Author Topic: A random thread for ... you know the rest.  (Read 17440 times)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #25 on: 09 September, 2016, 07:40:17 pm »
I liked this bit:
Quote
“We could make use of social media, press releases etc to tell motorists to “look out” for cyclists, but this has been ongoing with both cyclists and motorcyclists and although has some positive effect it doesn’t reach the target audience we need to engage, those unwilling to take on the message or dismissive of vulnerable road users altogether, which given the rise in KSI collisions involving vulnerable road users seems like the majority of motorists.”
Yes, the police – well, one police officer – have said most motorists are dismissive of "vulnerable road users".
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #26 on: 10 September, 2016, 07:25:30 am »
Yeah. I was so gobsmacked I sat there reading out the more astonishing quotes, including that one, to MrsLurker.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #27 on: 11 September, 2016, 01:48:14 pm »
Whilst waiting for a train at Chislehurst with my Brommie, I was joined by a monk with a Makita.
Brown habit, with hood. Rope around waist. Sandals. Proper monk.
We chatted bikes.
Turns out he owns a Moulton.
That must be a sight.
Monk on a Moulton.
With a Makita.
He informed me that the serial number of his Moulton begins with a 'B', denoting that it had been made on the BMC production line at Longbridge.
Every day is a school day.
I guess he could've been a friar, but I'm not sure how you tell.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #28 on: 11 September, 2016, 02:32:04 pm »
Sounds like a Capuchin*. What sort of Makita and what was he doing with it? I never knew Moultons had been made at Longbridge, that seems odd.

*Or some other sort of Franciscan. He wouldn't necessarily have made you a coffee.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

LittleWheelsandBig

  • Whimsy Rider
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #29 on: 11 September, 2016, 02:36:26 pm »
The good old Moultons were made at Bradford on Avon. The variable quality ones were made by BMC. Moulton BoA couldn't keep up with demand in the '60s.
Wheel meet again, don't know where, don't know when...

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #30 on: 11 September, 2016, 03:30:13 pm »
I've just carried my bike a little over a kilometre on my shoulder. I don't know how those cyclocross racers do it. Okay, so they have lighter bikes (and probably tougher shoulders), they're only doing it in short bursts and they're fired up for racing, but it hurts! Not just the top tube digging into your shoulder – I found it was better to rest the nose of the saddle on my shoulder – but bottle cage in the ribs and (with cables running under the down tube and beneath the chain stay) lack of hand holds.
Carry the weight on your forearm under the down tube.   A light bike makes the difference though.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #31 on: 11 September, 2016, 03:37:34 pm »
Whilst waiting for a train at Chislehurst with my Brommie, I was joined by a monk with a Makita.

On my first cycling trip to Spain I met a monk. That was not in itself surprising as I was staying the night in Valdediós Monestery, but it turned out he was from Lewisham and grew up a couple of streets away from where I did. <sings> It's a small, small, world...
Quote from: tiermat
that's not science, it's semantics.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
    • Twitter
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #32 on: 18 September, 2016, 08:01:04 pm »
Yesterday, Pingu & I swapped bikes for a short while.
Although we are similar heights we have very different riding positions. I felt like I was going to tip over his front wheel, while Pingu said he felt like he was riding a penny farthing ;)
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #33 on: 18 September, 2016, 09:35:40 pm »
Whilst waiting for a train at Chislehurst with my Brommie, I was joined by a monk with a Makita.

On my first cycling trip to Spain I met a monk. That was not in itself surprising as I was staying the night in Valdediós Monestery, but it turned out he was from Lewisham and grew up a couple of streets away from where I did. <sings> It's a small, small, world...

I had to google 'Makita'.  So, he was carrying a cordless drill then?
Milk please, no sugar.

Wowbagger

  • Former Sylph
    • Stuff mostly about weather
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #34 on: 18 September, 2016, 11:24:06 pm »
What do you call a monk riding a bicycle?

(click to show/hide)

Yes, I know, but that was a favourite joke of my late father (a tually, his involved a nun) so I couldn't resist.
Quote from: Dez
It doesn’t matter where you start. Just start.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #35 on: 22 September, 2016, 05:14:16 pm »
Words of wisdom from the Economist:
Quote
It would be better to ban cars.

Okay, there's rather more to it than that and it is specifically about Vietnam, but it's good to see a journal like that not taking the "more cars are better" attitude.
http://www.economist.com/news/asia/21707434-proliferation-cars-threatens-clog-vietnams-big-cities-four-wheels-good-two-wheels-better?fsrc=permar%7Cimage1

Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #36 on: 24 September, 2016, 07:12:51 pm »
Whilst waiting for a train at Chislehurst with my Brommie, I was joined by a monk with a Makita.

On my first cycling trip to Spain I met a monk. That was not in itself surprising as I was staying the night in Valdediós Monestery, but it turned out he was from Lewisham and grew up a couple of streets away from where I did. <sings> It's a small, small, world...

I had to google 'Makita'.  So, he was carrying a cordless drill then?

I was sure it was some type of Japanese dog but I stand corrected................

