road.cc Podcast episode 40 transcript

 

Hi, guys, and welcome to episode 40 of the Road CC podcast in association with lacquer. Now, this is a, an interesting episode. So first off we have an interview with Steve Abraham who is Kind of you, I'm sure many of you will know because of his ultra distance cycling records.

 

But we don't we briefly speak some about that. But actually the thing that we were most interested in is that he has essentially become a delivery rider. Because first it essentially he says he can get paid for riding. I know it's something that a lot of people thought about there's kind of increasing number of stories that we're covering around X-Pro cyclists or, you know, ultra distance cyclists, taking up to own a little bit of money.

 

So we thought it'd be really interesting to talk to somebody who had, you know, direct firsthand insight on what it was like what the challenges are and it's a really interesting chats. These really interesting guy, so Jack sat down with him a few days ago to discuss that. And then second part of the episode is, you know, going full nerdy.

 

We asked people to tell us what their favourite bike tool was And yeah, there's some interesting ones in there. There's a lot of good recommendations, there's some that I'm personally going to be looking out for myself and yeah I hope that you guys enjoy it. If you have your own favourite bike tool that you want to wax lyrical about just send us an email to podcast approad.cc and we will read it out for you.

 

I also had a really interesting conversation today which was completely unrelated to bikes, but turns out that he was a pod listener. So Will, if you're listening great to speak to you earlier and yeah, glad that you're a listener. And yeah, good to hear that. You enjoy it. So, without further ado, here is episode 40 of the road cc podcast ESOCiation with

 

You. So I am joined down the road TC podcast by Steve Abraham. Hi Steve. And, And Steve is just a little bit of a legend in the long distance. Ultra-cycling scene He brought the one month cycling distance rack, or back in 2016. That was over 6,700 miles. I believe, in, in 30 days, he's also made new What's that?

 

7,17,14 and it was. Oh, that was right. Yes, I think the article read we written, I saw it was at that and then you were about to do another 300. And so, yes, seven over 7,000, apologies, that missed a few hundred miles off and Steve's. Also made newest attempts on the of the year cycling distance record and for quite a while.

 

Now, Steve has used that talent for endurance to deliver food around Milton Keynes on his bike, working for companies such as delivery, overeats any documents the trials and tribulations on is very colourful Strava account. And, Stay. We got the idea to talk to you after we saw the Being as a pro Iron Man, triathlete.

 

Joe Skipper had decided to do some food delivery. This winter to top up his funds before the race season starts again, he's promising to be a fastest food. Courier there is with, with your ultra background. Do you it? Do you tend to up the pace or is it more leisurely?

 

And when you usually like a robot bike or to deliver, Why is it cheap? Hi everybody from Decathlon. And no, mostly on cycleways. Um, guardians know. And I don't do any long delivery, like trying to resource of responsible is actually make more money, okay? Do it. Delivered at school, three, four miles and get five or six pound for it.

 

Right? Literally. And over a packaged as a person standing right next to me and get three pounds for it, which I have done twice. So that's like a robot stand still and hand out packages and get frequent every time and you Michael miles and get fiverr. So that so that they don't really they don't really reward you for And then it's like the gains, get less, the more distant, you do of anything.

 

Yeah. Yeah and the other thing is okay, do that. So three or four mile trip And because of Different system because they'll give priority the motorbikes and cars. There's no chance of me getting another pick up straight. There I am. So I'll probably have to come all the way back again before even get a chance to get another pickup.

 

Whereas if I'm just, of course, remodel a while, I'll probably get another pickup straight away or a lot sooner. I can only get three pounds every 10 minutes, so five. Pounds every coordinates. Yeah, you got to know what you doing it and to make money. You can just do it for fun and get a bit money on the stories you know, just right in there so I'll get painted it.

 

Yeah, you're not going to make the big money. We look at my big money. Anyway. You're not gonna And innovation, you know, kind of innovations living If you don't pick the right job, you know what you're doing. We'll pick the right restaurants. Yeah, so it's it's delivery your own job now.

