Recent Posts

1

Arts and Entertainment / R.I.P John Prine

« Last post by pcolbeck on Today at 03:50:19 am »

He's gone. Coronavirus claims another life.

Hello in there:

https://youtu.be/RfwGkplB_sY

Ya' know that old trees just grow stronger,
And old rivers grow wilder ev'ry day.
Old people just grow lonesome
Waiting for someone to say, "Hello in there, hello."

How every empire falls:

https://youtu.be/N_kHwVqfJtU

Padlock the door and board the windows, put the people in the street
"It's just my job," he says, "I'm sorry," and draws a check, goes home to eat
At night he tells his woman, "I know I hide behind the laws"
She says, "You're only taking orders", that's how every empire falls

2

Rides and Touring / Re: Have you been out today?

« Last post by Bolt on Today at 12:07:22 am »

Just to add some perspective on the risk of having a cycling related accident during the current crisis, taken from the RoSPA website:

More accidents happen at home than anywhere else

Every year there are approximately 6,000 deaths as the result of a home accident

More than two million children under the age of 15 experience accidents in and around the home every year, for which they are taken to accident and emergency units

Children under the age of five and people over 65 (particularly those over 75) are most likely to have an accident at home

Over 76,000 children under the age of 14 are admitted for treatment of which over 40% are under 5 years of age

Falls are the most common accidents, which can cause serious injury at any time of life. The risk increases with age

More women than men over the age of 65 die as the result of an accident in the home

Every year over 62 children under 14 die as a result of an accident in the home

Around 25,000 under-fives attend A&E departments each year after being accidentally poisoned

An average of 13 children a day under the age of 4 suffer a severe injury from a burn or a scald. A hot drink can still scald a small child up to 15
minutes after it is made

More accidents happen in the lounge/living room than anywhere else in the home.

Every year more than 4,200 children are involved in falls on the stairs and 4,000 children under the age of 15 are injured falling from windows

Boys have more accidents than girls

The cost to society of UK home accident injuries has been estimated at £45.63 billion annually.

3

Retailers / Re: Planet X/ On One

« Last post by Bolt on Yesterday at 11:43:41 pm »

How did your tyre warranty go Bolt?

Well, my support ticket seemed to stall for a week or two but as soon as I gave them a nudge I had a replacement tyre within a couple of days.  I really like Planet X and do hope they survive the current crisis

4

Retailers / Re: Planet X/ On One

« Last post by bludger on Yesterday at 11:27:00 pm »

How did your tyre warranty go Bolt?

I returned a set of Luck MTB shoes from Planet X about 2 months ago with a split sole (purchased in August 2018). They gave me a replacement pair and paid for all the shipping costs etc. I only got round to putting cleats on them and using them today as they're 'summer shoes', very pleased with how it went.

I wasn't expecting to get a replacement pair as they haven't stocked these (https://www.luck-bike.es/gb/luck-cycling-shoes/1499-matrix-19-mtb-shoes.html) for ages but they managed it.

5

The Pub / Re: The Grumble Thread - No energy for a full on rant.

« Last post by fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on Yesterday at 11:21:00 pm »

No mucking about throwing paper aeroplanes around the office.
No sneaking out for a stroll in the spring sunshine.
No channel-hopping on the tv in the foyer in a fruitless attempt to find somethijng worth watching (daytime tv )
No surfing the intarwebz looking for pictures of steam engines.


The Colonel's in today

First time I've heard them called 'steam engines'
 

6

The Pub / Re: A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own

« Last post by fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on Yesterday at 11:18:38 pm »

Well the sky above us has been much quieter than normal - we’re under the westerly approach to Luton, plus the north/south corridor for Heathrow. Today, however, there was in unusual sight for hereabouts. It wasn’t on Flightradar24 but I think it was a C5 Galaxy, heading in a South-westerly direction as it passed overhead Aston Clinton at what I would estimate to be 4000ft.  It was certainly a 4-jet engined wide bodied military (matt grey) transport of some kind, the engine nacelles projected markedly forward of the wing leading edge on their pylons.

Probably Boeing C17 which the RAF fly out of Brize-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_C-17_Globemaster_III

7

Velo Fixe / Re: gearing

« Last post by LittleWheelsandBig on Yesterday at 10:38:59 pm »

44/16 (700x32C) is my standard commuting/ audax fixed ratio. There is a 17t on the other side of the hub but it hasn’t been used for a while. I ran 42/17 fixed for a roughstuff weekend but there was a fair bit of walking required on the steep stuff.

I’m not strong enough to run much bigger gears for long rides. 48 or 49/14 were normal track gears for me back in the day but I wouldn’t like to turn them for any distance on the road nowadays.

8

Velo Fixe / Re: gearing

« Last post by mzjo on Yesterday at 10:33:27 pm »

I've had a fixed in my stable for over 50 years.  As a teenager I rode 48x20 (72") on clubruns until I learned to pedal and dropped the gear to 48x20 like most of my clubmates.  This was for clubruns around the South Downs and central south coast and for youth hostel touring.  On that gear I toured central Wales and in Normandy and Brittany.  For time trialling and outdoor track I rode 48x16 (81") or 48x15 (86").  Just once I tried 48x14 (92") for a short time trial, a 10.  I went slower than usual because I just could not get "on top of" the gear.  Mind you, I was never fast, 25 minutes being my best 10 time back in 1973.  Longest ride on a 65" was 120 miles which was a regular feature in those dim and distant days.

72" is nominally 48x18 (could be closer to 48x17 with 700x23 tyres). 48x20 is from memory about 65". My touring gear when I was young, strong (and stupid) was 49x19, changed to 49x20 for the winter. Now I have trouble with 42x17, the winter gear was 42x18 when I last rode fixed in winter. It's a bit low but on ss it was fine (freewheel for going down hill!).

I also tied 49x14 in a 10. Same result as you, couldn't get on top of it, beaten by a clubmate for 10 seconds

9

On The Road / Re: DOTD

« Last post by grams on Yesterday at 10:11:53 pm »

You know that annoying thing some pedestrians do of striding out into the road as you're approaching so they can cross 0.00001 seconds after your back wheel passes? The one that puts them momentarily close enough alongside that you can practically feel their breath?

You'd think they might have knocked that on the head.

Especially when you're making a point of staying miles from the pavement and swerving practically over the centre line as they approach.

(this was on the part of the old A1 in North Finchley that's still 700 metres wide and the most imaginative thing they can do with that space is make one enormous car lane in each direction)

10

Health & Fitness / Re: Lockdown fitness

« Last post by IanDG on Yesterday at 10:05:37 pm »

A daily dog walk (about an hour) plus turbo trainer (about 45mins at the moment) and pilates 4/5 times a week.