Cycling UK Forum

I still use downtube friction shifters. After riding the same bike for a long time you really don’t need anything like this - you just shift automatically and don’t need any indexing or indicator.

Mick, Thanks for the extended explanation about why you ride Moulton. I have been toying with the idea of getting one for years. Your posts about it being harder work uphill and about suspension bush issues have been very helpful - they have firmly put me off the idea, as I am looking to make riding...

Mick, Sorry to go a bit off-topic , but I wondered why you have been mostly riding the Moulton instead of the Mercian. I would guess the Mercian is quicker and less work, so the Moulton must have something special.

Thanks for all the very interesting replies and views on my original post. Maybe I could have been clearer in my wording so a couple of points. I was not complaining about having to slow or stop. I often stop anywhere in the village just to chat to friends - one of the key benefits of a bike. I was ...

Reading through comments I think a bit of clarification would be useful. The road where this happened is downhill and mostly single track due to parked cars on the right. There is not even room for a car and bike to pass on some bits. The road carries light traffic. Most cars/vans do up to maybe 20m...

This morning a pedestian with his back to me and mobile glued to ear stepped sideways into the road right in front of my bike without any warning. I always slow down on that bit of road, which is single track due to cars parked on the right, so I just managed to stop. He was still oblivious and talk...

I use a 14-32 6 speed IRD block from SJS cycles on my 1986 Mercian. Works perfectly.

Perhaps the real problem is that human beings are both physically and mentally ill-equipped to drive motor vehicles. Our reactions are slow. We get tired, our eyesight deteriorates, some people drink and drive etc. We have a short attention span, we are easily distracted and some drivers even look f...

I used to work for a mobile phone manufacturer and had access to research studies on driver distraction. It seems to be the case that mental distraction is a bigger problem than physical interaction with a device. The research showed that a hands free kit was only marginally better than holding a ph...

This looks identical to the TA Cyclotouriste that I still have on my Mercian.(except that is a double). It is 30 years old and works perfectly. Very low Q factor. Spa still offer rings on their website -smallest is 26T.

The Oxord Bike Works' website says that they have a long term plan to supply equivalent maps to the Barts series. I don't know what timescale they mean by long-term, but it looks promising.

A couple of years ago I was driving from Newton Abbott towards Teignmouth. It was completely dark, that section of road was narrow, winding, unlit and it was raining - visibility very poor. I saw the slightest orange flash ahead and braked hard, just missing the cyclist with no lights and dark cloth...

I think WD stands for water displacing. I believe the original objective was to formulate a water displacing lubricant and the 40th formula worked best. I used it as chain lube for many years. Quick spray every few days, or after a wet ride, and wipe excess off with a rag, removing surface dirt at t...

I use a pair of Bose quietcomfort 25s to listen to music in noisy surroundings (but not on the bike). They cancel out a lot of noise (especially at low frequencies) and give very good sound quality, but may be a bit big for cycling. Bose now make a bluetooth wireless model 35. There are also in ear ...

Grant Petersen, of Rivendell Bikes, suggests preventing sag by shaping a piece or pieces of high density furniture grade foam to fit tightly in the space between the saddle top and rails. He reckons it lasts far longer and works better than lacing. I have never tried it, but I have found a suitable ...