Winslow Boy Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 24 minutes ago, SM42 said: I suspect that looking at the view in Switzerland is in fact looking at the hill. I've loaded with carbs at breakfast ( not much choice really) so will be ready to take on the maximum 500m difference between lowest and highest points today. As some of you know, I'm UK shaped so plenty of carbs in reserve ( Get in shape? Round is a shape.) Andy Don't worry that could work to your advantage as you'll just roll if you fall off. However if you do fall off try not to be at the top of the hill as you'll have a long walk back to your bike. 4 2 1 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 7 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said: Don't worry that could work to your advantage as you'll just roll if you fall off. However if you do fall off try not to be at the top of the hill as you'll have a long walk back to your bike. Mrs SM42 fell off yesterday. Trying to change gear o the climb, she failed to notice the lack of forward momentum and lost the gyroscope effect of the wheels The rest, as they say, is gravity. I tried not to laugh. Honest. Yesterday we also took the dogs for a walk. We don't have any pets, but the two dogs of the hotel owner tagged along with us for a walk round the village. They even waited patiently outside the shop whilst we did some shopping. Andy 13 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 That's another 12.5km of up and down cycling done. Mrs SM42 is talking about another route this afternoon 😮 Sat by the lake enjoying some peanuts and water. One of the hotel's dogs has followed another couple here. We may be taking it home. They might be doing so. Andy 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jamie92208 Posted July 31 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31 2 hours ago, SM42 said: Mrs SM42 fell off yesterday. Trying to change gear o the climb, she failed to notice the lack of forward momentum and lost the gyroscope effect of the wheels The rest, as they say, is gravity. I tried not to laugh. Honest. Yesterday we also took the dogs for a walk. We don't have any pets, but the two dogs of the hotel owner tagged along with us for a walk round the village. They even waited patiently outside the shop whilst we did some shopping. Andy That has happened to me when using clipped pedals. If I get below 4mph there isn't time to u clip so the only option is to try to fall off as elegantntly as possible gaining style points from onlookers. It is usually after missing a gear change or encountering a sudden steep bit of hill. Jamie 1 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 31 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 I have been following @polybear ‘s good practice and have installed a couple of water leak sensors, one in the en suite (site of recent leak) and one under the kitchen sink where there are also flexible hose connectors. I might add another one in the garage though last time we had a leak there it was because Aditi had pulled a hose junction apart. She seems to have two strength settings, gentle and destruction. 6 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 We still have a dog with us. Looks like we're taking him home Andy 8 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 31 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 1 minute ago, jamie92208 said: It is usually after missing a gear change or encountering a sudden steep bit of hill. That is one of the reasons I now like automatic cars. Messing up a gear change on alpine hairpin bends is stressful! 5 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 49 minutes ago, Tony_S said: That is one of the reasons I now like automatic cars. Messing up a gear change on alpine hairpin bends is stressful! Our auto is very good at messing up gear changes. It's a whole new way of driving. If the car thinks it's stopping and you want to go, say coasting slowly into a roundabout, or approaching a junction, it has a 2 second sulk. You have to anticipate this and drive the gearbox not the road Doubling down makes changing gear in a manual so much less stressful on the mind, flywheel and gearbox. Andy 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 31 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 19 minutes ago, SM42 said: If the car thinks it's stopping and you want to go, say coasting slowly into a roundabout, or approaching a junction, it has a 2 second sulk. Mine doesn’t do that at all. It is a nine speed auto box connected to a 290bhp turbo petrol engine. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium jjb1970 Posted July 31 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31 Our last two cars had DSG twin clutch automated gearboxes, both were superb and never got it wrong. They also had a coasting feature which let the car freewheel if not using the gas pedal and were part of the engine auto start/stop system. That was odd at first but I stopped noticing it very quickly. 3 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie Whizz Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 56 minutes ago, SM42 said: … If the car thinks it's stopping and you want to go, say coasting slowly into a roundabout, or approaching a junction, it has a 2 second sulk. … My Audi A4 does that, and it isn’t even an automatic! I had a Ford Focus for several years before that, and the manual gearbox was smooth, flexible and would put up with all sorts of abuse and negligence of how the car was driven. (Yes, I do admit sometimes it’s my fault!). Not this thing though. Completely unforgiving, clunky electronic interfaces and with a mind of its own; we disagree too much to ever contemplate buying another. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Tony_S Posted July 31 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 Mine has a feature that if you take your foot off the accelerator it slows down and if that isn’t quick enough the brake can be pressed and even stop the car if necessary. 