Your rants here.

slowbike

elbowloh wrote:

On another note, looking back through the thread and looking at my sig.

I haven't bought a bike since 2014!

That's 5 years ago.

I mean wtf?

Yes - that's normal - I haven't bought a new bike in over 5 years - although I did get a s/h frame and build components up just over 4 years ago - my rides have stayed the same since.
I have been buying new or s/h bikes though.
4 bikes for Little Slowbike
1 frame and 2 bikes for Mrs Slowbike ...

Looks like I'm due a new bike (although I'd like one, Id rather keep Little Slowbike setup properly ... )

redvee

Had a close encounter with the tarmac on the way into work this afternoon. Traffic was queued back furtehr than usual so I decided to use the dropped kerb before the one I usually use to get onto the SUP but this one was 1" higher so my front tyre didn't ride up over it and I got thrown off onto my left hand side with resulting gravel rash. I felt my helmet hit the pavement but not too hard which dislodged the Exposure light on top which luckily I spotted. I picked myself up and got into work and cleaned up my wounds and examined my helmet which was cracked in two places so a new one is needed now but worst of all is I trashed my vintage Greg Lemond era Z jersey. Visited A&E tonight and I've pulled some muscles near my ribs which is why I only managed an hour in the warehouse today and told them I'll be back in on Monday.

drhaggis

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

I want to get Tiny Haggis a bike for his 4th birthday. He rides a very old 14" islabike when he's w/ me, so I'd thought about sizing up. The thing is, with a 43 cm inseam, he's already had almost half the use of a 14" bike, but is too small to ride some of the "cheaper" 16" bikes (apparently Vitus 16 is at least 50cm to the floor). I'd like to have him try the new "light" Alu decathlon ones, but there is currently none in stock in Scotland.

How much would it cost me to ship the islabike overseas?

awavey

nearly got t-boned by a white van who did one of those arrives at a junction and just carrys on in one move pull outs, and only at the last second sees me as Im yanking on the brakes and we both managed to not hit each other just in time.

I would have said fortunately I was actually near the center line of the road so we had more space than normal to have our near miss, except the reason I was out there in the first place, was because another white van from the same delivery company was parked on the corner of the junction & blocking a cycle lane, because they were too flippin lazy to use the car park for the Greggs theyd clearly gone to get their fat breakfast sausage rolls from.!!!

j_mcd

F**kin Road Resurfacing

They've decided to "resurface" Ripley Road from East Clandon all the way out to Hungry Hill Lane with the "pour down some tar, add some gravel, forget it" approach. Turned a really nice bit of the commute into a gravel/cx ride.

Real shame as there was some lovely smooth tarmac down there and it's normally a 25-28mph blast.

slowbike

DrHaggis wrote:

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

Hence we moved Little Slowbike onto a Beinn20 small before he's really big enough - he can ride a good couple of miles solo and with the gears, is quite happy to go "off roading" ...

drhaggis

Slowbike wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

Hence we moved Little Slowbike onto a Beinn20 small before he's really big enough - he can ride a good couple of miles solo and with the gears, is quite happy to go "off roading" ...

Did you jump him from 14" to 20" straight away? That'd be encouraging!

chris_bass

J_MCD wrote:

F**kin Road Resurfacing

They've decided to "resurface" Ripley Road from East Clandon all the way out to Hungry Hill Lane with the "pour down some tar, add some gravel, forget it" approach. Turned a really nice bit of the commute into a gravel/cx ride.

Real shame as there was some lovely smooth tarmac down there and it's normally a 25-28mph blast.

I think that is what the call road redressing rather than resurfacing.

to call that dressing anything is a bit like if i got up in the morning and just kept throwing clothes at myself and hoped for the best!

slowbike

DrHaggis wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

Hence we moved Little Slowbike onto a Beinn20 small before he's really big enough - he can ride a good couple of miles solo and with the gears, is quite happy to go "off roading" ...

Did you jump him from 14" to 20" straight away? That'd be encouraging!

well - we did get a 16" that he rode for a couple of months - but it was a good price ... but basically yes - a Cnoc14small to Bienn20 small

I'd say - come and give it a go - but iirc - you're at the other end of the country ... and Little Slowbike doesn't like sharing much - he even complained when (having finished riding) I put the saddle up on his 20 and started riding it ... :!:

drhaggis

Replaced jockey wheels on my bike, only to realise I've messed up the shifting. At midnight. And wanted to take the morning off for a reward group ride tomorrow. FFS.

anonymousblackfg

DrHaggis wrote:

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

I want to get Tiny Haggis a bike for his 4th birthday. He rides a very old 14" islabike when he's w/ me, so I'd thought about sizing up. The thing is, with a 43 cm inseam, he's already had almost half the use of a 14" bike, but is too small to ride some of the "cheaper" 16" bikes (apparently Vitus 16 is at least 50cm to the floor). I'd like to have him try the new "light" Alu decathlon ones, but there is currently none in stock in Scotland.

How much would it cost me to ship the islabike overseas?

