Your rants here.

drhaggis

Dinyull wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

Manufacturers selling their entry-level sub £1000 bikes with 52-36 in the front and 11-28 in the back. In hilly regions. What's the point? You need an FTP > 250 W, or a really low cadence, for this gearing to make any sense. Totally not that entry level in my book.

Any examples?

I didn't think they did a Sora chainset with 52-36.

From what I've been checking, the Vitus Razor VRX that's been heavily discounted in CRC and Decathlon's Triban 540 (the first with a double) both fit the bill. The previous Allez, too (but Spesh have seen the light).

Surprisingly, the Decathlon Tribans with disc brakes all have a compact. Could this be a cost-saving measure?

dinyull

They might be cheap bikes, but Tiagra and 105 aren't really entry level.

But yes, 52-36 has become a thing recently, in that almost all bikes come with.

hopkinb

Dinyull wrote:

They might be cheap bikes, but Tiagra and 105 aren't really entry level.

But yes, 52-36 has become a thing recently, in that almost all bikes come with.

I have 50/34 chainrings, 11-28 on the back. The 28, 25 and 11,12 cogs are very shiny and clean. I spose if I lived somewhere hilly then the bigger cogs would get used a lot more for climbing.

50/13 at 110 rpm is 54 kph, which it seems about where I top out on the flat, and 50/15 at 100 rpm is 42 kph, which is a nice straight chain line, and plenty quick enough for me.

If you have a naturally low cadence or put out more power than me, then you might want a 52 or 53 big ring, but I don't feel limited by my compact, especially seeing as once I get to 60 kph on a descent I sh*t myself and stop pedalling.

magictrumpet

People insisting on indicating with their arms if they're going left or right on the southbound Vauxhall cycle crossing (opposite Vauxhall tavern)...

Most of them are on the wrong side as they indicate, then wobble wobble wobble over because they can't cycle one handed, generally crossing right in front of me, wobble wobble, before setting off on their chosen path...

Given it's basically two by two there, why don't the twunks get on the left or right side if they are planning on going left or or right and dispense with the pathetic wobble wobble hand indicating?!?! Does my head in!

wolfsbane2k

Apparently, the Aldi Fly6 knockoff has only got a max capacity of 32GB cards.
Found that out the expensive, wasted way, of buying a128GB card, and spending an hour formatting it, and then another hour trying to get it to work.

HamishD

hopkinb wrote:

I don't feel limited by my compact, especially seeing as once I get to 60 kph on a descent I sh*t myself and stop pedalling.

This is me. 50/11 is really quite a tall gear...

cruff

Got 53/39 11x25 on the race bike, but that's for flat road races and crits - and I never use the 11 or 12 in a sprint. Gives you a bigger gear downhill, but only ever use it right at the top as a kick for about three seconds before freewheeling, or to turn my legs over if the descent shallows out. Absolutely pointless for the majority of riding and the majority of riders

The semi compact - I can see more value in that. 52x11 is similar to 53x13, and I often find myself in that in a sprint or to keep my legs going round on a descent that isn't steep enough to tuck on. Again though, if you don't race, or do chainys or fast paced group rides, there's not much benefit to most people. Marketing innit.

rick_chasey

Spates of unexplained train cancellations that coincide with days whern England are playing in the world cup.

keef66

condorman wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

condorman wrote:

And that's my other current peeve. Why reverse onto a busy main road when you have enough room to turn around an artic in your off-street parking?

Mine too. We live on a hill with a 40 mph limit, which means the kn0bhead in his BMW / Audi / Porsche / Corsa is generally doing 60. Our next door neighbour always drove in / reversed out, despite having a weed-infested parking area the size of Belgium. Until, that is, the truck delivering our new kitchen was inching backwards down the hill just as she was reversing out to collect the kids from school.

BANG! Her rear windscreen exploded. I ran into the house cackling to tell my wife, while an unholy row ensued outside. I think the highway code was mentioned.

She always reverses in now...

timothyw

Cruff wrote:

52x11 is similar to 53x13

No it isn't.

52x11 is similar to 53x11.

90rpm in 52x11 is 33.5 mph, 53x11 is 34.1mph.

