Cycling UK Forum

In these days, when digital cameras are becoming more realistic in price and everyone can have their own website, I wonder if we could not start a members photographic circle.
Those of us who have gone into this in depth could advise others on how to go on and what equipment to buy. Lets have your thoughts on this.

The pro-compulsion lobby know that helmets will reduce cycling. No exercise as kids (look at the graphs on the CTC website) and you've got them for life. Roll on more motorways - how better to promote car use now that the public are actually getting concerned about global warming?
I can see 2 reasons to choose to wear them though. First, it stops you having to explain why you're not wearing them to all the well-meaning folk who've no reason to be aware of the reality, already well-described by Pete. Second, with a helmet on , in a severe accident, you'll probably die quick from a rotational neck injury, rather than survive with brain damage if you weren't wearing one.
Maybe another option is to carry one, and put it on after coming off the bike, before hitting anything with your head. Now, where's that clown mentioned above, to teach me how to do this?

Thank-you CJ for your response. Is there anywhere else that I should look first or shall I just go to Roberts in Croydon. I am based in East Sussex so it is certainly convenient for me to go there.

Don't even try to fit a front rack if your fork isn't properly designed for it. The consequences of a pannier in the front wheel can be immediate and fatal.

However there one special pannier system, the Carradice Limpet (which needs no rack), and one special rack, the Tubus Swing, that will do this job. I recommend the latter since it fixes to the top of the fork so the panniers are suspended. That makes them a bit higher than low-load, but they're still pretty much centred about the steering axis so there's not too much wheel flop effect and anyway you don't want panniers too low off-road else they wedge in ruts.

You don't really want to add your panniers to the unsuspended mass, since that degrades the performance of the suspension and rattles their contents even worse than if you ride the same trail on a bike with no suspension other than its tyres. But there is a line of racks, Old Man Mountain (also sold by Carradice), that does exactly that.

Hi

On the 29th March 05 my companion and i fly out to oz to begin our trip across Oz. If you would like to know more information about us and the trip goto www.boysinthebush.org

We are hoping to raise as much money for Cancer Research Uk and The British Red Cross as possible. If you would like to donate follow the steps on the website.

Thank you for your support
Kris Bearryman

I tried putting grease nipples in to pedals to prolong there life, but modern peddles seem to last a good while without any tampering. Shamano banished lubrication points to the outer edges of the universe a long time ago as they where in great danger of making components last forever, and that would not do.
The big advantage of grease points is that you can remove old lubricant plus contaminants without the danger of introducing new contaminants (a virtually impossible task if you strip the part down, unless you own a steam cleaner, degreasing bath & clean room).
The problem with drilling your own points into the hubs is you have to fill the whole cavity with grease, which can be weighty and cause a slight increase in friction. Where as purposely designed gear would have passages to take the grease straight to point of use. Injecting oil into them would be easier but would need doing more regularly and it would also find its way out causing permanently dirty wheels.

hope this is of intrest

John

Remember where most of the holes are...close to the kerb. be aggressive claim your space .

rp

This was mailed to me today I hope it answers your question;

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the quick response, it is much appreciated. I take it that the bike comes pretty much assembled - just a case of having to turn handlebars and put on my pedals or did you take it to your local LBS and get them to check it out?

I've been looking for a new touring bike for a few months now, and had pretty much decided on a Galaxy as Spa Cycles are doing them for £490, but I wasn't sure about bar end shifters. However, on my last CTC run, one of the girls had a nice shiney new SG and let my try it - sold on it now, and the STI shifters make it much more appealing - guess I'm better spending the money up front than converting a few months down the line

Marc

"Horrendously expensive", compared with what?
Lets have some facts and figures Herrman, comparing other modes of transport, to back up your claim.
"How come anyone does it?", because it is so easily affordable to many, I would think.

I think you want to check that your van-like car is not a car derived from a light van (but that its van brothers&sisters are derived from it):

The daily telegraph motoring section had a letter from someone whose boxy 'car' was derived from a light van (and hence limited to 50 in 60mph limits). They were driving at 57mph in a 60 limit (feeling well behaved) when a speed camera flashed them for exceeding 50mph their 'car' was officically viewed as limited. The motoring section explained this. I wonder how many transit van drivers know this or do they get registered as a large car?

Claire

For £669.99 The Bike Shed are selling the Dawes Super Galaxy, £10 carriage from Exeter to you just turn the bars and put on peddles and your off!
http://www.bikesheduk.com/main/index2.asp

Mines three years old and done in excess of 2000 miles carrying a minimum of 18.5 stones. So in terms of the ability to to carry and last well under extreme loading its a yard stick by which other bikes can be measured. To date it will be the most sold tourer, acknowledging it specification changes throughout the years.

Look at Thorn Cycles from £750 and the Hewitt tourer getting some good coverage from £850 and above.

Good luck

Marc

In reply to your questions Marc, i'm looking to spend upto 700 ish for the bike with racks. I have extra money for panniers and i already have cycling clothing. As for what i want the bike for i plan to do weekend tours and longer holidays where i carry my own tent & cooking equipment. cheers Claire

pwward, your arguments are abstruse; but the fact remains that a person who doesn't own a car (or have access to others) doesn't drive one.

Dont jack it in. I read that motorists are more at risk as the pollutants are greatest at the road centre where they are pulled into the car by their vent systems. Cyclists being at the edge and physically higher were in the best position to avoid the worst. Sitting on a conjested train full of coughing commuters is far more unhealthy than riding your bike

"Mild inconvenience"? I've just seen the Nottingham Supertram and frankly it's lethal! The tracks are laid with complete disregard for cyclists, who are liable find themselves trapped at the approach to any tramstop in a tapering gap between kerb and rail! I can now see why cyclists in some British cities are up in arms.

I am not anti-tram and have happily cycled the tram-tracked streets of many European cities and never encountered anything so terribly dangerous as this. (Well only in Lisbon, where not-so-narrow kerb to rail gaps are rendered equally hazardous by viciously uneven and slippery cobbles!) Cyclists and trams can indeed co-exist with a bit of give and take. Trouble is in Britain, cyclists do all the giving in order to produce the last word in convenience for tram passengers. So you can use a different street. So what if you need to access premises in that street?

I guess the Nottingham railside kerb design is so that people can walk straight on and off the tram without even having to lift their foot up a step. So look on the bright side, as you tumble across the wheel-sucking slot, should your injuries confine you to a wheelchair it will be so easy to use the tram!