Search found 2247 matches

by karlt
1 Sep 2017, 7:40am
Forum: On the road
Topic: A ped attempt to make me fall
Replies: 19
Views: 2018

Re: A ped attempt to make me fall

JohnW wrote: The driver got out of the cab, picked up the bike, threw it onto the pavement and kicked the kid repeatedly onto the pavement. I rode on - I wasn't going to be a witness against the driver.



I would have. The kid behaved appallingly but repeated kicks can kill and people willing to deal them out are equally a danger to the public.
by karlt
7 Aug 2017, 7:08am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: FOTPT Appeal
Replies: 36
Views: 3897

Re: FOTPT Appeal

I've used the TPT to get to work; despite being virtually door to door it's three miles longer than the road route. And it means hosing the bike down at the end of the day. God alone knows how many more chains and cassettes I'd get through from the grit.
by karlt
5 Aug 2017, 11:37am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist
Replies: 75
Views: 7378

Re: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist

foxyrider wrote:
karlt wrote:
BrianFox wrote:
I do a 10 mile (each way) commute and I find it makes me want to do more in evenings and weekends, not less. My route is mainly countryside and I enjoy the wildlife and the time in the outdoors.

The commute is just how I get to work in an enjoyable and stress free way. I don't really think of it as cycling at all. It does, of course, help keep me fit for fun cycling (evenings and weekends). I'd happily do a lot more of that if I had the time.

I used to keep a log of times and such but now I just do it as the mood takes, occasionally flat out as fast as possible but more often just a steady pace, which is about 14mph for me. Sometimes an outright dawdle, and sometimes with an excursion into the Peak District for fun on the way home.


I work near the middle of Sheffield. Whilst half the commute is pleasantly rural, the first half is invariably uphill - I live near Chesterfield so heading south from work, whichever route I take, I get to start with two miles uphill and 450', via a busy suburban dual carriageway involving two horrific junctions which are haunted by tossers in white Audis who think that if you could get a fag paper between your handlebars and their wing mirror they've left more than enough room, left hand filter lanes to avoid getting stuck in, both on c. 10% ramps with 40mph traffic to filter into and tramlines at acute angles before I get to the rural bit. And even then it's more a thinner urban ribbon than truly countryside; for the latter I have to extend the commute by several miles and half an hour, which just isn't an option in the afternoon.

The steep hill at the end can [insert word here] right off as well. Not in the mood for it when I haven't had me tea yet and it's gone 6.

This after a full day of work just isn't appealing, and by the end I'm glad to stick the bike in the garage and be finished with the thing.

Though since you're near the Peak you probably know the area. Suggestions for avoiding Prince of Wales Road getting from Darnall to Calow are appreciated, although I've been years trying to find them.


I used to commute up Pow road from work in Roth, 'kin awful road for bikes! My parents place is in Darnall, I'm at the top of the bypass so your commute is the obvious route but I use the loop into the centre (it's not actually that busy if you cut through the canal basin area and over the roundabout), behind the station then up Chessy Rd, slightly longer but quicker and the bonus of less tram and no stupid uphill lane changes, the climb is climbed and you can avoid M/head by cutting across to Coal Aston from the top of the park. Then you can lane it down to Chessy. (for a bit more of a challenge go up Derbyshire Lane through the park and across to Coal Aston. It might be quicker at CA to drop into Dronny and down through Unstone to Whitty? Of course you could tackle M/Head and go straight down the bypass - very fast once you get to the top!)

An alternative could be out via Woodhouse, Beighton, Halfway, Ecky and in from there but I wouldn't particularly fancy riding on a lot of those roads at commute times even if there is possibly less uphill involved - lots of rat running.


Heh. I've tried all of these except the Dronfield bypass from which I am officially banned (by Mrs Karlt). Woodhouse/halfway/ecky's quite good but is actually hillier; the climb up to Hartington is short but as Michael Flanders would say nevertheless nauseating. It does however have the wonderful Rotherham Road descent to Ecky where one can see how far and fast one dare go before braking for the bend at the bottom; my record is 45mph. It I'm thinking about slightly more aggressive tyres and the TPT but it's further and is long drawn out drag from Renishaw to Inkersall, followed by a short steep drag in Inky itself. Bottom line I suppose is it's hilly around here; man up, give up or shut up are the real options ;)
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 12:49pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist
Replies: 75
Views: 7378

Re: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist

BrianFox wrote:
I too find I lack the motivation to go out in the evenings or weekends having been on the bike for up to 100 miles already in a given week - doing the same route every time - and I think that's the issue.


