Public Transport & Cycling

A question about : bicycle wheels which don't break spokes / buckle

I do all my cycling in inner London where the roads are horrendously potholed due to all the utilities works which go on in such a densely-packed urban environment. I quite often therefore get broken spokes and buckled wheels which is annoying and expensive.

Does anyone know of any type of bicycle wheel which is more hard-wearing? I've only ever bought low-cost classic spoked wheels before. The wheel size of my bike (a cheapish hybrid) is 700x35 if that makes a difference.

A question about : Agh! How can I get my train fare to Cardiff for less?!

I have read the MSE article on how to get cheaper train tickets but I have not been able to crack this.

I need to go to Cardiff in April - from the 20th of April (arrive before 12 noon) to the 27th of April (depart about 12 noon.)

I thought that buying my tickets nearly 12 weeks in advance would make this easy to get a good deal. But the tickets are Ј69 each way! I tried various tricks on the train-splitting thing but nothing did more than to save me more than about Ј5 each way.

A question about : Why is Cycling lumped in with Public Transport?

It seems to me that cycling can be regarded as - (1) a sporting activity, or (2) a leisure pursuit, or (3) a Personal Transport System.

1 and 2 are definitely nothing to do with Public Transport, and number 3 has more in common with Motoring.

A question about : Mini track pump?

I was out on a cycle last week and one of the other riders had a fairly nifty little Bontrager track pump with her that seemed far better for pumping up a tyre on the move and a similar size to the pump I normally carry with me.

I'm trying to find the model she had but interested to know if anyone here uses something similar and has any recommendations compatible with presta valves?

Thanks,
John

A question about : tyre valve.

Am I doing something wrong or do I need a new pump?

Got a flat on the way home, 1 inch nail change went smoothly until I came to pump the trye, the pump is a lezyne tech drive, good pump but I have to screw the tube on as it seems not to be able to be pushed on, which is good as it stays put, but the problem comes when trying to remove it,as it unscrews the inner tube valve too (presta),so all the air comes out, is it me or the pump?

A question about : Which side of the road?

Q1 - On a road with no footpath, why are pedestrians advised to walk towards any opposing traffic?

Q2 - On a road with no cyclepath, why are cyclists not advised to pedal towards any opposing traffic?

ps - you have to answer Q1 before tackling Q2

A question about : collecting train tickets at the station

Does anyone know... I need to buy train tickets for my son to collect at Coventry.... Does he need my credit card to collect the ticket or will he be able to use his own credit card... but I have paid for it online using my credit card???
thanks

A question about : Thameslink delays compensation

I have a season ticket and I am likely eligible for enhanced compensation due to recent flooding issues on the track, it's been a nightmare since last week. I looked at the compensation process and it ask for individual journey times and length of delay for each day. I just don't make note of my start and end times whenever I'm on a train so no idea how I could reliably give them the data.