Search found 371 matches

by Mr. Viking
15 Sep 2013, 11:41pm
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Sales claims
Replies: 26
Views: 1646

Re: Sales claims

I would recommend contacting the manufacturers directly, phone or email. They may be cautious about sales claims because they sell a safety product and if somebody gets hurts using it questions will be asked. These are easier to rebuff if no specifics are mentioned.
by Mr. Viking
15 Sep 2013, 11:35pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Are people who attend church above the law?
Replies: 33
Views: 9489

Re: Are people who attend church above the law?

having had a think, churches have a lot of people arriving and leaving the same place at the same time, so you'll notice the crazy drivers, same as the school run but more concentrated as there isn't a church bus (or is there?)
by Mr. Viking
15 Sep 2013, 12:22pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Are people who attend church above the law?
Replies: 33
Views: 9489

Re: Are people who attend church above the law?

Northern Ireland has a very strong car culture and very high church attendance. The most terrifying drivers always seem to be out on a sunday. People often seem to follow their visit to church with going for a drive, during which many are apparently so full of peace and bliss that they aren't paying attention to driving.
by Mr. Viking
15 Sep 2013, 11:56am
Forum: Touring & Expedition
Topic: Hot weather - Black or white clothing?
Replies: 8
Views: 1628

Re: Hot weather - Black or white clothing?

whenever you are sitting still, and there is no wind, black will be warmer. However as you are cycling there is airflow and the amount of heat radiated (which is the only heat transfer linked to colour) will be small in comparison with heat that is conducted away. Never minding the fact that the material used has a greater effect on the radiation of heat than the colour
by Mr. Viking
14 Sep 2013, 11:55pm
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: The self-evident versus the counter-intuitive
Replies: 45
Views: 4731

Re: The self-evident versus the counter-intuitive

Geriatrix wrote:
Benethi wrote:The Monty Hall problem.

I've used it as an example of why not to trust intuition when debating helmets with people!

Like most I got the Monty Hall problem wrong when I was presented with it. I was quite proud to have figured out the solution on my own but its not easy to explain. I failed miserably to convince a chartered engineer. I believe there are some mathematicians that don't get it.

Another good one is Simpson's Paradox. Much easier than the Monty Hall problem by some stretch.

Paul Erdos, the Hungarian who was famous for his algebra was one example. He could have been having one of his jokes, or it could have been a lack of understanding. His maths outside of his preferred field was not great
by Mr. Viking
14 Sep 2013, 12:08pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Boy In The Bubble; Obree's Beastie Fairing
Replies: 69
Views: 8881

Re: Boy In The Bubble; Obree's Beastie Fairing

Brucey wrote:it says that they are now pretty sure that the aerodynamic shape of the beastie is going to limit the top speed. I think that the design is good from the standpoint of frontal area, but is likely to be poor in terms of form drag, in part because it is comparatively blunt at the back end; a big aero-no-no. This is especially likely to cause trouble in even slight crosswinds.

Still, a record is better than none; I just hope that he hasn't shot his bolt on this one, and that he does get the chance to refine the design yet.

cheers

I think I'm right in saying that frontal area is more important than form when it comes to aerodynamics

when they say aerodynamics are the limiting factor, they are not inferring that their aerodynamics aren't good enough, they are reiterating the chief idea behind their design: Aerodynamic drag will be the limiting factor on maximum speed, so it must be minimized, even if that means reduced mechanical or physiological efficiency
by Mr. Viking
13 Sep 2013, 7:35pm
Forum: Lands End to John O'Groats
Topic: Route Across Glasgow?
Replies: 14
Views: 30539

Re: Route Across Glasgow?

Merlin78 wrote:All done thanks folks! Eventually found the Route 75/Route 7 on the northern side of the river and took it all the way to Balloch and Alexandria. Great surface once on the resurfaced old railway track although some dodgy areas and folks wandering around on it despite the atrocious weather of driving rain and low cloud.

Campsite in Alexandria was full as was the one in Luss so we ended pushing on a further 25 miles to Ardlui which made today a little easier to Glencoe MRT centre (a mere 43 miles, a rest day).

