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How was your cycle commute?

Crispy said:
To get back a little bit on topic, I believe this is the light&bridge in question:

View attachment 36184

The road on the other side is straight and has no side roads joining it for several hundred meters. I can see how, if you're used to the route, it would feel safe to ride through when the road beyond is clear. I've ridden through similar tunnels without light control, relying solely on judgement. I'd rank this pretty damn low in the RLJ crime ranking.
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Fuck you. Wading in at the end, spouting a load of reason and sense.. :D
 
If I was on my own, and I knew the route, I probably would jump it myself.
If I saw someone else waiting at red, I would too, to be polite.
 
Crispy said:
To get back a little bit on topic, I believe this is the light&bridge in question:

View attachment 36184

The road on the other side is straight and has no side roads joining it for several hundred meters. I can see how, if you're used to the route, it would feel safe to ride through when the road beyond is clear. I've ridden through similar tunnels without light control, relying solely on judgement. I'd rank this pretty damn low in the RLJ crime ranking.
Click to expand...

It's actually safe to go through when cars are coming the other way, although I don't do that in case it freaks them out. Plenty of people do. I can see why she was annoyed, I probably made her feel stupid for waiting (as has happened to me plenty of times) but there was really no point in slowing down and stopping just to get going again a few seconds later, it's a waste of energy especially in this heat. There was no need to shout at me though, if I shouted at everyone on the road who was doing something I didn't agree with, I would spend my whole life shouting.
 
A large part of the problem is that no one challenges other people's behaviour (and I think I'm pretty stern with myself - though others disagree about my "close encounters in Lycra" on the railway path.)
I nearly caused real upset when I challenged a young chap at work about his automatically overtaking me in the dark on a narrow, windy road just because I was a cyclist.

The police certainly don't care much unless actual blood is spilt, and even then it seems we cyclists are culpable simply by daring to use the same road as motor vehicles.
 
It takes a lot for me to challenge someone, but of course we should do it when we feel strongly about it. Last one was a motorcyclist who overtook me from the inside, then cut in front of me. I had a massive go when I caught up with him at the traffic lights. Before that, I can't remember, it doesn't happen very often I have to say.
 
Anyway ...
Another 4 day weekend - bloody hot and lots to do at home, but I hope to get out on my bike a couple of times - even though my "zit" has been annoying me over the past couple of days.

I really must get a camping trip in at some point this summer - sadly I've lost my enthusiasm for group rides where after several years I've run out of things to talk about - most pointedly in the case the couple who arrange the 8 or more camping trips I went on the past couple of years.

This morning I finally got the back wheel off and serviced the bearings so I should have lost the imprecision at speed and have been able to tighten up the rear disc brake. The balls were running in what looked more like oil than grease but I don't think there was any significant wear.
The SRAM X4 rear dérailleur I fitted a few months back was almost bone dry - just a couple of whisps of silvery grease.
I assume the bearings are supposed to be full of grease - but chain lube is liable to wash that out - especially as I clean the chain in situ and solvents are involved.
 
girasol said:
ask-no-questions-and-obey-authority.png


for the millionth time, I don't agree with the law as it stands... And some laws can be very draconian. Should I just obey and not challenge it? No.
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good lord. this sort of absurd hyperbole just makes you look like a stroppy child. grow up. you're not being oppressed, nor are you 'challenging' the law, you are willfully disobeying it. If you want to challenge the law, then write to your local MP expressing your dissatisfaction and lobby him / her to get it changed. That's called 'doing something'. As it happens, this is the the sort of thing the LCC does for a living, it's not easy, and every time you and others on this forum decide the laws don't apply to you cos you're special, their job gets just that bit harder.

When you get nicked, and you will, be sure to show your little sign to the nice police officer. i'm sure he / she will find it most amusing.
 
gentlegreen said:
Anyway ...

I assume the bearings are supposed to be full of grease - but chain lube is liable to wash that out - especially as I clean the chain in situ and solvents are involved.
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It depends what you're using for chain lube. Shimano Dry PTFE is very good. Although once the factory grease is exhausted you're only into harm reduction with any further lubrication. It will be nowhere near as effective as the grease that was applied during the chain's manufacture. I used to perform all sorts of alchemy to degrease and relube chains but now I just buy new ones at 1,000km which generally equates to about 0.75% wear.
 
pissflaps said:
good lord. this sort of absurd hyperbole just makes you look like a stroppy child. grow up. you're not being oppressed, nor are you 'challenging' the law, you are willfully disobeying it. If you want to challenge the law, then write to your local MP expressing your dissatisfaction and lobby him / her to get it changed. That's called 'doing something'. As it happens, this is the the sort of thing the LCC does for a living, it's not easy, and every time you and others on this forum decide the laws don't apply to you cos you're special, their job gets just that bit harder.

