Cycling UK Forum

As a committed cyclist with a wife that rides horses (and sometimes hunts) and both of us vegetarians I have an opinion on the three issues raised in this thread...
1. Firstly, the horse world should be our allies, they also want safe roads with respectful traffic. For a cyclist passing a horse it is always the right thing to give a warning like 'bike behind' in plenty of time then you will be thanked and avoid spooking the horse.

2. Re the toffs and attitude issue.....not all people who hunt are wealthy bankers. I'm sure that there are some who give the hunt world a bad name in the same way that there are cyclists that give us a bad name.

3. Re the principle of hunting or not; this is a highly complex and emotive subject and possibly wont be solved on this forum. Suffice it to say that, like cycling on raods, they are not acting illegally and doing something they beieve in and enjoy.

Personally speaking I find slaughtering animals for food, and recreational shooting and fishing more deplorable. Nobody disputes that foxes need controlling so the argument is how, not if.

Gaz is sending me a pair of clips - thx!! James, I agree about old MTBs being bomb-proof and good investments. I read lots of posts on here before deciding it was a sensible thing to do to prevent a rapid deterioration of my beloved Thorn Nomad. The value is demonstrated by the fact that I'm fitting a Scmidt dynamo wheel and light combo that cost ten times what the rest of the bike was!! But for £25 I got a really good quality steel MTB (1980s/90s) Claud Butler with pretty good kit inc new-ish wheels (which I don't need anyway) and new Schwalbe tyres. Worth it for the tyres, tubes and bar-ends alone!! Check out ebay those that haven't, there's sure to be a non-suspension steel bike or frame near you for silly money that's got little value to the fashion victims.
Neil

I did this once...got seduced by a frame too big but just bought it and regretted it afterwards. I'm no expert but I guess that as long as 23" and 25" is apples and apples, then your answer depends on how long your legs are and how much seastpost sticks out the 23" frame. But if you are 6'1" with long legs then your upper body length becomes a problem with the extended reach which you may be able to adjust for with saddle and stem. Frames that are too big for a person don't look 'right' either, it can be harder to get on and off without crushing the family jewels, and they aren't as responsive so what you want it for is also relevant. My advice is don't compromise.......unless it's such a bargain or a lost classic that you can just look at!

I already have more panniers that I need and don't have a saddle bag.....that's my logic. I know some swear by saddlebags but I just prefer panniers. 'P' clips it is then unless you can still buy 3-point fixing racks.

I just bought an old steel mountain bike to use as the basis for a winter commuter to avoid ruining my Thorn through the worst weather and road conditions. What an ebay bargain - nobody wants non-suspension all-steel MTBs with 'only' 21 gears.....it's got just about everything I need except there are no fixing points for a rear rack. What's the advice here? Can you get racks with 'p' clips or do you use the brake/mudgaurd hole in the rear triangle to mount one? It won't be carrying much weight and (horror of horrors) I usually only use a single pannier anyway for work.
Neil

I'm no expert but I'd start by looking at items 2 and 3 first within a bigger task of checking your fit on the whole bike (saddle height, saddle fore/aft, reach, length, pedal angle, cleat release etc etc) It's a bit more scientific than the old 'slightly bent' leg rule. My experience is that some of us adapt instantly to 'wrong' positions while others don't. I can't see that pedalling a 36x16 gear would cause a problem and you seem like a healthy specimen!!
Neil

...not only was ice and snow the problem for me this week, my perfect record of puncture proof cycling with Schwalbe Marathons was ruined Wed night at 7pm miles from anywhere and -2 degrees. My fingers have just recovered!

Nice colour and a good frame....you can get bargains from eBay!! I just got an almost new Thorn tandem frame in exactly the right size that needed a little paint on the rear triangle.....for £108! Buying everything for it was fun, as you say Vernon, and it's on the road as new for £650 with a spect that would have cost double that.
Neil

would that be M6 x 1??

I recently bought a Thorn tandem frame (second hand). I got some new XT V brakes to fit but the bolts supplied don't fit the bosses on the frame...they seem very tight. Are there different threads used on frames? Or is it likely that the threads are just dirty and need opening with a tap? What is the thread size? Thanks.
Neil

Hi
I think you could split the benefits into 'hard' and 'soft'. 'Hard' equals cash...fuel, parking, proportional servicing and maintenance. Because most people will still run a car, it's unrealistic to claim road tax, insurance, MOT, depreciaition etc as savings. But you could add things like cancelled gym fees.....'Soft' equals the intangibles such as health improvements, environmental well-being, easing congestion and all those good things.

Trouble is that I commute 30 mls a day and have found that my 'hard' savings are going towards greatly increased food intake!! Good luck.
Neil

hello experts....will a Shimano LX front changer (MTB obviously) shift a triple Stronglight chainset with 28/42/52 rings? It's not indexing and spacing I'm worried about because I'm using friction levers (yes, really!!) it's because I read somewhere that the geometry of an MTB changer is designed for smaller rings and won't match the bigger road-size chainsets? It's for my new tandem - and on a tandem I prefer to know that the gear is there when I need it and not reliant on a very long bit of cable moving an exact distance!!

I did read your question and was about to give you the measurements of my Thorn but was beaten to it! One other thought though...you can buy a roof rack that has a hydraulic thingy that lifts the tandem gracefully up to the roof bars. You don't need any strength to operate it, and I think one was for sale on the forum earlier today......around £140? And if you want a tandem, I have a great Dawes Super Galaxy for sale which will be better and cheaper than the one you're looking at so you can afford to buy that roof rack!!
Neil

I'm building up a tandem based on a Thorn frame I just bought. It will have straight bars and will prob run without a drag brake. I'm wondering what the general view is on V-brakes versus cantis.... I already have two sets of levers - one for each type so my choice is not governed by that. I'm keen to fit the best stopping power so ideas on specific makes/models also welcomed. My gut instinct is that V-brakes seem better based on my solo experience but that may be comparing set-up rather than performance.
Neil

Thanks for the quick input...so I would need 2 X 2.5mm spacers and accept that the dishing isn't optimum? Given that 26in wheels are evidently stronger than 700s, I'm guessing that converting my existing wheel would still put me in a better position? By the way, won't the frame flex that 5mm when you tighten the wheel anyway??