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More pedal power chat.
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Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 23 Sep 14 at 14:02
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Rider matters more than the bike :-)
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drat :)
Still, the reporter knocked 7 minutes off his PB for a 1 hour (approx) route. Based on my running experiences, that's equivalent to one heck of a lot of training for someone already reasonably fit.
Last edited by: Focusless on Tue 15 Jul 14 at 16:15
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>> that's equivalent to one heck of a lot of training
>> for someone already reasonably fit.
...and assuming they've got a reasonable bike of course.
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...and assuming they've got a reasonable bike of course.
Indeed, my vision would be his bike is horrendous. For a decent bike that'll last, a good steel frame and all the right bits for an amateur would be way under that bill and when a carbon fibre frame has bitten the dust, the steel purchase might need a wash but probably not much more.
And the bits are home-maintainable too.
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>>
>> Indeed, my vision would be his bike is horrendous. For a decent bike that'll last,
>> a good steel frame and all the right bits for an amateur would be way
>> under that bill and when a carbon fibre frame has bitten the dust, the steel
>> purchase might need a wash but probably not much more.
>>
>> And the bits are home-maintainable too.
>>
Carbon fibre doesn't degrade, steel rusts. And there isn't a bike made that can't be maintained with little more than a few allen keys.
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Ah, I'm not an expert on carbon fibre and on googling the lifetime gives answers from it lasts indefinitely to two years!
Sensible viewpoint says it's actually going to depend on the resin used to bond the lot together as carbon fibre itself won't age, but some resins UV age. Damage is an issue I guess.
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>> And there isn't a bike made that can't be maintained with little more than a few allen keys.
Ah well that was the clincher for me:
This bike needs looking after properly by expert bicycle mechanics, so forget about tampering in the kitchen with a set of hexagon keys.
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>>
>>
>> Ah well that was the clincher for me:
>>
>> This bike needs looking after properly by expert bicycle mechanics, so forget about tampering in
>> the kitchen with a set of hexagon keys.
>>
I could strip it to it's last nut and bolt and have it back together again tonight. Bikes are simple devices and despite the hi tech materials bringing the weight of this one down it is put together the same way as anything you'd get in Halfords.
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I was being tic of course RR, but I am curious - the reporter has actually ridden the bike so has at least seen its components first hand. Can I ask how you know that this £12k doesn't have specialist parts (apart from the frame) and/or characteristics that perhaps make it not quite as simple as your average Halfords machine?
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>> I was being tic of course RR, but I am curious - the reporter has
>> actually ridden the bike so has at least seen its components first hand. Can I
>> ask how you know that this £12k doesn't have specialist parts (apart from the frame)
>> and/or characteristics that perhaps make it not quite as simple as your average Halfords machine?
>>
The only thing different to any cheapo bike you'd buy in Halfords is the electronic shifting and they just bolt on the same way as as any mechanical system, they are basically self setting once mounted. Pedals, chainset, brakes, headset and everything else are exactly the same as on any other machine, just lighter and better quality.
Last edited by: Robin O'Reliant on Wed 16 Jul 14 at 12:45
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Just returned from 2 weeks in France visiting the Jura area, although I follow the TdF I've never seen it in the flesh but I couldn't believe my luck that Stage 11 on the 16th came straight past where I was staying. I have to say what a spectacular and well organised event it is, the Caravane was colourful and entertaining and when it came the Course shot by in a matter of minutes! a very enjoyable day.
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We saw for in France too, start of Stage 17 from St Gaudens. Managed to position ourselves just short of start/sign in point but after team buses. Result was that we saw pretty well whole field at close quarters as they loosened up. Just missed opportunity to speak to Greg Le Mond who was doing his bit for Eurosport interviewing riders just in front of us. Given we'd seen the drama bit before both on this year's Yorkshire stage and as far back as 1992 in Tours we missed nothing and gained a lot.
The French take the caravan and freebies far too seriously, nearly got in fight with some woman who's kid wanted stuff I'd caught or reserved under my foot. Complete opposite of the 'after you' culture on the A 61 in Yorkshire :-)
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 31 Aug 14 at 21:04
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Where we were staying was packed with Dutch families who came equipped with fishing nets to catch the goodies as they flew through the air from the Caravane, I managed to grab a few small freebies but I really wanted a used drinks bottle tossed from one of the riders.
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>> but I really wanted a used drinks bottle tossed from one of the riders.
We managed to grab a BMC one on Ripponden Bank on stage 2 :-). My Son (5) is unbelievably pleased with it!
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A friend went to see the end of the third stage in London. He caught a T-shirt from the caravan which had with it a raffle ticket for a draw later in the day. He was still around when the draw was made and won a new £700 race bike.
Not a bad day out!
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As I was exiting my road at a T junction at 10 to midnight last night one stupid cyclist had good fortune on his/her side and escaped being hit by my car.
As I arrived at the T junction to turn right, the only vehicles I could see were a couple of cars a few hundred yards to my left. A final glance right before I hit the gas and this individual in dark clothing with no lights and no relfectors on the bike rode across in front of me.
