They are, but that doesn't stop random Karens yelling at you. Particularly the ones who don't bother to read the "180yds" bit of the sign.
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Why don't you cycle?
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MikeFromLFE
Member
Cyclists Dismount - yes they do at the end of their journey. Surely it's information not an instruction!
There's a small "cyclist dismount" section on a shared use path I'm familiar with, due to someone's garden being larger than the rest so no room for the pavement to be widened.
Does the shared use path revert to footway for that section, thus opening cyclists up to fines if they continue to cycle on it?
Rather like "Wet Floor" notices in public toilets. Definaqtely not an instruction
Probably yes.
But, when the fixed penalty notices for cycling on pavements were introduced, the transport minister said they shouldn't be used as a blunt instrument. It's been reiterated by police chiefs and ministers quite a bit since.
Doesn't stop the odd over-zealous police officer though: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...irl-for-cycling-on-the-pavement-10098114.html
Police should use their common sense and discretion. If someone is doing 15mph on an e-bike near pedestrians, have a word. If they're linking two signed cycle ways with a 25 metre stretch between 'cyclists dismount' signs when there's nobody else around, pulling them over is a bit daft.
DM352
Member
One reason for not riding - failing of rear wheel hub or bottom bracket on road bike as I pedal but is hard slow going with normal bikes going past me without much effort.
Wheels spin fine but when riding it is a slow tiring ride. Did catch the brake dragging the other day since fixed and still the slow issue. Heard the frame can flex but I am not that heavy!
Wife tells me new bike but hard to chuck out if "maybe" a 10 hear old bike can be fixed and new ones are quite expensive since covid even the Decathlon brand ones.
Wheels spin fine but when riding it is a slow tiring ride. Did catch the brake dragging the other day since fixed and still the slow issue. Heard the frame can flex but I am not that heavy!
Wife tells me new bike but hard to chuck out if "maybe" a 10 hear old bike can be fixed and new ones are quite expensive since covid even the Decathlon brand ones.
Take it to a local independent bike shop. Either ask for a once over on that specific issue which they might not even charge for if it only takes a couple of mins, or get a service done and see if there's anything else they'd recommend?
I'm very much in favour of trying to repair things rather than replace them.
Reminds me I need to get my 15 year old mountaineering rucksack to a repair shop this week or next.
How much did the bike cost when it was new? If you fixed this problem would it also need a lot of other stuff to be fixed to get it properly? If you hold a 12" ruler against the chain, how long are 24 of the links? If its more than 12 1/8th inches then you would probably need to replace the cassette as well as the chain.
Do you know anyone else with a similar bike, where you could swap over their rear wheel, and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, then its probably the freehub. If it doesn't then it might be the bottom bracket.
Anything can be fixed, but if you're getting a bike shop to do it for you, then a new bike might be cheaper.
For example, I've got a bike which is nominally a Raleigh Winner that I got when I was 11. Its just that the only things left from that are the handlebars and stem
That sounds easy to fix, bottom bracket will cost £20 at an independent bike shop, a new real wheel is about the same (unless you mean one with hub gears?)
DM352
Member
Thanks for the few responses including this one. I had got it new in 2013 for about $1.3k CAD so has had a good innings if it is beyond economic repair. Is a gravel bike which is like a road one but wider tyres so a pothole would not finish a wheel off.
I took it to a local bike shop today and they will check it out for $110 CAD and will give me the honest answer if it is bad money after good. A new like for like is $1.9k CAD (kona rove). I think it is the Shimanombearings in the rear hub as seen some youtubes on them being pitted with the bottom bracket being a close second though no play but sealed bearings could be shot.
So while it is assessed and keeping in tune with this thread that is the reason I don't cycle .... for now.
In Alberta some people cycle year round with studded tyres and dress accordingly to the conditions. The stud road sound on bare tarmac is the same as bacon being fried so start thinking that I need a fryup at work.
MoominAndChips
Member
It's the same here in Finland. My former department head used to complain about having to take the bus to work when it got below -30C, not because it was too cold for him but because the grease in the bearings got too thick to pedal! Meanwhile, my bike had been inside since October.
JohnMcL7
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I'm surprised a bike would be beyond economical repair although 110 Canadian dollars seems a lot just to look at the bike, perhaps the bike market is different to here. I have a 2015 fat bike which has a terrible life since it's used for winter riding, it had most of its moving parts destroyed back in 2016 when it took part in a rough 24 hour event and was stripped down, cleaned up and many parts replaced for about £250. More recently it's been approaching (well I guess past) the point it's needing a lot of work done but it now has new chainrings, cassette, chain, BB and jockey wheels which I think was around £200 total with another £200 for the seat dropper which annoyingly couldn't be serviced. My long neglected 2016 road bike I use for day to day riding needed a new chain, cassette and derailleur which also came to around the £200 mark which I thought was reasonable. I did look into buying a new one but new bike costs for a similar spec just seemed surprisingly high compared to what I paid for the bikes.
