Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
Anyone mount their mobile phones on their handlebars for Nav / Strava goodness whilst out on a mash?

Any recommendations gratefully received! Cheaper than buying a dedicated device. I guess crashing would be a problem, but when is it not. Oh and weather.

My phone is a Note 2 if it matters.
 
I bought a mount for my old S2 which I've still not got round to using. I think you run into issues with the phone turning off, with the mount being cack and letting the phone escape unless you secure it more thoroughly, sunlight making it hard to see what is going on, battery drain and with rain on the mount cover. All solvable though.
 
SoliD said:
First evening TT of the year, had a good run, thought I finished a little quicker than I had, but still happy with my time of 15:09 over 10km, about 24.6mph, very little wind for the first time this year, so a good benchmark to work from for the rest of the season.
Click to expand...

Very good. Out of interest why not measure your average in km/h since the TT is in KM and KM is for kings? :D
 
I don't live in Europe. And it's only this early season one that's in stupid km rest are miles. Long live imperial!
 
Participant said:
Anyone mount their mobile phones on their handlebars for Nav / Strava goodness whilst out on a mash?

Any recommendations gratefully received! Cheaper than buying a dedicated device. I guess crashing would be a problem, but when is it not. Oh and weather.

My phone is a Note 2 if it matters.
Click to expand...

Note 2 would be a bit big on a bike wouldn't it ?:eek:
 
Going to Cali said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzL0Kyk4m-8

Worthwhile watch for any cyclist, cab design has to improve though.
Click to expand...

Whilst it's a stark depiction of the danger cyclists are in for that given situation (cab already half turned, bad mirror design), it begs the question - how the hell are 26+ ton articulated vehicles legally allowed on our roads with such minimal visibility provisioned to the driver? Surely it should be a legal requirement - for the safety of all road users, not just cyclists - for these lorries to have a far greater awareness of what's around them?
 
uv said:
Whilst it's a stark depiction of the danger cyclists are in for that given situation (cab already half turned, bad mirror design), it begs the question - how the hell are 26+ ton articulated vehicles legally allowed on our roads with such minimal visibility provisioned to the driver? Surely it should be a legal requirement - for the safety of all road users, not just cyclists - for these lorries to have a far greater awareness of what's around them?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I look at that video and think cyclists need to be more careful. Yes, there's definitely room for improvement for lorry cabs, but if cyclists stayed out of there they'd be a whole lot safer. Undertaking in the run up to junctions is always going to be dangerous, be it because the vehicle you're undertaking might turn left, or someone coming the other way might be turning right across your path and you won't be able to see them. Hell, all the mirrors in the world aren't going to protect the undertakers from that problem.

In before accusations of blaming the victim.
 
Participant said:
Anyone mount their mobile phones on their handlebars for Nav / Strava goodness whilst out on a mash?

Any recommendations gratefully received! Cheaper than buying a dedicated device. I guess crashing would be a problem, but when is it not. Oh and weather.

My phone is a Note 2 if it matters.
Click to expand...

I have used a phone before but never mounted on the bars. In the end if your serious enough with cycling you will end up buying a Garmin or similar anyway.
 
Vonhelmet said:
To be honest, I look at that video and think cyclists need to be more careful. Yes, there's definitely room for improvement for lorry cabs, but if cyclists stayed out of there they'd be a whole lot safer. Undertaking in the run up to junctions is always going to be dangerous, be it because the vehicle you're undertaking might turn left, or someone coming the other way might be turning right across your path and you won't be able to see them. Hell, all the mirrors in the world aren't going to protect the undertakers from that problem.

In before accusations of blaming the victim.
Click to expand...

I'm with you on this. These vehicles are on the road now and are best avoided. I don't go into Central London much at the moment but when I do I see so many idiots going up the left in stupid situations that I just want to scream at them.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;26108444 said:
I'm with you on this. These vehicles are on the road now and are best avoided. I don't go into Central London much at the moment but when I do I see so many idiots going up the left in stupid situations that I just want to scream at them.
Click to expand...

I'm 50/50 on it really. Personally I do exactly as you do and am very careful about filtering through/overtaking vehicles like that.

That said, I do think that there needs to be more training for drivers for awareness of cyclists. At the moment all the focus seems to be on making cyclists more aware. I'm not saying that they should stop that but I really think that it's overlooking a huge part of the problem to not try to re-educate drivers.
 
FrenchTart said:
I'm 50/50 on it really. Personally I do exactly as you do and am very careful about filtering through/overtaking vehicles like that.

That said, I do think that there needs to be more training for drivers for awareness of cyclists. At the moment all the focus seems to be on making cyclists more aware. I'm not saying that they should stop that but I really think that it's overlooking a huge part of the problem to not try to re-educate drivers.
Click to expand...

I don't think that everything is the fault of the cyclist and I think that changes need to be made to HGV and tipper truck design and usage but I also think that it's not possible to design blatant stupidity out of the system. I spec processes and IT systems for a living and know that there is no such thing as idiot proof as there will always be greater levels of idiocy than you expect.

Putting all the responsibility on the motor vehicle to avoid accidents just let's cyclists take more risks or believe that they are safe at all times. The plethora of safety devices in cars has led to this exact scenario already and we are the first ones to shout when it leads to car drivers taking risks (almost always unwittingly) with our safety.
 
Similar work to myself :p

I wasn't advocating putting all responsibility on the drivers of motor vehicles (and specifically said that educating cyclists should continue). I just think that some kind of education for drivers regarding dealing with cyclists would be good.
 
I can see how those tiny 2-5mpx cameras could help in those situations :) if driver had a 10" screen in the cab with 4 cameras connected to it from behind the truck/sides etc it would be safer a lot safer.

and it wont cost the earth in this day and age
 
The problem is that the driver isn't, and shouldn't be, looking at it all the time. He looks left, sees nothing, look right, sees nothing, starts manoeuvre, and in that time some div on a Boris has come up the left and is screaming 'Why didn't he look!'

The accident at Ludgate yesterday was with a cyclist going straight on and a truck going left. Even if the driver was indicating, checking mirrors and waiting for cycles to the left to clear the accident could still easily happen again as long as people, and we all see this daily and may even do it ourselves (I have errors of judgement), insist on going up the left of vehicles that are either indicating or are approaching junctions.

Edit; I'm not attributing blame for yesterday as I have no idea of the circumstance.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom