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There’s a vintage/retro
There’s a vintage/retro clothing shop in Bath called The Yellow Shop that has a small rack of vintage cycling jerseys (haven’t been in there recently tbh). They aren’t on-line but are on social media.
I’ve got the Great American
I’ve got the Great American Rail Trail on my Instagram feed; makes me want to cycle across the USA. I get the WTF look from my wife. Have to settle for a bit of bike-packing around the Elan Valley instead.
If you don’t have rack mounts you could get an Ortleib Quick Rack.I fitted a Quick Rack to a Genesis Equilibrium, but where the lower lugs attach on the dropouts meant that the release levers (on the rack) fouled on the frame; fitted some lugs on the seat stays (Ortlieb gear) which meant the rack worked. Have to make sure my bag is set well back (on the rack) or else my heel clips it so may be worth checking clearances. It was only to allow me to use a pannier for commuting, as I’m not a fan of lugging a laptop in a rucksack, so I stuck with the Quick Rack. A few people at work have the Tailfin system which can be quickly taken off; not cheap (carbon) and you do have to use their luggage system (I think a particular Orltlieb pannier system works as well) but it does look good.
I’ve submitted a few clips to
I’ve submitted a few clips to Avon & Somerset Police; got the usual ‘driver has been served a letter/fixed penalty/Notice to Prosecute’. In Bath the Lib Dem council are pushing ahead with active travel and cutting off rat-runs (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods) so I usually engage with the consulations where I can. It was in their manifesto but it’s sending some locals wild. I think the majority either want safer cycling roads or are indifferent; problem with the ‘antis’ are they go full petition, social media ranting and crowd-funding for legal challenges. Fortunately the council just ignore it and get on with it. I did engage with a Nextdoor chat but realised I was up against people who thought it was their god-given right to drive wherever they want. Signed up for a local meeting organised by (supportive) councillors ref a LTN being implemented nearby; it’s around the time I get back on my bike so thought I’d turn up in cycle gear! I still drive but if I can swap out some of my journeys and cycle/walk/use public transport then I don’t see why other people can’t make an effort.
I’ve been occasionally
I’ve been occasionally mounting my phone on my handlebars recently as I had a need to know where I was going when, for example, if I was in unfamiliar territory on my folder (gone on the train somewhere for work) or I was on a hire bike in London (again, not familiar roads). Hate being in traffic and not really knowing where I’m going and constantly stopping to check a map is a hassle; probably because I normally have a Wahoo Satnav. Quickly set up a route in Komoot or Google Maps. Settled on a Quadlock velcro mount (you need a quadlock phone case as well) which is easy to take on/off. Phone is pretty secure; you have to press the lever down and twist to remove it so grabbing it won’t work (unless you also release the velcro which isn’t intantaneous). So far so good. My bad habit on hire bikes is removing the phone and then forgetting the mount; had to run back to the bike a few times. Got a bg red tag on it now to (hopefully) remind me! You do need a portable charging method as using a phone for navigation burns the battery. Great on Santander bikes in London; £3 for 24 hour unlimited ‘unlocks’ (up to 30min per ride). Bargain; often quicker than the tube.
Normally if I change the
Normally if I change the cassette, I’m ready for a new chain; rule of thumb is 3(?) chains per cassette when the chain checker reads 0.75. I recently changed my cassette to a larger one which necessitated a new medium cage rear derailleur; new chain as well. Front chain rings didn’t seem worn. Shifting was great (no noise) when I set it up on the stand, except when I went out on the road there was an annoying meshing noise in the 2 lowest gears (ie small chain ring; large cassette cogs) which I guessed was coming from the chain rings (meshing at a different angle to the previous setup?); fitted new ones and all good. Downside of changing single components where as some people prefer to let it all wear down and change the lot (chain, chainrings, cassette). If the cassette and chainrings have done some decent mileage and you shop around online for some components (incl chain), then it’s a reasonably cheap DIY change (cheaper than the LBS) to get nice crisp shifting.
The royal chariot of the
The royal chariot of the supremely self-entitled; the other argument is protection for kids which is why private schools are rammed with them. You hear that SUV ‘growl’ on the road and you think a Challenger tank is approaching. I grew up in South Africa/Zimbabwe in the 70s-80s; the only 4x4s available were very unreconstructed Land-Rovers, Toyota pick-ups and (poss) Land Cruisers; pretty much exclusively used by farmers (understandably). Not for urban use. We had a (not all at the same time) Chrysler, Mercedes (vertical lights) and a Ford Granada which happily towed camping trailers etc over some pretty hideous gravel roads; 100 Km of gravel road into the Zambezi valley once. Happily trucked around game reserve gravel roads for a week. Ordinary cars are more than capable.
Agree; that section of road
Agree; that section of road was previously never that cycle friendly. At least someone is trying to change the narrative (and Bath needs it) rather than the ‘do nothing; too difficult’ approach. I always hear the ‘plausible’ objections and hear “I want to use my car whenever, wherever and however I wish”. I would say 99% of drivers on there couldn’t give a stuff about the locals concerns but they’d be happy to get behind them if it mean’t they could rip down that road unimpeded by cycle lanes.
