Cycling OSers

metherer

Hi All

Just resurrecting the thread.

My bike arrived today (£143 from eBay. not decided whether thats a good thing or not yet.)

Once we've managed to put the darned thing together, I'm hoping to be able to pootle up to town on a Saturday. Its only a mile, but costs £3 in a taxi if I've bought anything! So, my bike has a lovely large basket on the front.

I'm finding the accessories cost a fortune though. I can't get into town during the week, and as I figure i need a lock etc before i go into town, have had to buy online.

Can anyone reccomend any cheap online bike accessory places?

Thanks,

Metherer (who is going to look a bit like Penny Poyzer once she gets set off!)
x

sarah0404

Hi metherer, we no longer have a car :eek: Switched to bikes only! Tomorrow we are going to collect a new "tag along" bike for DD who is 5. She is too big to go in the bike trailer now. I don't know about cheap accessories, I did buy a bike lock from Woolies for £2 though. We've also bought some bike bits and bobs from here: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/ I'm not sure if it is cheap or not compared to anywhere else though. They've got bike bags, cycling shoes, lights, drink bottles etc.

Good luck with your new bike!

Zziggi

Anyone who has a child trailer "thingy" - could you tell me what the recommended weight/age rang are for these please?

Would it suit an average 2 yr old and a 4 1/2 year old?

thanks

lara1983

Bikes are great, but as people have said, confidence is the key, especially at roundabouts. The only thing is on a bike you feel like you should have right of way over both cars and pedestrians I find! I'm a bit of a menace on my bike, go very fast as it's a town bike and really speedy. IT's hard to brake in the rain though with such thin tyres! I'm amazed I've never falled off. Cycling in Oxford is just standard, it's faster than getting buses and the best bit is it's completely flat! It just annoys me that other towns have such poor cycle lanes. Some of them are an absolute joke, and so many stop half way down a busy narrow road. The government should sort it out if they're serious about public transport and the environment etc. Maybe this should be on the 'eco' board?!

sarah0404

zziggi, I think a trailer would be fine for a 2 and 4 year old. We had a 4 yr old and 5 yr old in one, but we're finding it too heavy now. I usually have my 2 year old in a bike seat on my bike and my partner takes the other two in the trailer. My 5 yr old is now going to be on the tag along bike and the 2 year old will go into the trailer. The trailer has been great, but being the double size I find it is a bit wide. It can't fit through the annoying gates at the canal. Everyone has to get out, trailer has to be unhitched and lifted over. That is a real pain. My trailer also converts into a jogger style buggy, so you could cycle to the shops, park your bike and push the trailer round the shops as a double buggy.

secretdancer

elmer wrote:

pretend you're a car, take up position about 50metres beforehand in the centre of the right hand lane, keep cycling with as much speed as you require, try to signal, (scary) and then use the whole lane all the way round, I used to cycle in London (now live in Scottish Borders, much nicer!), and i found that the only way to maintain speed and not get squashed was to use the whole lane, there shouldnt be enough room for a car beside you if you are going anyway, so just go for it, Good Luck.

I'd be a bit wary of adopting this practice - not to offend but it seems like a sure fire way of getting yourself knocked off. Not only do you have to get across into the 2nd lane and keep all of the cars in that lane behind you, but you also have to be watching for undertakers on the inside lane. You then have to get back into the inside lane to exit. Drivers are impatient and generally oblivious to everything outside their car, you will be undertaken and cars will get close behind you.

I guess it depends on the size of the roundabout, but there is a large two lane roundabout that I have the option of cycling across everyday. As I'm fighting with rush hour traffic I opt for the pedestrian underpass because it is much safer (obviously use the underpass with care). Cars fly around roundabouts jostling for position with each other, let alone cyclists!

If you have to negotiate the roundabout I would stay on the inside lane, maintain a steady speed and clearly indicate your intentions. Watch for cars that want to exit and cross your path. If you are visible and indicate you should be fine.

Generally be seen and be confident. Don't ride in the gutter, don't run red lights and be courteous. Some cyclists give cycling a bad name because they don't follow the rules of the road and treat it as a free for all, weaving in and out of traffic, up onto pavements, etc... Then they are the first to whine when they are met with an equally aggressive driver

Austin_Allegro

For cheap cycling accessories I recommend Ebay, there is a mixture of new and second hand stuff on there at reasonable prices.

[Deleted User]

good on you cyclists and cycling wannabes

never too late. I`m 58, silver-haired and `motherly looking`with the weight to match and started after christmas. I don`t go out in poor weather and need a purpose even if its only getting the paper, which is a 5 mile round trip. Everywhere around here is hilly so my new bike with 24 gears is the bees knees

I went to the sorting office this morning, another 5 mile ride with an uncomfortable long hill on the way back. I just take it steady

Tomorrow it will be a 12 mile round trip to a lovely small market town with one high street. Lots of hills on that one but they are intermittent and ok on a 1: 1 gear.

Most difficult thing for me is lifting my leg high enough to get on and off, even when the bike is tilted. Still it will keep my right leg flexible

My new-looking other bike is in the shed. It is 15 years old and has hardly been used because of the weight and gear shortage. The gears and lack of friction on a good bike made a world of difference to me and my motivation

I have two ace panniers, which will hold a lot of stuff. Roll on the day when cyclists are in the majority and cars have to give way to us

nik0510

hi Sarah0404, we have a red and black trailer for our kiddie, age 2 and 4 (a sturdy 4 as well), have had it about a year now, kids love going out in the kiddie kart, hubby takes them to playschool and the shops, only stopped when it was really cold minus 10 and it was snowing, over in germany they have red cycle paths absolutely brilliant, have got a ladies city bike for me, just waiting to pluck up the courage to cycle to work, hubby loves the bike, go for it, space for shopping as well, best of luck

badgermonkey

I was just thinking about this thread the other day! Now the weather is better I'm going to try taking my bike on the train to work more. My big challenge is to see if I can cycle all the way home one day - it's 16 miles down country roads including a couple of major hills, but as I'm a teacher I can set off fairly early and it shouldn't take much more than two hours, I reckon. It's just a question of plucking up courage.

I can pick up some speed now but I still find I lack power in my thighs and struggle to get up the longer hills as I just seem to run out of energy in my legs. I also have the problem that I go really fast when I first get on my bike, out of sheer exhilaration, but then wear myself out further on. I need to learn to pace myself!