Are the roads beyond repair in your area.

[ColinJ]

Without lazy people there would be a lot more out of work, unfortunately.

When I was 20, demoralised, and unemployed after failing my first year exams at poly, I told the man at the dole office (who was telling me off for taking too long to find a job) that if it were not for people like me then HE would be out of work! He didn't like it ...

 

[Drago]

What cash? There are a handful of people in Highways trying to cope with the mounting backlog.

if there's not much work getting done then why do they need so many managers? Instant salary savings to be made .

Why does the mayor need a Jag with a private plate? More savings potential.

Why have a mayor at all? Big fat chunk saved right there.

Why waste time and money twinning with continental towns? Why all the new signs proclaiming the twinning with Ubendbergin in German? More money saved.

The traffic planners that spend millions improving a local roundabout, only to make the congestion worse than it ever was. They clearly don't knkw what they're doing, so out they go, and out go any projects they had cooking until assessed by someone with a brain cell...

Why have all the council's vans liveried up so ostentatiously? Plain white vans, simple big decal up the side, hundreds saved on each vehicle.

Why are the council squandering public money compulsory purchasing a local cul de sac full of houses, not for an essential public development but so the land can be used by developers to build modern housing (I kid ye not!)

Stop spending money on a Boris Bike type scene that no one uses. The ones outside our office haven't moved since September. More cash saved.

Why spend all the money on e-noticeboard s for the bus that we warned would be wrecked within weeks - they were. More cash potentially saved.

Why the money on speed humps t ha No one wanted, have done nothing to improve the accident rate, and then fall apart costing more money to repair so they don't get sued for damaging cars?

Seems to me there's plenty of money, millions to waste on ill considered, unwanted or downright useless rubbish. Stop forgetting it on crap and there might be some cash to fill the odd pothole.

 

[Venod]

Great Sunday club ride 90 mile 6500 ft of climbing spoilt by bad roads, it shook out and lost a bar end plug, the rear wheel pulled to one side ( I suspect the QR loosened a little with all the vibration) some of the surfaces would have been unpleasant on the MTB, I can't believe we will ever get back to a good surface on the majority of roads.

 

[swee'pea99]

Here in Norf Lundun most of the roads are in pretty good nick, and round where I live quite a lot (including mine) have been completely relaid over the last couple of years. The council tax is high, but hey, I guess you get what you pay for.

 

[Globalti]

The money exists, but by the time it's been given away in foreign aid it can't then be spent a second time over.

I know it's a different discussion, but this is an example of why we shouldn't be giving aid to countries that can afford space programmes and nuclear weapons. The UK should be a utopia with nothing wanting for funding before we give it away to people who already mis-spend their own on frivolous projects.

You are naive. Money is given to wealthy countries not as aid but as a bribe to keep them pally and to allow Britain to maintain military, diplomatic, business, banking, insurance and educational interests within those countries. It is expected that the money will be stolen and misused by the recipients but the benefit to the UK is far, far greater than the cash given away.

 

[Globalti]

Don't forget that Britain has roughly double the population density and, presumably, traffic, of France for example and much more frequent rain and frost to break up the roads. I notice that in rural Lancashire the worst roads are always in sheltered spots especially under trees where the surface doesn't get dried by wind and sun and then it freezes.

 

[ColinJ]

Great Sunday club ride 90 mile 6500 ft of climbing spoilt by bad roads, it shook out and lost a bar end plug, the rear wheel pulled to one side ( I suspect the QR loosened a little with all the vibration) some of the surfaces would have been unpleasant on the MTB, I can't believe we will ever get back to a good surface on the majority of roads.

That's not going to happen to a good quality, well-adjusted QR. In order to overcome the tension in the QR, vibration would have to actually tighten the QR first on the way to getting the lever over the top of the cam.

I pulled a wheel loose once and I know other people who have done it but it was always due to poor adjustment or dodgy QRs. Shimano and Campagnolo QRs are very reliable.

I have heard of QRs not 'biting' properly into titanium dropouts, and also into very thick, slippery paint.

Bad road surfaces are an increasing nuisance in th UK, but are more likely to shake loose fillings in teeth than QRs on bikes!

 

[mcshroom]

I had a problem with the back wheel moving in my old steel Raleigh frame, turned out it was because the pressed dropouts were too thin and the QR was bottoming out on the axle before it got a good grip on the dropout. The bike now has a couple penny washers between the QR and the dropout and it clamps up fine.

 

[luckyfox]

A while ago i had a van driver complain that i was taking up too much 'road'. When I explained this was a wide ride due to the potholes he said, 'yeah me too but i can't move forward with you in the way, move over' At this point I had to explain that i was in fact not actually driving a tank and was indeed trying to cycle without splitting my head open falling into said potholes/ditches...he still didn't get it. Maybe I should have just bunny hopped all the way home just so he didnt have to wait 30 seconds to get past me, how utterly selfish I am, in fact here, take my cycling proficiency badge, I don't deserve it

The above means yes, the roads are a bit rubbish, thank god we dont all have to pay road tax eh?? (Yes I am kidding, I know, calm down)

 

[Venod]

That's not going to happen to a good quality, well-adjusted QR. In order to overcome the tension in the QR, vibration would have to actually tighten the QR first on the way to getting the lever over the top of the cam.

I pulled a wheel loose once and I know other people who have done it but it was always due to poor adjustment or dodgy QRs. Shimano and Campagnolo QRs are very reliable.

I have heard of QRs not 'biting' properly into titanium dropouts, and also into very thick, slippery paint.

Bad road surfaces are an increasing nuisance in th UK, but are more likely to shake loose fillings in teeth than QRs on bikes!

I did think it unlikely, but couldn't bring myself to accept blame for a poorly tightened QR, unfortunately you saw straight through my pathetic excuse, in my defence it is a titanium frame

 

[hopless500]

The roads in my part of Norfolk are dreadful. The A47 is a main road and it looks like an earthquake has hit it. The minor roads are worse. I've cycled on better roads in rural Cambodia and Vietnam.