To add to your thinking, I got a Cnoc16 for mini-ABFG1 at 4.5 yrs and he's tallish to his peers, even with the seat as low as it goes he can't get his foot comfortably on the floor to push off (almost there).

seajays

So was helping out at a charity walking event (26miles), where I basically get to ride up and down the route with the walkers making sure everyone is OK.

One section we'd had a bit of rain, and it was through a park with a tarmac path, wooden rail edges and grass. Riding up towards a group of walkers I decided to go off the path onto the grass. As I'm on the grass I thought:

• "Hmm, this could be tricky getting back onto the tarmac"
• "That woodend edge is really slippy in the wet"
• "Maybe I should take it at a right angle"

...followed by my ignoring all my thinking, and taking it at a shallow angle, and then the front wheel just slipped off the wooden rail and I went over onto the path.

Cue embarrased getting back up of the floor, letting people know I'm OK etc. :oops:

As I'm standing up it did occur to me in a sudden flash of deja-vu, that I did exactly the same thing in exactly the same place last year as well!.

Seriously - there's no accounting for stupid!

awavey

Chris Bass wrote:

J_MCD wrote:

F**kin Road Resurfacing

They've decided to "resurface" Ripley Road from East Clandon all the way out to Hungry Hill Lane with the "pour down some tar, add some gravel, forget it" approach. Turned a really nice bit of the commute into a gravel/cx ride.

Real shame as there was some lovely smooth tarmac down there and it's normally a 25-28mph blast.

I think that is what the call road redressing rather than resurfacing.

to call that dressing anything is a bit like if i got up in the morning and just kept throwing clothes at myself and hoped for the best!

it seems to be dump aload of gravel chips on a road half arsedly and hope some of it sticks to the tarmac.re dressing, with the rest of the loose stuff ending up lining the gutters, or in the cycle lanes :evil:

I was half tempted to raise a cycle lane defect fault on the councils website but I see others have already reported it, might still do it just to bump the numbers up I mean seriously it was like riding on a gravel drive there was that much, people were resorting to riding on the pavement as the only safe option as the only safe place to ride on the road would be prime in the lane, as none of the cars wanted to go near the center line mound of gravel either so are close passing you otherwise.

redvee

awavey wrote:

Chris Bass wrote:

J_MCD wrote:

F**kin Road Resurfacing

They've decided to "resurface" Ripley Road from East Clandon all the way out to Hungry Hill Lane with the "pour down some tar, add some gravel, forget it" approach. Turned a really nice bit of the commute into a gravel/cx ride.

Real shame as there was some lovely smooth tarmac down there and it's normally a 25-28mph blast.

I think that is what the call road redressing rather than resurfacing.

to call that dressing anything is a bit like if i got up in the morning and just kept throwing clothes at myself and hoped for the best!

it seems to be dump aload of gravel chips on a road half arsedly and hope some of it sticks to the tarmac.re dressing, with the rest of the loose stuff ending up lining the gutters, or in the cycle lanes :evil:

I was half tempted to raise a cycle lane defect fault on the councils website but I see others have already reported it, might still do it just to bump the numbers up I mean seriously it was like riding on a gravel drive there was that much, people were resorting to riding on the pavement as the only safe option as the only safe place to ride on the road would be prime in the lane, as none of the cars wanted to go near the center line mound of gravel either so are close passing you otherwise.

Similar was done in Bristol a few years back on several roads. On one of them the gutter/cycle lane was 2" deep with gravel for a couple of weeks till they came along and swept the overspill up and another road was left as a 20mph dustbowl till it rained two weeks after dressing the road. Cars parked up were covered in dust and witty graffiti from the students walking back to their digs.

wolfsbane2k

thwapped the side of a van that was cutting me off on a corner today - I'd misjudged just how close it was, and only just managed to get my elbow out before I hit it - meaning my arm was still travelling at some pelt.

So hard, I gave myself a blood blister.

Still, I left a nice dent in the side of the vehicle and they pulled out right and didn't kill me...

drhaggis

anonymousblackfg wrote:

DrHaggis wrote:

Kids' bike sizing and how long they last.

I want to get Tiny Haggis a bike for his 4th birthday. He rides a very old 14" islabike when he's w/ me, so I'd thought about sizing up. The thing is, with a 43 cm inseam, he's already had almost half the use of a 14" bike, but is too small to ride some of the "cheaper" 16" bikes (apparently Vitus 16 is at least 50cm to the floor). I'd like to have him try the new "light" Alu decathlon ones, but there is currently none in stock in Scotland.

How much would it cost me to ship the islabike overseas?

To add to your thinking, I got a Cnoc16 for mini-ABFG1 at 4.5 yrs and he's tallish to his peers, even with the seat as low as it goes he can't get his foot comfortably on the floor to push off (almost there).

