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by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 11:48pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Scotland - do you predict that it will be an independent administrative political entity within 10 years?
Replies: 856
Views: 51736

Re: Scotland - do you predict that it will be an independent administrative political entity within 10 years?

KTHSullivan wrote: 9 May 2021, 11:43pm For arguments sake let us say that Scotland does eventually becomes an independent state.

In my naivety with regards to the Scottish economy as a possible stand alone system, what do they actually have by way of industry to provide for what would become a separate country.

The oil industry based in Aberdeen is effectively coming to an end, there is of course tourism, commercial fishing, whisky, forestry none of which seem, to my eyes at least to be a basis for economic progression.

I appreciate that once a separate entity, tax laws etc could be revamped to attract foreign investment but obviously that would take a certain amount of time.

Am I missing something here?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Scotland
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 10:16pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: I don't like living in England....
Replies: 2010
Views: 74964

Re: I don't like living in England....

661-Pete wrote: 9 May 2021, 9:13pm....whereas I now read that the Government (i.e. the Tories) want to change the system for electing mayors, from the current AV system back to 'good old tried-and-tested' FPTP
The system for electing mayors is NOT AV.
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 10:08pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: I don't like living in England....
Replies: 2010
Views: 74964

Re: I don't like living in England....

From the same article that 661-Pete posted:

"There is evidence that voters are confused by the use of the supplementary vote system. Almost 5% of ballots cast in this year’s mayor of London election were rejected, mainly because voters had voted for too many candidates."

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... -victories

Yes. I'm a member of a political party, and have done a little bit of party legwork, and was brought up in a highly political family. My childhood was dominated by my father's many election campaigns. But even I didn't understand exactly how the Supplementary Vote* system worked until after I had voted. If I had done I would have voted differently, I think.

*Supplementary Vote is NOT the same as "AV". Even the Guardian manages to get that right.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supplementary_vote
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 9:44pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Ascent activity tracker - replacement?
Replies: 54
Views: 4895

Re: Ascent activity tracker - replacement?

Nessie23 wrote: 8 May 2021, 5:58pm I think you should consider Strava (however I recall that you might not be a Strava fan!). Contrary to common perception, Strava is not just for racing/competitive cyclists. I am purely a recreational cyclist and only use the ‘free’ version which fits my needs. It records lots of data including interactive map with full zoom capability ( just like using Google) shows elevation and speed profiles and I enjoy the ‘segments’ so you can compare your performance over time. This can become quite addictive but if not for you it is easily ignored. The following link explains that all the Strava data files can be exported to pc/hard-drive but I have never used this feature and not sure if it is only available on the subscription service. https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/art ... _site=true
I have the free, non-subscription version of Strava.

I just exported the gpx from a single ride. It opened in GPX viewer just fine.

I also just did a bulk export. You have to request this and they send you a link to a zip file. It downloaded fine, I opened one of the gpx files it contained fine.

So it appears that yes, Strava can be used for nothing, and in such a way that you will still have access to your data, even without Strava.
Mick F wrote: 8 May 2021, 7:29pm Strava is not my favourite idea at all.
It's web based and not on my computer.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it needs a subscription, so if you don't pay, you lose all of your data
Correct or not?
No, incorrect. As above.

Reading your comments about Strava in this thread, you seem to have some antipathy towards it, without having much experience of using it. Perhaps it might be an idea to sign up for a free account, then you could see if it does what you want. Of course you might have to change some of your ways of recording rides.

I don't know if you are worried about "losing" data, and that's why you want to keep it on a local hard drive or external drive. But unless you are a computing professional who is meticulous about data storage, checking the integrity of storage media, and so on, then I'm going to suggest that you are far more likely to lose, or corrupt, data than Strava is. They employ many experienced computer professionals and multiple redundant systems. With all due respect, you're a chap on your own in Cornwall trying to keep an old Mac running:
Mick F wrote: 9 May 2021, 3:26pm Ascent is no longer supported, but so long as I run an older Mac, it will keep going for me. If I upgrade, or if I go down the iPad route like Mrs Mick F has done, it's the end of Ascent.
If you're really worried about Strava losing your data, you could do a bulk download once every so often.

