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Barry was one of those people who make a city of 8 million feel like a village.

Oliver has described some of the good things he made happen. There are many, many more. If you had an idea to do something new, Barry would always encourage, advise and usually lend a helping hand. He made connections and got things done.

He also bore witness to the bad things. He took days of work to attend the inquests into the deaths of cyclists killed by lorries, taking copious notes and putting pressure on the authorities to reduce danger on the roads.

When the times called for serious, he could be serious. But he loved the absurd, the wild, the frivolous. He was particularly taken by hard court bike polo and he stepped in at the last minute to help London host the European Championships in 2009. People sometimes talk about the tribes of cycling. Barry was tribe-blind.

His warmth, charm, kindness, experience, knowledge, curiosity, breadth of interest and sense of fun made him excellent company, on the road or in the pub. He loved to talk but was never bombastic, he enjoyed the spotlight and was a superb advocate but behind it all that was a lot of hard work and dedication.

I can't get my head around the idea London is now a place where I'll never see him riding down the street towards me and stop for a natter about this and that.

The last time I saw Barry was on an afterworker ride visiting the Heygate Estate just south of the Elephant & Castle. He wanted to ride on those futuristic elevated skyways before they were torn down as the estate is demolished. Along the way we met one of a handful of residents who are still living there and discovered they were starting a community allotment in the abandoned gardens in the estate. We chatted for a while and Barry offered to contribute some manure from the city farm where he worked as manager. I thought we could do it with a small flotilla of bike trailers. Those were the kind of encounters, unexpected, unplanned but richly rewarding, the little connections that are needed to bring together people living in an often anonymising, atomised city.

Barry loved the bicycle for many reasons but perhaps this was the greatest - that above all modes of transport, bicycling gives us a greater understanding of and feeling for the place, space and life all around us and makes possible those chance meetings that lead to something more.

I'll miss Barry very, very much.

Now at £200 with an hour to go.

email your bid auction@resonancefm.com

Highest bid now £75.

Still a bargain, and for a good cause.

Auction ends Midnight.

Resonance FM is the community arts radio station that broadcasts The Bike Show, along with dozens of unique programmes that you won't hear on any other radio station.

Resonance FM is devoting this entire weekend to its annual on-air Fundraising Marathon. Over 100 experiences, items, artworks, rareties and more are up for grabs – all donated by our generous supporters.

The reason? We need the money. The cuts have affected us already and the future looks uncertain for all arts organisations including ours. Our content is offered to you FREE throughout the year, so if you like what you hear (or want to broadcast something better yourself), please dig into your pockets.

Alongside Tracey Emin's only sound art work (phonograph etched onto the reverse of a CD), two weeks in an Eco Lodge in Nepal, a bass guitar lesson with John Paul Jones of Led Zep is this:

A day in the Rapha-Condor-Sharp team car during the 2011 racing season.

It is a chance to witness a pro race from the inside, see the Directeur Sportif and race mechanics at work. The choice of race will be by arrangement with winning bidder (it could be the Rás, the Lincoln GP, Ryedale GP etc).

Normally these race days are only offered to members of Rapha's 'pink stripe' club (annual sub. £1500) at a cost of a further £250 for the day. See what it's like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y2QQYjNzhQ

The auction ends at midnight tonight 20 March. Currently the top bid is just £40. A bargain is possibly to be had - most importantly while keeping London's volunteer-run community arts radio station on air.

Bid via telephone: +44(0) 20 7407 1210 or +44(0) 207 089 2170 or +44(0) 207 089 2172
Bid via email: auction@resonancefm.com Auction Webpage

Thanks!!!

Jack Thurston - Presenter, The Bike Show

Austrian Michael Embacher has one of the world's most enviable collections of bicycles.

Thames and Hudson is publishing a new book of 100 iconic designs from the Embacher collection and he'll be at Look Mum No Hands! for an 'in conversation' launch event on Wednesday 16th. 6.30pm-9pm. All welcome.

As well as the to-be-expected René Herses, Masis, Bob Jacksons, there are some very odd bikes, and I thought this fixed wheel CAPO Elite 'Eis' bike might appeal on the Forum.

Or are Tweed Run PLC now the only organisation in London with a mandate to organise fashion-based cycling events?

Certainly not. The Tweed Run is but one manifestation of what I might call the 'tweed cycling meme', for which I share some responsibility for spreading, however inadvertently, as a founding member of the Tweed Cycling Club.

