Get the most out of your bike this summer

The weather may have been glum and summer has well and truly begun, but there are till a few weeks left ahead of us so make the most of it on your bike!

1.       Do a Sky ride

Sky has teamed up with British Cycling and Bradley Wiggins and Team sky have recently won the Tour de France, which is an amazing achievement. Sky ride is all about getting people of all abilities cycling. With city rides, local rides, women’s only and social cycling groups, there’s a Sky ride to suit everyone and with rides all the way until December, you will be able to find a date to suit you.

2.       Cycle for charity 

Cycling for charity is always a great thing to do. Put your passion for cycling into helping others, there’s nothing more satisfying than doing something for a good cause. There are plenty of charity cycling events all year round, check do it for charity for your local charity cycling events.

3.       Check events with your local council

Check with your local council for summer cycling events. There are usually a few to choose from. Council websites also have a good choice of cycling trails and routes to download, so be sure to check those out as well.

4.       Attend a cycling festival 

Cycling Festivals are a big thing! They are currently going on all over the country this summer. Take a look at the Isle of Wight cycling festival this September or the Castle Combe cycling festival this August.

5.       Give bike polo a go

Bike polo was popular back in the 1930s, but it’s set to make a big come back. Get a few of your cycling friends together and give this a go.

6.       Teach someone to cycle

Why not spare some of your time this summer to teach someone you know how to ride a bike, whether it is your friend who never learnt or a family member. Helping them to learn how to ride is a great thing to do this summer and once they have learnt you’ll have gained a new cycling buddy!

7.       Go on a cycling holiday 

Cycling holidays are great as you get to combine your passion for cycling with a trip abroad. Top cycle holiday destinations include: Burma, Morocco, Italy, Spain, South Africa and Sri Lanka. With exotic food, beautiful scenery and the sun to boot, who could resist?

8.       Cycle to the coast

If going abroad isn’t an option, why not try cycling to the coast. Remember Britain is an island, we are never too far away from beautiful coast line. Take a look at five great coastal cycle rides >

9.       Join a cycling club

Cycling clubs are great, as you’ll be able to meet people with the same passion as you. They are a great place to meet friends and there are always plenty of activities and social events taking place. Join one this summer and you will forget the meaning of the word bored!

10.   Have fun

Wherever you go and whatever you do, it’s all about having fun!! Enjoy your summer.

Keep your bike safe

Whatever you decide to do on your bike this summer, remember to keep it safe. Otherwise you’ll be facing a summer without your bike. When you’re at home make sure it is securely locked up. If it’s not in a shed or garage, don’t leave your bike outside, for storage to secure a bike look at Asgard bike storage units.  These metal security sheds are tough and strong, keeping your bike free from theft. Keeping your bike safe at home is just as important as when you are away. When out and about, make sure you have a heavy duty lock for your bike. Thieves are becoming smarter, so only the toughest will do.

The benefits of cycling

With Britain’s first Tour De France win, cycling is everywhere! Cycling is a greatly enjoyable sport and hobby that is now getting the recognition it deserves. Why not give cycling a try? Let’s look at some of the great benefits of cycling.

Lose weight

One of the biggest benefits of cycling is that it is a great way to lose weight. Just from cycling a few miles a week you will begin to notice a difference and this weight loss will increase as you become fitter and more experienced.

Make friends

Cycling is a great hobby to share with others. There are plenty of local cycling clubs out there. Sign up! You’ll soon make plenty of friends and be wondering why you never tried this before.

Help the environment

By cycling more and driving less means there will be less pollution pumped into the atmosphere and by cycling more you will also be reducing your carbon footprint. Think about cycling as doing your bit for the environment.

 Travel faster

If you’re commuting in a major city, travelling by bike will shave half the time off of your normal journey. A moderately fit cyclist will have no problem beating cars, buses and the underground on journey time.

Help others

Once you have begun cycling, it’s a great way to give back to others. There is plenty of charity cycling events available to sign up to, keep a look out for ones near you at doitforcharity.com

 Save money

 Think of all the money you will save if you invested in a bike and cycled everywhere. No more money spent on petrol or parking! It is estimated that leaving the car in the garage for the average commuter could save £74.14 per week (Source cycling weekly). Bikes are also very efficient, you can travel the equivalent of 2,924 miles to the gallon.

 Relieve stress

 Exercise is a great way to clear your mind and relieve stress. Vigorous exercise is an effective way to take your mind off problems and often once done you can see problems from a new perspective.

Most importantly, outdoor activities like cycling are great fun. So why not give it a go!

