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Had a very brief chat at the lights with a guy on a pompino this morning, he was turning left on to Essex road at the Balls Pond Road/ St Pauls Road Junction, Hi!

Forum cap wearing lady on a black bicycle with stickered-up frame I presume. Hello!

This is a new route to work for me, have been sampling the cycling delights of the A104 through Hackney and Islington.

A quadricycle in the form of a giant pineapple heading north on Clapham Road today around 13:00. It was constructed so the passengers were sitting in the body of the fruit, pedalling recumbent style, with the leaves hanging off the back.

Forumer on a Pompino having a heated exchange with an aggressive cabbie. Nice riding in with you and PM me if you want me to act as a witness.

Forumer on a black fixed IRO spotting me having a heated exchange with an aggressive cabbie!

First close pass on Old Street was at low speed, not too bothered and would have left it. Second close pass seemed designed to prove some point so informed the guy he was too close - reponse was a threat of violence. Cabbie was kind enough to repeat it for the camera I was recording him on. Roadsafe here we come.

Nice riding the spice route with you, will PM.

Quick release bike parking, Old Street. - YouTube

Stopped on Old Street today so locked up near the tube station, north-east side on the pavement. As I started getting my locks out my bike inexplicably started to lean over... the reason was this stand had previously been cut in two and could swing freely.

I didn't notice it on approaching because it was 'closed' without an obvious gap, so watch out. I reported it to Hackney as a fault.

Anyone used the Magicshine rear light?
[picture of magicshine light]
I have the uber powerful front one, and figured I'd run the rear off the same battery for shortish rides/commuting. Together with some reelights as back up.

I've had the Magicshine front (MJ-808) and rear (MJ-818) lights since last year and used them commuting throughout autumn and winter.

Short version - buy this light, it is ace.

I'm using the front and rear light running off a single battery which I keep in a Pro storage bottle in a bottle cage. Originally because I managed to break the velcro strap that came with the battery in a few days use but longer-term I've found it simpler to use than velcro.

I bought a Y-cable from DX and just run the minimum amount of cable from the storage bottle that I need for the lights. A couple of velcro cable ties secures the cables to the frame.

I've found this setup works very well. Had no problems riding in all weathers through winter and reasonably quick to attach and remove from the bike. The battery life is fine for a couple of hours with the front on blink and the rear on solid - usually I add a Mars 3.0 on blink at the rear and sometimes a Cree torch on the front for backup.

A few complaints / problems...

• The DX description says "3 modes including 2 flash and 1 constant setting" but this isn't right, you get a blink mode that alternates the very bright centre light and the less-bright outer lights plus a constant mode. I would much prefer a constant rapid blink using both sets of LEDs.
  
• To turn the light on or switch modes you rotate the body of the light by about 120 degrees. This can be tricky with gloves on and cold hands and it's easy to overshoot and select the next mode.
  
• The DX Y-cables are a bit frail and I destroyed one after six months of plugging and unplugging. However I'd rather the Y-cable failed than the cable on the lights, and at $3 each you can have a few in reserve.
  
  

At the DX prices I would absolutely recommend them, there is nothing close on the market.

Spotted this beaut on the South Bank, only explanation I could think of was it belongs to one of the street entertainers who can keep an eye on it at all times (but still, ffs):

I think the graphics are ok, and as their paintjobs don't have the best rep, I guess it doesn't matter.

Oh absolutely - I already own a brown Pompino so the looks of the new frame aren't in any way a deal breaker. But I'd bite their hands off if it was in 'that blue' with subtle / removable decals.

I was planning on getting a Fuji Track or similar later in the summer for roller use and general fair-weather riding about town so I think I'll hold off until the Machinato is available, reckon it will be a decent alternative.

Imagine a pompino without sloping toptube and excessive canti mounts for 150e. Just a minimalistic track frame instead of the jack of all trades it is now.

On-one are making a frame a bit like this called the Machinato, here is a picture of some prototypes from their blog (the red and blue-purple frames):

You can see it more side-on on this photo from Dalby Forest, look at the large size and compare Machinato with Pompetamine and Pompino below.

A cheap steel On-one frame with track sensibilities that takes normal caliper brakes is very tempting; decals and colours not to my taste though.

A chap on Shaftsbury ave this morning with a black IRO with luminous green spokes and green rims. Amazing pointed waxed up moustache...win.

I see this guy regularly on the hipster highway heading west including this morning around 8:30 - black Iro, luminous green rims and spokes, bullhorns with green tape, probable Handlebar Club membership. Stayed with him until the Farringdon Rd / Clerkenwell Rd junction where he filtered left in a tiny gap down the side of a 243 bus so didn't get to wish him good morning.

Your friendly Senate House Library systems librarian here. This week I noticed signs posted on sheffield stands around Senate House, University of London that security here are planning on doing a "clean up" of any bikes left by their owners from 6th June.

