Search found 354 matches

by Mattyfez
2 Jul 2017, 5:52pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Dramatic bicycle and car crash .. but who had priority?
Replies: 182
Views: 9666

Re: Dramatic bicycle and car crash .. but who had priority?

I can only conclude the cyclist was to blame, the cycle path appears to end and then begin again at the other side of the junction, and also the cyclist appears to be going very fast with no attempt to slow down.

To look at it from another perspective, what could the car driver have reasonably done to prevent the accident?

I think very little if anything, they appeared to be rolling up to the junction at a sensible slow speed and I can't see they had any influence or control over what happened, therefore can't have any blame, they may have even seen the cyclist but given the cycles apprent speed, and taking into account reaction time for the driver..

The cyclist knew they were about to cross a road and should have slowed accordingly if they had limited visibility.

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by Mattyfez
29 Jun 2017, 9:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Preventing seat post Seizing?
Replies: 20
Views: 1465

Re: Preventing seat post Seizing?

Yeh I think the trick is to grease it in the first instance if it's dry. Then you probably don't need to worry about it at all really apart from checking it's not dry on the odd occasion you feel like it or are adjusting it, in which case it won't hurt to clean it up and put a fresh film on if nessesary.

For example i bought a new boxed bike recently, and there was no lube provided, so a small amount smeared over the portion of tube that's inserted into the frame, should be good for ages. I just used standard bike grease, as it was to hand at the time.

I find it slightly weird that according to the poll, 5% do it every time they wash thier bike.. There's really no need.
by Mattyfez
23 Jun 2017, 7:40pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Preventing seat post Seizing?
Replies: 20
Views: 1465

Re: Preventing seat post Seizing?

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
There maybe a best grease then what material?
Like the old adage some oil is better than no oil :)

Conditions / protection will mean frequency of inspection.


I suppose you could use something like mobil XHP 222, but it's probably over kill as it's not really a moving part or under much stress, the purpose is purely to stop it getting stuck in, so pretty much any general purpose grease will be fine.
by Mattyfez
21 Jun 2017, 5:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Preventing seat post Seizing?
Replies: 20
Views: 1465

Re: Preventing seat post Seizing?

Spinners wrote:What grease should I use on aluminium seatpin in an aluminium frame?


I just use regular bike grease/bearing grease.
I usualy have reason to remove the seat tube for one reason or other about once a year, usualy saddle height adjustment so I check/grease it then.
by Mattyfez
13 Jun 2017, 5:42pm
Forum: Helmets & helmet discussion
Topic: Close call on camera
Replies: 2
Views: 857

Re: Close call on camera

If it's a mountain bike center, they are graded a bit like ski slopes, green and blue for beginners/leisure riders, red for the more adventurous and black for the real rough stuff.

Most obsticles like that also have diversions so you can ride around them if you don't fancy your chances.

For example http://www.gisburnbiketrails.com/trail-info but yes it's generally advisable to do a slow lap on any unfamiliar trail so you know what to expect.
by Mattyfez
26 May 2017, 8:22pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Damage to chainring
Replies: 14
Views: 4770

Re: Damage to chainring

It's odd, I've seen mountain bike ones bent before, from hitting inconveniently placed rocks but that looks like it's snapped off, which is odd as there's not much lateral force on a ring..
by Mattyfez
5 May 2017, 11:35pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Had an accident - what now?
Replies: 21
Views: 1765

Re: Had an accident - what now?

I'd think it's reasonable to get a new equivalent bike, helmet and clothing that would all be basically a write off. By the sounds of it.

As for the medical side of it, as they said above, monitor your situation carefully over the next few weeks, you may have pulled some muscles etc.
by Mattyfez
5 May 2017, 8:54pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Does anyone know why helmets vary in price so much?
Replies: 54
Views: 20488

Re: Does anyone know why helmets vary in price so much?

Interestingly my mrs bought a helmet the other day, we went to Evans (I'm not much of a helmet wearer but she wanted one, fair enough). So I said we need to go and actually try some on as it's not something you can buy blind imo.

We tried on all the helmets they had on display, from £20 up to about £90, maybe more, I don't recall., and only one she said felt right and didn't look really bulbous was a £22 garneau. So she bought that.


With regards to safety standards, that's tricky, a helmet could go above and beyond standard 'x' and cost more as a result, or it could just be the same standard but cost more and have a fancy label on it with the appropriate marketing blurb.. The average consumer is going to have a tough time with that decision.