The bigger problem I find with older bikes is lack of parts as trends have moved on and it's a growing issue with the fat bike since it's a first generation model so its hub spacing is not the current standard and getting chainrings for it in face of 1x systems was a pain. Similarly the slightly newer 29+ bike has been abandoned entirely by Trek and the industry seems to have moved off the idea so the wheels and tyres may be an issue in future.
I find down to -10 is ok but beyond that is problematic because parts on the bike start freezing up and stop working although thankfully it's rarely an issue in the UK.
The bigger problem I find with older bikes is lack of parts as trends have moved on and it's a growing issue with the fat bike since it's a first generation model so its hub spacing is not the current standard and getting chainrings for it in face of 1x systems was a pain. Similarly the slightly newer 29+ bike has been abandoned entirely by Trek and the industry seems to have moved off the idea so the wheels and tyres may be an issue in future.
I find down to -10 is ok but beyond that is problematic because parts on the bike start freezing up and stop working although thankfully it's rarely an issue in the UK.
It's something I like about bikes is that they can usually be repaired for a reasonable price and keep going. I'm in the odd position now that with trends moving on I prefer my older bikes to their replacements, my 29+ HT is still my absolute favourite to ride and my endurance road bike is just amazing for large miles since it's designed for comfort whereas oddly its replacement foregoes some comfort features to get the weight down a little.
Agreed, and the tools required are mostly just typical household tools people will have knocking about.
Also the repairs are usually within the skillset of the owner of they're happy to watch a couple of YouTube videos.
Wheels spins freely (not under load), but hard work and slow when aboard and pedalling.
I once had the same exact problem, the fault was the axle passing through the rear wheelhub, the axle had fatigued and distorted into a "bow shape" under my weight when riding, the hub bearings would bind but not enough to seize the wheel.
Without the load of my weight the axle resumed the correct shape and the wheel span freely.
Replacing old with a new axle of better quality than OEM ( the bike was a budget make) problem solved!
DM352
Member
So was a $200 CAD repair including service but will check the axle as had not thought of that but makes sense. Chain and cogs were a bit gunked up. The tech said my wheels and tyre replacements purchased previously precovid were quite heavy and I checked. They are 3 times heavier than the stock ones got when new so now know why they were reasonably priced! They also moved the front brake disk up a size as calliper was hitting spokes.
In context of this thread I did ride back from there today and it was not Tour de France speed but seemed smoother than before.
This is what passes for a cycle lane in Cardiff. Reportedly cost millions to put in, but sweeping leaves is too difficult. Not great for pedestrians either.
Further on there are trees growing out and big clumps of leaves as a result of recent flooding, no doubt due to the drains being blocked.
The thin branches on the left are hard to spot in the dark without leaves. Some are are at eye level. Before anyone says "complain to the council," been there, done that, total waste of time. They have an extensive menu of "report it" options on the website, all of which get completely ignored. They may as well shut it down.
Further on there are trees growing out and big clumps of leaves as a result of recent flooding, no doubt due to the drains being blocked.
The thin branches on the left are hard to spot in the dark without leaves. Some are are at eye level. Before anyone says "complain to the council," been there, done that, total waste of time. They have an extensive menu of "report it" options on the website, all of which get completely ignored. They may as well shut it down.
andy33gmail
Member
Nowhere I go is near enough to cycle but too far to walk
Credit where it is due, most of the leaves in post #376 have been swept up. The thin branches remained so today I attended with some secateurs and cut them all back. Now there is more space to ride and I'm less likely to lose an eye at night.
Only took 3.5 weeks!
Fair play. I did this with someone's hedge overhanging onto a pavement recently. I actually think they saw me through the window but said nothing.
The cycle path along the promenade near me on the other hand is now occupied by a small portion of the beach. Hopefully at some point the council will send a digger down to return the sand whence it came - it makes it very difficult to stay upright.
Tetragon213
Member
With the ever increasing rise in bus fares, I astonishingly ended up having to join the rank and file using bikes to get into the office. It's a relatively cheap e-bike from the internet (<£400, so I expect it to not last that long), mainly using it to gauge viability before jumping in with both feet on a four-figure boondoggle, just in case it turned out to be more faff than the bus. Route-wise, there's a slightly roundabout route in to the office via a canal path (including an access point which has been very nicely done up by the council, yet online maps refuse to recognise), some shared paths in the city centre, and probably not even 1/4 of a mile rat-running on side streets. Overall time is about 5 minutes slower on the way in than the bus, from door-to-desk (travel time is comparable, but parking and packing add time to the end of the journey).
