Cycling UK Forum

It's always tempting to stop when the Stansted Airport Express passes the doors of this each year. But, if I were to buy something bulky, how would I get it home?

But that's the issue, isn't it? Whilst numbers of deaths are recorded reliably, and to a lesser extent serious injuries (the injuries will be recorded, but I'm not 100% clear how reliable is hospitals' recording of which were cycling related - genuine question, I'm simply not sure), working out how many miles cyclists did, and in what conditions, and whether with helmets, is really hard. So, if casualties were to double or halve, for example, we wouldn't know whether that was more (or less) mileage at the same risk, or riding actually getting more (or less) dangerous, or helmets working better (or worse), or more (or fewer) helmets being worn.

But, at a broad, hand-waving scale, we can say that there isn't obviously an effect as big as that that was observed in London, for example, when cycling increased substantially and casualties didn't (so there was a visible safety in numbers effect that seems far to outweigh anything observable relating to helmets). And we might remark that, in professional cycling, casualties seem to be getting worse in recent years, even after the introduction of helmets (not because of, more in spite of, but suggesting the absence of a major benefit).

My recommendation on how to approach whole-day rides remains to sneak up on them when they're not looking. Just gradually extend your mileage, see what works, and adapt it a bit as you go. If, to do 40 miles, you need one cake stop, for your first 60 miler, try two. Then adapt again - you might find that one was enough. When you've reached all day, experiment a bit - if you feel you were stopping too often, try fewer. If you want to try energy bars, do that. Find what works for you, but don't overthink it.

TrevA wrote: ↑16 Oct 2024, 5:39pm A lot of the Pro’s use home-made rice cakes to get their calorie fix (made by the soigneurs or team chefs).

Reminds me of my first 12-hour race, decades ago. I'd been recommended having rice pudding handed up in a bottle with the top cut off. I tried it, and got a face full of milk. It was home-made rice pudding - very nice, but not good for pouring down your neck. No-one mentioned the obvious point that you need Ambrosia-type stuff.

Worth mentioning what brand. There are service kits for some brands, e.g. Silca.

So what's the best general-purpose kit for helping to replace these? General-purpose in the sense that it works across a reasonable range of bikes and/or types of concealed-cable fitting, but doesn't necessarily handle the very particular methods used by a given manufacturer.

Energy gels for the ride home afterwards? (Congratulations)

I used to ride along that stretch of road often, before the A34 bypass was opened alongside it, not least to visit my then girlfriend and now wife. I even cycled to my first job, which was along it. I'm sorry that it now seems more dangerous than I found it, years ago, when it carried the main traffic as well.

The bike shop should be able to give you advice but, in principle, it's about fittings and sizes, not brands - different brands do not, broadly speaking, have their own fittings. Probably the most likely for you to have is square taper, which this article describes as "cartridge". Square taper itself comes in two variants, ISO and JIS; because the taper angles are slightly different, you ought to avoid mixing them.

With regard to rings, the critical thing is bolt circle diameter (and number/pattern of holes, obviously). You should also consider the chain width - loosely, the more sprockets you have on the rear wheel, the narrower the chain, and therefore the narrower the chain rings are made to accommodate it. There's some room for manoeuvre, but the widths should really match.

Visible wear may not be enough reason to change rings if there are no issues with their performance. There will be issues eventually though! I'm about to replace an outer ring that slips every time I try to pull away from a stop.

If most parts of the set are shot, as sounds quite likely to be the case, a complete replacement set may prove cheaper. If you're asking the shop to do the job, as well as get the parts, they may even charge less for a complete replacement because they don't have to spend time investigating issues, swapping rings, etc. and you're less likely to come back later with something not quite working.

If you're replacing the whole, you can potentially change fittings and everything on the same bike (but still need to consider chain width as above). A Surly may have a better current chain set than those that an LBS dealing in utility bikes has in stock.

If you want more advice, you probably need to post pictures.

The bike shop should be able to give you advice but, in principle, it's about fittings and sizes, not brands - different brands do not, broadly speaking, have their own fittings. Probably the most likely for you to have is square taper, which this article describes as "cartridge". Square taper itself comes in two variants, ISO and JIS; because the taper angles are slightly different, you ought to avoid mixing them.

With regard to rings, the critical thing is bolt circle diameter (and number/pattern of holes, obviously). You should also consider the chain width - loosely, the more sprockets you have on the rear wheel, the narrower the chain, and therefore the narrower the chain rings are made to accommodate it. There's some room for manoeuvre, but the widths should really match.

Visible wear may not be enough reason to change rings if there are no issues with their performance. There will be issues eventually though! I'm about to replace an outer ring that slips every time I try to pull away from a stop.

If the whole lot is shot, as sounds quite likely to be the case, a complete replacement set may prove cheaper.

If you're replacing, you can change fittings and everything (but still need to consider chain width as above). A Surly may have a better current chain set than those that an LBS dealing in utility bikes has in stock.

If you want more advice, you probably need to post pictures.

Does Kaifeng have a beach to eat the dumplings on?

Biospace wrote: ↑1 Sep 2024, 6:28pmA very fair point, why should refurbished electricals have VAT charged a second time?

The concept is to charge VAT on the value added by the seller, i.e. the difference between the price paid to obtain the goods (or materials) and relevant labour, and the sale price. So no VAT has previously been charged on the difference between the purchase price of a used item and its value when reconditioned.

But of course the government can choose not to charge VAT in order to promote things. In which case, we'll all have to pay it on something else, in order to fill the hole in the budget.

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑11 Nov 2024, 12:03pmThat link is about Idaho stop rules...

OT - I don't suppose, contrary to the link, that anyone in France calls it an Idaho stop rule - /OT

It isn't about proving. You're supposed to use your judgment, and stop on amber if it's safe to do so. I don't think there's any suggestion of a prosecution simply for failing to stop, in the absence of any resulting collision or other consequence. But, if you don't stop on amber a lot of the time, you must be breaching the HC unless something very unusual is going on.

simonhill wrote: ↑10 Nov 2024, 12:48amCould this be partly responsible for the early red jumpers.

No. The only thing responsible for failure to stop on red is failure to stop on amber first.

The comment was light-hearted. It works for me because I use a decent-sized Android tablet, so the whole arrangement is fairly free standing. If I needed power for the trainer or a screen, I think it would be a pain to set up. We have no space for a permanent arrangement however, as we don't have a garage.

We're pretty lucky on weather in North Herts. It's rare for it to rain during the particular times when I'm on Zwift. When it does, or if the temperature is sub-zero, I use the kitchen with the door open (by negotiation!)