Cycling UK Forum

Overtaken by a taxi on a blind bend at the top of a short, winding descent this morning.

Result being both a car coming the other way and myself doing emergency stops.

Duly caught up with the taxi stopped at a T junction at the bottom of the hill (not deliberately chasing, this is one of those descents routinely faster on a bike than in a car).

Tapped on window, pointed out he'd put me in danger. The taxi driver justified his manoeuvre by saying he went far to the right to protect me(!); I pointed out he had a brake pedal…

He then acknowledged he was in the wrong, perhaps influenced by wanting to remove my presence from the customer sat in the passenger seat.

Pleased I didn’t just let it go, and also pleased I didn’t let the adrenaline get the better of me and have a real go at him.

What would you have done?

Hi,

I've got a similar commute and similar requirements.

I went for a Kinesis 4s, 105 compact double, 11 speed 11-32 groupset, but with rim rather than disc brakes. I think they now do a disc version, and there's a cheaper frameset too (TK2 I think); this worked out about £1300. Discs cost more. I have 25mm tyres, it's supposed to be OK for 28mm on the mudguards but I reckon that would be very tight.

I was limited by needing a very large frame, the only alternative I could find was a Ribble, who had quite a few similar spec models, worth looking there.

Very pleased with how it's performed, just coming up to 1500 miles since October, almost all commuting.

Latest

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/lat ... ash-208491

One or two people have claimed 'good reliability over many years' from battery systems; I'd argue that this is

a) very much the exception rather than the rule and
b) total failure has only ever been avoided by carrying backup lights of some kind.

By contrast with a hub generator reliability is the expectation rather than the exception.

If you spend good money on high quality lights then they are very reliable. I've been using exposure lights every day through the winter for five years. I have never once had to rely on a backup. Not once. That's about 1000 rides and 10,000 miles. "Total failure" is really of the fall off and suffer damage kind, and I don't see why dynamo lights are any better in that regard. I can completely see the advantage in avoiding the need to recharge and the good reliability. I can also see why not everyone would want a hub dynamo.

I do usually carry a battery light with me, but that is mainly so that I can find my bike, and in case of punctures etc

So yes, even if you do use your preferred option, you *still* need a backup of precisely the sort the OP asked for advice about in the first place...

Fascinating thread.

Modern battery lights are brilliant, miles better than what was available a couple of decades ago, and more than adequate for any reasonable commute. I'm sure hub dynamos are even more awsome, but the OP only asked for advice on backup lights. Even if I was using a hub dynamo, I'd still have a pair of backups, personally.

Transferability is about the only thing a battery light gains. And that only really applies if you have different wheel sizes between bikes.

I have four bikes: Commuter/tourer, MTB, road racer, tandem. Wheel transferring isn't even possible between any of them, let alone convenient. Having a light bracket on each, however, is perfect, meaning paying for for one good quality light I get three for free.

I have a similar length commute to you. Recently replaced the bike I use for winter commuting and thought hard about a hub dynamo. I've got a rather expensive exposure strada front light which also runs a very bright rear off a cable. I find this very convenient - only one light to recharge and as I can use the front light on other bikes too I decided to stick.

I use rechargeable batteries in normal lights for my backups which are a (now pretty old) cateye at the front, similar to this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-hl-el135 ... ont-light/ and one of these at the back, like you with a rack attachment. http://www.wiggle.co.uk/cateye-tl-rapid ... ear-light/

I run them flashing and recharge them weekly, never had any issue with longevity.