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #37 on: 24 September, 2016, 08:21:16 pm »
On the club ride this morning somebody brought a bike that had been in the garage for twenty years, and he's just fished it out to get riding again.

It's a blue Woodrup, light as a feather, ten-speed Campag, beautiful down-tube shifters.  A lovely, lovely thing, absolutely immaculate.

He was thinking of upgrading it to make the hills easier.  I told him not to change a hair on its head but to do the Strade Bianche on it, and get an all-carbon shiney for club rides.  n+1 is the one true way.
Milk please, no sugar.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #38 on: 25 September, 2016, 12:42:41 pm »
n+1 without doubt, but at the same time there's something very attractive a wonderful old bike being upgraded with modern components to keep it rideable in practice (both to benefit from eg better modern brakes and also simply where older parts are no longer available).
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #39 on: 26 September, 2016, 04:42:14 pm »
n+1 without doubt, but at the same time there's something very attractive a wonderful old bike being upgraded with modern components to keep it rideable in practice (both to benefit from eg better modern brakes and also simply where older parts are no longer available).

This is true.  He's proved it to be very rideable in its current state, mind.  He did his first over-twenty-mile ride on it last week, on a hilly 70 mile club ride.  He's got some determination!  And a sore arse, I should think  ;D
Milk please, no sugar.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #40 on: 26 September, 2016, 06:59:49 pm »
It's pretty impressive when someone's first ride over 20 miles is actually 70. That's definitely over 20!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #41 on: 26 September, 2016, 07:01:24 pm »
It's pretty impressive when someone's first ride over 20 miles is actually 70. That's definitely over 20!

I know, right?  And he came back for more!
Milk please, no sugar.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #42 on: 26 September, 2016, 07:40:01 pm »
It's pretty impressive when someone's first ride over 20 miles is actually 70. That's definitely over 20!

I know, right?  And he came back for more!
We had a bloke who turned up on a 60-miler and actually collapsed at the end. Not in a heart attack or medically worrying way, just too exhausted to unclip from the SPDs he was not yet used to. Turned out he'd never ridden further than 35 before. He hasn't come back.  :-\
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #43 on: 28 September, 2016, 04:23:04 pm »
Today, for the first time ever, I rode a bike with bar-end shifters. They worked really smoothly but I don't think I'd get on with them in the long term.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #44 on: 29 September, 2016, 06:01:09 pm »
It's blummin' hard work riding a mountainbike on the road, isn't it?
Milk please, no sugar.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #45 on: 29 September, 2016, 06:21:27 pm »
It's blummin' hard work riding a mountainbike on the road, isn't it?
Lock out the fork, assuming you can. It makes a huge difference IME. I'm sure you've thought of that though, in which case your only hope is road tyres, which kind of stop it being any good as a mountain bike!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #46 on: 29 September, 2016, 07:33:46 pm »
It's blummin' hard work riding a mountainbike on the road, isn't it?

I think it's more a case that - sands of doom permitting - a mountain bike requires about the same amount of effort whatever you ride it on.  Which is quite impressive, when you think about it.

Agreed about the lock-out.  Also, not trying to achieve road bike speeds, so you're not killing yourself fighting the poor aerodynamics (see also: Bromptons).  But mostly it's about planning mountain bike rides as if it's going to be off-road riding all the way round.

Ruthie

  • Her Majester
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #47 on: 29 September, 2016, 09:45:55 pm »
It's blummin' hard work riding a mountainbike on the road, isn't it?

I think it's more a case that - sands of doom permitting - a mountain bike requires about the same amount of effort whatever you ride it on.  Which is quite impressive, when you think about it.

Agreed about the lock-out.  Also, not trying to achieve road bike speeds, so you're not killing yourself fighting the poor aerodynamics (see also: Bromptons).  But mostly it's about planning mountain bike rides as if it's going to be off-road riding all the way round.

Yeah, the off-road bits were definitely more fun.  Surprise surprise  ;D  Even the clipless moment, which cheered up my mate immensely  ;D
Milk please, no sugar.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #48 on: 02 October, 2016, 03:05:55 pm »
I think it's quite easy to attain road-bike speeds on a mtb but it's extremely difficult to sustain them. This does make them good in town traffic; you've got acceleration, an upright position for viewing over cars, good brakes, big tyres to soak up the local interpretation of tarmac and possibly better treatment from motorists because you look like someone on a bike going shopping not going racing ~~possibly perhaps.

My first ever 100km ride was on a mountain bike but it was a flat route and we took about 12 hours! I've since ridden similar distances a few times but in the end it's less efficient, less comfortable and takes longer.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: A random thread for ... you know the rest.
« Reply #49 on: 02 October, 2016, 03:10:16 pm »
I think it's quite easy to attain road-bike speeds on a mtb but it's extremely difficult to sustain them. This does make them good in town traffic; you've got acceleration, an upright position for viewing over cars, good brakes, big tyres to soak up the local interpretation of tarmac and possibly better treatment from motorists because you look like someone on a bike going shopping not going racing ~~possibly perhaps.

Indeed.  I think this is how the hybrid was invented.