I was shocked at the stupidity and relieved I did not write the clown off.
I have no idea if he /her was under the influence of something, suffering in some other way or wanting to join the Darwinism awards.
I suspect the individual had/has no idea how fortunate they are.
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Used to see them all the time round here. Out in the sticks so no street light, no nothing just pitch black. Still you'd find people riding round with, at most, one weedy little light. God knows what they were thinking setting off like that.
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Rear tyre on the The Lad's Dawes Discovery 201 is pretty well worn out.
OEM is a Kenda 700C*30 (30*622?). Little if any choice available in that size. Am I right in thinking 700*32 or 28, of which there are plenty at Halfords, SJS or my preferred supplier Simpson's in London, are OK as a substitute?
More likely to go for 32 as use is mix of road and trail - not real MTB stuff though.
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Be fine, although if you can find a direct replacement Kenda, they are very good tyres. I have Kenda Kinetics on my MTB. Got me out of a lot of off-road bother from time to time. Great in the gloop.
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Last time I bought a new tyre it was some sort of puncture resistant Kevlar thingy and since I got it I have had 3 punctures so far.....
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Glasgow though eh? Lots of broken glass and stuff...
:-)
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less chance of it getting nicked if it has flat tyres.......
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Ha ha more likely the fact that I have just worked out I have done about 1200 miles on my bike since April.
More use = more punctures!
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>> Be fine, although if you can find a direct replacement Kenda, they are very good
>> tyres. I have Kenda Kinetics on my MTB. Got me out of a lot of
>> off-road bother from time to time. Great in the gloop.
The Dawes is an urban hybrid and need is for road/trail rather than gloop. If he wants to go mud plugging his Uni bike runs 26*1.75 tractor tyres.
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What does that make the 26x2.10s on my old Cannondale? Time I replaced those, as it happens. Is Kenda the place to start?
By some standards we've hardly used the bikes on this trip but I've lost count of the punctures I've had to fix. At the end of one day I picked seven pea-sized, multi-pointed and rock-hard thorns out of my front tyre. Must have left the point of one inside the casing because it punctured the replacement tube as well. Idiot!
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@WdB,
If punctures are a problem you could do worse than try Schwalbe Marathon/Marathon Plus. Ran then on my second Brompton from new in 2009 until I took redundancy last November. Just one puncture - a glass shard. Also got them on my Dawes Galaxy tourer but that leads a pretty easy life these days.
They're s*ds to fit though. Needed a lot of washing up liquid lube and a Rohan belt to stop bead from popping out one end as fast as I located it at the other.
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Thanks, Bromp. Home today, so will investigate. Funnily, punctures hadn't been a problem before - just had a run of bad luck and/or carelessness on this holiday.
First puncture was on Beestling Major's new Saracen, which has Kevlar reinforced tyres. The front tube had failed on the seam, the surface against the rim, perhaps through being pinched or just being duff from the factory. I think the thorns on mine got in while we walked alongside an impossibly busy town road at the end of a day-long ride. I was less annoyed in retrospect that they had got into my tyres than I was relieved that they hadn't got into my feet; I've never seen anything so vicious originate from a mere plant!
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I cycled 74.6 miles today, from mine into Glasgow, up to Loch Lomond and then back via some canal paths and country roads.
Last week I did 60 miles and didn't think I would beat it this year - one week later and the record is gone!
Just had to share cos I am chuffed with myself! :) Not bad for an old boy on a hybrid bike!
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 1 Sep 14 at 10:12
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>> I cycled 74.6 miles today, from mine into Glasgow, up to Loch Lomond and then
>> back via some canal paths and country roads.
>> Just had to share cos I am chuffed with myself! :) Not bad for
>> an old boy on a hybrid bike!
>>
So you should be. I would be in intensive care if I had done half of that these days !
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 1 Sep 14 at 10:12
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I did around ten miles (to a pub and back) last week. It made my bum hurt.
D'yer think I need a new saddle?
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>> I did around ten miles (to a pub and back) last week. It made my
>> bum hurt.
>>
>> D'yer think I need a new saddle?
I did 3.5 miles into Dunsfold and back last weekend - so that 7.8 miles in Total!
mind - half was up hill, fortunately the return was down hill
Used my lads expensive full suspension bike - it was awful to ride
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 8 Sep 14 at 10:13
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>> I did 3.5 miles into Dunsfold and back last weekend - so that 7.8 miles
>> in Total!
Seen your videos - very nice.
I was there on Sunday, but I paid!
I may have seen you.. As we left I saw someone filming from a similar viewpoint as seen in your vids...
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>> but I paid!
Wasn't keen on that part.
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Well done you. I did twenty miles in two hours on the old Dawes Galaxy tourer this afternoon and I'm knack'd! The section on the old B4525 into the westerly wind was the killer :-P
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sun 31 Aug 14 at 20:37
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>Well done you. I did twenty miles in two hours on the old Dawes Galaxy tourer this afternoon and I'm knack'd!
For the last three weekends I've been mixing and laying a concrete sub-base, mixing and laying a bound bed and then cutting, laying and levelling 600mm x 600mm concrete paving slabs on top to accomodate Mrs K's new garden shed.