 

Or is it still like a side hustle? It on safe. If you're thinking of doing this of rude though, it's a side. Nothing first. And what we're but for me because my positive everything is like well, you know lesson 200 quite a week in that I'll cover everything. Now should it's plenty for me in a Milton Keynes is quite busy as well.

 

So as part of It overseas. So it does look me. But the average, your boy do is on Wednesdays. Are correct. Seven waste food from supermarkets. Oh, community fridges. Um, by seeing it paid to ride a nice big cargo bike, which right? I'll buy the fun. The money, I just make sure that on your Strava account.

 

Is that it's a turn turn, CSG, is that It's a turn GSD cargo bike. That's oh yeah. Carla Carla and trigger. He's a big piece of a trigger the bike in the train away about he goes yeah, that's before probably being on it. Only on the electricity. Right? And so you, I mean you were saying it's like, if you're gonna, if you thinking, oh, I like riding bikes.

 

I like, you know, this could be a good way to make a bit of extra money and and go for a quick ride. But I mean we've you've seen that, I don't know whether you've seen these videos, you get YouTubers who sort of, you know, they do like a day in the thing, like, oh, I'm gonna sign up to deliver and see how much money I can make in a day.

 

And that, the figures tend to vary wildly. There's somewhere like, oh, it's only it's not possible to make more than 20 quid a day delivery room, then and others saying you can absolutely coin it. So, what, like, I'm not asking you to tell me how much you earn but like what, you know, if I start off on delivery and I've got reasonable So that the town I live in is like a rally for reasonably large town, like 60,000 people, and quite heavily populated.

 

So I'd get a lot of those like quick deliveries. You know what, what would, what would be like a reason? In a day. Now, my basic runways unless I'm just going out to have a bit fun, you know, going out to learn. I'm not early morning, the ten or an hour I'll pack it in, right?

 

You know, if I want to learn from going out, you know, someone's just, I just enjoy doing it. That was good. I just go out and see, I forget anything. All the other thing I do is all going to the shop. Let's see for good giveaway. Take me to the shop.

 

It's got these tour and you get pretty cool quiz. To go somewhere. He was going anyway. But the other thing you do is if you I don't know, commute in right until from work. If you go out a little bit, oh yes, what's rap on? Instead of buying bus fare, you get by, can get paid to go to work or pay to ride home from work.

 

Yeah, I was shopping. Be Martian supermarketer on the road. Go to your shopping and make it back. Yeah. You get something, you know? You know, just at map on Sunday, Sunday just gone. And this more local shops under the room. Someone live around the corner from me. All the something Because there was a focus only got five.

 

And you know, help them off, providing back. Quicker than hoping out, not plug it at 5:00 for it. So it's yeah, you can't, you can't talk you your advantage, you've got a little bit of extra time that through these short trips on the bot. I just on the office, I'll see it or fishing.

 

That's something. I was a demands rubbish, you'll get nothing and the trouble. In Milton Keynes isn't most people do it in cars and motorbikes so it can be busy with a big boost on. We'll make nothing on the bike because all the deliveries you guys so you can sit there We've noted everything with this ain't moderate and demands moderate because it work or own, you can be busy maybe got money, right?

 

You can't make more money when there's no boost on sale one and after I was boost. So instead of getting rebound minimum fee away about 450. If you don't get any deliveries you might go money. Will there's a big demand on restaurants are usually slower. I wouldn't be got better.

 

I mean, lots of shortly libraries. Because the you'll turn up to a restaurant. The food's already waiting for, you haven't got white thing by Tommy waiting to four pound 50, you get a brief done soon for three pounds. My ship there, you mean, yeah, that's on. So is it?

 

There's so much to think about? And now, yes, there isn't you basically got a half a, if you want to really seriously think about doing it, just do it part-time as a slide article and say what the demands like when this busy then then do a die or so.

