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this particular piece of “fury” appears to have resulted from the firecrew having to walk ~50m in order to help some thick plank who’d locked themselves out.
Am I the only one who wouldn’t even have considered calling a firecrew (rather than paying a locksmith a no doubt exorbitant sum of money) if they’d locked themselves out? I can’t decide if that makes me a responsible citizen or a spendthrift fool.
I have a similar issue – I’m
I have a similar issue – I’m planning to ride a circular route from a different start point. I tried editing it in a free RidewithGPS account. It’s possible, but very fiddly – I had to basically delete a little bit of the end of the route, then move the start of the route backwards, over and over until I had got the start / finish to where I wanted it on the loop. There must be a better way. I’m also not confident that my re-routed section is completely accurate. If you just want to add a section to get from your location onto your friend’s route though, this is doable.
I am probably going to do what Judge dreadful suggests instead – I assume that when I hit the route the Garmin will recognise it and direct me from wherever I join it, even though it’s not the designated start point… If not, I have my cobbled together version as a backup.
If I’m likely to see a lot of
If I’m likely to see a lot of cyclists (e.g. in town, on my commute) then not generally, though there are a few familiar faces I’ll chat to at lights etc. Out on the open road where there are fewer cyclists (and people generally) around then usually, yes. Similar rules for walking really – I don’t say hello to everyone on the high street or in the local park, but do when further from “civilisation” and you may only meet a handful of people in a day. I agonise over the appropriate way to pass other cyclists though – I worry that no matter what I say it sounds like I’m being smug about overtaking them.
Rule 66 could do with more
Rule 66 could do with more work, but that’s exactly what the consultation is for. Also, as you note, the Highway Code is a package and different rules have to be read together. Better work has been done on the complementary rules more relevant to motorists, e.g.
[quote Rule 213]On narrow sections of road, at road junctions and in slower-moving traffic, cyclists may sometimes ride in the centre of the lane, rather than towards the side of the road. Allow them to do so for their own safety, to ensure they can see and be seen. Cyclists are also advised to ride at least a door’s width or 0.5m from parked cars for their own safety
[/quote] [quote Rule 163]give motorcyclists, cyclists, horse riders and horse drawn vehicles at least as much room as you would when overtaking a car (see Rules 211 to 215). As a guide: ─ leave a minimum distance of 1.5 metres at speeds under 30 mph ─ leave a minimum distance of 2.0 metres at speeds over 30 mph
[/quote]It’s not presumed liability
It’s not presumed liability but, to be fair, it does propose introducing an express concept of a hierarchy or road users ~bigger vehicle more responsibility
I’m still looking for the
I’m still looking for the holy grail of saddle bag / jersey packing. Currently using the Castelli Mini mentioned below (currently only contains a tube though could fit tool and levers too) together with a Velo Culture pencil case (upcycled inner tubes, also mentioned below) which takes tool, levers, keys, money and would fit a phone too. Neither of them is full in this arrangement, but I couldn’t get all of the above in just one of them.
I run Marathon Plus on my
I run Marathon Plus on my commuter. The first pair lasted me ~6 years, using them mostly 5 days a week for a central London commute in all weathers. In all that time, I got only one puncture, and that was a nail which went in one side of the tyre and out the other! So I haven’t had to remove them much, but I’m pretty sure I got the replacements (some more Marathon Plus) on by hand. It probably helps both fitting and puncture rate that mine are quite large (35c I think). They are probably a little dull to ride, but fixing punctures on my bike (single speed, rear facing dropouts, mudguard fitted) is a real faff and I only use it for commuting, so I’m happy with the compromise. On my weekend bike I’ve found Grand Prix 4 Seasons pretty good.
In my experience, the Met
In my experience, the Met will let you know if they’re issuing a NIP or taking no further action, but won’t proactively update you any further unless it’s going to court and they need you as a witness. They have however replied to me without demur when I’ve actively asked for the current status / outcome of reports I’ve made. E.g. I sent them a table of multiple reports and they happily gave me status updates on all of them in one go.
I have a 5800 groupset. I
I have a 5800 groupset. I needed new chainrings and, as I’ve managed to rub the the paint off the cranks with overshoes, I looked into changing the whole crankset. My LBS couldn’t get me a 5800 crankset, and told me that swapping it for 7000 would require a new front mech too. If there are compatability issues between 5800 and 7000 then I expect the switch from 5700 to 7000 will be tricky.
Early in lockdown, early in
Early in lockdown, early in the morning on otherwise deserted country lanes, I saw a horse and rider approaching me from a distance. I slowed to a crawl, soft pedalling as I know some are not fans of a noisy freehub. When I was still a good 100 yards away, the horse reared up, so I stopped entirely. The rider dismounted and walked the horse back the way they had come. I gave them some time before carrying on on my way, and realised they had returned to the stables they had only just left, so I never got to talk to them. Like you, I was left wondering if there’s anything I could have done better, so I contacted the stables later that day. Apparently it was the horse’s first ride on the open roads, and the rider clearly didn’t think it was worth continuing after that.
Haven’t done it myself, but I
Haven’t done it myself, but I have seen someone use a standard rear light strapped to the chainstay and pointing at the ground to similar effect – it produced a surprisingly effective and conspicuous red pool of light around his bike, even in a built up streetlit area. Also not done personally, but I’ve often thought a rear light on the offside bar end could help following drivers judge width and therefore passing space better.
Agree with comments that an additional front helmet light can help because you can gently direct it at drivers you suspect may not have seen you at junctions etc.
One other perhaps slightly counter-intuitive suggestion is not using your light on full power by default. I have an Exposure Flash rear light and had been guilty of accidentally / unthinkingly leaving it on the daybright setting at night, until a following rider complained it was too bright. Having since followed others who appear to have done the same, I’d agree the glare is probably unhelpful to those behind.
When I was buying my first
When I was buying my first ‘serious’ bike and actually had a choice of groupset, I found it very difficult to test the options from the various manufacturers, so the choice was ubiquitous Ultegra (a safe bet, same manufacturer as I’d had on my entry level bike, and which was easy to test ride in a shop) or take a risk on something I’d never actually used. In the end I took a punt on SRAM Force and don’t regret it, but I wish it was easier to try the various manufacturers’ offerings when they form such a major part of the user experience. I’ve only used Campag once – Chrous 10 speed on a hire bike in Majorca. It was glorious to look at and to use – loved the mechanical clunk of dropping multiple cogs via the tumbshifter when cresting a hill, and I found the hoods very comfy. But then Shimano Claris would probably feel glorious in Majorca too.
Is that a thing? I thought
Is that a thing? I thought generally the advice was that you need some steerer above the stem clamp. Ok, it doesn’t look that neat having loads of spacers above, but does it make failure more likely?
I’ve just ordered my first
I’ve just ordered my first handbuilt wheels, having finally worn out the Mavics which were supplied on the bike from new. I asked the builder about Hope hubs and the response was very positive (so that’s what I’m having) – well made, durable, serviceable, but will be heavier than the Mavics they’re replacing. I’ve been recommended a 24/28 hole front/rear spoke count for my weight (c.78kg), whereas the Mavics I’ve been riding without incident for 6 years are 19/21 (IIRC). Those are wide, flat bladed spokes though, so presumably the spoke counts are not directly comparable.
I’m really not a confident or
I’m really not a confident or competent mechanic, so I can assure you it wouldn’t be 15 mins for me, even if I had the tools! Anyway, had it assessed by local repair shop and the rims are also past their wear indicator, so I’m now in the market for some new wheels…
