27th December 2012 & Cycle light recognition.

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27th 40F, 4C, grey overcast, breezy. Rain forecast. Rain duly supplied in more than adequate quantities. The Cateye computer still hasn't gone to sleep overnight. Perhaps it is supposed to show the time when not in use? Is it so small it thinks it's a watch? Whoops! (Finally read copious instructions to the very end) Power saving mode is showing the time. Auto restart on receiving a signal from the motion sensors. Perhaps Cateye could be persuaded to do a simpler "Pensioner" model? The speed sensor and magnet are supposed to go on the back wheel. I wonder if they do a 12" chain stay spacer for trikes? And, will I still be able to pedal?

I finally left mid afternoon. The Cateye computer had been easy to fit but the digits proved to be too small to read without bifocals. Since cheap cycling sunglasses aren't usually provided with a reading segment it was almost impossible to see my speed in such poor light. Let alone the even smaller cadence reading! Perhaps I should tape a magnifying glass over the tiny screen? I was wearing very light, neutral grey glasses and peered under and over them to see if it helped. It didn't. The dealer has promised to send me a new battery to replace the flat one. I have no idea if the "petrol coloured" screen was an attempt at lighting up the screen on the way home in the dusk. Due to the upward slope of the stem I wasn't able to find an angle which enhanced the apparent brightness of the display unless I stopped. I didn't. Only 13 miles today.

On the way back from the shops I had to get my Smart lights out of the bag. So it was a good job I'd fitted new batteries all round. Back to blinding the poor old traffic again. Nobody ever fails to dip when you have a flashing Smart light on the front! It used to drive me mad when I had to ride home from work in the dark with normal (dirt cheap) diode lights and hardly anybody bothered to dip. I couldn't see where I was going either. Not even at a walking pace.

The Smart rear light with reflections from saddle rails. It works just as well on the Carradice saddle bag loop but may be illegal in Denmark! Lights must now be fixed by law and not dangling. This is an attempt to outlaw silly little single diode lights swinging wildly from cords.

As a driver myself I know how hard it can be to identify a low brightness light approaching out of the gloom. Particularly when it is competing with other lights. Only a cycle light flashes like a cycle light. This is a handy first clue as to the presence of a cyclist. But, sheer brightness heaps mountains of evidence on top of the flashing to provide a definitive identification. Drivers dip their lights automatically without having to worry their tiny little brains with a prolonged cyclist recognition test while texting, reprogramming their GPS to another country out of boredom, or chatting inanely (and insanely) on their mobile 'phones.

I remember when I was commuting to Middelfart along the old main road. Straight as a die for many miles, the road undulates gently but still provides incredibly long viewpoints. Several miles in many places. It has a cycle path protected by a strip of grass along each side of the roadway. This road is notorious (to me at least) for having to drive at the national speed limit on dipped headlights because of oncoming traffic. It is hardly ever possible to drive on main beam on this road. So the attentive driver is constantly searching beyond the reach of their limited dipped beam for oncoming but dimly lit traffic. Or any other obstructions.

Bright and flashing cycle lights were easily visible at extreme distances along this road. Probably well over two miles or perhaps much more. Steady beam, cycle lights, even very bright ones, were very difficult to recognise as such. Even as they approached at only a hundred yards distance. The normal weaving effect of the cycles involved did not seem to improve the ease of recognition as a cycle light. It only gave the impression of a much more distant (and supposedly brighter) light. One which was being intermittently blocked by moving vegetation due to the wind. Or the draft from passing traffic. It could just as easily have been a fixed house number light. Or lights to mark a driveway in the dark along this almost featureless road.

Cheap, ½W supermarket rear light with reflection from black mudguard.

I confirmed these observations again and again over some weeks of commuting in many different light and weather conditions. A fixed beam, front cycle light (however bright) may help the cyclist to see but offers very poor visibility (indeed) to approaching drivers. In fact I wouldn't stop using flashing cycle lights even if they were made illegal for some outrageously illogical reason.

