Cycling UK Forum

Norfolkline do take cyclists (agreed they dont take foot passengers so the article is technically correct)

You're right fixer, I was talking about the Bagman

Mine fell apart on a couple of occasions. The clamp holds the main support by two small grub screws. After drilling a couple of recesses into the very hard metal it held together but I've never been very happy with it (but then saddlebags in general are a problem as I'm vertically challenged) and to be fair others seem very happy with it. A standard rack may be a better support.

Thats very interesting thirdcrank - surely the French officials could get Armstrong on this one?

Marigolds (I prefer black) over a pair of thin cotton gloves or trackmitts are a crude but effective answer which I've used on wet audax rides, the main drawback is they are a bit slippery. I also have a pair of Altura waterproof winter gloves which are pretty good over a few hours.

Agreed rogerzilla exactly the thing I found with Clarks

I prefer Fibrax.They stop well and don't chew rims (unlike a make recommended in a recent issue of cycle) but I've heard coolstop are good. Fibrax seem hard to find in British bike shops but they have a very good online ordering service: www.fibrax.com with reasonable prices (bear in mind that each means a pair i.e enough for one brake)

Looking at your picture again I wonder if this is a splined spindle (like an old Gnutti)

This may be a stupid question but have you taken the washer out?. If the BB has swiss threads it will 35 x 1 (1mm pitch or 25.4 to the inch), same as old french thread except it has LH & RH threads like british whereas the french will have two RH threads like the Italian. As its very close to british you could probably get a bike shop to run a tap in.( and it may indeed be 1.37 x 24 British since this is pretty well standard now even in france- dunno about in Switzerland its probably a state secret under the banking code). You seem to have tried most things, If its an alloy crank and steel spindle you could try soaking in a famous make of cola - doubtless others can suggest more evil concoctions.Otherwise I suppose by now I'd be looking at a hacksaw .

Depends on your leg length and upper body and arm length. My girlfriend 5' 5" has long legs and a short torso. she has a selection of bikes most are around the 55cm seat tube mark but she has a problem with top tube length as her reach is limited. I think a 52cm may be a bit large for you but you need to make the measurements. As a start you could get your crotch to ground measurement without shoes (you may need a helper). your seat tube length would be about 25 cm less than this. Top tube length is important because if it is too long for your reach you may have difficulty getting some weight over the front wheel i.e you will have to fit a very short handlebar stem and your weight will sit behind the front wheel axle. All this is rule of thumb -its worth visiting a reputable bike shop and getting some advice or you could approach a local racing club and ask their women members. Perhaps Emma Pouley or Nicole Cooke should have a woman specific advice column in "Cycling" - many years ago Eileen Sheridan used to write one.

Does anyone remember the Great Fluorescent Sock Scandal of the 1950's? Some riders had the temerity to wear them in road races - did white socks become mandatory or does my memory not serve me correctly?

Who was it said that the secret of long distance cycling was to stay on the bike? I find it better to try to do a reasonable amount before a stop-40 miles seems a good suggestion. If you are becoming uncomfortable does your position need adjusting? I don't like to stop for too long or the "cafe legs" come into play, also I don't like to keep audax organisers up any later than necessary.

All mine work from the middle,obviously reducing chain misalignment will improve efficiency and reduce wear but constantly realigning front and rear would be tedious. For a short not too steep climb I stay in the middle ring. If it's going to be a long climb I move to the small ring. I only occasionally move fast enough to use the large ring.

Thanks for all the comments and advice, that was an interesting trip down memory lane. I think it was Bidlake who first suggested leather boot laces - perhaps he got it from someone else (apologies if you reinvented it).
I fit the rear "catcher" on the bridge behind the bottom bracket the loop trailing below so any spray goes on the ground - some of it may be picked up for the next revolution but it avoids the transmission to an extent. They always wore to a razor edge but as the "Blade " surface was tangential to the tyre surface there was no cutting action on the tread- mine rested on the tyre surface and as Ted says the valve weight would still cause the tyre to rotate. As I said originally the rear tyre seems not have the minor cuts that the flint in this part of the world usually causes. I think on balance they probably enhance the puncture resistance of my tyres by a small amount. I did try mounting a catcher to the front mudguard in front of the brake - this was quickly removed as the spray played havoc with the brake blocks (and the rim!)- I wonder if the small front mudguard section seen on the road bikes during the Bartali era was to prevent road grit being blown back onto the brakes? Doubtless someone has a definitive answer to this.

Does anyone else use "flint catchers" these days. After a spate of punctures I fabricated some out of spokes and plastic tubing. I don't know how efficaceous they are since I have also turned to Continental tyres which seem very puncture resistant. I only use these things on the rear tyre. What I observe is that although the rear tyre wears more quickly than the front (obviously), it doesn't exhibit the minor cuts which appear on the front. Many years ago using flint catchers I had a pirelli legarissimo tubular where the tread gradually wore smooth and survived puncture free to the point where it was mistaken for a clement criterium. You probably have to be of a certain age to comment on this. Does anyone have any idea for a safe fixing method for the front? I usually have mudguards.