Cycling UK Forum

Earl Spool wrote: ↑20 Dec 2020, 8:35pm I was driving along a dark lane this evening and needed to pull into the middle of the road in order to reverse into a driveway. There was a car quite a long way off and coming along slowly, so that was OK. I pulled across - and suddenly a cyclist materialised from nowhere, swerving to avoid me, gave me an earful and rode off. Turned out the two headlights I thought were a car were two lights on his handlebar, bright and set close together so they looked exactly like a car a long way away. (My passenger thought exactly the same). It seems to me that any combination of two front lights is likely to do that, given how many cars go around with one bright and one dim front light. But two the same, and with car-headlight brightness, are especially dangerous.

Has anyone else looked into the original poster's history on the forum.
'Earl Spool' hasn't posted any other posts, before or since.
Did he (or she) join the forum just to bellyache about someone who could have been a victim of Earl Spool's own behaviour?
There have been mentions about one-off posters recently, and reasons for doing it - I think (not sure) that one such reference came from one of the mods.

At least this thread has generated some positive discussion, and sharing of opinion among cyclists, about our lighting preferences and reasons for them.

It also generated Brucey's illustrated post about cycle lighting distribution. (Page 5, above - 12th January)
Haste ye back Brucey, we're all rooting for your recovery - my best wishes.

Also, at least, we should be grateful for how far cycle lighting has come since the 'Never-Ready' offerings of the 70s, which in turn were a very significant advance on 50s and 60s lighting.

I wear their plusses.
I think the world of them.
To get exactly the correct size (remember that plusses have to be right for knee-length, and that's harder to get right than normal full leg-length) - I 'phoned them and found them affable and receptive to my call.
In discussion with them it was apparent that I was not quite the right size for their plusses and they were happy to discuss.
They finished up making them bespoke for me, at the price of the larger size up.
I hope you get it right.

rualexander wrote: ↑11 Apr 2021, 8:36pm Here is a Tiger crossing the road in front of me in India in 1995.
The detail is hard to make out as this is quite a tight crop from my original slide. It is walking just off to the right hand side of the road. The Tiger was about a 100 metres or so up the road in front of me, quite early one morning in Mudumalai National Park, south of Mysore.



2021-04-11_08-31-34-01-01.jpeg

THat's interesting Alex - I can pick out something with four legs, but it doesn't look like a tiger - but exciting for you.

kwackers wrote: ↑21 Mar 2021, 10:42am............. let's also increase fuel duty and put more money into public transport.

Absolutely kwackers, and the planet may remain habitable for a bit longer - but how on earth are you going to challenge the religion of motoring? - adherents to that religion don't even understand that there's an alternative, nor that it matters.

iandusud wrote: ↑6 Apr 2021, 2:37pm The graduated white thing is a ruler. As for the other bits I can't help

I just had to laugh at that!

Grumpy-Grandad wrote:

Earl Spool wrote:What is everyone's take on flashing front lights?

I only ride during daylight hours and have the following lights:
Front. Two, 1 flashing, the 2nd constant. Mounted on the handlebars, one on the left and one on the right.
Rear. Two, 1 flashing, the 2nd constant. Mounted one above the other about 6" apart.

First : I'm grumpier than you could possibly be.

Second - my lights ensemble : on the front,I have two Hope Vision 1 lights and a 'SERFAS e-LUME 1600', on flashing mode (this replaces a previous LUME 1500 from a couple of years ago - the flashing function on the 1600 seems to me to be a lot more than 100 Lumens brighter then the 1500) .

My philosophy is that the Hope vision 1s are, as far as I know, the brightest replaceable-battery lights available with 3 varying brightness settings, which can be adjusted when necessary, and the flashing light serves to identify me as a cyclist. I have all three in line on the handlebars - which are drops, and they sit close together (on the tops) so almost read as one.
I do my best, but it can still test a motorist's respect for human's life.

Just as an aside - the Hope Vision 1 lights are brilliant - they have a flashing function and three brightness settings, and I have them differently angled, one angle shines on the road surface and use on Greenways/cycle paths etc and the other light is more nearly horizontal giving a better spread on unlit lanes,cycle-paths etc and visible from a greater distance. I only have them on the brighter settings when in traffic,because I feel the need to compete with vehicle lights.

