The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[louiebaby]

Bit frosty round us this morning, and beautiful for it.

I stopped to help some poor chap who'd had an off. He was very please when I re-diagnosed his buckled front wheel as mis-aligned brakes, and set him on his way.

[thiscocks]

Didnt seem particularly frosty in Warwickshire this morning and seemed about the same temp as yesterday with the usual wet surface but must have hit some black ice on a sharp left as I immediately went down after taking it at the same speed I did the day before. A friend in my club apparently was also on hiss ass this morning so some pretty dodgy roads around here eventhough it doesnt look particularly icy..

[untakenname]

So many morons about on my commute home this evening, had 3 people walk directly into my path in the space of 5 minutes. The first one I didn't see as wasn't paying attention so just yelped and brushed them, the next one started giving it when I told them to get out of the road then a minute later some female started running straight at me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2BaRUs6DM

[Laurel Green]

untakenname said:

So many morons about on my commute home this evening, had 3 people walk directly into my path in the space of 5 minutes. The first one I didn't see as wasn't paying attention so just yelped and brushed them, the next one started giving it when I told them to get out of the road then a minute later some female started running straight at me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2BaRUs6DM

NSFW due to some swearing, not that I blame you.

[JQ]

I've got a lovely smug glow this morning. The whole of Manchester was totally gridlocked last night, circa 10 mile radius of the city centre, primarily due to a perfect storm of issues - jobs fair at Manchester Airport gridlocked the M56, City were playing at home and the M62 was shut due to a bad crash. There are numerous colleagues who took over well over 2 hours to get home, on commutes that normaly take less than 30 mins.

It took me my standard 35 mins on the bike, same as the day before.

[Devil2575]

Left the bike at home this morning and took the car. There was an inch of slush on the road and it would have been suicide.

It was bad enough yesterday with a hard ground frost making it very slippery. Much spinning and sliding of skinny tyres.

[Steve vRS]

I stayed dry this morning even though rain was forecast. It was windy though. Should be a fast home leg though

Steve

[TwistingMyMelon]

ruddy nightmare last night, worked late till 8pm, set off on rural lanes home, hit a pot hole on a pitch black lane at 30mph.....burst inner tube

Would be the rear wheel on the worst ever bike to fix...bloody single speed. Had to use a spanner to take off wheel, another spanner to take off chain tensioner, another spanner to loosen brake, then take chain off, then finally get to the wheel....All in the pitch black

Taken my time...thinking at least its not raining...then it starts raining, get wheel fixed, then pump doesn't work great. Finally put wheel back on , line up wheel and tension chain, then dismantle rear brake to get wheel on.

Talk about pita, now noticed there is play in wheel and wheel is buckled so will have to fix that at weekend! Only just had the bike serviced and the rear wheel trued!

[E65Ross]

Laurel Green said:

untakenname said:

So many morons about on my commute home this evening, had 3 people walk directly into my path in the space of 5 minutes. The first one I didn't see as wasn't paying attention so just yelped and brushed them, the next one started giving it when I told them to get out of the road then a minute later some female started running straight at me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mt2BaRUs6DM

NSFW due to some swearing, not that I blame you.

Bloody hell that's horrendous (the people, not the swearing, I'd be exactly the same!).

Gorgeous ride in this morning but bitterly cold (garmin had -2.1 degrees at one point and never went above 0!) but I had my winter leggings on winter long sleeve jersey, reflective Gilet, arctic overshoes, thick gloves and a windproof skull cap so I didn't feel too bad.

Pitch black when I left but going over the top of portsdown hill this morning with clear blue skies and the sun rising was absolutely wonderful!

Does anyone else find they're generally slower when the weather is cold and dark? I wasn't exactly pushing but was only a 15.5 average this morning! But I was a bit careful going round corners or roundabouts!

Some very dark lanes I cycle on and have a 1200 lumens exposure race front light on my handlebars, a 600 lumen light mounted to my helmet so I lit the roads up well when I wanted

[RizzoTheRat]

E65Ross said:

Pitch black when I left but going over the top of portsdown hill this morning with clear blue skies and the sun rising was absolutely wonderful!

That's a good climb in the morning. I used to drive up the single track past the Nelson monument in the morning and occasionally see cyclists plodding their way up, looked like hard work on a morning commute


Rained all the way to work this morning, looks like it'll rain all the way home too.

[curtisl]

E65Ross said:

Does anyone else find they're generally slower when the weather is cold and dark? I wasn't exactly pushing but was only a 15.5 average this morning! But I was a bit careful going round corners or roundabouts!

Having only started commuting in October, the vast majority of my rides have been in the dark but I quite like it to be honest. I do find that I am much more up for the ride in the morning rather than at night and I don't eat before my morning ride. Does anyone else have that?

[okgo]

Other way round for me. Body not awake, sugar levels low, generally lethargic in morning. Avg'd over 20mph in the other day through London and was really having to push it. On way home felt far easier to generate a higher power than the way in thanks to being awake And having food in me!

[Black can man]

Bloody cold this morning.

8 miles into work , not sure my fingers would have taken another 8

Wrap up gents

[Steve vRS]

And watch out for ice. I got off and walked a stretch today as there was sheet ice across the road.

Steve

[E65Ross]

RizzoTheRat said:

E65Ross said:

Pitch black when I left but going over the top of portsdown hill this morning with clear blue skies and the sun rising was absolutely wonderful!

That's a good climb in the morning. I used to drive up the single track past the Nelson monument in the morning and occasionally see cyclists plodding their way up, looked like hard work on a morning commute


Rained all the way to work this morning, looks like it'll rain all the way home too.

I actually quite enjoy it to be honest, I quite like hills!

[louiebaby]

okgo said:

Other way round for me. Body not awake, sugar levels low, generally lethargic in morning. Avg'd over 20mph in the other day through London and was really having to push it. On way home felt far easier to generate a higher power than the way in thanks to being awake And having food in me!

Whilst not the same kind of ather-lete, I usually feel the same. I like the morning ride, but I do need to reduce my expectations, and it is normal to be a bit slower.

[Kell]

Doing wheelspins while climbing the hill to Wycombe train station on the Brompton this morning.

Had to drop to a lower gear and sit back down, rather than try and do it stood up.

Still in shorts though - despite the +1.5 degree temp.

[Devil2575]

This morning was a complete no go for cycles. 1" of solid ice on the estate roads and patches of it on the main roads. It would have been madness on a bike.

[TwistingMyMelon]

Icey this morning, not too bad, but took it very easy as my commute is all country roads

Saw a nutter in shorts, as the post above, blimey!

[Kell]

Well I may live in the South East, but I'm from Northumberland.

1.5 degrees is like summer to me.