I ache all over and I'm still not finished. I really, really should have paid someone to do it for me.
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Brompt, I'm looking for a 3-speed Brompton at the mo. There's quite a few on ebay to chose from. Anything in particular that I should be wary of?
The intended use is 10 mile round trip from Waterloo to the office which will be via Green and Hyde Parks then up Portobello Road-ish so fairly free of traffic and I reckon 3-speed is sufficient given the added simplicity of the Sturmey Archer gears.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 1 Sep 14 at 10:13
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>> Brompt, I'm looking for a 3-speed Brompton at the mo. There's quite a few on
>> ebay to chose from. Anything in particular that I should be wary of?
The first caution is the obvious one, far too many B's on e bay, gumtree etc are stolen. Check sellers history and feedback. Most are bought for keeps so why is a seller repeatedly offering them? Check their familiarity with bike - is it properly folded etc in pictures.
Familiarise yourself with different handlebar styles and decide if you need a rack or not. Irrespective of whether you need a rack for luggage it makes handling the folded bike - eg stowing it behind train seats - much easier. Standard M bars suit me, I found the short S type made ride twitchy but the butterfly P type have almost tempted me to a retrofit.
Three speed should be adequate for what you propose but the current BWR 6 speed adds possibility of wider use and the low gears facilitate rapid acceleration in traffic. Older 5 speeds (all pre 2000) are OK but lack flexibility of current 6 speed due drag from extra internal cogs.
Bikes from 2000 to around 2009/10 have Sachs Torpedo rather than SA gears. They're OK but some users report problems with water seepage into internals and spares/facility for DIY not as solid as for SA. Avoid pre 2000 bikes with useless Saccon brakes (the current dual pivot jobbies are just about OK in wet) or the C model without mudguards.
On later models the little rubber flap on rear mud guard is essential unless you're content to have a wet 'skunk stripe' up your back when riding on wet tarmac. Easy replacement/retrofit though if it's missing.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 1 Sep 14 at 10:13
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Thanks for all the info. It's funny what you say about the rear mud guard mud flap, because most don't seem to have one fitted. I certainly don't fancy a skunk stripe!
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>> Thanks for all the info.
>>
Well I ended up getting a new 6-speed Brompton off the shelf. The ones on E-bay were going to silly money for an unseen and part-worn bike.
First ride this morning from Victoria to Kensal Rise was very enjoyable! Right across Hyde Park, then up Portobello Road (although I won't go back that way - I thought it would be traffic free, which it was, but even at early doors there were too may pedestrians wandering in the way).
Of course it might be less enjoyable on a cold winter's night (which won't be that long now), in which case I can seek shelter in the Tube.
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>> First ride this morning from Victoria to Kensal Rise was very enjoyable! Right across Hyde Park, then up Portobello Road (although I won't go back that way - I thought it would be traffic free, which it was, but even at early doors there were too may pedestrians wandering in the way).
Right through my old manor, sniffle. In summer season the Beller is covered with slack-jawed tourists even on non-market days. Best avoided on the Eastern side as Ladbroke Grove starts with a steep hill.
I have always understood though that small-wheeled bicycles were harder work to pedal than conventional ones. For reliability in all conditions I would think you'd need substantial tyres too in London. Thin ones will be at risk when you don't see a pothole for example. The other thing I would worry about would be frame flexing in the case of a folding bike.
Sorry if you've already answered these quibbles Bromptonaut. It's just that I know every yard of that route inside out, and that makes me focus even on your neo-velocipede.
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I'm afraid shared use with pedestrians is fatal to progress on a bike. Ladbroke Grove will probably move OK but AC's advice re gradient is noted.
The TfL cycle maps www.tfl.gov.uk/forms/12419.aspx are worth getting. They make it pretty easy to find routes through the minor and relatively un-trafficked streets. Needs a few days experimentation to find what works, where bus lanes and cycle only bits may help etc. and to identify any nasty hazards. Your best return journey may not be the reverse of outward - my route from Euston to St James didn't quite work in reverse around High Holborn - a block or so further wast avoided getting tangled with buses on Bloomsbury Way.
There are all sorts of stories about small wheeled bikes being hard work, rough riding or whatever. The truth is that Mr Moulton solved the basics 50yrs ago and that properly designed bikes like the Brompton, with well chosen gears ride pretty well. Thirty or forty miles are not too difficult. Slippy suraces need care as the rider's high centre of gravity over the wheels means they can do a passable imitation of a aircraft's flick roll.
As to tyres the OEM versions, I think Brompton's own brand, are well up to the city riding the bike's designedd for. Schwalbe Marathons are pretty well bomb proof. Thin wall slicks are avalable but I'd not want to be chancing them on urban roads.
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Yes, on the way home I went down Ladbroke Grove until the hilly bit then cut through across Portobello Road down Colville Road and through to Pembroke Villas. The quiet bits of Notting Hill are not really hilly! No pesky tourists and not much traffic meant good progress. Out of Hyde Park past the French Embassy and then got lost round Eaton Square way on the way back to Victoria, but I'm sure I'll suss out the best back doubles before long.
