Cycling UK Forum

Back on topic - I live just down the road from Mercian, very nice bikes, I'd love one. When I was looking for a tourer I considered it but the same service, type of bike, components and frame material were £400 cheaper from Paul Hewitt. The differences being TIG welded in Taiwan rather than brazed in Derby and stock size made to fit with seat post and stem rather than full custom. Neither of which make any difference to riding it. It's a personal choice weather you consider the craftsmanship and aesthetics worth the extra.

When this first occurred I posted on the lines that I feared the appeal would fail and little has happened to change my mind. This nothing to do with whether you agree with the judgment, it is a question of how the criminal law works. Cases are decided on the law (here - cycling without consideration for other road users is an offence) and the facts revealed by the evidence (here - apparently a cyclist was riding well out into the road when this prevented overtaking) The decision is taken by the court (here - a district judge, formerly called a stipendiary magistrate) against that background. The opinions of expert witnesses in a criminal trial are really neither here nor there when there are witnesses of what actually happened.

Indeed the facts here seem to be undisputed, it is a question of whether they amount to being inconsiderate to other road users. If there was an appeal on a point of law, I cannot imagine that a higher court would say that a cyclist riding well out in the road could never be regarded as inconsiderate. An appeal on the facts would simply be a rehearing in front of a recorder (i.e. a more senior judge with a couple of lay magistrates) There seems to be no obvious reason why they would reach a different decision.

Before the hate mail starts let me say I really hope I am wrong. I have a roughly similar set-up but without a cycle lane just round the corner from my house on the A 6t2 into Leeds. There are deep gulley- grates well out into the carriageway and I always instinctively ride well out into the road which is steep enough for your granny to freewheel at 40 mph.

I fear this case will lead to all sorts of unhappy results.

Neither of the links worked for me, but quite right, cycling is just as enjoyable in the winter. My commute takes me down some very quiet roads and riding under the stars on a weinters evening can be absolutely awesome.

And the problem with ranters is that they go from prejudice alone. They choose not to see "good" cycling, so no matter how much you or I observe the rules of the road, the ranters will still go on. And that's not helped by people like the mature cyclist who went straight through a red light I was waiting at just this week. Even as a cyclist I rant on at that.

I counted ten people, including kids one Friday when I drove home, on bikes. Not one had got a helmet. I just walked round the corner to my local supermarket and I saw two cyclists neither with a helmet.

Seems they were all quite safe then - unless are you saying they were all lying injured clutching their heads?

Read the following you might change your mind.
My work colleague was doing the Wolverhampton half-cycle marathon when he had a puncture. If slid along the road and looking at his helmet if he hadnt had been wearing it he would have done serious damage to his head.

But, but, but wasn't this a race ?

I must assume from your logic that you always wear a fireproof suit and full face helmet whenever you get into a car?

You do, don't you?

I counted ten people, including kids one Friday when I drove home, on bikes. Not one had got a helmet. I just walked round the corner to my local supermarket and I saw two cyclists neither with a helmet. Read the following you might change your mind.

My work colleague was doing the Wolverhampton half-cycle marathon when he had a puncture. If slid along the road and looking at his helmet if he hadnt had been wearing it he would have done serious damage to his head.

Helmets are a must. Do not cycle without it.

Regards.

I've sprayed Waxoyl into every hole in the frame and forks. I hope it's rolled down to all the places where any water might collect.

Frame Saver is not readily availiable.

I've never used Waxoyl before. It seems a better protector than WD40 for surfaces which neither need lubrication nor are suitable for painting.

come to think of it neither am I well not all of me anyway.

After scanning the internet on touring bikes in the uk. I spent Saturday doing the bike shops of Oxford. The cannondale T2000/T800 and the dawes all looked promising from my internet search.

I have a real short in-seam 73 cm (2'5"), but am 170 cm tall (5'7"). I had my current bike frame built for me to cope with this. The cannondale's frame geometry has ruled them out as an option when looking closely at the numbers.

My current bike is old, and most of the bits need to be replaced, previously it was just one thing or another but everything seems about to go now. It is looking more and more difficult to get good equipment for a 7 speed rear cluster. I would be loathe to spread the forks because one of the rear stays was bent when somebody tried to steal it. So that is why I find myself looking for a new bike.

I like touring bikes even though nearly all my miles are done commuting, but done in the beautiful cotswold countryside.

The Dawes because of its long wheelbase looks like the best chance of giving me the setup I am looking for. I preferred the specs of the ultra to the super, but the price of the ultra seems a bit much. Though you can currently get a few good deals on the internet.

I was mostly intending to look at the dawes ultra galaxy but the only bike I could test ride was the 49 super galaxy. The 49 cm seems like the right frame size. I have no clearance but neither am I pressing against the top tube. The ride felt good, gear shifting not so good.

