Cheeky Transport

Brake Maintenance Course on Tuesday 2nd August

Having not received any interest in the hub overhaul course we will run a Brakes course next Tuesday. Two spots left. Give us a call to book in: 9557 5424

Bit of Rain eh?

It’s been a pretty foul week for riding in Sydney, so we wanted to share some tips for staying dry.

Mudguards are the best thing you can do to stay dry on the bike. Water coming up at you from the ground and off your wheels is what really makes your bike filthy, gives you the black stripe up your back and water flying off your front wheel runs down your legs and soaks your shoes and socks.

Bike Maintenance Courses

Due to overwhelming demand from you and some time and enthusiasm on our part we will be running a series of bike maintenance courses.

The first will be the most basic course which involves learning the some of the names of bike parts, rear wheel removal, patching a tube and a basic safety check. I was hoping to run the first class next Tuesday the 5th of July if there were enough takers but I understand it’s late notice. The price is $60, with a minimum of 2 prticipants for the course to run and a  maximum of 4 people, start at 6:30pm and we’ll try to wrap up between 8 and 8.30pm. Non refundable-Prepayment is mandatory to secure your place. Just give us a call or email.

The 12th will be a brakes course,  the 26th will be gears, the 2nd of August will be hub overhaul, the 9th of August will be basic wheel truing and the 16th will be the pre touring trip course.

If you would like some specific on-on-one training this can be arranged after hours at $70 and can cover teaching you skills that match your aptitude or desired aptitude.

Sale!

We’ve gone “End of Financial Year Crazy”!

Creme Holy Moly, was $1500 – %50 off – $750! Insane! SOLD

Creme Cafe Racer 7spd – Was $1700! Now $850! Madness!

Gazelle Basic 3 – Was $1200 – Now $600! Have we lost our minds?! SOLD

Bikes On Sale

We’ve got some pretty hefty discounts on some of the bikes on the shop floor. Grab a bargain!. Also, our Nutcase adult helmets are all 50% off until the end of June.

Tour D’Afrique – Cairo to Cape Town

We helped Wendy set up a Surly Long Haul Trucker for the Tour D’Afrique, and made sure that we supplied the full list of required spare parts – rims, spokes, shifters, tyres and a million tubes and patches.

We got a postcard yesterday from Cape Town. Wendy and bike made it from Egypt to South Africa with 3 flat tyres and a few little tweaks. Thankyou Schwalbe Marathin Extremes. Awesome ride, awesome bike, awesome effort!

Easter Touring #3 – Yunnan China

Aaron and Jacqui sent us some pics and a story from Yunnan – They’re currently in China after leaving Jervis Bay in August last year and riding via NT, Java, Sumatra, Malaysia, Thailand etc – have a look at their entertaining blog and gorgeous photos

Dinner in Songming, Yunnan, China

Slept in after a late night out with Jesse and Talia two American expats.

Finally left Kunming at 12pm, tried to follow a route east out of the city. After 7km were semi lost and decided to back track a bit. Stopped at a bakery to buy some muffins, the baker refused to let us pay. Continued on in an easterly direction following a major road (8lanes). Road turned into a confusing mess of new expressway flyovers and roads going every direction we didn’t want to go. Stopped to eat the muffins, were delicious! Decided to back track again. Asked two guys for directions, a guy passing on an electric scooter stops and indicates we should head even further back. After some deliberation decided to take his advice. Five minutes later he appears again on his electric scooter and gestures he will show us the way.

Eight kilometres and half an hour later he leads us on to the main expressway heading to Songming. All the while not one road sign had indicated we were actually heading in the right direction…we had no chance without his help.

Waved goodbye and followed expressway over a range of hills higher than Mt Kosciuszko. All the while wondering if we were going to get in trouble, no bicycles or motorbikes round here. With no one stopping us we continued along this big fast road another 40 km into Songming.

Sprawling town made up with a mix of Ethnic minority and Han folks. Two different people help us find a hotel, in English, bit unexpected. Down a side street, across a square of kids playing basketball, through an alley past a wedding reception, then up a long steep driveway to a grandiose classic 1980s period hotel with stone elephants on the landing.

After much gesturing, a few words of mandarin and more gestures we were shown to our room by a cute little ethnic mountain lady in valet uniform.

Later we strolled down the hill into town. After walking for what seemed like forever (10minutes) we found the eating street and randomly picked a place.

With insufficient language to order dinner (no menus nor English here) we chose from ingredients in the big glass front fridge: beef, mushrooms, potato, tofu and weird little squashed dough balls.

What we got;Cold roast beef sliced wafer thin and served with a dipping sauce of soy, fresh chili, Sichuan pepper and spring onion, delicious!

Long stem mountain mushrooms lightly stir-fried with carrot, peppers, garlic, Chinese greens and ham. Extra delicious!

Diced potatoes sautéed with red peppers, chilies and spices, tasty!

Tofu cooked in a red sauce of vegetables and minced pork, tasty but a funny texture.

Fried dough balls with condensed milk; bit much after everything else, but I still ate 5 or 6.

Meanwhile a never ending supply of tea. Best dinner so far in china!

Walking back through the crisp mountain air we look up to see a sky full of stars. What a crazy day. I’m so full.

Woop Woop

Woop is a Rolling Festival to celebrate the opening of the Bourke Street
Cycleway in Sydney next weekend.

Planned for Sunday May 15th the festival will feature live entertainment, stalls, a vintage bike exhibition, Cycle Chic Kid’s events and activities by businesses along the length of the cycleway from Waterloo to Woolloomooloo. So be there on your bike to roll the length of the bike lane and check out all the fun!

Lord Mayor Clover Moore will be there to celebrate the completion of this section of cycleway at 12.00pm at Wimbo Park on the corner of Devonshire and Bourke Street. It is rumoured Malcolm Turnbull has said he will come and who knows, Alan Jones may even turn up on a pink tricycle!

There will be a raffle and the opportunity to win one of five Treadlie subscriptions and tees as well as performance bikes, Trent Jansen cycle signs and an ever growing list of prizes, many from the fabulous businesses along the cycleway.  Funds raised will go to the Cancer Council NSW.

There’s also a $100 dollar Cheeky Transport voucher in the raffle.

An initiative of the Facebook community  “I ♥ Sydney Bike Lanes & Cycle Ways” the festival is an opportunity for riders to demonstrate their support for the Bourke Street Cycleway and the traders along it.

Check the Facebook page for more details about the day.

What’s It Like To Own A Brompton?

Our friend Adrian found this excellent video showing what it’s like to own a Brompton..

This video was produced in collaboration with Monleone Films for the “Toward Carfree Cities Conference” held in York (UK) in July 2010. It shows how it is possible to get around by bike even in a city considered to be “challenging” such as Genoa (Italy). Thanks to a seamless integration with different means of mass transit, uphill bike climbs or long stretches are no longer necessary. We share this work, that synthesizes years of experimentation, with the hope that it will inspire someone to also try themselves. Try and you will see, your city will no longer be the same!

Lights

I made a little video to show of the lights we’re stocking now that daylight savings is over. Sorry for the rather abrupt ending – ran out of room on the memory card.