Cycling UK Forum

geomannie

+1 for Frank Patterson. I know he's rather dated but for me no one else captured the spirit of what seemed to be a golden age of cycle-touring in a now passed England as he did.

Such a shame that one has to fork out megabucks for any prints/books that depict his wonderful artworks. His work belongs to the nation.

About a year ago I bought a job lot of 3 Frank Patterson original drawings for £300, sold one and gave one away as a present. Each roughly A4 size. OK, a bit pricey but not a fortune. You will pay a lot for his best work but he was so prolific that some of his less desirable (though still artistically wonderful) works go for <£100. There is a forthcoming auction (20th May) with a few of his works http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/tca/201 ... y_6_page_1 with a maximum estimate of £80.

This is the picture I kept, "The Long Mynd Road". I love it to bits.

http://www.catalogue-host.co.uk/tca/201 ... y_9_page_1

geomannie

i personally think carbon is a fad and can be very dangerous,i was very lucky when my carbon frame decided to let go,could have been a lot worse,id would advise against carbon posts,bars and stems to,i have broke them all,stay with alloy for longevity and value.

Based on my experience I tent to agree. I had (stress "had") a carbon seatpost until it snapped on me. Luckily I had just hopped on and was not going at speed so damage to me was minimal. An unsettling experience nonetheless. In terms of comfort, I can't tell any difference between this and the alloy replacement.

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

I upgraded a 1989 Raleigh Royal a few years ago which as, fas as I remember, has essentially the same frame as the Randonneur. My frame has the modern 130mm spacing as I remember ( I certainly didn't have to reset it) and I was able to get a wheel build to take a 8 or 9 speed cassette (original was a freewheel).

I have stuck with the original down-tube shifters and if you are happy with those I see no reason to change them (that is where the bid cost in an upgrade lies). What I have found is that the 531ST frame is a bit flexible and if I run a 9 speed cassette/chain I get a bit of flex-related auto gearshifting. 8 speed is more reliable.

If you go for 8/9 speed cassette you will have to change your chain rings and probably your dérailleur. I'm afraid every change demands another.

If you want to check the rear spacing and you have access to a modern road bike, try swapping the rear wheel onto yours. Does if fit easily or do you have to bend the frame a few mm to get it in?

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

I recently used the Nikwax products on a bunch of the family's old rain gear, both the Nikwax Tech Wash and the Nikwax TX Direct, which lets you proof by putting the garments through your washing machine. The results were excellent, maybe not quite as good as when new but much, much better than before proofing. You can buy both products for <£10

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CHYQ8wIwBg

I would highly recommend using them. There is not a lot to loose if, for some reason, it doesn't work, either money or time.

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

I use an Abus Folding lock for pretty much the reason that the OP suggested. It fits around most lampposts, or even small trees, it is reasonably compact, and is made of hard, solid steel. Touch wood, I've never had it tested but it gives the appearance of enough solidity to deter the casual scrote (or so I like to think).

I suppose they could be bent sideways but when they are around a bike, there is not enough room to get leverage.

Prices are reasonable (see below) but note that they come in 75cm and 90cm lengths. I would strongly recommend the longer.

http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalo ... CF4Q8wIwAw

geomannie

I got £48 for set of Simplex downtube shifters a few months ago. I knew they were desirable but I wasn't expecting nearly that much. Mind you, a long way from £131.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/200661021320? ... 3D1&_rdc=1

geomannie

Hi

As has been already said, wear what you like, Lycra is fine anywhere except in fancy restaurants.

The advise about midges is worth noting. On a still summers's day these can be bad and really spoil a day out. You will be fine while cycling but when you stop they can descend on you as a black cloud. Lotions and potions help a bit but covering up and getting inside are the best options. Luckily, Scotland is pretty windy so really bad midge days are not too common. They are worst in the Highlands.

The best advice I can give for "how to behave on the road as a bike rider" is to use the road as any other road user would (motorways excepted). In towns and on some country routes you will find special cycle lanes. These are often very poorly designed (e.g, taking you too close to parked cars, covered in debris, very indirect routes) and there is no legal obligation for you to use them. If you think the main road-way is safer or faster, use that if you wish.

If you are passing through Glasgow and need some help with bike repairs (I have a shed and tools) or just some local knowledge, please email me and I will be pleased to help.

Cheers and wishing you a good holiday

geomannie

geomannie

Hi

I am reasonably familiar with GPS units and I know that many will take a post code and direct you there. Does anyone know if there are any models that will do the operation in reverse, i.e. tell you the post code of your current location?

Thanks

geomannie

geomannie

Worth trying http://www.parcel2go.com/ for a quote. They compare prices across a range of couriers.

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

Sounds like the seatpost may have a slight curve in it. If so I doubt that it could be straightened sucessfully. Replacement would be the most likely option but it seems that the titanium post is not longer available (did they bend perchance?). A replacement might cost from ~£14-£50 depending on the model you chose.

If this is a second-hand bike you are considering buying I would suggest you remove the saddle and extract the seatpost and check for straightness by rolling over a flat surface. If bent you have a negotiating point. If straight, examine the inside of the seat-post tube for rust etc.

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

You should replace the chain with a 9 speed as well, sorry if this was obvious to you but it wasnt said.
Also if your chainrings are VERY old they could need replacing as really old ones have a big enough gaps between them for 9 speed chains to get trapped in.

Sorry, I should have been more explicit. I am changing the whole lot, cassette, chainrings and chain, but thanks for the pointer in any case.

Cheers

geomannie

geomannie

Thanks 531colin

I'm keeping the range on the cassette the same (12-26) so I should end up with even closer ratios than before.

Cheers

Bob

geomannie

Hi All

A very simple question. Is an 8 speed cassette the same width as a 9? I am refurbishing the drive-chain on my old tourer and was wondering if I could upgrade to a 9 speed in the process. Can I simply replace the 8 speed cassette with a 9? I have friction shifters up front so there is no problem that end.

Many thanks

geomannie

geomannie

still stumped on the endless music though!!!

I still have my old battery powered Muvo Creative MP3 player like this one here.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/ctg/Creative-MuVo ... 286.c0.m14

Its only 1GB of storeage but that is about 16 hours of music. Its also got an FM radio tuner. Runs on AAA betteries each lasting about 16 hours. Very small and light and great for use when travelling.

geomannie

Got an email (see below) from the Divvydeal reminding me to redeem my voucher if I had not already done so. Apparently one third of the purchased vouchers have not yet been redeemed. I'm not surprised.

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Cycling UK Forum

Search found 1182 matches

Re: Artworks

Re: Carbon seatpost - worth it?

Re: Rear wheel replacement advice

Re: How effective is reproofing a waterproof jacket?

Re: Ropey lock musing

Re: why a SA gear shifter would fetch £131 on ebay?

Re: A piece of advice for foreign cyclists

GPS and post code

Re: A good courier company?

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Re: 8 vs 9 speed cassette

8 vs 9 speed cassette

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