I'm not a sports/fitness cyclist either. It may appear as though that is Strava's target customer. It probably is, I expect those are the sort of people who are prepared to pay the subscription. But as a "ride recorder", which is what you seem to want, Strava works just fine for me, and pretty much ticks all of your boxes below, albeit you'll have to download the data at some point to always have the records on your computer.
Mick F wrote: 9 May 2021, 3:26pm
Nothing too fitness and performance orientated, nothing competitive, always available on my computer not requiring internet access, always having a map and always perfect.
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 8:54pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: I don't like living in England....
Replies: 2010
Views: 74964

Re: I don't like living in England....

thirdcrank wrote: 9 May 2021, 8:04pm I see Tracy Brabin MP has won the election to be the mayor of West Yorkshire. It might be a pyrrhic victory for the Labour Party as it seems she will have to resign her Westminster seat. Boundary changes tend to mean history is no guide, but Tory Elizabeth Peacock was the MP for some 14 years so it's not a Labour safe seat.
Brabin's majority was only 3,500. And Matt Robinson has just been doing a lot of campaigning, and the voters have seen his name on a ballot paper. He got a lot more votes than I imagined. Yup, it's easy to see Batley and Spen returning a Conservative MP in the next few weeks.
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 5:01pm
Forum: Family Cycling
Topic: Bike carrier recommendations (I have no idea)
Replies: 41
Views: 11343

Re: Bike carrier recommendations (I have no idea)

Also, yes, Thule make roof racks for every make of car, as far as I can tell.

Bear in mind that the carriers are the same, whatever car you are using, all that changes is the roof bar fittings.

Often, but not always, to go from one car to another all you need to change is the 4 "feet", but can use the same bars. For some reason I had to get different bars when I changed car. They were the same profile, just different lengths. By the way, if you go for the very cheapest bars, the square ones, there's a pretty active ebay market selling Thule kit. I actually made a slight profit when I changed from one car to another. If you're not in a hurry I'd look on eBay for "lightly used" stuff, if you want to save a bit of money, at least for the racks. I'd probably want to buy new carriers though. You can buy matching keys from Thule, so you can convert second hand kit to be keyed alike.
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 4:50pm
Forum: Family Cycling
Topic: Bike carrier recommendations (I have no idea)
Replies: 41
Views: 11343

Re: Bike rack recommendations (I have no idea)

Adjunct Satyr wrote: 3 May 2021, 9:29pm
thirdcrank wrote: 3 May 2021, 9:26pm Consider changing the title of your OP to bike carriers.
Done - thank you.

I suppose it is how easy is to fit ones on the back of the car vs a roof carrier (as in getting them up). I'd want something I could get the bikes onto quickly...

Out of interest... what makes the Thule ones better in your opinion than others? Build quality, safety?
I've always used Thule. Quality seems good (but then I've never used anything else).

I had a tailgate mounted one which took, IIRC, 2 bikes. On the back of a Volvo 940 estate.

I didn't really like the tailgate mounted one, because:

1. It meant I couldn't really use the tailgate with the bikes on.
2. It obscured the view out of the rear window.
3. It made an already long car even longer.

I switched to roof bars and bike carriers. This was better, because:

1. The bikes didn't affect access to the car. So on long holiday journeys with full car I could load up the bikes the night before.
2. I could see out the back window.
3. I could leave the roof bars and carriers on.
4. Outside of holidays I would remove all but one carrier (for me).
5. The car wasn't any longer.

The drawback of roof mounted is you have to remember they are there, and not try to drive into a multi-story car park.

However, when I changed from a Volvo 940 (with a relatively low roof) to a Subaru Outback (a little higher), getting them on became slightly harder. Though I know that some people have a short single step stool thing to solve that problem. If you are mounting 3 bikes on top of the car (as I used to), the middle one could be tricky.

Thule gear has some advantages:

You can get locks for everything, the roof bars and the carriers. And you can get them keyed alike. There are no doubt strong opinions about the usefulness, or not, of locked bike racks. All I would say, in response to the usual statement of "if they want to steal it they will", is that a lock makes it a bit harder, and meant that I felt a little safer parking in service station, for instance.

