Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

How would it be down to his poor road sense? Look at his story he's put up, he's clearly followed all the rules for a cyclist, over as far left as he can, yet the motorist is being a total douche. Who has the poor road sense here? Certainly not Mal.

Yes, it's defensive, because it's attitudes like the one your showing right now, that when transfered to the road, cause injuries to cyclists. a 10kg bike is no match for a 2 tonne car, regardless of the angle it's hit.

Here's an idea. If drivers feel cyclists are such a danger to their cars and an annoyance and hold up to their lives, we increase the road tax to build cycle paths everywhere. Deal? Didn't think so.

 

This I'm not debating - I've actually been hit more than once by inexperienced cyclists and roller-skaters whom didn't look where they were going, or just didn't understand how to control their transport methods under the current conditions. Fun thing about that type of rider though: they typically are the ones that stay as far off the road as they can, because they are so dangerous and they know this. If you're in conflict with a cyclist behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, then take a step back from the situation, look at it from the outside, and slow the hell down. More than likely you're just as much to blame as the cyclist.

Again, I can relate to you many stories of incidents where both myself and the motorist are to blame in equal parts for the dangerous situation we're in, but this doesn't change the fact that if even a minor collision were to happen, I would be the one dead, not the motorist. That is the truth of the matter.

Yes, and I'm sure that the lady who ran a stop sign last night, nearly hitting me whilst I was legally navigating an intersection thought the same. I don't doubt for a minute that you're a relatively-competent motorist, but then again most people on the road are as well, but yet we have blood-stains on the pavement that won't wash away due to motorist-cyclist interactions on the road.



As a point of note MBM, and in the interest of full disclosure: we drive on the wrong side of the road in this part of the world, so despite the fact that I was as far left as I could be, the law would rather me be as far right as I can, but I needed the next turn-off, so I felt it prudent to move over as soon as I legally could on such a busy road, and as such over the previous block I had managed to just in time for the light. Note that I didn't under-take anybody, nor did I slow traffic down by doing so, as I do typically meet or exceed the speed limit in that part of town, so it's not much of an issue to pass vehicles on the road.

 

Took that into account Same applies for us when turning into a road on the right, I'd have done exactly the same as you. I'm assuming the highway code is essentially the same on this matter, except it's the wrong way round

 

Yes, exactly. Though the correct turn procedure, as outlined in the by-laws, generally goes something to the effect of "move over to the right when turning left, dismount, and cross on foot when safe/signalled", though the police don't exactly encourage that method when pressed.

 

Am I missing something re turning left? I just get in the correct lane and take up position in the center of the road so that no one can get past until I've turned.

 

Is anyone upgrading to 10 speed this year that has been previously running 9 speed?

I've just had to buy a (now expensive) 2010 X9 Mech because the current 2011 models of X9 (and now X7) are 10 speed only.

I'm thinking once my current cassette wears down enough (6-8 months maybe?) I'll then make the upgrade to a 10 sp with a new mech and shifters.

 

I hoe you checked chain reaction first, it's amazing what they can sell stuff for. I rang Avid yesterday to replace a customers brake lever body on a Juicy 3. They wanted £48 for just the lever body (no hose or caliper), Chain Reaction do a full brake ready to fit to the bike for £49.99.

If your going to 10spd, you'll need a chain too.

 

When I did this, I then had to go and get a 10sp chainset (SLX Double) the teeth on the 10sp chainset were smaller. The internal diameter of the chain was similar, the outside wasn't.

 

I paid £59 for the mech. The 2011 isn't much more.
I'm sure last year I paid much less than that for the X9 at the time though. I'm sure prices are creeping up

As for CRC, I buy most of my stuff from there to be honest - it's great! I do shop around a lot though as like computer parts, prices differ massively from shop to shop.

For 10sp, I'm right in thinking I'd need -

Cassette
Mech
Chain
Shifters

The triple SLX cranksets will work with 8, 9 or 10 speed right... right??

 

1 shifter, you should be able to buy just the rear on its own.

As for the chainset, I had triple XT and I had to change it....anyway why would you want to run a triple with 10 speed cassette ? One of the main perceived advantages of a 10-speed cassette is that you can ditch a front chainring yet still retain an adequate number of gears.

When Shimano introduced 10 speed they said : "..... having a wider gear range at the back, more closely spaced gears at the front, and improved rear mechs and shifters, creates smoother and more intuitive shifting, more efficient and powerful pedalling, and allows the rider to stay in the middle and largest chainrings for a higher proportion of the time."

Some of it is marketing bs some is true.

 

Ah ok, thanks for that. It makes sense, a double SLX with a 10sp at the back.

 

I went with the Double SLX Hollowtech, it is asbout 128 quid. It is very strong, reasonable light and doesn't flex. I went with 175mm, clearance isn't an issue you can apply a bit more 'torque' to your pedalling. The only thing I did was ditch the standard bash and fit a Blackspire one, they come with the bolts. The Blackspire is a bit lighter but more importantly stops the chainset looking like it should be on a £99 Halfords bike as the stock Shimano one does.

 

Funny you should ask, I'm off to pick up an old 10-speed racer on Sunday

 

lol, diffrent kind of 10spd I think.

 

A pic of the 'front end' of my '20 speed' bike. Apologise for average quality, used a phone.

 

You can remove the indicators on slx shifters.

My Remedy is 30 speed and I find myself in the 44T ring most of the time

 

I have since removed the indicators and moved the levers (since tha pic was taken anyway). I have another bike but it is just a single speed Trek 6000.

 

I hope that any of you knowledgable bike people can help me with this somewhat bike related question.

Come summer I need to lug a portable stereo around a festival site for 8 days. The only proper wagons I have found for this have been the ones used by newspaper guys, and therefore they have air-filled rubber tires. Now this would be fine for about 10 minutes on the festivalsite, before some dork managed to puncture the tires. Can you recommend any form of compound I can fill the tires with, which isn't to heavy? Ride quality doesn't really matter.

Preferably I am after some form of hardening foam.

 

Could this help? Wouldn't be able to use an inner tube on the bike, and how you would fill it, I don't know. But it could be what you're looking for...

 

Have some retro love:





As to the foam, have you looked into something like this? I've seen stuff like this at various trade shows before, but never used it myself. Sounds like it's right up your alley. (protip: punch into google "tyre foam filler").