Cycling UK Forum

Full TT equipment is TT bike , pointy hat and skinsuit . Most of time gain is just using tribars pointy hat I some no longer pointy these days) and skin suit

Most open TTs have a vets prize , there are handicap tables for those over 40 based on age. Our club Wrekinsport have a cup for roadbikes . Most points over a season , Number of regular club TTs in our area has gone down more than half . Number of riders in open and interclub TTs is similar despite club membership numbers quadrupling. All the stuff about it being just about the bike is rubbish , full TT equipment probably gives 90 secs over 10 miles and most of that can be gained at little cost . Clip on TT bars at say £40 and a second hand tt helmet will give you most of the time gain. Times move on , I bet there used to be people moaning about the new fangled safety bikes being rubbish because you could not see what was coming over the hedge

Booking a ticket and cycle reservation for a single trip on Virgin took me 25 mins through their Indian call centre. Its easier at stations , but you need to look prices up on the internet first to get fairs that are any where near affordable

I cycled back from the Pyrenees through France to Dieppe last year travelling 750 miles. I counted only 2 large tractors , the type that are standard in the UK for which it is unusual for me to do a ride and not encounter 10 in a morning , always with a very large trailer behind

I spent a week in Hull recently , and I have seen the future. It is mobility scooters
You can drive on the road or pavement
Up and down the super market aisles
They dont take up the room of a car
No sweaty effort required and can maintain high speeds even on the pavements

I dont think the future is in doubt

Tractors rarely stop or slow down for anything . They are very important vehicles , providing all our food and to take the foot off the accelerator for a few seconds , would lead to the vital loss of several seconds , endangering our food security

Driving home locally one evening in the dark I had a tailgater, so as I normally do I slowed down , only to be overtaken and the overtaking car was a police car , who stopped and breathalysed me, The breath test showed up as zero , which I was a little perturbed at as I had drunk one pint of been in a pub an hour ago. I almost went back to the pub to complain that perhaps they were watering the beer down

Does anybody have experience of the white car on a blue square background traffic sign . Its on main roads and I believe its automobiles only , yet there are lorries etc on such roads . I have searched the internet and cannot find a definitive description. There were some roads I wished to use cycling back from the Pyrenees with these symbols . In the end I chickened out and did a much longer route . I did find this , but it seems as clear as mud https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/th ... nce.63984/

My main hate in this area is when one car does something like overtake and then a number of cars behind just follow regardless

Many years ago when touring in both UK and continent we would start looking out for accomodation from 4 pm onwards . This was generally good as you could adjust your mileage . do less when weather was bad or you came across interesting things or had a mechamical and other days you could do a greater mileage . In recent times I have prebooked as I feel most such booking is now internet based and prices go up for last minute bookings. I would be interested in others experience. I have not tried something like booking,com at the very last minute

These people are fantstic and great value http://cyclepyrenees.com/ The food you get is amazing . You would have to camp to save any money over them as you get a greta breakfast and evening meal plus food when you return from your ride . Best food I have had, Stunning location

I live in the Telford area , It was built with cycle paths but with a couple of exceptions they are not used, they have underpasses as weel so you do not need to cross busy roads .

Reasons

1) Most are not sign posted you do not know where they are or where they are going
2) They are not maintained last time I used one I got glass through schwalbe marathons
3) Culture while these days there are quite alot of roadies , they are really built for commuters , school kids etc and there is little culture of cycling amongst these groups in my area

No 2 is probably the most important, Councils like building things they do not seem to like maintaining things .

We do a gentle ride on minor lanes each Wednesday and my friend who is paraplegic and rides a recumberant trike hand cycle with battery assist rides with us, we also have a one armed rider. Anyway this week we were gently riding down one of those lanes where cars can just squeeze by each other going in opposite directions. 2 horses with riders come around the corner , One with a man on the other with a woman on. We were not going very fast to start of with but slow down anyway. Our paraplegic friend was on the back . When the horse with the man on gets to the trike, it gets startled and rears up . Out friend in common with most such riders has a small flag at the back to stop lorries etc not seeing him. It was a windy day and this bright fluttering object sets the horse off. The horse rider then proceeds in a one minute shouting rant consisting mainly of the F word blaming our friend for having the flag. I suppose you get idiots in all groups but this takes the biscuit

We have quite a few built in Telford mainly in the 70s that are now effectively abandoned, they are not maintained , full of glass , overgrown and not sign posted so nobody uses them . I lived for years close to one and even as a cyclist did not know about it

I ride every Wednesday with a one armed cyclist and a paraplegic , has both gear changers on the one side of his handlebars and a US made device that was I believe designed for kiddy bikes that puts both brakes on together . I also race with another guy who has virtually to no use of one arm . They seem to manage OK. Close riding can be an issue as in races sudden manoeuvres around the likes of pot holes is tricky .Not too aero in TTs as cant get down as far but I have been overtaken by them

If you need any more details PM me