Cycling chat

[Nearholmer]

Second day in a row of brilliant sunshine. Yesterday, I only managed to fit in an hour ride very near to home, but grabbed two hours late morning today, and wished I could have taken double that - it’s beautiful out there!

 

Took it very gingerly, because every shadow is a frost pocket, and went along the tow-path out into the country, up a steep bridleway to the hills, then along minor roads through woods, golf-courses and posh mansions.

 

 

 

PS: Cold weather cycling tip of the day: fill your water bottle with hot marmite drink, and by the time you need a mid-ride drink, it’s kind of luke-warm and a lot more suitable than cold water or the like.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Nearholmer

[njee20]

Re: insurance I've always shopped around on the house insurance provider to ensure they're covered. M&S used to be very good, but then the rates skyrocketed. Pedal Cover are a home insurance provider aimed at cyclists. I used them for several years, but again rates rose and the terms became less favourable (50% replacement value applied to bikes more than 3 years old).

 

Often providers aimed at the more 'high value' end of the market can be better - John Lewis, More Than (both underwritten by RSA), Hiscox etc. We're currently with Hastings Direct, with a "Premier" policy. We pay <£300 for buildings and contents, covering £14k of bikes (highest valued at £5k) covered at home and away from the house.

[Nearholmer]

I checked price of bike only cover from Pedal Cover yesterday. Extortionate!

[njee20]

They don't do bike only cover? They do home insurance with decent bike cover...? Looking at their website though it's all changed, you never had to specify the bikes, which was a bit of a selling point. Price for me doubled at renewal on year 3 though, in combination with the cover changing. It was always underwritten by Axa, so you're at their whim if they want to decrease their exposure.

 

I've never seen a 'bike only' policy which is anything other than exorbitant, often seems to be about 10% of the value of the bike.

Edited January 13, 2022 by njee20

[jcredfer]

1 hour ago, Nearholmer said:

Second day in a row of brilliant sunshine. Yesterday, I only managed to fit in an hour ride very near to home, but grabbed two hours late morning today, and wished I could have taken double that - it’s beautiful out there!

 

Took it very gingerly, because every shadow is a frost pocket, and went along the tow-path out into the country, up a steep bridleway to the hills, then along minor roads through woods, golf-courses and posh mansions.

 

 

 

PS: Cold weather cycling tip of the day: fill your water bottle with hot marmite drink, and by the time you need a mid-ride drink, it’s kind of luke-warm and a lot more suitable than cold water or the like.

 

Lovely picture and a great day for a ride out.

 

I rather wish I had taken to the bike and gone out, but sat waiting for the RAC to come and fix my wife's car.  It decided to cut out yesterday, while she was driving to catch a train.  It restarted straight away, but, as she got to the stn, cut out again and activated the steering lock!!  When she returned, last evening, it cut out and activated the lock once more, so she has my car today.  

 

Ironically, I could have gone for a good distance ride, as I called the RAC at 10.38 this morning and they still haven't arrived at 15.50.  That's on their top rate cover - Heaven help those who pay for the lower levels of cover.

 

Julian

 

[Nearholmer]

34 minutes ago, njee20 said:

They don't do bike only cover?

 

They seem to. I started by trying to get a quote for building, contents, and bikes, to compare with the LV one we have now, which isnt great on the bikes, but they declined to quote, claiming our area is "a subsidence risk", which is tosh, then emailed me a link to a "bikes only" option, which for two bikes summing to £3500 in total, was £200/year. Goodness knows what it would have been if I'd put on all six bikes that we have in the household!

[njee20]

Apologies, I stand corrected. Sounds like a big shift in their business model, and not surprised it isn't cost effective! That's more than I was paying them for house insurance before they hiked the prices.

[Nearholmer]

Now, here’s something interesting …..

 

I sought a quote using the same insurer we use currently, but simply ‘contents and bikes’, and for £60k of house contents (their standard figure), plus the same two bikes worth £3500 away from home, it is £150/year ……. So 25% cheaper than ‘bikes only’ from the other provider, for far greater cover!  
 

Next move is to phone them to see what it would cost to add the ‘named bikes away from home’ to our existing policy. I’m optimistic that it will be good value!  Edit: Done, £36/year as an add-on to the existing policy. 

 

Shop around chaps, but don’t rely on those meerkat websites.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Nearholmer

[njee20]

Yeah, you can't use the comparison sites, and there are some really frustrating "computer says no" moments with blanket thresholds on either total combined or single item limit, even among insurers who market themselves as being good for bikes!

 

Definitely worth shopping around, while you're speaking to your insurer always worth checking your railway and stock is covered too! Particularly if it's in a garage/shed where there are commonly limits.

[big jim]

3 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

Now, here’s something interesting …..

 

I sought a quote using the same insurer we use currently, but simply ‘contents and bikes’, and for £60k of house contents (their standard figure), plus the same two bikes worth £3500 away from home, it is £150/year ……. So 25% cheaper than ‘bikes only’ from the other provider, for far greater cover!  
 