Thanks for all the suggestions and help.

glad you made it. I was going to weigh in, but my sense of direction is atrocious, and my way with words even more so. Is that surface generally considered good? It's my only experience of an NCN route and while most of it is as good as a good road, there are quite a few lumpy patches where tree roots come through
by Mr. Viking
11 Sep 2013, 2:06pm
Forum: Fun & Games
Topic: Three Word Story Game (again)
Replies: 8855
Views: 433079

Re: Three Word Story Game (again)

Overlooked words echoed around the workshop "The Queen's peach!" shouted King George, ignoring elementary elocution app. recently downloaded. "That odious Wallis, what on earth did bouncing bombs inside her dress do to our b-b-besotted b-b-b-brother, Edward?" A muffled titter clomped through the corridors of power. "Titter ye not lest ye be caught tittering when Mrs Simpson drops one of her aitches in 'Arrogate." Wi't dull thud. "Ayup, lass, 'appen tha's 'aitch'll bin swallered 'ole wi mud on't road." "Mud? 'Tweren't no-------

Yorkshire gurgled and produced a pudding of immense size, bigger than Boycott's shiny leather wacker at Silly Mid-off. "******", said Freddie, true man to true woman and bowled a bouncer at Harvey Smith whose horse jumped backwards through several two-fingered gestures. Thus did Yorkshire capitulate to Lancashire and the pudding club pregnancy but Richard the Third Man won a car park in Monopoly and charged his dynamo lights by making use of
by Mr. Viking
11 Sep 2013, 11:42am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Any idea what this is????
Replies: 13
Views: 2118

Re: Any idea what this is????

thirdcrank wrote:How common are track ends with mudguard eyes?

I don't know, but I ride a 2010 Dawes Graduate which has them
by Mr. Viking
9 Sep 2013, 10:46am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Double brakes. How daft?
Replies: 50
Views: 6817

Re: Double brakes. How daft?

would twin discs be an option, as have been used on motorcycles for a number of years?

Wouldn't solve the problem of a brake failing, if it was to do with cable/hydraulic problems, but it would it it was an issue with the disk itself, or the pads.

Or a disk and a drum on the same wheel.

You can have independent cables coming from one lever, which would provide a degree of redundancy. I had a quick look and SJS cycles sell one
by Mr. Viking
8 Sep 2013, 10:53pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cadence - how do you measure?
Replies: 107
Views: 8362

Re: Cadence - how do you measure?

cozumel wrote:
Mick F wrote:Cadence RPM = Speed in MPH X 336 divided by gear ratio in inches
What constant does the "336" denote please :?:

the constant is for converting between inches and miles, and hours and minutes. Because gear inches give the theoretical scaled diameter of the driven wheel, multiply 336 by pi to give 1056. Multiply this by 60, to go from minutes to hours, and you get 63360, the number of inches in a mile. It effectively scales the number to account for measurement in minutes^-1, removing the distance part of the measurement
by Mr. Viking
6 Sep 2013, 5:20pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Voodoo badger shootings
Replies: 54
Views: 26436

Re: Voodoo badger shootings

Mick F wrote:Why don't they vaccinate the cows?
Humans get vaccinated, so why not other mammals?

According to supporters of the cull, vaccination will take too long/is too expensive/isn't ready yet. There is a badger vaccine but apparently it is better to kill and scatter them rather than catch and vaccinate them. I believe there is a cattle vaccine in testing, but isn't ready yet.
by Mr. Viking
6 Sep 2013, 4:31pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Voodoo badger shootings
Replies: 54
Views: 26436

Re: Voodoo badger shootings

I reckon that keeping cows in close quarters with other cows, while regularly introducing new members to the population, along with the continued prodding by people from all over the country, many of whom spend periods with other populations of cattle could be a factor in the increased rate of tuberculosis.

Anyway, the cattle gave the badgers TB first, so it seems unfair that the badgers are shot by us, for contracting TB which came from animals kept by us, in conditions ideal for the spread of disease.
by Mr. Viking
6 Sep 2013, 4:22pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Depressing prosperity
Replies: 39
Views: 8295

Re: Depressing prosperity

There are some disastrous predictions here based solely on a small increase in house prices and an increase in new car registrations, both of which are still below pre-recession levels. There is not going to be another recession until the debt cycle works its way around again. And, as with this time, it will not be the end of the world for most people.

What we will see though, is an increase in the cost of consumables as the children of low paid factory workers in the far east grow up, use their education and bolster the growing middle classes in these countries. This will lead to a rise in the cost of consumer goods. This will not be a disaster though, as it could mean production shifts back to the UK, because of the cost of transport and barriers to entry on the EU making our own businesses artificially competitive. Unless of course those "crafty foreigners" (most likely on the behest of our own businesses) move to the largely untapped cheap labour in Africa, which could be the new destination for consumer goods factories. However, it will not be the end of the world.

Those people who consume more than they afford do not get lasting happiness from it. But why should they not learn that lesson for themselves, rather than being preached to? Are they really affecting the rest of us?

Surely the effect that they have is to drive up the price of consumer goods that us wise folks presumably don't want anyway
by Mr. Viking
6 Sep 2013, 10:33am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Depressing prosperity
Replies: 39
Views: 8295

Re: Depressing prosperity

mrjemm wrote:Ian and Mr V, I've just coined a new word... Anthrocentrism. OK, it's probably been used many times, but do you not see that we are not all that matters?

That is a very pressing issue that I've always thought about, and is an often overlooked problem in economics, which seems continually to be a slave to financial services.