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Welcome to Velo Vision, the practical cycling magazine.Print edition: Subscribe and/or order sample copies, back issues, PDFs, T-shirts etc...here! Digital edition: details or subscribe! The current issue is Issue 35. The next issue is out in December 2009.
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Post mailing odds and endsBike beats helicopter, blind stokers want captains, 12 hour Cruz-ing, living in bike-based box, and why all the nice girls love a cyclist... While I'm still working on a Cycle show report, Sue Archer writes: Which is faster, bike or helicopter? The cross-town rush hour race has become a simple and reliable way to convince anyone who'll listen that the bike is usually the fastest way to get about in cities. Even the BBC's Top Gear found that one little guy on a bike could beat the car, public transport and a speedboat. But a recent race in Sao Paulo, Brazil, found that even when the competition can fly above the congestion, the bike still wins according to this post featured at Celsias. Getting to and from helipads and waiting for clearance to take off put the helicopter passenger over 10 minutes behind the bike, with the car a whole hour behind. And needless to say, the helicopter is not a practical commuting solution for most of us anyway. Could you be the eyes of a tandem? Although bikes can be adapted for all kinds of physical needs, a blind cyclist has to rely on a sighted pilot, and tandems have been a means for blind people to enjoy cycling for many years. The Blind Stokers Club, California are always keen to hear from potential members, and provide a service to link stokers and captains worldwide. If you can offer any help, get in touch with them. The UK Tandem Club also have a Disabilities Officer who can help with contacts. 12 hours non-stop Cruz-ing, Maria Parker went out on the 10th October to set a new women's recumbent 12 hour record. You can read about the attempt on the Cruzbike website. Despite a slip that left her completing the course on a different Silvio to the one she set out on, Maria kept up a good pace, and looks to have set a serious target to beat - possibly even better than the current diamond frame record of 240 miles. The record is still pending certification. And a brief reminder that more record breaking attempts will be taking place on the 17th and 18th October at Apeldoorn, Netherlands, reports ligfiets.net, when riders from around the world will take on current records including the hour, 1000m and 200m. Admission for spectators is free. Living in a box, on a bike Jonty Semper sent us a link to this odd little film featuring a bike based home trundling through the streets via the Workcycles blog. Scroll down on that blog for even more pedal powered homes, including one we featured in Issue 24. Suddenly, the Bikavan we mentioned back in April doesn't look so unlikely... All the nice girls love a cyclist Well, we knew it already. A survey conmissioned for the recent Cycle 2009 show concluded that cyclists make the ideal romantic partner. Over a third of a sample of UK women apparently expressed a preference for cyclists over footballers (17%) or rugby players (14%). 44% of those questioned liked the idea of a bike ride as a first date, with only 17% preferring a trip to a football match. Cyclists were frequently described as 'kind', 'considerate' and 'intelligent'. The only downside is the traditional lycra look - only 7% found it attractive, alarmingly less than the 14% who liked golfing outfits. So, chaps, get on your bike, but wear plus fours and a loud sweater. Posted on 15 October 2009 Your comments ...
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