The Smart lights combine brightness with flashing in a particularly noticeable, rapidly flickering pattern. This really grabs the attention at any distance. The downside is that they lack the absolute power, despite their relatively narrow beam,  to clearly show the road ahead at normal cycling speeds. It would be sensible to add more, or more powerful lights, to act in company with the brightly flashing Smart front light. Both to see and be seen.

One Smart ½W (in the middle) and two ½W supermarket lights from a distance. Not much to choose between them on brightness. The Smart is much better made and doesn't repeatedly turn itself on in the saddle bag. Nor does it fall in half regularly. Nor fill with rainwater!

A trike offers the advantage of plenty of places and extra width to fix more lights. Even for my rare forays out in the darkness I have a number of rear lights to draw attention to my being an unusually wide load ahead. When drivers are routinely tailgating on main roads they need all the warning they can get to avoid your joining the road fatality statistics at remarkably low cost and inconvenience to themselves. With an array of flashing rear lights many drivers pause briefly before passing me even on clear roads. As much as I enjoy being an attention seeker in daylight I consider the extra visibility of a trike has real survival value in all conditions. The cost of diode rear lights is now so slight that there is really no excuse not to turn your regular mount into a mobile fairground ride if you so desire. If you really want to splash out on your commuting trike then the choice of lights is even wider. Reading the online reviews will help to separate the overpriced glow-worms from the brilliantly good value. Not all lights are made equal.

28th 24-33F, -4+1C, cold, sunny, almost still with an occasional breeze.  More windy towards the end of my ride. The first decent day this week for a proper ride. I was determined to do a longer ride to try and increase this year's mileage. The roads were covered in an incredible amount of water ice. Every dip in the fields and woods was full of water, usually frozen. One minor country road was flooded to a depth of 6" and extended out on both sides into the adjoining fields. No hope of working my way around and returning would have added many miles to my journey in a completely wrong direction. It was icy for a hundred yards on both sides where cars had churned up the water and carried it further down the road. I rolled slowly through, hoping my feet would remain dry before I had to pedal up the slope beyond. Luckily no cars came while I was negotiating this hurdle. After that I just kept patiently pedalling from village shop to village shop until I finally reached home. With only 40 miles to show for virtually a whole morning out on the trike. Though there was never any tiredness or pain involved. Hardly surprising with an average speed of only 10mph.

The Cateye computer screen is more visible in good light but still rather small for my near vision without my usual +1 dioptre reading glasses. Or +1.5 when reading product descriptions and instructions! Another problem is that the screen is tipped backwards towards me by the sloping stem. So I don't see the sky reflected in the screen background for maximum contrast. The provided strap is much too short to allow a rubber wedge under the computer base on my Scott stem. The rocking body, mode change seems to work well enough. Though I nearly slid the computer right out of its docking station at one point while fumbling in my winter gloves.

Brooks B17 'Select' at very nearly 2,000 miles. 
A thing of beauty or hideously deformed? 
Seats you, Sir.

My ideal computer screen would be tall and thin to strap onto the stem. With only Mph, Cadence, Distance and the Time showing from top to bottom in large, clear digits. If there was room enough then average speed, Trip distance and elapsed time might be useful for somebody competing in a TT.

I have no idea why Cateye chose to make the lower digits so small. This matter has been raised in a number of online comments. One also needs a microscope just to read the tiny code letters alongside the numerals. Ironic, then, that the manufacturers warn against concentrating on the screen to the exclusion of the road ahead! SMIDSY on the other foot? Sorry, Mate, I Didn't see You, I was trying to read my cadence on my Cateye 'Cadence' computer without the use of a scanning tunnelling atomic microscope.

Perhaps there should be a law against it? Cycling and reading one's bike computer simultaneously: Prohibitions for the use of. I got so fed up with struggling with my tight sleeves to see my watch that I took out my mobile phone to look at the time on the screen saver. With a cycle computer right in front of my drippin' nose this is just plain daft! Wot no reading specs?

