How to open a V-brake

Today's post is dedicated to a technical matter that everyone who owns a bicycle is good to know and that is how to open a V-brake.

I advise you to learn how to do it, because in 70% of the technical cases that relate to a bicycle the first step is opening up the brakes. But the most common cases are when you must open your brake to take your bicycle wheel off or to fix a flat tire or when you just want to check if the brake pads caught any debris so you can clean them. 

I understand that probably the majority of you might already know how to open it, but as I didn't know it myself at first and someone else showed it to me, I thought that is would be nice to share it with you so you can learn, too. 

The Steps

It takes only about a couple of seconds to finish the whole process, so let's start!

Step 1: You must first slide over the little rubber tube that covers the cylinder which is circled in the photograph above.

Step 2: After baring the cylinder, you must press both sides of the brake towards the middle.

Step 3: While still holding the sides of the brake, you must then release the cylinder from its metal handle.

Step 4: After releasing the cylinder, now you can stop holding the sides of the brake and leave them to fall open at the sides of the tire as shown in the picture.

Your V- brake is now open!

For closing it, you just repeat the steps in reverse.

Note: Don't forget after closing the V-brake to slide the rubber tube back on to cover up the cylinder, because the cylinder must not get wet or it will rust.

Now you know how to open your V-brake, too!

Do you do your own maintenance to your bicycles?

The iron bicycle

This bicycle is a project created by the students and the teachers of an elementary school in a small town that is located 70 kilometers norther from Volos.

As you can see in the picture, it's really obvious how big this sculpture is! Especially if you compare it with the regular bicycle that is shown in the photograph.

The purpose of this project is to promote cycling as an alternative way of transportation. The frame of the iron bicycle is made from steel tubes, the tires and the bottom bracket are made from old cars' wheels and the saddle is a car's tire pinned in the seat tube.

The first time that I saw it I wondered why did they use car parts for building a bicycle sculpture that promotes cycling? But after some thought I realised that it must be a metaphor. In my mind it is something like: "where cars die, bicycles rise", which means bicycles are the future, either we like it or not and either we understand it or not. 

The sign says "I ride a bicycle: for better health and cleaner environment". It's nice to see efforts like this, especially if they are made from such a young audience, because these kids are the future's citizens. They're the ones that will not depend on their cars when they will want to go from one location to another, but hopefully they will just jump on their bikes and ride. As simple as that!

It is known among it's users, that the bicycle is indeed a very convenient mode of transport when someone wants to move around into the city. You don't have to worry about parking, red lights, traffic and gas. 

Furthermore bicycles are quiet and take up little space. Why am I saying this? Imagine that there are two streets. Each one has 100 people who pass through there every day and multiple times per day. In the first street people are using cars. In the second street people are using bicycles. The result? In street number one there is chaos from 100 passing cars with their honks, fumes, pollution and noise. In street number two there is nothing but peace and quiet, as 100 bicycles won't even be noticed and the only noise you will hear is an occasional cling-cling from a bell, which to me is so pleasant to hear!

Where would you rather your house to be? In street number one or in street number two? The answer is right in front of us. Cities weren't built for cars, they were built for citizens. 

You want to live in a modern, livable city, that is safe, user-friendly and clean? Ride a bicycle! 

It's the most simple, easy to use, autonomous and flexible mode of transportation ever made! 

Cycling through a jungle

Can't the city at least try to pretend it cares for people on bicycles?

Is that too much to ask? 

We know it's summer! We cyclists understand it better that anyone. We feel it right upon our skin every day, when the sunlight caresses our skin and helps us preserve our lovely tan. 

We observe it in nature, too! The trees are full of leaves and the weeds are growing wild. Usually we do not have any objections with these nature's acts, but when nature starts claiming the little space we've got for movement then we start to wonder...

...When will the city finally decide to clean the weeds? 

It is now officially August, the third and last month of the summer. Every time that question came up in the past the answer was "It's still early for that". But, is it?

They had to follow the trends and built "cycle paths" because there was an EU financial program that promoted cycling in cities and offered the founds for building cycling infrastructure.

Every citizen now is asking where these founds went, because surely they didn't spend them for bicycle infrastructure. Almost every part of the so called cycle-paths were already premade. (Even the brick path from a previous post that many of you e-mailed me telling how nice it was, in reality is the sidewalk that goes around an equestrian Club).

