Cycling UK Forum

I find it difficult to believe Shimano has stopped making screw thread blocks. I find it rather easier to believe that the wholesale trade doesn't want to supply them in an advanced capitalist country where cyclists have, by the standards of other places in the world, plenty of disposable income to blow on up to date technology. Realistically, many bikes out there will still have conventional free wheels- just not the racing and mountain bike types in the UK, who do the spending. Would sir like to buy a nice new bike with cassette hubs, where the models and parts change each season, to replace your old trusty tourer with old style Campag hubs that weren't designed to have a "design life"?

In the same way, the trade doesn't want to stock parts for simple but long lasting items like Zefal HPX pumps. Would sir like to buy a new pump? Not if it's a crap plastic affair, which a lot are. I actually met a couple on the Snake Pass road some years ago who didn't have a pump between them, and were using CO2 cartridges. Trouble was, they had a repeated flat due to a hole in the cover, and had run out of refills. I managed to get them on my way with a bodge repair consisting of old piece of outer cover- and of course, my trusty HPX. I couldn't imagine this scenario when I started cycling. This couple didn't realise you could get this type of pump. Which shop did they buy their (expensive racing bikes) from? Fortunately, my own local bike shop is not like this- it's like the one JohnW uses- excellent in every respect.

This is the reason I have been forced to go online. Bad customer service. It suits the trade to sell us disposable technology. This is the norm with many consumer products nowadays. So in order to get what you want, you go online.

As far as cheques go- this is barely 20th century technology. They are already not accepted by some people.

Provided the site has a secure server, there should be no problem. And if you are using antispyware and up to date virus protection, and keep your PC up to date using Windows Update, you should be fine. Make sure you only access the Web with a limited account- not the administrator account.

The problem with mail order often rests with the traders themselves, not the technology. Personally I would avoid Evans for these reasons, overpricing being one of them.

If that was not true, Amazon would not exist, and life as we know it would be very different. We now rely heavily on this technology for everyday life.

Not all cycle traders on the high street are all that great. Try getting spares for hubs etc.

I think this sort of survey is potentially misleading. I regularly see women jogging/running when I am cycling. They don't seem to worry unduly about hair etc. Maybe we're aiming at the wrong group of potential female cyclists. Why not target the more sporty types- there's plenty out there. They do athletics and triathlon- I know, I keep meeting them.

The safety angle on the road is largely as true for men as for women, IMHO- being squashed by a HGV can happen to anyone.

I suspect that the "you don't need to wear lycra" to cycle to work is not always helpful, either. I know this is what CTC is pushing. But some of us live in areas that have demanding terrain, far removed from London and the home counties. You need to be kitted out properly to commute, because office clothes wouldn't last any time on steep hills in bad weather. You need showers at work because without them you will smell! You need secure cycle parking or your bike will be nicked.

Despite the claim that Vicky Pendleton and Rebecca Romero etc are unrepresentative of cyclists- that's not the point. Many younger riders may treat them as a role model, and that's all to the good.

I forgot to add on my last post...

Suncream (in summer- ho ho)

Tool kit with the usual items (includes puncture kit including bits of old outer cover for emergency repair, and superglue, also includes chain tool)
Inner tubes x 2- in winter, X3.
Spare gear and brake cables
lock.
Mobile phone. Necessary for unexpected delays. Nowadays, essential emergency kit. I am considering upgrading to a camera phone- not essential, but damned handy.
In summer - lightweight racing cagoul (winter, probably wearing one!)
Saddle cover (necessary for Brooks saddles when you go into a cafe on a rainy day)
Purse with money, keys.
Metrocard (I live in West Yorkshire, and use public transport for work- not practical to cycle to work). This is for emergency returns by train- keeps the cost down if this happens (and it can if your bottom bracket fails in spectacular fashion).
On long rides- wallet (if you need overnight stay- has happened to me)
Map(s).
Mini train timetable.
Lights on long rides, and any time when out of summer.
Isolated areas- spare foldable outer cover (for narrow section tyres on fast bike)
Energy bars/banana on long rides. Anything else can be bought.
Any spare clothing required, of course.