Brompt, I saw those slick tyres which with the high C o G look like a recipe for mid-haps! Mine has Bromptons own tyres.
No real frame flex, and the bikes are well engineered so they really are tight (assuming you tighten fully). They ride pretty well, and are clearly way faster than Boris Bikes, judging by how many I passed today.
5 miles each way, so should help in my endless quest to get trim.
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>> went down Ladbroke Grove until the hilly bit then cut through across Portobello Road
What I meant by avoiding the Beller to the east was Pembridge Road/Villas, all the way up Chepstow Rd, right at Westbourne Park Rd, left up Great Western Rd, over the canal, left down Harrow Rd and pick your own right... there are other ways too.
Depends on time o day and day of week up to a point too.
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I'm interested in the comments about punctures above - bear in mind I know little about bikes though.
My sister in law has a modern bike; she's had it perhaps five years. I know not what it is, but I do know she is always getting punctures. I think she's had four in the last six months. She takes it to a local place for repair so it's being fixed properly (I assume) for about a tenner or something but she still seems to get another a few weeks later. I think she's has replacement tubes once or twice too.
Two points to this post. Between the ages of seven and eighteen (sixties/seventies) I rode to school every day. In all that time I never once had a puncture. I then bought another cheapish bike from Halfords and for about twenty years, rode it a few times a year, often on reasonably long journeys. In all THAT time I had one puncture (I recall it well).
So - question 1 - was I the luckiest person in the world, or have tyres changed, or do roads now automatically have broken glass in the top dressing?
And question 2 - sister in law has discovered the existence of these "unpuncturable" tyres (Kevlar, are they?) - do they work and is it worth it?
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 2 Sep 14 at 08:15
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Crankcase,
I think you were, in part, lucky. Riding in seventies and early eighties solo and later with groups on trad touring bikes, doing 50+ miles a day, punctures were pretty common. One or more amongst a group of half a dozen most weekends. Hopping off and changing a tube - it was always rear!- was a drill we had down to minutes. One or two acquired skill of repairing inner without removing wheel, locating the puncture and getting just the affected bit out from under sidewall.
With very odd exceptions we all had 27*1 1/4 wheels and Michelin tyres. OK new but worn they were very p prone and they wore quickly. Vredsteins with a pronounced centre ridge arrived in eighties and were a revelation.
As to your SIL I wonder if wear is the problem? Is there a common factor such as thorns or glass? Is she sure professional repairer is locating cause - bits of glass can mole their way into tread and be v. difficult to find except with an inflated inner tube!!. She really ought to learn to repair them herself though.
Otherwise does she keep them inflated to recommended pressure - soft tyres more prone to penetration punctures and to 'snakebites' where tyre catches under beading.
As to puncture proof tyres I think they vary a bit. In early versions the Kevlar belt was prone to work into inside over time and cut tube itself. More recent versions are much better and I'd personally recommend Schwalbe Marathons - worked very well on my commuter Brompton.
But of course nothing is free - Marathons are comparatively heavy and some users are critical of their ride/running. They're also pigs to fit.
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Whatever happened to solid tyres?
I remember riding a bike fitted with them, probably back in the '70s. It felt like I was riding on bare rims, but with the rolling resistance of an almost flat tyre.
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Thanks for the informed post, Bromp. Couple of good points there, and I have no idea what pressure she is inflating them to. I don't suppose she knows herself - she probably just sticks a pump in and puffs them a bit sometimes until they seem ok, maybe - although to be honest that's what I've always done with bikes too.
She did say one of the punctures was a thorn.
I'll pass on your thoughts.
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It's easy to inflate tyres with car type Schrader valves using a car pump, even on the Brompton that runs at 90+psi. Adapters are available for Presta valves - that's the sort with a spindle and locknut. Not seen the Woods valves of my childhood in the last 30 years except on old bikes.
Modern bike specific pumps, both the big stirrup style workshop variety and handheld for use on road, now come with universal attachments for both valve types. Very hard work to get much over 60 with a handheld (possibly more if you're ppd to spend a lot) but that's enough to get you home.
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I use one of these on my traditional tricycle:
www.evanscycles.com/products/zefal/hpx-vintage-frame-pump-ec039511
With that in my shed, no need for a track pump.
I'd like to something similar on the recumbent but there is nowhere suitable to mount it. I do have a tiny pump, but it's a 'get you home' measure and no more.
This is a useful addition, mine is on my keyring:
www.chainreactioncycles.com/stans-no-tubes-presta-schrader-valve-adapter-2014/rp-prod38828?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom&gs=1&gclid=CKKEkK-fwsACFSX4wgod4ZkAfA&gclsrc=aw.ds
Handy hint time:
When you can't get the last bit of the tyre over the rim when fitting, bounce the wheel on the bits that are in place working your way around the rim. This forces the tyre into the slight well, and redistributes the tyre as well. You should now find the last bit of the tyre is easily put in place.
