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The Ultimate Bike Repair Guide
Plus, Scotland to London, a World War II postcard, and Stats for the Nerds
Sam Westby
February 20, 2025
Welcome to the Bike Bulletin, it reads smoother than a freshly cleaned chain.
As always, reply directly to this email. I love reading all the thoughtful replies.
—Sam Westby @samcwestby
This is a weekly newsletter about bike trips, urban cycling, and a love for two-wheeled transit. The more time you spend on a bike, the better. I share new editions every Thursday, gearing you up for the ride ahead.
Here’s what we have today.
🌍 RIDE: Scotland to London
💡 TIP: Complete Beginner’s Bike Repair Guide
🎥 WATCH: The Great Southern Country
🚲 ARCHIVES: World War II Postcard (1920-1960)
📰 SFTN: Bike share, new funding, congestion pricing
ROUTE ON MY RADAR
EuroVelo 12
I’m starting to plan my route for this summer. I want to go from Scotland to Slovenia.
EuroVelo 12 would take me from the top of Scotland to the bottom of England.
Here’s what I’d be getting myself into.
Just the UK section of EuroVelo 12. The full EuroVelo 12 goes from Scotland to Norway.
1,250 miles (2,011 km) with 48k feet (14.6k meters) of climbing
Hugging the jagged east coast of the United Kingdom
Quaint towns, expansive coastline, lots of green
EuroVelo has a network of 19 cross-Europe routes through most European countries. Find all the routes and countries at eurovelo.com
BIKE TIP
The Ultimate Beginner’s Bike Repair Guide
Here’s a new 38-minute complete guide on bike maintenance. It’s made for any level of cyclist.
Stopping during a ride to fix your bike is a perfect excuse for a guilt-free break! You just have to know how to fix your issue.
The video has three sections:
Wheels
Taking your wheel off
Fixing a flat tire
Drivetrain
Cleaning and lubing your chain
Fixing bad gear shifting
Brakes
How to replace your brake pads
Watch on YouTube
WHAT I’M WATCHING
The Great Southern Country
Ultra-endurance beast Lachlan Morton set the record for the fastest time to bike around Australia in October. Thankfully for us, a documentary crew filmed the whole thing, and the epic film dropped on February 18th.
Watch on YouTube
FROM THE ARCHIVES
World War II Postcard (1920-1960)
Postcards like this were made during the gas shortages of World War II. Maybe we need to have another gas shortage?
See more at the University of Massachusetts-Boston archives.
$25. The cost of an unlimited annual pass for Gary, Indiana’s bikeshare program. It’s returning for its second year and growing. (Mass Transit)
$300. The new max fine for parking in an Austin, Texas bike lane. (KUT News)
$10 million. The grant dollars awarded to Portland, Oregon to maintain its bike lanes. (Bike Portland)
1,192. The number of Bicycle Friendly Business Awards recognized this month by the League of American Bicyclists. (bikeleague.org)
Rescinded. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) no longer approves of New York City’s recent congestion pricing. This will start a court case between New York and the FHWA. (Smart Cities Dive)
A Note From Sam
Reply to this email and let me know what sections you liked / topics you’d like me to write about.
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