Cycle theft on the increase

Love cycling? Hate leaving your bike outside for thieves? Having somewhere safe to secure a bike can be tricky, especially if you are limited on space. We have all seen the recent articles in the news, on the rise of bike theft all over the country. It’s not safe to leave your bike out in plain sight, you’re just asking someone to steel it.

No room for a shed or a garage? Asgard has a storage solution for all proud bike owners, with limited space, that need somewhere secure to store their bikes. The twin bike locker is a metal storage unit,  a space saving bike locker that can hold up to 2 bikes. It’s perfect for small areas. If you only have a side passage, this locker will fit comfortably.

Specifically designed for these small areas, the Asgard twin bike locker can fit comfortably down the side of a house or flat. Unlike some of the other bike storage that is available, this unit is accessed from the end, so offers easy manoeuvring of the bike in and out of the unit. Don’t let the size of this unit fool you, it is just as tough and robust as the other Asgard products.

The twin bike locker has some key features which add to its strength and security:

Galvanised steel

This metal storage unit is made from thick galvanised steel which means it is weatherproof and wont rust. This is as with all Asgard products. At 99kg you know this unit is strong!

3 point locking system

The 3 point locking system is a tough mechanism that will secure your bike from theft. The lock is pick resistant. The locking system doesn’t use any padlocks, the unit is accessed by handle and key. Plus the handle surround is reinforced, adding to the security of the pushbike storage. This system makes it difficult for anyone to break in, as they don’t simply have to cut through a padlock.

Can be secured to the ground

The twin bike locker is unique in that it can be bolted to a concrete base, which adds to the security on the unit. Thieves will be unable to move the locker from its place. So any hope of taking the unit is dashed and attempting to open it later is dashed.

If you are looking for something discreet, this could be the pushbike storage unit for you. The unit is available in 3 colours: Ivory, brown and dark green. For more information and product details visit Asgard.

How to protect your cycle from theft

Cycle theft is a continuous growing crime, in all parts of the country. An ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude won’t protect your bike from theft. In the UK a bike is stolen every minute and less than 5% of those are returned to their owners. Bike owners are more likely to have their cycles stolen than car owners their car. Westminster is the worst affected place in London for cycle theft with over 3,000 bikes stolen over the course of one year, followed closely by over 1,500 in Hackney. Over a two year period 45,000 bikes were stolen in London alone. In Oxford bike theft rates have soared to almost 3,000 in a one year period. The majority of bike theft goes unreported, in 2010 an estimated 533,000 bikes were stolen but only 115,147 were actually reported to the police, meaning that only 1 in 5 victims report bike theft to the police.

The top 10 police forces for bike theft in 2010:

Metropolitan police: 21,315

Thames Valley: 6,060

Greater Manchester: 5,185

Cambridgeshire: 4,477

Avon and Somerset: 3,895

West Midlands: 3,222

Leicestershire: 3,057

Lancashire: 2,727

Sussex: 2,668

Humberside: 2,440

With such high figures of theft, it should not be taken lightly. It is important to report your bike crime to the police if your bike has been stolen, to enable them to crack down on bike theft and gather representative figures.

Bikes aren't just stolen when you are out and about away from home. They are increasingly being targeted when left outside the home or attached to cars in driveways. There are a variety of different methods that you can use to help protect your bike from thieves.

Bicycle Insurance

Insurance is always good to have, to keep you protected in case your bike does get stolen. Bike insurance is available from many insurance companies with premiums starting from around £50. Bicycle insurance does require that you: Lock your bike securely at all time, use an approved lock and secure the bike to an immovable object. Bike insurance policies vary greatly, see more bike insurance details here>

Bike Locker

At home it can sometimes be difficult to store your bike out of public view. If you do not have a secure garage or leave your bike out on display, your bike will become an easy target for thieves. There are a range of bike sheds available on the market. For maximum security Asgard has a range of secure metal storage units, designed specifically to secure a bike. Asgard is the home of the UK’s bestselling bike storage unit. Asgard pushbike storage can hold from 1 to 4 bikes, dependant on the size. With recommendations from industry specialists there is no better way to keep your bike safe outside your home.

Bike Padlock

A good bike lock is great in deterring thieves from steeling your bike. Don’t go cheap, invest in something heavy duty that will stop a potential thief from coming anywhere near your bike and secure your bike. There are a variety of tough bike locks on the market. Asgard have a range of bike locks on offer, and other security locks such as the alarmed cycle disc lock, which activates when someone attempts to move your bike. See it in action>

Register Your Bike

Register your bike on Immobilise, which is the national property register. You can register many items on here from computers to phones. If a registered item is stolen, immobilise makes it easier to recover your property, it helps police to identify stolen goods and simplifies insurance claims.

Statistics from The Guardian, UK Crime Stats, Oxford Mail, Eastlondonlines