Cycling UK Forum

I use a cable lock, supplemented by one of the smaller width Abus U-locks when leaving the bike for any length of time. This means I can attach the bike to something (even if only another bike) and secure either the front or rear wheels to the frame.

This has worked for me but on holiday in Italy a couple of years ago (not touring) I saw two locked up bikes outside a busy tourist attraction where someone had evidently completely gone through all four panniers on each bike, Clothes and camping stuff was strewn everywhere but the bikes and panniers appeared to be OK. As I said this was a busy location, people must have seen what was going on - so no lock in the world would have stopped it!

At the end of the day the choice is yours, there are pro's and con's to both. I commute 30 miles each way, twice a week using either my Bianchi EV2 road bike (no lights, mudguards or luggage) or a modded MTB for the purpose of commuting. The road bike is lighter, responsive and quicker, but only marginally so. My MTB, has no suspension and skinny tyres, weighs twice as much, has mudguards and carries more in the way of lights, bar bag,etc.
EV2 = 1hr 25 average
MTB = 1hr 30 average
As others have mentioned b4 a road bike goes into the wind easier, but a MTB can be fitted with bar ends to give you a flatter more out stretched position to enable you to cut through the wind easier.

Thanks for the tips on dogs. This came in useful as a woman had more dogs than she could easily control this morning and one made a break for it on one of those extended lead things. She was laughing at fido trying to bite my ankle until I unclipped my pedal and suggested politley that either she controls her animal or I would break it's jaw. The smile dissapeared and fido returned to the mob posthaste.

Stilly

Hapiness is a 20k climb

Oh vicar I do enjoy your sermons, but that is
very silly to suggest that a man involved with criminal activities is a policeman.

I don't like to think about it though, and I don't like London either becuase it is so dangerous. Things like that are bound to happen and I would be upset by them.

That man is a criminal, but he will soon be saved and see the light if he does what you say and puts the bike back together again. Do you think he could do that as well?

How funny

I will be running another Bicycle Wheel Building workshop in September 2005.

Date: Sat 17 September 2005
Time: 10am-5pm
Location: Coleridge Community College, Cambridge CB1 3RJ
Cost: £60
Capacity: 6 places

This is a practical course where you learn how to assemble and true
strong and durable bicycle wheels. You will learn to build ’standard’
(36 spoke cross-3) wheels using proven wheel building skills based on
sound principles. Places are restricted to six to ensure a high
teacher-student ratio.

INFORMATION SHEET
<http://web.onetel.net.uk/~davidwgreen/wheel_bld_1day_info.pdf>

ENROLMENT
Please email me at 'davidwgreen<AT>onetel<DOT>com' as soon as possible.

QUESTIONS?
If you cannot find the answer to a question in the information sheet or
in this email, please either email me, or use my daytime phone number
01223 449304.

David Green

Shouldn't worry too much, the alloy on Yamaha motorcycles used to "bloom" (go white, furry or powdery) after only months. It probably needs a rub down with Autosol cleaning paste which grinds of the top layer of oxidised alloy. Our TA Cyclotourist tandem crossover drive is 15 or so years old and "blooms" every now and then especially if we have been near the sea for a few days. I have also kissed it with an angle grinder (don't ask) and that doesn't seem to have weakened it either!

Harry's not here either.

I got a car when I was 27, doing without while I lived in london, and no bike either, then started out on the epic life's journey with Bike at 31, becoz
car was becoming a bad habit. Became bikes only
1997, and broke my leg on Motorbike by getting too keen on 2 wheels. Now car dependent.

