Cycling UK Forum

thelawnet wrote:
Concerns about needing hospital treatment or whatever are a bit daft as I've never needed it in the past and it's unlikely cycling KSIs will be the tipping point....

Absolutely. The vast majority of road injuries involve cars, so if we want to reduce this source of pressure on the NHS then we know where to start!

nirakaro wrote:

xerxes wrote:That stretch of road has solid white lines on both sides, so all those cars are illegally parked. Hopefully the police will have given them all tickets.

Solid yellow line means no parking. Solid white line simply marks edge of carriageway.

You are right, for many years I thought it meant 'no stopping'. Well it is nearly 40 years since I took my driving test!

A lot less busy. Bringing back happy memories of the petrol shortage in September 2000.

Grandad wrote:Same problem for Wales
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-51994504

That stretch of road has solid white lines on both sides, so all those cars are illegally parked. Hopefully the police will have given them all tickets.

'Bike gear' is overrated and overpriced. Tracksters/T shirts/thermal vests/shorts are all fine. Just vary the number of layers according to weather.

I had planned a ride in the Peak District yesterday but seeing how cold it was I sensibly (so I thought) decided on a shorter low level local circuit. After 10 miles on wet roads but no hint of ice I suddenly hit a patch on a bend and came down hard on my left side. Managed to slowly pedal home, then went to A&E. Badly bruised shoulder ligaments, hairline fracture of radius, and knee swollen badly which is practically immovable today. I won't be back on the bike for a while, and my proposed winter mountaineering trip to Scotland in February is looking unlikely.

RecumbentRide wrote: All that seems to be happening is the crap is being partially moved from the chain to the chain cleaner's brushes.

I use an old rag to clean the brushes, though it's not a perfect solution.

I wonder if anyone makes a chain-cleaner cleaner

Rickmanchester wrote:Good morning. Has anyone completed this? I live in lowton very close to the fire station, and my daily commute is to Altrincham.

After the end of the Glazebrook trail I would have no option other than to cross the Warburton toll bridge, which I’m not looking forward to, but once on the other side, I could pick up on another cycle route (Trans Pennine Trail) which takes me straight to work.

Any feedback would be most welcome.

As others have said, Glazebrook Trail is a footpath, and even if cycleable looks like it would add a fair bit of time and distance to the journey. However I regularly cycle the roads between Altrincham and Culcheth, occasionally as far as Lowton, and these roads are fine for cycling - I think most cycle commuters would give their eye-teeth to have such a ride in preference to city streets. It may seem a bit daunting at first if you're not used to it, but it gets easier the more you do it. I suggest giving it a try one weekend when there's no time pressure.

Warburton Toll Bridge is free for cyclists and you can enjoy breezing past the queues of cars waiting to pay!

The title refers to a story by the comedian 'Blaster' Bates, who was also an explosives & demolition expert - it tells the tale of a cesspit being blown up.

This came to mind yesterday on my ride through the Cheshire countryside. On the road between Tabley and Antrobus I saw ahead of me what at first sight seemed to be a blizzard of grass cuttings blowing across the road. An odd time of year to be cutting grass, I thought, and as I approached it became clear that it was something else. A pipe was lying across a field, and seemed to have some kind of agricultural effluent being pumped through it. It had sprung a leak, and the pressure was such that a greenish-brown fountain was spouting 30 feet in the air, and being blown by the wind right across the road. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me, it would have been an amusing photograph.

I decided it would be unhygienic to ride through this downpour, so took an alternative route. We have to put up with various hazards when cycling, but this is a new one!

Had to laugh at this. As a lad I used to cycle big climbs in the Lake District (e.g. Corney Fell) with just a 3 speed Sturmey Archer. OK, I had to get off and push it occasionally, but still covered big distances.

Woodhead is not particularly pleasant at the best of times. Snake is a much less busy alternative.

Bmblbzzz wrote:Are you after a track pump, a big one to keep at home, which usually has an accurate pressure gauge, or a pump to keep on/with the bike in case of punctures?

You need both really. I have a small Zefal pump which fits in a bumbag, in case of punctures out on the road. It will get you home, but can't achieve the recommended pressure, for which you really need a track pump. Otherwise your tyres will wear out a lot quicker, and rolling resistance will be higher.

cycleruk wrote:Only seen this RED map so far on most websites.:
https://www.lavuelta.es/en/overall-route

Yes, seen that one on a few sites, however the link you have given enables you to magnify it enough to read - thanks!

Does anyone know of a map of the route available online which is actually big and clear enough to read?

Another downside to hedge cutting in Autumn is the effect on birds. Hedgerows contain lots of berries (including the cyclists' bete noire hawthorn) which are essential food for many species during the winter months.

Having said that, I'm not sure what would be the best time of year for hedge cutting. In spring birds will be nesting. Maybe January/February when most of the berries will have been eaten?