53x13 at 90rpm is 28.9mph.

http://www.bikecalc.com/gear_speed

drhaggis

Regarding gearing, I was browsing the CAAD12's to make my wallet nervous when I noticed the following:

• CAAD12 Tiagra, 52-36
• CAAD12 105, 52-36
• CAAD12 Ultegra, 50-34
• CAAD12 Disc Ultegra, 52-36 (50-34 CE), whatever that means.

WTF!

EDIT: And, for some reason, CAAD Optimos were only offered for a year in the UK, but seem to be on sale far far away (continental Europe).

shirley_basso

keef66 wrote:

condorman wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

condorman wrote:

And that's my other current peeve. Why reverse onto a busy main road when you have enough room to turn around an artic in your off-street parking?

Mine too. We live on a hill with a 40 mph limit, which means the kn0bhead in his BMW / Audi / Porsche / Corsa is generally doing 60. Our next door neighbour always drove in / reversed out, despite having a weed-infested parking area the size of Belgium. Until, that is, the truck delivering our new kitchen was inching backwards down the hill just as she was reversing out to collect the kids from school.

BANG! Her rear windscreen exploded. I ran into the house cackling to tell my wife, while an unholy row ensued outside. I think the highway code was mentioned.

She always reverses in now...

You are ALWAYS supposed to reverse into a driveway for this EXACT reason. What if the little screamers had been in the back at the time on the way TO school?

N0bodyOfTheGoat

I wish my kitchen doorframe would look where it's going, smashed into my right little toe good and proper a while ago, still stinging now! :roll:

wolfsbane2k

Descending at 50kph I changed a gear on the rear, only for the chain to throw itself off the front derailleur and around my crank arm.
Made a giant mess, and bent the chain.

Definitely time to replace the chainring/crankset

xbnm

Durham police again

Being about as unhelpful and negative as they can. Run off the road by maniac in a hire van. Instead of we will do our best to find the driver but its sometimes hard. I get its a hire van to a MR ...... its probably being used a delivery van for.... its probably been driven by a Romanian. Identifying the driver will be hard.

Never mind the said hire company needs a valid driving license and two forms of ID for the hirer and each named driver.

Issue the notice of indented prosecution and the matter will resolve itself. I'm sick of excuses for why it might be hard get on and deal with it.

timothyw

To be fair, half their staff are probably sleeping on camp beds in a sports hall tonight babysitting that prick Trump.

I bet they'd love to give him a good kicking, same as the rest of us.

awavey

this... :shock:
https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/som ... ar-1773856

wolfsbane2k

Android & the garmin connect apps to pair a device... just wasted 2 hours trying to get it working, when i wanted to be fixing the bike.

elbowloh

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Android & the garmin connect apps to pair a device... just wasted 2 hours trying to get it working, when i wanted to be fixing the bike.

I have a Forerunner 35, connected to an Android phone with Garmin Connect. Worked perfectly for 6 months or so, but now although it is paired it won't sync any data. It goes through the process, but no data and no error messages. To get the data across I have to disconnect the device and re-pair it with the phone again...e v e r y t i m e

wolfsbane2k

elbowloh wrote:

Wolfsbane2k wrote:

Android & the garmin connect apps to pair a device... just wasted 2 hours trying to get it working, when i wanted to be fixing the bike.

I have a Forerunner 35, connected to an Android phone with Garmin Connect. Worked perfectly for 6 months or so, but now although it is paired it won't sync any data. It goes through the process, but no data and no error messages. To get the data across I have to disconnect the device and re-pair it with the phone again...e v e r y t i m e

Hmm. Perhaps I should have wahoo'd.
The gps unit happily talks to the internet, but the app refuses to accept it's connected, so no live segments etc.

xbnm

XBNM wrote:

Durham police again

Being about as unhelpful and negative as they can. Run off the road by maniac in a hire van. Instead of we will do our best to find the driver but its sometimes hard. I get its a hire van to a MR ...... its probably being used a delivery van for.... its probably been driven by a Romanian. Identifying the driver will be hard.

Never mind the said hire company needs a valid driving license and two forms of ID for the hirer and each named driver.

Issue the notice of indented prosecution and the matter will resolve itself. I'm sick of excuses for why it might be hard get on and deal with it.

s172 notice issued :shock:

timothyw

Main rant from yesterdays ride....

