Cycling UK Forum

Back in May 2022 I was signed up with a fully supported group to ride LEJOG (1000 miles in 14 days, averaging around 70 miles a day). Three days before the start of the event I was showering after a training ride and spotted a ‘bulge’ which I realised was a hernia. I spoke to a cycling friend who had a hernia a couple of years back and his experience was that it didn’t bother him cycling, walking and standing was where he experienced discomfort. I decided to go ahead with LEJOG, telling nobody initially other the friend mentioned above. I was fully prepared to abandon the ride if necessary and I was careful to avoid standing on the pedals. I found that when cycling ‘things’ returned to where they belonged and the only time that I had serious discomfort was prolonged standing in a busy pub in Inverness one evening! I’m not suggesting that going ahead with LEJOG was wise but I got away with it and have life long memories of the experience. I was 72 at the time and the hernia was repaired with open surgery a few months later.

I tend to go for Duracell. Probably as good as any & better than many!

My phone contract is with Sky in the UK with all calls & texts included. When I go overseas I get the same deal but just pay £2 for each day that I use data or make calls. If I don’t use the phone for those functions I don’t get charged the £2 for that day. I don’t have to contact Sky when overseas, it all works seamlessly. If I was to be overseas for 5 months the cost would be of the order of £300, assuming that I incurred charges each day.

Rosie’s interview could be mistaken for satire!

I used Gatorskins once but didn’t like them in wet conditions. For some time I’ve used Continental 4 Season but I consider they’re quite expensive and also I have found that the tread comes away long before the tyre is anywhere near worn

I too was assured by both my GP & consultant that the risk of strangulation was very low. With my hernias I found walking uncomfortable and standing still extremely uncomfortable after a few minutes. I needed to lay down for a few minutes to allow ‘relocation’ to occur. I only recall one occasion of discomfort cycling when I was on a hilly route trying to keep up with stronger faster riders but that was closer to surgery after the hernia had developed further. After the coffee stop I laid down outside (summertime) and then returned home solo at a more comfortable pace.

Good luck with your decision and surgery. There is no way I was prepared to wait longer than necessary for a repair on both occasions

I realised that I had an inguinal hernia in May of last year. Fortunately my limited private health insurance covered it (Benenden). My consultant said keyhole surgery was not an option for me because of previous radiotherapy affecting that area so I had an open surgical repair in September last year. I started with a one mile walk one week after surgery & gradually increased the distance. I was back on the bike with a 12 mile, one hour ride after 5 weeks. I gradually increased these distances. Unfortunately I realised that I had another hernia developing on the other side last December (1 in 5 probability of a second one developing according to my consultant). Whilst not as bad as the first one it was sufficiently uncomfortable for me to want it dealt with so had further open surgery in March this year. This time I started with a one mile walk after 5 days and a 12 mile, 1 hour ride after four and a half weeks.

To answer maximum meridius’ question I became aware of the first hernia 7 days before a long planned Lands End to John O’Groats bike ride. (Fully supported, 14 days with an average daily mileage of 70). After some serious thought I decided to go ahead with the ride & was able to complete it. That hernia freely popped in & out. I found that cycling caused it to return to where it belonged! By the time I had surgery longer more strenuous rides were becoming more of a problem. I am 73 and consider myself reasonably fit & healthy despite the banana skins in recent years!

Cyclists' Touring Club/Cycling UK, 1772-2018

The ‘hobby horse’ didn’t materialise until around 1820 so what documentation associated with cycling existed before that, ie from 1772?

ken66 wrote:How far does one go with theft deterrent? My garage is reasonably secure and has an alarm. I padlock my bikes to any fixed object or significant object in the garage with cheap combination locks. Anyone with intent to steal them coming with bolt croppers would have no difficulty taking the bikes. Similarly a small rechargeable angle grinder would probably defeat any precaution that you’re considering installing

I also have an Apple AirTag concealed on my latest bike

How far does one go with theft deterrent? My garage is reasonably secure and has an alarm. I padlock my bikes to any fixed object or significant object in the garage with cheap combination locks. Anyone with intent to steal them coming with bolt croppers would have no difficulty taking the bikes. Similarly a small rechargeable angle grinder would probably defeat any precaution that you’re considering installing

Anjistar wrote:Hi, I've tried a search but wording appropriately proved tricky - guess how many posts have the word 'bike' in them? And apparently 'covers' just refers to insurance.

Anyway, I'm looking for bike covers that will suit a campervan rear door-hung bike rack, and won't be too flappy when travelling.

I like the Velosock idea with stretchy fabric, but there is no allowance for the rack fittings (a strap over each wheel and a bar that holds the crossbar that will be outside the cover because it's horizontal, not vertical like hitch racks) or security locks, chains etc.

I don't know if anyone has heard of such a thing.

For years I’ve used a cover from Argos when on a camp site but more recently I’ve used one to cover a bike on a Thule (Elite G2) carrier on the back of the caravan. The Argos cover is relatively flimsy & has to be held in place on the carrier with an assortment of straps & bungee cords. Like many things it seems more expensive than I recall, here is a link:
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3335174?clickPR=plp:4:9

I’ve just noticed a similarly priced alternative on Amazon which has mixed reviews but is probably similar to the Argos one. I may try the Amazon one next. I too would be interested to see how well the Thule cover copes with carrier design & how good a fit it is for the single bike that I carry.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D4QBCVD? ... yjlgymuqra

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I was diagnosed with PC 4 years ago aged 69. My PSA was 5, Gleason 3+4, T2c. The options suggested were Active Surveillance, radical prostatectomy (RP) or Hormone treatment (HT) with Radiotherapy (RT). The possibility of incontinence which increases with age scared me away from RP. My local hospital group didn’t have a brachytherapy unit but I saw a consultant in a neighbouring area. My urine flow rate was deemed to be too slow for that treatment so I chose HT & RT. I underwent my 20 RT sessions in March 2020 (1st lockdown!). I continued cycling with my local club, albeit with slightly slower paced groups with slightly shorter distances and during the month that I was having radiotherapy I cycled 200 miles instead of my normal figure of around 400. I continued with HT for a further 6 months after RT. I didn’t experience any significant tiredness or emotional swings that some people report but I strongly believe that continuing with sensible exercise during that time was my saviour.

I wish your father in law good luck with his decision and subsequent treatment. I had experienced good fortune with my health throughout life and considered myself invincible! I initially found it a huge shock to be diagnosed but just got on with what had to be done. So far my 6 monthly PSA checks have been favourable. Last May I did a LEJOG ride over 14 days despite discovering that I had a hernia 7 days beforehand! I also returned with COVID. I felt dreadful for several days before taking a lateral flow test. In some ways it was a relief to discover cycling wasn’t the cause!

I use mole grips. Once you get the adjustment correct they are quite effective

However...
6770 is a 10-speed groupset, the last Ultegra one that Shimano made before it went 11-speed in 2014 with the 6870 Di2. So the groupset on it is now 4 generations old - not sure what availability/compatibility is for that age Di2 but it's worth considering.


10 speed Di2 derailleurs have been unobtainable new for years. If you needed a replacement you might be lucky enough to find a good one secondhand but not cheap. Also the electronics of 10 speed derailleurs are not compatible with 11sp (Shimano made sure of that!) so if, for example, you had to replace a damaged rear derailleur with a new 11 speed one you would also have to replace the front derailleur, the cassette with 11sp & the rear wheel if its not compatible with 11sp. Something to think about!