Search found 1849 matches

by Geriatrix
27 Dec 2020, 8:46pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy
Replies: 46
Views: 3221

Re: Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy

pwa wrote:Separate brake levers from gear levers.

Thanks, yes, this looks like a good option.
by Geriatrix
27 Dec 2020, 8:40pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy
Replies: 46
Views: 3221

Re: Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy

ElCani wrote:
What shifters and drivetrain do you have at the moment? What’s wrong with them? Knowing this will help people help you come up with a workable upgrade/replacement strategy.

Cheers!

Except for the cassette, chain and chainrings, which have been regularly replaced, all drive components on the bike are original, as are the cantilever brakes. The derailleur is Shimano Deore XT 9 speed, I can't find new replacements for that. I have no idea what the shifters are, there's no obvious marking on them. All the components have the wear consistent with 12 years of commuting and touring and need to be replaced.
by Geriatrix
27 Dec 2020, 7:34pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy
Replies: 46
Views: 3221

Upgrading a 2008 Dawes Ultra Galaxy

The groupset and shifters on my Galaxy are worn and long overdue for an upgrade. Something along the line of the Shimano GRX 11 speed setup looks good (not Di2), but the shifters for the GRX seem to be only disk brake compatible, and the Galaxy is equipped with Avid Shorty cantilever brakes (which work just fine).
Any suggestions for re-equipping an aging touring bike?
by Geriatrix
14 Feb 2014, 8:54am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Two cyclists killed, driver arrested
Replies: 56
Views: 21980

Re: Two cyclists killed, driver arrested

eileithyia wrote:Ouch! Thoughts with the families and friends.

+1

Police have arrested the driver reported themselves to the IPCC.
by Geriatrix
14 Feb 2014, 8:27am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Recording yourself breaking the law
Replies: 10
Views: 14441

Recording yourself breaking the law

I have often griped about the fact that police won't pursue cases on the strength of video evidence, but what about people who record themselves breaking the law?

Clarkson is a good example. A photo taken from the driver side window is fairly unambiguous evidence of him using a digital device whilst driving.

Another example:
twitter2.JPG
twitter2.JPG (20.79 KiB) Viewed 14387 times


These are drivers openly recording themselves performing an activity that is considered at least as dangerous as drunk driving and the police are taking no action?

[ Sorry folks I had to airbrush out the single word expletive in the above screenshot.
As you can imagine the comment from the driver of the vehicle was the typical moronic, hate-filled, auto-response from a sub-human in control of a motor vehicle.
This person is obviously feeling quite threatened by the presence of two people on bicycles on an open road.
Graham ]
by Geriatrix
13 Feb 2014, 6:48pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Everthing South Of Exeter
Replies: 92
Views: 30745

Re: Everthing South Of Exeter

irc wrote:No different from giving air time to other politicians who aren't qualified to say what climate change is doing or not doing..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26133915

Anyway scientists aren't always right. In the 70s some scientists told us the climate was cooling.

The difference is the premise from which each respective camp works.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate change is man made. There is no longer much scientific controversy on that.
There are only two climate scientists of any note in the sceptic camp. They are Freeman Dyson and Richard Lindzen.

On science not always being right. Well that true in that most scientific theories are incomplete, even the science we use to build bridges. I would still rather cross the bridge built on science rather than on opinion.
by Geriatrix
13 Feb 2014, 10:25am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Everthing South Of Exeter
Replies: 92
Views: 30745

Re: Everthing South Of Exeter

What's annoying is the disproportionate amount of airtime the BBC gives to bigots like Lawson who elect themselves as climate experts and claim the same intellectual authority on the subject as bona fide scientists.
by Geriatrix
13 Feb 2014, 10:04am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Everthing South Of Exeter
Replies: 92
Views: 30745

Re: Everthing South Of Exeter

mrjemm wrote:The chonkin' chef's nasty old Dad has been quiet lately. Has his denialist's support group died a death after even Camerwrong suggested such weather's down to CC?