In its turn, the Tweed Cycling Club was - and still is - inspired by the ethos of the excellent American Lake Pepin 3 Speed Tour:

[INDENT]The Lake Pepin 3-Speed Tour is based on cycle touring in pre-war England. It was a gentlemanly time; few people owned a car and recreation based on automobiles was extremely limited. To get away for the weekend they would pack a few things, mount up and head to the country. Most every farmstead had refreshments or a room to rent, every little village had a family-run restaurant; just look for the “Cyclist Teas” or “CTC Recommended” sign. It’s a romantic image to be sure but firmly based in reality. It’s a reality that is fairly easy to reproduce given the right scenery, equipment and most important: attitude. One cyclist in a thousand will understand what I’m offering and that person, as you, will glaze over and say “I simply must go!”.... English cycle touring in the 1930s was punctuated with many stops for food, water, tea and sometimes a pint at the local brewpub. Scenic overlooks were an invitation for a brew-up or a nap in the grass and were seldom missed. For weekend tourists, traveling light was the order of the day and most people simply carried a change of clothes and rain gear. Devoted club cyclists of the 30s also enjoyed "pass storming" and "rough stuff" cycling. Fast forward 80 years or so and it still makes sense.[/INDENT]

As I see it, the Tweed Run veers rather closer to a 'Toad of Toad Hall' vision, rooted in misplaced nostalgia for the English Upper Classes, The Chap magazine and all that. Rather less egalitarian or historically accurate in the context of the social history of cycling, but if that's what sells product, and if you're in the business of LLPs and Trademarks, and don't think or care too much about history or authenticity, I can quite understand.

And each to their own. Anyone who can get 400 people riding around London drinking cups of tea is to be welcomed, whether or not they look as if they're off to the Hunt Ball.

For the record, the Tweed Cycling Club is not involved in social media. Expressions of interest are by post only (enclosing a stamped addressed envelope).

Dammit has told me he might take a look, though is not sure about the fit.

In other words, nobody's got their dib on at this point.

no kidding about the lugs! very nice! if only it was a few cm smaller =(

You sure its 653? from the forks i wouldve said columbus max.

It's not badged but it was sold to me by Omega as 653. Pretty certain the frame is not Max. I had a Roberts bike in Max and that's all oversized/eliptical stuff. Main triangle is good old fashioned 1 inch diameter. I guess it could be that the forks are Max.

Road frame in Reynolds 653 made by Omega, in the days before they became devotedto titanium (I gather the Omega company folded and is now Enigma). I believe 653 is a mixed tubeset combining 753 stays with 531 forks and '653' main tubes that were in effect a slightly thinner walled version of regular 531. Apparently it was introduced in the early 1990s as a less jarring version of full 753.

Seat Tube 57cm centre to centre
Top Tube 56cm centre to centre
Chain Stay 40cm centre to centre
Head tube 15cm

I bought the frame NOS about 5 years ago.

Lovely Gothic style spearpoint lugs. Shot in seat stays. Straight fork. Vertical drop outs.
Very 90s look.

Bright yellow. Badged 'Tekno Bike' but I have NO IDEA what this means or for whom it was made. Anyway, it was NOS when it came to me. It's unusual looking now but I think it would look really beautiful repainted, with the lugs nicely lined.

It's done less than 1000 miles of mostly summer riding. Lively ride, but predictable. It needs a clean but there's no damage other than a paint scratch (but no dent) on the seat tube - shown in the pic below.

Components are well used but perfectly functional, as follows:

Shifters & Brakes: Shimano 600 STI (Ultegra before it was Ultegra) 8 speed.

Cranks: Ultegra. Chainrings: TA Alize 52/39

Front Mech: Dura Ace

Rear Mech: Sora

Wheels: Halo Aero Rage with less than 200 miles on them. These cost me £180 new.

Tyres: Continental 25mm

Rolls leather saddle

Pedals & toeclips show in the picture are not included.

£300

The bike is at my studio in Elephant & Castle if you'd like to come and have a look.

We're vehicles after all.

Not sure I agree that 'vehicular cycling' has got us very far. Long but searing blog post by Freewheeler yesterday is worth a read on this:

http://crapwalthamforest.blogspot.com/2011/01/what-wont-bring-about-mass-cycling-5.html

In a reply to a freedom of information request, Lambeth Council have confirmed that

-The twenty or so "No Cycling - Pedestrian Area" signs that have recently been installed carry no legal force - they're 'advisory'.

• Police officers and Police community support officers “can request any member of the public to dismount their bicycle and advise them/ask them to dismount. However they are unable to force them to do so.” Should a cyclist refuse to dismount, they would not be committing an offense.

• The signs cost £2,600 to install. This does not include the additional costs to the Police of monitoring and enforcement.

The Council actually opposes a ban but is under pressure from local MPs and Councillors and St Thomas's Hospital, who support a ban.

I'd be very interested to hear of the experience of anyone who rides along this stretch of the Thames Path and declines the invitation of a police officer or PCSO to dismount.

More...

more on the velodrome including a detailed presentation by the architect who led the design team:

http://thebikeshow.net/inside-the-2012-olympic-velodrome/

Ron mentioned 'Paul' as the person doing a lot if the the 'shoulder work', as Ron puts it. Is he talking about Paul Villiers?