The sign says they'll remove any bikes that have been left for more than 48 hours from 6th June and that this applies around the campus precinct. I tried to find out from security what exactly this means but the guys on the desk didn't really know so my guesswork is below...

There are definitely signs on sheffield stands at Thornhaugh Street (outside SOAS), Torrington Square (outside Birkbeck) and on Malet Street (directly outside Senate House). I would say move your bike if it's been locked up for a while at any of the pedestrianised streets around this area.

Note this is being done by the central University of London a.k.a Senate House, not SOAS, Birkbeck or any of the other federal colleges nearby. You can contact security to ask "I'm in Peru for a month, please don't bolt crop my fixie skidder" on: 020 7862 8132

Here's a map:

(Mercian from anti-porn)

Looks like a modified Cycles Maximus trike. They make a dual-use cargo / rickshaw trike. Both this & the Maximus have square profile tubing.

Thanks - it does quite look like one:

Their page of vehicles in use is good, mainly rickshaws but some weird stuff too. My favourite example is a mobile coffee stall from El Rojito coffee house in Hamburg. Getting towards the "functional bikes" end of things rather than cargo bikes:

Cargo trike used by Hare Krishna monks to distribute free prasāda (food that is sanctified by first being offered to Lord Krishna) at Thornhaugh St outside the SOAS main building. This one replaced their previous Pashley Loadstar trike which they used until a few years ago. The trike carries some serious weight - three containers of food, two trays of fruit and the monk.

Unfortunately the monk wasn't able to tell me much about the bike and I couldn't find any similar examples on the Web. The sticker on the headtube just says it was paid for by lottery funding.

Spotted this small-but-well-locked bike on my travels.

Things I like about this -

• Two good locks of different types (pretty substantial chain and a GRP Superdeals u-lock) covering the frame and both wheels. Good work.
  
• That's not a wimpy thin-tubed cycle stand, it's a hefty barrier designed to keep cars inside marked car park parking bays.
  
• Good positioning, nearby are other bikes much less well locked.
  
  

Things I would improve -

• The GRPS lock has a big shackle and is difficult to fill. The owner could maybe put a crank inside the shackle or rearrange it so more of the frame is inside the lock.
  
• Second u-lock isn't up to much, think it might be for the psychological effect of "fortress bike" festooned with locks.
  
• Could do with a chain or cable securing the saddle to the frame.
  

old spot is in this thred somewhere

?

What a beautiful morning to be out and about. I overtook, and then was promptly re-overtaken by a roadie on Clerkenwell Road around 8:30 - white geared Condor (?) bike, black Rapha kit. He must have been at the start of a long ride as his jersey pockets were stuffed with bananas. Very jealous as I was on my way in to a full day's work.

Guy in a grey hoodie absolutely pelting down Clerkenwell Road / Old Street about 17:30 today - on a friggin' skateboard! Ridiculous and dangerous in equal measure, on balance so silly I had to smile at it. Stopped smiling when the same guy overtook me whisker-close to RLJ near the junction with Great Eastern Street.

Shortly after this, dude on a black Fuji Track trackstanding at Shoreditch High Street / Old Street lights who whipped away down Hackney Road. Skills noted, sir.

Thought I would say hello as I was spotted today.

Found the forum because someone from Los Coños used to have a few polo bikes locked up at my block of flats and I found a link here while looking for stuff about polo out of interest. Even lurking I've found it to be an invaluable resource, particularly the lists.

I bought a Pompino last year as I wanted to move to a road bike following a few months commuting on my old mountain bike. I had the idea that single speed was the thing for simplicity and low maintenance but wanted to try "Fixed for fitness and form" (Sheldon Brown, RIP) first and haven't looked back.

Dude this morning with feline-grade reflexes on a maroon Pompino, Old Street. Ped steps out in front of lorry, freaks out, darts across the road and into path of Pompino rider who somehow manages to swerve around this insane c*nt and not stack it. Same dude then almost gets taken out by a lorry (WAMFC) squeezing past a traffic island about twenty seconds later. I hope you made it to wherever you were heading alive, dude! Too many 'whoa' moments. Also spotted the lovely yellow Fort track behind him.

Hi, that was me on the Pompino. I made it the rest of the way to Bloomsbury with no further drama - cheers. The pedestrian looked to be recreating 'Frogger' on Old Street with herself in the part of the frog. Absolutely nuts. Possibly my manly / terrified-for-my-life scream I let out convinced her not to take next step out in front of me.

Didn't particularly need the close pass by the lorry afterwards - he pulled into the left lane at Old St x Central St because a car was waiting to turn right, like you can see the taxi doing in this Google streetview image. Very poor behaviour.

Following this another fixed rider, I think the guy on the yellow Fort, caught up with me and said "Good scream" which was appreciated. :)