Your rants here.

Tashman

[*]

vpnikolov wrote:

bdave262000 wrote:

Probably been said before, but having some retina nuking rear light attached to a helmet so it's pointing directly at cyclists behind is not great. Either point them up or down, I don't really get why there is a need for blazingly bright rear lights when cycling in Central London anyway.

As someone who has been driven into from the back, it sounds like a very good idea to have something bright enough to catch the attention. :roll:

The biggest issue in the lights arms race though is the more other lighting there is aout, the brighter you need to shine to stand out. With ultra bright LEDs on modern cars, bikes need to still be seen so get brighter still. I can sympathise with the sentiment of the OP as I find it horrid if ever sitting in traffic when people insist on sitting there for minutes at a time on the footbrake. You'd think they'd be happy to engage the handbrake and relax for a little while!

bunter

Trying not to tell tell my wife (she worries) about the driver who ignored or didn’t see me indicate right, ignored my position towards the right of the lane and went for an overtake while I turned right. He ended up skidding to a stop on the wrong side of the road (dark country lane, we were the only road users in sight). I was so close to being wiped out. Driver decided to shout at me and drive off. I ride with four rear light and my jacket has reflective patches on the arms. Really shaken up. I did at least manage to shout back “I indicated, you prÏck”

awavey

Tashman wrote:

I can sympathise with the sentiment of the OP as I find it horrid if ever sitting in traffic when people insist on sitting there for minutes at a time on the footbrake. You'd think they'd be happy to engage the handbrake and relax for a little while!

I reckon most of those are either driving autos and cant be bothered to move into park, or have those annoying electric handbrake type cars because you never quite trust the damn thing will auto release when you try to pull away, why on earth people thought replacing a simple cable operation with electronics was a good idea...oh hello Di2

drhaggis

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Brake pads every 4 months
• 1 chan every, what, 9-12 months?
• 1 cassette every two chains
• Cables every so often
• Washing the bike...
• ...and then ruining it by commuting via the shared path in Edinburgh
• Loose spokes on my rear Mavic Aksium after ~5000 km (WTF!!!)

Maybe I should really ditch my defy and go for something a lot more dependable.

redvee

DrHaggis wrote:

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Washing the bike...

What's this washing the bike thing you talk of? My bike has a layer of dirt on the frame but the important areas that need to be lubed etc are dealt with.

jgsi

DrHaggis wrote:

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Brake pads every 4 months
• 1 chan every, what, 9-12 months?
• 1 cassette every two chains
• Cables every so often
• Washing the bike...
• ...and then ruining it by commuting via the shared path in Edinburgh
• Loose spokes on my rear Mavic Aksium after ~5000 km (WTF!!!)

Maybe I should really ditch my defy and go for something a lot more dependable.

Compared to the alternative - cheap as chips really.
I have access to a car , but don't 'run' a car.
A lot more money in my pocket to fund my pension planning and buy stuff for the bike.

As for Aksiums, I wasted my money on them in 2007, got rid in 2008 when selling a bike on... they never stayed true even for 20 miles... absolute garbage... I say this as an owner of some excellent high end Mavics by the way - so not anti French!

frogonabike

There's a difference between pension fund planning and buying bike stuff?

drhaggis

redvee wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Washing the bike...

What's this washing the bike thing you talk of? My bike has a layer of dirt on the frame but the important areas that need to be lubed etc are dealt with.

The problem is, in order to put some extra pleasant miles on my commute, I take a 4 mile longcut on a shared path. This would be fine, except that, due to the geography of the path, whenever it rains (in Scotland? Never!) and for the next day or two, there is a thin film of muddy water. On cold winter days, add grit to the mix, since Edinburgh council thankfully grits those shared paths. It is not uncommon to leave to work with a clean, freshly lubed bike and getting there with what seems has been CX-ing for ages. I've already killed the freehub on the stock Defy wheelset.

roger_merriman

DrHaggis wrote:

redvee wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Washing the bike...

What's this washing the bike thing you talk of? My bike has a layer of dirt on the frame but the important areas that need to be lubed etc are dealt with.

The problem is, in order to put some extra pleasant miles on my commute, I take a 4 mile longcut on a shared path. This would be fine, except that, due to the geography of the path, whenever it rains (in Scotland? Never!) and for the next day or two, there is a thin film of muddy water. On cold winter days, add grit to the mix, since Edinburgh council thankfully grits those shared paths. It is not uncommon to leave to work with a clean, freshly lubed bike and getting there with what seems has been CX-ing for ages. I've already killed the freehub on the stock Defy wheelset.

