The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Jesus Christ yesterday evening was wet. Morning had been breezy but dry, and I needed to go home via the Parcelforce depot which only adds five miles. Rain hit me three miles from the office and two miles to Parcelforce. Soaked to the skin, heard my feet squelch as I walked into the depot, then another ten miles home from there in drizzle while still very wet.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
Edited by Shirt587 on Wednesday 1st June 12:44
Loving my commute at the moment.
Just under 12.5 miles.
The first 2 miles or so are on a busy main road, 40mph limit but feels like the cars are doing 80! Thankfully wide enough not to bother me.
Then I get 9 miles or so of trails/canal tow path, with only 2 roads to cross and a few motorcycle barriers, with just 1 gate where I physically need to get off at.
Finished off with a mile or so through a housing estate and then 0.5 miles on a really busy road leading into town.
Part of my route is under the M62. Noticed this morning both traffic queued up on there, and a train full of fed-up looking commuters on the Virgin trains Edinburh to London. All the while, I was belting along, on a 2m wide tarmac'd path alongside a field with a few horses in having just passed my 'congestion' which was a heron squalking at a swan on the canal.
Happy days!
Just under 12.5 miles.
The first 2 miles or so are on a busy main road, 40mph limit but feels like the cars are doing 80! Thankfully wide enough not to bother me.
Then I get 9 miles or so of trails/canal tow path, with only 2 roads to cross and a few motorcycle barriers, with just 1 gate where I physically need to get off at.
Finished off with a mile or so through a housing estate and then 0.5 miles on a really busy road leading into town.
Part of my route is under the M62. Noticed this morning both traffic queued up on there, and a train full of fed-up looking commuters on the Virgin trains Edinburh to London. All the while, I was belting along, on a 2m wide tarmac'd path alongside a field with a few horses in having just passed my 'congestion' which was a heron squalking at a swan on the canal.
Happy days!
Shirt587 said:
Jesus Christ yesterday evening was wet. Morning had been breezy but dry, and I needed to go home via the Parcelforce depot which only adds five miles. Rain hit me three miles from the office and two miles to Parcelforce. Soaked to the skin, heard my feet squelch as I walked into the depot, then another ten miles home from there in drizzle while still very wet.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
Edited by Shirt587 on Wednesday 1st June 12:44
Time to invest in a second set of kit...Windy this morning for me too. Not as bad this afternoon but I had my first puncture since using the bike again. 
Typically I'd gone on a big scenic loop and was about as far from home as I could be. I had a tube and levers but no pump... luckily a chap on his way home stopped with one. Thank you Nigel!
I used to have Specialized Armadillos on my old commuting mountain bike and had only one puncture in 10K miles. I've bought a new pump but I'm wondering if I should have bought some tougher tyres whilst I was there.
Typically I'd gone on a big scenic loop and was about as far from home as I could be. I had a tube and levers but no pump... luckily a chap on his way home stopped with one. Thank you Nigel!
I used to have Specialized Armadillos on my old commuting mountain bike and had only one puncture in 10K miles. I've bought a new pump but I'm wondering if I should have bought some tougher tyres whilst I was there.
ewenm said:
Shirt587 said:
Jesus Christ yesterday evening was wet. Morning had been breezy but dry, and I needed to go home via the Parcelforce depot which only adds five miles. Rain hit me three miles from the office and two miles to Parcelforce. Soaked to the skin, heard my feet squelch as I walked into the depot, then another ten miles home from there in drizzle while still very wet.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
And yet, my main concern when I got home was to get everything in the washer/dryer so I had a chance at having dry kit for this morning... I must be nuts.
Edited by Shirt587 on Wednesday 1st June 12:44
Time to invest in a second set of kit...I drove to work Tuesday as I had stuff to carry that wouldn't fit on my bike.
Wednesday I cycled in, tailwind for the first section so I was in top gear and riding to a sensible pace, second stage was side and three quarter head wind and was okay, third section was a headwind. This is why I paced myself in the first stage so I wasn't burned out for the third. Forty minutes in near gale force winds wasn't bad in my opinion.
