Jan and Klodi's Party Bus - part II **off topic discussion**

eeeee

I'm delighted the ads in the middle of the page have changed for me from 'Fitness Singles' (for ages!) to the 'Botharnabreena Gearbox Centre'. This is despite me being neither single nor owning a car. Targeted ads my ass!

Qualitymark

gadetra wrote: »

I'm delighted the ads in the middle of the page have changed for me from 'Fitness Singles' (for ages!) to the 'Botharnabreena Gearbox Centre'. This is despite me being neither single nor owning a car. Targeted ads my ass!

I'm being offered "Win a tractor for 1 year!" What will they do with the tractor after I've used it for a year?

traprunner

gadetra wrote: »

I'm delighted the ads in the middle of the page have changed for me from 'Fitness Singles' (for ages!) to the 'Botharnabreena Gearbox Centre'. This is despite me being neither single nor owning a car. Targeted ads my ass!

Thankfully the ads are blocked in work but I always get the fitness singles ones at home. It could be worse. There is football forum that I frequent that always has Russian bride ads on it.

traprunner

Qualitymark wrote: »

I'm being offered "Win a tractor for 1 year!" What will they do with the tractor after I've used it for a year?

What would you do with it during that year?

eeeee

traprunner wrote: »

There is football forum that I frequent that always has Russian bride ads on it.

:eek:

A tractor is the ultimate urban vehicle. It's loud, slow, highly visible and you can just ram or run over road users you're not keen on. You could provide a useful drafting service around Wicklow at the weekends. Tracto-pacing?

Qualitymark

Yeah! All good ideas. I could take my dog to the park for walks. Could pace the young lads who drive their sulkies past on weekends.

Weepsie

daragh_ wrote: »

Is it Friday already?

Sorry cyclists, there's no room for you anymore

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057494149

It maybe that a regular poster to these forums made a rather tongue in cheek remark and another regular has possibly missed their point. If its not a wind up I'm worried.

Anyway, traffic was bumper to bumper this morning and I glided by all on my way to work with much time to spare, all while stopping at all lights.

Qualitymark

Incidentally, @gadetra, have you cycled around Bohernabreena/Glenasmole? Glorious, glorious place that most Dubs don't know about. And the Fianna's favourite hunting spot, so you have a chance of meeting Fionn, Oisín, Oscar, Goll Mac Morna, and even Diarmuid of the Love-Spot.

53.237139, -6.363471

Dublin Fire Brigade is talking about assisting a cyclist whose helmet was split in three parts

http://www.thejournal.ie/helmet-crash-dublin-fire-brigade-2330068-Sep2015/

but no details on when or where, so far.

Lusk_Doyle

Qualitymark wrote: »

I'm being offered "Win a tractor for 1 year!" What will they do with the tractor after I've used it for a year?

Take it back, presumably.

tomasrojo

In the UK, DEFRA have said that motorists need to be restricted on more polluted routes, because NOx is killing too many people (>50k per annum).
http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/defra-calls-for-cycleways-after-admitting-motoring-s-noxious-air-kills/018382

It is “absolutely clear that the transport system needs to be balanced in favour of sustainable transport modes,” said Defra, adding that road planners should “give priority to pedestrian and cycle movements.”

The argument against mass motorisation on the grounds of excessive air pollution seems to have become less prevalent in recent years, but pollution is a big killer in bigger urban areas.

Eamonnator

Weepsie wrote: »

It maybe that a regular poster to these forums made a rather tongue in cheek remark and another regular has possibly missed their point. If its not a wind up I'm worried.

Anyway, traffic was bumper to bumper this morning and I glided by all on my way to work with much time to spare, all while stopping at all lights.

Things are getting dirty over there.

traprunner

I had a driver threaten to break my back this morning. I hit a pinch point before him. He comes up beside me and then proceeds to move in to the left pushing me against the kerb. I gave his passenger window a very gently tap as a reminder I was there and about to be knocked off the bike because he was about 2 inches from my handlebars and still moving in towards me. He then started to shout all sorts of abuse at me. I wouldn't mind but neither of us could have gone any further due to the traffic being backed up. What a plonker.

OleRodrigo

Take a wide postion coming up to pinch points/ traffic calming structures. Many drivers will try and squeeze past if given a chance.

tomasrojo

traprunner wrote: »

I gave his passenger window a very gently tap as a reminder I was there and about to be knocked off the bike because he was about 2 inches from my handlebars and still moving in towards me. He then started to shout all sorts of abuse at me.

It's a bit of a tough call. I've read it advocated as a tactic, and I have tried it, but I now avoid touching cars at all, as I had one guy go absolutely and frighteningly bananas in a similar scenario. But raising your voice to warn them can make them go bananas. The best thing to do is to take the lane, as pointed out already, but that can make them go bananas too.

Touching the car is the most likely to set them off though.

Lumen

tomasrojo wrote: »

Touching the car is the most likely to set them off though.

Right. Unsolicited touching is bad.

Imagine a pedestrian came up and held your handlebars whilst remonstrating about you sitting ahead of the stop line (you don't do that, I'm sure, it's the hypothetical you).

traprunner

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Take a wide postion coming up to pinch points/ traffic calming structures. Many drivers will try and squeeze past if given a chance.

He didn't try to squeeze past. He tried to squeeze me out. I never had a problem at this pinch point before and I cycle it twice every work day. Vehicles know it's a pinch point and usually hang back.

traprunner

tomasrojo wrote: »

It's a bit of a tough call. I've read it advocated as a tactic, and I have tried it, but I now avoid touching cars at all, as I had one guy go absolutely and frighteningly bananas in a similar scenario. But raising your voice to warn them can make them go bananas. The best thing to do is to take the lane, as pointed out already, but that can make them go bananas too.

