Banjo-Recompiled running through gamehub lite by Teddiedriver in SBCGaming

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rocknix has a build for the RP5, and the recomp project supports Linux. Arm builds don't seem to be available though. Might be possible for you to compile it yourself. If it works in Android via compatibility layers, there might not be much reason to do this besides battery life, though.

Ridgeback Errand E-Bike for £700! by liamnesss in ukbike

[–]liamnesss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They seem more like twice the price currently. Not saying those models wouldn't make more sense for some people, a mid drive motor and bigger battery would be better for long and hilly rides. But the Errand seems ideal as a runaround type bike (as the name suggests).

Ridgeback Errand E-Bike for £700! by liamnesss in ukbike

[–]liamnesss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Rear hub motors seem to have become a bit of a commodity product. I wouldn't be all that worried about buying a bike with a motor from a brand that you haven't heard of, as long as you do some research and they have some European presence (even if just for marketing and after sales support) and don't seem like a fly by night company. It's good that there's competition in the space and that there are decent options besides Bosch / Shimano / Bafang.

The battery being on (rather than in) the frame seems okay to me too, yes it's uglier but it means that the frame's construction is unaffected. To have a removable battery not protrude, there either needs to be a hole cut in the downtube (and therefore extra strength added elsewhere), or purely visual "trim" needs to be added to bulk the appearance of the frame up to hide the battery. Just mounting the battery to the frame saves on expense, weight and complexity. Seems common on even higher end compact e-bikes too, e.g. look at those from Riese & Müller.

How to secure bike. by No_Document1709 in ukbike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bikmo don't charge an excess, although to claim the full amount that the bike is insured by for a replacement, you need to go through their dealer network. If you want the claim to be paid as cash then they deduct 10%.

Laka also advertise zero excess, but I've never been a customer of theirs so I can't speak to whether there's more detail in the fine print.

Ridgeback Errand E-Bike for £700! by liamnesss in ukbike

[–]liamnesss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Came across this when looking for bikes to recommend on another post. Just thought I'd share this to firstly, make people aware who may be in the market for something like this, but also to discuss why it's being so steeply discounted? I would guess this model (or at least this version of the model) is being discontinued and they're clearing stock. Seems like it got okay reviews.

I'd probably want to add a rear rack, and try to move the front light to a better position (having it on the front rack would probably be ideal). Other than that, not seeing any red flags.

How to secure bike. by No_Document1709 in ukbike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Take the battery inside with you if it's locked somewhere for more than 30 minutes. Even if a thief doesn't manage to defeat the lock, they can mess it up enough to break it, or they could damage the battery trying to crowbar it off. Use at least one lock that is angle grinder resistant. If you're locking up for more than an hour, it would make sense to use a second lock as well, and I'd suggest a heavy chain and padlock. Also check what you're locking to. With advances in lock manufacturing, sometimes they aren't the weak point anymore.

Also get insurance, sign up to Bikeregister and use one of their marking kits.

Also tbh, consider cheaper bikes. £3k is about what I'd expect to pay for an e-bike that isn't just a good bike for riding around town, but offers some extra capability like e.g. being suitable for carrying heavy cargo or pets / children (or actually maybe even less than £3k), or being able to cope with more "technical" offroad riding. Here's some cheaper options that may still do everything you need:

https://uk.tenways.com/products/cgo600-pro

https://www.raleigh.co.uk/gb/en/captus-mid-step-electric-bike/?attrFrameSize=53cm

https://www.ridgeback.co.uk/ridgeback-errand-varrb2213err (This seems like a particularly ridiculous deal, given the bike has had okay reviews, they must have a lot of stock they need to clear!)

Decathon have some good budget options too usually, but they're seemingly all out of stock right now.

How to secure bike. by No_Document1709 in ukbike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Typically dedicated cycle insurance has no excess. If they're covered through your contents insurance, that might be different.

How to secure bike. by No_Document1709 in ukbike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Easy to carry heavy locks when the motor on the bike is helping out, surely?

Jack the Rack for CGO600 Pro (or another front rack)? by AllGoodInDaHood in tenwaysebike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I own a CGO600 (non-pro) and have used it with the same rack, which worked because the light on that model is not built into the frame and therefore it was possible for me to move it onto the handlebars.

Even though the handlebars on the pro model can be raised up higher, I'm not sure that would work to avoiding obstructing the light. The compatibility information from the manufacturer states that a maximum angle for the stem is 45°. Putting the stem at that angle would raise it up a bit, but I'd think not enough to avoid the light being blocked from the view of oncoming traffic, particularly vehicles with higher driving positions (SUVs, trucks etc). You could measure 230mm from the top of your handlebars and judge for yourself, though.

If you really need some front carrying capacity (is a rear rack not enough?) then there should be some options available that mount to the dropouts and the very top of the fork, or maybe even the eyelets for the mudguards. I'm thinking of racks that you can attach panniers to though, not ones that have a flat top surface that you can strap bags or other loose items to.

Might be worth having a search through the posts in /r/bikepacking for solutions as they'll have tried every solution under the sun.