Snap, direct to work is just under 10 miles on busy road, and urban clearway etc, really vile route, so I link up the parks and one of the old forgotten cycleways which makes it just under 12 miles, but with very little traffic to contend with, but some parts can be rather gravely and turn into a grinding paste, I am experimenting with some wax again to see if that holds up.

tgotb

DrHaggis wrote:

[*] Loose spokes on my rear Mavic Aksium after ~5000 km (WTF!!!)[/list]

You managed to get 5000k out of a rear Aksium?!?!?

I ripped mine to bits in about 1000k; loose spokes, rim cracked, the works. Even when it was new, it would distort enough for the tyre to rub on the frame whenever I got out of the saddle. I sold the warranty replacement without letting it get anywhere near a bike...

Gallywomack

bunter wrote:

Trying not to tell tell my wife (she worries) about the driver who ignored or didn’t see me indicate right, ignored my position towards the right of the lane and went for an overtake while I turned right. He ended up skidding to a stop on the wrong side of the road (dark country lane, we were the only road users in sight). I was so close to being wiped out. Driver decided to shout at me and drive off. I ride with four rear light and my jacket has reflective patches on the arms. Really shaken up. I did at least manage to shout back “I indicated, you prÏck”

A tip - 'Signalled' is easier to get out when you're bellowing in rage and fear.

rick_chasey

DrHaggis wrote:

The cost of commuting by bike:

• Brake pads every 4 months
• 1 chan every, what, 9-12 months?
• 1 cassette every two chains
• Cables every so often
• Washing the bike...
• ...and then ruining it by commuting via the shared path in Edinburgh
• Loose spokes on my rear Mavic Aksium after ~5000 km (WTF!!!)

Maybe I should really ditch my defy and go for something a lot more dependable.

Brake pads every 4 months?

Sheesh. I could get a whole year of London commuting outa mine.

Also, going SS saves a lot on cassettes etc. Presumably save even more going fixie

itboffin

TGOTB wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

[*] Loose spokes on my rear Mavic Aksium after ~5000 km (WTF!!!)[/list]

You managed to get 5000k out of a rear Aksium?!?!?

I ripped mine to bits in about 1000k; loose spokes, rim cracked, the works. Even when it was new, it would distort enough for the tyre to rub on the frame whenever I got out of the saddle. I sold the warranty replacement without letting it get anywhere near a bike...

Why is that unusual? i've got a set on my old commuter now turbo that have been on since 2009 maybe even 2008 and have done ten of thousands of all weather miles including commuting, sportives, in all that time i've broken one spoke and hard them trued twice, bearings replaced once.

Dont get me wrong they're heavy slow wheels but pretty bomb proof IMO maybe the earlier ones are more robust.

redvee

Broke my Contour glasses last night just as I was about to leave work. Got home and fired up the PC only to see it bluescreen and eventually got it sorted with a spare SSD. Going to work and spot a cyclist pushing his bike and see the flat rear tyre so do the decent thing and lend him my pump and give him a spare tube as I had 5 in total with me. As I'm riding away from him I get a visit myself less than a minute later.

pangolin

redvee wrote:

Broke my Contour glasses last night just as I was about to leave work. Got home and fired up the PC only to see it bluescreen and eventually got it sorted with a spare SSD. Going to work and spot a cyclist pushing his bike and see the flat rear tyre so do the decent thing and lend him my pump and give him a spare tube as I had 5 in total with me. As I'm riding away from him I get a visit myself less than a minute later.

You're Bristol based right? I hadn't had a visit in a while and decided to head home via Portway on Friday for a change. Got a puncture on the rear, fixed it. Got a puncture on the front just as I arrived home! Bad night for it.

wolfsbane2k

Torn my QL, and the rest of my back has fired up in sympathy.

redvee

pangolin wrote:

You're Bristol based right? I hadn't had a visit in a while and decided to head home via Portway on Friday for a change. Got a puncture on the rear, fixed it. Got a puncture on the front just as I arrived home! Bad night for it.