The Thule carriers in particular I really liked. This one:

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/bike-rack/r ... e-_-598001

is similar to mine, you close the jaws that go round the downtube by turning the handle. Not having to reach up makes a difference, when you're wrestling with a bike in the rain at midnight.

I also have a couple of these:

https://www.thule.com/en-gb/bike-rack/r ... e-_-532002

Which are fine too, and in fact felt a bit more secure than the ProRide.

Be aware that those two models clamp the down tube differently. Top to bottom or side to side. That may be a consideration depending on what cable routing you have.

The ProRide also has that slight rise at the front end of the carrier. That helps to roll the bike into the right position. Again, it might not seem that important, but believe me, if you're wrestling to get a bike into position, especially the middle one of three, every little thing helps.

One thing that is a consideration is strength. On a roof carrier you're having to lift the bike above your head, almost. I used to get my son to help me, but after a while I got used to doing it on my own. It's a bit of a knack and is a bit like some weightlifting I've seen - if you've got the right "form" and do it in a clean smooth movement it's fine. But you do need a bit of upper body strength. And it depends on the weight of the bike, of course.

Hope this helps.
by mikeymo
9 May 2021, 3:37am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: I don't like living in England....
Replies: 2010
Views: 74964

Re: I don't like living in England....

atoz wrote: 8 May 2021, 7:23pm
markjohnobrien wrote: 8 May 2021, 10:53am
atoz wrote: 8 May 2021, 10:39am The job of a political opposition is to oppose. If they are seeming to agree with the government, why vote for them?

As for blaming Corbyn, he hasn't actually been leader for around 17 months. That won't fly.

When you get people as dissimilar as Adonis and Owen Jones agreeing that Starmer needs to consider his position you know things are bad. Based on that it may be a case of not if but when. And when that happens, goodbye and good riddance.

I used to be a Labour voter. Not any more.
Is that because you want Labour to move more to the left or, conversely, move towards a more Blairite position as these are the current debates splitting the Labour Party asunder.
In the words of the Borg, irrelevant. Starmer is an amateur, and he is a loser. He is a poor communicator, and is surrounded by an echo chamber. Whatever the politics of the man, he isn't going to win a general election, assuming by then the Labour Party is able to fight one. When a right wing politician and a left wing journalist agree on this point you have to take notice.
Who is the "right wing politician" you refer to? It seems to be Lord Adonis. Did the name "Lord Adonis" lead you to make assumptions?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Ad ... ron_Adonis
by mikeymo
6 May 2021, 8:53pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Active cyclist protective driving?
Replies: 32
Views: 3597

Re: Active cyclist protective driving?

Airsporter1st wrote: 6 May 2021, 3:39pm So in asking “Was I wrong?”, I guess you were actually looking for approval, rather than a conflicting viewpoint. Apologies for the misundertanding.
Thank you for the apology.
by mikeymo
6 May 2021, 3:19pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Active cyclist protective driving?
Replies: 32
Views: 3597

Re: Active cyclist protective driving?

Airsporter1st wrote: 6 May 2021, 1:11pm The only concern I have about taking such action as described by the OP, is regarding judgement. Who is to say that his judgement of relative speeds, road width/position etc., is accurate?
What happens if he makes such a judgement call and deliberately blocks a manoeuvre by another, when in fact there was otherwise ample room for that manoeuvre? It could all end badly for no good reason.
As others have said, you would need to be there, really. Maybe have a look at the Google maps street view, and read my original post again. I stayed in my lane throughout.

I didn't really "block" any manoeuvre. In fact, to do the opposite, and "allow" the car to overtake the cyclist, I would have had to drive far too close to the left hand side, and even then that would only have "allowed" a very dangerous overtake.

I would describe what I did as "discouraging" a very dangerous potential manoeuvre. Most of the activity was probably in my mind, the change in position wasn't great.

And judging "relative speeds, road width/position etc.," (as you put it) is what every road user does every time they use the road.
by mikeymo
6 May 2021, 10:53am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Padless Cycling Tights?
Replies: 37
Views: 3328

Re: Padless Cycling Tights?

mattheus wrote: 6 May 2021, 10:30am
geomannie wrote: 5 May 2021, 5:24pm
If you say so. I have worn Ron Hills for 20 years <snip>
I do.

