Tarmac cyclist

[hemanresu]

[snip
Hydrogen cell technology is a different ball game. The hydrogen is a means for storing energy from electricity. ( As does a battery)
Electrolysis produces hydrogen, the gas is then converted back to electricity to drive electric propulsion, at around twice the efficiency of an internal combustion engine. Lessons have been learnt from the Hindenburg, contrary to what the Daily mail says.

Oil may last for a few more decades yet, certainly our lifetime. I don't think my grand kids will have the luxury we've had, of being able to take it for granted. These new technologies have to be considered, otherwise we'll have Greta on our case.[/QUOTE]

So we use electricity to make hydrogen, then use the hydrogen to make electricity, the use the electricity for propulsion. Seems like a plan

 

[Avo]

The alternatives are ?

 

[Dutto]

........... This past week I've had a series of 'mystery puntures' (which I discovered today was down to worn rim tape) so have had to catch the train. Apart from getting lots of kindle reading done it was horrible

That brought back two major memories as my Dad was a great believer in letting me make my own mistakes.

One

After being showed how to do it, Dad suggested that I mend my second puncture.

I removed the tyre with the tyre irons, discovered the small puncture and repaired it, discovered the small thorn that had caused the puncture and removed it and then replaced the tyre. Needless to say, I put another three punctures into the inner-tube as I replaced the tyre with the tyre irons!

Two

I spent some of my pocket money on a small spoke-key and proudly showed it to me Dad who said. "Everyone should have one of those." but forgot to tell me how to use it.

My front wheel was a bit out on its alignment (which is why I'd invested in the spoke-key) so with Dad's commendation ringing in my ears I went out into the back yard to true up the wheel ...

... and about an hour later I returned to the living room with a front wheel that was shaped almost like a "figure of eight" to ask my Dad to straighten it out!

It was at this time that he finished his sentence by saying "Everyone should have a spoke-key but as a general rule they would be better off if they kept it in their pocket!"

Happy Days!


PS

I can't remember what make of vehicle it is advertising, but the one where a kid wants electric cars to be totally silent scares the living Bejesus out of me!

If people "jump" 'cos a cyclist doesn't ring his bell when they pass, what the heck will cyclists do when a silent car passes them with the tiny gap that they sometime give us!

 

[Gingerbrews]

Maybe not the best weather for cycling. Only just managed to stay out of a hedge on the way home yesterday!

 

[pms67]

That brought back two major memories as my Dad was a great believer in letting me make my own mistakes.

One

After being showed how to do it, Dad suggested that I mend my second puncture.

I removed the tyre with the tyre irons, discovered the small puncture and repaired it, discovered the small thorn that had caused the puncture and removed it and then replaced the tyre. Needless to say, I put another three punctures into the inner-tube as I replaced the tyre with the tyre irons!

Two

I spent some of my pocket money on a small spoke-key and proudly showed it to me Dad who said. "Everyone should have one of those." but forgot to tell me how to use it.

My front wheel was a bit out on its alignment (which is why I'd invested in the spoke-key) so with Dad's commendation ringing in my ears I went out into the back yard to true up the wheel ...

... and about an hour later I returned to the living room with a front wheel that was shaped almost like a "figure of eight" to ask my Dad to straighten it out!

It was at this time that he finished his sentence by saying "Everyone should have a spoke-key but as a general rule they would be better off if they kept it in their pocket!"

Happy Days!


PS

I can't remember what make of vehicle it is advertising, but the one where a kid wants electric cars to be totally silent scares the living Bejesus out of me!

If people "jump" 'cos a cyclist doesn't ring his bell when they pass, what the heck will cyclists do when a silent car passes them with the tiny gap that they sometime give us!

I heard a report the electric car companies are going to have make the car have a “ringtone” up until a certain speed to save people being knocked down in supermarket car parks etc, and it’s up to the manufacturer to decide the “tune” it will be like 300 bloody mobile phones going off at once!

 

[marshbrewer]

heard a report the electric car companies are going to have make the car have a “ringtone” up until a certain speed to save people being knocked down in supermarket car parks etc,

I think it should be a recorded voice going 'brum brum, brum brum'

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I heard a report the electric car companies are going to have make the car have a “ringtone” up until a certain speed to save people being knocked down in supermarket car parks etc, and it’s up to the manufacturer to decide the “tune” it will be like 300 bloody mobile phones going off at once!

The trams in Blackpool make a noise its not a ringtone and isn't annoying.

 

[Richie_asg1]

I would want mine to sound like a V8

 

[pms67]

The trams in Blackpool make a noise its not a ringtone and isn't annoying.

