Pedal Power Thread

neil_g said:
Anyone watching the prog on bbc1 now?

How close was that hgv to that guy... :eek:
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I am. I'd seen terrible reviews of it in all portions of the press. Sensationalist and overtly provocative were the words most commonly used and I can see why. I'm actually massively disappointed in the BBC by the way they portray both sides.
 
Is there a speed limit for cycle/pathways? No way should that guy have been going full pelt into that lady's ass!
 
neil_g said:
I dunno, there are some equally idiotic cyclists as drivers as the last part showed with those courier types..
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Absolutely. One side is no better than other. It's the us vs them attitude that's the most dangerous element in my opinion.
 
new2me said:
Is there a speed limit for cycle/pathways? No way should that guy have been going full pelt into that lady's ass!
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I want to see cycle/pathways banned. Pedestrians don't look out for cyclists and visa versa.

TriggerHappy said:
Absolutely. One side is no better than other. It's the us vs them attitude that's the most dangerous element in my opinion.
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True.

That lady who lost her daughter and bought shares in the cement company.. How courageous..
 
Same old lazy journalism, Jeremy Vine had a phone in after Wiggo's accident, again fuelling the "war"

Why is there never any positive comments how we can the debate forward and come up with positive solutions and changes in attitude for all road users. This type of programme fills the schedule for an hour, gets all the internet debate, and next week we are back to square one again.
 
I have a 2012 Cannondale sl1 trail, I swapped the stock wheel's out for some Mavic cross ride's and he next to go will be the handle bars and seat post for USE carbon ones. I use to have a hope 1 light for the front I replaced that with an Exposure Toro which is a super bright front ,great combined with the exposure flare for the rear.

I cycle to and from work each day I also cycle to my sisters for lunch average of 6 miles day if we get a few days good weather I try to get a few miles in after work.

Really want to get my self back to full fitness at some point. I use to put in over 100 miles a week but after a crash im lucky if i do just 30
 
neil_g said:
That lady who lost her daughter and bought shares in the cement company.. How courageous..
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I heard about that story (from folk at work who saw the program) but no one mentioned her buying shares - what's the story there?
 
TopBanana said:
I heard about that story (from folk at work who saw the program) but no one mentioned her buying shares - what's the story there?
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She bought shares so that she'd be able to attend their AGM and get an audience with everyone who matters in the company. She then stood up and asked what can be done to make sure that an accident like that which killed her daughter couldn't happen again. The company responded by having new mirrors fitted to all their cement mixers that eliminated the blind-spot behind the cabin as they turned, where cyclists can potentially get trapped.
 
TopBanana said:
I heard about that story (from folk at work who saw the program) but no one mentioned her buying shares - what's the story there?
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her daughter got killed by a cement mixer which overtook her and then turned left.

the coroner ruled accidental death, but she went and bought shares of the cement company (which is now cemex) so that she could speak during the shareholder meeting to the directors.

basically it lead to the company listening and introducing more signage on the trucks, bigger indicators, bigger wing mirrors and proximity sensors.

shes now trying to get other companys to follow suit.
 
Oh I see (in stereo no less!)
That's an impressive things to do and I'm glad it made a change.
 
The real problem with the show was it didn't offer any solutions. It just focused on one bad clip after another in little more than a You've Been Framed style.

Where was the advice for cyclists and drivers to stay safe?

Why didn't they correct the road tax argument?

Why didn't they dispel the myth that cyclists have to hug the kerb and use cycle lanes where available?

Why didn't it tell cyclists to be less provocative to other road users because it only escalates the rivalry and the chance of conflict?

Why didn't they visit somewhere like Copenhagen to see what sort of cycling safety can be achieved with the right infrastructure?

It missed so many of the salient points on both sides of the debate and focused instead on a few shocking video clips from vigilante cyclists. The only cyclist who came across well was the chap who'd had his friend punched off his bike.
 
TriggerHappy said:
The real problem with the show was it didn't offer any solutions. It just focused on one bad clip after another in little more than a You've Been Framed style.

Where was the advice for cyclists and drivers to stay safe?

Why didn't they correct the road tax argument?

Why didn't they dispel the myth that cyclists have to hug the kerb and use cycle lanes where available?

Why didn't it tell cyclists to be less provocative to other road users because it only escalates the rivalry and the chance of conflict?

Why didn't they visit somewhere like Copenhagen to see what sort of cycling safety can be achieved with the right infrastructure?

It missed so many of the salient points on both sides of the debate and focused instead on a few shocking video clips from vigilante cyclists. The only cyclist who came across well was the chap who'd had his friend punched off his bike.
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I like the BBC but this was poor, as you say more a series of shocking clips, very tabloid style.

I've no idea what anyone who watched that and does not cycle now would think.

As you say no correction on what should happen, no alternatives, hardly anything on the fact that lots of cyclist drive as well as cycle, and of course vice versa.

Bet sales in helmet cameras go up though!
 
It reminded me of the doc warning us that Poland/Ukraine Football thugs were going to murder all the England supporters.
 
