Section archives:

Founder’s Notes

London snaps and scribbles from the founder of the club

The Angel Ride

Jan 10 Guvnor

Ladies and Gentlemen, a cause most admirable: riding Guvnors from London to the Alps in memory of Heidi Beer, who lost her life to breast cancer aged just 29. Read more at The Angel Ride site, or open your wallets directly at Just Giving. Funds raised go to the Lavender Trust, in support of young women […]

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Snow Guvnor

Jan 10 Guvnor
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For many Guvnor owners, inclement weather is the time to keep him tucked inside warm and dry. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. But for others, it’s time to test the mettle of this fine machine. Based on today’s challenge — 12 miles through everything from 3 inch snow to razor sharp sleet — it […]

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London Ice Bear

Jan 10 Noted
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Riding through Trafalgar Square you see endless tatty promotions sullying the monumental environment. Product launches, art events, filming operations, giveaways; they all come with white van baggage, canvas hoardings, luminous tabards, glittery leaflets, and most annoyingly they often prevent visitors joyful clambering upon Landseer’s lions. In December 2009, the London Ice Bear stood out. It […]

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Fox Guardian

Dec 09 Noted
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A terrible snap, but I was on the move, using a phone camera in the rain… Tufnell Park has a bit of a reputation for foxy bravura, stories of them biting children in their sleep and taunting cats, or simply playing in the garden. In season they make a LOT of noise at night. Merry Christmas Mr Fox!

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Black and Silver, Flagged

Dec 09 Noted
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Every car in these pictures is black or silver, and is made by BMW or Mercedes. Every car has a 3 letter numberplate, and a country’s flag attached. Every car is driven by a uniformed chauffeur. Every car is here to remove a dignitary from the State Opening of Parliament, and I could only get […]

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The Mileometer

Dec 09 Guvnor
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Mileometer, Guvnor and photographs courtesy of Andrew Hickey. A most appropriate solution don’t you think? God forbid a plastic cycle computer ever be attached to those North Road handlebars… <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href=“http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2391639/” mce_href=“http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/2391639/”>How many Guvnor miles do you ride a month?</a><span style=“font-size:9px;” mce_style=“font-size:9px;”>(<a href=“http://www.polldaddy.com” mce_href=“http://www.polldaddy.com”>survey</a>)</span><br /> 

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Strategy for the London Cyclist

Dec 09 Cycling
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Cycling in London can be visceral and cruel. The city is packed with road users who — if they see you at all — see you as an obstacle or target. Bus, lorry, van and taxi drivers might spend all day in the traffic of central London, and all day their hopes of a quick […]

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Litter

Dec 09 Noted
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Of the most forgiveable kind.

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Rain: A Celebration

Nov 09 Cycling
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We don’t know why, but the city cyclist battles rain as a foe. They arm themselves with Altura–this and Endura–that,  sweating and striving through downpours, only to shower once again at the office. This very approach positions cycling in the rain as an ultra-specialist activity, perhaps second only to the Ironman Triathlon. But you cannot […]

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In Fine English Company

Nov 09 Guvnor
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The Guvnor captures in spirit something difficult to describe, a little of the folly that took the English so far in history. Probably too far, hindsight suggests. So it represents the best of British, as long as that includes glory tempered by madness, over-engineered precision, blood, sweat and technique. Eccentric logic, sublime sensibility. The Fine […]

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One Plus Four

Nov 09 Guvnor
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Behold one of only 50 Guvnor Plus Fours ever made. You cannot buy this bicycle anymore, you can only look at it. Chances are you’ll never see one in the wild. Chances are you’ll never ride a bicycle with four gears and no obvious means of changing them. Chances are you’ll never be so torn […]

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Randall and Aubin Charcuterie

Nov 09 Noted
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Originally a great French butcher in London, now in their own words a hip eatery, the saving grace is of course the preservation of the original fixtures and fittings. And the use of a Pashley Delibike for local deliveries:

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A Prince in a Jaguar

Nov 09 Noted
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Daily cycling near Buckingham Palace and Downing Street leads to regular encounters with motorcades. I always admire the no-nonsense approach of the motorcycle outrider, and they seem to enjoy whistling forcefully at me to stop. The whole experience is always over in 10 — 20 seconds, but this time I managed to get the phone […]

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How to Light in Style

Nov 09 Guvnor
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Most modern cycle lights do not suit the Guvnor. The plastic mouldings, brutish fittings and sci-fi styling are at odds with the Art Nouveau flourish, Edwardian structural order and Art Deco detailing of this bicycle. Many retro-designed lights are overly so: that is to say they speak for themselves too loudly. I’ve been searching for the […]

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How to Lock a Prized Bicycle

Nov 09 Cycling
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Use the cheapest, most convenient lock you can get your hands on. The one that you can find out how to pick in 30 seconds on YouTube. The one that offers the least protection, meets no industry ratings and is strongly warned against by the shop staff. The one that is so widely recognised as […]

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Barton St: Hidden Georgian Corners

Oct 09 Streets
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Zig. Zag. That’s all it takes to glide through this hidden enclave of Westminster. 30 seconds of your time, richly rewarded. Barton Street becomes Cowley Street via a sharp but neighbourly right angle, gently escorting the modern inquisitor away as quickly as they arrive. Both streets developed and named by the great Georgian actor Barton […]

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A Mayor on a Bike

Oct 09 Noted
boris johnson close up

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, stood waiting at the traffic lights in Trafalgar Square. He passed otherwise  unnoticed through the streets, I imagine by virtue of a) being alone, b) wearing a helmet and c) stopping at the lights. He gave a friendly wave which is about to be performed here. See Transport for London’s […]

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Whether to Ride or Admire

Oct 09 Guvnor
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The Pashley Guvnor is a special bicycle. The hand built touches, crafted lines and choice components elevate it far beyond the workhorse runabout. The price reflects this, but the Guvnor purchaser is torn between opposing desires. The bike wants to be admired, yet it demands to be ridden. Should it be saved for special occasions, […]

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Helix by Day and by Night

Oct 09 Noted
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Snaps of Helix by Alyson Shotz,  taken outside Sir John Soane’s  Holy Trinity Church opposite Great Portland Street. Installation was part of the Frieze-neighboured Age of the Marvellous exhibition.

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Sign of a Happy Ending

Sep 09 Noted
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We can only presume this note is evidence of a tiny story with a happy ending. Good work Velorution if so…

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