purchase to suit all budgets. Local artists and designers will be involved with helping paint frames and customise bike parts. Does your bike need a make-over?

Watch out for our Love Your Bike custom tags around the city. If you have been tagged then please send your pics to us and also turn up at the event to showcase your bike or have it customised.”

Check out loveyourbikeportsmouth.co.uk and Facebook for much more info.

Tags: Claire Sambrook, Love Your Bike Portsmouth

Charlies stolen bike makes it home…

Message from Charlie.

“So there I am standing on a cold and desolate Hilsea train station after a terrible day at work, when suddenly my phone starts going mental….Before I know it has been confirmed that it is in fact my bike! I walked home with the biggest grin on my face! Big thanks to Jane, Strong Island, Bored and the fine people of Southsea who look out for each other. Still can’t believe it…..”

Yesterday Tom from Bored dropped me a line saying Jane from The City Council popped in to the shop to let them know she has been handed over a fixed gear bike that was found dumped in a bush. She was only giving a couple of key features about the bike up. its a charge and has drop handle bars.

Well happy days it was claimed. And as we all thought and hoped it was Charlies Charge. Nice one. We posted about his bike being stolen back on 7th September and 5 months later it pops up. Crazy. The power of the interweb and the local jungle vine! It really works.

Bicycle Recycling

This Saturday 20th February why not pop along to the yard behind Southsea Fire station in Somers Road anytime between 10am and 2pm to help turn unwanted bicycles into useable ones. If you’d like to donate a bike to the project just bring it along. Roadworthy bicycles are also available to take away.

The session is organised by the Healthy Pompey team, backed by The Portsmouth Cycle Forum.

Tags: Bicycle Recycling

Strong Island Bank Holiday Bike Ride

Okay then fellow islanders and friends alike. Following the even HUGER success of the last Strong Island Bike Ride in September 09, and all the amazing feedback I’ve had, I think it’s time to start thinking about the next one.

I’ve initally gone for April 4th, the Bank Holiday weekend. This means no work on Monday, for most. Like before, this ride is by no means a political statement, critical mass, reaction towards the council or statement of any kind and is by no means an event, just friends in Southsea getting together for a bike ride to the beach. All very innocent. It’s all about Sunday fun with friends and bikes.

Initial thoughts are to ride pretty much the same route as before but a little longer again. Nothing major, just a few more miles as feedback seem to point towards a longer ride, yet still not too long for everyone. Standard roundabout fun and Eastney stop off for a beach photograph. Initial thoughts are to end either back at The Bridge Tavern or Spice Island. Many people asked for something at the end, but as a non profit site this is very hard to arrange. Even grouping people on the common would mean getting the Council & Police involved……

THIS is last years route along the seafront and back. Let me know any thoughts on extending it, changing it, ending somewhere else, anything.

Make sure to sign up on the Facebook Events page to keep up to date, or keep checking back here of course. All the best, Tristan.

Tags: Strong Island Bike Ride

Portsmouth Cycle Forum – Vote for a Logo

The guys over at the PCM really do a lot more for cycling in this city than most people would generally know. Always campaigning and keeping people up to date on all things cycling and the city, they always have their ears to the cycle lane. If you haven’t checked their website yet head over and be sure to save the RSS feed. Always updated.

For a fresh face in 2010 they want to update their logo and help make it more appealing to all audiences, including younger riders around the city. Voting is now open for the new Pompey Bug logo and closes February 11th.

Check out the logos HERE and then vote HERE.

Tags: Pompey Bug, Portsmouth Cycle Forum

Cold Mornings & Cold Beers

This Saturday and Sunday I went on the same early morning rides over to Hayling Island from Southsea. A nice way to start off group rides so early in the year with a 20 mile jaunt with old and new friends alike. Although it was freezing, the prize of a warm pub at the end was more than enough to keep my mind off that fact that I couldn’t feel my toes and legs. Might still be a bit early in the year for shorts.

Really good days and loads of fun. Especially getting tucked into The Ferry Boat Inn over on Hayling where two meals are £5 and it’s just £1.79 a pint. Needless to say we had a few beers. To say the least…

Check out some more random pics over at my Flickr

Tags: Hayling Island Bike Ride

Next stop Summer.

Bruce just got some photos developed from one of our rides on Hayling Island last July evoking that perfect feeling of freedom you can only experience riding your bike on a nice summers day. New year, new bike, new rides, new adventures. Can’t wait.