The ride home? Not so much. I only had a tailwind for about a third of a mile the first two sections were side, three quarter head and tree line funnel headwinds and the third section was all headwind with a few gusts of sea breeze for extra measure. Forty eight minutes home and I was feeling pretty good until I got out of the shower and my right knee was roughly the same size as my head.
Drove in yesterday. Cycling tonight as my alternative hi-viz...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
...paint spill t'shirt has arrived yesterday and I want to test it.
Wednesday I cycled in, tailwind for the first section so I was in top gear and riding to a sensible pace, second stage was side and three quarter head wind and was okay, third section was a headwind. This is why I paced myself in the first stage so I wasn't burned out for the third. Forty minutes in near gale force winds wasn't bad in my opinion.
The ride home? Not so much. I only had a tailwind for about a third of a mile the first two sections were side, three quarter head and tree line funnel headwinds and the third section was all headwind with a few gusts of sea breeze for extra measure. Forty eight minutes home and I was feeling pretty good until I got out of the shower and my right knee was roughly the same size as my head.
Drove in yesterday. Cycling tonight as my alternative hi-viz...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
...paint spill t'shirt has arrived yesterday and I want to test it.
E65Ross said:
Seriously windy this morning! Temperature a little cool for June as well 
Same for me. I set off 30 mins later than usual as I was waiting for the rain to stop. And it then took me almost 30 mins longer than usual as I was heading due north and the wind was a strong northerly.I came out onto Farthing Downs (see earlier posts) and was barely moving despite it being downhill.
williredale said:
I've just started riding to work again after a few years out of the saddle. After three weeks or so I've bought a new bike (Kona Dew hybrid) and it's starting to get easier. However this morning after a lovely ride in I was forced off my bike by a t
t in a diesel Focus who overtook me whilst I was alongside a traffic island. I hadn't held him up at all, he just changed down as he got to me and went for it. I dived for the kerb when I realised what he was going to do and hit it whilst swearing loudly at him. fking close and completely unnecessary.
Spoilt my morning that did!
I saw Mr Focus again this morning! He stopped and waved me past some parked cars when it was his right of way.t in a diesel Focus who overtook me whilst I was alongside a traffic island. I hadn't held him up at all, he just changed down as he got to me and went for it. I dived for the kerb when I realised what he was going to do and hit it whilst swearing loudly at him. fking close and completely unnecessary.Spoilt my morning that did!
Maybe our previous encounter has made him think a bit more behind the wheel.
180 miles of commuting in the last five or so weeks and it's getting easier and quicker.
Found a headless body in the woods on the way into work today!
Luckily his head was just hidden in the nettles and he was 'sleeping it off' so he didn't need my offer of help to find somewhere more comfortable to lay his weary (drunk) head... (we had a semi coherent exchange so I felt no guilt in leaving him to his slumber)
My 2nd good deed of the day was warning a little old lady walking her dog just around the corner... 'if you're going to turn left at the end, there is a man sleeping in the nettles. He says he's OK, he just sleeping it off'
Little Old Lady: 'I think I'll turn right today, thank you deary'!
I love serious commutin'!
Luckily his head was just hidden in the nettles and he was 'sleeping it off' so he didn't need my offer of help to find somewhere more comfortable to lay his weary (drunk) head... (we had a semi coherent exchange so I felt no guilt in leaving him to his slumber)
My 2nd good deed of the day was warning a little old lady walking her dog just around the corner... 'if you're going to turn left at the end, there is a man sleeping in the nettles. He says he's OK, he just sleeping it off'
Little Old Lady: 'I think I'll turn right today, thank you deary'!
I love serious commutin'!
First commute today (sorry for posting in two threads about it).
19.3 miles from Blandford to Bournemouth. Was a nice ride, with surprisingly few busy stretches of road. I am sure it will get nicer still when my fitness improves and I am not permanently wheezing my way along - I only managed to average 13.8mph according to Strava. It certainly felt much faster.
19.3 miles from Blandford to Bournemouth. Was a nice ride, with surprisingly few busy stretches of road. I am sure it will get nicer still when my fitness improves and I am not permanently wheezing my way along - I only managed to average 13.8mph according to Strava. It certainly felt much faster.
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