Fitness

[pennyroyal_teea]

Got a decent mountain bike off my mate for free the other day. It's only got a back brake but that's the important one right? It needs a little cleaning up and that, but it's all good. Going to cycle to work again and hoping to go mountain biking when my friend comes to visit.

[yeah and what]

Is your grip effected/strained from repeated use of kettlebells like you get with free weights? I need to find an alternative as I'm starting to get the early warnings signs of repetitive strain injury from free weights.

[Matt S]

Got a decent mountain bike off my mate for free the other day. It's only got a back brake but that's the important one right? It needs a little cleaning up and that, but it's all good. Going to cycle to work again and hoping to go mountain biking when my friend comes to visit.

Technically yeah. You can't do mad skidz though. Bad times.

[thedopestghost_]

Got a decent mountain bike off my mate for free the other day. It's only got a back brake but that's the important one right? It needs a little cleaning up and that, but it's all good. Going to cycle to work again and hoping to go mountain biking when my friend comes to visit.

I always thought a front brake was more effective, but then again I have no brakes so I'm not exactly an expert.

[Ellen Melon]

Legally, you have to have a means of stopping both wheels. If you have a fixed wheel or a coaster brake, that counts and you just need a hand brake for your front wheel. Otherwise, you need one for each wheel.

Legal requirements aside (because it's rarely known or enforced, but it may land you in trouble if you were in an accident and didn't have two brakes), the front brake is more effective for bringing you to a quick stop. It also means that if, for some reason, something happens to your rear brake, you're not left without any means of stopping.

[Matt S]

I thought you could brake more sharply with your back brake, because with you're front brake you end up arse over your handlebars? I'm probably wrong though.

[Ellen Melon]

I thought you could brake more sharply with your back brake, because with you're front brake you end up arse over your handlebars? I'm probably wrong though.

Weight is transferred to the front wheel when the bike decelerates, so it's more effective to use the front brake. Using the back brake in an emergency and it'll take longer to stop, plus you may skid. You can use a combination of both, but if you've really hit the front brakes hard, chances are your rear wheel has very little contact with the ground and won't be much use, so you have to push your weight back and lock your arms to stop you from flying over the handlebars.

In reality though, most of us would just hit every brake we have available to us and scream OH SHIT.

[yeah and what]

I always use to hit the back break then the front to avoid going tits up, worked a charm.

[thedopestghost_]

I ride fixed with no brakes so I generally just try to avoid, and if I really have to stop i'll skid.

[Matt S]

Sensible bear says: "Always have two brakes, bro."
Nice day for a ride, i should dig the bike out the shed.
I've got a bike with those whack metal pedals, it's a good way to train yourself not to let your foot slip or you get a big gash on your leg!
Does everyone ride in the road, i still bowl round the pavements sometimes like a 14 year old. I don't really see the danger when no-ones around?

[thedopestghost_]

I'm a road warrior, I cant stand riding on pavements, they're too bumpy and full of people. I find traffic more predictable and therefore easier to deal with.

[tromboner]

Traffic is more predictable, until the feckin' pedestrians ( especially tourists ) turn into lemmings and step into the road without looking.

[Ellen Melon]

I ride on the road, much easier than hopping on and off kerbs, stopping to let cars pass and having to consider that people may step out of their door/gate into the path. At least if people step out into the road without looking it's their own fault for being a numpty.

[yeah and what]

What I don't get is, in the last 10 years in Birmingham there have been a few large residential building projects gone on, off the top of my head there is Dickens Heath, not one bright spark thought to put a cycle route through them, there was more than enough room, there's load of little windy roads round the quite large estate also with loads of T-Junctions and islands, there hasn't been any fatalities there but still, a good well thought out cycle route wouldn't have been that hard to squeeze in. If the government want to encourage people to cycle, more cycle routes should be a priority in any major construction projects over a vast amount of land.

[thedopestghost_]

If the government want to encourage people to cycle more then they should sort out the road surfaces.

Manchester is riddled with potholes, I find myself choosing my route around the city based on the smoothest roads rather than shortest distance.

Some more cycle lanes would be appreciated too.

[Ellen Melon]

I very rarely use cycle lanes, I don't want to be hemmed in over to the left where cars need to cut across my path to make a left turn, or where I need to weave out into traffic to turn right. I'd rather take the lane like a car. With that said, I only do it within my own capabilities - my journeys are mainly on residential, slower roads where I'm able to comfortably keep pace with the traffic. I wouldn't go out onto a main road and amble along with a tailback behind me. Riding out in the road also means no-one thinks "maybe I can just squeeze past...", forcing me even further to the left, and I'm more visible to traffic joining the road.

[yeah and what]

I would invest in a bike to cycle to work if there was a shower at this end no doubt, but I would avoid main roads, cunty driver are one thing, it's cunty bus/HGV drivers that are real twats though, just so fucking dangerous at times.

[yeah and what]

Being in Birmingham as well, I can pretty much cycle the whole way to work along canal routes, I'd just have to cycle a mile and a half from my house to get onto them which isn't too bad, and then the journey adds another mile or two but it's safe at least.

[thedopestghost_]

I very rarely use cycle lanes, I don't want to be hemmed in over to the left where cars need to cut across my path to make a left turn, or where I need to weave out into traffic to turn right. I'd rather take the lane like a car. With that said, I only do it within my own capabilities - my journeys are mainly on residential, slower roads where I'm able to comfortably keep pace with the traffic. I wouldn't go out onto a main road and amble along with a tailback behind me. Riding out in the road also means no-one thinks "maybe I can just squeeze past...", forcing me even further to the left, and I'm more visible to traffic joining the road.

I'm a complete twat on the road, my handlebars are pretty narrow so I cycle on the line between two lanes of traffic and squueze through gaps, I can generallt go faster than most of the traffic in Manchester as it's always bumper to bumper when I cycle to and from work.

[Matt S]

I very rarely use cycle lanes, I don't want to be hemmed in over to the left where cars need to cut across my path to make a left turn, or where I need to weave out into traffic to turn right. I'd rather take the lane like a car. With that said, I only do it within my own capabilities - my journeys are mainly on residential, slower roads where I'm able to comfortably keep pace with the traffic. I wouldn't go out onto a main road and amble along with a tailback behind me. Riding out in the road also means no-one thinks "maybe I can just squeeze past...", forcing me even further to the left, and I'm more visible to traffic joining the road.

I'm a complete twat on the road, my handlebars are pretty narrow so I cycle on the line between two lanes of traffic and squueze through gaps, I can generallt go faster than most of the traffic in Manchester as it's always bumper to bumper when I cycle to and from work.

It's all about being an irresponsible twat. I pay no attention to anything, just ride around yelling "watch it break, like knives in the pavement!" to this:

[thedopestghost_]

Oh I pay attention, I know everything thats going on around me. I cant afford no to with no brakes.

[Matt S]

Get Halfords to fix it, then pull a runner. Boom.

[thedopestghost_]

Get Halfords to fix it, then pull a runner. Boom.

haha yes!

[wghennessy]

Hi,

First time in this thread and i need some advice. Trying to start running on the streets. I've lost 4 stone in 4 months and my trainers are looking like shit. Wanting to spend around £50 but i will spend more if needed. Can anyone recommend any good brands or trainers ? I've heard New Balance make good running trainers...

My feet hurt like hell after a couple of miles at the minute...

[yeah and what]

Go to a specialist running shop, let them check if you need a trainer to make any adjustments for your foot shape.

Feet pain is probably because your current trainers are worn and haven't got any or lost their shock absorption.

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