Family Frostbike Cycle Ride

The Portsmouth Cycle Forum have organised a Family Frostbike Cycle Ride on Tuesday 29 December to help work off some of the excesses of Christmas. Here’s the itinerary:

- Assemble at the Ferry Gardens in Gosport (next to the ferry pontoon) at 10am
- Travel using on-road and off-road cycle routes via Gosport Station, through Rowner, Stubbington and back roads to Hill Head.
- Refreshment stop (either Visitor Centre or Osborne View PH).
- Return along coast road to Lee-on-the-Solent (Solent Cycles on seafront for emergency repairs!).
- Carry on towards Stokes Bay but with optional loop to Gosport BMX track.
- Stokes Bay seafront then cycle path on old railway line back to South Street and ferry.

Aiming to finish between 1pm and 2pm. Ferries leave Portsmouth and Gosport every 15 minutes (www.gosportferry.co.uk)

“We hope you can join us!”

Tags: Family Frostbike Cycle Ride, Pompey Bug, Portsmouth Cycle Forum

Escape From The Bronx Christmas Special Bike Ride

Get outta town! Escape From The Bronx Christmas Special, Ridin’ around the Christmas Tree is this Sunday 20th.

Proposed ride is get the train to Swanwick, cycle down the Hamble, down to Warsash, go along the coast to Hill Head, Lee on Solent and Gosport then back home on the ferry, finishing with a roast (“xmas dinner”) in LJR/Fox. it’s about 20 miles, probably starting at 10ish.

Check the map out HERE and become a fan HERE.

Family Christmas Cycle Ride

Portsmouth Cycle Forum are having a family Christmas cycle ride on Sunday 6th, meeting at the Hayling ferry in Eastney at 10am. The route is from the there, up Eastern Road and around Langstone harbour then back down around Hayling (using the Billy route) to the ferry with post ride refreshments at the Ferry Boat Inn before catching the ferry home again.

For more information check the Facebook event.

Tags: Portsmouth Cycle Forum

Escape from the Bronx V

The 5th Escape from the Bronx ride will be taking part this Saturday 21st. The plan is to catch the train to Liss and make the way back to the island via a few cheeky pub stops. Lets hope it’s good weather this weekend for all that get involved. Check the map out HERE. Now available on videocassette.

Tags: Escape from the Bronx

More ridiculous bicycle hate comments…

I’m sure some of you read the article ‘New Seafront Cycle Route!’ and then the second article related to comments about said cycle route on The News website.

Well the comments keep coming and even a bit of arguing and some straight up cyclist hatred. Click though to the end of page 2 for the retarded comment “I no longer recycle anything, drive a 3.5ltr 4×4, fly at least once a month and actively refuse to give way to cyclists“. Luckily he hates England too and is off to live in the USA. Nice fellow…

Photo – PompegBUG

Tags: cycle lanes

I will get a great deal of satisfaction walking in ‘their’ cycle lane…they get so annoyed!!

Some classic comments on portsmouth.co.uk regarding the new cycle lane on the seafront. I’ll say no more, just have a read of the article and check out the comments after.

“Most of these multi-coloured velcro clad skeletons have no respect for the highway code let alone any other person on the road or pavement.”

Photo – Eyesore9

New Seafront Cycle Route!

Well, well, well. All very interesting. The plans for the new seafront cycle proposal are going to the PCC Cabinet next Monday 9th November for a final decision. The route proposal is for a cycle path to be inserted between the sea wall and the parking spaces. Take a look at the final pages on the report to see what that means. Check it out HERE.

I for one think this is a good thing. I always understood the issues with riding on the Promenade and choose to ride on the road anyway, but, it can be dangerous with reversing cars. This route would hopefully help lower the danger of reversing cars and bikes meeting. If however the cycle path is too skinny then people who use the seafront to train will still ride the on the main road. Also what’s to stop idiots in cars pulling into parking spaces and not noticing the cycle path in front of them. Hopefully it will be curbed to prevent this.

Anyway, I don’t want to appear as negative. It’s a really good thing and a huge, if not belated step forward for Portsmouth cyclists.

Oh, and incase you missed it in that article, it’s not on the prom. Just to clear that up. Ha.

Girls Who Ride – Monthly Social

The Girls Who Ride crew are having another social event tomorrow night at LJRs from 7pm, if you like riding your bike and some liquid refreshment, do pop along (boys are allowed too ‘if they behave’). Some of the Strong Island Fixed Gear girls will be there with their bikes as well, incase you have any fixed gear related questions.

Tags: Girls Who Ride, Little Johnny Russells

Girls Who Ride – Farlington

The Girls Who Ride cycling club went on one of their first organised rides last night, leaving from Milton and going up to Farlington and back. If you want to get involved with the club and go on the next ride you can find out more via Facebook.

Tags: Girls Who Ride

Girls Who Ride Meeting

The first meeting of the Girls Who Ride cycling club happened last night in Little Johnny Russells and went really well. If you want to get involved you can find out more via Facebook.

Tags: Girls Who Ride