What I also found and surprised me was a trek 520. Size 53.5 cm. The bike is heavy, but feels really responsive. Everything worked flawlessly. The ride felt really good. The Geometry is not quite right and the bike shop said that during this coming week they will put a longer stem on and I can take it for a test ride again. I have the same problem with the top tube in the dawes galaxy.

The trek is a lot cheaper than the ultra, and this is obviously because of the heavier frame. The groupset of the trek and the dawes ultra galaxy are pretty much the same in terms of quality.

I would really be interested in thoughts, ideas that any of you might have about the trek 520 in particular.

Kevin

Er, no... I'm not Mr Jarse (and neither is he). Call me what you like, I still want to know what sort of ammonia!
Pete

"the tighter the better" - well few would disagree with that I'm sure CJ nevertheless returning to the point at issue...
Weight may well be a factor as I only use the shimano screws provided with the cleats. However my 2x daily 70m walk over regular surfaces between bike sheds and changing rooms seems to wear the bolt heads down over time and in the process they spread so that as I say the aperture ends up neither being either exactly hexagonal or 4mm.

The direct action approach does work. Yes, to work it you must be prepared to take on the judicary, I can say I've been there on a number of times now. Standing up for myself. And each time the court have ruled in my favour and I've walked free an innocent man. Because that's what I am. The fact is the authorities including police and councils in some areas - not all, I hasten to add, abuse their powers as is the case in Westminster. Here's a council who in the past has 'cleaned' their housing stock by sending their undesirables to live with us in the West Sussex area on the provisio of 'cheap housing and fresh starts.' Of course the real reason is that that West. Council only have to pay their housing benefits for the first 6 months of their 'relocation' and then it becomes, our problem. The cleaner streets - I can name one - Gosfield Street, London became free to be sold off to private developers for quality housing at premium prices. I'm no stranger to Westminster Council and all its tactics. Neither am I a stranger to those police forces who abuse their authority. And every and each occasion they've come for me, I've refused their warnings, cautions etc and had my day in court. And on every occasion I've walked free - having defended myself. My view is that as cyclists we are far too submissive when it comes to the way the law mistreats us. Bikes were on the roads far before the car came into existence and as a group we have sadly surrendered our positions more and more by failing to stand up for ourselves. Those of us who do are berated as some sort of half-wits by the media, which I can accept to a point - they're selling papers - but what I cannot accept is those fellow cylists who adopt a holier than thou view of those us who stand up for ourselves. Direct action works.
Dave

Keepontriking,

First all, I don't need to calm down as I'm not angry.

Neither am I being 'sensitive'.

Merely pointing out that it's none of your business - be you a cycle instructor or not, how long it takes another to teach their child to ride a bike.

Your post infers - either intentionally or otherwise, that there's something wrong with the child who takes longer than an hour to learn.

Personally I would have thought a professional cycle instructor would be more diplomatic.

My point is, how nice it is to see a parent willing to teach their own children the joys of riding a bike, rather than pass their responsiblity onto some such as yourself who labours under an altogether false impression that a child learning to ride a bike must be done within an hour or there's either somehthing wrong with child or parent.

Dave

Incidentally, there was a newspaper report a couple of months ago of a motorist enraged about getting a parking ticket who deliberately rammed a traffic warden twice with the car, breaking her leg. Of course, a car used as a weapon is quite imprecise - there is no saying what the injuries might be. The target of such violence can neither hope to run away from a car nor mount a realistic defence against being run over. The driver's 'mitigation' was provocation.

The courts claim to use heavy punishment to protect solitary (often lonely) uniformed officials from violence when carrying out their duties. IMHO anybody so easily provoked to such violence should be jailed for a substantial period and disqualified from driving forever. The offender in this case received a non-custodial sentence.

In defence of Nick, I think that when he wrote the book that was true, at least to most intents and purposes. The growth of independent hostels in England and Wales has been mainly in the last couple of decades; and even though there probably were a few back then, they weren't organised in any useful sort of way for planning a tour. The statement was certainly true in a comparative sense, since some other countries already had more than one nationwide organisation of youth hostels. So if you were planning a trip on using them you'd be wanting more than one handbook (no interweb back then of course) for those places but not for UK.

But if you want a good reason to go off Nicholas Crane: how about his harangue (on TV) against bicycles on mountains – after making a name for himself through stunts that included riding one on top of Kilimanjaro! Apparently there is something of Saint Augustine about the guy ("Lord make me chaste and continent, but not yet!"), who after two decades of conspicuous air-mile consumption has also joined the Bishop of London in condemnation of flying. I don't say he's wrong, but neither do I gladly take instruction on saintliness from one who's done so well out of sin!

Unforuntely neither on the shops in Charminster allow you to take them more than just round the park but I'll check out the ones in Poole and Parkstone, thank you.