An HGV driver told me that I should have one pointing slightly upwards because, from his high-level, directional cycle lights are easily lost in surrounding lighting. I have five rear lights, on the basis that we need to have more than one, and one could stop working! I do point one of the rear lights upwards, having received the HGV driver's comment.

The SERFAS light is integral battery - the battery isn't replaceable en route. The Hope lights give 3-hours battery life on the brightest setting, which I've found to be necessary on long rides in darkness on unlit Yorkshire Dales lanes. Integral battery lights all seem to me to have short burn periods on high settings, and carrying some spare batteries is better (in my opinion) than having to carry spare lights. The SERFA will flash happily all night from a fully charged battery. Also, in real dire emergency, batteries can be bought from all-night filling stations and off-license shops........many Co-ops stay open to 10.00pm.

A great sadness for me is that HOPE no longer sell their Vision ! lights!

Cowsham wrote:

DevonDamo wrote:As far as I can see, that's a very straightforward fibreglass or carbon repair. Because of its location, you can easily sleeve the broken section, and there would be no limitation on how long you wish the sleeve to be or how thick you want to lay it up. I.e. you can choose how strong you want it to be.

That's what I'd do -- done plenty of fibre glass repairs on stuff but never worked with carbon fibre mats before -- is it the same resin ?

I don't believe it is the same resin - but the issue is as much the stresses as the material - if not more.
It's the fibres that take the load, not the resin.
As for a sleeve - it would have to be a perfect fit, and tight enough but not too tight.
Tight enough to avoid 'gobble'developing, but not so tight as to create new stresses.
I submit that GRP and carbon are different.

Jamesh wrote:I think you can repair it safely.

A good rubbing of the carbon down to the fibre and rebuilding with extra cloth and resin.

What's the worst that will happen the rear wheel pulls into the chainstay and you gone to a holt?!

Cheers James

............
.........or the rear of the bike collapse onto the road, deposits you on the tarmac and a vehicle runs over you.
Certainly wouldn't be my choice.

leftpoole wrote:In my opinion.....................Buy a steel bike.
Sorry, it is my opinion.

+1 to that!

Vantage wrote:Other than letting him know we're all here for him, there isn't much we can do. I speak as a stroke survivor.
What he will need when he eventually gets home is a ton of support. People to make his food, help him to stroke recovery classes and generally popping in to see him and offering to help around the house etc.
I collapsed on my daughter just trying to make a cup of tea. It really is life changing.
When he gets back on the bike, he'll need people to accompany him. It takes ages to get balance back.
There's no time line for stroke recovery. It may be weeks or years.
I had mine 3 years ago and I still get very tired easily and can no longer look behind me while riding without getting dizzy and veering off course.
It's going to be damn hard on him. Especially mentally. He'll want to break down crying sometimes. Probably. I sure did.

Some very sobering thoughts there Vantage.
Best wishes to you.

lescargo wrote:..................
2. CUK's current management realises it needs all the propaganda it can generate to justify their continued destruction of what once was "our"
cycling club.


-

Yes - sad, isn't it?

kwackers wrote:..........I am in fact 60.........

Tha's nobbut a young 'un lad!
But beware - in a year's time you'll not be able to enjoy the decade following everyone over 60 being killed off............

Vorpal wrote:

ElCani wrote:Fantastic news. Alex, thanks so much for contacting him and keeping us informed. Will, he has posted/contributed using his full name on Sheldon Brown and other websites, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with revealing his surname.

Best wishes with your recovery, Brucey!

I have removed it. He has never published it on here, and I don't think that we should permit it without his express permission.

I agree with that Vorpal.

alexnharvey wrote:...........I spoke to Brucey this morning and he sounded bright I thought.........

Oh thank you for doing that, and for keeping us informed.
If you can, please give him the very best of wishes and hopes for recovery, from yet another 'fan' he's never met, and doesn't know.

Thanks you for letting us know atlas_...........
You will let us know any news, won't you - please.
And if you get a chance to communicate, you will tell him all the good wishes and complimentary comments -- please.