Search found 7666 matches

by simonineaston
28 Mar 2024, 8:05am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Custom Storage
Replies: 13
Views: 560

Re: Custom Storage

I bought a Sheffield stand and cemented it the garden, however much depends on the levels of bike crime in your neighbourhood, I suppose… In my wanderings round town, I’ve seen all sorts of small garden bike sheds, some obviously home made and others, mostly metal, that look shop bought.
by simonineaston
26 Mar 2024, 7:35pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: "Why is the right at war with cyclists?... "
Replies: 24
Views: 1193

Re: "Why is the right at war with cyclists?... "

I’m sure it should be possible to weight the two groups using some sort of scoring method, that takes everything into account to produce an overall Goodness Score you know, concrete things like damage to road infrastructure, cost to NHS, carbon footprint, days benefitting employers due to fitness and well-being - all the metrics we’ve read about over the years, as well as things harder to measure, like happiness and positivity.
And we all know that the poor old motorist will score very badly indeed with the exception of a handful of measures, such as contributing to gdp due to millions of pounds of vehicle sales, keeping the finance industry afloat on account of ditto and maybe, just maybe, range of individual journies - potentially hundreds of miles per journey, roadworks allowing ;-).
So perhaps they hate us so ‘cos they are sore losers?
by simonineaston
26 Mar 2024, 3:34pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Heat in the home
Replies: 2297
Views: 134309

Re: Heat in the home

I can see why you might infer that I apportion ‘blame, or ‘fault’ but the situation is perhaps more complex than I managed to describe, thus far. If we unpack it all a bit, my point may become clearer.
It’s a simple statement of fact that private companies are in business to make profit, by definition. PPI & PFI arrangements do nothing to change this basic tenet. Modern business forces have resulted in large corporations dominating certain markets. Power suppliers are a notable example. The Big Six are multi-nationals, with complex ownership, often overseas - EDF UK for example is wholely owned by the French state.
As is common knowledge, in the case of those private companies that took the place of public utilities, the risk that these companies would act largely in favour of their business beneficiaries - their executives and shareholders, as opposed to their customers - was supposed to be managed by so-called regulators, Ofthis, Ofthat & Oftheother… however it's generally accepted that this doesn't work properly.
Once we accept that power supply companies are, literally, in business to maximise their profits for the benefit of their shareholders & board, we can see that they might - indeed must - pursue practices which further that aim. Thus, it makes little sense to roll out a metering system that risks their customers saving money, ie being charged less for the same product. Far better to continue to distribute a system that has weaknesses and may not work to deliver the promised and profit-threatening dynamic billing.
Now I’m not for a moment suggesting this was a deliberate policy, but rather a symptom of weak legislation and/or regulation. The fact is that the technology behind the sundry iterations of smart metering was known to be insufficiently reliable for years - the first examples didn't even manage to provide signal continuity if the customer 'switched' - and let's recall that switching was something we're supposedly encourged to consider... The numbers of faulty meters installed in domestic homes since the start of the project has been steadily rising, year on year. The whole industry has known about that since the get go. From a business point of view, there's zero incentive for the companies to fix the situation and all but no reaction from the regulator.
So, to return to your question - who to blame? Well, here’s a selection of potential culprits for your consideration... Successive governments, for drawing up inadequate legislation, perhaps… OfGem for being lily-livered, maybe? Thinkers like Hayek and Rand for planting the seeds of the ludicrous punt that private business could be trusted to act in the interest of public customers?
In many ways, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that we're unlikely to see a change to a more equitable system until we move away from private ownership, where the profits are drained away from benefiting the nation and its citizens and instead, disappear forever, often overseas. The final irony being of course that in the case of EDF, the wonga all disappears out of the UK, never to be seen again and straight into the bank accounts of the nationalised French power industry!!!
by simonineaston
26 Mar 2024, 10:41am
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Not pedalling
Replies: 48
Views: 2891

Re: Not pedalling

Some observations on this topic.
I’ve chatted to lots of the delivery guys. Many speak English as a second language, some are living & working (hard!) here without the right paperwork. I’m not judging them - my interest is in the state of e-bike legislation.
Lots of them are rented their bikes by a local boss. Lots of them even rent the phones, with the necessary app on it. This combination of circumstances is ripe for exploitation. Lots of them operate under difficult working conditions (which is putting it mildly). The number of drops is key to them and their bosses being able to make money, thus it's a given that the cycle’s motor & battery systems are hacked for power. This all makes for a high risk working environment one way and another.
And yet at the same time, police services have limited resources and have to cut their coats to suit the cloth. Food delivery is booming and seen by those who benefit as an important cog in the economy. Business elements don't want the boat rocked. While reported numbers of accidents stay lowish, there’s no leverage to address legislation or tighten up policing. The poor folks who stand to lose most ie the guys out in all weathers, working long hours for rubbish money, on the knackered e-bikes which they pay LOTS to use, are politically invisible. They are in many cases, virtually slave labour…
So think of that next time you’re tempted to order a burger on deliveroo.
by simonineaston
26 Mar 2024, 7:35am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Heat in the home
Replies: 2297
Views: 134309

