Search found 4762 matches

by Cowsham
28 Mar 2024, 12:04am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: forums
Replies: 16
Views: 1034

Re: forums

Angstrom wrote: 27 Mar 2024, 9:32pm
Cowsham wrote: 22 Mar 2024, 9:26am the price of campsites now is getting ridiculous.
Sorry for this silly question, but I've not camped in the UK and would like to cyclo-tour there one day: what's a typical fare for a basic yet ok camping pitch for 2 bike tourers and their small tent?
Here in France, price vary, and I suspect in the UK too. So, let's say not during the high season and most demanded area.
Thank you. Would be good to know before I make plans...
Roughly about £25 / night no electric hook up and some charge for showers after that ! -- not so long ago I could've booked a premier inn for £29 / night and they made the bed and cleaned the room -- more tea and coffee etc.
by Cowsham
27 Mar 2024, 7:27pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: How's your weather?
Replies: 1941
Views: 94065

Re: How's your weather?

Two weather warnings for wind -- one over where I live and one over where I am now. Sorry to the inhabitants of the Isle of Wight.
by Cowsham
25 Mar 2024, 4:10pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?
Replies: 77
Views: 4089

Re: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?

Brucey wrote: 25 Mar 2024, 11:15am FWIW most solar panels develop the correct (rated) voltage (open circuit) in weak sunlight or even when it is overcast. The big difference in bright sunlight is the capacity to deliver high current.
Yes that is correct Brucey --- back in the early days of solar panels I bought some cell wafers from America and built 3 60w panels to experiment with.

I'd originally been interested in putting up a wind turbine ( part of the reason we moved to higher ground in the country side ) so I did the wind turbine installer course.

When I built the first panel I immediately saw the advantage they had over wind and is as you say. When inside the garage I had the last cell soldered in I measured the voltage with only the garage lights on I had 18vdc the Max voltage for that 60w array ( regulated to 12vdc to charge car batteries hence why it's 18v unregulated ) . Of course very small current but the fact that solar can produce the top volts is a big advantage since the current can still be useful even when very small ie it can still charge a battery.

When I realized this I let out a slow deep evil taking over the world kind of laugh and my interest in a home windmill briskly depleted.


With bright sunlight I could fully light a 50w diachronic GU10 bulb. I cooked with that
by Cowsham
25 Mar 2024, 3:02pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: How's your weather?
Replies: 1941
Views: 94065

Re: How's your weather?

Down in Southampton today and the weather here is lovely -- we'd class this as a decent summers day back home in NI where the rain and wind was so heavy the high speed wipers on the car weren't fast enough to clear the rain off the windscreen -- and it was Baltic -- good job we started out early.

14°c here -- I think it was about 5 or 6 at home this morning roads like rivers.
by Cowsham
24 Mar 2024, 4:28pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Pictures of your bike(s)
Replies: 1924
Views: 583886

Re: Pictures of your bike(s)

djnotts wrote: 29 Sep 2023, 8:10am Having seriously considered an actually new bike, probably from Spa, settled on my usual 2nd hand. Two essentials were a triple and bar cons. Approx 20% of a basic Spa price and very little used.
Rides very well!
20230921_133819.jpg
freiston wrote: 29 Sep 2023, 11:13am I have a Jamis Aurora too - admittedly it has changed a bit since new but it still has a triple and bar-end shifters. I like the bike.

P1020174a.JPG
These are very aesthetically pleasing bicycles
by Cowsham
23 Mar 2024, 2:02pm
Forum: On the road
Topic: Huntingdon: Angry pedestrian guilty of killing cyclist
Replies: 244
Views: 15319

Re: Huntingdon: Angry pedestrian guilty of killing cyclist

Jdsk wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 1:23pm
Bonefishblues wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 1:03pm It's being contended that she didn't have a fair trial though. She clearly has issues with empathy - who carries on with their shopping in those circumstances, for instance, but in any event she would certainly have been advised by counsel not to comment. The Court of Appeal will rule on it, which may involve a retrial with correct instruction to the Jury, assuming the Judge erred.
Yes, the reason for this application being successful is the evidence and directions on the specific category of manslaughter. As discussed in the initial pages of this thread.

https://www.hickmanandrose.co.uk/ben-ro ... onviction/

Jonathan
And loads a money for the lawyers judges etc milking a high profile case for all it's worth.

It's clear she is a danger to the public. A lioness has no empathy for it's dinner just a hungry belly and big teeth but it's still a danger to the public so needs to be separated from them.
by Cowsham
23 Mar 2024, 1:19pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?
Replies: 77
Views: 4089

Re: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?

Jdsk wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 12:05pm
Galactic wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 11:32am
Valbrona wrote: 23 Mar 2024, 3:21am My new charger has two USB sockets - one marked with a hare, the other with a tortoise.
My power brick has two USB sockets, one marked 2.1A, the other 1.0A. Some items will only charge from the 1.0A rated USB socket - if I plug them into the other they'll show charging then give up after a few seconds and pretend they're not plugged in. Conclusion: try out your various devices and remember which will work with the hare, which only with the tortoise. I suspect only (or mainly) devices with a USB-C connection will allow charging with hare juice.
We routinely charge devices from 2.1 A USB-A outputs: A, micro, Lightning.

What make is that USB battery pack, please?