29th 45F, 7C, breezy, grey overcast, still very wet from overnight rain. The forecast is for a grey day, rather windy but dry. It took forever to get light today. I think I'll go out after coffee. It stayed mostly dry but there was a strong side wind. With misty drizzle now and then. A three shopping bag day. I was much too hot in the Aesse jacket. Complete strangers were wishing me a happy new year! 17 miles. I may be allowed out again after lunch. Plus 14 more miles.

30th 43F, 6C, overcast, windy. Rain forecast all day with gusts to 35mph. Just another day in paradise.It started raining before I left so I had put on the Aldi jacket. Not a great choice for a day like today. It stopped raining almost immediately and stayed dry except for about 5 minutes. I would have been more comfortable and warmer in a proper cycling jacket rather than a waterproof one. I stopped to take off the cardigan and then later to put it back on again. Not a good day to try and build mileage. It was blowing a gale. While descending a long hill on a main road (at barely 20mph) I was hanging right off the side just to keep everything in a straight line.

I had no plans when I left home so had taken nothing to eat. Still managed 35 miles though I felt very tired and achy today. I am within 102 miles of my 10k target with only one day left! Grr? I saw a flock of Goldfinches, several birds of prey, a string of noisy Whooper swans,  and finally, a load of even noisier geese out on the fields.

31st 45F, 7C, heavy overcast, gales. Last chance to reach 10,000 miles. Only another 102 miles to go. 20m/s winds? That's over 45mph! I could ride flat out with the wind until I reach the sea at Nyborg. Not far enough and the bridge is motorway only. Drat!

I left after coffee with fierce and gusty side winds. Every time I passed a gap in the hedge I was bopped by a huge pillow. Where there was no hedge I was hiding under the top tube with my nose dripping onto the chain in bottom gear. I am exaggerating of course. (as usual)  All the supermarkets were open and busy. 12 more miles leaves me with  a total of 9910 for the year. Just 90 miles short of a set. Hmm. Must try harder. The Winter Edition of the Tricycle Association Gazette has just arrived in the post. 52 pages to read. Happy New Year! :-)

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16th December 2012

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16th 37F, +3, still fully dark at 8am., misty and still. Neither of my bike computers is working and the steering is up the creek. I slackened off the head bearings and re-tightened the lock nut. The trike is still jerking instead of steering. It felt cold at first but I soon warmed up and started taking things off. The Aesse jacket was just too warm today. I shopped then tootled about the country lanes trying to add some miles. The roads were mostly clear on the carriageways but still clogged along the edges and the cycle paths. I was damp from head to toe by the time I returned with a three bag load of shopping.  All the supermarkets were open and busy today despite it being Sunday. Probably trying to capture some Christmas trade. Still only 20 miles.

17th 38F, +3C, grey, damp, very misty at first but clearing. The thaw continues. I managed a quick trip to the shops for 12 more miles.

18th 37F, +3C, grey, overcast, misty, breezy. I wore the Sealskinz gloves and they were too cold most of the time. I ought to limit them to 40F minimum.The computer was working again but the cadence sensor cable is still broken. The chain is brown with rust from the salted roads. I put a lot more oil on it to keep it going until the worst of the weather is over. Some of the gears are a mess because of the knackered chain and altering the cable tension. 22 miles.

19th 34F, +1C, almost still, heavy grey overcast. I wore the thin polyester gloves under the Sealskinz and my hands were fine. Only 8 miles.

A Christmas shopping trip in the car provided a pair of Shimano Ventura heavy duty winter overshoes in size XXXL (EU46-48!) These were meant as a Christmas present but were tested to a trial fitting, at home, to avoid disappointment on the big day. It seems that Shimano works in a parallel universe where size 48 really means size 42½ with a following wind.

Despite several broken nails and a terrific struggle, over a 20 minute battle of several rounds, I only managed to get one on over my left, size 45, Bontrager, MTB 'Racing' shoe. These overshoes were obviously aimed at the road crowd. Those who insist on wearing heel-less, flat soled, narrow pumps more suitable for ballet than stomping the aisles of rural supermarkets. Alas, they will have to go back. The overshoes, not the supermarkets. Nor the roadies. A check of online reviews shows they are aimed at a wide range of shoes. Just not in my size! And no comments about Shrek sizes in footwear, thank you very much!