Obviously, I have a pump -Zefal HPX- what else? With nice new washers, of course. And I now make sure that the spare tubes I carry are long enough to be pumped up reliably- no sub height valves where you struggle to get to full pressure. Only use those as spares for local rides only now.

This list depends on where I am going, what time of year, and what bike I am riding. My nice new bike has a rather small saddlebag I inherited, and I have disciplined myself to carry more minimal kit- but this is summer only, really.

Not quite the exhaustive level of JohnW, but getting there...

The suggestion by another poster to go via Underbarrow sounds good. But then there is an alternative. Go north on a minor road to Crook. Before you get to Crook, there is a fork- go right to get to Crook. You should now reach the B5284. Turn left for a short way, then right on another unclassified road. This will take you on what will emerge as a (multiple) gated road to Ings. You will then have to turn left onto the (busy, sorry) A591 for a few yards, then cross over carefully to take yet another unclassified road. Ride on this to eventually join the Kirkstone Pass road- either by bearing left to drop down to Troutbeck Bridge, or right to go over the Kirkstone Pass.

If you have gone left at this point, you can continue via Ambleside. You could then go up the "Struggle" road at the back of the college to join the Kirkstone Pass road at the top (very steep, this). If you decided to go on the main Kirkstone pass road instead- it's also steep, but less so and rather more drawn out. The descent into Patterdale is very fast, and should be taken with care. You can then ride further on this road, to turn left on the A5091 to reach Troutbeck. The problem is now the A66 into Keswick . But you can avoid this by turning left just before the A66 on an unclassified road that eventually takes you to a place called Guardhouse. From my recollection, you will have to use the A66 a short distance to join the cycle track into Keswick at Threkeld. Alternatively, you could at this point go to Keswick via the stone circle.

If you don't want to go via the Kirkstone and Ullswater at all, you could take the main road via Thirlmere- but it can be very busy. Best tactic when you get to Thirlmere is to turn left at Wythburn to take an unclassified road on the other side on the lake. You will still need to rejoin the main road to Keswick later on, though.

As far as the Old Coach Road between Matterdale End and Keswick goes- not suitable for road bikes! I did it on a day ride on my ancient Claud Butler Dalesman a few years back. Problem is, the track has a lot of stones/boulders. You will be walking a lot. You really need a mountainbike and some decent boots.

You will need either a Landranger map or the Outdoor Leisure for this area to do this, especially for the unclassified roads near Crook and Ings. If you still have the old Tourist 1 inch map of the Lakes, that will do nicely.

Enjoy!

I have some Shimano MT31 shoes that let rain in like a sponge. I have tried Nikwax (the Suede and Nubuck Proof) version, but it's only had a pretty limited effect.

Has anyone had success in getting this type of shoe to resist water penetration? Because of the construction/materials used, once water gets in to the fabric, it takes ages to dry out, even with newspaper in the shoes and the inserts removed. I don't have this sort of problem with my traditional Carnac non SPD shoes which I still have for my other bikes. The uppers with these shoes are not lined, and they are perforated, which of course means it's easier for water to escape.

Many touring/MTB shoes are made in a similar way to the Shimano ones, except for the Exustar ones. It can be tricky finding anything else in many cycle shops- unless you go for the racing shoes and the crippled duck effect- not practical for many of us.

Has anyone had experience with this new model of touring shoe? I spotted it today browsing on the Exustar website at http://exustar.com/srt707.php

Judging from the picture, the sole is thinner and, I guess, more compatible if you wish to use toeclips and straps rather than SPDs. This shoe is SPD compatible anyway, and I do use SPDs on my new bike, but I still have toeclips/straps on my other bikes.

Any information as to where I could try on a pair would be helpful, as I don't wish to buy footwear online. This would be within the West or South Yorkshire area. Thanks.

I agree- Proofide has changed. It is less greasy than of yore and now has the added ingredient of "citronella"- presumably to make it more acceptable to the less traditional rider?

Seems to work as well, though..

I have managed to destroy an inner tube once when I pulled off the push on connector of my Silca track pump- the valve seat came off with it. The tube was Schwalbe. I have been more careful since with this connector, but also I have never bought Schwalbe tubes again.

Presta valves with no threading seem to be a better bet, I find.