 

Probably not busy, then. Just sort of paper yourself, open it. Oh, just jumping with some things. The other thing you got what beware of is them, you know striker. It just disappeared overnight. No reason. That can't happen in. Yes. Yeah. Like what? So what do you like? Because I mean you've mentioned numerous things that suggest that it's quite precarious.

 

So yeah, I mean it's not the kind of thing, you know, I know you use and you because you're at you what you do deliveroo and then Uber Eats and and there is it steward as well. So sure. Yeah. You want to at least to it. If you want to, you know, make good money.

 

Yeah, you don't get invite you. You know, you And wisely, right? Jobs and pick right restaurants. Yeah, but you know you think you're gonna get rich, doing it, you're wrong. Yeah, you proper job. Yeah, so I mean what you were saying about they just You know, delivery just went from Australia overnight.

 

I mean, what, what did you think of the, you know, there was like, protest last year about that, they, you know, no one's money had gone up for years and the fact that, you know, delivery went on the, on the stock exchange last year. And a lot of couriers were there saying, well, we haven't got any employment rights and, you know, but I mean you've mentioned the good size which is the freedom, which, you know, you can be going to the shops and add a few quid.

 

Then the other side there is that, you know, you, you're not, you're not employee of deliveroo. I like, it's, it's full. Freelance work are suspect. So what what side of the fence are you that on? Do you think there should be an option to be employed by the courier companies?

 

Or do you think the freedom, it offers outweighs that the negatives? But what you want out of baby you want to get a proper job pages to ride a bike then go the pedal pedal me up in London or better than motion oxford. You know, all the work for a good company, have a good study income.

 

That don't do deliver room. But if you You know, it's like the ruin. Yeah. 30 busy. They're not rotten dirty businesses. It out like money or just sitting sitting around doing nothing. That's what they are. All right. That technology. People, it's just written a computer program, that's money for muster whole idea, and you're just collateral.

 

I need you to upright, if If I stop working, they don't care about you. Yeah they're not looking up you know they pretend to but I don't care about you. They're not good complete work or I just like the job. I, I guess I just show just how how little affiliation you have.

 

Yeah, I guess that goes to show because I go Yeah. I mean you're telling me this now that there are rotten company to work for and they don't like that and you you have that when you work for deliveroo. But I mean do you have them their logo on your back or do you use just like or use whatever bad but you Well, with sure pretty strict on.

 

What you do? They pay the best but you get six squid for a very short delivery but the thing is, if I stand up at a restaurant and strap is always on your phone by five, what I usually do delivering over McDonald's. You just minutes so except for the river, water fight for it.

 

Stop, you know, start delivering it and except one from Uber then mum delivering the real order. That everyone's be ready by time I get back. So do that then except one on deliveroo, who do you and just keep going that as long as I can. But with Stewart, they've got if you thought vanish from the restaurant go, somewhere else while you're supposed to waiting for the food.

 

I don't like that. No good, no, they'll sort of get rid of you but I don't tie you better, you get. That's why that's money. There's a boost you get us only one delivery. Yeah, if there's ago Stewart, work going on and there's a post on oh I'll just do wonder the ring its like money.

 

If If it's quite unsure, I'll just do a ruin over and show also like use their their branded bags. It'll just say the same. But the ruin over that a lot less nothing. Well I like said like I don't imagine like you're pretty, you're obviously not worried. There's gonna be any combat from saying that they're not the greatest companies to work for and that same time I guess that's the advantage of it.

 

You can say that and they don't care. As long as you do the deliveries quickly and efficiently. Yeah there's no they don't know. Economy. I'm under contract with the series. I accepted is a really once upon so delivered it. Yeah. And on yet what contract ended. Yeah, one very short contract after another Yeah, and it's, I mean what you were saying about that.