20th 34F, +1C, light breeze, cloud clearing slowly. Hopes of some sun. It feels perishing out there! There was some weak sunshine but it was never warm. Thought I'd make an effort today. Lots of birds of prey flying about and a gaggle of noisy Whooper Swans. 28 miles.

21st 32F, 0C, windy, overcast and grey with blue just beginning to show. The snow on the fields is reduced to patches. My back is aching from handling stove fuel yesterday. It was already complaining after shovelling snow for the last few days. I finally escaped after lunch. The wind was strong and cutting against my face as I rode home in the dark along the main roads..

 The batteries in the Smart lights have finally given up. Fortunately I had taken a couple of spare rear lights in my bag. Neither had a hook fitting so I had to hold one in my gloved hand and then hold it behind my back when cars were coming up behind me. Had either of them had a hook type fitting I could have hung it from the saddle bag loop provided for just this very purpose. Ironically, I had two light clamps already fitted to the Higgins mudguard stays but neither matched the lights I had with me. Why can't they standardise and use hook type fittings. You can hang a hook shape over almost anything. Even a bit of cord if necessary. Grrr? 19 miles.

22nd 31F, 0C, very windy, overcast, bitterly cold. The wind chill factor was nasty today. A snowstorm is forecast from this evening until tomorrow. A complete stranger climbed out of his car at a supermarket and asked it it wasn't too cold for cycling? I replied "Never!" and he laughed. A goodly wodge of shopping today. Including 6 litres of organic milk. Enough for the holidays. 15 miles.

23rd 31F, 0C, severe, gusty gales, blizzards, spindrift and drifting! Fortunately the snow and wind are lighter here than further north. I have to go out but may use the car. It is no fun riding straight into a 50 mph wind full of ice particles!

24th 38F, 4C, still and clear sky, becoming breezy and misty later. The main roads were clear but the lanes were still covered in crunchy snow and ice. I managed to get the trike sideways a couple of times.The sun has come out now and the mist disappeared again. There was a digger busy clearing snow on one stretch. It was quiet in the shops. Only 10 miles.

25th 38F, 4C, calm after the overnight storm, clearing to brightness. Most of the snow was washed away by the rain.

Merry Christmas to anybody reading this. I had a Cateye Cadence (wired) computer as a present from my wife but the battery was completely flat. 0.7V instead of 3V. Most computers have a little slip of plastic to isolate the battery during storage to stop it being drained. Not this one. All my other computers use larger batteries and I have no spares amongst the dozens on assorted cards! Should I go out in search of a new battery on Christmas day? Risking my life (and assorted limbs) amongst all those drunken drivers? Eeney-meeny-miny-no... Another rest day.

26th 41F, 5C, sunshine and showers with a stiff SW wind are forecast. Still pitch black outside at nearly 8am. Not even properly light at 9am with a heavy grey overcast. I have some chocolate calories to burn off. Not a bad day with a highly variable wind and occasional weak sunshine. It only started raining properly as I rode the last couple of miles. Not many supermarkets open today.

The SealSkinz gloves were fine on a 40F day like today. Wearing the Aldi jacket was a bit sweaty so I removed the cycling cardigan. I was lucky to find a battery for my new bike computer after trying half a dozen other places. So now it is working properly I need to fix it on the trike.

I left the computer sitting on my desk and it still hasn't turned itself off after several hours. I checked the sensors with the spoke magnet to ensure it was not still waiting for further set-up instructions. I think I may have a duff one!

Nobody is ever going to believe this but I saw a jet black buzzard today. Not in the air, as previously seen nearer home, but perched low on a roadside tree. We exchanged stares and I rode on. I was wearing orange sunglasses to cope with the gloomy overcast but I still can't see how they can make a normally brown bird look coal black all over! Other brown birds don't look black! I have seen a pair of smaller, black, birds of prey on a nearby lane several times. Larger than a Crow, or Rook, but smaller than a Buzzard. This solitary bird was as big as any Buzzard. There is a Black Kite but none of the pictures online show it as anything but dull to dark brown. This bird was completely black with a shiny black beak. 24 miles.