(I've worn them for about the same time!)
geomannie wrote: 5 May 2021, 5:24pm
[Ron Hill Tracksters] They are primarily designed for running
So they probably wouldn't have as high a back as a cycling-specific design.
Might it depend on cycling "posture"? How much one is bending forward at the waist?
by mikeymo
6 May 2021, 9:53am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Freehubs - at last, a picture!
Replies: 16
Views: 1518

Re: Freehubs - at last, a picture!

JimAW wrote: 6 May 2021, 5:56am It's been many years since I've used the Morningstar version (and I've not used the Stein version), but from my recollection:
- The 1/4" bearings had to be removed from the freehub to use the MS tool, so removing the freehub from the hub shell, which is almost the same/as difficult as removing the freehub. And the MS was easier to use with the freehub removed from the hub shell.
- To use the MS tool, one had to remove the metal cover/seal at the outboard side of the freehub. This is hard to do without deforming it, so for me was more of a pain than removing any rubber seal from the inboard side of the freehub (which ideally would be done as well). Naturally, Brucey describes a better technique for removing these metal seals.
- I used to flush enough Phil tenacious oil through, using compressed air, that it didn't make much difference to me which direction it was going. Keep flushing until clean. The 1/4 bearings should really be removed for either tool or direction, so contamination was not an issue.

I can understand different preferences for either tool. Personally, I've taken to opening up the freehub to clean and re-shim.
Thanks for the input. Yes, I'd imagined that if I were going to the trouble of flushing the freehub, having broken the chain, removed the wheel, removed the cassette, then taking the freehub off the hub isn't really much extra trouble. And I don't suppose I would want to be doing something that involve lots of oil anywhere near either a rim or, in my case, a brake rotor. So being able to flush the freehub without removing it is probably not much of an advantage, if at all.

As I said, in my mind I've got an incipient design for a similar tool, though I daresay it might be cheaper just to buy the Stein one, in the long run!
by mikeymo
5 May 2021, 8:37pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Top Tube protector
Replies: 8
Views: 705

Re: Top Tube protector

PH wrote: 2 May 2021, 3:10pm
ClappedOut wrote: 2 May 2021, 9:57am didn't know helicopter tape came coloured as thought it was clear only, but found
I think helicopter tape has become a generic term that covers a lot of tapes of varying quality. For clear tape I'm only buying the 3M tape with specific product number, having been caught out with a very inferior product from ebay.
Go on, let us in on the secret, what is the mystery "specific product number"?
by mikeymo
4 May 2021, 9:24am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Active cyclist protective driving?
Replies: 32
Views: 3597

Re: Active cyclist protective driving?

markjohnobrien wrote: 4 May 2021, 8:52amIn relation to your question of staying on the white line, it depends on the circumstances. If someone was hellbent on overtaking the oncoming cyclists and would hit me head on if I didn’t move: I’d move.
If there's such a thing as body language, I think there's also "car language".

I don't think, given the "car language", that the second motorist in the example I gave was "hell bent" on overtaking the cyclist. And if I thought they were, yes, I'd get out of the way. My current car isn't big or heavy enough to make me think I'd come off best (whereas when I had the Volvo...)

But in this case it was more about road position to stop the driver even considering it in the first place. Something like that.
by mikeymo
4 May 2021, 9:19am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Active cyclist protective driving?
Replies: 32
Views: 3597

Re: Active cyclist protective driving?

Thanks for the thoughtful replies folks. Which has given me something to think about too.

As I said, the difference in position between "normal" and "being close to the centre line" isn't really that great, on that stretch of road. Have a look at the Google maps link I posted and you'll see what I mean. I don't think another road user, or even one of you sat in the car with me, would have thought my positioning was "aggressive". If anything I daresay your thoughts would have been something like - "mikeymo's a bit more to the right than I would be".

Actually though, sometimes we are there to police other driver's actions. There's at least one driver who ended up with DUI conviction because of what I did. Though I suspect there are several more. Ditto drivers with unrestrained children. Though these are obviously different situations to the one I've described.