Spoke to soon. he's emerged from Hibernation: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/13/climate-change-policy-britain-at-risk-ed-davey-environment-secretary

Lord Lawson wrote:On Wednesday, Lord Lawson a former Conservative chancellor who regularly casts doubt on climate science, also criticised suggestions of a link between the floods and global warming as absurd.
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 6:13pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: The Flooding
Replies: 107
Views: 26944

Re: The Flooding

ukdodger wrote:Jesus I hope not.

Nor me. Not a big TV fan but I think R4 is the best radio station in the world and I can't see that surviving privatisation.
The TV that I do watch is mostly BBC2 & BBC4 which is unlikely to attract enough viewers to keep it going without a license fee.
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 5:33pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: The Flooding
Replies: 107
Views: 26944

Re: The Flooding

ukdodger wrote:Isnt Venice on stilts?
It is, but Venice is city on a lagoon so its flooding problems are tidal related rather than due precipitation so its a different problem.

The Netherlands on the other hand is a similar engineering problem to Somerset in that large volumes of water with a low hydraulic gradient needs to be shifted. In fact since parts of the Netherland are below sea level you can't use gravity to the same extent as you can in the flooded areas of the UK.
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 4:45pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: The Flooding
Replies: 107
Views: 26944

Re: The Flooding

kwackers wrote:I might be wrong here but I'm more of the opinion that virtually non-stop heavy rain has more to do with the flooding than pretty much anything else.

Which is pretty much the assessment of Dr Hannah Cloke: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26155472

If we are looking for ways of managing flooding I think we should take some lessons from the Dutch who know a thing or two about it. Perhaps they will throw in a lesson or two about windmills while they are about it.
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 11:19am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Case law now being established against riders rights?
Replies: 31
Views: 17664

Re: Case law now being established against riders rights?

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:"thirdcrank" we all respect your professional opinions which give us such balanced views of whats happening in law terms.

Its just I find it sometimes hard to follow your well versed lingo (comes from your job) in law speak.
No disrespect I just have to read several times to understand, not sure we / you can change that, we might just get it watered down, I know you do alot of explaining for us joe bloggs. Thanks.

TC's posts indicate that there is an issue with the law itself rather than the process. The advice the judge has given is precisely what we would argue in the context of helmets (not law so disregard), so we can't complain about the process. It's the imprecise nature of the HW code which is the problem.
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 11:07am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Wearing a camera
Replies: 23
Views: 28824

Re: Wearing a camera

Well it seems transport authorities are not against wearing cameras. Not with reminders like this :)
by Geriatrix
12 Feb 2014, 7:39am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Everthing South Of Exeter
Replies: 92
Views: 30745

Re: Everthing South Of Exeter

patricktaylor wrote:Cameron's "whatever money is needed, we will spend it" leaves open the question of what is needed. Lord Smith has talked about the economic benefit of flood defences and if there isn't any, no money. There must surely be more criteria than purely economic benefit. After all, it's not a new project like HS2 - the homes affected are things that already exist.

R4 pointed out this morning that the context of Cameron's statement was for this flooding incident only. It doesn't imply a commitment to any longer term strategy on flood defense.
by Geriatrix
11 Feb 2014, 1:01pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Juries still think SMIDSY is a good excuse to kill cyclists
Replies: 38
Views: 22254

Re: Juries still think SMIDSY is a good excuse to kill cycli

I may revise my opinion on the prejudice of the jury in this instance given the document published by the Southampton Cycling Campaign. I'm still struggling to come to terms with the following:
Judge: jury must be applying physical facts but
could also consider expectations; is there an expectation that there wouldn’t be a cyclist on
Mountbatten Way? Jury will be directed to ignore Highway Code “slow down or stop if dazzled” as
Mr Petterson may not have done this but Highway Code is not law. Causation and contributory factor
are different.

I'm not sure where to even start with that, and the forum rules don't allow me to express my opinion in the appropriate terms.

1. Not expecting a cyclist on a public road is valid defense. I don't think the defense council even argued that, the judge handed it to them on a platter.
2. Not statutory elements of the highway code matter not a jot.