Handally

So I got back on 12 July having failed to get to the Black sea. I actually got to Budapest and then I turned round and cycled back to Donaueschingen. About 2800kms in some 50 days -- samping all the way.
The reason for me turning round was really that I got "windy" about biking in Romania. I had lost confidence in my velo have bought -- 1 a new rear wheel in Germany and 2. a new rear complete deraileur system in Budapest. I had also had a fall and my right knee was hurting ( only a bit ) and one night near Budapest I just got a tad depressed. I was worried about encountering bike problems in Romania mainly
Naturally on my return trip my bike gave me not one bit of trouble but I travelled more slowly and throroughly enjoyed my trip back. Instead of doing "kilometres" every day I stopped regularly and saw much more and met more people on my way back. In 50 days camping I had about 4 extremely wet days ( 2 where I had a "rest day") and in all about 7 days where the weather/wind was unpleasant.
The cycling is extremely easy. The main dangers are !. early morning cycling leaving the town that you are in -- hundreds of children coming into town to go to school on their bikes -- and I do mean hundreds. 2. the cycle tours snakes where about 20 or more cyclists being led from hotel to hootel come torwards you occupying the whole bike trail -- it is also very difficult and hazardous to overtake these despite hooting my horn and giving cerbal warning in my fluent german!
But I had a fantastic time with 49 days in my tent and just 2 days in a "zimmer" -- and I didn't sleep well in the real beds!!!
Best part of the danube is from Donaueschingen to about 100 kms east of Linz after that it gets very wide and flat. Longest day I did was 160 kms from Passau to Melk I think it was -- about 60 km East of Linz -- next day I only did 40kms!
Passau to Linz is beautiful -- either side of the river and you cycle all the way right beside the river and just a couple of metres above it. Excellent food and do try the Weisbier -- a slightly coudy wheat beer either light or dark and quite delicious. or a Radhler literally a "biker" a shandy style drink at only 2.5% abv
Trevor A Panther

AVL,
I would be interested to see the law chapter and verse of what you contend.

My understanding as a former CC elected member is that the road belongs to the County council with further rights over three metres on either side of it.

CC members and officers are very proud of what they own and the roads are part of those properties. It is their empire to be increased whenever they can do so.

As far as "no right to park there" is concerned!
Well!

g

g

Generally the land on which the road outside your house is built DOES belong to you, but the road does not, and you've no rights to park there either, as technically it is provided for moving traffic.

I definitely agree with toeclips for touring - I recently did the end to end initially with SPDs - and was in shear knee pain hell by Day 3 south of Bristol.

I had to either pay a sports scientist loads (probably just to tell me to raise my saddle by a few mm) or switch to toeclips. I choose the latter option. Shame I didn't do it before Fort William tho.

the spacer goes next the spokes.

i cant see why your new set-up should laterally stretch the chain if the old one didnt. if you're worried, be more prudent with your gear selection. 1,2 & 3 in the little ring, 5,6 & 7 in the big one, 4 in either.

still doesnt look right - are you sure you have the right spacer?

the short sora mech may well cope with the extra gears. try it and see before you go to the trouble of fitting the long mech alterantive. try each gear in turn with the bike upside down or on a work stand. apart from sounding a bit rattley, the danger here is that in the lowest gear at the back and the big ring at the front you stretch the chain so tight it will never change back up. if this looks at all likely fit the longer mech.

ds.

Shame there's no edit button on this board, and no preview facility either. Try this one:

http://arts.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/mai ... do2404.xml

I recently bought a pair of prescription cycling glasses from Optilabs.

http://www.optilabs.com/sportsglasses/cycling/cycling.html

My prescription is +7.25 & +8.00 and am 55 years old too !

I decided to go down and see them, arrived at 9.30am and met the owner Tony Kerr who showed me his range of cycling glasses, let me try them on and left me to think about which style I preferred.

After deciding, he measured me up and said they would be ready at 2pm - AND THEY WERE !

I paid £150 and got bifocals and reactolite lenses - very pleased indeed.

When I got home my wife said the colour of the frames didn't suit me - so I sent them back and Tony put the lenses in a different colour frame - no charge at all !

Tony has a showroom just like any regular optician, a visiting optician to do eye tests and the factory on the premises.

He stocks a full range of stylish glasses, but at prices you wouldn't believe !

My regular very thin, varifocal Rodenstock glasses cost me £450 from my optician - Tony said he could make me something similar for between £125 to £200 maximum.

Whilst waiting I chatted with a couple of regular customers who said at Tony's prices they can afford to either have several pairs or change them more frequently.