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If you want to see how to fit even Swalbe Marathon+ tyres without resorting to levers have a look at the video on this page.
www.spacycles.co.uk/
That's fine at home with all the time in the world but I wouldn't want to be trying to fit them at the side of the road on a wet and windy moor!
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>> If you want to see how to fit even Swalbe Marathon+ tyres without resorting to
>> levers have a look at the video on this page.
>> www.spacycles.co.uk/
>>
>> That's fine at home with all the time in the world but I wouldn't want
>> to be trying to fit them at the side of the road on a wet
>> and windy moor!
It's a Marathon Plus so you'd be very unlucky indeed if you needed to do so!!+
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I hate Presta valves - what is the point of them?
So fiddly and fragile compared to car valves.
Twice I have bent the Presta valves trying to pump them up with a small pump.
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And I like presta valves. Never bent one yet and my first bike with them was nearly 40 years ago.
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>> So - question 1 - was I the luckiest person in the world, or have
>> tyres changed, or do roads now automatically have broken glass in the top dressing?
I was always getting punctures on my bicycle when I used to ride to school. Mainly from the hawthorn bushes that lined the bridleway I had to cycle along.
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Surely mending punctures is part of cycling. It was when I had a bike many years ago. Do they still have those little tins with some patches, a tube of rubber compound a spare valve and a bit of chalk? In the absence of tyre leavers a couple of spoons would suffice in an emergency. Can remember borrowing a bucket of water at the side of the road to find a leak.
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>> Surely mending punctures is part of cycling. It was when I had a bike many years ago.
>> Do they still have those little tins with some patches, a tube of rubber compound a spare valve and a bit of chalk?
>>In the absence of tyre leavers a couple of spoons would suffice in an emergency.
>>
All easy stuff.
I can recall punctures in tubs.
Carefully cutting the stitches, extracting a section of tube to be repaired and sewing it all up again. Oh and making sure they were properly stuck back on the rims.
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>> Do they still have those little tins with some patches, a tube of
>> rubber compound a spare valve and a bit of chalk?
The tins are now plastic, the rubber compound dries out before you get to use it, no spare valve and rarely any chalk. And using the whole lot is just as frustrating as it used to be.
Or you can use glue-less patches. All in a tiny patch sized box.
www.evanscycles.com/products/park/p02c-glueless-patch-kit-ec005508
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Actually I remember there wasn't a spare valve just a small bit of rubber tube which was the key component. Do those sort of valves still exist?
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Do those sort of valves still exist?
I think that's the Woods valve that Bromp refers to - a metal stem with a hole in the side of the tube end, and a little rubber sleeve to keep the air from escaping. My memory of them is that the sleeve worked mostly to defeat my attempts at pumping any air into the tube. No way of attaching a foot pump, so most of my early cycling was on under-inflated tyres.
Schräder valves were a revelation to me and I've ridden on nice, hard tyres ever since. Still prefer them to Prestas, which seem fiddly and fragile by comparison.
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>> I think that's the Woods valve that Bromp refers to
>>
>> Schräder valves were a revelation to me and I've ridden on nice, hard tyres ever
>> since. Still prefer them to Prestas, which seem fiddly and fragile by comparison.
>>
I think some schraeder pattern valves have/had a removable/replaceable core. I've a little tin box somewhere that belonged to my Dad and contained a couple of these along with spare grit caps.
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I don't recall ever getting punctures in my schoolday bike riding. Perhaps the traditional chunky tyres with deep tread were more resistant?
Then when I commuted in London in the 70s I was perpetually getting punctures. That was on ordinary racing/touring type bikes, the then-standard sort of drop handlebar stuff that everybody rode.
In the end I concluded that most flat tyres were caused by friction at pressure points rather than actual punctures. The tubes seemed very prone to weakness around the valve, around the edges of poorly smoothed down previous patches, and if even the tiniest speck of dirt got inside, eg from hasty roadside repairing of the previous puncture.
Plastic tape inserts worked for a bit stopping things like nails, but then created their own friction points.
More recently restoring an old 28" wheel bike I notice the modern tyre equivalents have very thin flimsy side walls, so easily get punctured by thorns on twigs and general road debris.
Also the rubber is a different composition, and the tubes tend to migrate inside the covers, straining the valve stem.
Mountain bike tyres look chunky and puncture-resistant, but mostly seem to go flat spontaneously after a certain age, as if the rubber just ages and gives up. Whenever we go out as a family half the tyres are flat before we start, so it takes half the morning sorting out those that just need pumping up from those that have real punctures.
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My world is often littered with coincidences that seem extreme. An example - on Saturday I read "Selling Hitler", written in the eighties, about the Hitler Diaries (good fun if you've not read it and are so inclined). Anyway, in the book at one point, an attempt was made to purchase Hitler's birthplace and turn it into a museum. The attempt was rebuffed. So that was 30 odd years ago.
On Saturday afternoon - the same day - I finished the book, picked up the paper, and inside there was an article about an attempt currently being made to buy Hitler's birthplace and turn it into a museum.
