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Widespread availability of
Give me widespread availability of cleats throughout Europe, and a guarantee that the company won’t go out of business next week leaving me with a set of pedals I can’t get cleats for. Only then would I even consider swapping in place of Shimano.The anti-electronic argument
The anti-electronic argument reminds me of a similar debate back in the 80s when those unreliable carburettors and contact breaker ignitions systems which you coud fix yourself were replaced by sealed electronic ignition and fuel injection, to the cries of “oh, but what happens when it goes wrong”. We soon found that there were no more flooded carburettors, no more wet weather starting problems, or contact points to replace and tweak, whilst the electronics for the most part last the life of the car. As for missing a ride because your batteries are flat?? Is that really a thing? My only experience of electronic shifting is SRAM, which gives me various warnings (message on my computer plus red led’s) long before the battery condition is so low as to cause problems. I have however been stranded by a cable break on a mechanical system.
With disc brakes however, I find these a complete PITA, and high maintenance. My old Ultegra rim brakes just worked, simple as that. I moved to disc this year, and along with most of my ride buddies using discs, SRAM or Shimano, I face the ongoing challenge of trying to keep the discs quiet, while the pads last 25% of the time of my rim pads and cost more to replace. I would happily return to rim brakes.
I guess the big question as a leisure rider who rides a high tech bike, is do all the expensive innovations make me enjoy my riding more? In all honesty, probably not.
Sorry, don’t have any experience with SRAM pads on road bikes, but I’m more interested in what pads you’re using to get 20000km from rim brakes?With disc brakes I usually get 5000-6000km from a set of Shimano Icetech resin pads, although I’m 88kg and live in a hilly area. Your mileage may vary but yours sound OK to me.
My riding is mountainous, around 7000km per year with 130,000m of climb, in a dry climate. My now, standby bike, came fitted as new with Ultegra rim pads and DT Swiss wheels. At 30,000 km, the bike is half way through it’s second set of pads. My new bike with discs will need new pads before 6000km.
Interestingly, chain wear has moved in the opposite direction. I used to change my 11 speed chains at around 4000km, but at 5000km the Red Flattop chain is still easily passing the 3 point chaingauge.
Can you supply a source, please? The only people I see reporting this in France are The Local, and I think they’re mistaken – it seems to be Belgium that is making this change, not France.Yep, my source was The Local, under the heading “Understanding The New French Traffic Laws”. No mention of Belgium.
“However, currently there is
“However, currently there is no independent assessment of helmets used on UK roads, leading to consumers’ confusion. The objectives of our research at the HEAD lab, Imperial College London, are to: 1) develop a research-led method for rating bicycle helmets,”
I would argue that there IS independent assessment of helmets (though not necessarily in the UK), and we need another “research led method for rating” like we need a hole in the head (no pun intended). We already have Virginia Tech and the Research Institute of Sweden with established methods and rating for those interested, and a further test method is merely going to add to confusion, rather than resolve it.
As for any validity of such testing? In various career roles I have been involved in lab testing of both fast jet pilot helmets under ejection conditions, and fall arrest systems for people working at height. In both cases, a coach and horses could be driven through established test standards by making very small changes to the test conditions (angles, speeds etc). In simple terms, safety devices are designed to pass a specific test (eg ISO or Mil), rather than necessarily to meet a wide range of real world conditions. This was well illustrated with the death of a windfarm worker in Scotland in 2007 where his fall arrest system passed every test standard going, but failed to arrest a fall under a very common fall orientation.
The biggest problem with
The biggest problem with ultra cheap (£200) bikes IMHO is the quality of components used rather than the frame itself. This is especially true for everyday use, where you will very soon find corrosion setting in, starting with a stiff chain, moving on to sticky derailleur and brake action and finishing with nuts and bolts being hard to remove. As others have said, a little used bike from a proper manufacturer built with half decent components can be had for your budget, and give much more reliable service for years to come than a bargain basement new model with low quality, and in some cases unbranded components. Look for a Tiagra, or if you are very lucky 105, groupset with frame manufacturer almost being a secondary consideration.TheBillder wrote:
Perhaps, from a very long time indeed to even longer… I’m still waiting for my first set of spd cleats to wear out and would worry more about mis-aligning the cleats when transferring.
This! I’d guess I change my cleats around 12000km. Life of mine is more related to wear during walking, even though I never walk far, and avoid walking on gravel if possible, so there would be no benefit in swapping. A tenner in 12k km is not worth worrying about.Edit: Maybe I should add that my typical 80km rides are non stop, so I undoubtedly unclip less than an urbanite!
