The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Lunchtime today marks 350 miles of cycle commuting so far this year (10 miles each way, first day was 17th March so just before the clocks changed).
Really enjoying it so far, mostly because it's been dry or I've wussed out and got the train if it rains!
Doesn't seem to be getting easier but is slowly getting faster...
Really enjoying it so far, mostly because it's been dry or I've wussed out and got the train if it rains!
Doesn't seem to be getting easier but is slowly getting faster... I've been cycling in on my road bike this following two spokes (the 3rd and 4th within 1,000km!) breaking on my Cannondale CX bike. While I'd rather take ,y old route with it's off-road section this isn't so bad given it has been light and dry. Sadly the bike now has to go back to Cannondale so I'll be on the roadie for another two weeks or so. It's sounding like a bag of bolts too, which isn't good!
Grrrrr, bike broke this morning and I ended up walking about 4 miles into the center of London. Plastic bag got caught up in the rear cogs and it managed to seize solid and break the mounting, a right old mess. So now in a bike repair shop near Old Street.
Still at least it was dry and sunny
Still at least it was dry and sunny
A bit of a moan about one individual and their need to run through the entire repetoire of roadie hand gestures.
1/ I ride on a traffic free route where visibility is good as in you can see oncoming pedestrians and cyclists a good way ahead. Its not necessary to warn the rider behind that you are slowing down to take a corner because I can see that corner too and I have the common sense to assume that you are not going to take a tight left turn that narrows at 30 kmh so please spare me the "I'm slowing down" hand gesture.
2/ I assume that you appreciate as we are riding at the same sort of pace, we will overtake riders we catch and you do not need to indicate every single time you pull out to overtake a rider I have seen us catch for the last 500m. If you do insist on signalling however, do it properly with your arm up at 90 deg please, not just wave at the ground with a single digit extended.
3/ There is no ned to warn me about oncoming riders by indicating to me to keep left with your right hand behind your back pointing left as I too have eyes and have seen this rider approaching and I am not about to move into his path.
4/ Finally, I ride this route a lot, it should be fairly obvious its a commuter route and as I am dressed as a commuter, albeit on a bad ass carbon bike with breathtakingly deep carbon clinchers, I know where teh lumps, bumps, cracks and grooves in the tarmac are.
Personally having seen you wobble around when you do take your hand off the bars, I'd rather you just stopped making these hand gestures and concentrate on not falling off.
1/ I ride on a traffic free route where visibility is good as in you can see oncoming pedestrians and cyclists a good way ahead. Its not necessary to warn the rider behind that you are slowing down to take a corner because I can see that corner too and I have the common sense to assume that you are not going to take a tight left turn that narrows at 30 kmh so please spare me the "I'm slowing down" hand gesture.
2/ I assume that you appreciate as we are riding at the same sort of pace, we will overtake riders we catch and you do not need to indicate every single time you pull out to overtake a rider I have seen us catch for the last 500m. If you do insist on signalling however, do it properly with your arm up at 90 deg please, not just wave at the ground with a single digit extended.
3/ There is no ned to warn me about oncoming riders by indicating to me to keep left with your right hand behind your back pointing left as I too have eyes and have seen this rider approaching and I am not about to move into his path.
4/ Finally, I ride this route a lot, it should be fairly obvious its a commuter route and as I am dressed as a commuter, albeit on a bad ass carbon bike with breathtakingly deep carbon clinchers, I know where teh lumps, bumps, cracks and grooves in the tarmac are.
Personally having seen you wobble around when you do take your hand off the bars, I'd rather you just stopped making these hand gestures and concentrate on not falling off.
pablo said:
A bit of a moan about one individual and their need to run through the entire repetoire of roadie hand gestures.
1/ I ride on a traffic free route where visibility is good as in you can see oncoming pedestrians and cyclists a good way ahead. Its not necessary to warn the rider behind that you are slowing down to take a corner because I can see that corner too and I have the common sense to assume that you are not going to take a tight left turn that narrows at 30 kmh so please spare me the "I'm slowing down" hand gesture.
2/ I assume that you appreciate as we are riding at the same sort of pace, we will overtake riders we catch and you do not need to indicate every single time you pull out to overtake a rider I have seen us catch for the last 500m. If you do insist on signalling however, do it properly with your arm up at 90 deg please, not just wave at the ground with a single digit extended.
3/ There is no ned to warn me about oncoming riders by indicating to me to keep left with your right hand behind your back pointing left as I too have eyes and have seen this rider approaching and I am not about to move into his path.
4/ Finally, I ride this route a lot, it should be fairly obvious its a commuter route and as I am dressed as a commuter, albeit on a bad ass carbon bike with breathtakingly deep carbon clinchers, I know where teh lumps, bumps, cracks and grooves in the tarmac are.
Personally having seen you wobble around when you do take your hand off the bars, I'd rather you just stopped making these hand gestures and concentrate on not falling off.
