The Cycling Chat Thread

[Dogsauce]

I did the length of Cornwall two years ago on one of the hottest days of the year (something like 28 degrees, enough to make my phone shut down several times which buggered up the Strava a bit). After suffering the Sustrans National Cycle Route for a couple of hours and a few near misses on the twisting secondary roads they'd selected (in particular places where you went from the open into dense trees on winding hills) I gave up and took the A30 dual carriageway, much easier and safer. I think I lost about 5kg that week.

 

[Dogsauce]

I'm working up in Keswick this week and next week, so naturally put the bike in the van. Discovered last night the impossibility of getting up Honiston Pass (East to west) with a 39/23 ratio, though I made about 80% of the steep bit. It also started raining as I got up the top and my back end had a little slide on the wet surface as I started my way down the same way, involving a low-speed collision with a dry stone wall before it even started to get steep. Not wishing to die, I had to walk down, 20 minutes trudging down a slippery 1:5 in cleated shoes is one of the most joyless experiences I've had, I even considered doing it barefoot. Fuck the weather.

 

[contadino]

The biggest ring ring on my 6-speed cassette is 24 and I nearly did myself an injury trying to get up the hill by Vindolanda last weekend. It got me thinking about maybe fitting one of those MegaRange jobbies.

Although coming down the other side towards Fourstones in the rain with my old 80's Weinmann 605's made me prioritise new brakes over a lower gear.

Love the bike to bits but it's a bit of a death trap.

 

[braindancer]

The biggest ring ring on my 6-speed cassette is 24 and I nearly did myself an injury trying to get up the hill by Vindolanda last weekend. It got me thinking about maybe fitting one of those MegaRange jobbies.

Yeah I definitely need to replace my rear cassette too - my largest is 25 and I have to use it A LOT. On major hills I'm buggered...

 

[contadino]

Yeah I definitely need to replace my rear cassette too - my largest is 25 and I have to use it A LOT. On major hills I'm buggered...

I did a bit of reading on the MegaRange things last night and it looks like I may have to swap out my Suntour Cyclone rear mech in order to deal with the bigger cogs. The alternative is maybe to put a compact triple on the front, but that would mean ditching the amazing machined chainring that I have. So I'm sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

It's not urgent though. For about 80 miles in any direction from home it's all flat or rolling hills rather than serious hills and the original setup is just about spot on.

 

[Sister Midnight]

You can always walk! Just get clear covers!

 

[hash tag]

I've just stumbled on this article about the bus stop bypass in Whitechapel. I can't believe it's really like that, it's unbelievable.
My average speed when communting by bike was about 25 MPH. Doing that down a narrow cycle lane with no where to go should a
ped step into it
Whitechapel High Street cycle superhighway bus stop bypass is a mess

 

[Pgd]

From the article:

These so-called bus stop bypasses are designed to facilitate high speed cycling with cycle priority, so that cyclists do not need to slow down or need to overtake a bus which has paused to pick up passengers.

I'm not sure that's correct -- they are designed to facilitate safe (not high speed) movement of cyclists along busy bus routes, instead of having to continually dart into other traffic lanes to overtake. It's not designed for 25mph. If the road is flowing freely and you're confident enough, I guess you'd continue to stick to the road, like plurker and others are already doing at the Oval junction. Without meaning to judge either your good self or the infra, it's simply not made for you... time will tell if it's made for anyone else!

Personally I'm willing to accept that although I'll continue to maintain a high average speed out in Zones 3+, in Zones 1 and 2 newer cycling infra may mean I'll need to slow down. If it gets people out of their cars and onto their bikes, IMO it'll have been worth it.

ETA: Having said all that, I fully agree with the criticism that too much space has been taken from the footway and not enough from the highway in this instance.

 

[Sprocket.]

Defy all the way. If you can stretch to £589 then we're selling the Defy 2 in our sale at the moment which is a steal - Tiagra 10 speed, RRP was £749. Only a couple of sizes left though.

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/products/giant-defy-2-15

Well I ended up with a Defy 4 arrived earlier, just setting it up.
Thanks for the input but a Defy 2 in my size not available, saved s bit on the Defy 4 from the LBS.
Could have saved a bit more with the big discounters but unlike the local owner do not greet me when out on rides.
Will update when I have given it a whirl, but am leaving in a while for the dreaded night shift.

 

[Artaxerxes]

From the article:



I'm not sure that's correct -- they are designed to facilitate safe (not high speed) movement of cyclists along busy bus routes,

I think this is the problem, its going to take a lot of time for some cyclists to get their head around the fact that speed is not as important as ensuring safety, and calling it a cycle superhighway doesn't help as it implies its there solely for the benefit of cyclists and the equivalent of a motorway for them.

 

[weepiper]

Could have saved a bit more with the big discounters but unlike the local owner do not greet me when out on rides.

Good choice the owners of Chain Reaction, Evans etc are capitalist bastard millionaires anyway so it's far better to know your few hundred quid is going into feeding a local guy's kids than lining their pockets.

