Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
I’m hoping that when the
I’m hoping that when the government updates the law on distracted driving to include filming and other such on a handheld, that they stick a no handsfree clause in there too. Pretty much unenforceable, but could be used in the event of a crash. I believe the French have done something like this.
Coherent message sending.
I’d like to see more seizure of phones if drivers are actually caught on them. Drunk drivers are not allowed to continue driving when drunk. Forensic examination and all that. Taking away that precious phone would hit the addicts pretty hard. And keep the rest of us safe for at least the rest of their journeys.
Instant bans for drivers over the limit too, a bit like holding people on remand.
What I would have liked to
What I would have liked to have seen, apart from the relevant ban for this man’s complete inability to demonstrate his skills of being able to control a motor vehicle in a legal manner, even with the knowledge of having 9 points already on his licence, would have been to perhaps accept the ridiculous “hardship” argument, but with the provision that the points given in this particular lawlessness were “golden” points and that until they had disappeared from his licence any instance of being caught whilst driving in an illegal manner would result in an instant 2 year ban.
But driving, it’s a right not a privilege.
Jack, why ex cyclist?
Jack, why ex cyclist?
You have the rest of your life to get back on the bicycle, why make up your mind so soon?
Please take care, mentioning anything to do with “helmet” here is like shouting FIRE in a crowded theatre.
The smarthead on the
The smarthead on the masterblaster is a thing of magical beauty (how does it know?) and I have one on my Joe Blow DeLuxe, and may buy the very bling full metal version when that dies.
But the masterblaster is a tiny volume pump, great to have in the bag at all times, whearas the Microfloor is a small trackpump and delivers a far better quantity of air. It does hurt the hand a bit though. And the hose does stop a bit of the potential damage that can be caused to the valve and by stick pump directly connected.
The screw on valve chuck is a much smaller and lighter system than a full chuck head with lever, which is why it gets used more I suppose. Generally easier to seal too, especially when pumping from full deflation.
When going for a good ride I
When going for a good ride I take out my Lezyne microfloor pump (high volume) which is one of those whose chuck has a reputation to remove the core upon unscrewing. Recently gone tubeless on 3 inch rubber, if I ever do need to use it (and it is my leave at work pump too) I will give the valve core a quick tighten before pumping. That’s my plan anyway, made in comfort on a dry, cleanish and well lit sofa. The smarthead on my Topeak Masterblaster works very well, but pumping large volumes of air can be somewhat a bit tiresome (my apologies).
Does using the little pressure release button on the chuck reduce the chances of valve core removal on Lezyne hosed pumps? The original plastic screw chuck did not have one but the flashy gold anodised one does, until now I have found the button to be mostly annoying.
I have ridden at least axle
I have ridden at least wheel spindle deep through on road floods. No electrics, no exhaust and no engine air intake to block. Rode past many stranded cars, vans and big, soft roaders. Past old bill telling me to turn back too, but I needed to get somewhere urgent on that occasion and couldn’t make the massive detour. MTBs, onto granny ring and push onwards. Once your feet are soaked it stops mattering that much. Top of the crest of the road is best, and if nothing else is moving why not. Stay well away from the gutter and kerb. The only real danger is missing manhole covers, if the front wheel drops then be prepared to dive to the side, I guess. That and look for upwelling water. A bit safer than walking though, where you might want a testing stick.
I’d have to think about fast flowing water these days, especially from the side, but there is not that much surface area to push you, and you are not going to float away like cars can. In the past I have attempted off road river side paths, being very careful and on paths I have known very well. Good lights do help here, and darkness. The last time the Thames flooded I did err on the side of caution and diverted through Reading town, enjoying the carmaggedon that one bridge being out caused. But I just didn’t want soaking wet and cold feet then, it had stopped raining.
Riding past stranded motorists who judged it wrong is wonderful, there’s one in the video.
The cyclist riding through the flood is a tradition of flood videos as is the local canoeist.
Apparently the Rohloff doesn’t like the total immersion thing so I might have to be a bit more grown up now, but there is something of a childlike glee in going knee deep on the downstroke, big grin.
There’s always the postal
There’s always the postal entry option, that’s just the cost of the stamp and nothing for the production company. Takes more effort though.
Agree partly with Podc,
Agree partly with Podc, though I wouldn’t want to use a dirt attractant, these days I use Finish Line’s PTFE spray to keep my very old XT STI shifters going.
http://www.finishlineusa.com/products/specialty-products/pedal-and-cleat-lubricant
No, but I did just go and
No, but I did just go and look at his website and the gallery. His brazing looks gorgeous.
Road.cc have featured this bike
https://road.cc/content/news/108476-morvelo-and-chickens-frame-emporium-collaborate-new-bike
I think it popped up in the
I think it popped up in the live blog and on a forum thread.
