Cycling UK Forum

I have the same problem: I just tip out the pools of water as often as I can, but it is annoying

Does it leak through the fabric or the zip ? If the latter than a smock type waterproof, or one with and offset zip (IIRC Freewheel once made a bent specific w/proof).

I get people looking for the engine on my Kett (if you do not *look* like a roadie then you can not go fast without cheating !!)
Also people get confused by the link-steering on the Kett, at least until you wobble the bars and they see it working !

WaterLab Rat wrote:...Certainly wouldn't any use to me I always seem to be riding into a head wind.

I guess you have to get your map out and re-plan your route to allow tacking
(Unless you are an uber-geek and can hack your routing GPS device to re-calculate your route !)

byegad wrote:...rode in the 1980s with Everready lights that weighed a ton...

I used those in the late 70's, except we called them NeverReadies

I am very happy with my Keen Commuter's of 2 seasons, although they could be a little lighter !
However I have not tried any other makes !

mattsccm wrote:I know of several hiding in the sheds of middle aged men, used several times then ignored for years..

Guilty: 47 yo, had one for at least 5 years, not able to ride it yet but still planning too !!
So cheap it is not worth selling !

Kettwiesel: commuting and mid-week training rides after work
Zox 20 Z-frame: fast and fun rides at weekend
Flux V220: round town, shopping, pub, rides on tracks though woods with g/f at weekends
Unicycle: still not learnt to ride it, but I will (this year !!)

Pashley PDQ frame and seat: counts as 1/2 (parts moving to Zox frame)
V. old Kettwiesel with broken frame: no idea why I keep it, except that even for parts it is not worth much !
Pashley Moulton APB Landrover (naff stickers removed !): kept in case I want to use an upright bike round town etc
Harry Hall sports bike c.1987: kept in case I stop riding bents and want a fast weekend bike (looking less and less likely !).

That makes 3 regularly used, 1 occasional and 3.5 in store because I have the space, and hate getting rid of stuff !!

LANDSURFER74 wrote:the whole crank length thing is a bit of a red herring... how thick are the soles of your shoes ??????

I went from 170 to 140mm: definitely more than the thickness of my soles !!

i have 3 pairs of cycling shoes, the differance in sole thickness is 12 mm !

If you mean the thickness of the actual soles (incl grips etc) then this is only relevant if you use flat pedals.
If you use SPDs etc then with the same pedals and cleats then I think the only difference between shoes is the thickness of the steel shank, and of the insoles.

I am not sure about UK availability but the Anthrotech trike is quite high: http://www.anthrotech.de/Pages-e/index-e.html

Higher is theoretically easier to balance, however I have no problem balancing my Zox 20 with a 25cm seat height, even from the first test ride.
However, if you fall off, then lower is better !!

UpWrong wrote:...My concern is whether starting become more difficult with the shorter push off you get because of the smaller diameter of the crank circle.

When I first tried 140mm cranks on my Flux V220 I felt that problem: but when I later fitted them to my Kett, PDQ and Zox I did *not* have that problem.
Either a) it was because I was often towing a child trailer with the Flux (hence needed a bigger push), or b) I have got used to it !

Si wrote:...Also, Mike Burrows wrote a bit about it in one of the mags...

FYI there is a PDF of the artcile somewhere on the CTC site.

NUKe wrote:Have you noticed that Rose thinks lights are Bike parts rather than accessories?

It probably reflects a different cycling culture: in the UK lights are often seen as optional extras, but in Germany they are (IIRC) required to be fitted to all new bikes *by law* so are seen as part of a bike ! (except for 'racing' bikes: IIRC a bike weighing less than 12.4kg !).

I use them regularly as I live in Germany. I pay with my UK credit card and it is delivered to my German address. Usually very fast service.
I use the site in UK/Eurs so I can understand it better, but I can still compare prices with other German sites.
I have also used http://www.bike24.com/ and http://www.bike-mailorder.de/ which *can* have cheaper prices. Not sure about UK delivery though.