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Up at 7.15 after a fairly quiet night. With more, weird and silly dreams. The last one I remember was a large team of tennis players spread out on a vast playing field. My racket was half the proper size and I missed the ball.
Google hasn't heard of bicycle tires/tyres. Ask it how to center or align a tire and you'll get infinite hits on wheel truing. No matter which search terms you use. The reason I asked was the reflective stripe on the rear tire after refitting. It is no longer perfectly concentric. Was I supposed to use a lubricant to ensure proper seating? Like they do with car tires. I have never dealt with such a wide tire before. I finally found a short YT video which destroys all the usual suggestions. The answer? Washing up liquid and water. Applied with a brush as a non-injurious lubricant.
I can't add the live link. Because Google's ownership of YT and its desperate need for billions more in advertising income. Has corrupted any hope of the original video being displayed.
https://youtu.be/y3PSyeRUfsk?si=lvZKg1tjjOIsi-no So just swipe, copy and paste.
I need not have worried. The stripes aren't concentric. The molded, bead alignment lines are fine and they run true with the rim.
I have to go into the village apotek for two more lots of tablets.
12.30 I am back from a 17km ride into the village. Detouring back via the forest and hills. Despite the gusty gales. Rather cloudy. With rationed sunshine. Very little traffic.
The Danish news is discussing the difficulties of cycling in the rush hour in cities. The Cyclist Union is suggesting that faster riders be allowed to share the road with vehicular traffic. Rather than being restricted BY LAW to the cycle lanes and paths. Where one exists.
The main problem is the very wide variation in speed between cyclists. Particularly those who ride electric bikes and the "Speed Pedelec 45" class. Which can theoretically manage 45kph or 28mph. The average pedal cycle rider is probably riding at only 20kph/12mph. A relative snail's pace for a longer commute. The longer the ride the more the cyclist will heat up. Leaving them sweaty when they get to work. Showers and a complete change of clothes is rarely possible or even practical.
Traffic experts say that cyclists sharing the road would lead to far more accidents. While faster riders are constantly balked by the slower riders. Which greatly extends their travel time when commuting. Which, in turn, may cause them to give up cycling and take the car instead.
The cycle path problem is increasingly with electric bikes. Which are really beginning to show serious increases in accidents. As more people adopt these machines. Particularly the elderly. Ordinary E-bikes are ironically limited to a relatively miserable 25kph or 15.5mph MAXIMUM speed. Though that would need some effort for most machines and most riders. Throttles are not allowed on any class of e-bike for use on public roads and paths. The rider must pedal at all times to gain motor assistance.
My experience with my own "45" class e-bike is that 30kph or 20mph is comfortably achievable in Sport Mode. With 35kph requiring a little more effort in Turbo Mode. At the cost of greatly increased battery drain. Though I am sitting almost bolt upright to protect my aging arms and wrists from strain and pain. Not an ideal riding position for speed. One may not modify the "45" class with dropped [racing] handlebars. Nor any other mods to increase speed.
The obvious irony here is that a fit cyclist. On almost any racing bike. Can manage a constant 20mph or 30kph simply by pedaling alone. The lower, leaning forward, riding position allows much lower drag. With higher speeds very easily achievable on descents while freewheeling.
Which makes any change to a standard electric bike. A very poor choice indeed. It is far heavier, far slower and has a far more "sit up and beg" or "Granny-bike" riding position. Which might make only the EMTB class of interest to the sporty rider. EXCEPT that the EMTBs are limited to the cripplingly slow 25kph/15.5mph assisted power too. So, EMTBs do not lend themselves to fast commuting either. No matter how pretty they might look.
The sporting rider must then choose a "45" class e-bike. To match their usual speed on their commute. These e-bikes cost a fortune, weigh a ton, have crippling rules about helmets, costly insurance and allow ZERO modifications to personal taste. Battery range anxiety is a constant headache at higher speeds. A spare battery will weigh more than some complete, racing bikes!
Moreover, the "45" class only exists within certain countries in Europe. The UK has no such class. Owning one will likely end up with it being confiscated by the police, crushed and the rider fined. The UK news outlets delight in showing great heaps of confiscated e-bikes on police trailers. All, largely thanks to a tiny few, city criminals. Who use illegal e-bikes to steal mobile phones. Then escape through the traffic jams from traffic slowed, police cars and vans. So that the police can't chase them. More easily solved if the phone makers had proper locks against theft.
I used up the last half of a tin of beans on toast. No pictures.
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