Jonathan
My first big battery pack before USB C became a thing had two ports one 2.1 and the other 1 amp which charged my android phones via micro USB for about 5 years until I got a USB C phone this time last year. ( although it gets charged mostly wireless beside my bed each night which does all day. Camping via a power bank in turn hopefully charged by sunshine via the BigBlue ( 5v x 3 / 2.4amp USBs -- that's what it says but I'm aware of the 2.1 standard)
by Cowsham
22 Mar 2024, 9:26am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: forums
Replies: 16
Views: 1034

Re: forums

Mtb tourer wrote: 21 Mar 2024, 1:31pm With the youth hostel system today it's an expensive way to get away from the cities. And they are few and far between.
.camping is just as bad. Can't wait for a good weekend forecast and go ,its book well in advance.Bikepacking wins today ,a tiny tent tarp or bivi bag and your good to go .Find a spot put of sight and that's the nights stop sorted.
Bivi bag -- not for me -- you'd probably drown and the tarp would be blown away ( where I live ) -- a real good tent and I'm happy. Wild camping -- no problem but the price of campsites now is getting ridiculous.
by Cowsham
21 Mar 2024, 1:26pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Ex-Post Office CEO Paula Vennells
Replies: 553
Views: 34165

Re: Ex-Post Office CEO Paula Vennells

This barrister Warwick Tatford should definitely go to jail for what he did.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-68606121.amp

"Mr Jenkins said that he could not "10% [sic] rule out" problems with Horizon screens as a possible cause for some shortfalls. During the ongoing public inquiry into the Post Office scandal, it was agreed that Mr Jenkins meant to say "100%".

Mr Tatford wrote in response: "Please rephrase. This will be taken as a damaging concession."

Warwick Tatford do you know what have you done sir?
by Cowsham
21 Mar 2024, 10:00am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?
Replies: 77
Views: 4089

Re: Solar panel for usb charging?

Just tested my new BigBlue solar charger yesterday ( first day with adequate sunshine ) In the evening sun ( around 5pm so guessing sun about 10° -- 15° elevation in March was quite pleasant -- for up here in NI ) it charged up my phone no problem.

I wanted to see exactly how many amps charge the phone was getting so I downloaded the ampere app -- I got about 1.8 to 2 amps which recon is pretty good from the BigBlue since it's top output is supposed to be 2.4amps and that was in evening sunshine.
by Cowsham
21 Mar 2024, 9:57am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?
Replies: 77
Views: 4089

Re: Yaw Know About Solar Chargers?

Just tested my new Big Blue solar charger yesterday ( first day with adequate sunshine ) In the evening sun ( around 5pm so guessing sun about 10° -- 15° elevation in March was quite pleasant -- for up here in NI ) it charged up my phone no problem.

I wanted to see exactly how many amps charge the phone was getting so I downloaded the ampere app -- I got about 1.8 to 2 amps which recon is pretty good from the Big Blue since it's top output is supposed to be 2.4amps and that was in evening sunshine.
by Cowsham
21 Mar 2024, 12:19am
Forum: On the road
Topic: Huntingdon: Angry pedestrian guilty of killing cyclist
Replies: 244
Views: 15319

Re: Huntingdon: Angry pedestrian guilty of killing cyclist

cycle tramp wrote: 20 Mar 2024, 10:01pm
Sum wrote: 20 Mar 2024, 9:35pm
Ben Rose, of Hickman & Rose solicitors, who are representing Grey, said: "Auriol Grey is an autistic, disabled person with impaired vision... In a case such as this, the prosecution is required to prove to the jury that she intended to cause Mrs Ward harm, or fear of harm"

"We say this did not happen, and as a result will ask the Court of Appeal when the case is heard in May to quash Ms Grey's conviction."
Indeed being defence solicitors, I am not surprised when they say that there was no attempt by the prosecution to prove their client intended to cause harm or fear of harm...
...certainly for the rest of us who saw that clip, anyone with enough empathy to place their mindset to that of an older lady would see nothing but an attempt to harm.... compounded by the complete lack of empathy when having caused the collision Ms Grey continued her shopping trip without pause...

..there is another group of people which have a similar mentality and they are called psychopaths... the very fact that Ms Grey continues to attempt to 'clear' her name without remorse of her actions should suggest that the jail term of 3 years is simply not long enough.
+1 Ms Grey is a danger to the public.
by Cowsham
17 Mar 2024, 11:29pm
Forum: Electrically assisted pedal cycles
Topic: Charging fire safety e bikes
Replies: 181
Views: 16562

Re: Charging fire safety e bikes

Here's that knowledgeable young chap again giving a comprehensive presentation on what causes ebike fires.


He gave one on regenerative braking once before where he shows an impressive knowledge of electro - mechanical stuff ( I've posted here before somewhere )

I thought he was bang on the money with this one.

https://youtu.be/j92Gt4VviSQ?feature=shared
by Cowsham
15 Mar 2024, 2:32pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Well that was an interesting afternoon....
Replies: 14
Views: 965

Re: Well that was an interesting afternoon....

PaulK wrote: 15 Mar 2024, 11:40am
I will be seeing how it goes to start before throwing myself at hills but i think first its me that needs to improve !
So you've gone for the plunge and bought yes ?
by Cowsham
14 Mar 2024, 8:09pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.
Replies: 195
Views: 24376

Re: Cycle Retail In Meltdown.

I Googled where Pinnacle bikes are made -- Ans -- Taiwan but what was more interesting was that the forum I found that on were having the same sort of discussion as we are on this forum 14 years ago :lol: and it's not even a bike forum.

https://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/bikin ... 0companies.