Touching the car is the most likely to set them off though.

Lumen wrote: »

Right. Unsolicited touching is bad.

Imagine a pedestrian came up and held your handlebars whilst remonstrating about you sitting ahead of the stop line (you don't do that, I'm sure, it's the hypothetical you).

I tapped his window (very gently) just before he would have hit me to notify him of my presence. I am 100% certain that I would have been hit if I hadn't done it. So it wasn't unsolicited. He was still going in to the left and thankfully braked when I give the gentle tap. I'd never have touched the car otherwise.

As a driver I would much prefer that than a scrape on the side of my car and a cyclist injured on the side of the road.

petethedrummer

OleRodrigo wrote: »

Take a wide postion coming up to pinch points/ traffic calming structures. Many drivers will try and squeeze past if given a chance.

I stick my hand out indicating to drivers behind not to pass. I've had no negative responses to this approach... yet.

Fian

traprunner wrote: »

I tapped his window (very gently) just before he would have hit me to notify him of my presence. I am 100% certain that I would have been hit if I hadn't done it. So it wasn't unsolicited. He was still going in to the left and thankfully braked when I give the gentle tap. I'd never have touched the car otherwise.

As a driver I would much prefer that than a scrape on the side of my car and a cyclist injured on the side of the road.

I bang on the window in similar circumstances, not going to worry about bruising the drivers ego when I am in jeopardy of more than bruising to my person.

I have had one or two people get annoyed, which i tend to put down to their having had a fright on realising they were oblivious to me and almost did me serious injury. Anger is not an unusual reaction to fear.

tomasrojo

Lumen wrote: »

Right. Unsolicited touching is bad.

Imagine a pedestrian came up and held your handlebars whilst remonstrating about you sitting ahead of the stop line (you don't do that, I'm sure, it's the hypothetical you).

People don't like it, that's for sure.

traprunner

Fian wrote: »

I bang on the window in similar circumstances, not going to worry about bruising the drivers ego when I am in jeopardy of more than bruising to my person.

I have had one or two people get annoyed, which i tend to put down to their having had a fright on realising they were oblivious to me and almost did me serious injury. Anger is not an unusual reaction to fear.

The only thing I was afraid of was him deliberately hitting me because he was quite angry. I was bemused when I was cycling away because of all the threats I've heard over the years, breaking a back has to be the most unique.

OldBean

Tapping their car can come across as a lot more aggressive (And louder inside the car) than you might think. As mentioned above, your reaction to someone holding your handlebar whilst stopped at the lights would bring about much the same response.

Try a neutral gesture that you're going to move out, make eye contact, take primary position coming up to the pinch point.

Trying to make eye contact, however brief, generally makes a huge difference.

traprunner

OldBean wrote: »

Tapping their car can come across as a lot more aggressive (And louder inside the car) than you might think. As mentioned above, your reaction to someone holding your handlebar whilst stopped at the lights would bring about much the same response.

Try a neutral gesture that you're going to move out, make eye contact, take primary position coming up to the pinch point.

Trying to make eye contact, however brief, generally makes a huge difference.

Unfortunately because I hadn't taken the primary position, it was beyond the point for anything more than either thumping the car hard or a tap to get his attention to prevent a collision. I chose the milder of the two. He had to cross the line if he was even to brush past me. So he would have been a few inches across when he made the manoeuvre and then tried pinch me out. So I don't believe it was a case that he didn't see me.

I will take primary position on the road in future like advised. As said earlier, I never had a problem in this area in the past because 99.99% of drivers notice the pinch point so I probably was in a comfort zone. All in all, I was just happy to get to work unscathed. More bewildered and bemused than annoyed. I actually think I've given up getting annoyed at drivers even when I'm driving! Cycling teaches patience

Alek

I'm stuck with frame sizes. I ride a 58cm cyclocross-like frame now, the new bike can be either 57 or 59. I've entered all the current measurements into the bike cad generated frame geometry and I guess its down to aesthetical choice now.

Would you go for one or the other? On 57cm I have an option to go down with the handlebar and frankly 59cm's headtube looks a bit monstrous to me. However on 57 the stem is 10mm longer, steering will be less responsive too which may not be the best in tight corners of a CX race.

Most calculators say I should go for 59.


57cm:



59cm:




[edit] corrected bike decals [/edit]

lennymc

always go smaller. get a shorter stem.

getting a swisscross? very nice

traprunner

I admittedly know nothing about frame sizes so apologies if this is a stupid question. Where does the 57cm and 59cm come into it in those pictures?

Alek

Its based on someone else drawing and I don't know how to change decals in that program

always go smaller. get a shorter stem.

Mind I will be using it for the road too. So 57 and 110mm?

getting a swisscross? very nice

Thanks for your inspiration Lenny

Lumen

traprunner wrote: »

Unfortunately because I hadn't taken the primary position, it was beyond the point for anything more than either thumping the car hard or a tap to get his attention to prevent a collision

Why not just brake?

traprunner

Lumen wrote: »

Why not just brake?

Who said I wasn't? As said earlier we were coming up to traffic. I don't fancy cycling into the back of a car so I was on the brakes. However a car to come in from the side while I'm doing that....as I said....I'd have been knocked off the bike otherwise. So you'd let yourself get knocked off rather than do something that might just prevent it?

Fian

traprunner wrote: »

I admittedly know nothing about frame sizes so apologies if this is a stupid question. Where does the 57cm and 59cm come into it in those pictures?

It is the length of the bar that has "swiss cross 59cm" written on it in the diagrams. Generally frame size is measured by that bar, taken from the centre of the bars it connects to on either side.