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Cycling log - random events in the day of a cyclist

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"Careful" is my shout of choice. My inner Anglo Saxon occasionally gets the better of me.
My club cycling etiquette is, "Never get into an argument with other road users."
 
sean99 said:
Shouting is a great way to escalate a dangerous situation. Nine times out of ten if a driver does something dangerous it's an indication that they don't give a stuff about your wellbeing - shouting at them is unlikely to make them reconsider, and more likely to make them become even more aggressive. Plus in the US it could get you shot. Ride defensively, wear bright clothing, use lights, but back down from confrontations.
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I am descended from a Viking berserker so this isn't really an option for me. There are very few situations where I'll back down, even when faced with a group of about 6 thugs all off their heads on something, I'll still go for them. Articulated lorry when I was driving a car, gave him a brake test on the motorway. Very many other examples, that's just the way I'm wired.
 
My town shopping bike has a large "ding-dong" bell. I often get positive comments as people like the sound. Where possible I try to announce my arrival in good time. A pedestrian needs time to process the sound and then work out where it is coming from.

With current gearing the Elephant Bike spins out at about 15mph so I'm not going too fast.
 
I find that on the tracks that I ride, quite a lot of folk wear earbuds, so I shout, "ding-a-ling" in a pleasant tone of voice, or, just pass on your left, followed by good morning or afternoon, which ever it maybe. I always end with a thanks whatever the scenario.

I do have bell's on my bikes but find sometimes it's a bit rude. Like shouting, "Gerrout the way."
 
I am not going to be cycling for a while and when I do am going to have to start again. I will want to get the right bike/s for the circumstances rather than try and work with what I've got so I have decided to sell up most if not all my bikes. As I am now a non-driver for the forseeable and will need transport and live on top of a hill I think an e-bike of some kind is in order as a start.

I am not fit enough yet to get bikes out, cleaned up and listed but if anyone is interested in knowing more about following, please PM. All sized for me at 5'11", located near Bolton:
Dolan DR1 with Ultegra Di2, Mavic Cosmic Carbon disc
Dolan Tuono SL, Ultegra, Mavic Kysrium Exalith (very light bike)
GT Grade, mostly 105, Mavic Allroad Elite (I think)
Planet X XLS, mix of Ultegra with BB7 brakes, Mavic Askium
Planet X TiPro road frame with carbon forks

Also Mtb's but they will be last to go.

I have amassed quite a bit of stuff like pairs of 26" wheels, road wheels, tyres, parts etc odd steel frames from my single speed days, some of which I need to clear out if anyone is interested in having a root about. Mostly just want that lot gone so likely to be had for some very slight effort and charity donation.

I will get them up for sale properly eventually but thought offer the PFM cycling fraternity an early option ( and hopefully save me some hassle)
 
andrew d said:
If you ever need a reason to be a member of British Cycling then the third party insurance it offers is a deal maker.
https://road.cc/content/blog/264304...-being-successfully-sued-colliding-pedestrian
Never trust a cyclist with an airhorn on their bike and always be kind to other road users. Always.
The article is well worth a read.
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Hmmm interesting article, but I was tempted not to go any further when I read this piece of tosh:

"Of course, it’s worth noting the cyclist was also injured, so perhaps the infrequency of such events is what makes it interesting, or perhaps journalists can’t pass up the opportunity to demonise cyclists? Just look at how Charlie Alliston’s tragic collision with Kim Briggs was reported."

Alliston is a nasty piece of work and was riding a bike in a condition (whether legal or not) that meant his ability to control his speed was compromised. His lack of remorse and general conduct after the event means that while I don't condone journalistic witch hunts he rather brought it all upon himself. While I see cyclists getting a raw deal every day on the road it doesn't mean they are all above criticism or the law. I cycle rarely these days as I find it all too stressful with the way the roads are (sections of all road users are ****s), but I like to think that when I do I try and abide by the law and be courteous to all other road users as I would hope they would be to me ... I'm the same when driving... unfortunately not everyone is the same... but that's life I guess.
 
tiggers said:
Hmmm interesting article, but I was tempted not to go any further when I read this piece of tosh:

"Of course, it’s worth noting the cyclist was also injured, so perhaps the infrequency of such events is what makes it interesting, or perhaps journalists can’t pass up the opportunity to demonise cyclists? Just look at how Charlie Alliston’s tragic collision with Kim Briggs was reported."