 

Prioritise car remote bike, driver car, drivers and motorbikes. It's because they just look at that and think, well, that person can deliver my food, but they're not thinking like, oh well, you know, the site the bike riders, it's better for the environment and for traffic. And this we're not adding graphic to the to our local area, but they clicked like clearly.

 

That's not the main consideration with but company just trying to deliver it's possible. By the way, whatever I think is in their interest more not being there, in just, if I think it is, they'll do it. We know they have it but we could do one delivery but a time window is five to nine or whether it was it's funny quick straight away, one delivery.

 

Yeah. Forward Rob rather than the Borrowers. I was actually the cars have equal priority than Then one 30 quid. Then he goes dead for the rest of the night so you might be 35 with now but go away. Now you, I'd rather be busy a week to make thousand.

 

You might have put it away. Point in London. It's a lot of hours but it can be done. Joseph Kendrick, which is something YouTube because go your Kendrick and Okay, Castle. As London, each of those I want. So, even watched up on YouTube about work, when I'm not doing it.

 

It become, he But just good fun, you know. Yeah. Oh I can. Keep swallowing adventures as well. They he does quite back and stuff really? I really like this. Coat. So, um, I mean do you think there's enough that the fact that deliveroo like with, you know, They climate crisis.

 

Do you think there's enough energy thing? That should be more pressure on companies like delivery route? Not to prioritise car deliveries We can fit all the pressure on that, I At money that making money. But then, yeah, whatever I think work for them. No, don't You can pressure, we like You know, change the laws and that's all Then you could be pulling another problem.

 

Please we've got my bikes. The natural bet. Best options and you go around cars. I mean yeah. The red wiser and they've in a very good. Milton Keynes is probably the best 30 to type in. Not mostly in spite read by. You just have got an options. You know, if moisture is haven't got any option, however or wrote a cars or nothing real games, you got horrible bedways, which is, you know, You know, right?

 

They're not that great, but they're not, that's terrible. I do work like you most prices not but don't always work and if you know your way around that, they're all right, talking when this. All right, is still real good fun. Yeah. Tommy Melton can't cuz there is, I mean the red ways in Milton Keynes.

 

It's that it's said it's it's segregated which is bad about. Okay. It's a lot more that they're being. So, the junction You still got naughtyunctions in that roads. You're looking you show with behind. You see, if there's something coming up with 71 hour, you know, dual carriage like yeah, it would, you know, when I was in the state.

 

So it, you know, mostly that's a segregate and not Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I guess they're a lot more inefficient but the bridge is another parties. Yeah, definitely. I've written I've written similar route with a power maker and For bound 360 and 170 watts. I can do 16 17 miles an hour on the road before they on the red way.

 

230 watts normalised. Algorithm reporting on our national is quiet. Yeah, people walking around you on the right. Accelerate even more. So, That's the difference in efficiency. Yeah, definitely. And So, I mean, what? What are some example, like, the you say really enjoy it. And it's good fun. I mean, is that What?

 

And a customer's generally. Okay. Yeah, you know, I don't have, I don't do any help with, it's not because I'm over about people drinking. It's just it's more hassle for me. Yeah, through the page checks. You know, got to check their ID, that's what I take photos and we're all that thing.

 

All that takes time. So, Yeah. For 9 more money and it goes wrong. If you don't check you don't check it right? I will we don't want you working for anymore that terminate your account. That risk for no reward event. And how do you find navigation? Do you do it with a phone and do you have like a particular mount that you prefer using is?

 

And is it always like bulletproof or is there times where you just can't lock on to GPS and Now he's a sort of industrial phones, got 10 and a half. Yes, and a half thousand milliamp batteries, right? All those 12 hours everything switched on and it's really the problem through phone.

 

And I use a runners of armbands traffic and wrist as if you put on your handle, was going to get battered around quite a lot. But there's a risk of you forget it. If you forget it outside of restaurants on what liquid. Well, Yes. And Mr. So water resistant phone as well.

