By I think that the most exciting sounding jobs are those that are in the field of design and prototyping, which then (hopefully) realise an exciting and iconic product. In reality, most of these jobs are about failure, although with a fast learning curve. This is what I call ‘failing forward’,
Do you buy ‘quirky’ or ‘mainstream’ things?
When the offerings that the cycling world present to us have a high level of sameness, it forces designers to do something different, something out of the box, something perceived as a bit weird at first sight, or even a bit quirky. Quirky is a strange English word that means
The Beach. On Any Sunday.
There’s a certain sense of freedom on a beach. It’s locked like a border between the land and the powerful sea. The beach can provide tranquility, interest in washed-up sea shells, dead fish, international litter and wood that has travelled the oceans, only to be finally deposited with a smooth,
August. Weird times indeed.
Apparently, the word August is derived from the Latin word augere, meaning “to increase,” and it is also the basis for the Latin name, Augustus, which means “esteemed” or “venerable”, and was a title given to Roman emperors. Anyway, right now, it’s August, and the end of it to be
A big white Yorkshire horse and a Swiss Cilo horse
I’m currently in North Yorkshire, UK, and I have for sale on my eBay site, two vintage Cilo road bikes. The slightly higher specification of the two is a Columbus framed, Cilo Challenger. It is priced very competitively for a bike of its age, condition and specification. I’m obviously interested
Life as a Projecteer
I must admit that I’m a bit of a ‘Projecteer’. This is a new term that I’ve dreamed up to illustrate people like me who always have a project on the go, have a few in the pipeline and at the same time, on the look out for another suitable
The Rose and Forks
I know the title of this post sounds like a pub, and maybe there is one in the world somewhere proudly bearing this name. However, it’s not what I intended. That pink rose in the featured image is named after the famous horticulturalist and garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll. It has
When Cool becomes Cilo Cool
Have you noticed how some things are cool straight out of the box and others gain coolness over time? More importantly, cool doesn’t have to be proven because it’s gained global recognition. Cool is a social perception and not an inherent quality. A Cool thing is much more than just
The 1981 Cilo (alternative?) road test and review
All bicycle road test and reviews are stereotypically the same, and have been since Robert (known as Bob from here on) Lillywand, first thought of a new and innovative way to market and sell his bikes back in 1807. Bob reckoned that by using the village’s local key opinion leader,
A soulful bicycle which carries the name of a true cycling raconteur; Raphael Geminiani
My soulful, 1956 French Randoneur needs a new headset. I should’ve replaced it when I brought it back to life 4 years ago, but it worked reasonably well and it’s an odd size to find a new replacement. I bought the bicycle as a ‘project’ on eBay from a location