Cycling UK Forum

The answers to "What are you looking at? are along the lines of:
Not much.
or
I don't know but it's looking at me.
I've used both of these replies and the recipients are usually too slow witted to reply.

Thank you for the advice, what I have done is:
Removed the rubber grips from the bars, they were 64 cm riser bars (25").
I have cut 1.1/2" off each bar end with a hachsaw & filed the metal smooth.
I intend to refit the rubber grips & fit a par of stubby bar ends to give me a varirty of riding positions.
I could have taken more than 1.1/2" off each end of the handle bars but I thought a small piece at a time, it's preferable to cut a bit extra off it they're still too long than have to but new handlebars if they have been cut too short.

Hi.
I've recently purchased a fixie, Carrera Subway Zero. Great bike, the only thing I don't like are the handlebars, 65 cm wide.
I've thought about fitting some aero bars to get a lower riding opsition.
What is it like to ride with aero bars?
Is it difficult to balance or is it the same as riding any other bike once you have your speed up and you are in position.
I'm a little wary as I haven't the best sense of balance, I still can't ride a bike no handed.
I don't want to invest in a set of aero bars only to sell them a week later because I can't use them.

I've revently bought a new fixie, Carrera Subway Zero, great bike but the only thing that lets it down in my opinion is the wide handlebars.
It has black riser bars which are 65cm wide, in my opinion much too wide.
I've thought about either buying a set of Bullhorns or hacksawing a few cms off each end of the bars & fitting some stubby bar ends

Playing Devil's advocate here.
Some posters take the attitude that it serves the BMW driver right because he was illegally parked on the pavement.
What if the car was legally parked on the road and the child riding their bike on the pavement had careered across the pavament into the car thus damaging it?
Or is this one post too far?

I did it once, 1996 I think on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres in a group from work, set off at 09:30 and finished 7 hours later, I then vowed never again. If I were to do it again, I would do some more training, ensure that I started at a much earlier time so that I could ride on relatively clear roads enabling me to ride up the hills rather than have to push the bike up them.

Riding up Yarborough Hill, you're a braver man than me, too narrow for my liking.
I used to frequently ride up Lindum Hill, I would always try & get onto the pavement at the bottom, if I was prevented from doing so by pedestrians, then I would get onto the pavement at the Usher Gallery. I used to always ride up that hill on the pavement as a matter of self preservation, especially as it goes from 2 to 1 lane half way up with cars jockeying for position.
I was also passed several times by police cars when I was riding up the hill on the pavement, I like to think they took the common sense view that I was cycling on the safest part of that road.

Thirdcrank.
Apology accepted, I admit I was too fast to bite on this occasion.

Yes, I was an independent witness, but on the subject of witnesses, go to a football match, speak to everybody who was there and you get a slightly different account of the game from everybody that you speak to.

On the subject of proximity of the cyclist, I estimate the handlebar end was approx 12 inches from the old man's arm.

Thirdcrank, if at best I am a "Myopic fool" then what am I at worst?
Fool, I am not, my qualifications vouch for that.
I thought the point of a forum was a chance to air opinions and participate in discussions.
I obviously didn't realise that this forum was a vehicle for the old guard to insult or belittle newer or less active members.

This morning, I was walking back from shopping in Lincoln along St Rumbold Street, the pavement is wide, I was behind a few people, one of whom was an old white haired man, I estimate in his late seventies who was about 5 yards in front of me. Approaching us was a girl of about 18 cycling towards us on the pavement, in the middle of the pavement, not riding fast or imtimidating. As she approached the old man on his right hand side, he swung his right arm out deliberately and effectively punched her in the chest. She shouted "What was that for?" and continued riding for a few seconds then stopped. I turned round and went to her, by this time, she was shaken and had started crying. I offered to call the police & act as a witness if she wanted but she didn't want to persue the matter. I set off again in the direction I was going and saw the old man walking in the distance at a lively pace. Laden down with shopping, short of running, there was no way I could have caught up with him, I thought about taking his photo on my phone, but that's academic as he was disappearing into the distance.
I know that riding on the pavement is wrong but in my opinion, it doesn't justify a cyclist being punched by a pedestrian.
Technically, if the girl had wanted to persue the matter, it could have been classed as a sexual assult as she was punched in the chest.
There were a some other people on the pavement but none stopped or turned to look to see if the girl was alright after being hit.

Stereotyping as a geography teacher.
My son is a geography teacher, he always goes to work in a business style suit, tie & cufflinks.
Never tweed.

Don't laugh but here's a trick for when you're missing your tripod, I used to do this in the 1970's.
A piece of thick string, one end with a loop big enough to go around the camera lens, the other end with a loop big enough to go over your foot, about 1.5 metres ling in total. Put the camera lens through one loop, put your foot through the other loop and hold the camera by pulling it tight against the string. This does hold the camera steady, it's not as good as a tripod but is lighter & cheaper and better than trying to be steady hand held.

Substitute "Girlfriend who understands cyclists and horses" for "Nutcase having a bad day, or criminal trying to get away from the police." The three cyclists causing the rolling roadblock might have at best received a torrent of abuse or at worst been maimed or killed if the driver had decided he didn't like waiting and decided to drive over them.
Yon never know the mental state of anybody else on the road, some people react with hostility todards cyclists for no reason, see other threads on verbal or other abuse from motorists.

The cyclist may be considered an idiot for not wearing a hi viz or helmet, but, he was a cyclist so he must be in the right when any incident involves a car.

Pardon my ignorance but whats is an ASL?
TLAs (Three Letter Acronyms) are great if everyone knows their meaning.
I've just looked on an online dictionary of TLAs and it gives possible meanings of ASL as follows:
Algebraic Specification Language
Adaptive Speed Levelling
Age Sex Location
Authorized Stockage List
American Sign Language