Rich_cb wrote:
Yet your own referenced data shows that wind output peaks in late afternoon (17:00) in the UK, is well past peak by the supposed start of your “18:00 – 20:00” peak, and these “night peaks” of which you speak are a red herring.
Having said that, even your own referenced data from a researcher at Strathclyde Uni, and averaged over a year, differs markedly from a more comprehensive 34 years worth of data published by Oxford, and which accounts for seasonal variation (your reference admits to this omission) which you will find here. https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/publications/downloads/sinden06-windresource.pdf
And which shows the daily peak at 14:00 for most of the year, and typically has dropped by 1/3 by your supposed “18:00 – 20:00” peak!
This is actually quite convenient as UK electricity consumption peaks in late afternoon, just as wind is at its peak, and is at a minimum in early morning (4:00) when wind output is at a minimum.
OK, so why the difference between the Strathclyde data and the Oxford data ? Well the answer is in your own paper. Your paper shows data for 3 different years, 2011, 12 and 13. 2013 is clearly different. The 2011 and 2012 data from your own paper fits closely with the Oxford 34 year average, showing peak at 14:30, and significant evening drop off. It is the 2013 data, which shows unrepresentative evening performance (by the standards of the 3 datasets presented) which you chose to illustrate a bogus point. Andy even then, you misrepresented the time of the peak. Pretty shabby!
Your paper looks at onshore wind speed. The data I referenced looks at overall wind power.
Given that most new wind capacity is now built offshore your data is not necessarily relevant.
The peak time for wind power varies considerably between regions so it seems reasonable that it would also vary between an onshore measuring point and a distant off shore wind farm.
As off shore capacity is being added rapidly it may be that the 2013 data represents a shift in peak generation time caused by new off shore capacity or it may be a blip.
Either way it doesn’t change the fundamental point that night time EV charging is less CO2 intensive than day time charging.
You’ve missed the point. The peak wind speed acceding to the paper YOU referenced is not where you said it is. You said the peak was between 18:00 and 20:00. It isn’t for any of the 3 years the paper discusses. 2 of the years peak at 14:30. The 3rd at 17:00. YOUR data does not support YOUR argument, not even 2013. The peak of your graph is not where you said it is. Learn to read a graph, then your argument may have more credibility.Regardless of how you feel personally about the suitability of an EV as a replacement for your own ICE powered car right now, EVs are here to stay.https://europe.autonews.com/sales-market/ev-sales-surge-uk-market-down-2-august
Summary: Full EV now 3.4% of market share, increasing sales by 378% over the year to August 2019 against an overall drop in UK car sales of 1.6% in the same period.
…..except that the underlying data from SMMT which the article references doesn’t support the conclusions of the article. Current data to October, shows that full electric (BEV) only makes up 1.4% market share YTD. Overall change YTD is a still respectable 125%, but a long way short of the 378% you have quoted.
By far the biggest percentage increase is non-plug in Diesel Hybrid vehicles, which has increased by 796% YTD.
To add some context, the total sales of full electric (BEV) cars YTD is only 28,259, against a total of over 2 million cars.
Hybrid cars, for anybody who wants to drag around 2 engines and 2 fuel sources, still vastly outsell full electric cars.
So yes, the numbers are encouraging, but the article is telling porkies.
You’re wrong. …….Wind output in the UK is stronger in early evening/night peaking at about 1800-2000. Wind makes up a far larger share than solar (Which is obviously stronger in the day.) Wind capacity is growing rapidly so the evening/night peaks/
Yet your own referenced data shows that wind output peaks in late afternoon (17:00) in the UK, is well past peak by the supposed start of your “18:00 – 20:00” peak, and these “night peaks” of which you speak are a red herring.
Having said that, even your own referenced data from a researcher at Strathclyde Uni, and averaged over a year, differs markedly from a more comprehensive 34 years worth of data published by Oxford, and which accounts for seasonal variation (your reference admits to this omission) which you will find here. https://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/publications/downloads/sinden06-windresource.pdf
And which shows the daily peak at 14:00 for most of the year, and typically has dropped by 1/3 by your supposed “18:00 – 20:00” peak!
This is actually quite convenient as UK electricity consumption peaks in late afternoon, just as wind is at its peak, and is at a minimum in early morning (4:00) when wind output is at a minimum.