I do a 10 mile (each way) commute and I find it makes me want to do more in evenings and weekends, not less. My route is mainly countryside and I enjoy the wildlife and the time in the outdoors.

The commute is just how I get to work in an enjoyable and stress free way. I don't really think of it as cycling at all. It does, of course, help keep me fit for fun cycling (evenings and weekends). I'd happily do a lot more of that if I had the time.

I used to keep a log of times and such but now I just do it as the mood takes, occasionally flat out as fast as possible but more often just a steady pace, which is about 14mph for me. Sometimes an outright dawdle, and sometimes with an excursion into the Peak District for fun on the way home.


I work near the middle of Sheffield. Whilst half the commute is pleasantly rural, the first half is invariably uphill - I live near Chesterfield so heading south from work, whichever route I take, I get to start with two miles uphill and 450', via a busy suburban dual carriageway involving two horrific junctions which are haunted by tossers in white Audis who think that if you could get a fag paper between your handlebars and their wing mirror they've left more than enough room, left hand filter lanes to avoid getting stuck in, both on c. 10% ramps with 40mph traffic to filter into and tramlines at acute angles before I get to the rural bit. And even then it's more a thinner urban ribbon than truly countryside; for the latter I have to extend the commute by several miles and half an hour, which just isn't an option in the afternoon.

The steep hill at the end can [insert word here] right off as well. Not in the mood for it when I haven't had me tea yet and it's gone 6.

This after a full day of work just isn't appealing, and by the end I'm glad to stick the bike in the garage and be finished with the thing.

Though since you're near the Peak you probably know the area. Suggestions for avoiding Prince of Wales Road getting from Darnall to Calow are appreciated, although I've been years trying to find them.
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 10:33am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist
Replies: 75
Views: 7378

Re: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist

PH wrote:
karlt wrote:Interestingly, my commute is 14 miles (each way - I do wish people would clarify when they say "I have an x mile commute!") but I'd stopped doing it because I wasn't enjoying it any more. I started again but made it a strict rule not to put the hammer down because it's that that made me hate it. It means the average is now 15-16 instead of 16-17. but how the hell do you get 22? Is it pancake flat? I can just about average 20+ on dead flat roads with smooth tarmac, but otherwise forget it. Any hill has me straight under 20.

I used to have a 13 mile (each way!) commute, mostly flat with the exception of one hill to climb in both directions. I had a choice of riding the road bike in cycling gear and showering at work, or the hybrid in workwear and taking it a bit easier so as not to need the shower. I can't remember the speeds but the hybrid got me to my desk quicker, though on sunny days the road bike was more fun.
I stopped doing it after four years when the job ended, by that time I too wasn't enjoying it any more, it had a detrimental effect on my leisure cycling, 130 miles a week was enough without going out at the weekend.


It's not just me then ;) I too find I lack the motivation to go out in the evenings or weekends having been on the bike for up to 100 miles already in a given week - doing the same route every time - and I think that's the issue. I can vary the route, but it always takes quite a bit longer and it's not fair on family to be delaying dinner for my own fun.
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 8:58am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cycle roof rack failure
Replies: 45
Views: 4061

Re: Cycle roof rack failure

I've got some of those Halfords cheapies. Don't like 'em, and don't like them even more now! I'm replacing them with Thules. Son #1's FS MTB won't go on the Halfords ones anyway; they can't grip it.

Since getting a car with an instantaneous fuel consumption readout I've become far more reluctant to carry bikes any distance atop the car, which is a pain, because with a Zafira and three kids, where else do you put them? I really, really, don't trust the tailgate carriers. Must get a towbar fitted!
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 8:55am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Why can't cyclists spell?
Replies: 62
Views: 3731

Re: Why can't cyclists spell?

cycleruk wrote:Obviously it's not just cyclists as observed when on other forums.
There was a time (recently) where children were being taught to spell like it sounded. [i](Or not being corrected if spelt wrong)
Perhaps current misspellings or misuse are a product of that ?


The accepted practice is for children to make a best guess if they don't know the spelling rather than interrupt their train of thought whilst doing creative work. Correcting the spellings comes after getting the ideas down, but it's still done.

It does grate when I come across misused words and one for me is "brought" when it should be "bought".


