Cycling chat

[Coldgunner]

ooh that might be spot on!

[Nearholmer]

I’m pretty sure that’s exactly the one, although I got it in Evans. I asked the girl in the shop for her thoughts on what I needed, and she said “Aha! This is the one I use, it’s greatly reduced, and we only have one left.” Bingo!

 

[Correction: the one I have is one model up from that, the 1300XXL, I think now superseded by the 1400+.]

 

What I like about it is that you can set it up to do a one press toggle to/fro “floodlight” and “road light”, so you don’t have to do all that scrolling through modes which many lights force you into when going on-off road.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 30 by Nearholmer

[Coldgunner]

I spotted they were doing the larger 1600XX at a decent rate so plumped for that, won't be used day to day, just for night rides on trails.

https://www.sportsdirect.com/lezyne-super-1600xxl-930328#colcode=93032803

[Nearholmer]

Good choice, I reckon, and if it’s got the toggling function (instructions for how to set it up are buried deep in the small-print of a manual, which I could only find on-line) it’ll do for daytime too.

[Coldgunner]

I'll keep the cheapo amazon job mounted on the bike too and have that as my daily, as its pretty good for being 'seen' under streetlights and town lighting. Downside of mounting a big boy on there is some git will try nick it! Hopefully it helps compensate for the go pro's craptacular low light performance in the countryside. Will see how it goes, watch this space.

[big jim]

Ive got a pair of Halfords lights on my bike, mounted on the underside of a couple of Garmin mounts, the top of one mount holds a go pro (when I remember) and the other holds the garmin computer

 

one is 1500 lumen and the other is 1000, this is both of them illuminating the old GC line through rugby 

 

 

and just the 1000 lumen one on the line to Leicester 

 

I very rarely have them both on at the same time as they are so bright but they certainly help you see and be seen 

 

I’ve also got a basic lamp on my helmet for more focused ‘looking’ 

[Coldgunner]

1600XXL arrived today, had a play with it and bloody 'eck is it bright (also, don't look directly at it in overdrive mode.... don't ask!). Will go for a late ride tonight to properly bench test it.

 

One things for sure, its thief fodder, my cheapo amazon ones will be the primary daily lights, saving this for the special adventures.

[tractionman]

a balmy Feb afternoon trundle home along the lough shore after work...

 

[Coldgunner]

Went for a midnight ride last night to test the new light and I am impressed! Lights up most of the nearby field in overdrive mode.

 

 

Later into the ride a very strange thing happened, tbh I'm not sure if it was just the shadows in the trees or if I saw something otherworldly...

 

Following a lit path that runs parrallel to the Spalding line, I could see in the distance what looked like 3 dark shapes walking away. Given the time it was I slowed down a bit as I didn't really fancy dealing with a group of people who are potentially drunk. So I continued riding at a slower pace to allow them to 'clear' when the path turned onto a road. I was still slowly catching up with them, and they seemed to sort of fade away. The path was roughly 350m total in length, but its arrow straight.

 

Now, logically the trees were creating shadows and a possible causing trick of the eye, but there was very little wind and I've ridden down that way loads of times.

 

The experience really wasn't frightening, but I'm baffled and I've been thinking about it all day. Even to the point I might take the same ride tonight, take the camera with a long lens and see if I can replicate what I saw and work out a rational explanation. Its not my first rodeo with this kind of thing and 9/10 I can figure out a rational explanation. I do have go pro footage of the ride along with my mic sounds when I saw it, but the low light performance of the gopro and the long distance means nothing can be seen.

Edited February 3 by Coldgunner

[tractionman]

sounds pretty spooky to me 😲 I'm not great in the dark, on my own.

 

it's something I'm working on as I like night riding ...

 

today I've fitted a rack to my mongoose mtb, I got the bike for sixty odd quid off Gumtree, and the rack was half price in Halfords, I'm gearing up for a solo overnighter so I've got to overcome the fear of the dark thing!

 

[Coldgunner]

All I'll say its get good lights and spare lights, don't have to be anything special, just enough to be seen, and a spare hi-viz vest. I use one I nicked from work from the warehouse and its ideal for going over my coat. and being seen.

 

Also tell someone where you're going and where you are.

[Pete Haitch]

When I used to commute by bike, in winter I would ride back to South London along narrowish unlit Kentish Lanes in the dark.  The only near misses with vehicles all involved ones approaching from behind and struggling to slow up in time. As well as rechargeable helmet and seat post lights, I made up rear light array brackets like this one for each of my bikes. The two battery lights were used in parallel but with batteries at different stage of life so that if one light began to dim, the other was still bright; and they could quickly be swapped between bikes.

 

 

 

I did some all night rides on that touring bike so at one stage had three front lights that I could cycle through to give 10 - 12 hours of lighting without having to stop and swap battery-packs. In winter two of them usually lived on the £25.00 (2007) off Ebay, Diamond Back, hybrid bike I used for commuting. 

 

 

 

[Coldgunner]

Uploaded a video aboutmy strange encounter to YT (got no subs yet so please sub to get me going lol). Still thinking about what I saw even today.

 

https://youtu.be/TbJ8DItRjWQ?si=OO1b3jrnY0HiSL0S

 

[tractionman]

got out this morning, gloomy old day but all the more reason to get some fresh air and take in the sea air

looking out of Belfast Lough

 

 

Still deep Winter here, bare trees and mud.

[Nearholmer]

42 minutes ago, Coldgunner said:

Uploaded a video aboutmy strange encounter

At what exact time in the film is the phenomenon that spooked you?

 

TBH, all I could make out was your own headlamp pool, and the procession of street lamps.

