Idiots

David Hansen said:

On Thu, 20 Apr 2006 16:00:57 +0100 someone who may be "Ambrose
Nankivell" <[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Or a crash where someone's not seen because the driver has no night vision
due to a backlit sat nav situated right next to the wing mirror.

Could that also be a problem for cyclists with these gadgets?

I imagine cyclists would rely on a head torch or tiny bar-mounted LED
rather than drain the battery of the GPS by using the backlighting. In
any case I don't think the backlighting is generally bright enough to
affect night vision.

Quoted message said:

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly stupid enough.

--
Dave...

Dave Larrington said:

I well recall a year or two ago when half of London disappeared under
water in the space of an afternoon, seeing a chap on TV riding up the
Uxbridge Road up to his waist in water...

I recollect pedalling through deep water to get to work one day
in 1989 (the only year my work was in that location) after a
bit more rain than the drains were designed for.

I used the pavement, which gave me water that was a little less
deep, and wasn't clogged up with cars (some of which could
no doubt have moved if they weren't blocked by others whose
electrics had packed in). The worst moment was plunging off
an unseen edge, which in normal conditions was a driveway for
vehicular access to something.

More recently I tried to find a shortcut to a tidal ford,
thinking myself nearer to the ford than I was. After
deep immersion in the salty mud, I found it necessary to
replace certain bike parts (as well as wash self and bike
by immersion in the clean fresh water at the ford at low
tide - despite the fact it was actually snowing at the time).

--
not me guv

Tony Raven said:

David Hansen said:

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

Are you referring to Myra, formerly of this Parish and World Bog
Snorkelling on a Bike Champion?

I thought she went in 'cos a bunch of loons told her to.

Spot the difference. Gadget != Nutters.

--
not me guv

In article said:

Could that also be a problem for cyclists with these gadgets?

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

I suspect not into a river so deep that they can't safely walk out
with their bike, instead of stalling and needing a tow like the cars.

I have driven though a ford that was deeper than was wise. No GPS
involved, but we were on a treasure hunt and had been warned that
there was a ford on the route. I looked at it, thought "that looks
quite deep - but it's miles to detour by the bridge, and we were
told there was a ford, so it can't be that bad" followed by "oh dear,
it is that deep, oh well I'm committed now, keep the revs up and hope".
We made it through, but quite a lot of water came into the car.

Had the "deep ford" warning sign and depth gauge that were on the far
side been visible in the direction we came from, I wouldn't have tried
it, and had I had the sense to get out of the car and check the depth
on foot I wouldn't have tried it.
Had I been cycling I would have waded carrying my bike (it was deep,
but very slow-flowing, so no danger of being swept away).

The next driver behind me thought "that looks deep, but Alan is climbing
out the far side so it can't be that bad - oh dear it is, but I've got
to keep going now", and also made it. (I was in a Renault 6, he was in
a Renault 12.)

The next two drivers stalled and had to get out and push their cars.
The Cortina eventually restarted once out, but the 2CV didn't, and was
towed home by the Cortina. Everybody else drove the extra miles to the
bridge.

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 08:59:27 +0100 someone who may be "Budstaff"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I suspect our driver/rider feedback systems are a little bit more
sophisticated. Nothing beats wet feet for indicating the depth!

Indeed. A metal cocoon does tend to insulate many drivers from the
"real world".

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 () said:

He may have been on a dolphin, whose drive trains do not mind a bit of
water.

I am no marine biologist, admittedly, but I'm not entirely sure that
dolphins have handlebars...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Me, I wanna be an anglepoise lamp, yeah!

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 () said:

David Hansen said:

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly stupid enough.

Is there something you've omitted from a ride report to which you would
care to admit?

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Wood is an excellent material for making trees, but is otherwise not to
be trusted.

On 21 Apr 2006 03:26:08 -0700 someone who may be "dkahn400"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly stupid enough.

No comment, but there did seem to be a suitable footpath (bridge)
alongside the ford which a cyclist could use (no doubt with howls of
protest from some here).

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

Dave Larrington said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 () said:

He may have been on a dolphin, whose drive trains do not mind a bit of
water.

I am no marine biologist, admittedly, but I'm not entirely sure that
dolphins have handlebars...

Mine does, and it is removable.

see
http://www.bikeshop2000.de/Kinderanhanger/Winther_Dolphin/winther_dolphin.html

...d

John Rowland said:

What's a service ramp, and where was this?

It's one of those little slip-roads used by emergency services, highway
maintenance, etc, but not an official junction and not meant to be used
by members of the public. It was on the M25, somewhere near Oxted in
Surrey. I don't know if service ramp is the official designation but
that's what I've always called them. I've tried to look for it on
multimap but it is not marked!

d.

davek said:

John Rowland said:

What's a service ramp, and where was this?