As much as I dislike cycling, surprisingly, even in sideways rain it's still preferable to being ripped off by National Express West Midlands' joke of what they term a "service", which has so irritated me that I have written complaints to them, the council, and even my MP over the issue, such is its lack of quality that it has gotten me a "final verbal bollocking" at work for timekeeping. It's certainly not enjoyable lugging around a big heavy work laptop along a narrow canal path on a bike, especially as rucksacks exacerbate the sweating issue hence my use of a satchel, but it's a damned sight better than paying £20 a week for a bus is often late, overcrowded, and almost without fail stinks to the high heavens of "green psychoactive substances".
As far as cycling went for the past few months, cranking up the e-assist to the maximum (which gets up to about 12-14mph) as well as going as early as possible in the day alleviated the worst of the perspiration issue during the summer.
I'd still rather have literally any other form of public transport to take me into the office over cycling in, but in the absence of a reliable form of transport, I'd do just about anything to avoid giving NXWM another penny of my hard-earned cash ever again for as long as I can help it.
As much as I dislike cycling, surprisingly, even in sideways rain it's still preferable to being ripped off by National Express West Midlands' joke of what they term a "service", which has so irritated me that I have written complaints to them, the council, and even my MP over the issue, such is its lack of quality that it has gotten me a "final verbal bollocking" at work for timekeeping. It's certainly not enjoyable lugging around a big heavy work laptop along a narrow canal path on a bike, especially as rucksacks exacerbate the sweating issue hence my use of a satchel, but it's a damned sight better than paying £20 a week for a bus is often late, overcrowded, and almost without fail stinks to the high heavens of "green psychoactive substances".
As far as cycling went for the past few months, cranking up the e-assist to the maximum (which gets up to about 12-14mph) as well as going as early as possible in the day alleviated the worst of the perspiration issue during the summer.
I'd still rather have literally any other form of public transport to take me into the office over cycling in, but in the absence of a reliable form of transport, I'd do just about anything to avoid giving NXWM another penny of my hard-earned cash ever again for as long as I can help it.
telstarbox
Established Member
The good thing about cycling or walking is you're never sat waiting for the transport or in a queue of traffic. Keeping it moving feels good at whatever speed!
Exactly. For me, the bike is cheap and delivers a consistent journey time. At quiet times the car is a few minutes faster but when there is congestion it can easily take twice as long to drive.
Cat Lechat
Member
If you can fit pannier racks to your bike they are a game changer for the sweat issue. Some people will tell you you need fancy expensive bags, but I bought two from Lidl for £10 years ago and they're still going strong
When I lived in London, cycling would win over driving for any commute I ended up having. In fact it was quicker than the Tube for my regular commutes. That includes a commute where I was relying on Santander cycles so included the end to end of walking to a docking station, undocking bike, riding, docking, walking from docking station to work site.
Where I live now, at rush hour, Google Maps reckons driving would be a few minutes quicker, but I tend to cycle a bit quicker than Google Maps suggests so I think it would be six and half a dozen really. Not to mention that sitting in slow moving or idle traffic for 45 minutes would ruin my diesel.
Welcome to cycling world! I bought a 4 figure ebike about 5 years ago and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Quality is important, especially for the battery and the charger.
I have panniers on my ebike. If you do upgrade, then panniers should be in your spec.
What? Am I the only person who doesn't ride a bike because they have a small child? OK Anyway, I'll be back on my bike soon, but not this season. I'm waiting for warmer spring days. And I'm definitely considering buying a camera like the one you showed @Bikeman78 !
Anyway, I'll be back on my bike soon, but not this season. I'm waiting for warmer spring days. And I'm definitely considering buying a camera like the one you showed @Bikeman78 !Shimbleshanks
Established Member
Is it just me, or has the standard of driving deteriorated markedly in the last few months or years? I've just come home after nearly being hit by a driver at a roundabout who was coming from my left but who was adamant that I should have given way. A heated discussion ensued. I wish now that I'd grabbed his keys and at least put him off the road for the rest of the evening.
Most of these people seem to be foreigners working for food delivery firms, though to be fair some of our home-grown idiots run them pretty close for stupidity and lack of awareness. In the course of a three mile ride earlier this evening I was twice cut up by drivers who were either unaware or simply didn't care that I was there.
I personally classify a serious near miss as one where the vehicle comes within three feet of physically hitting me and I've had three of those in the last month.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this urban cycling game...
Most of these people seem to be foreigners working for food delivery firms, though to be fair some of our home-grown idiots run them pretty close for stupidity and lack of awareness. In the course of a three mile ride earlier this evening I was twice cut up by drivers who were either unaware or simply didn't care that I was there.
I personally classify a serious near miss as one where the vehicle comes within three feet of physically hitting me and I've had three of those in the last month.
Maybe I'm getting too old for this urban cycling game...
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