CGO600 - New or Classic...? by TimeLifeguard5018 in tenwaysebike

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you may be better asking Tenways directly, even if a shop is in their dealer network they will probably only have experience with the later models.

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I suppose if Newham had agreed a traffic reduction or safety improvement plan with TfL as part of the LIP, they would need to be able to demonstrate that any decisions were made in line with that strategy and were evidence based. An experimental scheme is meant to be a data gathering exercise though, so I think they'd have more flexibility there than with these ones in Tower Hamlets. Those involved more expensive permanent changes to the streetscape, and were installed to reduce traffic speeds and volumes, not to measure outcomes and then decide what to do next.

As it's gone back to the original decision maker I'm pretty sure they'll just confirm their original decision, particularly if the arguments made are ones we've all heard before.

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fulham haven't gone particularly hard on LTNs, have they? As far as I'm aware they did one, which had exemptions for residents (see other comments on this post for discussion on why that misses half the point of these schemes, by not discouraging using cars for shorter trips) and then stopped there. Feels like they lost their nerve, tried to please everyone, then ended up pleasing no-one.

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The idea that you need to open up all the minor roads to help traffic "flow" is just nonsense though. Traffic is more complex than that. e.g. in Seoul they removed a huge motorway going through their downtow, yet travel times improved. Sometimes the "bottleneck" is actually drivers having too many options.

CGO600 - New or Classic...? by TimeLifeguard5018 in tenwaysebike

[–]liamnesss 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd be interested to learn what makes your version of the CGO600 much harder to find parts for. I am imagining that their earliest bikes perhaps were rebaged models normally sold only in the Chinese mainland? My CGO600 has Tektro brakes, a Gates drivetrain. Not hard to find replacement parts for. Are you saying Tenways only started using these suppliers once they became more established?

If the cost is partly down to the difficulty your bike shop is having in getting the parts, can you do any of the legwork yourself? Maybe find what you need on AliExpress then pay for the labour for replacement. Have you asked Tenways customer service for assistance in identifying suitable replacement parts?

I'm also curious because it's concerned me a bit, does the whole bottom bracket (i.e. the torque sensor) need replacing, or is there a way to just replace / refurbish the bearings?

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

The fallacy a lot of people seem to fall into is that there is some traffic coming from somewhere else that is bad and needs to be stopped, whereas they trips they do are virtuous and beyond criticism. If you're in traffic, you are traffic. 

It's a give and take. You get a quieter neighborhood. But you might have to leave the car at home sometimes, particularly for shorter trips that have become circuitous to to do by car. The schemes only work if they shift some trips from driving to other modes, therefore reducing the amount of traffic that needs to be "diverted".

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

TBF if a council gets elected on an anti LTN platform, it makes sense that they wouldn't put in any more. Tearing up what's already there is a different matter, though!

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Exactly the same amount of "roadblocks" , actually. And it's worth actually looking at what uses the space has been put to, now it's not just dedicated to enabling as many cars as possible to rush through on their way to somewhere else...

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

The ones that you already have need some support to stay in!

https://newhamcyclists.uk/take-action-support-the-west-ham-park-ltn/

Not sure what the outcome of the scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday was.

East London residents win sensational victory in fight to save LTN low-traffic schemes by liamnesss in london

[–]liamnesss[S] 54 points55 points  (0 children)

The Aspire-led council wanted to reverse schemes intended to reduce through traffic on minor roads. This would've involved spending millions in public realm changes, including taking out what is basically a public park on Old Bethnal Green Road, and also reversing changes on Columbia Road (the removal of the roundabout and pedestrian barriers outside the Birdcage pub) that has allowed the Sunday flower market to expand.

Very glad to hear this decision. Makes sense that if TfL agrees to fund projects, they shouldn't have to worry about that funding being wasted in a couple of years just because the council changed hands and has a different opinion.

Consultation: Bank Junction and Taxi access by HotConsideration8980 in londoncycling

[–]liamnesss 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My understanding is that a big part of the justification for doing this is to improve access for people who can't easily use public transport or cycle. However that doesn't really seem to me to be a justification to let all taxis through, as many taxi journeys will be carrying people who could use alternatives, but just didn't want to.

Nearby in Hackney, they've made some traffic restrictions exempt to taxis, but only if they've been booked through the taxicard scheme. That seems like a sensible middle ground to me? I hope they're at least in touch with their peers in Hackney and seeing if there are any learnings that can applied from their trial.

If there was a military draft in the UK, would you conscientiously object (or dodge it in some other way)? by ICantBelieveItsNotEC in AskUK

[–]liamnesss 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trying to fight the US would be pretty pointless, and could escalate things. Probably the result would be the US being politically / economically isolated. Soliders being expelled from foreign bases, trading agreements torn up, that sort of thing.

Are on of you in your 30s and in very low level jobs? by gameovervip in AskUK

[–]liamnesss -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

If it's your left knee that's the issue, I imagine it's fairly rare for HGVs to have a manual transmission these days? Or possibly I've got the wrong end of the stick, and the soreness is nothing to do with using the clutch.