Forum Replies Created
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I think part of the problem
I think part of the problem in NZ is (and this is not an attempt to justify dangerous driving) that speeding is rigorously enforced with zero tolerance. 1km/h over and it’s a $30 fine and 10 demerit points (you need 100 over a 2 year period to get a ban)
He does at least touch on the inequality of the equation: 30 secs of delay (if that) vs intimidating, maiming or killing behaviour.But the reference to ‘arrogance’ – can we rebalance this, please.
Dear drivers,
taking up the space of 4 bikes while you sit on your fat arse and belch life-shortening shit into the air is more arrogant than any behaviour you will encounter from someone on a bike, and that includes teenage lads who can’t see past their dangly bits, wheelieing down the middle of a stretch of road.
Cyclists don’t ‘think they own the road;. They’re on bikes – they are acutely aware of the dangers that the road holds for them. It’s lazy, polluting arseholes who drive when they could cycle or walk who exhibit ‘own the road’ behaviour. Much of what you perceive as ‘arrogance’ (taking primary, say) is borne out of self-preservation or slightly different (or – shit – occasionally better) behaviour on the road than you.
If you see a man dressed as Larry Blackmon and are intimidated by his muscular thighs and buttocks waving around on a bike, and see such behaviour as arrogant, I’m sure that says more about you than
mehim, and his ‘arrogance’.It also fails to show that most adult cyclists are drivers as well.
The worst close pass of my ride yesterday was an MPV with three bikes on the back on a really rather lovely Thule hitch mount. Blind bend on a crest on crap road surface leading into a 1/4 mile straight. Bloody half term tourists I’d imagine (two kids bikes on the back) – if you knew the road why would you bother overtaking there?
Just started using it, I think you might be on to a winner. Certainly created a buzz when it pops up on feeds, that’s how I found it. Useful for identifying all those wind-assisted PBs!Could you partner with Relive.CC – would be cool to add weather graphics to their post-ride flybys?
I guess there’s no practical way to add weather to past rides? The data is probably available – possibly Accuweather?
🙂 thanks.
Partnering is a cool idea I hadn’t thought of, thanks! Adding it to my todo list.
You can add weather to past rides. You just need to update them in Strava and Klimat will process them. I’ve added a period to the title before to get them to process. One of my todo’s is to add a ‘catchup’ feature that will add weather to all your old activities, but it isn’t at the top of my list.
Seems a great idea! I’m an old so-and-so, how do you update an old ride?
Find it, click the Edit button (pencil icon), make a small change (e.g. to title) and save it. Give it a few mins and it should update – just worked on a couple of mine.
Turns out that my local PBs weren’t wind-assisted which proves that it was Shiny/New syndrome – they were set on the first ride of an old bike I’d upgraded to Ultegra Di2. Still haven’t got near those times despite being nominally being fitter now than I was then!
Just started using it, I think you might be on to a winner. Certainly created a buzz when it pops up on feeds, that’s how I found it. Useful for identifying all those wind-assisted PBs!Could you partner with Relive.CC – would be cool to add weather graphics to their post-ride flybys?
I guess there’s no practical way to add weather to past rides? The data is probably available – possibly Accuweather?
🙂 thanks.
Partnering is a cool idea I hadn’t thought of, thanks! Adding it to my todo list.
You can add weather to past rides. You just need to update them in Strava and Klimat will process them. I’ve added a period to the title before to get them to process. One of my todo’s is to add a ‘catchup’ feature that will add weather to all your old activities, but it isn’t at the top of my list.
Thanks for the tip, will give that a go. I’ve got this one ride from a while back containing virtually all my local PBs, would love to find out if they were wind-assisted.
I’ve just set up a monthly donation 🙂
Just started using it, I
Just started using it, I think you might be on to a winner. Certainly created a buzz when it pops up on feeds, that’s how I found it. Useful for identifying all those wind-assisted PBs!
Could you partner with Relive.CC – would be cool to add weather graphics to their post-ride flybys?
I guess there’s no practical way to add weather to past rides? The data is probably available – possibly Accuweather?
IanEdward wrote:
Discs can squeal for other reasons than contamination. I rode and raced disc brakes both XC and DH for 15 years, so I know how to set them up and avoid contamination. The only thing that could possibly be contaminating them is road spray, and if spray from the road can contaminate a road bike brake pad that quickly I’d suggest it’s a bit of a flawed system! My theory is that mine just don’t get used hard enough or often enough to heat up, so on wet rides I’m effectively braking on cold wet rotors. Campag have attempted to address it with their new brakes, think the pads have some sort of anti-vibration backing or something.That’s a fair point actually – if you analyse your road riding braking isn’t a regular activity unless you’re commuting. On my usual long rural loop I barely touch the brakes until I’m back in town. With sintered pads on the tourer I find first application in the wet squeals but once in regular use it goes away. The challenge with vibration and anti-rattle springs is that they don’t work so well on a road bike as they do on a car. Cars always used coppaslip, metal backing plates and pad springs to hold the pads really close to the rotors. You just can’t do that accurately enough on a bike caliper without inducing rub, noise, and drag.
