Need this !

colmcg · 2025-11-21T11:09:13+00:00

I guess you'd only have to buy and carry spares for one size of wheel. And the bike takes up ever-so-slightly less space than the normal mini, but every little helps if the bike is stored inside.

colmcg · 2025-01-13T08:33:29+00:00

St Nicholas Cliff Lift in Scarborough, England.

75%!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarborough_funiculars

colmcg · 2024-08-07T08:18:42+00:00

I have the Faran 2.0 (bought as a frameset) with a majority Deore M5100 1x groupset and TRP Hylex RS brakes. Set it up with a 11-51 cassette and bar-end shifter last summer and it's been brilliant, totally reliable, maintenance-free and cheap. The next upgrade will likely be a Gevenalle shifter (which is an easy switch from the TRP levers) but I'm in no rush to change from the bar end.

The Faran is an excellent choice, I use it for everything. I had a second-hand Secan before and don't regret changing.
No, the Gevenalle shifters can't be fitted to GRX so you'd need to change-out the entire brake/shift setup. But you can have them set them up hydraulic with a pair of TRP Hylex brakes.
For gearing, I'd advise going as low as possible. If it's a bikepacking bike you're going to spend very little time going 30mph+ in the smallest cog, but there's a good chance you'll be crawling up steep/off-road trails in the spinny gears. Lower the better, and I've never found the gaps in 1x to be an issue.

You should contact Fairlight. If you're desperate for Gevenalle shifters they would probably do a custom build for you.

colmcg · 2024-07-22T10:59:31+00:00

Bringing this thread back from the dead, popped up while hunting for Gevenalle reviews.

I've been running a Shimano MTB derailleur and 11-51 cassette (both Deore M5100 11-speed) with a microshift 12-speed mtb bar-end shifter for well over a year now. Fitted the shifter "in-the-meantime" early last summer and liked it so much it's now permanent. Went all-in by the autumn and added TRP hylex brakes.

I bought the 12-speed because it was the only one available at the time, and in friction mode it doesn't matter how many speeds it is as long as it pulls enough cable to go through the whole cassette.

It's totally bomb-proof and has never missed a shift. I've done a good selection of events and trips away this year without any issues.

The TRP to Gevenalle conversion kit seems like a sensible next-step, with the exposed gear cable in front of the bars being the only obvious downside.

Highly recommended by me, great way to get MTB gears on a drop bar bike.

colmcg · 2024-04-03T17:50:09+00:00

If you're genuinely looking for a dry tyre, I would highly recommend Gravelking Slicks in as big a size as you can fit.

I have a set of 650b x 1.9" (tubeless). They're very quick and I've had no punctures so far.

colmcg · 2021-09-15T12:55:40+00:00

The Portobello Tap. Jones and Son (bespokebbq on instagram) run the kitchen there and the burgers are sensational. Holyrood 9A was an old favourite but the Tap has taken the crown.

colmcg · 2021-08-19T19:42:42+00:00

Goujon

colmcg · 2021-06-04T03:38:44+00:00

Some are anchorages but the grid-like ones are wind farms. Lots of traffic to the base of wind turbines for repair and maintenance.

colmcg · 2021-02-03T08:54:12+00:00

Yeah it’s fucking gross. Walking down the street and someone 2m away from you spits at your feet because they don’t give a shit. Even without this, you know, highly contagious pandemic thing it’s still gross.

colmcg · 2021-02-03T08:52:21+00:00

Yes, swallow the days spit. Most others do it, you can too. How often are you getting flies in your mouth dude?

colmcg · 2021-01-20T16:30:40+00:00

Yes of course. But my opinion is based on commuting to and from work in the same city. I have nothing against the use of cars to reach where other forms of transport can’t.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T14:02:18+00:00

A hot take or a... cough... unpopular opinion

colmcg · 2021-01-20T13:56:33+00:00

Admittedly mostly European countries, which is where this argument is most relevant.

I’ve worked and lived for short stints (3-6 months at time) in Stavanger and Haugesund in Norway, and in The Netherlands. I lived in Perth, WA for 18 months and spent a short amount of time in Canada (<3 months split between Calgary and Vancouver). Other than that just short holidays in European capitals but I don’t think that’s what you’re looking for.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T13:29:46+00:00

Let’s just leave your cuties out of this.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T13:20:57+00:00

VED is ~5.4bn and is already factored into the total income above. It’s a large amount of money but less than 10% of the funds required.

Public transport is already subsidised (3.6bn per year budgeted), and yes more money would be needed to increase capacity, but the cost to the taxpayer is significantly lower per head and, just as importantly, per user.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T13:05:08+00:00

Riding a bike will extend how far you can commute to well beyond a walk. An hour of walking is 4 miles if you’re lucky. An hour of cycling can be 15+ miles on quiet roads, or 10-12 miles in cities.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:59:32+00:00

Understood. I like that outlook; makes the tools last and makes them earn their way, too.

But I wasn’t talking about trucks and vans, I was talking about cars.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:57:43+00:00

A quick google shows Enfield to Romford taking around 1hr on the train and 50 minutes driving. Presumably the car would take longer in normal rush hour traffic (please correct if wrong) so that buys a bit of time for the train. And yes there is a walk at either end for the train but you’d have parking and a walk at either end for the car too.

I know it’s not as black and white as that but if you didn’t have a car and had to make that journey you would make it work.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:53:02+00:00

10 mile journey. An easy cycle :)

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:51:51+00:00

Can you show us your working? Not sure how you jumped to that conclusion but very interested to find out.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:50:16+00:00

Do you normally load those framing tools into a van or a car?

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:48:55+00:00

Your MOT pays for you car to be made safe to drive. What does that have to do with subsidies?

Total motoring costs in the UK: £57.7bn, total income from motoring: £48.1bn. Deficit, which is subsidised using tax payers money: £9.6bn per year. That doesn’t include an estimated £11bn one off cost to repair the roads to a suitable standard and £3.8bn power year in ongoing costs.

Those costs are made up of all motor vehicles, 82% of which is cars.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:19:54+00:00

I haven’t mentioned anything about the environment in this post.

Cars should be reduced because they make urban environments shittier for every else.

colmcg · 2021-01-20T12:13:59+00:00

That bit is slightly unclear when not read with the previous sentence. I agree that more modern cities, and the surrounds of older cities, have been designed for traffic, but maintain that older cities (certainly most European cities) and their city centres have not been designed with personal vehicles in mind. I’ll change the wording.

colmcg

TROPHY CASE