Search found 121 matches

by ian s
14 Jan 2022, 8:45pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Worst personalized number plate
Replies: 213
Views: 13786

Re: Worst personalized number plate

I used to see K98ARK quite frequently, which i am certain would command a lot of money from a dog person somewhere
by ian s
17 Sep 2021, 10:14pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Police attitudes to riding side by side
Replies: 40
Views: 2698

Re: Police attitudes to riding side by side

Was near Rutland Water last Saturday, when there was a triathlon on. Getting past 6 or 7 bicycles one behind the other wasn't easy, and in fact would have been easier if they were two abreast, but only half as "long"; needed the other side of the road anyway, so two abreast wouldn't have been any worse
by ian s
4 Dec 2020, 10:05pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Flashing headlights
Replies: 40
Views: 2478

Re: Flashing headlights

I like the name at least one of the European country's name for the headlamp flasher (I think it may be Germany, but don't quote me on this) where it is called the "optical horn". That is what it should be used - only that.
by ian s
27 Jun 2020, 9:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cotter pins: Why? Why not?
Replies: 55
Views: 3503

Re: Cotter pins: Why? Why not?

Brucey - you leave the nut on the thread just proud of the thread, so that the splitter does not touch the end of the pin - standard engineering practice in such situations.
Iandusud - wind as much load on the puller as you dare, then give the bit of the splitter over the end of the cotter pin a tap with the hammer, applies more load than you would with hammer alone - either fitting or dismantling - again, standard engineering practice

What also helps is to put a slight chamfer on the relevant edge of the flats on the bottom bracket spindle, so that the edge doesn't cut into the side of the cotter pin
by ian s
19 Jun 2020, 10:22pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cotter pins: Why? Why not?
Replies: 55
Views: 3503

Re: Cotter pins: Why? Why not?

Much the best way of getting cotter pins in tight, or out again, is a car ball joint splitter; they work an absolute treat
by ian s
7 Oct 2019, 10:42pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Go left Young man/woman ......go left.
Replies: 19
Views: 2061

Re: Go left Young man/woman ......go left.

Some years ago I used to use the path near Priory Park in Bedford, that used to be a railway, to get to work. There was one bloke each morning who tried to always keep to his right. This culminated in him stopping a few inches in front of me. He said to me "what is wrong with over there" pointing to his left. To which I replied "what indeed, why are you not using it as the law requires" He went around me to his left, and always thereafter went to the left when he saw me approaching, but stayed on the right at other times. What his fascination with the right side was I will never know
by ian s
17 Sep 2019, 8:42pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Daytime lights
Replies: 36
Views: 2344

Re: Daytime lights

I entirely agree; I dislike lights on in broad daylight as well. The number of time I see people riding cycles in dark clothes but with lights on the bike in broad daylight is stupid, the cyclist obviously wants to be seen, but is so ecologically unfriendly as to waste energy emitting light when reflective clothing would do the same for no energy consumption
by ian s
17 Feb 2019, 9:10pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: RTW cyclist fined £75 for cycling through Bedford town centre during prohibited hours
Replies: 73
Views: 13751

Re: RTW cyclist fined £75 for cycling through Bedford town centre during prohibited hours

Living very near Bedford I really don't see why he would try to cycle through the pedestrian area. Fortunately it is small, ( a length of Midland Road and a few adjacent streets) and the traffic in the adjacent streets is seldom all that bad.I really don't see what grounds he would have for not paying the fine. Sadly there is a proposal to pedestrianise the High Street also, which would make cycling around the town difficult.
by ian s
2 Jan 2019, 8:08pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Why we shouldn't be too eager to campaign for segregated cycling facilities
Replies: 75
Views: 14021

Re: Why we shouldn't be too eager to campaign for segregated cycling facilities

Had an interesting discussion with a local cycling group at a local event last summer. They want cycle paths etc. I told them that I want less cycle paths; what I want is space and respect on the roads, because, being realistic, there will never be cycle paths beside/in parallel with all roads.

They weren't happy that a cyclist didn't agree with their blinkered attitude
by ian s
2 Jan 2019, 8:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Novel overtaking move this morning
Replies: 20
Views: 2494

Novel overtaking move this morning

I was proceeding through a local village, where the road is a succession of bends, a car was behind me waiting for a good view before passing me, when we were both overtaken by a pickup completely on the wrong side of the road around a blind bend. What, if anything, was the driver thinking?? It is down hill, so I wasn't going all that slow.

In my experience, that was a first
by ian s
29 Nov 2018, 10:07pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: BBC New website media request - What do you think of the government's new proposals for cycling?
Replies: 17
Views: 3922

Re: BBC New website media request - What do you think of the government's new proposals for cycling?

This business of the "Dutch reach" is being rendered much more difficult than it once was because of the design of the cars themselves. In the past the internal door release lever was typically just in front of the driver's body, and it was actually difficult to reach it with the hand on the arm that side. These days the door release lever is typically near the leading edge of the door, so that one can reach it with the nearest arm, and in the driving seat using the other arm (the Dutch reach) is difficult because the steering wheel gets in the way. Therefore never mind Government initiatives, it isn't likely to happen.
by ian s
13 Dec 2017, 3:47pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Working out a gradient
Replies: 49
Views: 2841

Re: Working out a gradient

For non rack railways the difference between sine and tangent is inconsequentially small. I have always understood all geographical gradients to be "sine", rather than tangent, because that is what a measuring wheel will measure when rolled along the hill, or a surveyors chain will measure when laid out on a hill
by ian s
15 Oct 2017, 12:58pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Would you cycle on a 'shared' pavement on the wrong side of the road?
Replies: 37
Views: 3153

Re: Would you cycle on a 'shared' pavement on the wrong side of the road?

Sustrans routes..... awful. There is one near where I live, why do one side of a rectangle where three will do, and it is not as though the straight route is a problem to cycle.

Get rid of Sustrans as soon as possible
by ian s
13 Oct 2017, 12:20pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Oxford city centre to be zero emission by 2020
Replies: 51
Views: 3543

Re: Oxford city centre to be zero emission by 2020

Don't worry, Bigjim, nature will sort us out eventually. There will be an outbreak of some virus or antibiotic resistant bacterior that will wipe out a substantial proportion of the population, that is if the nuclear warheads don't do it first. It will be traumatic when it happens, but bliss for those remaining afterwards; just think how lovely GB would be with 10 million people.

Back to Oxford, what I suspect it will do is to increase the speed at which towns and cities are turning themselves inside out. It used to be that businesses were in the town centres, and the people lived around the edge. No longer, the businesses are around the edge, and the town centres becoming masses of blocks of flats etc