If you do shorten an existing
If you do shorten an existing chain, shorten it the opposite side from the existing link.
I’ve swapped to my winter wheels on my tourer which have a 30 rather than 34 big cog and I didn’t shorten the chain. No significant issues although shifting is a fraction slower.
If you’re riding year-round
If you’re riding year-round commuting, or your routes take in anything other than tarmac then go with discs. Preferably full hydros with sintered pads. Similarly if you’re riding carbon rims in real-world conditions (i.e. wet, without a pro mechanic to back you up) go with discs.
For all other applications rim brakes have their place. Cheap, light, easy to maintain. I’m 18st and I get enough power from my 105 brakes to stop safely in the dry from 30mph+, or my usual 20mph urban pace. That’s from the hoods or the drops.
When I was commuting I preferred discs but now I only tend to ride in the dry on flowing roads where I don’t have to brake much I prefer the simplicity of rims. Yet to try full hydro discs on cost grounds – because I know they’d then lead to a carbon wheelset purchase!
Load of bollocks. I’m
Load of bollocks. I’m commuting from Salisbury through Amesbury at the moment, the new estate is right on NCN45 and has excellent cycle paths. In the rush hour it’s probably slightly quicker by bike than it is in a car
How do you figure? A heavy rider will have more frontal area than a light one, so will experience more air resistance. Other things being equal, they’ll be slower as a result.A heavy rider is likely to descend faster than a light rider, assuming they have the same technique and bravery. I can’t think of many out and out climbers who are also good descenders.Personal experience. As a larger rider I overtake the climbing whippets on descents, and I don’t consider myself particularly brave. Sadly I’m left for dead on the climbs so it all evens out
A heavy rider is likely to
A heavy rider is likely to descend faster than a light rider, assuming they have the same technique and bravery. I can’t think of many out and out climbers who are also good descenders.Steel all the way for smoother and comfy compliance over alloy.It’s not quite as simple as that; I have a Kinesis T3 for commuting duties (made from aluminium) which is far comfier than the Van Nicholas titanium and Genesis steel bikes that preceded it. The Genesis in particular was like riding a farm gate, which surprised me, as I went for steel based on comments I’d read online about how comfortable it is, and I went for titanium after it based on comments I’d read online about how comfortable it is.
I’ve got a stainless steel Bowman Layhams. It somehow manages to be super-stiff (I’m well north of 120kgs and there is no discernible flex even mashing away out of the saddle) and super-comfy. Even running 25mm tyres on what passes for tarmac roads around here. I’ve had a number of aluminium bikes and it is by far the most comfortable bike I’ve ever owned. You won’t notice much difference on smooth tarmac or gravel but in my experience as soon as the tarmac has been dressed or had a couple of hard winters the road buzz creeps in with aluminium frames.
Of course, if you’re intending running big tyres frame comfort plays less of a role. Once you’re up in the low 30s, particularly on lower pressure tubeless tyres, I’d suggest that frame compliance doesn’t affect comfort that much.
I had an Ounce Triple on my
I had an Ounce Triple on my Triban 3. Perfectly functional chainset but I wouldn’t say it was any better than Tourney, other than slightly better looks. You could get a Tiagra triple (or even a 6700 Ultegra) but I’m not sure if the pull is the same in the Microshift shifters.
I did some proper offroad riding today on a 14kg road bike on 40mm tyres. On the whole it was fun – instead of drivers close-passing me I had suicidal squirrels and pheasants to avoid. Bike coped surprisingly well 🙂
They’re quite different bikes
They’re quite different bikes geo-wise. The 56T Secan stack is a substantial 3cm higher than the 56mm Bokeh for similar reach, so that’s significantly more relaxed and upright. You’ll definitely notice the difference.
Do you have known-good road bike fit measurements available? Certainly in my experience if you give Dom from Fairlight your fit data he’ll find the right size frame for you.
Of course your final position can be tuned with stem length, flipping stems, that sort of thing. The Fairlight bikes have plenty of exposed steerer tube for you to find the right height.
For the gravel bike idea it
For the gravel bike idea it might be better to just sell the 500 and buy the 100 bike (silver frame, black decals).
You have lots of challenges upgrading the components – you could go to a double but you need to find out if the Microshift levers are compatible with the derailleurs. Shifters pull a certain amount of cable for each gear, and it needs to be the right amount of pull. So you need to find the specs of the shifters and then match it to the front and rear derailleurs.
Then there is the wheel compatability – what speed cassette will the freehub take?
