Stupid New Years Resolution!
Discussion
-12 when I set out this morning. No problem.
Sheet ice on the road. So what?
Couldn't see the road under my front wheel due to fog (at roughly where the three mile marker would be).
Look left there's the horizon, look right a good fifty meters view, look ahead, literally nothing.
Went home and took dads car again. I was -14 when I got to work.
Sheet ice on the road. So what?
Couldn't see the road under my front wheel due to fog (at roughly where the three mile marker would be).
Look left there's the horizon, look right a good fifty meters view, look ahead, literally nothing.
Went home and took dads car again. I was -14 when I got to work.
Liquid Knight said:
-12 when I set out this morning. No problem.
Sheet ice on the road. So what?
Couldn't see the road under my front wheel due to fog (at roughly where the three mile marker would be).
Look left there's the horizon, look right a good fifty meters view, look ahead, literally nothing.
Went home and took dads car again. I was -14 when I got to work.
Is this a verbose way of saying you gheyed out?Sheet ice on the road. So what?
Couldn't see the road under my front wheel due to fog (at roughly where the three mile marker would be).
Look left there's the horizon, look right a good fifty meters view, look ahead, literally nothing.
Went home and took dads car again. I was -14 when I got to work.
Rocksteadyeddie said:
Is this a verbose way of saying you gheyed out?
At the beginning of this thread I mentioned the fact I don't mind any weather other than fog. On a Saturday morning with dozy cab drivers on their way home and people who shouldn't have gone out last night and need to get to work in ten minutes; fog is a SMIDSY excuse waiting to happen. 
Slicks back on today and not only does my right knee not feel like it's about to explode but it literally felt like I was flying. Apart from the potholes it was so smooth in places I almost drifted off.
After a few days on knoblies due to snow and stuff I felt air resistance for the first time in ages as well. The speedo' decided it didn't want to work again so as I aproach the 700 mile mark it only shows 618.4 Grrrrrr! It doesn't work if it's below -3 or about +1 so needless to say it'll be in the bin as soon as my new wireless one arrives in the post.
Why wireless? I can put it in my pocket so I'm not looking at it every few seconds, it frees up handle bar space for more/better lighting, if I don't have a speedometer on my bar I can't get done for speeding and with no exposed contact points temperature shouldn't be an issue.
Back to the tyres. Curio the chaps who supply the tyres I use are really happy with the amount of feedback and mileage I'm putting into their products. So much so they've asked me to road test a prototype design for them. Should be fun.
After a few days on knoblies due to snow and stuff I felt air resistance for the first time in ages as well. The speedo' decided it didn't want to work again so as I aproach the 700 mile mark it only shows 618.4 Grrrrrr! It doesn't work if it's below -3 or about +1 so needless to say it'll be in the bin as soon as my new wireless one arrives in the post.
Why wireless? I can put it in my pocket so I'm not looking at it every few seconds, it frees up handle bar space for more/better lighting, if I don't have a speedometer on my bar I can't get done for speeding and with no exposed contact points temperature shouldn't be an issue.
Back to the tyres. Curio the chaps who supply the tyres I use are really happy with the amount of feedback and mileage I'm putting into their products. So much so they've asked me to road test a prototype design for them. Should be fun.
Directional tread, about a 100g lighter and capable of holding up to 65 PSI instead of the standard slicks 45 PSI, dual tread pattern with grip strips on the outer edges increases grip when you're tilted over. Less spray and between 0.5 and 1 mph quicker at marked points, but there was less wind this morning than usual.
Didn't break any records this morning but was a good 38 minute run into work. I'll get my head down for the ride home to see what the new tyre can do.
Didn't break any records this morning but was a good 38 minute run into work. I'll get my head down for the ride home to see what the new tyre can do.
Headwind! It's happened. I had a choice this morning between driving and cycling. I spent an extra half hour in bed and got in my car. 
I know. But all I could think about was the fact I was about to waste the next twelve hours of my life.
Also I enjoy driving as much as cycling and the Halo effect hasn't worn off my Panda yet.
I know. But all I could think about was the fact I was about to waste the next twelve hours of my life.
Also I enjoy driving as much as cycling and the Halo effect hasn't worn off my Panda yet.
Well like most new years resolutions as soon as the Halo Effect wore off I became a fair weather cyclist, then I became a driver, then I noticed nobody could see a bright green car (it's called the "Womlings Effect" it's for people who can't tell the difference between a small car and one that far away and people who can not allow their ego to be diminished by being overtaken or having a smaller car in front of them) and now I'm cycling again.
Anyway to catch up. I've been tyre testing for Curio. A new commuter tyre with a solid center and rippled side wall. Wearing very well with a good five hundred miles on it on the back. The only issue I've found is the transition line between the centre section and side wall is right at the tip point for several bends. This gives a little twitch when the new tyre's on the back but a real spank when it's on the front. It feels very similar to the dual compound race tyres I used on my Supersports 600 bike. I used to run a conventional tyre up front and dual compound on the back to make up for it and left Kenny's out of most bends. Once you go beyond that tipping point the side grip is superb. I've had my knee inches from the tarmac. Ninety degree turns at 25+mph without any problems apart from tin box operators being upset because I'm faster than them. 
Obviously the average commuter won't be chucking their bike into bends as hard or going as fast so it will stand up very well to "normal" use.
I've also bought a muti-dysfunctional wireless computer. On bone dry days between ten and twenty two degrees Celsius it works perfectly up to 18.9mph. Any cooler or warmer it doesn't work at all or is intermittent at best. Snow, hail, rain, drizzle, fog, mist or a trace amount of humidity in the air and it doesn't work either. So basically it's a clock (provided it's a dry day as the screen steams up) as all the other functions, distance, average speed and so on are all mute points as the stupid thing can not record speed properly.
