RIDING YOUR BIKE
www.icenimagazine.co.uk
Issue 85 2020
Riding Your Bike In Lockdown Paul Dolphin from Dolphin Cycle repairs in Great Ellingham gives us some tips on riding your bike in lockdown. Hello, I’m Paul Dolphin. I moved to Great Ellingham last October and I’ve recently opened my cycle repair shop in Long Street. Although starting a business in lockdown may seem like a daft idea, it has actually turned out OK. Fortunately cycling is one of the activities that is still permitted in lockdown and many people, who haven’t ridden for a long time, are dusting off their bikes, and in some cases, pulling the weeds out from around the wheels and giving it a spin. Before setting up the bike repair shop, I was a stay at home dad, but as our son is now three years old, I decided it was time to start working again. I’ve always been interested in fixing bikes and I’m a keen cyclist myself, being a member and committee member of VCN Norwich. However, I have to confess I haven’t done much cycling in recent years although previously I have done the Norwich 100, the Dunwich Dynamo and a charity ride from Glasgow to
Norwich in four days. Although I previously worked for Aviva I wanted a change of career and so earlier this year I completed my Cytech 1 and 2 training which means I’m qualified to fix bikes. I’m happy to fix or service any kind of bike from the top of the range racing bike to an ancient shopper. I find in many cases that bikes that haven’t been used for a while just need a good clean and the chain needs a good lube. If you haven’t ridden for a while but fancy going for a ride then these are my top five tips for trouble free riding 1) 2) 3) 4)
Check your brakes work Lubricate your chain Make sure your saddle is at the right height Pump up your tyres to the recommended pressure (usually written on your tyre) 5) Learn how to fix a puncture Once you are out on your ride, you should make sure you are at a safe distance from others. My wife, who is a wheelchair user, often complains that some cyclists ride up almost next to her instead of letting her know they are there by
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