"Gone in fixie seconds": Opinion split over minimalist bike lock set-up... but is it actually that bad?; Tom Pidcock insists "training won't change" and talks of mental fatigue; Merida revenue up but profits down + more on the live blog

But... the last is only not the case with drivers on normal roads because driving on the cycle path / footway / rolling a vehicle up there is seen as a standard action.

Consider it the other way round - if the cycleway is moving more people than the road next to it (almost certainly - and this is the usual "argument" in the cars on pavements case) then surely that should get priority?  So if there's a crash in the container tunnel someone should just stop a lane of car traffic so the cyclists can keep riding while the problem is fixed!  (Another reason why cycling is better - we only need to "borrow" one lane!)

https://road.cc/content/news/florida-man-armed-cyclist-jersey-sparks-debate-303035

Your analogy is completely unrealistic, though.

You left one of the packets of Jaffa Cakes uneaten.

Self control: I've got the ride home to think about.

Interesting. Though there's no conclusive proof (1) of where the brake actually is; (2) that it's a fixie. 

quiff wrote:

Interesting. Though there's no conclusive proof (1) of where the brake actually is; (2) that it's a fixie. 

Well there's definitely no rim brake on the front wheel and the cable clearly can't be going down to a disc brake in the same location; it's true that we can't be certain it's a fixie (in fact with a brake on the back wheel the odds are it isn't, most likely a single speed freewheel) but it's still lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as the location.

"but it's still lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as the location"

You've clearly never been to The Netherlands 
Our typical, old style Dutch bikes usually only have a coaster brake. Nothing else. And coaster brakes really do operate on the rear wheel.

Sredlums wrote:

"but it's still lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as the location"

You've clearly never been to The Netherlands 
Our typical, old style Dutch bikes usually only have a coaster brake. Nothing else. And coaster brakes really do operate on the rear wheel.

I've been to the Netherlands many a time: I spent a substantial part of my childhood living next door in Belgium and have enjoyed many visits since and I've ridden plenty of coaster brake only bikes in both countries. They're great in  flat terrain when riding slowly (I defy anyone to ride one fast), you wouldn't want to try a descent in the rain on one though, would you?

TBF the rain would be less of an issue than with rim brakes. (I guess you could argue over "modulation" though?)

Coasters take getting used to but do have practical pluses. Zero maintenance, no cables (useful in a place where you may often get your bike in and out of a logjam of parked bikes). Not needing a hand to brake with (so you can signal with one and hold beer / coffee / frikandel speciaal in the other).

I'd probably keep the disc brakes now I've turned to the dark side - but as a happy medium I would rate the modern Sturmey Archer drum brake (combined with dynamo) - better braking than coaster, also not affected by the wet, even less maintenance than hydraulic disc (and it's simple and not messy if you ever do). For "utility" use though as it's one hefty chunk of metal!

Agreed that coaster brakes aren't suited for descents, but when you said "but it's still lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as the location" you didn't make that distinction. I reacted to your broad statement.

Wait a minute - coaster brakes not suited for descents?  Someone better time-travel back and tell the embryonic  MTB community...

https://mmbhof.org/mtn-bike-hall-of-fame/history/repack-history/

Interesting article but it does in fact seem to prove that coaster brakes indeed aren't suited for descents: "the bikes’ antiquated hub coaster brakes would get so hot that the grease would vaporize. After a run or two, the hub had to be repacked with new grease". Of course one might get a different point of view interviewing some of the original riders but they're quite difficult to understand because they are all missing their front teeth…

Rendel Harris wrote:

...it does in fact seem to prove that coaster brakes indeed aren't suited for descents:  ... might get a different point of view interviewing some of the original riders but they're quite difficult to understand because they are all missing their front teeth…

Well if you *can* interview the original riders at all surely they worked, at least?

TBF I wouldn't seek out anything less effective than the drum brake (can you even lock a wheel with the coaster one? If so how easy is it to avoid doing so?). And "sales and marketing" may ensure that if the UK ever gets to mass cycling the "bare minimum" may be an eBike with ABS...

But I think for most people (who in NL would be going a few km per trip max) even in the UK a coaster wouldn't be a bad compromise on the rear with say a drum up front (I think the UK "two separate breaking systems" rule is a good one). Because both don't fail in the sludge like many rim brake set ups, and will cope with the maintenance most people will do (none - if it breaks, take it to the shop).

You can have too much brake for casual use - I guess why some companies have done stuff like producing whatever kind was "the best" (helps salesmen) but adding in various "modulators" - presumably to reduce the numbers locking up and coming off?

I'd counter that those brakes were in fact so inadequate that they eventually developed a whole new type of bicycle that was actually suited for it 
They fell a lot, on what would now be qualified as a winding gravel road, and after one or two runs they had to overhaul their hubs. So I stand by my opiniom: not suited. 

Sredlums wrote:

Agreed that coaster brakes aren't suited for descents, but when you said "but it's still lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as the location" you didn't make that distinction. I reacted to your broad statement.

Very well, I revise my statement: it's lunacy if you are only going to have one brake to select the back wheel as your location unless you are going to ride very slowly along flat ground.

You'd think that, but dirt jump bikes usually only have a rear brake, and they are very much not riding on flat ground, nor are they riding very slowly 

https://www.vitalmtb.com/news/press-release/pro-bike-check-erik-fedkos-c...

You're going to have to add "new / shiny" to that list.  My new Cube was nicked from "secure" storage for my flats *.

Dunno if it was a drunk or an addict, and/or just someone with a little local knowledge. I had tried to disguise it a bit with tatty bits of tape, stickers, innertube etc.

Of course, could just be that they mistook it for an ebike (it was a belt drive internally geared hub design, plus dynamo lights).  Or just because it was there, and one of the better-looking ones (they left the "under 100 quid second hand" bikes).

* Turns out it was "security theatre" and just provided a nice, dry and discreet working area for someone overnight.

That sucks

 I guess I got a bit hyperbolic there.
I'm glad is sneaked in that almost when I said "the chances of it being stolen have almost slimmed to none" 😬

Remember when we just stared at a wall?*

• Smart trainer
• Laptop
• Fan
• Phone
• Bluetooth headphones

* I never had a 'dumb' trainer, but dislike the amount of electrical stuff required to ride indoors

If I do ride indoors I boot up the PC and get YouTube going before I put my shoes on, Bluetooth speaker connects in a couple of seconds. Not that challenging TBH and a lot quicker than putting on all the layers to ride outside 😁

PS lucky to have retired early so no longer need to commute, and if it's raining I'll ride tomorrow instead. Indoors only if it's going to be wet the next 2 or 3 days. I used to have a dumb trainer back in the day and only used it if it was icy outdoors, I even preferred the rain 😬

Which heated gloves do you use?

I'm also a middle-aged commuter and last winter my fingers were in agony despite trying various combinations of winter gloves, lobster claws, both with and without liner gloves. Seriously thinking about investing in heated gloves this winter.

I use Sealskinz, which are about the most expensive option but I did try a number of cheaper ones before settling on them and always ended up returning them as not up to the job. They aren't a panacea but they do make an enormous difference; I often use them in conjunction with bar mitts (pogies) for drop bar bikes and while there's still some pain it's nothing like I experienced before, when I simply couldn't ride in temperatures below about 3°C. I would recommend them.