Cycling UK Forum

Another thing

In the rain, the front of the lamp becomes covered with drops of water (technically known as 'raindrops'). Each of these acts a a little lens, refracting some of the light out of the intended beam path, leaving less light where it is needed. The effect is probably worse on smaller lamps (such as the B&M's) where a couple of big drops in the wrong place can intercept a relatively large fraction of the light. Older lamps - such as halogen types - used larger lenses & were probably less affected. It's worth wiping over the lens from time to time (if it is reachable - a problem on the Brompton!) RainCheck or some similar product might also help.

A similar problem occurs in spades (buckets?) when riding in the rain wearing glasses.

I have a pair of Rotrax-built wheels on the Mercian, from the old Shirley shop. They laced a pair of 36- and 40-spoke 700C rims onto my existing hi-flange Record hubs, when I converted from 27" - must be ten? fifteen? years ago, now. I've never needed to touch so much as a spoke...
It was a great place, much like the nearby Clarence's Hardware Store

Max

Today I finally felt strong enough to get back on the bike. I decided to take the Brompton, as the only step-through frame I own, for a short run of 5 miles or so round the local lanes. It all went well: only when I was in too high a gear did the ankle start to ache a bit, and no sign of swelling or ill effects (so far). It was a very gentle ride, and I stopped for a chat with some neighbours I met on the way. The first few yards felt uncommonly hard work (although it is up a hill) but after a mile or so I seemed to drop back into the rhythm and it got a lot easier. I'm not about to break any records, but it wasn't bad at all. Much better than I had feared.
Weather permitting, I'll be out again tomorrow - only another short run, as I'm booked to go swimming in the evening (another recommended form of exercise).
This is such a relief!

P.S. Tiny Clanger (the Brompton) enjoyed it too

I must be getting better. I am now mobile enough that I was able to install the cesspit monitor transmitter unit yesterday. It now works!
snibgo said:

I hope the web page is public, so we can all keep an eye on the level in the cesspit.

Your wish is my command:
http://www.susato.demon.co.uk/Automated%20House/cesspit.html
(This is a static page that gets refreshed about 03:30 GMT each day)

I've also been reading:

Dorothy L Sayers, The nine tailors
Richard Blake, Conspiracies of Rome
Terence Morgan, The master of Bruges
Colin Platt, Mediaeval England
Patrick O'Brian, The wine-dark sea
H.M.D. Parker, A history of the Roman world, AD138 to 337

I've only just now started some basic exercises on the ankle, having received advice to give it plenty of time to heal. I visit my GP next week & should get a physio referral then. I will probably be back on the bike in time for the forthcoming Ice Age!

I've only ever used friction shifting (except on my hub geared bikes) with DT levers. My one derailleur geared bike is the Mercian, which is still set up as 6 speed freewheel system. However, I recently fitted a fancy IRD freewheel, which has all the clever ramps, bumps, and widgetty bits that the indexed systems use. And I agree with Mick F - it does make the changes very slick and pleasant. Of course, with a compact double, the front is pretty well indexed anyway...

That is not say if was buying a new bike, I wouldn't go for STI or Ergo. But they do seem to be evolving away from reliability as a design goal, these days.

Steady rider wrote:

The national limit of 60 mph for single carriageway roads - non built-up areas - could be reduced to 50 mph unless signed otherwise.

I would be in favour of that. Most of the single carriageway roads in my area are too narrow and windy for 60 mph. The couple that have stretches that are straight and wide enough to go 60 mph for a few hundred yards, have had so many accidents that last few years that the LA have reduced the speed limits to 50.

On single track roads, I think the speed limit should be even lower.

The national limits could all be reduced by 5 mph without invalidating any existing signage: 65 mph on non-motorway dual carriageways, 55 mph on rural single carriageways, and 25 mph on roads in built-up areas. This should be very cheap and quick to implement.

Max

I fitted a pair of those Dia-Compe levers to my Mercian when restoring it. They work well and look the part. You need to be careful when fitting them as the internal ratchet bits are loose, and only held in place by the fixing screw. I found they needed to be re-tightened a couple of times in the first few weeks, but since then they have been no trouble.

Max

uphillbothways wrote:

CREPELLO wrote:Using a section of grey pvc water pipe as a spacer between bag and seatpost (thread strap through the pipe) should sort this problem out, on your existing pack or the Barley, which would also have the same issue attached directly.

I've heard a couple of people suggest this, but I've always been slightly skeptical about the stability of such a solution. Does it not sway? Given that apart from the wooden batten, Carradice bags are essentially floppy and unstructured, do you need to be careful about packing to keep things stable?

I have the slightly smaller Pendle. (aside - my iPad just tried to autocorrect that to Pendleton!) I use a plastic pipe clip as a spacer, which is the right size to clip around the seat post. Fits under the seat post strap and has a flat end to brace the bag a bit more firmly.

Max

One morning in early August, I came downstairs and opened the curtains, to see a polecat not ten feet away, investigating the woodpile. Unfortunately it had gone before I got my camera. I've never seen one in the wild before, let alone in the garden.

Max

Good news!
The cast is off, and I am now fitted with an ankle stirrup brace. I should be able to start putting weight on the leg almost immediately. Hopefully I'll be walking about again by next week - I'm still using the crutches for a while. Expect about 3-4 weeks with the brace on. I may be able to do some trainer-ing in a couple of weeks time.
Much better than it could have been if the tendon had failed rather than the bone...
Max

Reohn2

BTW The cesspit stuff went right over my head

That's just what I'm trying to avoid!

Mick F
I'm still in a slab cast? at the moment so I can't bend my ankle. We'll see what happens at the fracture clinic on Wednesday, hopefully I'll get a physiotherapy referral in a reasonable time. If not, I get health insurance cover with the job & that may be quicker. There ought to be some ingenious technique of re-folding a Brompton to make a trainer...

thirdcrank
Many years ago I was warned by a friend who is an orthopaedic surgeon about knees. Always take care of your knees, they are very difficult to mend!

It's amazing how tiring - and slow - it is to get around on crutches. I'm using muscles that I don't normally use a lot and they are letting me know about it.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

Max

if your ankle is in plaster, listen carefully to any advice they give you about avoiding swelling under it. It's a couple of years now since I had a pot on my foot (damaged achilles) and although I kept reasonably active, I wasn't conscietious about things like having my foot raised while sitting down.

That's a good point - I'm working from home (fortunately easily possible) and I should perhaps consider re-organising my computer desk, and using the iPad from the couch. Thanks!

Books: yes - I have list to work through!
Computer games: no - but I'm finishing off a long-running project that uses a PIC micro to send the status of a float switch via an RF modem to a Java program on a spare Mac mini which updates a live web page so I can see if the cesspit needs emptying without going out in the dark and wet & lifting the lid...

Anyone interested in an XML parser written in PIC 16 assembler? No?

Max

At least for a while - I've broken my ankle. It looks like 4-6 weeks hobbling around on crutches, by which time my fitness will be utterly gone. Any ideas on how to occupy the time, or suggestions for getting back in form on the bike afterwards?

Max

I'm so rural I don't even have a septic tank - only a cess tank (something to do with the level of the local water table). It gets emptied every 6 months or so. No real problems with the smell.
But it does remind me of the slogan I once saw on the side of a cess tanker, while travelling up the M3:

EVERYTHING YOU DO IS DRIVEN BY US

I laughed so muych it nearly caused an accident

max

I made a front mud-flap out of an offcut of butyl rubber pond liner. This is Evo-sticked (-stuck?) to the existing, inadequate plastic flap on the front mudguard. Works nicely, just stiff enough, not too heavy.

Max