OK, so why the difference between the Strathclyde data and the Oxford data ? Well the answer is in your own paper. Your paper shows data for 3 different years, 2011, 12 and 13. 2013 is clearly different. The 2011 and 2012 data from your own paper fits closely with the Oxford 34 year average, showing peak at 14:30, and significant evening drop off. It is the 2013 data, which shows unrepresentative evening performance (by the standards of the 3 datasets presented) which you chose to illustrate a bogus point. Andy even then, you misrepresented the time of the peak. Pretty shabby!
I’m surprised that no mention
I’m surprised that no mention has been made here of the environmental damage being done by Lithium and Cobalt mining. This ranges from contamination of land and watercourses in Tibet due to Chinese Lithium mining, to lowering of water tables in areas of Chile due to the vast amounts of water used in Lithium extraction, and the horrific illnesses among children employed in Cobalt mines in the DRC. It is ironic that a couple of hundred years after we stopped sending children down coal mines in the UK, we are supporting the use of children to mine horrifically toxic Cobalt, through our hunger for rechargeable devices. (Yes, I know Elon Musk has signed up to source his Cobalt from ethical sources, but I doubt that message has filtered down through the layers of importers, exporters and metal merchants, to the guy who drives a pickup truck round villages in the DRC collecting sacks of the stuff to ship off to China.)
I’ve always thought hydrogen was the answer, as it is considerably cleaner than any current battery technology. If we want clean, we are backing the wrong horse. While there are now a few hydrogen vehicles on sale (most notably the new Hyundai), I doubt there will be the appetite to roll out hydrogen infractructure in addition to chargers.
But hey, we are building a new runway at Heathrow, we are very likely to cancel HS2, and we subsidise air travel to the extent that short haul flights are a third the price of going by train. Does anybody seriously think any political party gives a damn about the climate?
CXR94Di2 wrote:
Pulling up should generall be avoided
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/fitness/training/how-to-pedal-efficiently-173185
I don’t agree with that analysis. Just pressing down from 3pm to around 6pm wastes alot of potential to apply more to the power stroke. Pushing over the top of the pedal stroke and pulling back and up a little increase force over a wider arc. I personally found it reduces particular muscle stress whilst increasing cadence.
I spent a whole winter on the turbo learning to improve my pedal action and cadence.
I may not be more powerful in higher threshold, but I can sustain my power for longer
It’s an odd article if it is intended as a scientific analysis. The terms “maximum power” and “maximum efficiency” are used interchangeably. They aren’t the same thing. Not even close! For me, pulling up is more about using different muscle groups to aid endurance. I live in France, and my cycling is all about big climbs. If I’m grinding away for half an hour or so, I suffer less fatigue if I use more of the pedal stroke.CXR94Di2 wrote:
I’m an EV convert. I have been using a 40KW Nissan Leaf for 18 months. We have driven 30000miles. Our electric is sourced on renewable tariff. We have moved over to Tesla now, the eldest gets the NissanThey may not be the perfect, solution but are a step in eradicating ICE vehicles. Also they go like stink and are super smooth to drive.
I have to agree on the driveability. I recently had an i3 for a day, and despite being an ugly duckling, was great to drive. And if you stick to urban and motorway use, the infrastructure is getting there. But last time I looked at places I might want to go on holiday, like the Highlands of Scotland, or the alps, charging options seem to be limited to random hotels.We have a 15 meter extension lead plus the 5 meters of charger lead when stopping at remote places. plug it in to wall socket. We are going beyond Inverness in our Tesla, the nearest Supercharger is Inverness. after that we will use 13amp plug
Interesting, didn’t know that was doable. How long for a full charge from a wall socket?CXR94Di2 wrote:
I’m an EV convert. I have been using a 40KW Nissan Leaf for 18 months. We have driven 30000miles. Our electric is sourced on renewable tariff. We have moved over to Tesla now, the eldest gets the NissanThey may not be the perfect, solution but are a step in eradicating ICE vehicles. Also they go like stink and are super smooth to drive.
I have to agree on the driveability. I recently had an i3 for a day, and despite being an ugly duckling, was great to drive. And if you stick to urban and motorway use, the infrastructure is getting there. But last time I looked at places I might want to go on holiday, like the Highlands of Scotland, or the alps, charging options seem to be limited to random hotels.pastyfacepaddy wrote:
I’m quite surprised by the degree of whatabouttery and misinformation being floated around on here with regards EV’s. .
This from the same guy who said lithium is produced commercially from seawater!
