Search found 5278 matches

by pjclinch
2 Apr 2024, 3:26pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Not pedalling
Replies: 51
Views: 3054

Re: Not pedalling

Psamathe wrote: 2 Apr 2024, 2:09pm Spent the morning in Norwich and ALL the bikes I saw underway were not being pedalled. quite a few the food delivery people.

My worry is that it gives those arguing for bike registration (plates) and compulsory insurance a bit of a case. Where there are what appear to be bikes but being obviously powered by motors then makes it a lot harder to counter the madness coming from the likes of Lord Winston and others in Westminster. We might all get tarred with the same brush.
The thing is these are electric motorbikes and they are already required by law to have registration plates and insurance (and a proper crash hlemet).
"These things that must have registration plates and insurance and don't mean that these things which don't need them should have them!" doesn't make much sense as a driver for legislation, and while I can see various of the velophobe constituency thinking it sounds completely sensible you'll need more than that to get it in to the legislature.

Pete.
by pjclinch
2 Apr 2024, 10:26am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

mattheus wrote: 2 Apr 2024, 10:20am
pjclinch wrote: 31 Mar 2024, 1:57pm
seanpk wrote: 31 Mar 2024, 12:46pm I use cycling shorts a lot - road and off road but I also do a lot of miles on my 'day' bike in jeans and subsequently they wear out in the crotch before the rest of them is ready for the bin! Patching has been tried and is OK but can be uncomfortable. Just bought a couple of pairs of replacements pairs of jeans and they are expensive.
When I was a teenager back in the 80s I wore jeans because everybody did and I told myself they were really comfy and hard wearing... but they're not, and since giving up on them over 30 years ago I haven't missed them.
https://www.inkl.com/news/alpecin-deceu ... 024-season
I suspect that the actual cotton denim component of that kit is not particularly high, and that not many people would mistake a "double denim" skinsuit for a pair of jeans and matched jacket...

Pete.
by pjclinch
2 Apr 2024, 10:22am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

mattheus wrote: 2 Apr 2024, 10:16am
cyclop wrote: 31 Mar 2024, 5:35pm Out of interest,why jeans?
If you spend some time with non-cyclists, you'll find they're really quite popular!
If you spend some time with cyclists you'll find they're really quite popular.

However, look around and there's lots of stuff that's popular because it's popular which in turn perpetuates its popularity rather than because it's actually a great choice for the job at hand (e.g., 2 tonne SUVs as urban runarounds, Donald Trump as president of the US, etc.). Heavy low-tech cotton workwear from the 19th Century as general purpose leisure wear in the 21st is arguably such a case.

Pete.
by pjclinch
2 Apr 2024, 8:08am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

interestedcp wrote: 1 Apr 2024, 10:27pm My problems with rapidly wearing out the crotch on jeans, disappeared after I changed to wearing stretch jeans. My damage was always concentrated in the area where all the seams joins together. Putting strain on the thread and the jeans fabric for every pedal rotation, will prematurely weaken them, so that any abrasion effect will be compounded. A little stretch seems to reduce the strain quite a lot. YMMW.
Not only reduces abrasion wear, like you say, but makes riding more comfortable too because the fabric moves with you as your legs bend instead of being dragged over leg with every pedal stroke..

Pete.
by pjclinch
2 Apr 2024, 8:06am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

Bmblbzzz wrote: 1 Apr 2024, 10:16pm I think non-outdoorsy people would identify them as outdoorsy, with their big zipped pockets and the little dangly clip thing. Or maybe they'd look more like workwear. Or something else. Doesn't really matter what – simply the point is they're a particular look, which in certain circumstances might not be quite right, whereas jeans are so ubiquitous as to be generally invisible. But they might suit the OP's situation perfectly. Only they know!
Well, up to a point, Lord Copper...
There is quite a lot of breath in that "particular look".
Here's three pairs of trousers, based purely on look pick one as the odd pair out. I think most people would choose the top pair, not the bottom one.

Also, I mentioned Stretch Bags as they're my personal faves, but Rohan and others in the same area make a wide range for folk who can't bear to have e.g. visible zips on pockets. Jeans are included, though unlike plain cotton denim they wear harder, weigh less, dry quicker and move better.

Ostentatiously outdoorsy trousers:
Image

Rohan Stretch Bags:
Image

Black Jeans:
Image
by pjclinch
1 Apr 2024, 9:09pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

Bmblbzzz wrote: 1 Apr 2024, 7:01pm The various walking trousers mentioned might be more comfortable and perhaps harder wearing, but, depending on setting, the outdoorsy look is sometimes out of place. It's a matter of dressing for the destination not the ride.
Rohan Bags/Stretch Bags aren't really "walking trousers", they're general purpose do-anything trousers. I wear them at work (where I'm expected to be moderately smart), I wear them at play, I wear them for slumming around. There's nothing much about their appearance that screams "outdoorsy!"

In fact one thing I generally don't use them for is hiking (I prefer something a little lighter for that, and/or with a DWR treatment if it's likely to be damp), though as jack-of-all-trades trousers one certainly can go for a pretty serious dander in a pair. And I can ride for a few hours in them too, and dress up or down.

Pete.
by pjclinch
1 Apr 2024, 9:36am
Forum: Racing, Olympics, TdF, Competitive cycling
Topic: General racing chitchat
Replies: 59
Views: 33592

Re: General racing chitchat

No real surprise that MvdP disappeared off the front a bit out and won, bit impressive none the less, and the women's was a great race that turned in to a real humdinger all the way from the Koppenberg to the line.