 

[fredfelt]

I can't resist posting a pic of my new bike. They don't make bikes big enough to fit me so I got measured up and had this one built. It's built for touring. As I was taking the plunge on getting a custom frame, and it's been ten years since my last new bike, I didn't compromise on any of the components. I'll have the stem cut down when I'm fully happy with the riding position.

 

[iamwithnail]

Fucking SMASHED my shin with the pedal earlier after a too close pass and wobble. Already bruised (I normally dont) and an L shaped chunk out my shin. Owwwww. Fuxk you blue Peugeot owner.

 

[weepiper]

Crikey fredfelt you must be about 6' 8"! Bike looks a smasher.

 

[fredfelt]

Crikey fredfelt you must be about 6' 8"! Bike looks a smasher.

Good guess - I'm nearly 6'8". I'm liking the hub gears.

My plan is to convert another bike to a single speed and use it for commuting / winter while keeping my new one for the spring. However my old bike hasn't come out of the shed since my new one arrived!

 

[The Boy]

/QUOTE]

Nice bike. Though i reckon i could sit on the top bar and kust about be at the right height to reach the pedals.

 

[Sister Midnight]

Love the colour. Is frame trad steel?

I had a horrible milimetres to spare encounter with an oncoming white van driver who couldn't wait the extra second for me to reach passing spot and instead decided to risk my life to teach me a lesson or make the green light or something. Fuckwit.

 

[fredfelt]

Love the colour. Is frame trad steel?

I had a horrible milimetres to spare encounter with an oncoming white van driver who couldn't wait the extra second for me to reach passing spot and instead decided to risk my life to teach me a lesson or make the green light or something. Fuckwit.

Yup. It's Reynolds 853. I think steel frames are the only practicable option for custom builds.

Thanks for your comments about the colour - it's the same shade as the OS Explorer maps. There's an orange coloured head set on it as well - selecting it based on colour gave me an excuse to get a bit of bling from Chris King.

 

[Sprocket.]

Just back from the first spin on the Defy 4, only a quick thirty mins to get used to the gears and set up.
I'm impressed, this is the first new bike I have bought for fifteen years, they have come on a bit I have just found. Handled well, even dodging artics on the back lanes.
Got to get some mileage in now,
you never lose that innocent joy of riding a new bike for the first time, for a moment I was twelve again setting off on my first proper bike. Sheer joy!

 

[weepiper]

Couple snaps from my ride today







Embarrassingly given that I'm a mechanic my stem clamp started loosening off with about six miles to go when I was still in the middle of fucking nowhere, and I had somehow forgotten to put the fucking allen keys in my bag so I had to get off and walk almost the full six miles home as most of it was gnarly hardcore climb/descent. Once I got down off the steep bits I managed to ride some of it with just the back brake and my right hand on the stem clamp holding the bars still, but still. That was a lot of walking

 

[Sprocket.]

Liked for the snaps, weepiper not the journey home!
Still it's all better than being stuck indoors eh?

 

[plurker]

Liked for the snaps, weepiper not the journey home!
Still it's all better than being stuck indoors eh?

This!

Spent 2 hours yesterday cleaning up cassette and chain, putting new bar tape on and generally giving the Peugeot some much-needed love. Sadly I've lost a pedal end cap in the past week or so - chances of finding a replacement on a 40+ year old bike is slim, they are these if anyone knows?

 

[weepiper]

I think that's what is known as 'a hen's tooth' plurker

Much better ride today, remembered the allen keys although I'm a bit suspicious about my carbon bars after yesterday, they didn't loosen off again but they just felt... weird, not sure there isn't a crack developing, so I've ordered a new alloy bar.

 

[weepiper]

We are having much nicer autumn weather than we had most of the summer.

 

[Sister Midnight]

Sarah Storey interview. Pls click to show beeb you care about cycling! BBC Sport - Dame Sarah Storey on why Podium Ambition are going pro

 

[a_chap]

Wish I'd stopped to take a photo or two on Sunday's ride. Sublime Cotswold lanes and a gorgeous sunny autumn day.

You'd think I'd find at least some moments in 125 miles to take a fucking photo. But did I?

Lazy fucker, me.

 

[dogDBC]

I like this thread. I'll take the plunge and post some photos of my local scene here in Thailand.

My workbench. Proper northerner, me.

Er, this is me.

|

My hallway. The old n+1 thing is going on.

My LBS.

 

[The Boy]

We are having much nicer autumn weather than we had most of the summer.

still getting proper chilly in the mornings though. i was wrapped up like a silly thing yesterday and got a bit of a shock on ride home.

 

[Dogsauce]

Leggings on today (thin, three-quarter length). A slightly depressing annual milestone. Thick fog the last few days, a little clearer today. Feeling like shit but riding fairly fast.

 

[Sister Midnight]

I could do with thin full length leggings. Leg warmers are a hassle, add to lady sausage leg effect & fall down (stocking effect!) - where do you get non fleecey longs?