Oh yes- you can get spares for Silca track pumps- but not easily. As I needed a washer kit for my existing Zefal HPX and a smaller size HPX for my new bike, I ordered all this as well as the plunger for the track pump,direct from the distributor for Silca- Whisker.

This is because bike shops don't do pump spares, and look down on you as a lower form of life if you ask for them. Says it all, really.

One thing that is sometimes not mentioned is when you are on tour. With traditional shoes, you need only take in addition very soft shoes eg in youth hostels- which you can squash into panniers. The cycle shoes, as they look quite normal and are reasonably walkable, you can use to go down the pub. You save weight and bulk.

The other thing is that when using something like European Bike Express to travel to foreign parts. Because traditional cycle shoes take up little room and are quite light, you can stash them in the panniers- leaving you free to travel in conventional shoes/trainers. Handy for long journeys on a coach. And of course, with conventional pedals, you can use your trainers to go down the beach/town, avoiding use of cycle shoes. Handy.

Also, walking up hills in MTB SPDs is not as easy as traditional cycling shoes, as they are stiffer- you have an unnatural gait. Yes there,are times you need to do this, when you have a 1 in 5 hill, and you've been struggling against a head wind all afternoon...

Let's go for 1973- the year Close to the Edge by Yes was released. No doubt I will now be classed as a prog dinosaur. True, but dinosaurs were around a long time...

Generally the 1970's were great for music- prog, , glam, rock, hard rock, funk, disco, punk, and all sorts in between....

Great decade, not arf...

I have use clipless (Shimano SPDs) on my new bike. They are more positive than toeclips/straps, but I still like toeclips. A lot of shoes made for Shimano SPDs are anything but elegant. They also don't dry out easily if you are out in the rain- due to the trainer type uppers many have.

I like traditional shoes a lot. The only real reason I have decided to go for clipless is the increasing difficulty of getting traditional shoes. By this I mean leather perforeated uppers with the traditional thin sole. I used to use a pair of Diadora Cicloturismo shoes a lot- perforated leather uppers with EVA soles made by Skywalk, the people who make soles for Scarpa walking boots. They are history now, but you can't even get Carnac's any more.

And if anyone tells you it will take a while to get used to clipless after years of toeclips and straps- it doesn't. And you can still use toeclips/straps on your ancient touring bike, and then ride your new speed machine using clipless in the same week. Anyone who tells you different is talking through their ****.

It's not my place to give medical advice, since I'm not a medical professional. So I can only offer a few hopefully helpful suggestions.

Make sure you drink enough fluid. Water is OK, but when you're out anything more than a couple of hours, isotonic sports drinks come in handy. Even at lower concentrations, they're a good idea.

Make sure you stretch out properly- us cyclists are notoriously bad at this. Any decent sports fitness book will give useful advice.

A balanced diet that includes bananas (good potassium source). Better than dodgy buns at cafe stops.

Oh, and the usual advice about positioning on the bike etc, but you no doubt have heard all this and more before..

Good luck.

It's my view that the issue is discrimination, pure and simple. The train companies get away with this because we are not considered to have "rights". At one time other minority groups, such as the disabled, and of course women and ethnic minorities, were treated in this way. Sounds familiar?

Maybe CTC could take a look at the legal issues surrounding this. And some judicious "naming and shaming" of some of the attitudes in the rail industry behind it. A nice juicy media campaign would be good. Hard hitting stuff, not the usual softly softly stuff. We could team up with other groups that are served badly by the rail industry. Given this industry's lousy record for customer service, how difficult could that be?

It's not just cyclists that gets a poor deal by this industry. It's got to the stage that anyone without a car they don't like, to the point that car parks at stations are now seen as a major earner- unlike pedestrian customers. You can't get rail stations opened now without car parks, even though they are surrounded by houses within walking/cycling distance. Even the public bodies that support public transport, such as PTE's, support this attitude.

This industry also increasingly has a lousy environmental track record. Recently we've had new trains in West Yorkshire. Well and good- trouble is, they're too heavy, and so gobble fuel to the point they've had software installed to manage the problem. So much for green credentials. And of course, hardly any space for cycles.

There's so many ways to criticise this industry it's just not true. Mind you, BR were terrible- rotting stations, dirty trains, and sometimes jobsworth staff. The only good thing about BR was the space for bikes, IMHO. So good riddance.