The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[TheAllSeeingPie]

E65Ross said:

Yes, I mean I struggle to get the tyre past with that open as well! I can do it but you've really got to push rather than just slotting it in. I'd rather not have to for fear of causing any damage. Cheers.

Your pads may have to many washers between them and the callipers. Sometimes you get the concave/convex washers and additional ones. Take out the additional ones and re-align the pads and you should have enough space to adjust?

[TheAllSeeingPie]

Also you could try loosening off the barrel adjuster a little bit? It'll have the same effect as removing washers, just remember to do it back up

[TwistingMyMelon]

timnoyce said:

There is only one tyre worth considering for commuting, and it is the Vittoria Randonneur. I have put in the region of 6,000km on my current pair, and I think that the rubber will have worn out before they puncture. They might be heavy, but they have removed the worry of the early morning or late night puncture completely.

Indeed got some randonneur 2's on my commuter, got them reduced for about £12 each.

Blimey! I cant believe how much abuse I have chucked at them, daily they suffer 16 miles of poor quality roads ands 3 miles of gravel track/rocky bridleway with no sympathy at all shown to them and they work faultlessly. Looking a bit worn as I have done 2500 hard miles on them, but still faultless, they are more like 28s now than 32cs as they are so worn!

I did get one puncture once, a huge thorn about half an inch long, but I still rode home on the flat tyre with no issues, like a bmw run flat! The tyre kept its shape , was hard work but felt fine! Its even got to the point I see how much I can abuse them, locking up on gravel with panniers on , bouncing off pot holes, no bother at all!

[E65Ross]

I'll try loosening the barrel adjusters. Won't get home until tonight but I'll quickly check then. The pads are brand new so I suspect the calipers are already quite open. Just called my LBS who serviced it and they said try barrel adjusters and failing that take it to them soon and they'll sort it out for me.

[MC Bodge]

E65Ross said:

I'll try loosening the barrel adjusters. Won't get home until tonight but I'll quickly check then. The pads are brand new so I suspect the calipers are already quite open. Just called my LBS who serviced it and they said try barrel adjusters and failing that take it to them soon and they'll sort it out for me.

I've found that it is always worth having about a 1/4 of the barrel adjuster wound out when setting the cable length with new pads to allow for some extra tyre room and for backing-it-off in the event of a buckled wheel.

[GarryDK]

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

[S10GTA]

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

FFS

[E65Ross]

S10GTA said:

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

FFS

Really pisses me off when people do that

[anonymous-user]

Leave it a few days and go back and find the car and add some Nitromors

[anonymous-user]

RenOHH said:

MC Bodge said:

Don't you have rim tape already?

Is there definitely no glass stuck in the tyre?

I suppose I cannot say for certain, but I ran my hand right around the inside of the tyre last night and felt nothing. I turned it completely inside out and had a good look and feel. So thinking it was fine, I put a new tube in it as the one I had put in yesterday morning went flat slowly through the day/evening. That tube went flat 1 mile from work 3 punctures inside 24 hours!

It does have rim tape, but it's a 10 year old wheel Probably time the rim tape was replaced, if not the entire wheel.

The saga continues. I replaced the rim tape on Saturday, pumped the new tube up which held air all weekend, and it was fine this morning before setting off. ANOTHER puncture on the way in. That's 5 inside 7 days. I am 99% sure there is nothing stuck in the tyre.

It happened at almost exactly the same point on the road, and upon inspection, exactly the same location in the tube as before. I just don't understand what is causing it.

Today I have ordered two new tyres, a load of inner tubes from a different brand (Continental must be made of cheese), and a new rear wheel. The new rear will go on to my MTB, and the old wheel from that will go on to my commuter. The commuter rear wheel will be chucked.

Edited by RenOHH on Tuesday 21st July 20:16

[anonymous-user]

E65Ross said:

S10GTA said:

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

FFS

Really pisses me off when people do that

I'd have followed them in to the car park and kicked off! credit to you for letting it go. Looks like you almost pre-empted it so I guess you heard the engine note change before he passed you?

[Usget]

GarryDK said:

Very close near miss for me this morning.

https://youtu.be/z8ckm98uRXg

sorry about hte quality, my lens needs a clean.

Bell end.

[GarryDK]

pablo said:

I'd have followed them in to the car park and kicked off! credit to you for letting it go. Looks like you almost pre-empted it so I guess you heard the engine note change before he passed you?

To be honest it happens alot with that car park, its full of boy racers, and I'd rather get to work in one piece, without bother.

[Vocal Minority]

That is the single worst driving habit from the point of view of a cyclist.

I mean how deficient does your IQ need to be...

[JQ]

Not on the bike, but in the car today. Watched as a middle aged woman on an old Pashley style bike was approaching a right turn, clearly signal her intentions and move to the middle of the road. To my surprise a white van travelling towards her flashed her across. It was surprising as he was probably doing 20mph in a busy flow of traffic and had to brake quite sharply to accommodate her. As soon as she'd committed to the turn her accelerated hard towards her whilst pissing himself laughing. It really was a horrible thing to watch and fortunately the car directly behind the woman had held back so she was able to abort back onto our side of the road. Had that car not held back she's have had nowhere to go.

It really was one of those WTF moments where you can't believe someone can do that to a complete stranger for kicks. I've had it done to me but I'm a MAMIL so obviously deserve what I get and it was from a car full of kids, but this was I'd guess a 35 year old bloke driving straight at a middle aged woman dressed in her work clothes. I really don't understand what goes through some peoples minds.

[v15ben]

Cretins everywhere!
I had another cyclist nearly take me out last night.
He came dawdling out of a side street onto the cycle path forcing me to take to the grass/bushes to avoid him and he still didn't seem to notice my presence! Certainly no apology either.

[E65Ross]

Some dildo decided to overtake me about 30m before he was turning right.... He decided to move far over to the left of the road so I had to stop for him. Is it so hard for people to think 5 seconds ahead ffs.

Otherwise a nice ride in.... 20.1 miles @ 17.4mph average. That'll be my last ride until my big charity ride Saturday!!!

[uncinquesei]

timnoyce said:

There is only one tyre worth considering for commuting, and it is the Vittoria Randonneur. I have put in the region of 6,000km on my current pair, and I think that the rubber will have worn out before they puncture. They might be heavy, but they have removed the worry of the early morning or late night puncture completely.

I bought a pair of Vittoria Adventures (32mm) from Planet X in the new year - £4.99 each! They're great too - no punctures so far, grippy and sufficiently chunky that off road / gravel is not an issue.

[m444ttb]

v15ben said:

Cretins everywhere!
I had another cyclist nearly take me out last night.
He came dawdling out of a side street onto the cycle path forcing me to take to the grass/bushes to avoid him and he still didn't seem to notice my presence! Certainly no apology either.

I come much closer to being taken out by other people on bikes than cars. Neither come close to the dog walkers though. Even the school kids tend to have more sense / self preservation instinct than them.

I've been struggling this week. There's just nothing in my legs and I've got no reason for them to be like this.

[SickAsAParrot]

m444ttb said:

I've been struggling this week. There's just nothing in my legs and I've got no reason for them to be like this.

Need moar flapjacks.

I had a good laugh last night, I pass a womens gym/fight club type place and of course none of them will walk the 100 yards to the car park so they're all parked on the pavements and double yellows right outside. Anyway, pair of traffic wardens going down the line putting tickets on them all and they're all out arguing why they're precious and shouldn't get tickets. I rode past very slowly to maximise entertainment value.