TL:DR; but person tries to be helpful but was a bit wobbly and fails to meet signaling standards of the velomatii. If you are so awesome (whilst sitting in the armchair all the way in) - why not ride up and tell him so - OR heavens forbid take a turn on the front hence resolving the issue? 1/ I ride on a traffic free route where visibility is good as in you can see oncoming pedestrians and cyclists a good way ahead. Its not necessary to warn the rider behind that you are slowing down to take a corner because I can see that corner too and I have the common sense to assume that you are not going to take a tight left turn that narrows at 30 kmh so please spare me the "I'm slowing down" hand gesture.
2/ I assume that you appreciate as we are riding at the same sort of pace, we will overtake riders we catch and you do not need to indicate every single time you pull out to overtake a rider I have seen us catch for the last 500m. If you do insist on signalling however, do it properly with your arm up at 90 deg please, not just wave at the ground with a single digit extended.
3/ There is no ned to warn me about oncoming riders by indicating to me to keep left with your right hand behind your back pointing left as I too have eyes and have seen this rider approaching and I am not about to move into his path.
4/ Finally, I ride this route a lot, it should be fairly obvious its a commuter route and as I am dressed as a commuter, albeit on a bad ass carbon bike with breathtakingly deep carbon clinchers, I know where teh lumps, bumps, cracks and grooves in the tarmac are.
Personally having seen you wobble around when you do take your hand off the bars, I'd rather you just stopped making these hand gestures and concentrate on not falling off.
I only caught him gradually over 2kms or so and followed him for another km before a slight rise where I passed him but as I normally use the slight rises on my commute for seated sprint efforts I was always intending to pass him there. The issue was most people without group riding expereince may not have known what the signals were or could have misinterpreted them thus causing more danger, eg when a poor indication to pull out could be misinterpreted by me as the rider pointing out a bump in the tarmac, I go to pull as in my mind (and in reality) there is no bump to be wary of.... and then he also pulls out into me.
I guess you had to be there to see it in context, it was akin to driving round a race track whilst indicating for the corners. None of his actions served to warn me of something that I had not already seen.
I dont engage with people on the Bristol cycle path anymore, too many people dont like their errors pointed out to them regardless of how polite you are and respond with abuse.
I guess you had to be there to see it in context, it was akin to driving round a race track whilst indicating for the corners. None of his actions served to warn me of something that I had not already seen.
I dont engage with people on the Bristol cycle path anymore, too many people dont like their errors pointed out to them regardless of how polite you are and respond with abuse.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 20th April 10:45
I gave the cyclocross bike a bit of maintenance the other day including replacing the very worn out tyres and washing the frame with baby wipes.
I also flipped the stem for more SPEED!
Riding it in today, I was quite impressed by the rolling of the new tyres (35mm Small Block 8s) on the road and trail and intend to hit the trails for a longer variation on the sunny way home.
The new tyres are also much lighter than the old Land Cruisers although probably not as tough over 1000s of miles.
I also flipped the stem for more SPEED!
Riding it in today, I was quite impressed by the rolling of the new tyres (35mm Small Block 8s) on the road and trail and intend to hit the trails for a longer variation on the sunny way home.
The new tyres are also much lighter than the old Land Cruisers although probably not as tough over 1000s of miles.
pablo said:
I only caught him gradually over 2kms or so and followed him for another km before a slight rise where I passed him but as I normally use the slight rises on my commute for seated sprint efforts I was always intending to pass him there. The issue was most people without group riding expereince may not have known what the signals were or could have misinterpreted them thus causing more danger, eg when a poor indication to pull out could be misinterpreted by me as the rider pointing out a bump in the tarmac, I go to pull as in my mind (and in reality) there is no bump to be wary of.... and then he also pulls out into me.
I guess you had to be there to see it in context, it was akin to driving round a race track whilst indicating for the corners. None of his actions served to warn me of something that I had not already seen.
I dont engage with people on the Bristol cycle path anymore, too many people dont like their errors pointed out to them regardless of how polite you are and respond with abuse.
Lighten up a bit?I guess you had to be there to see it in context, it was akin to driving round a race track whilst indicating for the corners. None of his actions served to warn me of something that I had not already seen.
I dont engage with people on the Bristol cycle path anymore, too many people dont like their errors pointed out to them regardless of how polite you are and respond with abuse.
Edited by pablo on Monday 20th April 10:45
To be honest if i came across anyone on the commute using signs to point out hazards ahead i'd be uber impressed...
Think its happened all of twice during the 8 or so years I've been commuting!
(I'll do the point behind my back thing if i'm coming up to a car that anyone following closely may not have seen..)
Think its happened all of twice during the 8 or so years I've been commuting!
(I'll do the point behind my back thing if i'm coming up to a car that anyone following closely may not have seen..)
Usget said:
On a day like today, as the clock sweeps towards 5pm, does anyone else actually get a bit excited at the thought of riding home?
I'm wondering exactly how early I can knock off without being spotted.
I only commute in on a Friday and all through the week I look forward to riding in and more importanly back, via a long detour.I'm wondering exactly how early I can knock off without being spotted.
Usget said:
On a day like today, as the clock sweeps towards 5pm, does anyone else actually get a bit excited at the thought of riding home?
I'm wondering exactly how early I can knock off without being spotted.
I would, if there was any chance that I'd be leaving while the sun is still out I'm wondering exactly how early I can knock off without being spotted.
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