Oh yeah 18.9mph; any more and it records it as 9.something or more than 25mph and it shuts down completely. On the plus side I can't get a speeding ticket as it's so crap I can no longer be held accountable for my velocity.
I have a really nice rain jacket that cost the princely sum of £7 from Aldi. It folds into a side pocket of my bag, bright yellow with reflective strips, it's also water and wind resistant.
I bought a set of Raleigh Activator style bent handle bars to aid my aerodynamic positioning because Summer riding is pants this close to the coast. On shore sea breeze headwind in the morning, off shore sea breeze headwind in the evening.
They were too small for the clamp and would look pants. Can I get away with a triathlon bar on an ATB?
Nearly got killed this morning so I'll be sure to add a few rant in the near future.
Also I'm doing a continental shift pattern now. Three days, three nights and three off. So as well as deserted roads in the mornings with the occasional Zombie driver I'm now swimming against the tide of rush hour traffic to get to work. Shame it's too hot to wear a stab vest.
Anyway to catch up. I've been tyre testing for Curio. A new commuter tyre with a solid center and rippled side wall. Wearing very well with a good five hundred miles on it on the back. The only issue I've found is the transition line between the centre section and side wall is right at the tip point for several bends. This gives a little twitch when the new tyre's on the back but a real spank when it's on the front. It feels very similar to the dual compound race tyres I used on my Supersports 600 bike. I used to run a conventional tyre up front and dual compound on the back to make up for it and left Kenny's out of most bends.
Once you go beyond that tipping point the side grip is superb. I've had my knee inches from the tarmac. Ninety degree turns at 25+mph without any problems apart from tin box operators being upset because I'm faster than them. Obviously the average commuter won't be chucking their bike into bends as hard or going as fast so it will stand up very well to "normal" use.
I've also bought a muti-dysfunctional wireless computer. On bone dry days between ten and twenty two degrees Celsius it works perfectly up to 18.9mph. Any cooler or warmer it doesn't work at all or is intermittent at best. Snow, hail, rain, drizzle, fog, mist or a trace amount of humidity in the air and it doesn't work either. So basically it's a clock (provided it's a dry day as the screen steams up) as all the other functions, distance, average speed and so on are all mute points as the stupid thing can not record speed properly.
Oh yeah 18.9mph; any more and it records it as 9.something or more than 25mph and it shuts down completely. On the plus side I can't get a speeding ticket as it's so crap I can no longer be held accountable for my velocity.
I have a really nice rain jacket that cost the princely sum of £7 from Aldi. It folds into a side pocket of my bag, bright yellow with reflective strips, it's also water and wind resistant.
I bought a set of Raleigh Activator style bent handle bars to aid my aerodynamic positioning because Summer riding is pants this close to the coast. On shore sea breeze headwind in the morning, off shore sea breeze headwind in the evening.
They were too small for the clamp and would look pants. Can I get away with a triathlon bar on an ATB?
Nearly got killed this morning so I'll be sure to add a few rant in the near future.
Also I'm doing a continental shift pattern now. Three days, three nights and three off. So as well as deserted roads in the mornings with the occasional Zombie driver I'm now swimming against the tide of rush hour traffic to get to work. Shame it's too hot to wear a stab vest.
Following yesterdays bug jam. Flying ants and insects in my eyes, nose and mouth. I thought it would be prudent of me to wear my Sun glasses today.
Instead of flying into my eyes the headwind and my velocity was enough for them to spatter so I had to keep stopping, wiping the lenses and carrying on. Grrrrr!
Stupid Summer, bone dry 20+mph winds and 20+ degrees meant it was like using a turbo trainer in a greenhouse with one of those indoor skydiving fans in front of me.
Still should be cooler in the morning and a tailwind.
Instead of flying into my eyes the headwind and my velocity was enough for them to spatter so I had to keep stopping, wiping the lenses and carrying on. Grrrrr!
Stupid Summer, bone dry 20+mph winds and 20+ degrees meant it was like using a turbo trainer in a greenhouse with one of those indoor skydiving fans in front of me.
Still should be cooler in the morning and a tailwind.
In general not really, but I wasn't unfit to start with.
Instead of jogging five to ten miles before driving to work I'm cycling instead. Good for my shins and general cardiovascular but it does limit the overall effect as I'm predominantly using my legs. I'm having to buy trousers four sizes too big for my waist to get them around my thighs (just like my ice hockey days) but I'm working the top half of my body more then before to balance myself out.
I have gone from fifteen stone four pounds to fourteen one and back to fourteen eleven. I don't know what my BMI was before but I'd imagine it's a lot less now as I'm off the crap food and eating stuff light enough to carry to work.
Also I realised the other day that I hadn't had a packet of crisps for nearly a year. Ate two or three, felt sick and passed them on.
I'm also a total lightweight six pints and I'm half cut these days.
x 6 = 
Instead of jogging five to ten miles before driving to work I'm cycling instead. Good for my shins and general cardiovascular but it does limit the overall effect as I'm predominantly using my legs. I'm having to buy trousers four sizes too big for my waist to get them around my thighs (just like my ice hockey days) but I'm working the top half of my body more then before to balance myself out.
I have gone from fifteen stone four pounds to fourteen one and back to fourteen eleven. I don't know what my BMI was before but I'd imagine it's a lot less now as I'm off the crap food and eating stuff light enough to carry to work.
Also I realised the other day that I hadn't had a packet of crisps for nearly a year. Ate two or three, felt sick and passed them on.
I'm also a total lightweight six pints and I'm half cut these days.
x 6 = Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff