levett

From the AA's web-site: The emergency lane is for use of emergency vehicles (ambulances, fire engines, police and traffic officers) only. They are not there to use as an extra lane for peak hour traffic or to pass slower traffic.

So - is it a cycle lane or an emergency lane? And, if it is a cycle lane, which are cycle lanes, and which are emergency lanes? The only definitive answer is the Road Traffic Act - anyone know what it actually says? I thought: 'you may not drive to the left of the yellow line, on the shoulder of the road or in the emergency lane at any point in time, other than in the case of an emergency.' <?: prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Thanks Icycling - this is how our threads should be - an intelligent debate - and it highlights why I asked the question! As the law stands, all of us that (sensibly) ride to the outside of the yellow line, are actually riding illegally! Therefore in the picture of the first post, all those to the right of the yelolow line are legal, and all those to the left of the yellow line are breaking the law! The problem is that drivers expect us to ride in the yellow lane! (I'm not defending riding more than one abreast in such a situation - and the sensible thing to do would be for the cyclists to pull into the yellow lane to allow the car past) One other question - how many people drive with a camera at the ready? Was the car driver specifically out looking for something to bitch about?

I have a question (a genuine question - not definding the 'riding' of the cyclists in the pics) - I ride in the yellow lane, and my wife and I ride in single file unless the yellow line is wide, but can someone clarify whether it is actually illegal for cyclists to ride in the yellow lane? I've heard it said that bicycles are classed as any other road vehicles (for the purposes of traffic laws) and therefore, as with other vehicles, it would be illegal to cycle in the yellow lane - is that correct?

I use MTB Cleats on my MTB (obvious) and my Road Bike - you can get 'road type' pedals with the MTB tyre SPD cleats, and you can get road shoes that you can fit MTB SPD cleats to. I liked the idea of the same 'interface' on both Road and MTB. My wife recently started riding (with cleats) and the way that we work is that, at junctions and traffic lights (yes we are the ones that stop at junctions and traffic lights!), I yell FEET to her as we're stopping so that she remembers (also set the pedals on minimum tension) - this works for us so, perhaps initially, you could ride with someone who is used to cleats. p.s. I've fallen a few times with using cleats - we all do!

I hope they don't regard them with the same DISrespect they do other road users I'm aiming for more respect for ALL road users! The way all road users are treated is shameful!

Cradleresident - just a couple of points: - All cyclists should obey the rules of the road (all of them) - no arguement there, and should be courtious to other road users (as other road users should be to cyclists!) My experiences are that, here, no road users are courtious to any other road user! Adopting this philosophy would reduce accidents in general! - Cyclists riding on the the road are not 'guests' in your area - they are legitimate road users, with the same status, and rights, as every other road user (these are not private roads, they are public roads!) and have every right to use the roads (within the law) - You have no right to make it difficult for cyclists to use the public roads (as you have no right to try to prevent any other road users from using any public road they wish (within the law) - It is sad to say that some cyclists do not obey the laws of the road, think they own the road, and are not courtious to other road users (but then it would be difficult to say this is an exclusive trait of cyclists, and that the same does not apply to some motorcyclists, car drivers, truck drivers, and taxi drivers - are you going to 'make life very difficult' for all modes of transport in YOUR area (based on the premis that some are guilty, therefore all must be guilty?)

I use a 11-27 on mine. I think the only issue is that you will need to go to a 'long case' (i.e. for tripple triple front) rear derailleur. Whether you can use a MTB cassette depends on whether you are 9-speed road, or 10-speed road

I did my first 94.7 (last year) with Continental Travel Contact tyres on my full suspension MTB - apart from Rolling Resistance, they weigh 690g each. Sport Contacts weigh 450 and 550g (1.3 & 1.6"), and GP4000's weigh 215g (700 25C). MTB Knobblies can be around 700g each so, as you can see, apart from the other benefits of a road bike, even putting slicks on a MTB can save you up to 1kg on your MTB, as well as reducing Rolling Resistance. I do agree though that you can get a good 2nd hand road bike for the price of a second set of MTB wheels and this is the way to go if you're going to do more road riding.

On my MTB (for road - not even any good on ANYTHING BUT tar) I use Continental Sport Contact (1.3" in front and 1.6" rear - to keep the rolling resistance down and gearing up)- they have zero tread, just a 'wavy' pattern - hence only for tar. On a set of hybrid wheels (MTB hubs and 700 rims) and on a set of 29er wheels I use Continental Grand Prix 4000 (700 x 25C) - the same as on my road bike. My advice for the 94.7 is to go 'totally slick' rather than Town and Country

Good point - his original E-Mail was to ThinkBike - perhaps someone should ask them to reply to him (or phone him) and ask him if it was, in fact, his E-Mail (or whether his E-Mail account has been hacked). If he confirms that he did author the E-Mail, they can then perhaps ask him if these are his true feelings, or whether it was a 'heat of the moment' reaction after the Dome2Dome.

I have to agree - it was 'interest' at first, and I have to admit that I was shocked that someone would put in print such threats (and admision of committing crimes) - and I don't think anyone would actually carry out any of the 'suggestions'. It's one thing showing displeasure and making it known that there is a large group of people who he is threatening, but to break the law in retaliation would be wrong - there are few enough people that obey the law anyway. We should also learn a little - there is another thread re safety at the Dome2Dome and I commented that there were cyclists who 'thought they owned the road' - so perhaps we should take the moral high ground, ride responsibly (defensively), and accept that there are people out there who hate cyclists so much that they will use any excuse to 'mow us down'. I'm in favour of making his E-Mail public (SAPS, EWN, Ride, Bicycling, etc) - with his name (since he included it) and letting everyone judge for themselves).

Is this a record for the most traffic for any thread in the shortest space of time?

His name, from the website, is Ken Hauer

How about simply coping his text into the contact us page, use a title such as 'Upset Road User - Car, motorcycle, Bicycle' as the title, and use an E-Mail address such as upset1@upset1.com (perhaps we can use the addresses sequentially (what are there, 2000 hub members?) - that would fill his inbox up nicely!levett2009-09-16 08:13:26

They have a website (www.cradletrout.com) with a contact page - perhaps every hub member should send them 'warm regards' (or just send the text of his E-Mail back to him) to their contact page! levett2009-09-16 08:10:43

I've found that none of the figures guoted for any of the computers are 100% correct, and need 'calibrating' yourself. I have a CatEye and a Garmin and have, over time, adjusted the CatEye setting to match the Garmin.

That's what I have - I've gradually 'migrated' (for the road) from knobblies, to semi-slicks, to slicks, and then narrower slicks. We now have 700 25C Continental GP4000's on a set of rims (for the road) and knobblies for off-road. You'll never win a road race with this tyre of rig (but then, with the best/lightest road bike in the world), I'm never going to be 'up at the front'!

KonaFan - I agree with everything you say - however - if you are a 'leasure rider' and only do 'fun rides' on the road, and only have one bike, a mountain bike is the way to go. Road bikes make you more aerodynamic, have less rolling resistance, have better gearing, are lighter, are more efficient (especially if the suspension can't be locked out on the MTB), etc.

I don't agree! The difference between a 26 x 1.4" and a 26 x 2.1" is 63mm (or 3.1%) and The difference between a 26 x 1.4" and a 700 x 32C is 150mm (or 7.5%) This affects the 'top speed' at which you can pedal, and is an advantage on the road

I agree with the sentiments (there was a thread earlier in the year where J B took a rep to task for throwing his) Not wanting to make excuses for the t0ssers that have no respect for anyone, but how about the idea that they had at the Argus - where there was a competition if you disposed of rubbish in bins at the finish point - they took your race number down and there was a prize for the number drawn (I take mine away anyway, but there sure was a lot of people entering the competition - more than would usually take their wrappers home!)

As everyone said, slicks make a huge difference. The only problem is that they reduce the 'rolling circumference'and therefore reduce the gearing even further. One solution is to have some wheels 'made up'with MTB Hubs and 700C rims (then you can use 700 25C tyres), the other is to get some 29er MTB wheels and fit something like a 700 32C tyre- then they are around the same 'rolling circumference' as 26" MTB Knoblies (slightly larger, so check they fit the frame) - oh, this is only good for us with disc brakes, it won't work for bikes with V Brakes. We rode the Dome2Dome (only 40km) on our MTB with slicks - me on the 29er, and 'the boss'on her 26er with wheels with MTB hubs and 700C rims (made up by Johan Bornman). So my recommendation is to go the slicks route, but also consider 'gearing

I have to say that I was not impressed - road surfaces, glass on the road, cars trying to overtake, little marchaling (though the marchals that there were were good) etc. etc. (though this is tempered by the d!cks that insist on riding 5-abreast when the road is open, and then there is those who seem totally incapable of keeping to the left of the white line! - So, in some ways, we're out own worst enemies!)