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Just been in Hamburg for a
Just been in Hamburg for a weekend; saw plenty of e bikes. Interestingly most people on bikes were in normal clothes and not wearing helmets; didn’t see any lycra or high-viz. A 45 min journey on the Metro from the airport to the city cost 3 Euros!!! The UK has it’s priorities all wrong. First thing I noticed coming back to Bristol Airport; loads of cars and lardy people.
e-bikes, the biggest threat to road safety! Yeah, right.Meanwhile every year 1,800 people die and 180,000 more are injured on the UK’s roads. 99.7% of these are caused by people driving motorbikes, cars, vans and lorries.
The way cycle-related incidents are reported in the media suggests to me that there are influential people who feel threatened by the popularity of cycling and by e-bikes.
At my work the Safety/Risk team call this ‘normalisation of deviance’; ie people just get used to a particular situation (which is bad practice, unsafe etc) so it doesn’t get sorted out (cars, vans etc kill cyclists and pedestrians). Bikes don’t kill people (facts speak for themselves) so if someone suggests that an increase in e bikes will lead to more deaths, everyone ‘runs round with their hair on fire’.
E bikes are all over the bike
E bikes are all over the bike shops and I’ve spotted more on my commute including a small number who have been ‘delimited’ and easily get up to 35km/h plus (more than the average roadie can get to on the flat).
The bike mechanic I use had some wise words. His view was that when you take away the motor, it’s just a bike so you need to look at components; how good are they and will they last? His other observation was customer service and warranty. A particular brand may be a good bike, but if you have issues with the motor/battery and it has to go back to the manufacturer for weeks; no bike! He wasn’t generally a fan of Giant bikes, but he did say their customer service was excellent so he’d opt for a Giant if he was buying an e-bike.
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[/quote]indeed. Mudguards are not just for you, they’re also for the people behind you. And be glad when the person in front of you has them. Spread the love, not the muck.
[/quote]Too right! Nothing worse than being stuck behind someone with a filthy bike spraying you with winter road sh#ite. A winter bike doesn’t have to be an cheap thing covered in muck.
If you can, put full length
If you can, put full length mudguards on (not the quick on/off variety); it helps keep the winter cr#p off you and the bike. It may be a bit ‘non-roadie’ but I reckon the canny cyclist knows that it’ll pay dividends by reducing wear on components.
VW Transporter (or similar);
VW Transporter (or similar); what you do with the space in the back is only limited by money and your imagination. They even have a fitted bike rack if you’re really loaded up with toys (and family). It’s the only vehicle I have.
Drift Stealth 2; I ‘bodged’
Drift Stealth 2; I ‘bodged’ it to attach to my helmet by taking the goggle strap mount and fixing it (through the vents) with a velcro strap I had in my ‘things that might come in handy’ box. Haven’t submitted any footage ref close passes, although the police don’t seem to be interested, but might be useful if I got knocked off. Battery will cover a 1 hr commute easily; recharges using mini-USB (battery built in). Night performance not great. The Cycliq cameras (front and rear facing) are good, althought the front facing is fixed to the bars wheras a helmet cam films where you’re looking (can be more useful).
I think all road users are
I think all road users are getting more aggressive to each other; cyclists are more vulnerable so feel it the most.
GoPro footage is excellent
GoPro footage is excellent and there are some good bike mounts; I’ve got a K-edge one that sits low between the drops. Sure, battery duration is an issue but if you take short clips and turn the camera off in between (or use the auto off setting) it’ll last a long time and you can always carry a spare battery. It’s a bit of a faff but you get used to it. I’ve taken short clips whilst doing big climbs/rides in France (2-3 hrs duration) and end up with a lot of footage. If you don’t do some serious editing you’ll end up with a pretty boring movie so having a camera running the whole time is pointless.
E Bikes are definitely top of
E Bikes are definitely top of the thieves shopping list at the moment; sadly people are finding out the hard way if you don’t use a decent lock. I’d double lock with the best you can buy, given the cost of an e bike; not as if extra weight is an issue.
Carradice bags are fabulous, just don’t be tempted to buy anything too big. The camper long flap for example is cavernous. I have a long serving Nelson long flap with SQR attachment and can’t fault it after upwards of 20 years service. Their super C audax saddlebag is probably your best bet as it’s modern clips are easier to use than more traditional leather straps & buckles. They also do a bagman attachment, I never could get on with it so donated it my brother who thinks it wonderful. Neither the SQR or bagman methods of attaching your bag to your bike need saddle loops or braze ons. The bags are made here and will give you decades of use, carradice products are all substance rather than this week’s marketing puff.If you’re using a Carradice bag, what’s the largest size you can get away with without having to worry about the bagman attachment [I have a Brooks saddle]? My thinking is that if this is for occasional use, you’d have the added hassle of fitting/removing the attachment. I’ve also noticed that the larger bags (probably) interfere with your legs so you have to use the bagman attachment.
Think I’ve seen the guy you mean, I think he’s an Airbus Engineer. Yes I’m pretty sure his bike can do 35mph+. He sometimes goes along with a mate who has a similar one. They dont even have to pedal.I was on my road bike a year or so ago, head down, doing 26mph on the ring road stretch going up to Sainsburys (empty at 6:30am) and he absolutely blew me into the weeds, and vanished into the distance. It is crazy fast.
Come to think of it, in the brief view I had of one, it did seem like he wasn’t pedalling; looked like the motor was in the rear hub. It was on a slight uphill bit and was going like stink.
As the Bath-Bristol run is virtually all bike path, speed is the game changer; lighter bike, get fitter etc. A de-restricted e bike blows even the hardiest roadies to bits, so could well become more common.
Mind you, who polices this; I’d rather the police did more important things than chasing e-bikes on a bike path. Sounds like a modern version of Whacky Races; perhaps I’ll name them Dick Dastardly and Mutley!
This is like riding in France
This is like riding in France; beyond lunchtime it’s too hot. Did Ventoux a few years ago in July and, even starting early, it was still pretty warm. After dossing around at the summit, when we descended it was ‘as hot as hell’ and people were just setting off on the climb. The one thing that puts me off the Etape; having to do an HC climb in the afternoon heat after a monster ride.
Any decent MTB will have low
Any decent MTB will have low enough gears to grind up a hill. So long as you don’t buy one because you want low gears for road use, or you could become one of the people who labour along the flat (fat tyres and smaller wheels) getting overtaken by road bikes. These days, I give a gravel bike a look if the off-road riding isn’t too gnarly or technical.
Thin combo lock (in seatpack)
Thin combo lock (in seatpack) for coffee stops or stops at ‘low risk’ places (eg country pub). For stops on rides where the bike’s ‘out of sight’ and there’s a higher risk of theft (eg in a town), I’ve devised a way of stashing a mini-D Lock by using a bigger seatpack (for the barrel) with the U part sandwiched between the seatpack and the saddle. D Lock through a spoke, seat stay and onto the bike rack; thin combo lock through the front wheel, frame and onto bike rack. Bit more weight, but better than losing the bike.