I’m sure it’s one of the first things that this utter shambles of a government sorts out, that and the upcoming review into road safety.
You know, after they sort out the easiest deal in the world.
You could always ask them, be
You could always ask them, be nice about it, explain it to them.
My LBS, with whom I’d been building up a bit of a relationship with, wheelbuilding, I can do most spannering, but I needed 26 inch rim braked rims, the first couple ceramic, quest to find those, and NOS non disc XTR hubs. Things that a bike shop cannot source, you can’t expect them to bid on Ebay after all. Then I found 3 mavic xc717s, onto touring non disc XTs. The mechanic even found me a new front wheel, already built on a german bike site. It’s about trust, I suppose.
They have just built me my new bike, Surly, Rohloff, hope front hub and disks, chris king headset. Took a while, some problems. If Ison had it, they’d get it. Some parts I bought. Xtr bb, middleburn cranks, jones bar. I JP Weigled the frame, he built most of it, I did the finishing when I got it home. I found the specific tyres I needed, he set them up tubeless and built the front wheel. I think we were all pleased with the result, at least I very much hope so. I have been making them cakes all summer.
I wouldn’t expect anyone but me to create a full length Nokon gear to a rohloff, bathing everything with ACF 50. Hour and half of threading for each cable, and messy. But I’m not going to fit a headset (not anymore) or make me a wheel, and I’ve always had various LBSs tension and true my wheels, no matter where I got them from. Oddly enough the wheels made at this LBS have never needed trueing, and the first set of non ceramic 717s died before going out of true. At some point I’m going to have to move, I will miss them.
I’ve never wanted anything done in a hurry, and I’ve never demanded a discount. I also understand that the mechanics have a lot less to do in the winter months and so bike shops are more ammeanable to do work on stuff you’ve purchased somewhere else then, but at the same time I wouldn’t want to take the piss. I think I have gravitated to LBSs that have understood my particular obsessions.
Fluffy and Hirsute, Gary Hart
Fluffy and Hirsute, Gary Hart fell asleep while driving whilst towing a range rover on a motorway, eventually came to rest blocking a fast rail line, derailed an express train and killed 10 people on board. He still denies he was doing anything dangerous, blames everyone but himself.
Drivers I worked with at the time were saying how they had fallen asleep at the wheel before, can’t be dangerous, why weren’t there more barriers on the motorway? But more barriers on the motorway would have meant more dead on the motorway, massive pile ups and all that. Cancer medic (whose job was to try and save people with arse cancer) was blaming the hospital for making him drive tired, no personal responsibility there at all.
They had obviously never felt the mass and solidity of a motor vehicle on an essentially naked and unprotected human body.
They had never gotten back from working a late at McDs, to meet their parents who were off to hospital to have to perhaps identify their son, killed on the way home. No ID, the old bill had phoned McDs, uniform in the bag. Could have been 2 people, not me (of course), bloke called Mark Malone, knew him from school, I’d been riding home that way a year, year and a half. He’s been riding home about 3 weeks, still a green badge. I couldn’t go to the funeral, couldn’t let his parents see me, the person who pure odds said should have been the one killed. I saw his lights lying on the road (A30) as I rode past Camberley cinema up the strange slip road, redirected. There was sand on the road there the next day as I went to work. I’m guessing his head must have been mashed in, no description to the managers, quick at least. Hit and run, probably drunk.
That and me being run over too many times are the reasons I’ve never learned to drive. I just can’t do that to people. We all make mistakes, best not to be in charge of tonne of metal at speed when you do.
I saw an interview of a bloke in prison many years ago, (Thomas Munch-Peterson, the correct search terms and the internet) tried to get a mint from his jacket on the back seat while driving on the motorway, crashed and killed 3 people, one of whom was pregnant, he just could not accept what he did was in any way dangerous. I was screaming at the TV at this point, how many more people do you have to kill before it becomes “dangerous”.
There is something about driving.
Why else would a councillor when asked about dead ponies start having a go at cyclists. Do you reckon he drives a Jag or a Range Rover?
That does make perfect sense,
That does make perfect sense, but that’s not the law, that’s a interpretation and simplification of the law, nice and easy to understand, the actual law, as passed by parliment will be ridiculously complex, that in reality only judges, barristers and soliciters have any real chance of understanding. Many pages, hundreds of paragraphs and very technical, in a legal way. My take on it anyway.
Because it’s those pesky
Because it’s those pesky cyclists you really have to worry about.
There should be no play in
There should be no play in the cassette, you shouldn’t be able to move them with your fingers, but on rotating the cassette there could be some movement as not all of the teeth are in line to aid with shifting.
I am impressed you have a torque device that can get up to 40.