Cycling UK Forum

On the road a mile from home yesterday. Car coming towards me with single youngish male occupant - he winds his window down to give me a load of verbal about there being a lockdown, and how I was killing people being out and about! I made the mistake of stopping to remonstrate, so there was lots of shouting and testosterone. Anyway he drove off burning rubber and I got shakily back on the bike. When I got home, my wife, who'd been cycling a head of me by a few hundred metres, told me that she'd had an earful of abuse from the same idiot. Sensibily she'd ridden on. My impression was that he was a cyclist hating nut (we've all experienced those haven't we?) who feels that he has a legitimate reason to harass his prey.

That sounds ideal, pm sent.

My touring bike has a 9 speed Shimano XT 48 36 26 crankset. The middle and inner rings need replacing but the specific parts are no longer made. I can findbrings that'll fit of course, but there are some good deals to be had on complete 10 speed cranksets. Would a new Shimano 10 speed crankset be compatible with my existing 9 speed setup?

A quick update. The driver was visited yesterday by the officer who later reported that she seemed genuinely shocked and distressed to find out she'd knocked a cyclist off her bike last week. Not sure what will follow for her but probably a driving skills course I should imagine? Slater Gordon are dealing with the insurance aspects. It looks like this matter is now being handled appropriately. My thanks to all for your advice.

Just had a text message from the Police who apologise that they've been too busy to visit the driver this week but might fit it in after the weekend

She's doing fine and once again proved how resilient she is. She has assured her work colleagues that this is not going to stop her cycling - certainly she didn't let a fractured scaphoid and three lost teeth stop her after getting knocked off her bike just 3 years ago! Still not heard from the Police yet - I sincerely hope that they are going to take this seriously...

Thank you all. She is going to wait and see what the Police decide. We're very grateful of course that the only loss is a pair of prescription sunnies! I think the panniers (good old Altura) cushioned the impact for the bike and she was back on the bike to ride home this evening without evidence of any mechanical issues. I doubt she'll want any further fuss and I think I've worked out who the patient is here! Cheers...

My wife, Caro, is fine apart from bruises where her cycling glasses smashed on impact with road. Cut up by a driver turning left while she was going straight at cross roads. Driver carried on oblivious (apparently) but man in vehicle behind stopped, helped my wife off the ground and said not to worry, the incident is recorded on dash cam. Police called, we have a crime number and they have identified a female driver whom they are visiting tonight. They have viewed the footage and said that it shows clearly that the driver was in the wrong. Caro was wearing a white helmet and red cycling jacket and the incident happened about 1 pm. We are both members. No other damage to kit detected and all very much "matter of fact" but I'm upset and angry. What's our next step?

arnsider wrote:The parapet stones have been loosened and made dangerous resulting in another closure of this strategic Lune Crossing.
The nearest upstream crossing is at Kirkby Lonsdale and downstream at Crook of Lune (Woody's)
The earliest re opening seems to be late December.
I cross this bridge frequently and the complete lack of mortar in the bedding of the parapet on the downstream, Gressingham side was plainly in evidence.

I rode over a few weeks ago. I heard that the damage was caused by a vehicle accident 2 weeks ago

Dave W wrote:Oh come on lighten up. This forum is rife with moaning old farts. Read the posts, I've never seen so much snobbery. I'm grumpy but never feel the need to moan about fellow cyclists whatever they ride. We're all part of a cycling community yet there's not much love to anyone different. Don't like sportives? Don't do them. Personally I don't like cycling in a very close group, never fancied touring with full paniers either, don't get the idea of being stretched out on a recumbent but whatever floats your boat.

But sorry if you are a DM reader then there's no hope.

LOL! I get grumpy too but nearly choked on my lunch at the DM jibe! Ouch..

However the original post confirms that some people on bikes can behave as badly as some people in cars. The wife was nearly put in a hedge yesterday by a dangerous driver. His window must have been down because his threatening behaviour afterwards (weaving and braking in front of us) was his response to our simultaneous vocal complaints! Police notified though I don't expect they'll be too interested.

Brucey wrote:yup, if the chain is too short 'something bad will happen'. Exactly what happens might vary in detail but whatever it is it won't be good.

cheers

Oh well, I have an old ultegra derailleur to swap in so it's just a new chain and job done.

This two month old Sora derailleur is completely mangled - you'd think that someone's been at it with a hammer!

Thanks for your help Brucey

Slasher wrote:

Brucey wrote:some rear mechs (esp cheaper shimano ones) will bend before the hanger does, so everyday knocks and dings can push the derailleur in.

The other thing is that if the chain isn't quite long enough, using the big-big gear combination may distort the rear mech.

cheers

Yes I wondered if a too-short chain might do that; I'll check it. Thanks

Mark

Yes, chain too short by about 1 inch.

Enough to cause Sora rear derailleur to self-destruct?

Thanks
Mark

rjb wrote:How is it used, parked, stored. I only ask because I noticed my son on law locked his bike outside a tesco in their bike racks and left it there all day while he commuted by train into central london. The rear derailleur was resting against the bike rack. A knock with a trolley was the probable reason why he had a similar failure to yours.

It's parked outside around the back of his digs; I think it has a hard life as the bar tape I put on last year is pretty scuffed now!
Thanks
Mark

Brucey wrote:some rear mechs (esp cheaper shimano ones) will bend before the hanger does, so everyday knocks and dings can push the derailleur in.

The other thing is that if the chain isn't quite long enough, using the big-big gear combination may distort the rear mech.

cheers

Yes I wondered if a too-short chain might do that; I'll check it. Thanks

Mark

My son has an old bike of mine which he's used for the last two years or so. He's done a fair bit of riding on it but isn't very technically minded and probably doesn't maintain it well! It's a Nelson Audax aluminium 9 speed, Shimano (mix of 105 and Sora, 50/34). Last year I had to collect him and the bike when he had a sudden failure - he said that the rear derailleur went into the rear wheel when he was pedaling hard uphill. I replaced the derailleur and the hanger which were both bent and changed the rear wheel for a new one. All seemed well after a service with new chain and cables.

Since then he's had two more replacement derailleurs fitted by the LBS where he lives. He's a bit vague about what's been happening but I think the failures have been more gradual/less dramatic than last year. I visited today and was pretty horrified to see the latest derailleur is really badly bent inwards towards the wheel, although the hanger appears straight. He hasn't had any crashes and doesn't really offer many clues as to causation.

Has anyone any idea what can cause recurring derailleur failure like this? Is there likely to be a problem with rear end of the frame possibly?

Thanks
Mark