The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[Hell27]

Steve vRS said:

Will be good to see you back!

My ride home was great. With the tailwind I hardly needed to pedal. Even got some 'real' cups on my CX bike!

Steve

Cheers Steve. Looks like you're enjoying the CX bike this winter - is it a comparable pace to a road bike?

[Steve vRS]

With knobbly tyres on, no. On slicks, almost but the extra weight means long climbs are slower.

Steve

[AC43]

Can't believe it's taken me 12 months to fit a proper 29er rear mudguard. Massive difference. That plus the neoprene overshoes I used for the first time meant I was cycling through loads of standing water on the way home for fun.

Result.

[anonymous-user]

Charge in the infinite wisdom decided to fit the plug with mudguard mounts on the fork but leave the width of the proverbial gnats cock between the tyre and the bottom of the head tube thus making sure that NO fkING MUDGUARD ON PLANET EARTH FITS THIS fkING BIKE...

Quick trip to Tesco to see what I could bodge together and I parted with the princely sum of £2.63 bought some kids mudguards designed for 20" bikes, bodged the mountings with somethings I had in the garage and hey presto... I now have mudguards. They may not last long but for £2.63 I can afford a new set each week in the winter! I swapped the nasty cheap nuts for nice nyloc ones too so it should stay together. It was too dark for pics but I'll post some tomorrow.

[aclivity]

pablo said:

Charge in the infinite wisdom decided to fit the plug with mudguard mounts on the fork but leave the width of the proverbial gnats cock between the tyre and the bottom of the head tube thus making sure that NO fkING MUDGUARD ON PLANET EARTH FITS THIS fkING BIKE...

I got some race blades for my single speed - they only got up to the fork (and about an 1" back from the brakes on the rear). Bit more than £2.63, though!

[Usget]

My new-ish rear handbuild has gone badly out of true, so my bike is riding like an absolute pig at the moment. I'm 2-3mph down everywhere and it feels like I'm riding into a headwind... then last night I actually was riding into a headwind!

I think I'm going to use this as an excuse to get the LBS to give my bike a good spruce up over the weekend.... hmm shiny new bits.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Grim last night, lots and lots of rain, the gravel railway path was a river of mud and gravel

Then heavy rain, heavy wind and mud all over the back roads

Then I get home, rain stops and wind dies down and the misses wonders why I am so filthy

I don't mind getting so wet and muddy , but its killing the bike as I don't have time to wipe/lube every night in pitch black. I cant run full mudguards, due to a short minor off road section I could see them catching on

[S10GTA]

I took heed of the forecast and gave it a miss yesterday, and I'm pleased I did.

Rode this morning and felt awesome

[AC43]

Got really really cold on the way home today. Actually had to stop towards the end and put my skull cap thing on. Looks like three layers are about to become four.

[MC Bodge]

AC43 said:

Got really really cold on the way home today. Actually had to stop towards the end and put my skull cap thing on. Looks like three layers are about to become four.

4!?

[MC Bodge]

Crisp, clear, heavy frost and a dusting of snow this morning. Approx Freezing.

Glorious.

Ps. 3 layers
Winter Jersey, thin fleece and waterproof shell. Plus Buff. Winter leggings.
Pps. I should have worn warmer gloves.

Edited by MC Bodge on Wednesday 14th January 10:41

[DeuxCentCinq]

AC43 said:

Got really really cold on the way home today. Actually had to stop towards the end and put my skull cap thing on. Looks like three layers are about to become four.

All last week I was boiling by the time I got home, so yesterday I eschewed the microfleece layer in favour of a long sleeve t-shirt.
Then I froze to death. And now I can feel a cold coming on. Brilliant.

[S10GTA]

MC Bodge said:

AC43 said:

Got really really cold on the way home today. Actually had to stop towards the end and put my skull cap thing on. Looks like three layers are about to become four.

4!?

FOUR?!

Jersey and jacket here today. it was 2.3-3.5c

[Usget]

Hugely didn't enjoy the ride home last night. Couldn't seem to push the bike above 20mph and I was totally exhausted when I got home.

Rest day today and I'm considering giving Thursday the swerve too, prior to getting my wheel re-trued on Friday. Shame though as it would be a glorious day to be out on the bike.

[AC43]

MC Bodge said:

AC43 said:

Got really really cold on the way home today. Actually had to stop towards the end and put my skull cap thing on. Looks like three layers are about to become four.

4!?

Well I was very tired (it was late) and I was wearing shorts and had nothing on my head but a very breezy helmet. And no gloves so my hands were getting very cold.

When it get below 3 degrees and I'm too tired to pedal harder to warm up I get a bit chilly.

Thin base later + thin shirt + thin Gortex shell just isn't enough.

One more layer + skull cap + gloves sees me through anything

[JQ]

Wow it was cold this morning. Feet were fine wrapped in Northwave Celsius boots, body, was fine in 3 layers, head was fine with just my helmet, but the tips of my fingers were like blocks of ice despite liner gloves inside winter gloves. Hopefully the ride home will be a bit more pleasant.

[rustyabarth]

1st ride to work in a good while this morning. I was completely unprepared as i had no intention of riding in the snowy icy semi darkness but the trusty old Golf battery gave up big style and wouldn't take a jump.

Point to note:
Pedal power isnt fun on a snowy icy slippery morning especially after a bottle of wine the night before
Cycle shorts are a little (very) tight once again (i put them on under my tracksuit bottoms)
Rather unfit once again, although maybe running late and mad sprint to work didn't help

And ive chickened out and got a lift home

[MC Bodge]

AC43 said:

Well I was very tired (it was late) and I was wearing shorts and had nothing on my head but a very breezy helmet. And no gloves so my hands were getting very cold.

When it get below 3 degrees and I'm too tired to pedal harder to warm up I get a bit chilly.

Thin base later + thin shirt + thin Gortex shell just isn't enough.

One more layer + skull cap + gloves sees me through anything

It's not the number of layers, it's having fit for purpose layers!

...and long trousers, gloves, neck warmer etc.

[donfisher]

Despite quite a lot of rush hour congestion last night things were moving a lot quicker than usual. When's the next bus strike? They're great.

[AC43]

MC Bodge said:

AC43 said:

Well I was very tired (it was late) and I was wearing shorts and had nothing on my head but a very breezy helmet. And no gloves so my hands were getting very cold.

When it get below 3 degrees and I'm too tired to pedal harder to warm up I get a bit chilly.

Thin base later + thin shirt + thin Gortex shell just isn't enough.

One more layer + skull cap + gloves sees me through anything

It's not the number of layers, it's having fit for purpose layers!

...and long trousers, gloves, neck warmer etc.

Yeah fair enough but as I normally run hot I like lots of thin layers so I can vary things. In the coldest weather I stick to shorts and add/remove upper body layers. My fourth and last layer is a warm trackie top which goes under the goretex shell.

Normally it's colder on the way in and warmer on the way back. So I'll often remove one layer for the way back. Yesterday caught me out as it was warm on the way in and cold on the way back.