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I don't use my bikes for commuting, and all of my cycling is now on country lanes and unpaved foot/cycle paths, so the surfaces are much more bumpy than most urban or city roads. I've never been able to restrict myself to a single bike, so I use full sus, front sus, and rigid bikes and trikes...

Yes, sadly, so many people seem to latch on to a specific item or type and then defend it to the death, rubbishing the competition. Why ? As with bikes, it's possible to appreciate and enjoy all types of canoeing as well. I use a Canadian, a Sit on Top, a Folbot folder, and an inflatable...

I've tinkered with bikes and trikes all my life, and I experimented with ebikes over 10 years ago, well before they became as popular as they are now. The early lead-acid battery bikes were untenable, with their short range and immense weight. If things had stayed the way they were, the market...

True enough Rolhoffboy, it sounds like an ideal unit for 95% of home users. So much better than cartridge inkjets.

My third party inks needed a little "tuning" in the output settings, but the results are now as good as I was getting from the genuine Epson cartridges, (and it is a sophisticated eight drum set, including two different blacks and a "glosser"). I'd always been surprised that A3 inkjet printers...

...and are also filled with open cell foam, to avoid the ink sloshing around and aerating with the rapid movement of the print heads, which means they hold far less ink than one would think, even for their small size.....

Yes, and a single black toner cartridge, (costing only about a tenner), will print between 6,000 and 10,000 A4 pages, so much cheaper than inkjets. As I'm a sucker for these things, I also picked up a secondhand HP laserjet 4000 with double-sided printing functionality for about £30 about 5...

That'll teach me to not realise that things may have changed since my printer researches a few years ago. It is indeed a very good development for consumers. I never worry about invalidating guarantees because I buy secondhand wherever possible. IT stuff loses value so quickly that I never...

It's an interesting argument Alan. Even though it would be even more Heath Robinson, I wonder how it would be if a lightweight battery pack were interposed as well, and the petrol motor only started for charging when the bike was parked ? (What a monster it would be... :rolleyes:)

I understand that non-commercial inkjet printers are generally sold at a loss by the big manufacturers, because they then hold their customers to ransom with the ludicrous prices of the ink cartridges. Hence they even regularly update the chips in them, to try to keep ahead of the clone...

Now there's an idea ! Get an old powerpack petrol bike and fit an alternator to the 35cc engine. If it was then fitted with a 15mph max 250cc electric hub motor it would be "almost" legal to drive on UK roads with no tax, license, or insurance. It may even just scrape in under the weight limit...

It had the opposite effect on me.... The Marmite analogy is very apt for the "boyz". The year's free postage isn't quite enough compensation. :rolleyes:

I googled images and found a diagram that shows it clearer than my explanation.

Sorry Billy, I didn't realise the question was aimed at me. I'll try and answer though, If you look at the way the spokes are laced to the wheel you'll see that each one alternately pulls the wheel to the left or the right, because at the hub they are fixed to either the left or right hand...

amazing....

For me the crucial ebike development was "pedal assist", even by just a simple rotation sensor on the cranks. You still feel as though you're powering the bike, as you indeed are, to a certain extent. For a couple of years I tried a Dutch Spartamet 35cc petrol powered bicycle, thinking that I...

Another tip when trying spoke adjustment for the first time is to use a piece of chalk when finding the "high spots". It makes it easier to keep track on progress while the adjustments are being made. It's so easy to forget and turn the spoke nipples the wrong way, which can be disheartening...

Fear of the unknown is quite understandable, and wheels are a worrying safety aspect of bikes. :rolleyes: DIY aptitude skills vary widely between individuals, so it's tricky to advise how "easy" some tasks could be. I've fiddled around with bikes for over 50 years, and was always confident...

I've also found Schwalbe Marathons to be the best insurance against punctures too. I also tried the internal reinforcing strips, but they are tricky to fit without pinching the tube, and they give no protection to the sidewall. Having said that, the only time I've had a puncture with a...

I agree wholeheartedly with the suggestion of cleats. I put SPD's on my Hase Lepus because I always thought of the possibility of "dropping" a foot at speed. The laid back posture makes the leg very heavy when relaxed, and the consequences of it hitting the road and being pulled back...