I do the SUP on the way to work out of Bristol and the bus lane on the way home as there is myself and a few taxis using it after 10pm, no buses Looking at the state of the rear tyre I was shocked at how badly it was cut up at less than 2000 miles and thought about putting a new one on but will wait for the next visit first.

bdave262000

vpnikolov wrote:

bdave262000 wrote:

Probably been said before, but having some retina nuking rear light attached to a helmet so it's pointing directly at cyclists behind is not great. Either point them up or down, I don't really get why there is a need for blazingly bright rear lights when cycling in Central London anyway.

As someone who has been driven into from the back, it sounds like a very good idea to have something bright enough to catch the attention. :roll:

But not great when you are cycling along and someone keeps plonking themselves in front of you at every set of lights with some blinding pulsing light attached to their helmet pointing straight in your face. Pointing it slightly up or down helps.

tgotb

bdave262000 wrote:

But not great when you are cycling along and someone keeps plonking themselves in front of you at every set of lights with some blinding pulsing light attached to their helmet pointing straight in your face. Pointing it slightly up or down helps.

Or attaching it to your bike, so it doesn't wave around and lase everyone's retinas while you're ogling the girls (or guys, if you prefer) crossing the road...

rick_chasey

Am in the final week of working my notice.

Have completed anything I could possibly do.

Must sit here at my desk for the whole of today and come in tomorrow because the IT person is only in on Monday and Thursday.

They won’t send me home today. So petty.

slowbike

Rick Chasey wrote:

Am in the final week of working my notice.

Have completed anything I could possibly do.

Must sit here at my desk for the whole of today and come in tomorrow because the IT person is only in on Monday and Thursday.

They won’t send me home today. So petty.

Just shout some expletives at the boss - they'll soon escort you off the premises ...

Or .... wander around chatting to everyone ... you might get asked if you've got anything better to do ...

kingstongraham

Rick Chasey wrote:

Am in the final week of working my notice.

Have completed anything I could possibly do.

Must sit here at my desk for the whole of today and come in tomorrow because the IT person is only in on Monday and Thursday.

They won’t send me home today. So petty.

I assume you already literally have your feet on the desk. Try and get some sleep or something.

wolfsbane2k

New bike dropped the FD yesterday - braze through bolt just let go mid shift.
That's the paintwork completely trashed then.... and at 1 am when I finally got home I was too tired to get it all aligned, and actually made a worse mess of the paint on the braze on.

Therefore taxi'd it in today, first time I've ever done that, and not something I wish to repeat. Hopefully will get it all re-aligned properly tonight.

While I was trying it out, I just couldn't get enough tension in the cable to get it to align with shifting, which isn't something I've had an issue with before - not sure if something's broken elsewhere as well.

whatleytom

KingstonGraham wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Am in the final week of working my notice.

Have completed anything I could possibly do.

Must sit here at my desk for the whole of today and come in tomorrow because the IT person is only in on Monday and Thursday.

They won’t send me home today. So petty.

I assume you already literally have your feet on the desk. Try and get some sleep or something.

Still got six weeks left of mine, mind numbingly boring. Came in today for a meeting that got cancelled 5 mins before the start time. Wfh the rest of the week at least.

keef66

Rick Chasey wrote:

Am in the final week of working my notice.

Have completed anything I could possibly do.

Must sit here at my desk for the whole of today and come in tomorrow because the IT person is only in on Monday and Thursday.

They won’t send me home today. So petty.

Keep racing to the gents clutching your stomach. Splash water on your face but don't dry it. They might send you home then?

redvee

Had a work colleague try the pinch point pass thing tonight as we made our way home tonight, think my slight move to the right made the decision for him. The gap wasn't big enough to start with and that discouraged him further. Guess what we'll be talking about tomorrow?

xbnm

Looked clear in the street as i left home but turned the corner and ooohh patches of black ice should probably of gone back for the ice tires but stayed on the more likely gritted roads and made it to work fine. Two weeks around xmas we had a layer of grit on the roads they were so dry and not icy the one days its actually needed not a sign of the stuff.

rick_chasey

Was told they’d do the IT stuff this morning.

Apparently now it’ll happen after lunch.

Really glad I schlepped in on the early train.

DrLex

^ for days like that, I have a number of books in .docx format (thank $DEITY for Calibre). Also an archive room with comfy chair.

bdave262000

Had a close pass from a driver on the Merton Road this morning then saw he was texting on his phone. Told him to put his phone down, he then proceeded to drive along side me whilst I was in the bus lane, shouting out his window and steering his car at me. Eventually he pulled in front of me and slammed on the brakes which I was anticipating, so cycled outside him whilst he got stuck in traffic.