On the subject of glasses, they do make a difference on summer evenings, I have to wear specs anyway, and I have noted they offer a lot of protection from bugs in the eyes! I do get the odd midge in my eye, but they stave off the larger flying bugs, a bumble bee in the eye I would imagine to be very dangerous with a high potential of panic and falling off!
by Mattyfez
26 Apr 2017, 9:27pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Tyres for 50/50 road & woodland trails
Replies: 22
Views: 1681

Re: Cycle Tyres for 50/50 road & woodland trails

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Its quite comical to see full blown MTB's going along cycle paths, MTB's now with 29 ers are still in fashion for the bike to have, but slow for all but downhill racing :)

29ers are better suited to the flat, more cross country riding, as they roll better.. a lot of dh racers are still using 26 inch as they are more agile.

The current trend in mtb is 650b or 27.5 inch which is slap bang in the middle. Or 650b+ with boost hubs.. Wider rims and wider hubs.

Bike industry has to keep selling new bikes to punters so they keep changing standards,
by Mattyfez
26 Apr 2017, 9:18pm
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: Cycle Tyres for 50/50 road & woodland trails
Replies: 22
Views: 1681

Re: Cycle Tyres for 50/50 road & woodland trails

Schwalbe racing ralphs are good, small knobs and fast rolling as mountain bike tyres go. Very light as well.

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by Mattyfez
26 Apr 2017, 7:48pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Stockpiling components for the future – which strategies make sense?
Replies: 99
Views: 4507

Re: Stockpiling components for the future – which strategies make sense?

mig wrote:re. stockpiling tyres. do they have an official 'best before' or 'eat by' date?


A lot will depend on storage conditions, rubber will degrade over time but it depends a lot on storage environment and the construction / compound of a particular tyre.

I believe with car tyres they can't be sold if over a certain age. At least not by a business to a consumer anyway.

Tyres on my dads camper van which doesn't get much use perish rapidly in sunny Spain, to the point he bought some 'wheel blankets' to keep the sun off them when the van was stood for any length of time. So i suppose one key thing is keeping them in a dark place.
by Mattyfez
6 Apr 2017, 11:50am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: are there any really bad bikes anymore?
Replies: 41
Views: 3349

Re: are there any really bad bikes anymore?

Not sure how the industry in general can prevent individual companies making and selling lower quality goods, especially if people keep buying them.. If they comply to safety regulations etc, and there's a market for them, they are not really doing anything wrong. Not legally wrong anyway, morraly, maybe!
by Mattyfez
6 Apr 2017, 10:54am
Forum: Does anyone know … ?
Topic: are there any really bad bikes anymore?
Replies: 41
Views: 3349

Re: are there any really bad bikes anymore?

Some people don't seem to understand, if you go really cheap it will rubbish, this is true.
Friends dad who recently retired asked me to find him a commuter type bike, I found something pretty good for about £400, but that was way more than he expected to spend, and he's quite well off.

It's only for riding about on, is the general mindset, so it shouldn't cost more than a hundred quid.. yeh riding about on something cumbersome that you won't enjoy riding..
by Mattyfez
25 Mar 2017, 3:32am
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: KMC Chain on a shimano FC - M780
Replies: 13
Views: 915

Re: KMC Chain on a shimano FC - M780

Was going to say just that, rebranded, made to same price and spec though? Who knows.
by Mattyfez
23 Mar 2017, 10:26pm
Forum: Bikes & Bits – Technical section
Topic: Mountain bike pedals with "pins"
Replies: 19
Views: 1824

Re: Mountain bike pedals with "pins"

Sweep wrote:
Mattyfez wrote:
The downside being is they can make a mess of your shins if your not carefull!


what do they do to your shoes?

they often look a tad aggressive to untutored me.



I normally wear a cheap pair of karrimore shoes or casual scruffy trainers and it's fine with these http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/gear/category/components/pedals/product/superstar-nano-x-flat-pedals-50265/

The smaller pins seem fine, and are very grippy, I've not tried the longer ones.
I wouldn't recommend using them with your Sunday best leather soled brogues though as they would probably rip the sole up pretty quickly.

They are not really designed to be a city commuter type pedal to be fair they are marketed as off road mountain bike pedals.