We've ended up getting him one of these new 16" alu bikes Decathlon sells. Allegedly 7.2 kg, an inseam requirement 1" shorter than the Vitus, and £50 cheaper. His next bike will be his brother's orange Frog 55. My rant'd be the handlebar seems a tad too wide, but Tiny Haggis seems to be happy with it, and it's blue like Dad's stallion.

mpdouglas

J_MCD wrote:

F**kin Road Resurfacing

They've decided to "resurface" Ripley Road from East Clandon all the way out to Hungry Hill Lane with the "pour down some tar, add some gravel, forget it" approach. Turned a really nice bit of the commute into a gravel/cx ride.

Real shame as there was some lovely smooth tarmac down there and it's normally a 25-28mph blast.

I encountered that on Sunday as part of the club run - just after they had done it. Huge lumps of neat tar immediately stuck to all of our tyres, turning them into stone magnets. Some of the guys bikes were having the wheel jam as the chippings got stuck between tyre and brake bridge. It was a shocker. And I had a serious sense of humour failure.

More worryingly, they had signs up a) on Crocknorth climb and b) the whole stretch from Ranmore/Denbeighs down to WestHumble, saying they were getting the same treatment, this week. That's a big part of many peoples' weekend run ruined by this half 4rsed way of dealing with this country's decaying infrastructure.

drhaggis

Moving houses.

Having Mrs Haggis abroad only makes it worse. And knowing we'll have to move at least once more.

redvee

redvee wrote:

Visited A&E tonight and I've pulled some muscles near my ribs which is why I only managed an hour in the warehouse today and told them I'll be back in on Monday.

Still off cause of intercostal muscles giving me pain, another sick note requested to keep me off till 23rd. Not been on the bike since the off.

gbsahne001

The cat has now teamed up with the dog; 2am, lots of pattering in the bedroom woke me up and it appears that the cat brought a live rodent into our bedroom, who then released said rodent, only for the dog to dispatch it and then eat it.

I never wanted the pets in the first instance......

xbnm

So Highways England build a ramp on to the cycle track i ride to work and have created a very effective dam resulting in the cycle track becoming a deep lake on an unlit section in a tunnel. the guy who had just ridden through it last night tipping water out of his work boots after puncturing in it didn't seem impressed.

Reported as dangerous will see what happens

mtb-idle

I was sick for a couple of days earlier this week and decided to relieve my boredom and generally ill feeling by editing another cycle commute video to one of my current favourite tunes by the Sleaford Mods. If you aren't familiar with them then I suppose they could be described as post-industrial northern working class rap with a punk undertone.

Its from the same days footage that I used for the previous vids I have shared although these are all new sections for you and it features all the usual sights and sounds of a London cycle commute including the appearance of Rower63 once more.

Why in the rants thread? Well when I shared it via whatsapp to a few mates earlier this week Dizzydane of this parish asked me if I was angry about something. Not as far as I am aware of.

I should probably point out the NSFW/NSF small children language on the soundtrack

Tweet Tweet Tweet

It's probably not one of my better edits but I will throw it out here for you anyway. It made me feel better for doing it.

Enjoy

rower63

I can only allow so many free appearances. I'll have to start charging soon...

mtb-idle

rower63 wrote:

I can only allow so many free appearances. I'll have to start charging soon...

I was on my way to work last week and saw my lawyer so I said good morning.

Three days later I got a bill in the post.

cruff

Shoulder still f***ed three weeks after getting knocked off. Can TT on it fine, but clearly not race-ready, after being unable to get out the saddle to sprint up the tiniest of drags in my first race back tonight. Binned it after three laps. And it p**sed down do I got wet. And I have a goal race coming up in three weeks. That driver has totally ruined my season

mtb-idle

MTB-Idle wrote:

I was sick for a couple of days earlier this week and decided to relieve my boredom and generally ill feeling by editing another cycle commute video... <snip>

I've been literally inundated with no requests to edit a Badger remix so here you go. And just remember; you asked for it.

Tweet Tweet Tweet (Badger remix)

essexian

MTB-Idle wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

I was sick for a couple of days earlier this week and decided to relieve my boredom and generally ill feeling by editing another cycle commute video... <snip>

I've been literally inundated with no requests to edit a Badger remix so here you go. And just remember; you asked for it.

Tweet Tweet Tweet (Badger remix)

Ta. Interesting to see the "Super Highway." I left London in 1988 when there was no such thing.

Just out of interest, who is the music by? There are a few bands it sounds like (The Rakes being one of them) but I couldn't place my finger on it.

mtb-idle

Backing track by the Sleaford Mods (I'm assuming you mean the main thing and not the badger piece).

Pretty brutal band but I like them. If you are interested then Google 'Jobseeker + Jools Holland' to watch a great performance by them on Youtube.

elbowloh

MTB-Idle wrote:

Backing track by the Sleaford Mods (I'm assuming you mean the main thing and not the badger piece).

Pretty brutal band but I like them. If you are interested then Google 'Jobseeker + Jools Holland' to watch a great performance by them on Youtube.

I didn't really know much about them, but then saw them supporting the Stone Roses at Wembley stadium a couple of years back. Very stripped down, but powerful stuff.

slowbike

OT Rant ....

I've been asked to turn the heating on in the office ...

It's the middle of June, temperature is >22°C and I'm wanting the doors open to get some fresh air in ...