Quick question.
How does one make sure the handlebars are true in line with the front wheel ?
As in steering straight with nothing offset.
Only the bike fell down on its own, and I’m not sure the bump pushed it out somewhat.
Looking at it - one eye looks true. The other eye looks true - but both seems Wonky.
Is there a fail safe method ?
Over three years road tubeless on summer and winter bikes and only one puncture, and whatever did that ripped the tyre beyond any fix. I love em.
Trip in May or June to do C2C with a mate. No big deal except he set it as his target when having cancer treatment this winter and it will be pretty special for him.
Bruce
I stand astride the bike and line up the the back of the handlebars with the front of edge of the top of the forks.
Mark one eyeball, then tighten things up properly and go for a ride. Any subtle misalignment is usually then more obvious. Of course you might have one arm longer than the other…
Living in Cambridge we are lucky to have a guided busway. It runs from the outskirts, through the north villages and onto St. Ives. With a side track available for walkers and cyclists.
A good long stretch of quality surface that is popular, especially in the summer. A couple of nature reserves along the way.
Only that there does seem to be an increase in pumped up roadbike riders who think they are on the Tour de France or something. Tearing through as fast as they can, and often shouting at the families to “get out the bloody way” as if this is a designated race track.
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It’s often a problem where pedestrians and cyclists share a space with no demarcation. A cycle lane which reduces cycling to little more than walking pace is almost worse than useless as it acts as a fig-leaf to disguise the absence of proper cycling infrastructure. I try and avoid these and use the roads wherever possible.
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Leigh Guided busway has a shared footpath but it’s been designed to reduce the speed of cyclists and after the initial whining it’s quite hard to find people who think it doesn’t work. It doesn’t disguise a lack of infrastructure either as per the quote from @Svetty as it links into some brilliant infrastructure such as the Roe Green Loop Line.
I say this as someone who can only cycle off road and who, as someone with a VI, hates shared space.
As Manchester, Burnham and Boardman are finding “proper cycling infrastructure” is never really going to happen no matter how much political will there is whilst cars exist at their current volume.
Cambridge has a pretty good cycle path and route structure. It is possible to plan many routes covering some area without to much public roads.
Other in city busy designated areas are very popular for cyclists - as you would imagine being a university city. I’m often using them, but with caution.
I wouldn’t go bombing through a densely pedestrianised route - but so many others feel that they can. Cambridge did used to have street wardens reminding cyclists to either dismount or slow down. Since they have been absent, I fear for my safety when walking amongst the high streets and city centre.
Same with the guided busway I meantioned earlier.
Most use it with caution, especially from the fact that said guided buses travel at some speed in close proximity.
Lord knows what would happen if one of these roadbike riders speeding at breakneck lost control after a slight change of path of an unknowing walker - with an oncoming bus filled with people.
Cycling can be an efficient and environmentally friendly transport mode. Branding those cyclists that actually want to travel at a decent pace as irresponsible or reckless plays into the narrative of the car lobby, as is defending cycling infrastructure that actually inhibits smooth and efficient progress by bike.
Tobyjug, thanks for posting this. I left Cambridge about ten years ago and I lived around Kings Hedges Road. I think as I was leaving they had built part of the guided path into Cambridge but had not run any busses at that time, 2010, but I did manage to cycle along the part that was constructed going out toward Histon/Oakington. I also remember that one year before any busses had run, there were flooding issues at some points along the track.
Anyway, I had wondered how the system was working. Has it been a success. I understand that it goes to the Railway Station now, is that right?
Apologies for going off piste Debs.
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no need for apologies JOF,
you’re very welcome to discuss urban transport links, what you say is interesting, and the piste is very wide hereabouts, please feel free to contribute 
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I take it that you’re in the “get out the bloody way” camp then.
Somewhat a success. Folk are using it. The line goes to the new northern terminal. The flooding was an oversight by the planners, and unusually the area prone wasn’t anywhere near the lakes towards St Ives, but on that stretch you mentioned towards Histon.
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How rude!
No. I simply don’t think that the solution to our car obsessed transport system is to vilify cyclists who use bikes as an efficient way of getting about and hamstring them by providing infrastructure which mingles pedestrians and cyclists.
Yes, your right. I’m not sure how we came at blows here, as I agree with you. So apologies.
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99% of my bike riding is on quiet country lanes and some main roads, it’s not often i use a shared pathway, i only seem to do so when venturing into the local town some 12 miles away to visit the bike shop. The last mile to the bike shop is strewn with traffic lights, short steep hills, traffic [lots of buses] and pedestrians many of whom cross the road while looking at their smart-arse phones…
…so to make life more pleasurable for myself i take the alternative route along the fairly level easy going riverside shared path, no motor vehicles, a good 8 meters wide with plenty of room for dog walkers, peds, prams, children and bicyclists. On this route i enjoy the quiet calm and take it easy, my usual brisk highway road pace of 15~25mph is reduced to freewheeling along at 10-15mph while taking care to avoid close passing of other shared path users.
But i must admit it shocks me to see a few cyclists zooming about at over 20mph carelessly close-passing young children and women with prams, and often riding one handed with a phone in other hand. All it really takes is some common sense; gentle on the wattage and pay attention.
I can understand why folk can get really upset and concerned about cyclists but it’s a shame a minority of idiots seem to spoil the reputation of so many.
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They could do with fitting lawn movers to the front-centre of those buses 
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Damn sight tidier and better maintained than the Leigh one.
“The truth is that almost everyone using the streets – cabs, buses, pedestrians and cyclists – has a sense of entitlement.”
Really peed off with the weather. Zwift has been taking a hammering this last 10 days 