The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[simonrockman]

I've been cycling to and from work 8 miles each way with a very steep hill for a couple of months now and I'm just getting on top of it. Today I'm borrowing http://www.thebicycleman.co.uk/vanmoof-electrified... for the weekend.

The ride home will be so much easier.

Simon

[loudlashadjuster]

Came across this little bugger this morning, forced a detour via a fairly busy road.



Then, about half a mile from work as I turned sharply to join the canal I heard a metallic 'ping!' from the beck of my bike. I turned round to look, as you do, but saw nothing untoward and assumed it was just a bit of metal on the towpath hitting a spoke. Ho hum.

Felt a wobble from the rear as I neared the office and thought "Great. Another puncture" but when I hopped up the kerb to the bike shed the bloody back wheel fell off!

Turns out the thread on the rear axle on the side that the quick-release attached looks to have been damaged last time I had the wheel off (a couple of weeks ago to change a tyre). When I assembled it that time it's only caught the first thread or two and then just spun the axle through the nut on the other side.

I obviously didn't spot this at the time (it was only flush with the outside of the nut) and amazingly this held for at least 100 miles, but pinged off when I made the sharp turn onto the towpath.

I went back to retrieve it, luckily it was still there, and I was also fortunate that the thread and pin in the quick-release wasn't too badly mangled and I eventually managed to get it back on without a die.

Something for me to be aware of next time!

[Huntsman]

GarryDK said:

Itchen Bridge? I cycle it every day. give us a wave next time you spot a PH jersey

Yep, Itchen Bridge.

Cycled home. Got the Strava thing to work, 5.5 miles, 29 mins, 11mph...room for improvement.

[WinstonWolf]

You'll halve that on a good day if you keep at it

[Vocal Minority]

Vocal Minority said:

Probably sensible.

My ride home scuppered by yet another mystery flat (front tyres have been spontaneously deflating on me recently after periods of the bike being parked up)

Bit of post tea mechanical sleuthing for me

Update - small piece of swarf and a shard of glass embedded deep in the tyre and poking through to the inside. That'll do it....

(not exactly a hyperdermic needle...but still)

[WarrenG]

Huntsman said:

Yep, Itchen Bridge.

Cycled home. Got the Strava thing to work, 5.5 miles, 29 mins, 11mph...room for improvement.

I know that one - close to home, as was, live bloody miles away now except for family visits.

[Vocal Minority]

6 miles in and the rear ones gone now, and I don't have my kit.

What a sodding sod.

[Liquid Knight]

Bar mounted cameras are a force for good as well as evil.

[Gizmoish]

Think there's a few Southampton/New Forest folk in here?

http://road.cc/content/news/133052-neck-high-strin...

Take care, guys.

[HereBeMonsters]

Gizmoish said:

Think there's a few Southampton/New Forest folk in here?

http://road.cc/content/news/133052-neck-high-strin...

Take care, guys.

Cheers, sadly NIMBYs abound when it comes to cycling.

As a teenager I used to rag it around the local woods on my MTB, came across some piano wire between two trees on the singletrack at neck height more than once.
Dog walkers apparently, their st beasts more important than local kids having some fun...

[Hell27]

Finally finished reading the whole thread, very good read. One thing I did notice was that there seem to have been a fair number of crashes or almost left hooks (myself included) involving Peugeot 206's. Is this the default car choice for the biggest muppets on the roads?

[Liquid Knight]

Hell27 said:

Finally finished reading the whole thread, very good read. One thing I did notice was that there seem to have been a fair number of crashes or almost left hooks (myself included) involving Peugeot 206's. Is this the default car choice for the biggest muppets on the roads?

1/ Citroen Picasso
2/ Nissan Qasqai
3/ Any vehicle with blacked out rear windows.
4/ Minicab
5/ BMW
6/ Audi
7/ Subaru WRX
8/ Royal Mail
9/ Police vehicles
10/ Everyone else.

[Black can man]

I bottled out this morning , i think a canoe would have been better suited.

Edited by Black can man on Monday 13th October 08:29

[Vocal Minority]

Another ride yesterday. Another fking puncture. This time 20 miles in.

So bike will be at home until Thursday now, whilst I am in meetings this week.

Knackers

[tfin]

First ride in for about 6 months this morning, bit of a headwind once I was on the Runcorn side of the Mersey but surprisingly pleasant. 9 miles in about 37 minutes according to strava, going to try and get it down to half an hour over the next month.

[stu67]

Well that was wet! all my gear currently drying in our basement.

I cannot understand how the trendies wear jeans and ride bikes with no mudguards in todays weather, must be horrible sitting at work in damp pants all day

[WinstonWolf]

Black can man said:

I bottled out this morning , i think a canoe would have been better suited.

Edited by Black can man on Monday 13th October 08:29

My canoe had sunk by the time I opened the curtains...

[TwistingMyMelon]

blimey this morning was mental, heavy rain and heavy wind and lots of leaves on the side of the road!

Kind of enjoyed it my kit is completely soaked and my mudguards aren't really good enough!

Worst bit is every monday there is some absolute C**t that leaks fuel for about 2 miles down a back road, there was a complete river of it all going up me, I still have the taste of it now! I dread to think of anyone who gets caught out on it, especially bikers

As I was walking out to my garage noticed I had a puncture....on my car though!! Big screw through the tyre , glad it didn't go last night when I had my newborn, 2 teenagers and my misses in the car going down the M4 in torrential rain!

[lufbramatt]

Managed to find my waterproof over trousers this morning. Got to work toasty warm and dry, apart from my feet. Shoes wedged up behind my PC tower, the hot air from the back of that should dry them out nicely for the ride home

Need to get a new pair of sealskinz socks or similar I think!

Remember: Rule #9.

[JQ]

Gutted - absolutely bone dry up here in Manchester. It was the first outing for my new Goretex shoes (Northwave Celcius), I was hoping to give them a good test.