Cycling

[ABBEY]

NEED TO GET MYSELF AN AUDI OR A BEAMER THEN.

[thenodrog]

Audax the system you describe, usually referred to as "clipless," takes very little time to get used to, after a couple of falls it becomes instinctive.

I think if you fall off in London traffic you stand a Bloody good chance of going under someones wheels and ending up 'brown bread'. Damned inconsiderate too.... You would no doubt spoil the poor driver's tea.

[Audax]

I looked this up and Standstills or Track Stops may have their origin in Track Velodrome Cycling, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trackstand , this is where you don't take your feet off the pedals and come to a complete standstill on the bike, see pictures.

So I think Paul was mostly correct in the post but at the same time, with those Standstills, you don't need to pull the cleats out of the pedals. Of course, I can't claim to know what a person is thinking. I'm sure most people who use them are very comfortable with the clipless pedals.

Also, I'd remember, clipless pedals or not, each cyclist needs to use plenty of caution. A person using regular pedals can likewise be careless. It is easy to be careless on the bike, I have been though not in a number of years... more or less.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Audax

[ABBEY]

Nearly got one tonight in Manchester .. @#/? pulled straight out in front of me .. Inches

[old darwen blue]

Oh Theno your such a "winder upper"

I have three bikes and an Audi.

[ABBEY]

You must have a fat arse to ride them all at once

[Al]

Nearly got one tonight in Manchester .. @#/? pulled straight out in front of me .. Inches

Better luck next time Abs!

[SAS]

Nearly got one tonight in Manchester .. @#/? pulled straight out in front of me .. Inches

You seem to meet your fair share of idiot cyclists.

Can only think of one instance ive been mad at a cyclist.

[Audax]

They make shoes that hug the pedals even if you don't have clipless pedals, platform pedals. Nonetheless, the clipless pedals I know are great, to each their own.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Audax

[Beta Ray Bill]

Last week in London, me and two colleagues at a pelican crossing. Traffic lights change to red, little green man appears, we start to cross. Ahead to our left before the otherpavement is a white lorry at the front of a queue of taffic, next to it we can just see the front wheel of a bike close to the pavement. No issues there so far.

However, just as we are at the far side of the lorry, just about to walk in front of the cyclist, guess what happens? If you think the cyclist decides to set off, you'd be wrong. It's another cyclist who whizzes up on the inside of the traffic and the cyclist who has been waiting patiently at the red light, almost sending a colleague flying as he goes through the red light at speed!

We all stop and stare at what happened and the well behaved cyclist shakes his head in disbelief.

Not only a menace to other road users, this idiot was a risk to his own life and perfectly innocent pedestrians. Two steps further across the road, my colleague would have been sent flying (and possibly the other 2 of us) along with the cyclist. All within a couple of yards of the pavement.

[Guest Norbert]

It seems that in big cities, cyclists and car owners just have no rules or respect for each other. It's all aggression and trying to beat the lights.

[old darwen blue]

You must have a fat arse to ride them all at once

Nah, like a little peach mine!

[Audax]

I really like the vintage bikes, that old logo for Rudge bikes.

If one sees it, if you have, do you have a reaction? It's always been a bit strange to me.

The old Rudge chainwheel or crank. Nowadays, the bikes have been modernised so much but lots of lore with the old 3-speeds. In fact, before World War II, there were popular cycling social clubs and they would take their "Clubman" bikes out on weekend camping trips. I was reading about it, it was a big deal and sounded like a lot of fun.

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/ Website on the classic bikes.

A lot to this, one can get a fairly good rendition of the old 3-speed roadsters just like the old ones but they are from India. Pashley also still makes them, one of the last companies still doing so when there were so many out there, Hercules, Phillips, Raleigh, Robin Hood.

Pashley's website: http://www.pashley.co.uk/

I still have a Roadster I used a lot and now is in a bit of a state of disrepair. Lots of fun, I'm just not sure if I want to go through all that again. It has a nice big basket on the front to carry groceries and with that Sturmey Archer hub and controls, seemed to go about everywhere.

Of course, there are plenty of rides where everyone has one of those 3-speeds, dresses the part and everyone goes on a little tour, maybe around some lakes. Simple for the most part.

Single-Speed Pashley Guvnor.

Edited April 4, 2014 by Audax

[old darwen blue]

Interesting reading that pal thanks, particularly the old classic cycles site.

[only2garners]

Just back from a wonderful week's cycling in Mallorca. 350km and 5,500 metres of climbing, trying to keep up with my son and his mates. Mind you they have trouble keeping up with me on the descents.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Cyclists riding on the pavement do my head in. I'm just waiting to see one on a tandem with a dog on the back seat.

[ABBEY]

Cyclists do my head in

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Cyclists do my head in

I think you've mis-quoted me.

[Al]

I think you've mis-quoted me.

No he corrected it.

[Audax]

On the crank of this one bike, we screwed it in so tightly, the screw-head broke off, I have access to a tool to reverse drill it out but I have never really done it.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

On the crank of this one bike, we screwed it in so tightly, the screw-head broke off, I have access to a tool to reverse drill it out but I have never really done it.

You need a broken screw extractor. You drill a hole down the centre of the broken screw. Tap in the screw extractor with a small hammer. Then CAREFULLY wind out the broken screw. The screw extractor has a coarse left hand thread so it bites into the broken screw. DO NOT break the screw extractor. They're hardened so they won't drill out.

Where do you live ? Bring it over to Rochdale and I'll get it out for you. I've never failed yet in nearly 50 years of that sort of work.

Am I right in saying one screw is right handed and the other left handed on bike cranks or did I imagine that ?

Edited April 8, 2014 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Audax]

You need a broken screw extractor. You drill a hole down the centre of the broken screw. Tap in the screw extractor with a small hammer. Then CAREFULLY wind out the broken screw. The screw extractor has a coarse left hand thread so it bites into the broken screw. DO NOT break the screw extractor. They're hardened so they won't drill out.

Where do you live ? Bring it over to Rochdale and I'll get it out for you. I've never failed yet in nearly 50 years of that sort of work.

Am I right in saying one screw is right handed and the other left handed on bike cranks or did I imagine that ?

Yes, you are right or something like this. I haven't done the reverse drill part but have witnessed it done. It worked like a breeze, I will bring the bike home and first probably allow my neighbour examine it at least whom I have myself helped out a number of times.

[Audax]

A lot of very interesting chat missed on this thread but that's okay, maybe we can start it up again. Feels like April weather, nice biking weather, a bit of a wind.

Edited March 9, 2015 by Audax

[only2garners]

It's been a gorgeous day for a ride today. Had a little pedal up to Garstang to have a look at how our new boat boat is coming along.

Off to Mallorca a week on Friday for 2 weeks with plenty of cycling included.

[Paul]

Saturday and Sunday were OK but didn't get enough miles in really. With poor and dangerous weekend weather of late I've only managed three rides over 70 miles since January. Got the Eden Valley classic in two weeks which is a beautiful but tough 60 miler and only 8 weeks till I ride the Tour de Yorkshire with my eldest boy.

My lad told me yesterday the TdY is 10,000 feet of climbing over the 100 miles. I hope he's wrong because it means doubling my best ever for that distance!!!!!

Edited March 11, 2015 by Paul