Cycling UK Forum

Vantage wrote: ↑3 Feb 2025, 11:37am

mdskids wrote: ↑3 Feb 2025, 11:23am Or am I missing out not finishing at Bridlington?

I personally don't remember anything particularly interesting about cycling into Bridlington. The fish and chips where we finished were nice though.

Likewise, but that was only the last few miles. The mid section is IMO much nicer cycling than either of the ends, but none of it was bad. In the unlikely event I did it again, I'd probably copy geocycle and head for Flamborough.

Sweep wrote: ↑3 Feb 2025, 11:20am

axel_knutt wrote: ↑3 Feb 2025, 11:11am The advantage of travelling south to north is that you have the prevailing weather behind you instead of in your face.

yes, apart from another reason for liking to finish at Holyhead, I had rather thought of that

Winds in UK generally from the south west I gather.

It's not so simple. This is worth a read:
https://rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/d ... 02/wea.301

Sweep wrote: ↑2 Feb 2025, 3:23pm Thanks for the recommendation PH. Would you recommend doing it N to S or S to N finishing in Holyhead?

I've done it twice, both times from Holyhead, finishing in Cardiff and Chepstow. I've done that for logistics, I can't think of a reason not to ride from the South, but haven't done so. Either way Chepstow <> Bristol is an easy ride for plenty of train choice.
I've been over Gospel Pass a few times on different rides, I'd agree with rotavator that it's easier from the South, but I prefer it from the North, IMO it's a more scenic climb and the descent goes on for miles on roads where you can let it go a bit. It's a fantastic view if you're lucky with the weather, but it is Wales...

At the risk of being burnt at the stake, I wasn't overly impressed with the UN55's I've had. I've treated them as a fit and forget consumable, as I have with all BB's, and they've lasted 15 - 25,000 miles. That's not a complaint, but neither do I consider it some wonderous longevity, or mourn it's discontinuation. I'm currently using IRD BB's, which have the same bearings as the Tange 7922 mentioned upthread, the older of those is on around 15,000 miles and still fine.

DinoD wrote: ↑2 Feb 2025, 10:07am Good morning folks,
I’m trying again this year to plan a ride from Chester along the top of Wales then dropping down and using the NCN 8 mostly, however I don’t want to miss out on great locations and sites along the way. Has anyone got any information that I could include in my trip.

NCN 8, Lon Las Cymru, is a fantastic route, my favorite amongst the Sustrans routes I've ridden, tough in places and remote in others, be prepared. Plenty of threads on it already if you do a search.
I'd offer two preferences:
This route around Harlech
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/699875
And I prefer the Chepstow finish to the Cardiff one, plus you get to go over Gospel Pass
https://cycle.travel/map/journey/699877

Other than that. I don't think I'd deviate much, some of the towns you pass through are worth a wander around, rather than pressing through, if you have the time.
The North Wales coast route is OK, but it's nothing like as spectacular as the LLC, if you don't have limitless time, I'd be tempted to take the train to Holyhead and savour the LLC.

Cowsham wrote: ↑2 Feb 2025, 1:39am

PH wrote: ↑1 Feb 2025, 4:19pm

Cowsham wrote: ↑1 Feb 2025, 3:48pm I feel for the small shops who've been milked mercilessly by successive labour ( and conservative) governments.

So not all Rachel Reeves fault then?

For the NIC rise it is.

We are going to price ourselves out of the market wrt tax on businesses.

Lakelands accounts can be found here:
https://find-and-update.company-informa ... ng-history

The directors report includes the assessment that 2025 sales will be in excess of 20% lower than in 2023 (Roughly a £30 million reduction)
The 1.3% increase in employers NI contribution is going to cost £300,000 (Based on 2023 salaries)
Make your own mind up which you consider the more significant.

Cowsham wrote: ↑1 Feb 2025, 3:48pm I feel for the small shops who've been milked mercilessly by successive labour ( and conservative) governments.