Re: Heat in the home

Re dynamic billing, for which a so-called smart meter is a requisite, today we learn that there are 4 million defective smart meters across the UK… the reason this is significant is because the power providers that should be called to account by a properly functioning regulatory system will claim that they've "done their bit” ie roll out the smart meters to households, then they and the toothless regulator will bleat that the meters are faulty for reasons quite beyond their control.
The consequence will be that the government and the industry can claim that they’ve done their best to implement cost saving measures but they will continue to maximise their revenues at the same time as stoutly denying that they are misleading and taking advantage of customers.
This is yet another example of the deliberate and abusive nature of the relationship between customers and the current private industry service providers. It has to stop.
by simonineaston
25 Mar 2024, 3:42pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2921

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

What most voters don't realise is the all-pervasive influence of the neoliberal hard right. Most have us have been turned into cash cows and are, apparently, content to watch our hard earned disappear without trace into the wallets of a handful of conglomerates, never to be seen again. Until their grip is broken Britain will remain the disintegrating disgrace it's become…
Anybody who gripes about this party or that is missing the point. Traditional demcocracy is over, modern politicians are ineffective.
by simonineaston
25 Mar 2024, 10:24am
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: Escooter trial to start
Replies: 351
Views: 37531

Re: Escooter trial to start

The only trial I know of here in Bristol is the one where they see how many Tier bikes they can heave into the river Frome... :wink:
by simonineaston
25 Mar 2024, 10:16am
Forum: Cycling Goods & Services - Your Reviews
Topic: Leatherman skeletool
Replies: 0
Views: 177

Leatherman skeletool

Just a few lines on the subject of this lightweight multitool... We cyclists are always on the lookout for items that can lighten the load. The perfect multitool might weigh under 100g and contain everything we need to complete any sort of road trip - a complete set of Allen, torx and traditional screwdrivers, spanners, unbreakable tyre levers, a chain splitter, a bottle opener, a kitchen knife and a tiny tiny spare battery for phone or our bike motor.. but of course, it doesn't exist!
I thought I'd try Leatherman's newish skeletool to see if it combines light weight with useful features. In summary, it's a pair of nicely made light duty pliers / wire cutters on comfortable, slightly curved and perforated handles, a good folding&locking blade and a bit holder on the other end. That's it, apart from the combined carabiner / bottle opener.
So the task of versatility is very much down to the bit holder. It accepts Leatherman's proprietry bits and comes with 2 reversable bits, one slot head, the other cross head meaning you get 4 drivers. One bit sits in the holder, the other stows in the handle. Nice & neat, if rather minimal.
Where things start to get interesting is if you splash the cash (itro £20...) for the accessory bit kit, which gets you 20 more bits (including a useful micro driver just right for the very small screws you get on yer spex...) and thus an array of over 40 various tools - see below. And yt has several videos showing clever and fairly straightforward ways to expand the skeletool to use both 1/4 & 1/8 inch bits, as well as saws & files. Now we're talking!
However, I have to say that the light weight comes with a drawback in that it's less sturdy than my Topeak multitool, which feels bomb proof and shows no sign of any wear, even after a couple of decades of use. I tried out the skeletool with the large 6mm allen bit which fits the big frame bolt on my Moulton and found that I wasn't able to apply enough torque to undo the bolt without the skeletool flexing alarmingly in my hand... not a good start although on the other hand, the makers are sufficiently confident to give the tool their 25 year warranty. It's worth remarking that the Topeak tool will achieve this task with no sign of flex at all. I can heave all I like on the Topeak!
So, the $64 Q. - will the skeletool replace the Topeak as my essential carry when out on my bike? Answer - no. On the other hand, it's now in my knapsack that goes with me every day, when out and about walking. In other words, it's a bit of a curate's egg, I suppose... the search for that ultimate Do It All multitool continues.
The Last Word is a warning - I learn that Royal Mail ( and possibly all other carriers) will no longer accept bladed items for delivery, starting next month!
tool, case and my selected bits
tool, case and my selected bits
lightweight pliers
lightweight pliers
bit holder
bit holder
by simonineaston
20 Mar 2024, 11:40am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Food poverty-the way out
Replies: 756
Views: 27911

