Cycling UK Forum

Hello Brucey

have you ever had a chain jump off? I am afraid of that, although I understand your argument about more play. My impression is that the chain unaccountably seems to loosen as soon as I ride the bike after adjusting.

What about eccentric/worn sprockets and rings? Are any of them perfectly round when new, and do any stay perfectly round? Surely not.

The cycle chain is a wonder of simplicity and efficiciency, but I would like to have a more robust one that weighed a bit more and almost never had to be adjusted or changed.

Anyone got experience with cardan shaft drive? Advantages/disadvantages?

Diolch yn fawr

Maybe the idea is to get mototrists to break the law so that police officers lurking nearby can book them. Maybe not so bad after all.

it is the second picture that appears after a few seconds on ctc.org.uk

Highway code:

Use of the horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn

while stationary on the road
when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am


What on earth is the CTC doing, encouraging drivers to break the law? A picture on the website shows demonstrators with a sign "honk for space for cycling".

I do not believe it!

Paul de Vivie devised a code for the wise cyclist:
1. Keep your stops short and few.
2. Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty.
3. Never get too tired to eat or sleep.
4. Add a layer before you're cold, take one off before you're hot.
5. Lay off wine, meat and tobacco on tour.
6. Ride within yourself, especially in the first hour.
7. Never show off (ne jamais pedaler pour l'amour propre!)

I have subscribed to FN for many years. Like any magazine (even the CTC Gazette?) it has some articles that are for me not so interesting. But I often read and discover things I was not looking for, and which I enjoy very much. For example: the 90 year old cyclist who did 90 miles to celebrate his birthday. The next day he was glad he lived in a bungalow. Now he is looking forward to his hundredth birthday.

Or the story of Tommy Godwin who cycled more miles in a year than many of us do in a lifetime. Or the stories of the old hostels back then when only self-propelled guests were admitted. Or a comparison of times in hill-climbs held on the same course over many years - these may indeed be the nearest to "races of truth". Or the Patterson drawings, etc etc

FN is being rejuvenated, as an old boring cyclist (only 55) I recommend a look at it.

We all know cycling was better back then, in my case from 1973. The Fellowship of Cycling Old Timers publishes a very interesting magazine in paper form, I am sure many CTC members would be interested in it. No-one is too young to read it, anyone may subscribe.

http://fcot.org.uk/index.html

Dervla Murphy wrote "Full Tilt" about cycling in Asia, and several other books including about Siberia.

Or try Ian Hibell, Josie Dew.

Can't remember being stopped while cycling but I was driving a van in a bus lane in London when a motorcycle cop pulled me over (more than 20 years ago).

"Hey, can't you read? That is a bus lane, get aaaht of it!" he shouted. He did just the right thing, took a few seconds, he didn't bother talking gently to me and offering therapy or showing unjustifed "respect". He didn't fine me (that would have been justified). This incident (among others) sensitised me for traffic law enforcement. Would it work for you? Would it work for the "average motorist"? I fear not.

Another time I was stopped by West Mercia police for driving too slowly, I am proud of that. Never been stopped for going too fast.

http://ferdinand.han-lan.com/

this is the sort of "sports car" that top gear should be testing.

No, the best of all worlds! Many hub brakes and gears are more forgiving and must not be so exactly adjusted. I do not know and do not need to know how my hub gear and hub brake work, I like it so. When will someone invent a generator that can be connected to the brake to generate energy?

Why not mixed tandem races (per tandem one male and one female). Fair for everyone, double the marketing potential!

Safeway I think!

A bell that goes drring drring makes a lovely sound and people know it is a bike. Ring it some time before you reach the person you want to warn. On shared paths it may be best to assume all walkers are drunk/hearing very loud music. Or they have a unontrolled dog nearby in the undergrowth.

Ring it loud and slow down until you are sure they have percieved you.

What makes me sick is when a group of people move left and right and expect me to go through the middle.

But on shared space paths the person-to-person communication works mostly. Not like on the road. How should I communicate with the driver in his air-conditioned cell?