Search found 2174 matches

by rmurphy195
23 Jan 2023, 8:36pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: New to Road biking
Replies: 14
Views: 1990

Re: New to Road biking

Afcsam15 wrote: 24 Nov 2022, 9:35pm Hello,
So I'm new to Road biking I live in London so quite quickly I have realised it acc is quite dangerous cycling. I got a Canondale the other day and jeez does it pick up speed. I'm use to mountain bikes but damn this goes quick and it's very fun. Any advice On how to meet people Cycling, safety measures, what clothes? Anything really thanks. Cycling is deffo the closest feeling to freedom for me. I find after a day on the bike it's like I've been in another world can't explain it. Sam.
I go for bright stuff - yellow jacket, yellow gloves (so my hand signals can actually be seen) yellow socks (no, really!) and white headgear especially at this time of year - no black clothing and reliance on a pinprick light for me I'm afraid, I want to be seen for what I am from as far away as possible!

Do you have any scope for hopping on a train and getting out into the countryside? If so, go for it when you get the chance, there's nowt like it.

I regularly cycle into Birmingham town centre on the cycle paths/through parks as well as on the roadways, however none of these can compare with going outwards, as it were. And if you are an NT member you can pick out some routes to your favourite properties and thier cafes!

I do find my handlebar mirror very useful especially when there's lots of traffic about, can keep aware of whats around me much more easily than keeping turning to look behind me.
by rmurphy195
23 Jan 2023, 8:28pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Cycle lights blinding oncoming drivers
Replies: 68
Views: 7305

Re: Cycle lights blinding oncoming drivers

Cowsham wrote: 10 Nov 2022, 12:14pm Riding slightly downhill towards town on a dark country road I saw a car coming up out of town - lights dipped --

I had my cateye 200 xc headlamp pointing straight down the road in front of me. It must have been blinding the driver as the headlights went to full beam.

I waited a few seconds to see if they'd put it on dip but they didn't - it was blinding me a bit. I lowered my headlamp by pushing it down a bit and the driver dipped the car lights again.

Wonder if this has been anyone else's experience.?
Yes, many times when driving or cycling I've been blinded by cycle lights, even in the day. Particularly annoying - maybe thats not a strong ebough word - when the cyclist is on a footway coming towards me, and all I see is a bright white light approaching - which should be on my offside, but is to my nearside!
by rmurphy195
23 Jan 2023, 8:25pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Home Office Minister Caught Using Mobile Phone (Tom Tugendhat)
Replies: 15
Views: 2401

Re: Home Office Minister Caught Using Mobile Phone (Tom Tugendhat)

I love this.

Conservative MP, minister or what have you - labelled as Tory all over the place, mass hysteria almost.

Non-Tory MP claiming expenses for drugs - just his name appears in the BEEB headlines, not his party (or ex-party).

No reporting bias of course ...
by rmurphy195
20 Jan 2023, 6:04pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: ...what it actually means?
Replies: 21
Views: 2018

Re: ...what it actually means?

Must have been written by Sir Humphrey ! (Yes, Minister)
by rmurphy195
8 Jan 2023, 3:24pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Favourite tea shops
Replies: 366
Views: 331183

Re: Favourite tea shops

My local favourite tea shop has now closed its doors permanently.

Manor House Farm tea shop near Earlswood lakes closed just before Christmas and will be sorely missed locally, and probably for 20-miles or so aroundabout by the cycling comminity. After having to close through Covid (a years trade lost), then losing out big-time due to the closure of the Earlswood lakes footpaths during engineering work the business has finally succumbed to increased energy and food costs.

The goats have, according to the sign on the door, been re-homed to a local animal sanctuary.

Alistair, and his tea, cakes, and piccies of Hollywood stars (and the goats) will be sorely missed.
by rmurphy195
30 Dec 2022, 6:07pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Tradesman unlawfully charging VAT
Replies: 49
Views: 2498

Re: Tradesman unlawfully charging VAT

If no satisfactory explanation of tax is forthcoming I would add - Trading Standards!

Do you rent the flat, or are you the landlord? If the former perhaps the landlord should foot the bill anyway (my son-in-law rents-out his old flat and when such a problem occurred he fixed the shower, AND decorations in the flat below!)
by rmurphy195
29 Dec 2022, 9:51pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Ceramic tap expert required
Replies: 12
Views: 683

Re: Ceramic tap expert required SOLVED

Cracked it, I think -

Onto the splined drive goes a dome-shaped fitting.

Onto the dome-shaped fitting goes the handle - held by a tiny grubscrew. This goes in sideways through the handle, and is located under the bit that sticks out.

The grub screw has cut a groove in the dome-shaped bit, possibly due to a grandchild (who is used to traditional taps) turning the tap too hard!

Sometimes the handle feels to be solidly in place, sometimes it feels loose as you turn it past the full-on or full-off position!

Tightening up the grub screw/turning the dome thingy to a fresh bit works for a few days, sometimes not.

So - problem identified, and maybe solved, until the next time ...

piece-poor design, just so the top of the handle can be nice and smooth!

Thanks for all your replies - Richard
by rmurphy195
26 Dec 2022, 4:38pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Your help needed to find the rogue trader that tricked me.
Replies: 30
Views: 2622

Re: Your help needed to find the rogue trader that tricked me.