 

And navigation, not Well, it's hilarious along the way around so, but you could pinpoint on the map where the addresses on I get there and you have a good thing about especially you, but I think I work out the thing by the shortest route, you can drive there and bought often because of the under parties.

 

There's really the shortcut that you get fee for doing while bike. Yeah, I get few extra pens for doing. Then the customers you quickly, right? It's I don't know the way around. So you think I'm it's it makes it makes a lot difference to know the area you're delivering.

 

Oh definitely. Yeah. Yeah. Because you know, it's like planning a bike room, you know you spend hours looking at Matt, you know you want to go link in your calls having all you get the map out. And I really don't wait, just go when it's the sort of one minute delivery, you don't want to spend.

 

So with it done in the room, you know, that's where it is. On your bike that couldn't go. Yeah. With regards. So with with like road safety and you see, you know, you hear some you hear horror stories about food, delivery drivers being and I think that was part of the reason with a protest last year is that, you know, if you have an incident when you're out delivering You've not got your employer to help you out there.

 

You've got no, no insurance that's paid for by the company. So, what again, you know, you think be quite pessimistic about what can actually be done to like lobby, these companies to do something, but is that like with road safety in general and just provisions for cyclists, what, what would you like to see to make your And your food courier riding safer.

 

But like, it's hyper for everyone. It's a problem around. He's not, it's not. There's a room over problems. The general problem was society, don't build a bite off and make it as inefficient times as possible. That's what I came today. No, but, you know, Milton Kingdom got 71 hour grit, right?

 

Oh, we got ever testing where you can drive a car running to the city to the other at 71 hour. Then we build a bite of, we'll put this obstruction in the way we're making up this. So they know good reason. Will give forward to the car parks and won't create and win this, you know, until done all the road.

 

The car parks and everything else and then we'll probably a little bit. Something the red wise. Now three weeks later, we've done anyway. That's the problem. This is the best thing you decide, you know, this is the best of the best in Britain, this, while along concerned, it's still rubbish.

 

That's the problem. It's not delivering things desiring. Don't Around to without cars. Yeah, what I think it might be that it was it's maybe amplified that that delivery riders, see it as a problem or because they're out on, they see it. Well, you see the problems because you're out riding all the time and you, you know, someone who just has one particular route that they ride or doesn't cycle very often might not see it.

 

But then when you rate when you really get to know an area and know the problems like and I mean, I live in in Bristol, which is seen as a A good cycling say for a long year and then when you're when you're yeah it's not good. Now when you when you see the things that Yeah, the best that are missing and the things that could be improved and it's more, but there could be someone living in breastly things.

 

It's great because they've got one very particular route that that gets them to where they want to go safely. You've got the Bristol about flight away. If you working Bob what you live, right? Next to the sideway which fantastic, I used it. Yeah, that's why. Yeah, way it work.

 

But then, when you need to go somewhere else. Well there's no fight away. He's got a big roundabout you know seven don't carried ways leading to it. Absolutely and sudden rotten just the same city. But the right way, is it bit of land? No one once was turning the point of suddenly with all four cycling, it's just on the trip and happen to be a good system.

 

Yeah, then you come for a big round about and they just standing around. Really bad junctions that negotiate. Yeah absolutely. And I mean so the other side of this I mean again I think it's just my personal days just because Food delivery current with the big deliveroo, rock sacks, and Uber Eats Roxacts, that delivery cyclists, and, and riders they're quite noticeable.

 

But He said, social media around, when you you ask people as well, you've got this stereotypical View of a delivery cyclist to a like, you know, cutting free, pedestrians and Rahulugan's. Yeah, I mean, what why do you think that? Do you think that? He's just because they're noticeable and the ratio is bad, you know, maybe, like impolite food delivery, courage is the same as the general population.

 

Yeah you any you know it's not real control of obviously you've got a bike. They're not interested in shortly. Most very few there are a few I know it really into something but you can't it's not good training or anything. It's not It's not the best way riding the bike.