It's one of those little slip-roads used by emergency services, highway
maintenance, etc, but not an official junction and not meant to be used
by members of the public. It was on the M25, somewhere near Oxted in
Surrey. I don't know if service ramp is the official designation but
that's what I've always called them. I've tried to look for it on
multimap but it is not marked!

Just east of titsey .. I found it using the google maps satellite view.
And just east of Oxted, just before the coverage goes to low res.

It is a maintenance depot of sorts.

...d

Quoted message said:

d.

David Hansen said:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if a cyclist would be stupid enough to ride into a river
(with a depth gauge reading around 1m in the newspaper photograph I
saw) just because a gadget told them to do so? I suspect not.

Quoted message said:

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm certainly stupid enough.

Quoted message said:

Dave...

Plenty of choice at www.wetroads.co.uk - site aspiring to list every
ford in the country.

In article <[email hidden]>, davek

() said:

John Rowland said:

What's a service ramp, and where was this?

It's one of those little slip-roads used by emergency services, highway
maintenance, etc, but not an official junction and not meant to be used
by members of the public. It was on the M25, somewhere near Oxted in
Surrey. I don't know if service ramp is the official designation but
that's what I've always called them. I've tried to look for it on
multimap but it is not marked!

Here's one I found earlier:

<URL:http://tinyurl.com/leyjb>

You can sneak onto motorways via the back entrance of services too...

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Like Kant, it is my wish to create my own individual epistemology. But I
also wish to find out what is for pudding.

Quoted message said:

I am no marine biologist, admittedly, but I'm not entirely sure that
dolphins have handlebars...

You have to buy the bars seperately.

<url:www.recumbentparts.com/main.html?c=10&k=34590046&b=58028200&t=5
^Handlebars^^&e=7>

"cowhorn handlebar (lynx, dolphin, orca [...]"

Presumably each requires a different length stem.

Quoted message said:

I've tried to look for it on
multimap but it is not marked!

Spooky. Try google earth?

In article <[email hidden]>,

() said:

Plenty of choice at www.wetroads.co.uk - site aspiring to list every
ford in the country.

The London East[1] branch of the TA used to, and for all I know still
do, run a ride yclept "The Ford Bash". The aim was simple enough, to
head out into the countryside north and/or east of London Town Devine
and ride through as many fords as they could find. The story goes that
one member was photographed atop his custom Longstaff barrow, with
little more than the saddle and the top of a rear wheel protruding above
the waves, while rolling a cigarette.

A copy of this photo reached, by devious means, the late George
Longstaff. The incident took place too long ago to have been a
contributory factor in his death, but apparently his reaction was
spectacular in the extreme.

1 - even by barrow-boy standards, they were barking[2]
2 - sorry

--
Dave Larrington - <http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/>
Ha ha, you fool! You've fallen victim to one of the classic blunders!
The most famous is "Never get involved in a land war in Asia"

Dave Larrington said:

You can sneak onto motorways via the back entrance of services too...

Only if they are not gated, which some are. The back entrance of
Membury services, as used on the Dean 300, is not gated but there are
signs with Dire Warnings for those who are not supposed to be using
that entrance. As if I would do something so naughty...

d.

On 21 Apr 2006 06:06:12 -0700 someone who may be "davek"
<[email hidden]> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

John Rowland said:

What's a service ramp, and where was this?

It's one of those little slip-roads used by emergency services, highway
maintenance, etc, but not an official junction and not meant to be used
by members of the public.

Of course some of these have other uses, such as the "secret"
entrance to "RAF" Welford from the M4. During the illegal invasion
of Iraq the police were very keen to prevent people seeing what was
going on there and had no objections to breaking the law in order to
keep those defending legality from observing what was going on.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

davek said:

Dave Larrington said:

You can sneak onto motorways via the back entrance of services too...

Only if they are not gated, which some are. The back entrance of
Membury services, as used on the Dean 300, is not gated but there are
signs with Dire Warnings for those who are not supposed to be using
that entrance. As if I would do something so naughty...

- You didn't ride in through that gate, did you Sonny?

- Of course not officer, I rode along the motorway from junction 17.

--
Dave...

Dave Larrington said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 () said:

He may have been on a dolphin, whose drive trains do not mind a bit of
water.

I am no marine biologist, admittedly, but I'm not entirely sure that
dolphins have handlebars...

With this new detail of above-the-waist handlebars the dolphin theory
is admittedly weakened somewhat.

--
Dave...