Click on any image for an enlargement.

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2012: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly 2?

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It has been a very mixed year for cycling related purchases. Some of them were from the previous year but with my awful memory I have no lazy way of sorting them into a valid timeline. So just think of the following as a running review. (Or rant, if you prefer) ;ø)

The Abus helmet has been perfect. I used to hate helmets for all sorts of reasons until I finally saw and tried on one of these. So light, I usually forget I have it on. Even now I have to occasionally check for a chinstrap to be sure I have the helmet on. Is there any higher praise? I have never fallen off so cannot confirm its ability to protect the already brain damaged. ;ø) It even seems to keep its looks long term. Since it is treated like eggs and never bumped I don't see any reason to replace it yet.

The GripGrab lightweight overshoes have been excellent. Thin and flexible rubber with felt inside. They are easy to put on and have lasted extremely well. Only now are they beginning to fray at the heels where I continuously walk on them. They have kept my feet reasonably comfortable in some very cold conditions. Being open at the bottom, I find they are not terribly waterproof. Not even with mudguards and flaps. Though my feet haven't felt very cold when wet. I have worn them every day since the winter started. No hesitation at all in getting another pair when they get too untidy to wear in public.

The pretty, blue, Continental GP4000 tyres were fine until I started raising pressures in the search for lower rolling resistance. Then they wore more quickly and became extremely hard and uncomfortable. They still only lasted for half the life of the folding Bontrager Race Lites.

The asymmetrically striped Race X-Lites were rather strange. I could never get them to seat on the rim properly! They would bump on every turn of the wheel given half a chance. I kept letting the air out to try and arrange them on the rims before over-inflating again in the hope of the tyres centring themselves. I gave up in the end and took them off. They are still hanging up in the shed somewhere. Another sixty squid down the drain. I have already mentioned the crap quality, GP4000Scheiße which replaced them. One hundred quid wasted that time. The next tyres to be fitted were the Schwalbe Durano Plus. These have not had a single puncture in 1255 miles, under exactly the same road conditions and the treads are still completely undamaged. Unlike the GP4000Scheiße which were full of gaping holes after the very first ride!

The Bontrager 'Race' MTB shoes have been an unqualified success. As comfortable as any slippers. I tried a few different MTB shoes on and these jumped out as supremely comfortable right out of the box. Most of the others were much more expensive but felt more like narrow, down at heel, square, cardboard boxes in comparison. The Bontragers are incredibly easy to walk in. With good grip on all surfaces in all conditions indoors and out. Road shoes would never have suited my normal daily use. I get off to take photographs and corner sharply in the aisles of supermarkets. I need shoes which feel and look fairly normal when on foot.(sic) The treads conceal the SPD cleats and the colours and style are muted enough to pass off as black trainers. Why I should worry about looks is a point of confusion given my usual, colourful cycling garb. They are rather noisy when walking in shops. One toe cap is just working itself free of the glue but is hardly noticeable. The toe bumpers on my previous Tahoes became seriously unglued and gaped.


Both of my cheap, supermarket, action camera purchases were complete crap as action cameras. The thumb-sized one from Netto was much worse than the Aldi product and was duly returned. The Aldi Medion is very insensitive in dull conditions with frequent zebra-striped artefacts.

The TouPeak track/floor pump is very easy to use to any useful pressure. The TouPeak "Smarthead" twin-head, D2 pressure gauge much less so. It is often quite difficult to fit onto the valve, switches itself off ridiculously quickly and loses air when removed. I hardly bothered to use it much since the floor pump can do both jobs far better. So the separate gauge was a waste of money but bought before the track pump. It was meant to monitor how well I was doing with normal pumps. A revelation on how low the pressures I was actually getting from frame fit and mini pumps before exhaustion sets in! It helped to end a long run of pinch flats though. So it probably earned its keep in that role.

 

Which is more than I can say for the Bike Attitude mini pump. Which was more wasted money on complete crap. It could barely manage 50 psi and had a floppy folding handle designed specifically to inflict personal injury on the user.