 

I'll begin because you I special your primary focuses. Yeah, you yeah, you probably thought and the property folks at the right is getting places fast, isn't it? So they're not think they're not necessarily thinking about the surroundings. Yeah, but like to say that you don't make money right being fast.

 

Nothing like the best money. Go being small, but don't head to head. So he wants whatever better conversation about. You can and the most money in that so hours. No, no was rationing. He started ahead of me. You have more money than I did. You know, go ahead and just shorten everything.

 

Yeah. Maybe deliver only to hear that and they stop. Yeah. Give it. You know I think that's what I was thousand as well because I can do the longer ones. That's the other thing. If you're in a car, I'll still got money to run it. So Where do they work and all that money's mine, you know.

 

But that soon quit the tires and being during a car you got makeup. That's like Pulling the made any money or something. If you Audis and phrases doing it and got down and that. And I often two or three months, I think they get the bill for maintenance. Yeah there guys.

 

Who invite in one go? Yeah, yeah. I forget might be wanted you given priority because that's what side to it. Yeah, all about it. You're not tied to it especially if you've got a bike anyway, cost things to run than it. Absolutely, you're not full clear profit. Yeah. Yeah you was gonna get problems right by not a rules.

 

It followed really very well fashion is also it was Potassium is just as bad biking around. Yeah. And as well, you We got a delivery roadbots in the scooters that I Delivery robots. Get the starship right. We starship right now. Get it. I usually co-ops and off the coffees.

 

I said something like some reason. He told you. They're getting small, but let's go. Yeah, interesting. And before we wrap up stage just wrap up Steve and we haven't talked much about your Ultracycline is, have you got any have you done any? Like if you looking at anything for 2023 to get back into being a bit competitive or having a go another, another record Not records or anything.

 

I'm not doing some salvation actually I don't know what I just work, get back into you know, lost and we get the 1600 kilometre all taxes this year, that was But yeah, I just want to get back into riding and see how fit I'll get and see what races will get into the end of probably end of the season.

 

I'll fancy go access, but we're gonna get the money and fitness to do it and learn how to ride up. I want to off-road shut a lot more. With me to get away from cars have different as well but it always we knew CTC will cycling UK roots out.

 

Now you know, the right north style thing Alfred and all that but fucking sort of string lens together. A big monster route around Britain because Yeah. Well that's what she and keep smiling invention. He's not without a few weeks and some big you know that were 100 miles off road.

 

I want to try and I've gotten and that right uploaded in not very good, you know, best Still good fun. Yeah. Well, fancy off-road. By packings of racing pigging. Some, I've got this something next year because years funny 19's last season. Here, I think. This Paris fresh parish next year as well.

 

Do helping me out. There's only thing people that I do next year's delving, two people nine. Field of feels a night. You see your planning to do Paris, brass Paris. If you got have you quite have you? Oh we've got the qualification and Of the prequel for our in this year.

 

Yeah. So that means it'll be for me to enter it next year. Then should just miss our series. It's really sort of I'm not very necessary to the You know, be very large. I don't manage that. Right. Here's a big challenge for its best thing I've ever received inside doing everything the processar.

 

But now I couldn't do. And I'll be from maybe in that 30, 40 years old time them getting out, you know, But now, Great. And Thanks very much for talking Steve, that's very interesting. Not good. Cheers. Um, Right. We're right there. And yeah, this zoom calls going to end in like two or three minutes.

 

So yeah but and no. Thanks bro. That's already. Interesting. Got a learn some things about Latina delivery of it I might and yeah maybe I'll sign up. So then next time I go to the shop I can just deliver someone's someone's take away in the way home like And sit on your chance?

 

Yeah. Give it to finish and it. Yeah, it's appropriate. Nick Yeah, I didn't really think of it like that. Yeah, sounds cool, right? And thanks very much. Again, I'll leave. And I think we should be, we should be publishing this on, like, Thursday. So I'll drop you, the link.