Re: Food poverty-the way out

What exactly is there to be happy about? Let's recall that our primate brains are inclined towards two overarching tendancies - opportunism and optimism. Thus any thoughts we have will tend to err on the side of imagining that 'it will be alright on the night'... the likeilhood is that it won't and anyone with half an ounce of sense should have realised that by now.
Off for a nice restorative cycle ride now :-)
by simonineaston
19 Mar 2024, 1:19pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Brompton or Mirider
Replies: 4
Views: 278

Re: Brompton or Mirider

I bought a non-electric Brompton through the cycle to work scheme and never regretted it. Had it over ten years. Adapted it to ‘lecky in 2017 via nano cycles, which I’ve not regretted either. So what am I saying? Well I suppose this. A) the Brompton probably remains the gold standard for folders. They’re really well designed / made. B) there are cheaper ways of getting an electric Brompton than simply buying an off the shelf Brompton model.
by simonineaston
18 Mar 2024, 5:19pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Would it be unreasonable … ?
Replies: 42
Views: 1688

Re: Would it be unreasonable … ?

I’ve been upset by this issue since it cropped up with the arrival of cheap, powerful LEDs. I have concluded with a heavy heart that a significant number of cyclists - often otherwise reasonable and kindly folk - are too dumb or too selfish to engage with this oh-so-simple fact.
After a lot of soul searching and incredulity, I’ve decided to pop it the box marked, Exactly why I hate most humans and, frankly, think they (we) will Deserve All We Get.
Which is just all too sad, really…
by simonineaston
17 Mar 2024, 4:13pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2921

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

I don’t think on the whole, people have grasped how utterly desperate things are…
I have sympathy with that idea - after all, who want to go like oh that’s it then - my kids will likely die of war, famine or heat… ?
by simonineaston
17 Mar 2024, 12:03pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?
Replies: 103
Views: 2921

Re: Just how long will it take to turn this ship around?

As far as I can tell, we’re entered into a “new chautaqua” - or do I mean “paradigm”? I don’t know.
Parliament is pretty much broken, as the last of the decent MPs are heading out the door. Democracy is bust, too, now that all real power has been ceded to finance and tech..
Austerity (which Alexei Sayle reminds us is the idea that the global financial crash of 2008 was caused by there being too many libraries in Wolverhampton…) has systematically stripped our public services of all the funds needed to give us all the core services we depend on, for cradle to grave care, especially for anyone vulnerable.
And if that isn’t a bleak picture enough, recall that the above is no accident. The neoliberal, Hayek /Rand worshipping hard right worked out years ago how to turn us all in to cash cows, pocket all our hard earned in the form of profit and make it all disappear into their personal wallets, never to be seen again. And they are not about to let any of that change! Nothing will change. We face two options - revolution or, more likely, extinction.
Happy Saint Patrick’s day - have a glass of stout on me…
by simonineaston
16 Mar 2024, 12:33pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Witnessing the end of the NHS
Replies: 213
Views: 18566

Re: Witnessing the end of the NHS

It wasn’t that long ago that anyone who campaigned against the “sell off of the NHS” was regarded as crazy lefty or unhinged socialist. Now we’ve arrived at a time when all but the dullest wit can recognise the harm done by successive governments to a wide range of public services inc. the continual and deliberate underfunding of the NHS, we might do well to recall that it was us the electorate that put them all in power… We’re all too keen to vote for the party that promises the lowest cost of living, the least “tax burden”, the hardest driven of efficiencies and the most swinging of local government funding. And now, that’s exactly what we’ve got.
We get the governments we deserve. We ask for it and they give it us. We’ve no one to blame for the current state of affairs but ourselves. Anyone who points out that it wasn’t them that votes Conservative just isnt trying hard enough. Protests in support of our GPs, hospital doctors and nurses? None. We just stood on the doorstep and mimicked Boris and Carrie. Pathetic. As thou shalt sow, so shall you reap…
by simonineaston
14 Mar 2024, 4:01pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: screenshot (pun intended…)
Replies: 3
Views: 392

Re: screenshot (pun intended…)

I’m liking that, what with the P as a logo, an’ all… When the owner comes back on line, I’ll ask him and post the response.
I get where he’s coming from, when I recall the zzipper fairings available for the AMs