Next move is to phone them to see what it would cost to add the ‘named bikes away from home’ to our existing policy. I’m optimistic that it will be good value!  Edit: Done, £36/year as an add-on to the existing policy. 

 

Shop around chaps, but don’t rely on those meerkat websites.

my bike valued at £1100 including away from home is only about £25 a year iirc 

[BR traction instructor]

The unfortunate furniture of the modern railway/countryside does little to encourage railway photography. Passing Betley (south of Crewe) a few moments ago as I enjoyed my 10 mile constitutional.

 

66041 headed south with a liner service.

 

Wybunbury church (leaning tower) and towards Balterley heath.

 

BeRTIe

Edited January 14, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[BR traction instructor]

Between Hough and Wrinehill.

 

Passing Basford Hall sth a few moments ago.

 

66548 heads south with a liner service.

 

BeRTIe

 

Edited January 14, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[BR traction instructor]

Mail units head south as 70810 arrives with stone.

 

BeRTIe

Edited January 14, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[big jim]

Interesting the 196 running to crewe in the day! 

[BR traction instructor]

I stopped to take a single pic to add to the thread but there was a procession…seemed a shame to leave without pics.

 

BeRTIe

[Nearholmer]

Certainly looks like you inspected some traction there!

 

Whats that purple and orange livery? It’s absolutely ages since I travelled northwards from home, so haven’t seen that one.

Edited January 14, 2022 by Nearholmer

[BR traction instructor]

First that I’ve seen of this unit type/livery. Jim describes it as a class 196. Needs a bit of investigation…CAF Spanish built units for West Midlands Trains apparently. Hope they don’t suffer the cracking issues that the GWR trains and west midlands tram fleets have encountered.

 

BeRTIe

Edited January 15, 2022 by BR traction instructor

[Dodger]

Too cold at the moment for me to be cycling. Confined to the garage working on my new layout which is based on a China Clay Pelleting Plant.

Stay safe,

Roger

[big jim]

50 minutes ago, Nearholmer said:

31 minutes ago, BR traction instructor said:

First that I’ve seen of this unit type/livery. Jim describes it as a class 196. Needs a bit of investigation…CAF Spanish built units for West Midlands Trains apparently.

Whats that purple and orange livery? It’s absolutely ages since I travelled northwards from home, so haven’t seen that one.

 

plenty of pics on my work thread save clogging up the cycling one! 
 

 

 

[Mark Forrest]

A day off work today so went exploring a corner of the Peak District that we normally overlook.

 

While daylight hours are in short supply we started the ride from Parsley Hay, saving a fair chunk of time that would otherwise have been spent in the car.

 

Anyway, north to the end of the High Peak Trail, Pennine Bridleway over to to Chee Dale, then looped around past Tunstead to drop back down to Millers Dale for a gentle spin along the Monsal Trail before heading back to Parsley Hay.  Tough going in places, but definitely a route I'll do again, particularly when things dry out a bit more.  We got really lucky with the weather, apparently it was grey and misty most of the day at home.

 

[Nearholmer]

That rock cutting is spectacular. Is that The Monsal Trail?

[Mark Forrest]

10 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

That rock cutting is spectacular. Is that The Monsal Trail?

It is; taken from the bridge that carries the Pennine Bridleway over the Monsal Trail at Chee Dale

[spikey]

23 hours ago, big jim said:

 ... plenty of pics on my work thread save clogging up the cycling one! 

 

Yep, lets keep this one for cycling 

[big jim]

Got the turbo trainer up and running earlier thanks to a cheap bike from the local reclamation warehouse!

 

paid £25 for the bike, not bothered about it being a woman’s frame as it’s the right size for what I want it for, rhe only issue I had was the rear axle wasn’t wide enough for the turbo trainer to grip it, rather than buying a replacement skewer and had the idea of getting some stabiliser spacing nuts and putting them on the existing axle then putting the bolts on the end of those and they work perfectly, the bike sits snug and secure in the trainer!

 

Also got a slick type tyre to replace the knobbly one

 

excuse the mess, just had to move stuff out of the way in the layout room to get it in

 

I’m just waiting on a HDMI cable coming from Amazon and I can play the laptop through the projector screen for the full immersive experience!

 

did my first ride on zwift earlier, speed seemed to be up and down at first, didn’t seem to go over 6-7 mph then it seemed to stable out and I got 10-15 mph, the auto resistance is defiantly working on the hills which is good! 

 

i can see me having some fun with this!

 

 

[37114]

On 14/01/2022 at 18:11, Dodger said:

Too cold at the moment for me to be cycling. Confined to the garage working on my new layout which is based on a China Clay Pelleting Plant.

Stay safe,

Roger

I went out this morning as apparently it was 1oC however there was a lot of frost on the ground so I stayed off the minor roads and did 11 miles by doing loops around town. It is supposed to be 6oC tomorrow so hopefully getting a few more miles in tomorrow morning.