Compiled by Nicoline Greer
I LIKE TO RIDE MY BICYCLE
Choosing to ride a bicycle equipped with only one gear and pedals that don't stop turning may seem eccentric. Yet these "fixed gear" bikes are gaining popularity among keen cyclists. Riding one feels strange at first, but once you learn to keep pedalling all the time, it's a whole new riding experience. Couriers have sworn by them for years for their speed, light weight, low-cost and reliability (no complicated gears to go wrong). And in this high-tech age, the clean lines and simplicity of the fixed gear bike bestows on it that effortless, "less-is-more" cool that is now so sought after. You can buy a complete new one at prices starting at around €500, but most fixed gears are built up from scratch using old racing bike frames, wheels and other bits, for pretty much next to nothing. Spending mega bucks seems to miss the point. Log onto www.fixedgeargallery.com for inspiration and then go build one yourself (like I did; it's number 1,606 on the site). John Cradden
CALLING ALL MUTHAS
Stopwatch TV is looking for victims, sorry participants, for a coming RTÉ TV series, called Mother Knows Best. In it, mothers will take control of their grown-up children's lives for one week in early summer, and try to straighten them out. Reckon your daughter's kids are running you into the ground? Worried that your son is never going to settle down with the "right girl"? This is an opportunity to prove that you really do know best - but beware: your children could prove you wrong. Interested mothers, sons or daughters, contact 01-4100845 or mother@stopwatch.ie.
DOMESTIC GEMS
Alan Ardiff's witty, irreverent and exquisitely handcrafted jewellery has earned him a wide fan base both here and abroad. He is the only Irish artist who has been invited to participate in an exhibition of contemporary jewellery in the Macintosh Gallery in Glasgow, which is presenting the work of over 70 jewellers from 20 European countries, all of whom work in the narrative genre. Ardiff is known for the stories and word play in his work, from his early "Fish is Circle" pieces to gem-encrusted condom pendant boxes. Now married with three children, he has created a collection called Domestic Goddess for this exhibition. It comprises three household appliances in miniature - a toaster, a washing machine and an iron, all fashioned from gold and silver. A precious washing machine around your neck says as much as parading a gold torc at the beginning of the first millennium, according to Ardiff. The exhibition, entitled, "Maker-Wearer-Viewer" continues at the gallery until April 12th. Deirdre McQuillan
RUGGER HUGGER
Ever wonder what lies beneath the jerseys of Ireland's rugby heroes? Probably one of these Canterbury "Armourfit" vests, the sports undergarment du jour for the man with the oval ball. Choose from two sweat-defying fabric technologies: one to keep the body cool in the heat; another to warm you up when the temperature is low. The vests are said to reduce muscle fatigue and generally make long sessions on windswept winter fields a little more bearable. See www.armourfit.com for stockists.
ROMAN SHOPAHOLIDAY
A considerable part of the joy of travel is the pre-trip anticipation, and The Civilised Shopper's Guide to Rome brings the quaint, off-beat and hidden away speciality shops of the Italian capital to you as you do your armchair planning. Complete itineraries could be planned around the book's nine shopping walks, which track unusual, traditional and modern shops, many known only to native Romans. (The cushions, above, are from L'Oriente on Via del Boschetto.) There are also useful maps and recommended pitstops for refreshments, and you might even catch sight of a historic monument or two as you shop. With Ryanair joining Aer Lingus and Alitalia on the Dublin-Rome route this spring, a Roman holiday could be on the cards, and this pocket-sized tome is worthy of its place in any shopper's handbag. The Civilised Shopper's Guide to Rome is published by The Little Bookroom, $12.95, wwwlittlebookroom.com.
THE EASTER LOLLY
Which came first - the egg or the lollipop? In this case, most definitely the egg. But one taste of this giant Easter lolly from a Limerick chocolate company, Cocoa Bean, and you might be persuaded to give up eggs for good. A kilo (we put a Creme Egg in the photo just to show you just how big it is) of delicious, 72 per cent cocoa dark chocolate would keep most chocoholics going through the Easter break. There are also orange zest, mint, nutmeg, hazelnut, cinnamon and vanilla varieties. If chiselling off mouthfuls doesn't appeal to you, use the chocolate for cooking; there's enough in one lollipop to make four extra-large Nigella Lawson chocolate raspberry cakes, or a pond of chocolate mousse. Priced from €34, the Cocoa Bean Easter lollipop will be available from March 10th in delicatessens including Mortons in Ranelagh and Haddington Deli, Dublin; Chocolat, Ennis; Boqueria, Cork; McCambridges, Galway; and Limerick Milk Market on Saturdays. Or by mail order from 061-446615. Marie-Claire Digby