LK unfortunately demonstrating that white shorts and rainy days on dirty roads are not a good combo... :o

Pete.
by pjclinch
31 Mar 2024, 3:29pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

Carlton green wrote: 31 Mar 2024, 2:56pm If I could purchase a pair of ordinary looking trousers with a reinforced seat for a reasonable cost then I would do so, but I haven’t seen any so it’s been a case of ‘like it or lump it’. Hopefully someone will point out what’s available for - what us poor folk consider to be - sensible money, but I don’t think that there is much if anything in everyday type wear.
You need to factor in longevity too. Stretch Bags come in at ~£45 a pair if you get them in the sale or last year's colour (e.g, https://www.rohan.co.uk/mens/trousers/s ... int-green/) but they last for ages and over that "ages" they're more comfortable and better performing than the > 1 pairs of cheaper alternatives I'd get through in the same time.

Pete.
by pjclinch
31 Mar 2024, 1:57pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!
Replies: 26
Views: 969

Re: Trouser crotch wear - serious question!

seanpk wrote: 31 Mar 2024, 12:46pm I use cycling shorts a lot - road and off road but I also do a lot of miles on my 'day' bike in jeans and subsequently they wear out in the crotch before the rest of them is ready for the bin! Patching has been tried and is OK but can be uncomfortable. Just bought a couple of pairs of replacements pairs of jeans and they are expensive.
When I was a teenager back in the 80s I wore jeans because everybody did and I told myself they were really comfy and hard wearing... but they're not, and since giving up on them over 30 years ago I haven't missed them.

Denim has remarkably poor abrasion resistance for so heavy a fabric, so I'd suggest trying an alternative to jeans. My standard everyday trousers are Rohan Stretch Bags, which are more expensive than jeans but my oldest pair is now about 7 years old and has little discernable sign of wear. They last significantly longer than jeans, the colour doesn't fade, you get more freedom of movement, they're cooler when it's hot, warmer when it's cold and they dry out in a fraction of the time.

Denim jeans persist because of fashion. They're actually low tech cheap workwear from the 19th Century and you really can do better in terms of hard wearing, comfort and practicality

Pete.
by pjclinch
28 Mar 2024, 1:25pm
Forum: Racing, Olympics, TdF, Competitive cycling
Topic: General racing chitchat
Replies: 59
Views: 33592

Re: General racing chitchat

I have written a cycle racing Haiku.

Marianne Vos
Has won another bike race
I am not surprised

A great race though shame about the car crash ahead shortening it, and of course major bummer for VL-a-B with Wout's list of injuries in the men's despite MJ winning.

Pete.
by pjclinch
24 Mar 2024, 5:29pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Best tyres for touring
Replies: 27
Views: 1091

Re: Best tyres for touring

robing wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 4:15pm
I toured extensively from 2012-19 in the UK, Ireland and Europe. I used both the Kevlar guard Marathons and the Greenguard that superceded them, and changed them regularly.
Fairy nuff. I think if I'd had that much bad luck I'd change brand TBH!

Pete.
by pjclinch
24 Mar 2024, 2:35pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: New handlebar choice
Replies: 15
Views: 804

Re: New handlebar choice

Aquila wrote: 22 Mar 2024, 4:51pm
My present bars on my present bike are butterfly bars, They are great and i like them a lot but just fancy trying something new, a friend has Jones bars and really likes them but I'm a little put off by that big loop and hanging my barbag way over the front wheel <snip>
There's a version without the loop called the Bend (not used it but having and liking a QR bar bag and looking at new non-drop tour bars I'm looking along these lines too), so you might look at those...

Pete.
by pjclinch
24 Mar 2024, 2:21pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Best tyres for touring
Replies: 27
Views: 1091

Re: Best tyres for touring

robing wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 2:17pm
pjclinch wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 2:16pm
robing wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 8:24am Need new tyres for my dawes sg .

Are marathon plus still the best choice?

Or any better options. Puncture proof more important than weight .
No such thing as "best" without a heavy dose of context...

I use "normal" Marathons and punctures are sufficiently rare that I've never felt the need to go to the plus, which are not only heavier but have higher rolling resistance.

For, say, winter commuting on wet, glass strewn streets I can see a niche for the Plus but the standard model remains a popular touring workhorse that doesn't need fixed as it ain't broke.
Well I used to get a lot of punctures on the standard marathons.
When? They have changed a few times over the 20+ years I've been using them.

My experience with the older ones was once you got to a certain level of wear they'd puncture relatively easily, so that's time to change the tyre. But current ones ("Greenguard" IIRC) either don't do that or Mine aren't worn enough yet.

Pete.
by pjclinch
24 Mar 2024, 2:16pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Best tyres for touring
Replies: 27
Views: 1091

Re: Best tyres for touring

robing wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 8:24am Need new tyres for my dawes sg .

Are marathon plus still the best choice?

Or any better options. Puncture proof more important than weight .
No such thing as "best" without a heavy dose of context...

I use "normal" Marathons and punctures are sufficiently rare that I've never felt the need to go to the plus, which are not only heavier but have higher rolling resistance.

For, say, winter commuting on wet, glass strewn streets I can see a niche for the Plus but the standard model remains a popular touring workhorse that doesn't need fixed as it ain't broke.

Pete
by pjclinch
24 Mar 2024, 2:11pm
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Changing At Perth Station
Replies: 18
Views: 730

Re: Changing At Perth Station

Paulatic wrote: 24 Mar 2024, 1:10pm Can’t help but think you’re missing a good little ride Pitlochry to Perth.
Perth to Dunkeld can be done either on or off road and then there's wee roads parallel to the A9 up to Pitlochry.

Pete.