I thought #together was some social media tag; I then discovered it’s an anti-government control libertarian movement (stuff about lockdown effects). The demographic of the audience at an event said it all. Governments run the country and set laws that say what you can and can’t do; welcome to planet earth #together.
No, unless that policy has
No, unless that policy has changed. I’ve commuted on it for 13 years and had a few wipe-outs on icy patches (got away with no more than road rash). The mornings are usually the risky times so I often train in, bike home if temperatures are sub-5 deg. Right now it’s too cold all day. I’ve sometimes switched to my MTB (v slow) and have some Conti 700×37 Top Contact Winter II tyres on my commuter. That said, some people barrel up and down there happy to take the risk. My view is that not cycling, and I do enjoy my commute, is better than weeks off with a serious injury.
Stayed here https://www
Stayed here https://www.lechateaudoz.com/ with a large group (15) in 2014 (3 nights; Fri-Mon); bit of a warm-up cycle to base of Alp d’Huez (not far) and you can take an alternative route home rather than descending back to Bourg. Bike storage, plenty of parking, seemed to remember it was half board and comfortable no-frills accomodation. Owner was a cyclist and his dogs were named after famous french cyclists. When we returned from cycling the Alpe (early afternoon) he welcomed us with a tray of beers and said the Dauphine was on the (massive) TV in the lounge. There was another group there at the same time as us. Went up the Col d’Ornon on the Sunday and did lunch in Bourg afterwards.
I think we’ve reached ‘peak
I think we’ve reached ‘peak roadie’ which is being replaced by ‘gravel’/’all-road’ (or the industry need the roadies to buy more bikes!). Media (eg magazines, GCN) are all into it and some of clothing brands are coming out with ranges somewhere between MTB and road. Cycling UK are developing these national trails. Pure road riding will still be prominent but I think the shift may well be good for portraying cycling as a means to get around and not just a sport. If you’re a non-cyclist thinking of getting into it, better to see a more relaxed image than the hard-core ripped full carbon roadie look. Quiet lanes, bike paths and a bit of light gravel; sounds more appealing than battling with bullying motorists.I’ve done Tour spectating
I’ve done Tour spectating twice + a very random 3rd time where we flung the car into a motorway services (mid long journey across France), jumped over a fence, ran down a path and caught the peloton as it came through (A+ to my wife who was tracking the race and realised we very very close). The TdF mag is essential for the timings; you need to do some homework on where is a good place to watch (Google Streetview). Preferably where they’ve slowed down a bit with a good vantage point (poss where you can see the riders approaching from a few hundred metres or so), although it’s all over pretty quick anyway! They close the roads (at least an hour I think) before the caravan comes through and the the Gendarmes ensure NOTHING moves on the road; not even a bike (they also don’t do negotiation). That means a LOT of sitting around so if you can take some food, beers, books etc then that wiles the time away (can get hot as well). If your car isn’t far away, that helps (bring more stuff) or being near a cafe/town etc, but be warned the French can turn up in force at popular places (with chairs, picnic, parasols, gazebos etc). You could also find a side road (that connects to the route), park and then walk/cycle to the route which may allow you to just be there for the race. My second time I managed to get the van parked on the actual route and, before the road was closed, cycled up and down (Cat 2 climb) to take in the atmosphere; by the time the road was closed it was full of spectators. The caravan is a laugh; stand near kids as they have more stuff thrown at them. Then you can trade caps, freebies etc and when the stuff flies onto the verge, it’s every man, woman and child for themselves (usually then at least an hour before the race comes through, heralded by the squadron of helicopters). Getting discarded bidons or musettes is a real bonus. Some traffic queues afterwards as they re-open the roads. Anyway, most people would think it bonkers to sit for hours by the road waiting for a bunch of cyclists to pass, but for a cycling fan it’s a bucket-list activity.
Wahoos link to your
Wahoos link to your smartphone via the app (which also controls the Wahoo setup), in my case an iPhone, so it never goes near a laptop or PC. You can link the app to various routing apps, incl Strava; I plan my rides in Komoot and sync the Wahoo (connected to WiFi) to my iPhone. After the ride the Wahoo app automatically uploads to Strava (or whatever you choose). You can re-plan routes mid-ride on your phone and just send them to the Wahoo (bluetooth); also means you’re not stuck in a situation where there isn’t WiFi to sync the Wahoo in the normal way. I haven’t experienced Garmins but when I was choosing a computer there was no end of complaining about Garmins and plenty of praise for Wahoos.
For me it’s some of the non
For me it’s some of the non-financial benefits of not using a vehicle. Cycling takes longer but you’ve turned the entire commute time into exercise and you don’t need to stress about calories in exceeding calories out. Cycling early morning with the sun rising; can’t beat it and nothing like a pleasant ride home to clear the head. Public transport allows you to read, listen to music/podcasts, even work etc and you get the physical benefit of walking to the station or bus stop. Stopping for a few drinks on the way home isn’t an issue. If your commute involves a reasonable amount of walking or cycling then why have a gym membership; if you want resistance training as well then that’s easy to achieve at home with a mat and some weights.
One of the joys of cycling is
One of the joys of cycling is you can ride the same bike wearing the same kit on the same road as your pro hero; problem is some people take themselves a bit too seriously.