..the number of absolute fuck-nugget drivers who feel compelled to toot at you or shout you should be single file despite there being no one else around for miles and there being ample room for them to overtake (or them not even going the same direction as you...)

Tosser of the day though has to be the gent who, having had to overtake us (when we weren't even riding two abreast but single file) decides to come to a halt in front of us to incoherently rant at us for being in the way, then expresses regret that he didn't hit us with his car.

Mini rant for the numerous cyclists who passed us at the roadside after my spectacular tubeless failure, not one of whom asked 'you OK?'

We were OK, but common courtesy really would not go amiss....

drhaggis

Circular red tape, which gets a million times worse when yours is an edge case.

mattsaw

Absolute chopper, dressed in kit and on a bike that let me to believe that he absolutely should have known better.

I was merging from the bus lane into traffic heading north onto Hammersmith Bridge. I'm shoulder checking right to watch for cars. He come flying up the inside left at speed between myself and the kerb.

There was literally less than two feet of space closing fast as I moved across. He actually managed to clip my shoulder as he squeezed through.

It's pretty shocking when you're not expecting it. I'm also nursing a recovering broken arm so I was definitely more sensitive than usual to that kind of bullshit.

I'm not proud but being faster and the traffic on the bridge meant I was then able to offer an expletive laden critique of his riding all the way into Hammersmith.

vpnikolov

Mattsaw wrote:

I'm not proud but being faster and the traffic on the bridge meant I was then able to offer an expletive laden critique of his riding all the way into Hammersmith.

What was the reaction?

mattsaw

vpnikolov wrote:

Mattsaw wrote:

I'm not proud but being faster and the traffic on the bridge meant I was then able to offer an expletive laden critique of his riding all the way into Hammersmith.

What was the reaction?

He pretended that I wasn't there to start with.

Then he said it was my fault for not looking.

I pointed out that I was looking. Only on the side that he was supposed to pass on.

Then he went on the pavement and that set me off all over again. :oops:

veronese68

Mattsaw wrote:

vpnikolov wrote:

Mattsaw wrote:

I'm not proud but being faster and the traffic on the bridge meant I was then able to offer an expletive laden critique of his riding all the way into Hammersmith.

What was the reaction?

He pretended that I wasn't there to start with.
Then he said it was my fault for not looking.
I pointed out that I was looking. Only on the side that he was supposed to pass on.
Then he went on the pavement and that set me off all over again. :oops:

Did you tell him it’s best to make sure he’s faster than people he passes like a cnut? Belittling twats doesn’t really help but it does make me chuckle.

rower63

Mattsaw wrote:

vpnikolov wrote:

Mattsaw wrote:

I'm not proud but being faster and the traffic on the bridge meant I was then able to offer an expletive laden critique of his riding all the way into Hammersmith.

What was the reaction?

He pretended that I wasn't there to start with.

Then he said it was my fault for not looking.

I pointed out that I was looking. Only on the side that he was supposed to pass on.

Then he went on the pavement and that set me off all over again. :oops:

Yes the average standard of riding this morning seemed to set a new low

kingstonian

I swear that this morning I must have mistakenly wandered into a Cockwomble Cycling Event on the commute. Absolute bellends everywhere. The best example was two women riding at prob 10 miles an hour side-by-side on the CS by Millbank Tower. Yeah, don't worry about us, we'll just go round you into the traffic because you two can't possibly wait to finish your imbecilic chat about Love Island.....

wolfsbane2k

Kingstonian wrote:

I swear that this morning I must have mistakenly wandered into a Cockwomble Cycling Event on the commute. Absolute bellends everywhere. The best example was two women riding at prob 10 miles an hour side-by-side on the CS by Millbank Tower. Yeah, don't worry about us, we'll just go round you into the traffic because you two can't possibly wait to finish your imbecilic chat about Love Island.....

<pedestal>
Understand that this is a rant thread, but that's exactly the same attitude that many drivers have when faced with a cyclist "in the way" and preventing them from going faster, and results in close passes etc.

We need to accept and encourage these people, they are the types that good cycle lanes are "for", and the more of them wanting to, or actually riding a bike on the good lanes, the more good lanes will be made. Would you prefer them to be side by side in a car having the same chat?

</pedestal>
Love island? shudder. :!: