Hi everyone and welcome to your weekly Thoughtful Thursday! It’s mainly full of good news this week, and we also have a lil treat for those of you (like me!) who aren’t so keen on cleaning their bikes while commuting and/or clocking up those winter miles on muddy paths. Hope you find it as useful as I do!

Clinic updates

As we count down the days to Christmas, I continue to have the good news of no new updates for clinic! In even more positive news, a big ‘Happy Birthday’ to Ami and Paul for this week, and a big congrats to Michael on becoming a British Citizen!

Team updates

Christmas hours are now confirmed and are as listed in last week’s newsletter.

Podcast(s) of the Week

Tomorrow (Friday) we’re coming to you with another Insta live chat, this time from a little further afield than we’re used to. Craig will chat with former chiro classmate Vismai Schonfelder, who now practises at The Chiropractor Singapore, and assures us he has a great story to tell! Tune in here from 9am tomorrow.

Remember you can listen to our past live chats and podcast episodes any time on our website, or on Spotify, Apple and Google.

Shameless Plug(s) of the Week by Katy Miller, Ride Clean

Hi there to all regulars at Chiro.London! I’m Katy and I’m the founder of Ride Clean. After spending time as a bike guide in Northern Italy, where we fastidiously cared for and cleaned our bikes each day, I realised upon my return to London that maintaining a bike in a small flat, with no access to outside water or outside space, was a problem many cyclists faced. And so Ride Clean was born!

This year many people have rediscovered the joy of riding their bikes, as a simple way to get some exercise and as a safe means of transport. We are all aware of the multitude of benefits, from physical to mental, that you get from riding a bike.

Just as you nurture your body and mind, your bike can also do with a little TLC, especially through the winter season. While you may not notice anything wrong, you never want to wait until things are at breaking point and you are brought to an abrupt halt – especially when it is cold or wet outside or both! Prevention is always better than cure, so they say!

At Ride Clean we are focused on getting your steed not only looking great but feeling amazing, so you can ride with confidence and assurance.

You may be wondering, why bother cleaning your bike? Well, there are a few key reasons:

1. It’s the first line of maintenance: Once cleaned we can actually see what is lurking beneath all that grime. Any mechanical machine that is kept clean will function correctly.

2. Ride safer: When we clean your bike, we always safety check your bike. We inspect your tyres, brakes, rims, chain, drivetrain, wheels and frame.

3. Fewer mechanicals: Spotting early signs of wear and tear will save you from those dreaded side-of-the-road mechanicals that no one wants.

4. Saves money: That's right – keeping your bike clean, especially the moving mechanical parts, will prolong the life of your components so you don’t need to replace them as often.

5. Ride smoother: None of those embarrassing squeaky chains or squealing brakes!

6. You look better and smile more: Be the envy of your mates and feel proud of your lovely riding machine!

And while we are at it, you can be sure we will tidy up any little fraying cable ends or rattling mudguards. We also offer a basic service to get you back on the road swiftly.

If you’d like to see how we can transform your bike, just check out our website. We offer advance bookings and walk-ups at our pop-up locations, as well as home visits.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and don’t just take our word for it – ask Drew!

Hope everyone has a lovely Christmas, and ride safe (and clean!),Katy

Ask the Team

Mike McBean DC answers your question…

I sometimes adjust my own neck. Is this bad for me?

While self-adjusting isn’t technically bad for you, there does need to be some context applied to that statement. If done infrequently – and without significant force – this is not something to worry about. However, if you are frequently (multiple times per day) self-adjusting your spine, this could potentially cause issues to arise in the future. It would be best if you consulted your chiropractor.

That’s it for another jam-packed week as we begin to wind things down. Stay safe, well and warm till next week…

Drew