So why am I telling you this minor excitement? Because the very bike that I had as an adult for twenty years and, as I boasted to you all about this morning first thing, I almost never had a puncture on, I gave to a colleague two years ago to commute.
He has had no problems whatsoever with it - until half an hour ago, when he popped into my office to say he was nipping into town, for, of course, a new inner tube, as it got its first puncture of his ownership this morning.
Crikey.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Tue 2 Sep 14 at 16:17
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But sometimes the main road is only practical route. There might be a cyclist there and drivers should be aware. If they forget/ignore then they're rightly charged etc if an accident occurs.
I seem to remember you condemned the LeJog riders killed on A30 a couple of years ago in similar terms.
Driver there rightly got a long stretch inside and longer ban.
As an aside I'm just coming to know the A38 as Miss B has settled in Devonport where her beau is a grad trainee with Dockyard contractor.
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>> As an aside I'm just coming to know the A38 as Miss B has settled
>> in Devonport where her beau is a grad trainee with Dockyard contractor.
>>
The A38 is less than half a mile from me. Pop in for a 'rosy lee' when you're passing.
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>> But sometimes the main road is only practical route. There might be a cyclist there
>> and drivers should be aware. If they forget/ignore then they're rightly charged etc if an
>> accident occurs.
It's not whether or not they have a right to be there ..just the fact they have such an increased risk of death or very serious injury by being there.
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>> It's not whether or not they have a right to be there ..just the fact
>> they have such an increased risk of death or very serious injury by being there.
The difference between you and I is the magnitude of that risk and therefore whether it's worth taking or not.
In my world the d/c is sometimes unavoidable and in others is only practical way of linking A to B. As I've said before we used A40 from Greenford to Denham aeons ago to access Jordans and other Chiltern Youth hostels. It felt safer than the minor roads through Harefield etc when all we had for lights were torch bulbs powered by zinc-carbon batteries.
Having said that I'd not use A38 as an obvious cycle route from Exeter to Plymouth - there are better routes through Dartmoor.
On A road riding I had a short stretch of A5 today from Caldecote to Duncote turn tinyurl.com/mb9ffao Riding close to kerb and inside the white line that marks edge of carriageway I was ignored and passed at 50+. Out of it and in an assertive secondary I was seen and acknowledged by a 'proper' overtake.
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Driving down the A34 towards Didsbury today I saw a cyclist and wondered what his intentions were. Anyone knowing the area this was just after the lights where you go left to Gatley or right to Cheadle.
Just after the junction the A34 continues but (and there's been some lane changes in the last year) the left most lane ends up on the M60 clockwise, the next/middle lane is M60 anti-clockwise towards Stockport or A34. And the other lane is A34....
Cyclist today was on the most left of any lanes and had he gone further was onto the M60.... And crossing over to just go down the A34 meant crossing two lanes (40mph) that lead onto the M60.
I hope he stopped, got off and .... to be honest not sure how safe that bit of the A34 would be!
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I live in cycling commute distance of Cambridge, the most cycley type place for miles. And years ago I long since thought, well, there's every reason to cycle - but with reports almost every day of crashes, with many colleagues over the years in accidents from minor to major, with traffic never going to get any less - forget it. Shame, but there it is. Cycling on roads is just not an option for me or Mrs, end of. Doesn't worry us, we just move on and do something else.
It might well be we shouldn't HAVE to think like that and it's not right that we do and all that razzamatazz, but whilst that futile battle goes on we just don't get involved in the activity on roads. We do still very occasionally take bikes round Thetford Forest tracks or some such, but that's about it.
There's lots of things in life you think, "well that might be nice but..." so you don't do them, and for me, cycling in modern Britain is one of them.
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>> Driving down the A34 towards Didsbury today I saw a cyclist and wondered what his
>> intentions were. Anyone knowing the area this was just after the lights where you go
>> left to Gatley or right to Cheadle.
I don't know this road at all. I did my urban riding in London where I recognise that slow traffic and fact that cycling in capital has achieved 'critical mass' make it easier and safer. I suspect that most other cities and large towns are more daunting 'cos of flow/speed of motorised traffic. Even bits of Northampton can be intimidating.
My thought though would be to get into correct lane while traffic was stopped at lights. Otherwise as you say get off and cross on foot is only way but constant dismount/remount soon impacts on journey as well as being inconvenient in needing to gear down, unclip etc. Farcilities that require you to do so are far too common.
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>> My thought though would be to get into correct lane while traffic was stopped at lights.
My thoughts on what he should have done as well.
This should be the Google Street View of where he was cycling, going up onto the M60.
www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.3957594,-2.2267326,3a,75y,2.31h,86.11t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sPZD3QuRRJejGlFesMbQ0mg!2e0
You can see that to get onto the A34 again he has to cross the on-roads for the M60 west and east bound. Should have been in the right lane from the lights.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Wed 10 Sep 14 at 09:46
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>> >> My thought though would be to get into correct lane while traffic was stopped
>> at lights.