To her dying day my mother could never grasp this. "Bought" just didn't exist in her lexicon - in her idiolect the past tense and past participle of "buy" just was "brought". You couldn't shift it. It's all about mishearing in childhood; I swear she also used to eat cold slaw (well, it is served cold, isn't it?), difficult people were "Obsctroculous" and if she wasn't sure whether something would happen it would be said that "it awe depends". She was dyslexic; never knew if there was any kind of link.

Nowadays I rely on a spell checker as the old memory is fading but I always have had trouble with certain words and a main one is parallel. :oops:


*bias (previous post). Interestingly a lot of people struggle with "bias" and "biased". And don't, please, get me started on the difference between "infer" and "imply".
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 8:41am
Forum: On the road
Topic: The Cyclist Strikes Back
Replies: 21
Views: 3097

Re: The Cyclist Strikes Back

wrangler_rover wrote:I took delivery of a new company car in April, I chose a Mitsubishi Outlander plug in electric hybrid vehicle, a 4 x 4.
I already had a dash cam, I fitted the dash cam in my new car as I travel around the whole country and several years ago I was caught in a cash for crash scam.
5 weeks after getting the Outlander, a deer ran out in front of me on a motorway which I ran over and damaged my car. The dash cam footage was great and the insurance company was no problem. If there had been a problem with the insurance, the dash cam footage would have proved I could not avoid the deer.
I would recommend anybody fits a dash cam to their car, mine is a £40 one from Lidl and the resolution is good.


And free venison...
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 8:07am
Forum: On the road
Topic: General question - commute distance
Replies: 15
Views: 1578

General question - commute distance

When someone says they have "a 10 mile commute", do they generally mean 10 miles each way or 10 miles there and back?

I always wonder.
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 8:06am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist
Replies: 75
Views: 7378

Re: Never Appreciated I Was Such a "Slow" Cyclist

[XAP]Bob wrote:I'd not describe myself as a particularly extraordinary cyclist, but I'm also most assuredly not average.

I do a 14 mile commute - on the trike I do about 17-18mph average, on the bike I can hit 22...

But then I am doing it every day, and putting the hammer down somewhat (shower in the office)

If I was 'normally' cycling, in normal clothes, then I'd be lucky to get 15mph on a run as short as three miles for fear of arriving as a puddle on wheels...


Interestingly, my commute is 14 miles (each way - I do wish people would clarify when they say "I have an x mile commute!") but I'd stopped doing it because I wasn't enjoying it any more. I started again but made it a strict rule not to put the hammer down because it's that that made me hate it. It means the average is now 15-16 instead of 16-17. but how the hell do you get 22? Is it pancake flat? I can just about average 20+ on dead flat roads with smooth tarmac, but otherwise forget it. Any hill has me straight under 20.
by karlt
4 Aug 2017, 7:58am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Why can't cyclists spell?
Replies: 62
Views: 3731

Re: Why can't cyclists spell?

Just spell "pedalling" right (peddling is selling) and I'll be happy. That and learning the difference between "lose" and "loose"
by karlt
2 Aug 2017, 7:39am
Forum: On the road
Topic: letter from driver who knocked me off
Replies: 35
Views: 3692

Re: letter from driver who knocked me off

Worth noting that their "deductable" - the excess - does not apply to third party claims. They would not be expected to cough up the first £200 or whatever of your costs.

Secondly, any police action is entirely independent of whether the driver pays direct or through his insurance. So he won't avoid any points on his licence by paying direct. They only gain he has is keeping his NCD; his base premium will still go up because he's shown himself a worse risk.

It's entirely up to him. But if you were injured, when your solicitor starts talking about suggested compensation figures he'll probably instruct his insurance company to act for him fairly quickiy.

It's also entirely plausible that he'll get a bit of a shock when he finds out how much bikes can cost to repair. Most non-cyclists think a bike costs £70 from Argos so the repair costs can't be more than that.
by karlt
27 Jul 2017, 2:55pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Driver knocked me off bike advice please??
Replies: 34
Views: 5010

Re: Driver knocked me off bike advice please??

When did this incident occur?
by karlt
29 May 2017, 7:24am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Just a quick video of how I removed my bottom bracket fixed cup without correct tools
Replies: 21
Views: 4566

Re: Just a quick video of how I removed my bottom bracket fixed cup without correct tools

I used a crank puller as bolt and nuts and a freewheel remover as a washer very successfully recently.