Ian wrote:While I'm here, folk that are charging batteries off their dynamo - do you connect through a Cycle2charge, or can you just take the feed direct from the hub?

You definitely need a gadget to convert the dynamo output to regulated USB before the USB / cache battery...! C2C etc should work fine...

Most smartphones have built-in GPS these days. Turning GPS on uses more power, but since GPS is receive only, it will continue to work even if the phone is in airplane mode. GPS alone with all other comms switched off (airplane mode) seems to drain the battery less quickly than No GPS with comms. Th...

Big thumbs up for using a phone as a GPS from me, with a couple of caveats. One is that the screen can sometimes be hard to read in bright sunlight, but this varies from model to model. The other is finding a weatherproof case which will allow you to charge the phone in the case. OruxMaps is my app ...

How can you tell if a battery supports pass-though charging? These days the blurb / spec will usually mention it. What you'd hope would happen is that your power source (dynamo or wall charger) would put current into the battery, the device would take some (or all) of it to charge itself, and the e...

+1 for Zendure. Had one since Kickstarter, and they're bombproof. Not run one from a dynamo myself, but have used it with a solar charger while camping. Doesn't have a switch to start device charging, which is A Good Thing when it's probably going to be buried in your frame or bar bag. The RAVPower ...

40 or so miles from home to the top of the Mendips and back. Much more mud than last week, but the 1.75" Smart Sam on the front easily beat the 41mm Knard I took off for grip and comfort. Two cafe stops and lots of sunshine, what's not to like?

I've been ridiculed a fair amount for carrying too much stuff, but people don't tend to complain when their using my spare cables, valve cores, chain links, inner tubes, patches etc... I'm trying to cut down, really I am!

... it's such a pity it's not widely used in the UK There don't seem to be (m)any such sites that are used in the UK. I've been talking with the guy who runs VTTrack.fr about setting up something similar for the UK, but the issue is getting a decent data source. Now, if we'd all go out and set mtb:...

Crowdfunding was meant to be for the startup... Said who? Remember that Kickstarter and the like themselves typically take 5%. Having absorbed R&D and prototyping costs, crowdfuding is therefore a relatively cost effective way for any company to assess the size of their market and ensure that t...

Bell shop with sounds samples: http://www.dutchbikebits.com/index.php? ... ry&path=49
Recording and loudness measures of bike bells: http://blog.dutchbikebits.com/2010/11/t ... bells.html

"Just listen to that sustain"

This any use?

http://www.vttour.fr/topos/traversee-de ... ,2058.html

VTTour and VTTrack.fr are your friends for French routes and beyond

Adapted into Bristol-Chorleywood for when I have the time and legs to visit my friend over there... many thanks!

ctznsmith wrote:Am I missing something...how do you (I) view sections 2 to 5?

Just change the digit before the '.gpx' in the URL

HaYWiRe wrote:It goes on, since discovering jeans I can run/bike/swim in, wash and dry in ten mins and still look smart enough to wear with a blazer my whole wardrobe has changed and significantly shrunk!

Specifically what jeans are you referring to here?

htrider wrote:Rims wise go with Mavics

Seconded. I have never had a problem with Mavic rims unless I've been riding like a complete wazzock.

NeoShell is definitely an alternative. Almost all the reviews I've read say that the breathability lives up to its claims.

Think of it like a paper map with your route drawn on, just in electronic form. And, crucially, an indication of where you are at the moment...! Isn't it possible to add waypoints to a route which will make the unit bleep or something when you approach them? Going way back to my days at GoFar / Sin...

I felt it deteriorated with repeated washing/reproofing (which of course could be me not removing enough of the soap residue from the machine pre-washing). How do you actually effectively remove soap residue? We use liquid rather than powder, so it's hard to see if there's any residue or not. This ...

ctznsmith wrote:No...as I discovered once.

Good heads-up, thanks.

Anyone using a shell jacket made from Pertex Shield+ fabric? Looking for something showerproof and light rather than a full-on mountain waterproof.

Quick word on my experience with reliability of Shimano dynamos. As noted here , "Center Parcs’ entire adult fleet is equipped with cheaper Shimano models that keep on generating for years despite being outside 24/7/52". On my commuting bike, I have been using a cheap Shimano hub dynamo wh...

ctznsmith wrote:Ever tried removing one in the middle of nowhere to fix a broken spoke?

No, but wouldn't you have the same problem getting a cassette off? And if you've got the tool for one, doesn't it fit the other?

Artie Fufkin wrote:Too heavy, not efficient enough and the dreaded centre-loc rotors?

What's wrong with the centre lock rotors?

I reckon 430g isn't that bad for the XT, certainly not for this kind of money: https://www.rosebikes.co.uk/article/shi ... aid:742795

NOT RIDDEN, Weston-super-Mare to Eastbourne. I put this together from Tim Woodcock's guidebook using BikeHike to fill in some possible dodgy sections. I've heard stories of field edges and non-existent tracks along this route (before the South Downs Way) so use with caution. In six fairly arbitrary ...

I already coveted an IQ-X just for the styling... that beam shot has me convinced...! #blimey