Cycling UK Forum

I would also take a look at SJS. I was looking to build a new wheel for MrsT's bike so went there to price up the required bits and found a hand-built wheel ready made for cheaper than I could actually buy all the components. DT swiss rim on a Son dynamo hub so we're not talking cheap , but just about bomb proof

We were walking around Whernside (N Yorks) on Saturday. Tops were meant to be cloudy in the am, with an 80% chance that the cloud would lift in the afternoon, so we walked to the and of the ridge in the morning, watching the occasional cover the hillside and started going up about 1pm.
About 2pm The cloud came down and it started to rain, hard and horizontal. By 2:30 we decided that discretion was the key and started coming down, along with several other parties who had made the top and were looking quite bedraggled. Cloud followed us most of teh way down. Cloud finally lifted about 5:30 but we were safely in the pub by then.

rualexander wrote: ↑3 Apr 2024, 1:05am Plenty of people cycle in the door zone, and some of them get doors opened right in front of them.

And Cambridge used to have a cycle lane which went immediately along the right of some on street parking (and an awful lot of novice cyclists that wouldn't know better)

bohrsatom wrote: ↑15 Mar 2024, 8:08am

CliveyT wrote: ↑14 Mar 2024, 9:13pm Would be going right past de Molen brewery so I would have the problem of getting 'delayed' in Bodegraven

I’m going to Gouda in May (with my Brompton), this is now on my list of places to visit!

The most scenic route is to head towards Gouda Gouverwelle station, head up through the Goudse Hout country park and then wend your way between what look like gravel pits towards Bodegraven. Longer, but certainly more pleasant than the direct route to the wast of the pits. There's also a cheese farm on the other side of the river in Bodegraven, but seeing you're staying in Gouda you'll probably have had enough of cheese by then

Dupont wrote: ↑14 Mar 2024, 8:01pm I am just a little concerned about day 2 and whether Leiden to Utrecht is a little optimistic distance wise.

Would be going right past de Molen brewery so I would have the problem of getting 'delayed' in Bodegraven

Utrecht isn't in Holland...
And I agree, some of them are very short stages so if the aim is to do sightseeing then fine, but some days you'll have as long off the bike as on it
If you're staying o/n in den Haag then you can easily get the day sailing back from Hoek- saves you having to book a cabin.

Airsporter1st wrote: ↑11 Mar 2024, 11:04am This guy has it cracked - nice low CofG and fully protected.IMG_1456.jpeg

With the weather recently- he'd be rusted solid in a week.

Cowsham wrote: ↑25 Feb 2024, 8:02am Minus 3 but at least it's dry for a change

That's my fault I'm afraid. I took the studded tyres off the Galaxy last weekend

I have a set of 1/2"" (maybe 3/8 can't remember if I use an adapter or not) drive hex head sockets that fit on my torque wrench I bought specifically for one high-torque bolt on our tandem. Not cheap (but then neither is the tandem) and not as maneuverable as a hex key but well made and certainly not going to round off any time soon.

Fair enough.
One other thing to consider is it will almost certainly be sold with continental braking (right lever-rear etc.) and if they're not exporting to the UK they might not even offer UK braking any more. Without looking at the bike I can't say how easy it would be to swap.
May not be a deal-breaker for you but it would certainly worry me

Two bits of advice i would offer- Don't seek legal advice off a cycling forum. There are almost certainly people on here that know exactly what the law says, there are people on here who have a good idea, there are people on here who don't know and some of them will still venture an opinion. Working out which is which is difficult and " some people on the internet said it would be OK" will not be looked at favourably by customs and excise.
Secondly don't go around telling people what you're planning to do on a publicly viewable forum?

Will wrote: ↑13 Feb 2024, 7:12pm Every other tram starts at Steendijkpolder (the next stop after Hoek van Holland Haven), so if you have to wait until 9am, then you can cycle down to Steendijkpolder and get a more frequent tram from there.

Alternatively if time isn't an issue then go the other way to Hoek van Holland strand. The cafe's generally don't open until 10 so if you want breakfast you'll be a bit later, otherwise go for a stroll on the beach and get the first metro after 9. You might easily be the only person getting on which makes it easy to get the bike settled before it gets busy

One question- how is it going to be paid for? One reason why the armed forces are so small now is that reducing manpower reduces tax spend and a small, hi-tech armed force is cheaper than a large, lower-tech one. And it's not just wages, all the new conscripts will require equipment, you'll have to increase the amount of training facilities and buy back all the barracks that have been sold off for housing. The Navy may need a few more ships to put them on etc. etc.
Until I see an election manifesto wanting to raise taxes to build a conscript army I'm not going to worry about it

pete75 wrote: ↑2 Feb 2024, 2:31pm

CliveyT wrote: ↑2 Feb 2024, 2:24pm There's one further problem with C2W- if you're a higher rate taxpayer (i.e. the one who needs least help with buying a bike) you get a greater benefit than a standard rate taxpayer. If you're on the minimum wage (i.e someone who would need most help and possibly someone who would most benefit) you can't join the scheme at all.

That's nothing to do with CTW. It's a feature of all salary sacrifice schemes, coupled with the way minimum wage legislation works.

I know, it's true for many things. It's why salary sacrifice is IMO one of the worst ways the scheme could have been delivered

There's one further problem with C2W- if you're a higher rate taxpayer (i.e. the one who needs least help with buying a bike) you get a greater benefit than a standard rate taxpayer. If you're on the minimum wage (i.e someone who would need most help and possibly someone who would most benefit) you can't join the scheme at all.