I passed here twice today....only on the M60 at 70mph. I certainly wouldn't take a cycle anywhere near that spot. There seems to be no provision at all for cyclists. To use the 'correct ' lane, you would be in the middle of 4 lanes of fast traffic. It's 40mph but you get 60/70 morons all the time and the ' lane missers ' constantly jockey for places, swooping across to the left when they've missed the earlier signs. The traffic lights are like a Grand Prix start !
Best bet there is to turn left at the lights, ride 300 yards to Gatley station and get the train !
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I wouldn't attempt to cycle from there to Didsbury on the A34! Too dangerous. As you say you'd have to be in the middle of traffic and people leave it to the last minute to move over for the M60.
At least the road markings changed fairly recently. Left most lane for M60 clockwise, next lane for M60 anti-clockwise and then the other two for straight on.
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>> And even on the most remote roads you're not safe from lorries:
>>
>> www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2749448/Top-woman-rower-34-killed-lorry-12-day-charity-cycle-John-O-Groats-Lands-End.html
>>
I wouldn't advocate cycling on most of the small main Scottish 'A' roads either, not unless you have a death wish.
'B' roads depending on the layout and usage, nice wide 'A' roads, roads specifically arranged to cater for cyclists, private roads, off road...yes.
The rest, no thank you.
If you think about it, if it used to worry me stood there in a reflective jacket with 2 tons of car parked nearby with blue flashing lights going, etc...half looking for the next unaware clown to loom up too fast....why would I want to cycle down it, with my back to the next lethal problem?
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By the way, this fellow died.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-29093507
How unnecessary and how sad, just for convenience and ignorance of the very high risks involved.
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>> By the way, this fellow died.
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-29093507
>>
>> How unnecessary and how sad, just for convenience and ignorance of the very high risks
>> involved.
>>
Report from local paper as posted on Cycle Chat:
www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Tributes-paid-cyclist-Chris-Dennehy-died-crash/story-22891982-detail/story.html
Looks like he was commuting via the A38 and had probably done so for years. Lot of very nice comments about him from friends and colleagues.
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>> Report from local paper as posted on Cycle Chat:
>>
>> www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Tributes-paid-cyclist-Chris-Dennehy-died-crash/story-22891982-detail/story.html
>>
>> Looks like he was commuting via the A38 and had probably done so for years.
>> Lot of very nice comments about him from friends and colleagues.
>>
It's such a waste.
You see very few cyclists on that road.
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>> I wouldn't advocate cycling on most of the small main Scottish 'A' roads either, not
>> unless you have a death wish.
>>
>> 'B' roads depending on the layout and usage, nice wide 'A' roads, roads specifically arranged
>> to cater for cyclists, private roads, off road...yes.
>>
>> The rest, no thank you.
As I posted elesewhere Mrs B and I spent a week in July supporting two JoGLE riders from John O'Groats to the border. Route was JoG>Tongue>Tain>Fort Augustus>Glencoe>Callander>New Lanark>Carlisle.
The Tain stop was some way off route due closure of Carbisdale YH. The rest pretty much show line of travel
The northern sections were almost traffic free and even the A82, unavoidable in places, was lightly trafficked even objectively, never mind by southern English standards. I rode the Brommy from Spean Bridge to FW late morning, doubling back to Commando Memorial before forking off onto B road on opposite side of valley to main road. I suspect traffic on that road is season/time dependent and it would have been different mid afternoon in August but the whole ride was a delight.
The B road provided for non M/way traffic paralell to the M74 is pretty well deserted. A lovely drive too.
While I understand the fear of being hit from behind at speed it's actually (stats wise) a vary rare form of accident, in risk assessment terms it scores high for consequence though and I understand that alone is enough to put some folks off. You can mitigate by keeping visible both in terms of clothing and assertive riding.
Side swipes, left hooks and SMIDSY are the real risks.
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As I have mentioned elsewhere I have been doing a lot of cycling this year, both commuting and leisure.
I never go on my bike without a helmet (I know there is a huge debate around this) and I never go on my bike without hi vis clothing.
To be fair , you can usually spot the commuter cyclists and newbies as they are usually hi-vis'd, helmet etc.
However there is a huge proportion of cyclists that just do not want to wear this and the majority of what I witness are the so called "pros" - they wear their head to thigh "Team Sky" cycling gear, or their own club's kit but never hi vis.
Why do you want to go out for a weekend run on your thousand pound bike, your streamlined clothing and not do all you can to be seen? Especially on roads where there are trees or buildings that cast shadows on the road.
I just don't get it, I am not saying this would prevent all bike accidents but surely, surely you want to be seen? I passed a cyclist this morning, he had his front light on, flashing away even though it was 8am and broad daylight. But dressed all in black.
Most of my commute is on urban 30/40 mph road but there is one stretch which is 60mph and is maybe about 3/4 mile long but has two slip roads to the motorway from it. I hate that stretch with a vengeance and am so aware of every vehicle and what they might do. Not helped by the fact that the road bends away under a bridge as well so unless vehicles behind you have seen you in the distance, they can be up to 60mph and when they round the bend you are there!
Not sure how to share google maps but this might be it
www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.833379,-4.1013004,1726m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en
and its the A74 / A721 route that I go along.
