Cycling UK Forum

Do chains on recumbent trikes suffer fewer road muck issues? What made me wonder was that a significant portion of the chain is in-front of wheels, plus the front wheels are not in-line with chain so muck thrown-up misses chain? But is this how things work in practice or do other factors cancel any...

https://twitter.com/RantyHighwayman/status/731799079227953152?s=19 shows a young girl happily cycling along a busy London street.

If you really think that would happen without a segregated lane there then I'd make sure Kool-aid deliveries aren't being held up in the customs fiasco.

Well yes, I admit that I was thinking of mountain bikes as in bikes used on mountains. Which isn't for commuting, usually. If it's got a rack, it's not a mountain bike in my view. There's plenty of cross country where a rack is a real benefit. This is mine taken on a day when I went exploring nooks...

I'm surprised no-one has suggested a simple rucksack. I've never used anything else. Beats messing about with panniers any day. I don't use a rucksack because there's very little "messing about" with panniers and if the bag is on the weight bearing frame I've paid a lot of money for it is...

Given that the purpose of cycle lanes is to speed up motor traffic by clearing us out of the way... And here were lots of us thinking the main idea was to enable safe, reasonably pleasant routes for relatively inexperienced riders like primary school children who shouldn't be expected to mix it wit...

alexnharvey wrote:In summary, not an issue gettings hands in and out.

Thanks, that's good to know.
(I guess unlike paddling ones the bar stays pretty much put, unlike a paddle shaft.)

Whatabout helmets made for other purposes? I imagine many firefighters and divers are big people with big heads If you want to cycle in a fire service helmet then go ahead... but cycling helmets tend to be light and well ventilated for a reason... I have helmets for caving, climbing and paddling, a...

All else being equal mittens (and to a lesser extent lobster claws) are warmer than gloves, though they may not be compatible with your gear shifters. Ski gloves work pretty well IME, mountaineer's double-mitts (with optional thin liner glove inside) are generally over the top, but if you suffer mig...

More importantly your head will be against the seat/neck rest, so you may need a different fitting helmet. With an additional add-on rest, very probably, with a typical seat IME no. I've ridden a few 'bents in my time, including back when I always wore a lid, and I've always found the back of the l...

There's always the option of a hi-viz cover, and there are orange ones out there. You could get two, one for winter left as is, and one for summer where you cut out the vent holes... Also, there's the stickers option which is probably cheaper and less faff. IME (in)visibility of 'bents in general is...

On the subject of visibility, I don't use a flag or DLR but I do wear a hi-viz helmet. I noticed on a charity ride many years ago that a couple with recumbent trikes stood out from the crowd by a country mile because of their hi-viz helmets. i didn't notice their flags. Useful to know as (with bala...

(more head injuries to occupants of motor vehicles than cyclists in the average year, I believe) Motor crashes are the #1 cause of head trauma in the UK. Trips and falls are second. Cycling hardly gets a look in... but with so many more people getting about by car and foot than by bike a simple cou...

You don't necessarily need a differential on the back of a delta, you can just have one driven rear wheel (may sound odd, but simpler versions of the Hase Kettwiesel use this arrangement quite successfully) For those thinking that trikes implies slow, note that the LEJoG record is actually held by a...

I find my hair is pretty waterproof. My bald head is very much waterproof... but does get cold quite easily, especially in the wet. I prefer a hat to a hood (including hillwalking when I don't have to worry about traffic), but there is certainly a Better Class Of Hood that will move with your head....

. The current trend to pedestrian/cycle paths and shared pavements, painted lanes in most areas are just another nail in coffin for cyclists freedom to use the roads. Better measures to safeguard cyclists on the road would be far better in my opinion. The current trend is to dedicated cycleways, wh...