😇 1 1 1 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 My car has a device fitted that can stop you getting a speeding ticket. It's called a speedometer Andy 2 2 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted July 31 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31 6 hours ago, SM42 said: Took the dogs for a walk. We don't have any pets, but the two dogs of the hotel owner tagged along with us for a walk round the village. They even waited patiently outside the shop whilst we did some shopping. Andy 4 hours ago, SM42 said: One of the hotel's dogs has followed another couple here. We may be taking it home. They might be doing so. Andy 3 hours ago, SM42 said: We still have a dog with us. Looks like we're taking him home Andy I wonder if they're expecting treats. 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 36 minutes ago, PhilJ W said: I wonder if they're expecting treats. Possibly, but they are disappointed In the end it came back with the other couple who were only about 10 minutes behind us heading back. It really is a sleepy little place, except when the fire brigade gets called out. ( as they did 30 minutes ago) nobody sleeps then. In better news the car has been fixed apparently . In worse news it means we have an early bus to catch tomorrow. Better news is that tomorrow we are off to a narrow gauge railway; the Wigierska Kolej Waskotorowa. It's a 600mm gauge railway. I know nothing further about it. Andy 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 (edited) 5 hours ago, SM42 said: That's another 12.5km of up and down cycling done. Mrs SM42 is talking about another route this afternoon 😮 Sat by the lake enjoying some peanuts and water. One of the hotel's dogs has followed another couple here. We may be taking it home. They might be doing so. Andy You'd enjoy the Electric Brae in Ayrshire. You can go uphill without even pedalling. Edited July 31 by AndyID Auto bs 10 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winslow Boy Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 5 hours ago, jamie92208 said: That has happened to me when using clipped pedals. If I get below 4mph there isn't time to u clip so the only option is to try to fall off as elegantntly as possible gaining style points from onlookers. It is usually after missing a gear change or encountering a sudden steep bit of hill. Jamie Sssh Jamie don't mention hills to Andy you know he's very sensitive about them. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM42 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 9 minutes ago, AndyID said: You'd enjoy the Electric Brake in Ayrshire. You can go uphill without even pedalling. There are quote a few places like that I was in traffic once on the Autobahn somewhere near Magdeburg on a downhill stretch. Releasing the handbrake saw the car roll backwards Most odd. There was also a spot on today's route where it looked up hill but you could free wheel along. Andy 8 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Happy Hippo Posted July 31 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 4 hours ago, SM42 said: Our auto is very good at messing up gear changes. It's a whole new way of driving. If the car thinks it's stopping and you want to go, say coasting slowly into a roundabout, or approaching a junction, it has a 2 second sulk. You have to anticipate this and drive the gearbox not the road Doubling down makes changing gear in a manual so much less stressful on the mind, flywheel and gearbox. Andy If I want a specific gear with the dsg box, I either use the paddle shift or switch to manual mode on the gear selector lever. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 3 hours ago, jjb1970 said: Our last two cars had DSG twin clutch automated gearboxes, both were superb and never got it wrong. They also had a coasting feature which let the car freewheel if not using the gas pedal and were part of the engine auto start/stop system. That was odd at first but I stopped noticing it very quickly. Dual-clutch transmissions are great when they work properly but they are more complicated and more expensive to manufacture. Ford got into a big mess with the Focus because of problems with their DCT. We had a diesel Jetta with a DCT and it was great while we had it. VW bought it back when they got caught for cheating the emission test. 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium New Haven Neil Posted July 31 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 31 I have to strongly agree with iD regarding Swiss railways - thoroughly enjoyed our visit some years ago, Then there was Italy....different vibe. 2 2 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyID Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 15 minutes ago, SM42 said: There are quote a few places like that I was in traffic once on the Autobahn somewhere near Magdeburg on a downhill stretch. Releasing the handbrake saw the car roll backwards Most odd. There was also a spot on today's route where it looked up hill but you could free wheel along. Andy That reminded me that my dad was a bit of a rascal. There was a road near town to the hills that was a popular walk for courting couples in Summer evenings. When we were driving down the hill in his old Austin he would deliberately make the car backfire when we drove past them. 1 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 1 hour ago, AndyID said: There was a road near town to the hills that was a popular walk for courting couples in Summer evenings. Gleniffer Braes? 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 31 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 31 6 hours ago, SM42 said: My car has a device fitted that can stop you getting a speeding ticket. It's called a speedometer Even better is the combined cruise control and speed limiter on my humble Clio. The former saves your bacon on all sorts of clear roads, the latter helps in traffic when you suddenly find it's clear ahead but still restricted. 9 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Oh well, that's it finalised - after two very thorough tests, I need hearing aids ! . A certain pachyderm had best knock harder on his next visit to the Welsh metrollops. 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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