When you get nicked, and you will, be sure to show your little sign to the nice police officer. i'm sure he / she will find it most amusing.
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Weren't you a staunch advocate of smashing door mirrors off with a d lock? I'm no Ally McBeal but I'm pretty sure that's illegal too.
 
Bloody hell.
My love affair with Brooks has come to an end quickly.

brooksnoselowres.jpg

I can buy the parts for under £20, but I can also get a SPA cycles clone B17 for £35.
Let's hope I can wear it in quickly.

In the meantime I will have to carry an emergency (and horrible) Aldi saddle. :mad:
I suppose it's possible that using a bolt in place of the pin was the cause ...
 
pissflaps said:
no. it is the opposite of common sense. bikes are classified as vehicles and are subject to the same rules and regulations as any other vehicle on the road. if you can't abide by those rules or you feel you are above them, you have no business riding a bicycle, or any sort of vehicle on public roads for that matter.

What makes it possible for us to use the roads is that there is a consensus spread amongst ALL road users to obey a framework of rules. The rules exist to allow the relatively free and easy flow of traffic on the roads. This can only happen if people behave in a relatively predictable fashion, jumping lights makes you unpredictable, especially from the perspective motorised vehicles - Drivers will then go on to drive poorly around cyclists because they are too distracted by the prospect that you, or any other cyclist they may happen upon, will behave in a similarly unpredictable fashion, and that's where the danger lies.

What's also worth noting is that you seemingly adhere to the rules until you decide that your judgement over-rides them, at which point you do what you want to do. It’s at this point that you become random and unpredictable.Your value judgement (it’s safer to jump this red) is irrelevant, your actions are the key here, and as soon as you become random you have handed responsibility to the other road users to keep you safe.

Many fine people and worthy charities out there do a lot of good work lobbying for better infrastructure for cyclists. The sad reality is many of the debates surrounding cycle safety are often shut down by detractors resorting to the tiresome 'well all bloody cyclists jump lights' line (see recent debate in the House of Lords). We all know it's not true - it's only done by a selfish minority, however it is these entitled RLJ'ers that seem to garner the most attention, which is unfortunate, as cyclists are more often than not the victim of poor driving - however the debate seldom reaches this point as the agenda seems to be focused almost entirely on cyclist behavior. So what's the answer? DON'T BE A PART OF THE FUCKING PROBLEM. YOU'RE NOT HELPING. RIDE RESPONSIBLY.
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Superb post.
 
I have reluctantly started using a route home that involves queueing at traffic lights.
I've resisted this because
1. it involves me putting my feet on the ground and my saddle is set high.
and
2.Because following drivers are liable to expect me to take the piss with the lights even worse than they do themselves.

Yesterday evening illustrates my dilemma quite well.

I already had a suspicion that the car behind contained an impatient idiot and I was in front of him during at least the third green light cycle he'd waited for .. anticipating the amber I decided to allow cars to cross from the right.

At the start you hear me stating my intention out loud as I give a hand signal and a pronounced shoulder check.

[/URL]

Plenty of cyclists would have gone anyway.
 
pissflaps said:
once. in the event of nearly being killed... point taken tho.
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Taking a d-lock to someone's vehicle, when they have almost killed you, is the very least the driver should expect. They may be in a metal box, but it can be dented, and the glass breaks.
 
Onket said:
Taking a d-lock to someone's vehicle, when they have almost killed you, is the very least the driver should expect. They may be in a metal box, but it can be dented, and the glass breaks.
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yeah but as was pointed out - it's probably not entirely legal either, which is a fair point considering all the self indulgent finger wagging i've been dishing out.
 
pissflaps said:
yeah but as was pointed out - it's probably not entirely legal either, which is a fair point considering all the self indulgent finger wagging i've been dishing out.
Click to expand...

The driver almost killing you probably wasn't legal either, tbf.
 
gentlegreen said:
Bloody hell.
My love affair with Brooks has come to an end quickly.

I can buy the parts for under £20, but I can also get a SPA cycles clone B17 for £35.
Click to expand...

I'm sure you can buy a cheaper clone. But remember buying Brooks' saddles provides employment for some people in Birmingham.
 
Have had a bloody lovely week commuting. Weather like this should be mandatory. Like in Greece. Then we'd all ride bikes to work.
 
DownwardDog said:
Overtensioned, beyond doubt. Get the Ti replacement and don't fuck around with it once it's installed.
Click to expand...

I can't see how over-tensioning would put any more load on that bracket... I'm guessing the pin needs to be able to move ..

Brooks have all the bits but charge £8 postage. SJS don't have the tensioner or rivets... :mad:

Titanium parts are insanely expensive.

Gawd nose how I'm going to peen over the rivets without the right tools. :p
 
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