Cycling UK Forum

Bill them. Send them a letter setting our the charges per minute for phone calls, dealing with letter and for meetings. Then bill them and when they don't pay take them to court. Think I'm mad - see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20068927

The porch is part of the Power Lizard that some people won't like. Essentially, in its default setup, when you open up the outdoor door, you're slap bang in front of the inner door with just a few centimetres of gap. That's the aspect of the Power Lizard design that I could see strongly putting some people off.

However, if you're using it on your own rather than sharing, it does have a adjust that allows you to slide the door side inner away from the outer in order to swap some inner space for more porch space. But it's a long thin porch, maybe enough for wet shoes and jackets. So I'd say if you don't want most of your stuff inside the inner, then Power Lizard is probably not the tent for you.

(It also means that in rainy conditions it's a tent where you need to get through the inner and outer doors rapidly which is not ideal if you share it)

On the plus side, inner space is great, pretty much the same as the Hogan and Taurus models. I have the Power Lizard 2-3P but just for myself. For one, thats an luxurious amount of inner space. And a blissful dream to pitch/pack compared to the Hogan I tested.

The Taurus looks equally easy to pitch based on the Vaude video I just watched, but almost twice the weight of the Power Lizard!

Race does seem bizarre but a kind interpretation would be they just used everything they had for free (likely age group, sex, race) just for the sake of it rather than any planned reason or intent.

I don't really see how a "cycle camping tent" differs appreciably from a "backpacking tent". .

Do the poles fold short enough for a pannier bag is a good criteria for cycle friendly.

In the last few weeks I've been comparing a Vaude Power Lizard 2-3p and a Vaude Hogan XT. Just on folded pole length, the 'Power Lizard' (who comes up with these names?) won. It also won on simplicity of pitching.

I can say that the quality of both was there to see, that's a given I think with Vaude. But both were radically different in ease of pitching. The Hogan employed so many different types of connector for poles to inner, outer to poles and inner to outer is was guaranteed you'd miss one. And when finally pitched, compare to the single hoop Lizard you really didn't notice any space difference inside except for the minimal porch space on the Lizard.

See and testing has to be the real test. I've now found the tent I like (replacing a venerable Saunders Spacepacker) but I can see how some people would hate it.

Depending on where you are, thoroughly recommend a visit to Fat Birds in Hunstanton. Rather than being locked to one provider they have frames and bikes from pretty well every titanium provider.

Indeed, the size of tent is a factor. Our 4-person tent, where I can stand in any part including the sleeping compartment, is great in summer, but distinctly cold at other times. The number of bodies can't heat the space as fast as it cools and the space is big enough to have its own internal convection even when sealed. So yes, this weekend (tomorrow actually) I'll be in a small 2-person tent even though it means I'll only be able to sit-up.

Well that gets us to the other way of keeping warm, which is having a companion. You don't have to be intimate - its simply that N+1 bodies warms the space more than n - and gives your grief, sorry, reminds you, when you leave the entrance open.

"The tent only cuts out the wind and rain. It offers no insulation in itself." - Sorry but it does. Stopping that air movement is a huge plus. Heat is moved around through the processes of radiation, conduction and convection. A tent wall might seem thin but it massively reduces the convection route for heat loss. Plus I like staying dry too.

But good to mention location. That spot down the slope of the field by the river is lovely in the evening, and a total frost, fog, mist magnet over night. Use the hedges and your neighbours big tents as wind breaks. There can be surprisingly large variations in temperature within the bounds of the same field.

Best improvement in my sleeping gear in the last few years has been a longer, wider sleeping mat. As a 185cm bod, my feet were always over the end of the previous ones and that clearly compromised the effect. Now I have a mat that is 195cm in length and a lovely 65cm wide and its been a great couple of years camping.

Hat and then socks next if its really parky and a then a lightweight camping duvet (Alpkit) to go over the sleeping bag if it really is too cold. Easy to throw off, add back on without too much fuss, and useful too when just sitting around.

I can't do clothes as I just wake up with a damp t-shirt or whatever (never worked out why its not a damp sleeping bag, probably unconsciously stick my arms out if overheating.

Food is good too. Eat late. When I eat I get hot as the stomach gets to work. So use that free energy.

South to North is one of my most favourite loops EVER (yes, I'm six'ish).

Go over the pass to Hay and well deserved 2nd tea (1st being at Llanthony - pub or priory). From Hay, over to Talgarth (another great cafe in the mill (can you tell why I like this ride yet?).

Now, if its a quiet part of the day, the A479 is a nice steady climb. But there is also a great dead-end road (Penbont Road) out of Talgarth that will take you up almost all the way. A quick scurry over a walkers style at the end and you're almost at the top. And then its a lovely glide downhill almost all the way to Crickhowell (more great cafes).

I've ridden the A40 between Crickhowell and Aber' many times with no issue. Outside of rush hours and lunch time its okay but nothing to shout about in scenic terms. Others may know if the canal path is usable between the two. If so, that would make a lovely days ride (assuming the Welsh weather plays along - my partner will never forgive an attempt on the Gospel pass that was eventually abandoned due to the ice forming on the bikes stopping gear changes).

My vote (because I'm biased by love of what I ride (100 miles this weekend fully loaded with tent, sleep mat, etc)) would be to a Kinesis Tripster ATR with a lovely titanium rack (again purely aesthetic because that's fine). Nice bike for quick sprints, the work commutes - and loaded up with a load of kit still remains a nice bike.

I do miss not being able to put front racks on the carbon forks but this weekend included a test of some Gorilla cages to help spread the load.

Your towel was probably removed as its was seen as having a dig at the stereotypically German's on holiday.

I had BB7s and much the same. Once well adjusted you knew they would need re-adjusting after a couple of rides.

Have TRP Spyre - much the same braking force as BB7s, but once well adjusted, stay that way for the life of the pads. Great. Still squeals like mad when first engaged in the wet but thats down to a lot more issues that just the model of brake - its a universal cable disc thing.

Also have a bike with TRP HyRd - utterly fantastic. Much better braking power than the Spyre/BB7. And still waiting to discover when I will need to adjust anything.

Yes there are a lot of other factors - but as a 100Kg+ commuter/tourer, for me disk brakes are the only option - I would not willingly go back to rim braking.

Google Trends is an interesting tool. Allows comparison of how often various words are search for. Sadly only goes back to 2004.

Using 'pringle' as a based line search, "pringled' isn't searched for very often.

Comparing "pringled" and "buckled" - not surprisingly "buckled" is 30 to 40 times more frequently searched for.

Comparing "pringled" and "buckled wheel" does shows "pringled" becoming regularly used since 2010 and on a slowly increasing trend.

Its an interesting word development and I look forward to playing it in Scrabble.

reohn2 wrote:The hairs have been split,on yet bike!

"yet bike" - should I split further hairs? (or just buy a better shampoo) And that missing space!

Cycling is abnormal, irregular and unusual - so its just like the English language, wonderfully brilliant, weird and complex all at the same time.