Yes, that's right. It's Paul Villiers. They are (or are soon going to be) sharing Paul's new workshop in the North Downs.

I've an interview with Paul that will air in the current season, possibly next week. And a bit more from Ron - where he explains, step-by-step, how to build a bicycle frame.

Glad you enjoyed the feature.

Podcast is here:

http://thebikeshow.net/knutsford-great-race-cycle-show-2010/

Also features Velocio at the LFGSS stand at the Earls Court Cycle Show

The much-delayed Ron Cooper feature on The Bike Show was broadcast last week, and is on the podcast for online listening pleasure.

It's almost a full half hour and is really just Ron on Ron. If you're interested in the life of one of the great British framebuilders, you might enjoy it.

http://thebikeshow.net/ron-cooper-on-ron-cooper/

The broadcast coincides with Rouleur 19, which has a Ron Cooper cover story with some lovely photos by Nadav Kander.

There is a great volunteer run community workshop on Crampton Street, near Elephant & Castle roundabout, just off the Walworth Road.

They're lovely people and I'm sure would welcome donations. I am clearing out my parts bins this summer and plan to give my unwanted stuff to them too.

More:

http://www.56a.org.uk/bikeshop.html

Earlier today I spoke with the press officer of the London Ambulance Service. He said:

"We received a call at just before 11.30am about a road traffic collision on Gracechurch Street, involving a lorry and a cyclist. We sent one single responder in a car, an ambulance crew and a duty officer to the scene. Staff treated one patient, a woman believed to be in her twenties, who was taken to Royal London Hospital with a serious leg injury."

I am awaiting a reply from the City Of London Police press office on the question of whether the driver - or anyone else - was arrested at the scene and whether there will be any legal proceedings.

I was in a steamy bus a good 50 meters away after a long night of drinking, a lorry is a lorry. It was white though.

Sumo, must have been a different incident from what you saw last night.

What I rode past at 11.40 this morning was a bright red artic, with a bike crushed underneath and the rider on a stretcher receiving medical attention on the inside (between lorry and the kerb). Was not at a corner, though possible that the lorry dragged the rider/bicycle some distance.

Area was full of police, ambulance. Incident must have happened at least 20/30 minutes previously, maybe more, for that kind of police/medical presence to arrive.

Fingers crossed.

No such luck, Velocio. Podcast now online:

http://thebikeshow.net/do-it-yourself/

Whats next Jack after the show? Be a shame to stop it here.

The show has, since the very beginning in 2004 run in seasons. It's all unpaid and just too much work to keep it going without a break now and again. So will be back around the time of the Spring Classics I'd expect. It's traditional to have some kind of trip to the cobbles to get things going.

This week, Bike Fit with Scherrit Knoesen of The Bike Whisperer (and the forum, yes?).

Next week's season finale will see Velocio spilling the beans on LFGSS.

Velocio will be a guest on the show on Monday 25th Jan, talking about the Forum. Yes, it's been a while coming...

@Brun: I like to think of One Life Left as the 'after party' for The Bike Show: infinitely more entertaining and exciting.

@dancing_james: Some people have reported problems with iTunes. I have no idea what's going on. Inside iTunes try "Advanced | Subscribe to Podcast" and enter the following:

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/thebikeshow

For those who are interested in audience for the podcast, downloads run at about 5,000 per episode, though this varies somewhat week to week. Resonance FM's monthly audience on the FM is about 160,000 and about 40,000 on the web stream.

I pay road tax for two cars and a motorcycle - therefore I have every right to use the road by whatever means I choose.

So the fact that I don't pay road tax (or VED) because I don't own a car means, I don't have the same right you enjoy, does it? Or does the fact that I am fabulously rich and pay loads of income tax and VAT mean it's actually YOU that has to get out of MY way?

This campaign - well meaning though it may be - is a very convoluted way of making an incredibly petty point. It's like the Stop At Red nonsense from a few years ago. Overly defensive, ceding the agenda to a hostile brigade of Daily Mail readers who just don't like cyclists, for whatever reason.

Among the reasons that some people hate cyclists is that they (incorrectly) perceive us to be smug. Of course Dr Freud would immediately diagnose this is as mostly rooted in reactionary motorists own guilt and jealousy, though they'd never know it. I'm afraid this campaign is actually rather smug. So is only going to justify the haters' existing prejudices.

Carlton Reid is a nice guy but he's got a tin ear when it comes to bicycle advocacy.

A few weeks ago I wrote about my modest proposal on extending the HGV 'ban' to the morning rush hour:

http://thebikeshow.net/a-modest-proposal/

They will have to publish the consultation responses (or some kind of digest including the summary results of the multiple choice part). If the consultation says one thing and TfL decide on a completely different policy it does make it slightly politically uncomfortable.

So go for it, it doesn't take very long.