But there will only be a few at a time, when every car is omitting beeps or whatever noise the manufacturer comes up with it could be confusing and or bloody annoying

 

[The Baron]

First time I came across one I was in Florence and me and the wife were window shopping when one sneaked up behind us on one of those roads that was pedestrianised but must have times when cars are allowed for access and it frightened us to death as we never heard it or expected it

 

[Alex.mc]

A different perspective perhaps..........
In different life a very long time ago, I was a pushbike courier in central London, cycling all day every day delivering parcels etc.
I broke many laws on a daily basis to be honest, cycling on the pavement, wrong way down a one way street, turning left or right where you couldn't... etc etc. However, the one thing I was reluctant to do, was run a red light! Generally I never did. I either waited, or hopped off and pedestrianised across with the others, hopped back on and continued. Part of the time it was just too dangerous, the rest of the time it felt a step too far. Some of the other couriers did though, but discretely. Maybe the difference was I was already a car driver?
I did break a load of rules, but I tried not to be an arsehole about it. I never cycled on the pavement aggressively or dangerously close to pedestrians, and never used my frailty to intimidate other road users to give way to me. Things do seem a little different these days though.
I gave up the job after one and a bit full years. I was tired of it and it was dangerous too. I had several or three "Offs" one of which laid me up for a day or two, and collided which quite a number of oblivious pedestrians who just walked into the road in front of me without looking. They always came off worse as generally they always cushioned my landing! None of them ever had a go at me as they were always in the wrong and knew it. I picked up numerous fixed penalties from the Police, and came to hate black cab drivers with a passion as they seemed(in London anyway) to be very deliberate about cutting you up if they could. Single decker buses were to be given a wide berth and avoided as they drove with a lack of awareness and were quite dangerous. Double deckers on the other hand were very good! I grew a lot of respect for double decker drivers!
In the end one incident started me on the path of giving it up. I was cycling down a road at maybe 25-30 on a job, my right of way, and an old boy in a Jag just pulled right out in front of me. I was never going to avoid him and in the extreme and sudden efforts to avoid hitting him or the ground I ended up pitched into the opposite oncoming lane in front of another vehicle, who thankfully saw it all and slowed. I was so furious and angry at his actions that the red mist descended! I tore off after him as I could see he was going to be stopped at some red lights. I was fully ready to pull him out of the car and kick the **** out of him, but when I got there thankfully had calmed a little. I pulled up next to his door and slammed my flat hand down on his roof above his head as hard as I could. He literally jumped up in his seat and recoiled across almost to his passengers side, and looked at me in terror and horror, and bewilderment. I screamed at him that he'd nearly killed me, and he just looked at me in terror. He was not a young man, maybe in his 60-70s? and I think he had begun to involuntarily wet himself. I realised at that point he had no clue what he'd done, or the implications of what he'd done. Still very angry I shouted at him what he'd done and what he'd done wrong and the implications of it, but he was just too removed from it all by then. I went off fuming, but I realised that it was actually all just statistics, if you cycled X amount of hours then your probability of an accident was Y, and you would never beat those odds. So...... I gave it up.

I think there will always be a problem with cyclists who've never driven(and there's lots more of them now), and also drivers who've never cycled(or cycled in traffic rather). They don't know each others difficulties and dangers.

p.s. I just remembered a ridiculous incident! When I was 13 I used to cycle to school. I used to cycle on the very wide pavements that had almost no pedestrians on them at a couple of points where the rush hour traffic was very heavy and also multi-laned and quite bad. A kid on a bike causing no harm. I got stopped one day by two Police beat officers, and told I wasn't allowed to cycle on the pavement and that I must join the traffic and stay on the road. I tried to explain that I only did it there because it was so bad with traffic and there were no pedestrians, but they weren't having it! It was ridiculous bordering on stupid! I lost a lot of respect for the Police that day!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

But there will only be a few at a time, when every car is omitting beeps or whatever noise the manufacturer comes up with it could be confusing and or bloody annoying

With luck they will all use a single sound -

Unlike this (skip to 1:27)




This one is real -

 

[Richie_asg1]

Can I sound like a truck with a V12, have a stupidly large light bar and have a truck airhorn too pleeeeeease??? (in my little electric corsa), and put the wind up people on dark nights.

 

[crowcrow]

I used to cycle a lot in London, and waited at (many many) lights on my 12 miles to work. You'd be amazed how many cars, taxis and even buses and lorries jump the lights - not just by a little, but by a lot. Cyclists who do it are idiots, but are (generally) risking their own lives - those driving a tonne or more of metal who do it are the real idiots and need the book throwing at them. Happy to see cyclists booked too, but let's start where the real danger is.

Now I live in the countryside the driving isn't much better, just sadly see far fewer police doing anything about it. And don't get me started on people's use of indicators here, man - it is almost non existent! :p