 

And my own foot rule. Something up. Yeah. Tonight here on there or whatever. All right, cool. Thank goes. Well yeah definitely. Yeah. See ya.

 

In the next section, we asked several people what their favourite bike tool was Too tall. I have is a tricky one. I think like a lot of people, there's an awful lot of tools in the garage and in the workshop in the workbench. But I've come up with the tool that I've used 20 plus years has got to be probably the most used tool I have and that is the park tools PRS5.

 

Semi-pro time works, then it's foldables collapsible adjustable head, adjustable angle, I really have been incredible tool. I mean, it's seen so many versions of bikes that I've owned. My family have owned done. So many events for my previous employers, when I was standing in work standing in easy ups and fields.

 

Doing demos, it's travelled to countries. It's been to the hours between the Pyrenees, been to Scotland, been the Wales. And it really is a a really really useful tool for your garage The time that you finally decide to buy a work stand instead of hanging it from the saddle, getting your mate to hold up.

 

Will be played dividends in the, long run tuning, whether it's gears breaks. No. Need to turn your bike upside down for lots of things. You know, it really has been a fantastic companion. Almost, should I say. All right.

 

Hi guys, George here. So my favourite tool is one that I actually don't own anymore and I don't know where it went. There was one of those things that went missing and the fact that I still remember it, now shows exactly how lovely it was, and this was a design pedal spanner that I had Don't know what it was.

 

About it that I loved so much. It had this beautiful kind of polished, wooden handle. The weighed like it had, this really lovely weight. So every time you picked it up, you kind of, you really felt the quality of it. But the best thing about it was that it was so long that the amount of talk that you got through, it was just really good.

 

So you kind of get any pedal off. I remember I bought a bike from, basically a shed in Italy that hadn't had anything done to it in about 20 years. You know, all of the bolts were seized in the end. We had to use a heat gun to get the headset out.

 

Yeah, it was an absolutely state but the one thing I could get off with ease was the pedals, not because they were lessy than anything else. But because My amazing pedal spanner banished to get them off. Just Innocent. So yeah, I miss that every day. Pretty much and we've moved house since then.

 

I would have found it if I still had it. So I think Potentially, I must have learnt it to somebody a while ago. Who never got it back. If you're listening, please give it back. I miss it with all of my heart.

 

Hi, I'm Matt, and I'm one of the contributors for Road CC and off-road CC. Bike maintenance is something that actually really enjoy. So I get to use lots of different tools. And while I would recommend a really good set of Allen keys because it's something that you're going to use frequently.

 

Probably my favourite tool is a Pedro style lever. Now, at the moment I'm in the process of testing about 20 different tire sealants. So I'm using tire levers a lot. And I've used lots of different brands over the years but these it just absolutely perfect. They are strong. I've had a set now for over 10 years and they I've never not broken one once.

 

They, they also really cheap, you can buy a set of two for At five pound. So this time of year is a perfect stocking filler, and I've never had issues with them. They get stubborn tires on and off with ease. So, yeah. Just Nothing bad to say about them whatsoever and I really recommend them.

 

Next up, we have Liam Mercer who is Deputy tech editor for off-road CC? I reckon it's really tough to pick a favourite talk, but there are a couple of stand-up ones. So I'm a massive fan of being able to carry light, but still having everything I need. So, there's the design that CNC tubers drive, which is a small hand pump that acts as a pump, but inside of it, has got a full tubers repair kit.

 

So that's like the fork, some slugs, and a co2 with an inflator. So that covers everything that you'll need to repair tubeless tires with and it comes in one little package and that itself is awesome. And then the pump itself, you can still inflate on inflate and seats tires.

 

With that hand pump, so it's a super useful tool. But again for integration and I like to carry his list as possible. So, a lot of my tools end up on my bike. So, I'm a massive fan of the stash. All the granite design, stash RT system, Stash RT, specifically, because it's really nicely.

