La Flamme Rouge **off topic discussion**

ARX

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750127#Comment_118750127

The cost of fuel for a short trip is negligible though, even at high fuel prices.

Suppose a consumption of 5 litres/100 km and a fuel price of €2/litre. An 800 metre round trip will consume 40 ml of fuel at a cost of 8c.

I would hazard a guess that fuel consumption from a cold start over a short distance is higher than that, but even if it costs 10 times that (80c), that's a cost most people can easily afford.

ednwireland

driving from donegal to Belfast for a flight. wondering if the mileage rate will cover the fuel.

magicbastarder

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750444#Comment_118750444

yep, the sort of person who only uses their car for short trips might not have refilled in several weeks, so has not had the experience of filling up recently so has not had to deal with the higher prices.

however, there's bugger all chance someone driving 800m on a cold engine will get near 5l/100km i'd suspect.

Wishbone Ash

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118750127#Comment_118750127

I live beside a large secondary school. Every day around 3.30 - 4.00ish there are dozens of cars parked up with the engine running for considerable periods while the parents peruse their phones while waiting for the school day to end.

magicbastarder

https://twitter.com/ccferrie/status/1501301394778820611

Fighting Tao

As far as I can tell locally, if the government knocks 15-20 cent off the excise duty on petrol and diesel, it will only knock the price back to what it was early last week. For what they want it to do, I don’t think it’s enough. However, I do hope it means less cars on the road.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118754143#Comment_118754143

0 VAT on a bike is essentially bike to work for everyone which is way fairer than the current system which locks out kids and tons of low paid and casual workers.

Seth Brundle

https://twitter.com/AmericanFietser/status/1501228437457227776

buffalo

https://cyclingtips.com/2022/03/in-the-moment-new-life-chapter-with-nicolas-roche/

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118755416#Comment_118755416

I disagree on the locking out of low and casual workers, I know plenty who found the ability to get a 0% loan for their bicycle over 12 months to be great. I'd still zero rate bicycles if possible but the scheme is magnificent in its simplicity.

breezy1985

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118761489#Comment_118761489

Maybe I'm just a bit annoyed by the system because no job has ever let me sign up. Particularly annoying when they were jobs like night work in a town with no night bus and hospital work during Covid where the bus wasn't ideal.

Would be nice if there was a second route to get the tax off without needing to go through your boss.

CramCycle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118762588#Comment_118762588

This I agree with, it should be easy to simply submit a receipt on the revenue site and you can get them to add it to your tax credits or refund at year end.

Squidgy Black

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118763742#Comment_118763742

Would also remove the absolute scourge of third party companies with those poxy one4all vouchers that some HR departments insist on using

magicbastarder

this comment was posted elsewhere on boards and i think it's fantastic.

cyclists expect everyone else to pay for them never growing up and wandering around looking like a rejected Marvel character,

i have laid claim to the marvel hero name 'quick release'. though maybe that naming convention thing is more x-men. doesn't matter.

Weepsie

I was looking at inner tubes on a site, and the reviews for a self sealing one caught my eye. Someone bought 2 to put on their bike they were using on a turbo trainer, and they somehow got a puncture.

Now, I manage some strange mechanicals, but that would be a little worrying

eeeee

Heat I'd say, if it's not a direct drive turbo?

Weepsie

Yeah probably. But they suggested the front one too.

magicbastarder

currently talking to a german colleague, who got a very nice bianchi about 6 months ago on some german lease system which is kinda like a bike to work scheme. it's worth well north of 4k; and he's done 150km on it so far this year. he's now looking at buying a wilier for 10k. he barely cycles.

magicbastarder

In decathlon; they have a winter road bike in stock, alu frame, 105 groupset but with non-105 crankset and trp hy-rd brakes. €1000. I don't know how they do it.

Weepsie

That's the RC520 Road? They have a gravel version too, takes 45mm tyres I think, but not in stock

magicbastarder

yep, that's the one. comes with mudguards too. i saw some of the city bikes there have an integrated rear wheel lock (locks the rear wheel, rather than locking it to something) which is a nifty idea, i'd not seen it before.

plus, some of the bikes have a spring between the crown of the fork and the frame - i wonder is that to make the steering self-centre?

I dip into this guys channel now an again but regardless of the changes to the law in the UK he needs to have a serious think about his instruction of other instructors. 😮 These lads were riding no different to any other oncoming car van and the shite he comes out with.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6G96EPNFoqk

Wildly Boaring

I dunno he's saying it terribly but his message was

"Slow down when you meet cyclist close to you"

Also if we were overtaken by the gap I'd give a van or a truck, we'd be fuming. So why would we feel safer of that car is head on. If anything the outcome be much worse.

If they were perfectly 2 abreast they'd be safer as they'd have 1.5 to 2.0m for all the vehicles they meet.

Edit: completely disagree with his being inconvenienced shite

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118770030#Comment_118770030

every bike in NL has one of those frame locks - handy if you're just nipping in for coffee as it prevents someone from hopping on and riding your bike away, and as Dutch town bikes weigh about 50kg it's not likely to be carried away either.

the wife's eBike has that self-centring thing on the fork, not sure what the purpose is but I think it's to make it easier to push around when you're walking beside it and less likely to fall over from the front wheel suddenly twisting around.

tomasrojo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118770030#Comment_118770030

Do you mean a frame lock/ringslot/nurse's lock? My bakfiets came with one, and since then I've added one to my tourer and my daughter's bike. Very handy, even if just for securing the rear wheel, or going into shops for a minute where you can see the bike. The plug-in chain option is handy too, as pictured here, with a tex-lock mate only weighing a kilo (though the tex-lock products are pricey). Good secondary lock.

(Most bikes don't have the mounting threads in the frame -- the bakfiets does -- but you can just cover the paint with electrical tape and cable tie the lock on. Works fine. Obviously, the lock can be removed from the frame, but the bike still can't be cycled off, and with a plug-in chain, the wheel still can't be removed. Even without the plug-in chain, it's a bit of work to remove the wheel, getting the frame lock manoeuvred through the widest point of the dropouts. Assuming you mount the lock inside the rear triangle and not outside.)

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118771634#Comment_118771634

Am I the only one who thinks that the cyclists weren't three abreast but were two abreast with the rear rider not directly behind the one in front?

Large bottle small glass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118771634#Comment_118771634

Translation for the Biffos and Buffalos; yes offsiding is "driving both ditches"

Wildly Boaring

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118773630#Comment_118773630

That's how I'd see it.

But I'd say this is the mystical 3 and 4 abreast we always here about but never participate in.

CramCycle

I think one was overtaking or starting too which makes it look that way, all perfectly fine. Offsiding though, and actually teaching it FFS. People are stupid and inconsiderate. Yes he is right, it is better for the car and more efficient but you can't tell people it is okay to do it when training because people, in general, are as stupid as f***. He will go off and tell his mates who will then starting doing it at every turn to save 5p a journey.

breezy1985

Is this guy actually a qualified instructor or just some youtube gwl. FFS what kind of moron teaches people to needlessly take the apex on turns. Also the 1.5m is about overtaking and everyone knows that.