Comments for The Cycle Way http://thecycleway.com Live your passion Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:53:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on The Garmin Edge series 305, 705 and 500 by Ride2Wk http://thecycleway.com/?p=741&cpage=1#comment-509 Ride2Wk Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:53:55 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=741#comment-509 A good little article and I like the photo comparisons. I have been using a 705 for several years for rides, commuting and for work tracing new pathways. I have used the way finding directions in 3 situations. 1/ was simply using it to plot the shortest way somewhere when there were 2 alternatives that I wasn't sure of which was the shortest route. I usually found it good but the mapping only follows the way you would drive. It ignores short cuts, bike paths etc so it can often put you on a longer route than you would normally take if you know the area. 2/ when I was visiting Melbourne and trying to find my way around. For that it was poor. The cycling mode put me along tiny back streets instead of the shorter faster main roads. But in car mode it would direct me onto freeways. 3/ was for Audax rides and for that it was very good. But of course you have to plot the route first and then save it. So it takes more effort to prepare than simply following a map but was easier. (Except where there are errors in the road maps which do occur such as over Tomewin at the Gold Coast.) The 1 problem for way finding is that the screen is too small to be very useful as a map. The option of a the 500 plus a Smart Phone for the GPS is probably a more functional combination. A good little article and I like the photo comparisons. I have been using a 705 for several years for rides, commuting and for work tracing new pathways.

I have used the way finding directions in 3 situations.
1/ was simply using it to plot the shortest way somewhere when there were 2 alternatives that I wasn’t sure of which was the shortest route. I usually found it good but the mapping only follows the way you would drive. It ignores short cuts, bike paths etc so it can often put you on a longer route than you would normally take if you know the area.
2/ when I was visiting Melbourne and trying to find my way around. For that it was poor. The cycling mode put me along tiny back streets instead of the shorter faster main roads. But in car mode it would direct me onto freeways.
3/ was for Audax rides and for that it was very good. But of course you have to plot the route first and then save it. So it takes more effort to prepare than simply following a map but was easier. (Except where there are errors in the road maps which do occur such as over Tomewin at the Gold Coast.)

The 1 problem for way finding is that the screen is too small to be very useful as a map. The option of a the 500 plus a Smart Phone for the GPS is probably a more functional combination.

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]]> Comment on Compulsory helmets by Ride2Wk http://thecycleway.com/?p=775&cpage=1#comment-508 Ride2Wk Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:22:56 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=775#comment-508 If helmets were not compulsory I would not normally wear a helmet. The risk is a head injury on a bike is not much different to that of a head injury in a car or walking on the streets. But how many of you wear your helmet in the car or when walking? There are some times when I would wear a helmet such as on the MTB (because I'm not that good on loose dirt!) and perhaps if I was riding in a large bunch with riders I don't know. The problem with Mandatory Helmet Laws is they give people the impression that cycling is more dangerous than it really is and it puts many people off cycling. Especially parents not letting their kids cycle to school like I did in the 70s. As an ex-Sydney commuter cyclist from 83-91, I learnt how to watch everybody on the road constantly and be prepared to avoid crashes by recognising when someone was even thinking of doing something. I also use a rear view mirror constantly so I always know what is coming behind and whether I can verge right around a sudden obstacle (like a car door) or not without having to take time to check. I find the mirror is more important to my safety than a helmet will ever be. I still use my original 1991 helmet - I've never hit the stupid esky lid on anything! If helmets were not compulsory I would not normally wear a helmet. The risk is a head injury on a bike is not much different to that of a head injury in a car or walking on the streets. But how many of you wear your helmet in the car or when walking?

There are some times when I would wear a helmet such as on the MTB (because I’m not that good on loose dirt!) and perhaps if I was riding in a large bunch with riders I don’t know.

The problem with Mandatory Helmet Laws is they give people the impression that cycling is more dangerous than it really is and it puts many people off cycling. Especially parents not letting their kids cycle to school like I did in the 70s. As an ex-Sydney commuter cyclist from 83-91, I learnt how to watch everybody on the road constantly and be prepared to avoid crashes by recognising when someone was even thinking of doing something.

I also use a rear view mirror constantly so I always know what is coming behind and whether I can verge right around a sudden obstacle (like a car door) or not without having to take time to check. I find the mirror is more important to my safety than a helmet will ever be.

I still use my original 1991 helmet – I’ve never hit the stupid esky lid on anything!

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]]> Comment on Inspecting Carbon Fibre Bike frames by Steve Katz http://thecycleway.com/?p=111&cpage=1#comment-501 Steve Katz Tue, 24 Aug 2010 01:06:52 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=111#comment-501 I was just told by Specialized, upon inspecting my 2005 Roubaix Comp frame, that a nickel sized area that is gone from the upper part of the seat tube, is "impact damage." You can see the checkerboard pattern from the carbon very clearly. The question is whether 1) is Specialized living up to its warranty by only giving me a discount on a new bike? 2) Is the bike ridable? Thank you. Steve Katz I was just told by Specialized, upon inspecting my 2005 Roubaix Comp frame, that a nickel sized area that is gone from the upper part of the seat tube, is “impact damage.”

You can see the checkerboard pattern from the carbon very clearly.

The question is whether 1) is Specialized living up to its warranty by only giving me a discount on a new bike? 2) Is the bike ridable?

Thank you.