Alliston is a nasty piece of work and was riding a bike in a condition (whether legal or not) that meant his ability to control his speed was compromised. His lack of remorse and general conduct after the event means that while I don't condone journalistic witch hunts he rather brought it all upon himself. While I see cyclists getting a raw deal every day on the road it doesn't mean they are all above criticism or the law. I cycle rarely these days as I find it all too stressful with the way the roads are (sections of all road users are ****s), but I like to think that when I do I try and abide by the law and be courteous to all other road users as I would hope they would be to me ... I'm the same when driving... unfortunately not everyone is the same... but that's life I guess.
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He was a very unsympathetic character & gave cyclists a bad name. As ever the media massively over reported on it due to its rarity; worth noting that if they devoted the same amount of froth to every pedestrian or cyclist who was killed at the hand of motorists then they would have no room in their news agenda for anything else.
 
Paulicus said:
@Ibbots I don't need any cycle gear. Just want to wish you a speedy recovery!
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Me too - and I'm not tall enough. And on the wrong side of the Atlantic. @Ibbots Are you certain you want to sell it all off ? 20 years ago I was unable to ride for more than 2 years with a hamstring injury and various other health issues and it felt like I'd never be able to ride again, but slowly it recovered and I'm back riding the road bike I built from parts in the mid 90s. Granted you are facing more serious health issues, but maybe it would be better for the mental state to keep at least some of the more treasured cycling gear around ? Hope everything goes as well as it can and you're back on two wheels sooner than you imagine.
 
sean99 said:
Me too - and I'm not tall enough. And on the wrong side of the Atlantic. @Ibbots Are you certain you want to sell it all off ? 20 years ago I was unable to ride for more than 2 years with a hamstring injury and various other health issues and it felt like I'd never be able to ride again, but slowly it recovered and I'm back riding the road bike I built from parts in the mid 90s. Granted you are facing more serious health issues, but maybe it would be better for the mental state to keep at least some of the more treasured cycling gear around ? Hope everything goes as well as it can and you're back on two wheels sooner than you imagine.
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Hi Sean, thanks
Yes I think so. I am going to be weak and I live at the top of a hill so thinking I will want to start with an e-bike just to get me moving again and give me some freedom as I can't drive. I want to be able to get what is right for me at the time and progress from there (also been meaning to shift some on anyway as I do not have space to keep 7 bikes). Given the surgery went in through my neck, which I already had problems with, I am also not sure how it will hold up to the fairly low position I have my road bikes. As I commute by bike, and have been finding the 30 mile round trip a challenge to do daily now I am ancient (and before this mess), an e-bike might be the ticket to keep that going.

I'll probably keep my mtbs - one a nice Specialized Carbon HT I only just bought, the other my old steel frame single speed I have had years and really enjoy riding when fit enough. Getting that up on the moors again will be something to aim for.
 
Ibbots said:
I do not have space to keep 7 bikes.
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Aha - all is now clear. Too many years of N+1 and time to rationalize. Kudos on the 30 mile daily commute also - I don't think I could keep that mileage up now at 50. I used to do that 15-20 years ago. If I was faced with that commute now I think an e-bike would look pretty tempting.
 
sean99 said:
Aha - all is now clear. Too many years of N+1 and time to rationalize. Kudos on the 30 mile daily commute also - I don't think I could keep that mileage up now at 50. I used to do that 15-20 years ago. If I was faced with that commute now I think an e-bike would look pretty tempting.
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Yes am 53 soon. Tbh, I am not in the office every day most weeks but 3 or 4 times. Struggle when it is 5 these days. Since New year it has been hard consecutive days but that might have been the big cyst in my cerebellum contributing.

Winters are hard, 15 miles home into Nwesterly wind, 1000ft climbing and most of that in last 3 miles or so. E-bike often in my thoughts ar these times! Summers are lovely as I can divert off over the West Pennine Moors.
 
In my early 40s, I used to do it all on a single speed. I was fit then, had some power and could climb. Oh well, will be happy just to get rolling again
 
Feel free to call me a dozy old git with a slim grasp of reality, but this weekend is bike spring clean - remove all parts from bike including forks, clean frame,clean said parts, grease the f*ck out of everything, re-assemble. Shouldn't be too bad, as all cables are fairly new, both mechs are OK.
Goodbye mudguards :)
 
Why are mudguards so crap and haven't been improved in seemingly 100 years? Why are they still these wobbly, bendy, plastic things that never fit right and seem to fit more and more badly just through use?

If you're using a bike on the road you need at least some means of stopping the spray going onto your feet at the front and up your bottom at the back. They don't actually have to be that big to do this and they don't have to be mounted to the hub at the back. Why not have them made out of aluminium or even carbon fibre and bolted properly to the frame via dedicated lugs? You could even streamline them a bit so that they're not so draggy.
 
I'm using SKS Blumels P50's on my Topstone. There's loads of clearance on the front guard but it buzzes away on the side wall of the tyre like a hummingbird. It drives me mad and think it's the carbon fibre fork which is causing the mudguard stays to vibrate.
 
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