 

Designed a ratchet handled. Multi-tool of all the Allen keys and tox bits, and it hides inside your fork steerer. So if you've got a mountain bike fork, or a fork with an open, end it kind of acts as your staff angle nut and squishes the headset down. But of course there's multi-tool then.

 

Talk about stash system. That also includes handlebar hidden tools. So on one end of Mayan have or my own handlebar. I've got the I said really nicely made CNC chain breaker. And on the other side is again another, it's a full tubers repair kit. So what I'm not carrying about, I don't want to carry my designs CNC tubeless drive.

 

I've basically got everything I need on my bike ideal for like quick quick. Rise out of the house. A massive fan. Those are my favourite tools. Sorry I couldn't pick one.

 

Quite stead here. My favourite workshop. Tool is the Presta Cycle, Talk Key. These are a selection of six different talk tools. Ranging, through four, five, six, eight, ten, and 12 Newton. Metres. They're very simple tools, which you hold in your hand, their T-shaped and you can insert various different quarter inch bits into them, be their hex or talks.

 

I guess that's what the main main use would be, but you could use them for screwdriver bits as well. The talk function works by basically calming over. So as you tighten the fastening eventually get to a point where the device clicks in your hand so that the bit doesn't move anymore.

 

But that the handle does you get about 20 degrees of play in them and the click over is very obvious. Unlike some tools where it can be quite quiet. So you know exactly when you've hit the right amount of talk and you can then remove the tool job done.

 

But the key thing about the press to cycle, talk tool is that if you've got it wrong, if you're doing a stamina slightly out of alignment or bars and they're not quite at the right angle or a seat post, and it's a little bit crooked. You can immediately undo the fastener, whether it's talks or hex, or whatever that you just did up without having to take the talk tool out swap the bit, over into a handle, and then undo it, or grab another Allen key to undo it.

 

Most talk tools in fact, pretty much all of them. You can't undo talk fastenings, a talked fastenings. Whereas the Presta cycle talk tool, you can undo it as much as you like. Now you can't go to serious town on it and undo something that's obviously stuck that would be bad, but for undoing normal, fasteners, and then doing them back up again to the correct talk.

 

It's an absolute winner and I can't recommend these tools enough. You can buy them in bundles or individually. They're about about 17 to 20 quid each highly recommended

 

And there we have it, Episode 40 of the road CC Podcast in association with lacquer. Company for 40 episodes. It's pretty mad to think to be honest it's been pretty awesome so far. Hopefully the next 40 will be just as good. I know the next one in particular is going to be really exciting because we have our annual Christmas.

 

Tat guide, complete with Joe Bert. Who is the master of all things Christmas cycling related tat, including Almost certainly the dog taking a tad made out of bike. Chains comes up every year. I'm absolutely certain it's going to come up again. I think that the, that this episode, it's really interesting.

 

I thought, Steve's Insights into. Can't be essentially, monetizing cycling was really interesting and I think yeah, some of the things he was talking about really valid some of the yeah. Even though the there is a certain I don't want to say stigma, that's yeah, there is a certain feeling about Uber Eats and delivery and you know, employee rights are like kind of stuff he has, you know, he's got some really interesting points in there, you know, coming from the inside rather than us, who would you kind of You obviously outsiders, isn't it?

 

And then just that you know that fun little bit about That you know, our favourite tools is really interesting to hear what the guys said. And obviously of course we had to have Mike on it at the end because some sure most of you guys know he is the resident bike tool expert at Road CC.

 

A man who has Extensive knowledge about this and extensive opinions about bike tours. So it's really interesting to hear him talk about and yeah, the the talk keys that he's been using. So yeah, there we have it Episode, 40. I hope that you guys enjoyed. As always, if you want to get in touch, you can find us at podcast at road.cc or you can just search for us, on social media, just search for Road.cc.

 

So, until next time, So, for safe. Hi.

You.