Steve Katz

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]]> Comment on Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide by David http://thecycleway.com/?p=748&cpage=1#comment-499 David Fri, 20 Aug 2010 12:20:38 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=748#comment-499 Thanks for this work. Stumbled upon it accidentally the other week, and it inspired me to hire a bike when I was in Canberra earlier this week with a few spare hours between meetings. I would have liked to do some of the more far-flung rides you have described, but in the end time constraints meant that I could only do Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Red Hill, and the roads and cycleways between those. Black Mountain was perhaps the quintessential Canberra winter experience- pouring rain and 7 degrees. By contrast the next morning Mount Ainslie was glorious a little after 6.00am (having had a kangaroo keep me company for a short distance) watching the dawn before riding to Red Hill. Mount Ainslie is a challenging hill doing it for the first time, as it keeps getting steeper as you go up. Coming up to a left hander half way up I was sure it would flatten off a little as so many hills do but no, it just got steeper! All very enjoyable. Thanks for this work. Stumbled upon it accidentally the other week, and it inspired me to hire a bike when I was in Canberra earlier this week with a few spare hours between meetings.

I would have liked to do some of the more far-flung rides you have described, but in the end time constraints meant that I could only do Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie, Red Hill, and the roads and cycleways between those.

Black Mountain was perhaps the quintessential Canberra winter experience- pouring rain and 7 degrees. By contrast the next morning Mount Ainslie was glorious a little after 6.00am (having had a kangaroo keep me company for a short distance) watching the dawn before riding to Red Hill.

Mount Ainslie is a challenging hill doing it for the first time, as it keeps getting steeper as you go up. Coming up to a left hander half way up I was sure it would flatten off a little as so many hills do but no, it just got steeper!

All very enjoyable.

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]]> Comment on Security concerns with Garmin Connect by Tom http://thecycleway.com/?p=718&cpage=1#comment-487 Tom Tue, 10 Aug 2010 01:13:24 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=718#comment-487 This does not bother me one bit because if the only valuable thing in your house is not your bike than you need to seriously consider an upgrade. If you are concerned about your chances of being burgled while out riding compared to being hit by a car you should not get out of bed. Agree with JasonT, get a life dudes or take up chess. This does not bother me one bit because if the only valuable thing in your house is not your bike than you need to seriously consider an upgrade. If you are concerned about your chances of being burgled while out riding compared to being hit by a car you should not get out of bed. Agree with JasonT, get a life dudes or take up chess.

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]]> Comment on My New Project – Restoration of a PDM Concorde team bike 1988 by Steve Ralph http://thecycleway.com/?p=45&cpage=1#comment-357 Steve Ralph Thu, 15 Jul 2010 16:58:19 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=45#comment-357 my first "real" racing bike in 1989/1990 was a Concorde PDM - loved it - did all my time trials on it - they were the big Dutch team back then - Sean Kelly?? rode for them then - my favourite riders were Steven Rooks and Gert Theunisse - Dutch of course - then Erik Breukink - this was about the Greg Lemond era - I loved the bikes though and had the PDM jerseys to go with it - Rudy Dhaenens won the World Championships on a Concorde - so this bike of yours is certainly a collectors piece - of course the team ended because there was drug allegations in 1991 - PDM pulled out in 1992 my first “real” racing bike in 1989/1990 was a Concorde PDM – loved it – did all my time trials on it – they were the big Dutch team back then – Sean Kelly?? rode for them then – my favourite riders were Steven Rooks and Gert Theunisse – Dutch of course – then Erik Breukink – this was about the Greg Lemond era – I loved the bikes though and had the PDM jerseys to go with it – Rudy Dhaenens won the World Championships on a Concorde – so this bike of yours is certainly a collectors piece – of course the team ended because there was drug allegations in 1991 – PDM pulled out in 1992

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]]> Comment on Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide by Ross http://thecycleway.com/?p=748&cpage=1#comment-322 Ross Sun, 11 Jul 2010 05:49:29 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=748#comment-322 Good work, Mark. Fairlight Rd and also East Tallaganda Lane are two others you may consider. Good work, Mark. Fairlight Rd and also East Tallaganda Lane are two others you may consider.

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]]> Comment on My New Project – Restoration of a PDM Concorde team bike 1988 by luke http://thecycleway.com/?p=45&cpage=1#comment-314 luke Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:24:05 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=45#comment-314 Is your bike ready now ? I start the restauration of the concorde pdm 1990 , of former world champion Rudy dhaenens , Belgium . Original campagnolo c group with delta brakes . Is your bike ready now ?
I start the restauration of the concorde pdm 1990 , of former world champion Rudy dhaenens , Belgium .
Original campagnolo c group with delta brakes .

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]]> Comment on Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide by The Cycle Way » The Garmin Edge series 305, 705 and 500 http://thecycleway.com/?p=748&cpage=1#comment-296 The Cycle Way » The Garmin Edge series 305, 705 and 500 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:33:01 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=748#comment-296 [...] Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide Categories [...] [...] Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide Categories [...]

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]]> Comment on Canberra’s Hill Climb Guide by Mikeyc http://thecycleway.com/?p=748&cpage=1#comment-274 Mikeyc Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:10:41 +0000 http://thecycleway.com/?p=748#comment-274 Great site, thanks for the info and time invested. Keep up the good work! Great site, thanks for the info and time invested. Keep up the good work!

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