This thread's reminded me I need to get on my bike more often! I've really neglected it recently but I'm on a bit of a health kick at the moment having grown to be a bit too porky, as a result getting out on the bike more often is definitely on the cards!

I only have 1 photo of my Giant XTC 4.5, an iPhone snap taken at 3am the other morning when I was wide awake and fancied a bit of a wander. Thankfully Asda kindly put a 24 hour supermarket on my route so I could stock up on water!

jR69A.jpg
 
I love to see the shiny stuff posted in these threads, I really should get my beloved Intense Tracer back onto the trails where she belongs.
 
It's funny that lots of people use cycling as a way of losing weight, but I've found that my diet just adjusted to my cycling (I wasn't really trying to lose weight). Now I've been off my bike for a few weeks (since it melted, see earlier pic) my trousers are definitely getting tighter!
 
TopBanana said:
It's funny that lots of people use cycling as a way of losing weight, but I've found that my diet just adjusted to my cycling (I wasn't really trying to lose weight). Now I've been off my bike for a few weeks (since it melted, see earlier pic) my trousers are definitely getting tighter!
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Sorry to hear about your bike, seriously not good. :(

As far as weight loss goes, I've always enjoyed cycling but I've spent most of the last couple of years out of the country and when I've been home I've generally been too knackered to do anything so it's kind of been neglected. Now I'm back home properly again and am wanting to get the scales going anti-clockwise rather than clockwise I have time to do more.

The scales are in fact going in the right direction although to be honest I think most of that is seriously cutting back on booze, eating sensibly and doing daily sessions on my exercise bike. Getting out on my actual bike will be a nice addition to all that though! :)
 
Yeah they made it sound like some unofficial bike race.
 
Bit of an update since page 1, got the new bars and grips on. Also updated the stem along the way and added some bender fenders and this week got a new Charge saddle.. She's not looking to bad for 15kg/33lb :)


P1000306 by neilgates, on Flickr

Deity Fantom 50mm stem, Crank Bros Iodine 2 AM bars 720mm, ODI Longneck grips.


P1000308 by neilgates, on Flickr

Gots me a new toolbox for the bike bits too :D


P1000309 by neilgates, on Flickr

Santa has a nice long list of parts too :woot:
 
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33lbs, sounds a bit heavy, whats adding all the weight, my nomad am/dh bike is just under 32lbs. And its way to clean get and and abuse it.
 
robj20 said:
33lbs, sounds a bit heavy, whats adding all the weight, my nomad am/dh bike is just under 32lbs. And its way to clean get and and abuse it.
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without taking it apart and weighing i honestly couldnt tell you but im guessing stock wheels and forks. both of which are on the "to do" list. everything that has been changed so far has had a lesser weight so its come down a bit. everything on the christmas list again is lighter so itll come down some more yet.

a clean bike when not in use is a happy bike :D
 
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Mine is never clean, it gets stripped and serviced every 6 months though and thats the only time its clean. Pointless cleaning it to dirty it again the same day.
 
robj20 said:
Mine is never clean, it gets stripped and serviced every 6 months though and thats the only time its clean. Pointless cleaning it to dirty it again the same day.
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maybe, horses for courses.. all of my bikes have been cleaned after riding, just something i do (could be a throwback of working at a LBS which also hired bikes back in the day, they got cleaned and mini serviced after each customer).
 
neil_g said:
it could also be my scales, stock it should weigh 30lb lol

e: somewhere else says 32lb..

:thinking:
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It's not uncommon for manufacturers to weigh bikes without things like pedals, could account for the differences.
 
I ride mine twice a day at least bar sundays, so cleaning that often is not going to happen, plus whats the point, nothing to rust, only bit a do keep clean are the wiper seals on the forks and shock.
 
I try not to weigh mine, just ride it. If im buying new i dont mind saving weight but the performance of a part comes first.
 
True! Take a trip to the toilet before you go for a ride and it's like upgrading your frame to carbon fibre!
 
It does make me laugh when you see someone trying to shave literally a few grams off their bike (admittedly road riders mostly) but they themselves are carrying more than a few extra KGs which would make far more difference!
 
I just had my 8 year old Rockhopper stolen from an indoor "secure" carpark at work. Got the guys on CCTV but the police weren't interested in viewing it.

Oh well, Xmas is coming early this year since I just ordered a new Specialized Roubaix! I don't mind that it has the entry-level groupset. I now have a half-decent frame to build upon.

I haven't been this excited since waiting for my 85L to arrive! :banana:

Specialized-Roubaix-2013.jpg
 
Looks a lovely bike!

I foolishly asked for some 25mm tyres for christmas to go on in place of the 23s I'm using at the moment, which means that I'm having to make do on 23s for 6 weeks when I could really do with the wider tyre in these conditions. I should have just bought them for myself straight away!
 
@TriggerHappy - is the weather bad up your way that you need wider tyres this time of year? In London I've yet to see a flake of snow on my morning commute.

I'm also curious if 2mm makes a difference? I've never ridden a road bike before so these numbers are all new to me. With my mountain bike all I ever did was replace the knobbly tyres with slick-in-the-middles when I wasn't actually on a mountain! But it seems road bikes are more finicky with how you set them up.
 
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