So deciding to take us out of the way and making us ride on the narrow pavement at the side of the street, after painting it red and naming it cycle path, and forcing us sharing the space with pedestrians, are some things that we cannot do anything about, even if it annoys us due to the fact that our travelling speed is different. But having to squeeze ourselves riding on a painted pavement with pedestrians while weeds are slapping our legs and faces, then no, we will not tolerate that. 

We might use bicycles for transportation, but that's not making us unimportant or less of a citizen. Bicycle users are citizens of this city! We have every right to not collide with anything in our ways. And because building a truly efficient and separate cycle path is out of the question, at least please, clean the paths from the weeds!

Are cyclists in your city considered as citizens or the city's council forgets about them?

Sightseeing by Bicycle: The Neolithic Houses

In Anauros, right across from the Athanasakeion Archaeological Museum of Volos, there is a reconstruction of the Neolithic Houses that were found in Sesklo. Today I've decided to share with you the history of the original ones! (Note: all the pictures show reconstructive replicas).

In Kastraki hill and the surrounding area, near the present village named Sesklo, there was developed one of the most important Neolithic settlements in Greece and Europe, which gave its name to an entire phase of the Neolithic Age in Thessaly. It was inhabited from the beginning of the Neolithic Period (7th millennium BC) to the Middle Bronze Age (2th millennium BC). However, it's experienced its acme in the 6th millennium BC, during the Middle Neolithic Period. Most of the architectural remains that we see today are from that Period.

What is left today from the beginning of the Neolithic Period, when the first signs of permanent establishments appeared in the area, were only some ellipsoid trenches from the bases of the first huts that were constructed by the Neolithic people from branches and clay.

During the Early Neolithic Period, the settlement gradually expanded more extensively. The buildings became quadrilateral and the walls were built with bricks and wood, while in some of them the foundations were made from stone. 

However during the Middle Neolithic Period, the houses were constructed with more durable materials, such as stone and clay, and were square shaped or rectangular. 

The foundations were made from stone and the walls were built with raw bricks, which were highly insulating. Clay was also being used, as it was in abundance in the surrounding area, and it was combined also with straw and wool from sheep and goats.

The roof was constructed with wood and reeds, and was usually two-sided or four-sided, depending on the size of the house, and was covered externally with layers of clay. On the roof, the Neolithic people also left a hole, so the smoke from the hob had somewhere to escape from. In the end, the whole house was calcined with a thin layer of clay and often the exterior walls were painted with color afterwards.

In the interior of the original Neolithic houses, we notice preserved hobs, small storage facilities, areas for food preparation and also sleeping areas.

The houses that were reconstructed in front of the Athanasakeion Archaeological Museum were from the Middle Neolithic Period. Sadly they were locked, so I couldn't take any photos of the interior. But I have been inside of these houses in the past, and I assure you that these replicas have all the facilities that were described above. 

Imagine living at that period! When the humanity was in its earliest ages of development. As you can see, these houses could easily pass for current country houses at some small and undeveloped village, but no! These originally were designed and built so many years ago! 

How fascinating history is!

Daily commute

Every single morning I leave my house at approximately 8:30 a.m. and I pedal for 5,5 kilometers to finally arrive at my destination, which is the city center. It takes me about 20 to 25 minutes depending on my speed, the air direction and the traffic lights. During my commute I ride upon different variety of terrain.

At first there is some gravel.

Then there is asphalt.

There are also some hills. 

This is the part of my commute that it is pitch black after nightfall. When heading to town, it is easy to pass through. But when returning home, as I previously wrote here, it is scary and somewhat tiring, because I have to ride uphill.

...And some downhills.

A couple of kilometers later, I come across the cycle path, which is sadly constructed on the sidewalk. At least at this point it is made of asphalt. 

As you can see, after riding for 100 meters, the cycle path now it is made of tiles.

Some time later on, I find myself riding on bricks. 

And then on asphalt again. No more cycle paths here. I'm using the main street from this point.

Don't let the emptiness of the road to fool you, it is because the traffic light behind me is still red!

From that point, I didn't take any photos, as it was more difficult to do that when navigating through busy roads.

Sorry for the grayish photographs, it was a cloudy day!

But when finally I'm almost in the end of my ride, I ride through the pedestrian's shopping area. 

But I only do that because it is still very early and no one is walking. You see only bicycles here in this early hour.

And that was my daily commute. It is an 11 kilometers round trip. It is not perfect. It has it's difficulties mostly because bicycles aren't considered as vehicles and don't have any priority. Although it is my commute and that everyday riding just makes my day!

How long is your commute? Do you have cycle paths or do you ride in the streets?