Best I can advise - you remember what his vehicle looked like.See if you can spot it around and about and get more details from its signwriting - better still, a photo including the no. plate. These details may include a phone no. website, email address, even (if you are lucky!) and address, all of which you can pass on to trading standards/rip-off bBritain/Watchdog/your local paper. ... If he's cruising around touting for business he may be still doing so in your area.
by rmurphy195
26 Dec 2022, 1:17pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Ceramic tap expert required
Replies: 12
Views: 683

Ceramic tap expert required

An odd one this for a cycling forum but here we go.

One of my ceramic taps now takes more than a quarter turn between full on and full off. Its the one that gets most use so thinking it was just wear (after about 3 yrs!) I looked it up on t'internet and found nothing that could explain my problem. But I did find out how they work and am now a doubly confounded! (two rotating discs with a 90degree slot in each that lines up as you turn them on)

They don't leak, the flow does not reduce when I've turned it on past the 90deg mark, and the tops are firmly fixed so no problem there. It no longer parks in the off position, but about 45deg past that point, the fully on position is where it should be.

Any pointers, anyone?
by rmurphy195
22 Dec 2022, 9:58pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Secure bike shed
Replies: 32
Views: 3082

Re: Secure bike shed

re_cycler wrote: 17 Dec 2022, 6:05pm Do you think it would have withstood an attack with battery powered tools ?
I always assume that someone will just cut a hole through a wood panel now
Sure - but they are going to make a lot of noise and attract a lot of attention doing it! Could always add a bit of metal gridwork such as reinforcing rods for concrete, that would slow things down a bit.
by rmurphy195
17 Dec 2022, 5:53pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Secure bike shed
Replies: 32
Views: 3082

Re: Secure bike shed

I built a bike shed/workshop in my back garden, using a standard wooden shed.

Having erected it I
  • Fitted coachbolts through the corners, 2 in each corner (top, bottom and middle)
    Screwed T & G loft boards to the inside to make an inner wall (holes drilled along top and bottom to ventilate the gap behind) and inside the doors
    Screwed bars across the window openings (in a nice cross-pattern so it didn't look like jail!)
    Fitted coachbolts through all the hinges
    Brenton bolts top and bottom of the doors, vertically into the doors framework (inc coach bolts again)
All coach bolts were fitted with the nuts inside (of course!) and double-nutted so even if you could find a way of turning them it wouldn't work.
Padlocks were all either disclocks or solid brass ones.
by rmurphy195
8 Nov 2022, 11:10pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Cycling safety cams
Replies: 14
Views: 1076

Re: Cycling safety cams

when I bought mine, one of the prime considerations was the battery - rather than recharge the camera, I recharge the battery, which can be swopped for a fresh one halfway through the ride.

Mine (a garmin Virb) mounts on the handlebars, and has a litttle screen on top so I can see:
What its looking at
That its switched on!
That the battery hasn't run out ....

And I'm not worried about the mounting punching a hole thru my helmet if I fall off at the wrong angle .....
by rmurphy195
8 Nov 2022, 11:07pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Getting used to disc brakes
Replies: 22
Views: 1395

Re: Getting used to disc brakes

Doffcoker - is this your first ever bike, or just the first with disc brakes?

The first thing I noticed about disc brakes is that in the wet, they work - no waiting for a complete turn of the wheel to push the water off the rims.If you are used to doing that, then unless your bike has been standing in the rain you'll need to get used to not having to dry the brakes every time you apply them!
by rmurphy195
4 Nov 2022, 6:57pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: WATCH BBC 1 tonight @8pm panorama
Replies: 48
Views: 4212

Re: WATCH BBC 1 tonight @8pm panorama

robing wrote: 4 Nov 2022, 6:42pm I thought this reply on CUK's FB post about this was brilliant:

"Do you think that we’ve become comfortably numb?
I drive a car and I ride a bike. I’m considerate to other road users when in charge of either.
Consequences for getting it wrong in either mode are very different. I think I’d accept someone videoing cyclists running red lights and sending that into the Police, until it stops or the legislation changes. I have a dashcam in my car to help my case, if I have a collision. I have a bullet camera on my helmet so I can report close passes and to explain to my family what happened, if I’m unable to.
Few, if any, cyclists have ever endangered any vehicles. On the other hand, I have been close passed on average, every 5 miles of my cycle riding.
Most cyclists have driving licences and drive a vehicle. Motorists really ought to cycle a few times, to appreciate how vulnerable it makes us feel and think about the life changing events that are within our control.
It’s not a case of us and them from any perspective.
It’s just US and US for goodness sake."
Totally agree with those sentiments - they could be mine, and reflect my own thoughts and actions except while I have a bikecam (for the same reasons following a collision a few years back) I don't have one in the car!
by rmurphy195
3 Nov 2022, 7:50pm
Forum: Campaigning & Public Policy
Topic: WATCH BBC 1 tonight @8pm panorama
Replies: 48
Views: 4212

Re: WATCH BBC 1 tonight @8pm panorama

mjr wrote: 2 Nov 2022, 9:14pm
ossie wrote: 2 Nov 2022, 8:18pm The lad getting knocked off on that roundabout. Why wasn't he actually going around the roundabout instead of taking a short cut to the right.
It looked to me like he changed his line trying to avoid the motorist who was going completely the wrong way around it, through him.
+1.
I was flabbergasted (polite term) about the driver being given an awareness course, since he/she
1) Failed to obey road signs/road marking(I've been prosecuted for this, driving over a white line for 6 feet), then
2) Went the wrong way around a roundabout

before hitting the cyclist!