So not all Rachel Reeves fault then?

Welcome to the dark ages:
"On Thursday, the Trump administration ordered the US agriculture department to unpublish its websites documenting or referencing the climate crisis."
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... ate-crisis

Cowsham wrote: ↑1 Feb 2025, 12:33pm It's not just the cycle trade that's under pressure it's retail in general.
https://news.sky.com/story/lakeland-s-f ... s-13295366

My wife has been a loyal customer since the 80's -- Rachel Reeves what have you done?

It is retail in general, also in the news this week is Sainsburys planning on shedding 3,000 staff and WH Smiths looking to close all it's High St stores.
In the case of Lakeland, they've been struggling for a while, my local store was one of a number that closed a couple of years ago as part of a cost cutting rationalisation. It's a stretch to blame it on the current Government, though that won't stop those politically motivated to do so. It's more to do with the supply cost differences between High St and online stores, I don't think people have a true picture of where their money goes and how little of that is for the product itself.

Tangled Metal wrote: ↑31 Jan 2025, 8:40am On the other hand that airport is the only UK hub airport and it is close to capacity. Hub airports are the main access into a region from around the world. It is more efficient use of flights to go from say Dubai to Heathrow as a link to other parts of the world than loads of half full flghts to every other UK airport.

This was the argument Gordon Brown made when proposing the additional runway in 2009. If we're going to increase UK capacity, it has to be Heathrow or a radical rethink of the routes. If Heathrow can't fulfil the role of a hub, then other airports will, that could just as well be Paris or Amsterdam as Birmingham.

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑29 Jan 2025, 10:05pm

djnotts wrote: ↑29 Jan 2025, 8:36pm A Govt with an unassailable Commons majority that is serious about "growth" would have a terminal BUILT in 2-3 years

Have you ever worked on a major project?

It was first proposed 14 years ago. The delay hasn't been the size of the project but the political indecision.

rogerzilla wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 9:09pm not to let it out of your sight when out with it.

That would mean reducing my cycling by about 60%, for some of us it's more than a hobby.

roubaixtuesday wrote: ↑27 Jan 2025, 9:46pm The idea that Reform voters would always vote Tory as second choice and vice- versa is questionable to put it very mildly indeed.

It's about as realistic as suggesting Labour would be the second preference for every LD, SNP and Green voter. I'd like an electoral system with a single transferrable vote, but without that, guessing what people might do if presented with different choices is irrelevant.

It's some years since I rode a bike with 28mm tyres and guards close enough to pass under deep drop caliper brakes, poking muck* out from under them was a frequent winter task, sometimes needing doing mid ride. Not only while riding mucky lanes, though those are my preference, any rural road will have enough dirt on it for some to be picked up. It's far less an issue riding 35mm+ tyres and wider guards set high enough for most muck to pass straight through. Plus being a bit higher it's easier to poke the muck out when it does gather.

I'll call it muck, but living in an area with a lot of livestock farms, I don't want to think too hard about what it actually is.

I'm with TSB's Pick and Protect, where the premium is based on the most expensive bike and all others" at the same address are covered. It's little use me telling you that, as they don't seem to have offered it to new customers for the last couple of years, though mine has been renewed. Worth looking to see if similar policies are offered elsewhere, for my bikes it works out a third of the Laka premium.
* with the exception of E-bikes

ed_b wrote: ↑26 Jan 2025, 4:19pm *At ~£10/month, we'd be in the money if there was one theft in ~20 years; out of pocket if less frequent.

It isn't just theft, it's any loss, I had an accident that was my fault and a claim for a frameset and front wheel, the settlement was about 18 years of premiums. But I don't think that's the way to look at it, you may never make a claim or you may need several. The question is how big a deal would the financial loss be to you? For someone it might be a mild inconvenience, for myself I doubt I'd ever be able to afford like for like replacements. Not being insured would change the way I use my bikes.