I'm amazed your main lights last a week at a decent level of lighting. I recharge mine nightly, but I'm on unlit back roads at full beam, perhaps yours are "be seen".

andymiller,

is the Italian Cycling Guide your website? It’s brilliant!

thanks for the pointers. We’ve two families, both with cars, so some schlepping is fairly easily possible. Youngest is 11, so probably more limited by adult than child fitness now. If I can lose a stone (or two…) by July, a daytrip to the Stelvio for the stronger ones in the party might also be on the cards.

farawayvisions,

looks amazing although downhill mtbiking wasn’t really what I was thinking of for this trip. As my enthusiasm is much greater than my skills, my injury rate mountainbiking is only limited by the number of descents I do, ie by how fast I can cycle up the hills. The unlimited descending potential from using skilifts could easily be fatal…

Thanks mnichols. Any parts you would particularly recommend?

Dobbsy, my carbon fibre 20 speed road bike is an absolute pleasure to ride and makes me smile every single time I get on it. It’s a miracle of lightweight engineering that works perfectly and took me over the Galibier with great pleasure. I’ll next ride it at the vernal equinox and I’m already enjoying the mornings getting lighter each week in anticipation. Don’t see a flat bar three speed having the same allure I’m afraid.

Modern road bikes are brilliant. Even a cheapish bike now is better than what you could get for any money decades ago, and *miles* better than what equivalent money would have purchased.

Then there’s mountain bikes. Ever torn down a singletrack on a suspension mountainbike? Amazing. I wouldn’t fancy your chances of enjoying the same on the bike you describe.

I’m no equipment fetishist personally, but I don’t see what’s so terribly wrong with folk who do like the latest cycling technology. In fact, I suspect many people come to cycling attracted by exactly that – and how much better to be attracted into the outdoors by cycling hardware than into a darkened room by the latest electronic gizmo. Or attracted into buying a dangerous vehicle by a flash car.

Simpler cycling? I can see where you’re coming from, but I’ll keep my modern kit thanks.

robgul wrote:Wrong on so many counts - but then you seem to be adamant .....

Rob

Not adamant at all Rob. I spent hours researching this journey by train and gave up in frustration before spending all of about 30 minutes booking the whole thing by air and car.

So please, rather than assert that I'm wrong, help me. I'm 5 minutes from a mainline station (wilmslow) which gets me to Euston in 2 hours. I want to get to Valence, on a tgv line. Couldn't really be more convenient.

Tell me how to do this by train in a cheaper or more convenient way than flying to Geneva and driving a hire car. For 2-4 people.

Genuinely, I'd love to do our again by train.

Well, the last international journey I did with my bike was to Valence for the Ardechoise.

There's a mainline station 5 minutes from where I live.

To do it by train I needed to get to Euston, transfer to st Pancras, eurostar, then cross paris and TGV.

Three journeys, three different bike policies, all bar the first need bike in a bag to guarantee having it on the same train as you, TGV explicitly doesn't guarantee you getting your bike off with you. And of course you have to ticket with different companies so if you miss a connection you don't have a valid ticket.

Flying alternative: fly to Geneva, hire car, share costs with companions, cheaper and zero hassle.

I once flew with a bike to queenstown nz. Four flights, no problem. Train companies just don't care I'm afraid.

I'm not sure what companies still allow roll on bikes, I've seen someone do it with sas recently, but roll on bikes on international trains is a non starter as far as I can see.

Riding in groups is much faster than riding solo. You may be surprised how quickly you do it if you stick with others.

Anyway, why does it matter if you're below the minimum speed- no one will stop you riding to the end regardless, the worst that can happen is you're not officially given a time. So what?

Much as I would far rather use the train, for me the inescapable conclusion is that it is *much* easier to fly. The possibility of being separated from bike is just too high.

We're planning a holiday in the Dolomites with family next year, camping in Levico Terme

The miracle of google has revealed a surprisingly extensive range of cycle ways in the area - there's an excellent website: http://italy-cycling-guide.info/trentin ... cycleways/

What I can't find is a book/leaflets to take with us - I prefer hard copy myself.

Can anyone recommend one for the area?

The suggestion that simply obeying the law is praiseworthy and should be rewarded is quite wrong. No need to communicate. Just obey the law and avoid eye contact.

Cripes. I bet you're fun at a party.