Cycling UK Forum

Spotted this today if it's useful for any one

Seeing things like this gives me the kick to go out and do it again tomorrow,, stopped and had the last of my flask watching this.

I saw this sticker advertising a Dutch bike touring shop in a phone box window in W.Yorkshire today ( note the panniers ). I checked out the web site very interesting for you I think, run by experienced touring cyclists and stocks quite a few makes of bikes in different frame materials. They are' Rohllofians ' as well and they have recently opened a shop in Istanbul ! Hope you have a great trip whatever you use.

I've only really started cycling regularly since I've retired, apart from cycling to work before.I've found that if I had the chance to go out and didn't take it at the end of the day I was looking back thinking, I should have gone out today and feeling fed up about it, like a day wasted sat indoors. I've never gone out on my bike and looked back and thought I wish I hadn't. One's a negative feeling for me, one's a positive one . If I'm dithering about going out I think of how rubbish I'll feel later on if I don't, and start getting ready to go, that takes a while but once the decision is made I'm gonna go come what may. If I've checked out the weather the day before and decided it's going to be a good day next day for a ride, I'll always go out as I've already made the decision. I like the feeling of not having wasted the day.This works for me so far

Colin, I met a man today exercising this beauty,a Harris Hawk, he confirmed there are Goshawks in the area , just not quite where we thought, I'll pm you.

Axel Wow,...awed silence, I see you're from Leeds originally, if it's any consolation some of the 'builders' horrors, I've seen here are no better, the sign at the start of the post is not a million miles from Leeds.

NUke, that reminds me of something I saw in Hitchin Herts ,if you go down the hill past Harkness roses heading west toward the town on the A505, there are two suspiciously perfect fake Leylandii (?) made of plastic, they disguise mobile phone masts. It's on Google street view, worth a look, a lot of the local people think they're real trees ,the road is called Cambridge Rd.

Cheers Mick excellent spot there ,I looked at it a for couple of minutes before I spotted the deliberate mistake, even after you put the correct one in.. Perhaps with these direction signs it's pure lateral thinking ?

Don't racers also have quick steering bikes for quick changes of direction, if you had someone with a 'slow' steering bike they would surely be unpopular understeering through the last 90 degree right corner, scything through the middle of the pack, leaving a 'trail' of fallen riders. That's a proper fork trail issue.

I spotted this example of current craftsmanship whilst out ' Waltzing the Brooks ' yesterday. The new signpost appeared to be duct taped to the old rusty post for support, perhaps this is a new method from 'across the pond ', as this was where duct (duck) tape achieved cult notoriety back in the 70's. Does any one else have any other bodges they have spotted in their travels or otherwise ? Perhaps they'd run out of concrete for the day in the above example.

Mind if Rutland gets it's long awaited independence, I might have a go at the end to end,Caldecott to Market Overton,(The' CMO ') about 16 1/2 miles, anyone know the best route ?
As a second generation Scot (Synthetic Scot), would I still be allowed to bide in England ? I've been hedging my bets with the head badge for a while now in case the day comes, I thought of altering the name on the down tube to Rab Jockson, but I might not make it out of West Yorkshire unscathed, does any one have any ' Fleeing Scot 'badges they can gi'e us a loan of (permanently).

I have a small 50cm (19 1/2" ), 20 year old tourer, 700 wheels the old style parallel crossbar type frame.It ' suffers ' from toe overlap, I've had the bike 18 years. I've used Spd pedals with it, (didn't get on with them, I forget why).I went back to using toe clips and straps ,occasionally I would just get my foot out in time if I got my foot the wrong side of the fork in a low speed turn situation if I wasn't concentrating, but basically it wasn't a problem. I used that method for years. Last year though I came off twice, both times due my lack of concentration admittedly, once I was outside the local bike shop talking to the owner and was still talking to him as I attempted to pull away , feet not in their habitual position, wrong side of the fork, down I went into the road. The next time I went off the side of a double track concrete drive and got the rim stuck parallel to the edge,couldn't get my feet out quick enough , again down I went. I thought I'd give some flat pedals a try , I liked toe clips but twice in a couple of months was too much for me , I could have just taken the clips and straps off but I thought I'd give these a try.I've tried them for about six months now and I can't say I miss the clips, and they're a lot safer for me re-starting on hills, and getting away from traffic lights, the sticking out screws seem to grip my soles enough in muddy or wet situations.To begin with I was so habituated to starting with the right foot up when clipped, that when I first used flats again I would have to hook the pedal up from the bottom of it's stroke, back to the top so I could lead off on the right .Eventually I found that I didn't need to do this I just leave the pedal a bit up on the right, use that to get balanced and effectively lead off with my left leg. Basically overlap seems not to be an issue for me now, plus as an added bonus I don't get the the dreaded dead feet as much as I used to. I know the pros and cons of the various types of pedals,but I find this works for me for how I use my bike with overlap.The pedals in the pictures were about 20 quid from Edinburgh bike shop, Revolution's the make under all the gunge, they seem pretty good quality.I'm still as rubbish at climbing as I was with clips so no change there.

Good Morning, I used to use my late Mother's old Triumph Palm Beach, (with basket), real handy, you could just chuck stuff in the basket and keep an eye on it. All the bikes from the mid 60's era were good practical bikes the Palm Beach for instance had the de rigeur front wheel dynamo, good bell,chain guard, light mounted off the front of the basket and three speed Sturmey, they made the same model in Ladies step through style or Gents, it was one of the most comfortable bike I've ridden, 27 x1 3/8in tyres I Imagine.They used to exist on an occasional sniff of an oil can and a wheeze of air. I think some of the bikes popular in the States at the moment apeing French delivery bikes but a bit flasher, have chromed wide racks like the trade bikes of old but without the sides and built a bit lighter, I think they look out of proportion, but the narrower ones might be useful just to strap a jacket or something to I suppose. As it often is, it's a form over function discussion. Isn't good design where form meets function or something, the old ' if it looks right cliche '.
Sorry about the nostalgic drone there I was having a jumpers for goal posts moment.....cycles slowly off into the distance softly humming the tune of the Team Carradice Waltz. Good Day.

After exhaustive testing of my last submission, (30 seconds), it has a glaringly obvious flaw, heel strike. This is the latest IKEAN idea, for my set up anyway. Remove seat bag ,place on top of unexpected luggage, strap IKEA bag to rack in the approved ' old motorcyclist ' manner....Straps diagonally across, hooks outwards to avoid puncturing bag. .Note how this stroke of Swedish inspired ' genius ' also turns on rear light automatically, indicating to any overtaking road users ....WIDE LOAD....as before, ' Don't blame me......'

Cunobelin, awesome, stick a roof on it and that'll be cycle touring right enough.I was looking at this picture, .The bag on the front of this unfolds large enough to put the bike in,if it's big enough for a bike...... This got me thinking, (rare). What's a cheap bag like that....one of those blue frakta bags from IKEA, about 0.40p in store, add one of those with reohn2's shelf idea and a couple of straps, job's a goodish 'un ,don't blame me when it all goes wrong tho'.
If all else fails you could always hook the bag over the bars and push it home.
This bike later tried to bite me when it's Mk 1frame hinge broke( later modified by Bickerton) and dumped me in the middle of a (luckily quiet) car park in Cheltenham.
For the pedantic tree surgeon it's once more unto the beech.