[Coldgunner]

4 hours ago, Nearholmer said:

At what exact time in the film is the phenomenon that spooked you?

 

TBH, all I could make out was your own headlamp pool, and the procession of street lamps.

 

TBH nothing is visible, the go pro just isn't a capable camera in poor light sadly. Just my own reactions at the time. I've been experimenting with recording my voice with a lapel mic and this was one of those rides. Its about 5:06 where I have the encounter though. All you can actually experience is me describing what's happening/talking about it.

 

I'm going to go back to the same spot after dark later in the week with a long lens camera and try to replicate what I saw, see if it was indeed just the shadows of the trees.

[big jim]

Ive bravely (or stupidly) signed up for a london to Brighton cycle in September in aid of great ormond street hospital despite being massively unfit at the moment

 

https://www.gosh.org/get-involved/fundraising-events/london-brighton-cycle/

 

I’ve resurrected my old weight loss thread too where I’ll attempt to highlight my weight loss (again!) 

 

 

[Coldgunner]

My dad drove the support van years ago for some guys doing that run, they loved it. Also some of my friends did the 100 mile London to Cambridge ride.

[Coldgunner]

Another quick cycling adventure on my lunch hour today. Nothing fancy, just a blast around the local park which I've known for 30 years...

 

... and somehow gotten myself lost!

 

Found my way back but looks like much of the paths have flooded, was able to navigate them simply by keeping a low gear and applying power, much like a car. The moment you stop moving, you're buggered.

 

Now I have a filthy bike to clean.

[Michael Edge]

I was tempted (and gave in!) by this last month.

It's a Grünberg S20, very nice road/gravel electric bike, still needed mudguards when this photo was taken. It rides really well without power on levellish routes and flies up the steepest hills - and there are plenty of those around Barnsley. Riding it like this the battery is good for about 70 miles from a full charge, the biggest snag with it (being a European bike) was that I found the brakes are the wrong way round - front brake on the left. I'll just get used to it for now, I don't want to disturb the handlebar tape yet.

After spending most of my life with only one bike I now have three, this one, my Orbit tourer which has done about 28000 miles now and the venerable Claud Butler which I've been riding since 1963.

 

[Coldgunner]

So... interesting day.

 

Background - Mum volunteers at a local charity shop. Today they had a bike donated, and knowing I'm kinda interested mum text me. Sent me a picture and figured I'd go take a look, although still slightly too small for me its actually quite a nice bike.

 

So after work I nipped to the shop to take a look in person and was quite happy, some odds and ends need doing but otherwise it was more or less good to go. And this is what I picked up...

 

 

Couple of minor issues to sort. So although the tyres are Continentals, They're clearly a bit aged and probably good for swapping, I'll swap them for some Schwalbe Marathon MTB's. Also the front inner tube valve failed and needed a new tube. Finally the largest gear on the groupset seems to keep skipping, i'll give it an good oiling to see if if just needs bedding in or a new cog is required, but I can live with that. The front wheel is slightly out of true, but I think that can be fixed at the local shop too.

 

When I can be bothered, I'll fit new cable sets for the gears and brakes. I paid £80, which I don't think is too bad considering the condition of the frame, forks, seat etc. It also weight nearly half what my other one does.

 

Riding the hard-tail after riding a full suspension is certainly different. I'll be in a better position next year to buy a new bike measured to my size, but in the meantime the two I have will do, and means I've got a loaner too.

[Nearholmer]

One of the best places to get bikes round here is the bike recycling charity, which takes in any, literally any, bike or component anyone no longer wants, refurbishes, or strips for parts if too far gone, and sells at a knock-down price, or even gives bikes away. It gets a lot of  c3yo road bikes from club members who have to have the latest thing, plus all sorts of others, and most go for c£100 fully serviced, with posh ones for maybe £200.

 

I’ve donated bikes, in fact I have one waiting to go there now that I found abandoned on the canal towpath (I did leave it a few days, and put a notice on the parish Facebook site in case it was a stolen one!), and have bought multiple useful things like racks, bottle cages etc, at pocket-money prices, the best being a whole bundle of klick-fast brackets and fixings, plus a ratty old klick-fast bar bag, which I dismantled for parts to support my Carradice bag, all for a fiver!

 

https://mkchristianfoundation.co.uk/cycle-saviours/

 

 

[chipbury]

In Bath the Julian House charity runs a bike workshop.  A few times i've taken good used parts or new parts and they use them to rebuild donated bikes.

 

https://www.jhbikeworkshop.org/

 

[Coldgunner]

Took a ride out today on the (new to me) whip. Its a bit too small for me again but will make an ideal project/loaner for visitors. Waiting for a longer seatpost to arrive, but to be honest today I was quite comfortable. Swapped out the tyres for Schwalbe Marathon MTB's which seem to roll quite well and of course fitted the kickstand.

 

I also can't help but check out pretty churches.

 

[Mark Forrest]

The continued wet weather has been getting me down a bit, even road rides (we did a 100km Audax from Leicester a few weeks ago) have resulted in a soaking.  Last Monday we drove to Hadfield with intentions to ride the Trans Pennine Trail, but stopped after 3.5 miles because of a problem with the brakes on my bike that I wasn't able to fix.

Yesterday however things were looking a bit brighter.  A cold start, but dry and sunny in the Peak District for a 28 miles MTB ride; a figure of eight loop starting with the climb up onto Baslow Edge.

 

Conditions were quite muddy/sloppy in places (particularly as we dropped down towards Bakewell) but on the whole it was great to get out for a ride with no rain.