Then I bought a frame fitting Zefal HP pump to get the higher pressures I thought I needed at that time. It was strangely heavy but efficient up to well over 100psi. Though prone to bending valves unless care is taken with the locking lever. It needs to be locked on or it blows off the valve. Not having a pressure gauge makes its use rather sparse except for inflating after punctures out on the road. The extra weight does give one confidence that it could be used against a vicious dog.

The Carradice Longflap "micro" Camper saddle bag was a serious disappointment. Far smaller than even the manufacturer's seriously inflated, claimed dimensions and dreadfully poorly stitched. The honey coloured leather straps are already looking very cracked and worn. The bag will just take 6 x 1 litre boxes of milk, arranged 2 x 3, standing up. Then the bag is completely full. I supplement its very limited carrying capacity with zipped sports bags. These are merely hung over the seat pin by their cloth handles and take care of themselves. Ideal for shopping which does not want to be crushed. Mainly eggs, bread, rolls, biscuits, fruit and boxed frozen stuff. So, pretty well everything except 6 cartons of milk and bags of organic spuds. Did I mention these saddle bags are heavy as well?

GripGrab's under-helmet, scull caps are absolutely superb! I have one each of the lightest and the slightly heavier one. They make cycling through the three cooler seasons a real pleasure. Sometimes I take both and swap to the lighter cap once I have warmed up. Or from light to heavy if I turn into a cold wind. They are  incredibly warm, wind proof, compact and comfortable without being sweaty. At their best riding into a cold headwind, they make a huge difference to comfort levels in all conditions without bulk. Easily stuffed into a jersey back pocket for immediate use when needed. These caps fit like a glove, cover the ears like no normal fleece hat and offer no pressure to the head. (at all) So one is usually unaware of their presence under the helmet and can wear sunglasses without the least discomfort from crushed ears. Unreservedly recommended! My wife washes them every time they are worn and they are still as good as new.

My 'Smart' bike lights finally grew dim a couple of years after purchase. Not through constant use but more due to old age. I know how they feel. Opening up the lights proved that they held no reverse-engineered, alien technology but only alkaline batteries. 2 x AA in the front light and 2 x AAA in the rear. This is good news because these batteries are easily replaced. I had feared they might be oddball sizes and therefore foolishly expensive.

Searching online proved that a number of manufacturers label these lights as their own. Oxford has an identical rear light by the same name "Super Flash". Both lights are bright. Though one can't ride very fast in dark country lanes by the front light alone. 10 mph is probably safe where there are no potholes. Two similar lights would help at twice the cost. Fortunately I no longer need to commute after dark. If I wanted to see the road ahead, rather than simply be seen, I'd probably want something much brighter at the front.

The rear light is easily 'Close Encounters' quality. Now matched and duplicated for brightness by very low cost, supermarket, LED bike lights. There are some very attractive long but narrow light fittings for the rear if low wind resistance is your bag. These are really nothing more than clear plastic cases to house a row of bright LEDS and the batteries. Front lights still seem to be a problem when one sets a ceiling on expense and demand seeing the road well enough ahead to avoid the usual drunks, unlit UFO cattle rustlers and their butchered road kill.  

The Velo no-name (Avenue style) vinyl covered saddle was very odd indeed. It is difficult to believe it was ever intended as a serious saddle. It was hard to sit on, but very obviously padded when thumb pressure was applied. Narrow, heavily laterally curved and flicked up at the bifurcated (forked) tail. Giving the feeling that one was perched high on an oddly-shaped lump of firewood. It produced some really weird and random pains in my leg muscles from the very first ride to the last. Presumably due to localised nerve pressure. What it did have was real speed! I gave it a full week of normal riding, before finally giving up on it. I always wanted to get somewhere quickly on it. Just so I could get off again!

Actually, I am only half joking. It really did make me want to ride fast all the time.So it might actually suit some people more than me. Had it not been so curved, crossways, it might well have had a much better chance of remaining on Mr Higgins. It is odd how many plastic saddles try to split the "personality" of those riding them!

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