My bicycle tracks mapped with Google Fusion Tables (for 2012)

My bicycle tracks for 2012 (a few of them are not bicycle).

2012

Contour camera flex strap mount

I have bought a new mount for my Contour camera: flex strap and I really like it. Till now my favourite mount was Contour Headband Mount (some people find it difficult to wear but not me). I have attached the camera to a head tube and it holded the camera firmly in place even on bumpy Polish roads.

Not tried yet but seems possible to get a rear view by attaching it to a seat post or a top tube.

First video made using this mount:

Camera attached to a head tube:

My new road bike

Details on my new road bike: Campagnolo Centaur 10s groupset + Ridley aluminium frame with a (full) carbon fork.

I bought Centaur groupset from www.bike24.com. Complains can be found in the Internet forums concerning theirs service but in my case everything was OK!

Third time at Osowa-Rondo in 2012

I did not attended the meeting point in Osowa often this year. My road bike was stolen at the end of march (24th or so), my spine was aching so I was not in a hurry to buy another one (would it be useful for my spine a new road bike?).

But finally I have bought a road bike (more on it later) and so I was able attend Castorama roundabout. Attached videos were taken last Sunday.

Guinness Book of Records nomination for Poland

There are more drunk drivers than cyclists in Polish jails, although the latter are far more dangerous than the others. Rzeczpospolita---one of Poland's major nationwide daily newspapers---describes the phenomenon in detail in their 02.11.2012 issue.

In the last decade (2001--2011) almost 11 thousand cyclists were jailed and only 9 thousand drivers. In 2011 (according to figures published by Justice Ministry) there were 70 thousand convicted drivers for drunk driving and 900 of them were jailed (1,3%) while there were 50 thousand convicted drunk cyclists and 1053 of them were jailed (2,1%). Most jailed cyclists are poor people who can't afford a lawyer or paying a fine (which is converted to jail then). It is believed that the main cause of the above described absurd is the police who at the expense of cyclists is pumping out effectiveness statistics but the government is rather lazy to change this.

Newest figures (October 2011) published by Prison Service show 4563 drunk cyclists imprisoned (twice more than in 2009) and 5501 drunk drivers.

In Poland 0.02% alcoholic content in blood is the permitted upper limit for driving for both car drivers and cyclists. I personally don't mix cycling and drinking (for my own safety) but IMHO there would be no harm if the limit for a cyclist had been higher than those for a car driver, as a bicycle is much slower and there is significantly more time for reaction.

5 days in Ticino

This July I have the opportunity to cycle around Locarno, which is located in canton of Ticino in south of Switzerland. The weather was gorgeous and the views wonderful.

KML tracks are here: 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27.

Trip from Kwidzyn to Bachotek

For 20 years a conference of TeX user's is held in Bachotek near Brodnica. Once I managed to go there by bike from Sopot (180 kms). As this year I am unfit to cover such a distance I travel by train to Kwidzyn and then cycle to Bachotek via Łasin (cf. map)

A nice trip: almost no traffic (partly due to National Holiday, but seems there is a low traffic anyway) and paved road of decent quality (with a few exceptions).

Pokaż Kwidzyn-Bachotek-Iława-2012 in a larger map
2012-03-17

On the way back I cycle to Iława---just 45 kms. I do not recommend this route except Sundays/National Holidays because usually it is narrow and busy.

The area around Bachotek (lots of forests and lakes) seems nice for cycling but I had no time to check it out.