Anyway, the nights are definitely "fair drawing in" and I reckon the bike commuting maybe only has a few more weeks left. Far too risky to be going along that stretch at night / in the rain.
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And another dual carriageway death
www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/tragic-cyclist-killed-busy-dual-4190821
looking at the pictures, it somehow looks to me to be that the cyclist has maybe been extremely unlucky to be hit by an out of control car as opposed to a direct collision between car and bike.
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>> I just don't get it, I am not saying this would prevent all bike accidents
>> but surely, surely you want to be seen?
>>
Helmet and hi-viz for me too when I'm on the road, and no I don't get those who wilfully make themselves as inconspicuous as possible!
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 10 Sep 14 at 16:49
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Further to my note on my cycle commute route and the part of it that I have most concerns.
Took the car in to work on Friday instead of bike and saw one of these 3 wheel recumbent bikes on the road. Something like this
www.flickr.com/photos/66067108@N08/sets/72157639685418735/
I don't think the guy had any disabilities so I really don't know why you would want to use this in commuting traffic where the only part of you that can be seen by most drivers (if you're lucky) is the flag hanging from the back of your bike!
Crying out to be driven over, lower than wing mirrors, just not in the normal line of vision.
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Thirty miles on the local lanes.
Bugbrooke>Gayton>Tifffield>Duncote>Adstone>Canons Ashby>Eydon then via nowhere to Cold Higham, deviation via Litchborough and the radar memorial to make up miles and back home.
Apart from the mile on A5 (see 'lunatic on dual carriageway' sub thread) ride almost car free. A few tractors, it's straw gathering time after all, but pretty sure I saw more cycles than cars.
Even the former B4525 route from Adstone to Canons Ashby was nigh on deserted.
Maybe our Isle is not so overcrowded after all.
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Alongside the old Surrey dual carriageways, built in the 1930s I think, there are pavements which may have been intended as cycle paths. Some of the single carriageways near here in Sussex have decent pavements, little used by pedestrians, which I would certainly use were I a cyclist.
If there's going to be a cycling boom, perhaps some thought could be given to building more of those. Much cheaper than roads, and a better place to put money than new mainline railways.
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>> Thirty miles on the local lanes.
>>
>> Bugbrooke>Gayton>Tifffield>Duncote>Adstone>Canons Ashby>Eydon then via nowhere to Cold Higham, deviation via Litchborough and the radar memorial
>> to make up miles and back home.
Don't think I would have got past Gayton, if the Eykyn Arms had been open!
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Pah ! Just about to set off to do a 28 miles off-road ride. None of this wussy skinny tyred, Lycra clad peasy easy old geezers Tarmac stuff. Mud, hillsides, river crossings, forest stages and some temporarily airborne sections. ( some of the latter will even be planned ! )
( Clarksonesque smug face in place )
One day I'll grow up,
maybe...
;-)
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>> One day I'll grow up,
>>
>> maybe...
Growing old is inevitable: growing up is optional.
8o)
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>> Thirty miles on the local lanes.
>>
>> Bugbrooke>Gayton>Tifffield>Duncote>Adstone>Canons Ashby>Eydon then via nowhere to Cold Higham, deviation via Litchborough and the radar memorial
>> to make up miles and back home.
You could drive to all of those.
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Chris is always an interesting read and as you can't see the pedals from behind, even if had orange reflectors on the pedals - my recumbent would still be illegal after dark no matter how many legal or otherwise lights it had.
As with modern car lights, the law is an ass.
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IIRC there used to be a requirement for reflectors on ( the spokes of) each wheel.
Has that been forgotten / dropped. Similarly a white reflector on the front ?
With the problem of fitting reflectors to pedals are there any other alternatives to reflective bands around ankles ? Maybe reflectors on heels of pukka cycling shoes ?
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>> IIRC there used to be a requirement for reflectors on ( the spokes of) each
>> wheel.
>> Has that been forgotten / dropped. Similarly a white reflector on the front ?
IIRC bikes are still required to leave the shop with reflectors in the wheels. They play hell with wheel's balance and add noise. And they do what for visibility? Maybe get caught in car's lights as you cross a T junction in front?
Funnily enough none of the nine bikes in my garage have spoke reflectors.
>> With the problem of fitting reflectors to pedals are there any other alternatives to reflective
>> bands around ankles ? Maybe reflectors on heels of pukka cycling shoes ?
Pedal reflectors do actually add a real safety benefit as they tend to flash but OTOH they mainly protect the brain dead who ride with no lights. If you've got a decent LED rear light that should be visible long before though so there's an argument that says pedal reflectors are an anti Darwin device for the unlit.
If you bother with 'pukka' shoes or or ankle bands you've probably got lights etc too.
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Every time I have bought a bike for the kids, I have had to remind the shop to fit the legally required reflectors front and rear! How hard can it be to remember a basic requirement like that?
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>> Every time I have bought a bike for the kids, I have had to remind
>> the shop to fit the legally required reflectors front and rear! How hard can it
>> be to remember a basic requirement like that?
Maybe you need to change your bike shop?
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new bike - Focusless
