The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Cheers chaps, getting better after some vitamin JD!
Love the cat burglar comment, you would not believe the amount of black clad not helmeted nutters that cycle round Manchester. Probably the same everywhere else, just know that my helmet probably saved my life today as it hit the Kerb at over 20mph with my head in it.
Love the cat burglar comment, you would not believe the amount of black clad not helmeted nutters that cycle round Manchester. Probably the same everywhere else, just know that my helmet probably saved my life today as it hit the Kerb at over 20mph with my head in it.
Cheers chaps, getting better after some vitamin JD!
Love the cat burglar comment, you would not believe the amount of black clad not helmeted nutters that cycle round Manchester. Probably the same everywhere else, just know that my helmet probably saved my life today as it hit the Kerb at over 20mph with my head in it.
Love the cat burglar comment, you would not believe the amount of black clad not helmeted nutters that cycle round Manchester. Probably the same everywhere else, just know that my helmet probably saved my life today as it hit the Kerb at over 20mph with my head in it.
donfisher said:
The temperature has dropped past the point where the DeFeet duragloves aren’t quite warm enough.
Extra glove day.
I also had to find a pair of old rugby socks.
Thankfully no ice but a lot of frost on the cars outside.
First ride to work for me for a few weeks after illness. Bloody chilly and I was rather timid due to the threat of ice. Was pleased to be on the CX bike with 32's rather than the single speed on 23's.Extra glove day.
I also had to find a pair of old rugby socks.
Thankfully no ice but a lot of frost on the cars outside.
My DeFeet gloves coped admirably tho, best £12 ever.
I put together a couple of routes to ride to work yesterday. I'll be riding from Uxbridge to Hemel Hempstead, which is around 23 miles...
Probably won't start until the spring as I work 12 hour shifts so don't really fancy the 0500 start in this weather. I work 2 days/2 nights so might even bring the bike in the car the first day, ride home, back to work the following morning and then take the bike back in the car.
Better than just driving, surely.
I also regret not using the bike for work more when I was just 7 miles away.
Probably won't start until the spring as I work 12 hour shifts so don't really fancy the 0500 start in this weather. I work 2 days/2 nights so might even bring the bike in the car the first day, ride home, back to work the following morning and then take the bike back in the car.
Better than just driving, surely.
I also regret not using the bike for work more when I was just 7 miles away.
richardxjr said:
S10GTA said:
My DeFeet gloves coped admirably tho, best £12 ever.
Fantastic aren't they? Mine have been sidelined this week for the windproof Aldi winter jobbies, tad small perhaps but are great around & below zero.This is my first winter commuting on the bike and have stuck at it more than expected... especially in today's 'weather bomb' of wind and rain (although it was a tailwind so quite fun).
However, looking at my Strava times I appear to be slower than in the summer.
Is this a consequence of colder weather, sludge, running lower tyre pressures that happens to us all in the winter?
However, looking at my Strava times I appear to be slower than in the summer.
Is this a consequence of colder weather, sludge, running lower tyre pressures that happens to us all in the winter?
My first day on the bike after 12 days of no cycling due to a pesky cold/chest infection. Felt great to be back in (on?) the saddle, just a shame it was gale force headwinds most of the way in! Still, the ride home should be fun!
Went for the winter tights today, instead of the usual shorts and leg warmers. Merino base layer, SS jersey and my eBay-special Wolfbike softshell and Planet X summer socks, and I was plenty warm enough. I did go for the fleecy headband under the helmet, and my Altura Night vision windproof gloves, which have been great. I haven't had a single ride where they haven't been up to the job. I tend to run hot while riding anyway, and I find I overheat if I use my Altura Night vision waterproof jacket.
Went for the winter tights today, instead of the usual shorts and leg warmers. Merino base layer, SS jersey and my eBay-special Wolfbike softshell and Planet X summer socks, and I was plenty warm enough. I did go for the fleecy headband under the helmet, and my Altura Night vision windproof gloves, which have been great. I haven't had a single ride where they haven't been up to the job. I tend to run hot while riding anyway, and I find I overheat if I use my Altura Night vision waterproof jacket.
Update on the off - not cycled in since, no broken bones but severely reduced use of left arm. This has improved a lot over the last day or so and as such is pointing towards muscular rotator cuff damage rather than tendons which is good. The improvement in mobility is an indicator of this. Still on a lot of medication, co codamol and voltarol.
I had just over a week off and in that time I went back to the scene of the crash in daylight. It was signposted, see below, but at the time in the dark at 20mph I didn't see the alternate path. No marked up shared path either which is disappointing. However, it was marked so only myself to blame, time to ruminate on rule 5 and get back on the saddle in January.
Needed new shifters, and bar tape so the bill was a shade over £200.00. My friendly neighbourhood bike shop are replacing the helmet free of charge and didn't charge me labour for the work. They are a really nice bunch of guys. Overall a painful and expensive lesson but I don't aim to repeat in future!
Approach:
Exit where I went flying:
Where the cycle path becomes: something not very clear?
I had just over a week off and in that time I went back to the scene of the crash in daylight. It was signposted, see below, but at the time in the dark at 20mph I didn't see the alternate path. No marked up shared path either which is disappointing. However, it was marked so only myself to blame, time to ruminate on rule 5 and get back on the saddle in January.
Needed new shifters, and bar tape so the bill was a shade over £200.00. My friendly neighbourhood bike shop are replacing the helmet free of charge and didn't charge me labour for the work. They are a really nice bunch of guys. Overall a painful and expensive lesson but I don't aim to repeat in future!
Approach:
Exit where I went flying:
Where the cycle path becomes: something not very clear?
Which total idiot designed that lethal excuse of road?
99% of the time I'll ignore cycle paths because frankly they are useless (long list of reasons covered many times on this forum and others). The fact that it's there doesn't mean the road cant be used or is unsafe to use.
I don't see any adequate warning of the road becoming unusably dangerous for bikes....
Especially in the dark with poor visibility I'd have gone over in exactly the same place, in exactly the same way.
99% of the time I'll ignore cycle paths because frankly they are useless (long list of reasons covered many times on this forum and others). The fact that it's there doesn't mean the road cant be used or is unsafe to use.
I don't see any adequate warning of the road becoming unusably dangerous for bikes....
Especially in the dark with poor visibility I'd have gone over in exactly the same place, in exactly the same way.
Discovered this week that the brand new cyclepath installed by the council this autumn didn't have any grit bins located along it, nor was it gritted at all.
So I've gone back to riding on the road, in the dark, with all the traffic, while the cycling infrastructure that the council are so proud of sits there slippy as fu*k.
So I've gone back to riding on the road, in the dark, with all the traffic, while the cycling infrastructure that the council are so proud of sits there slippy as fu*k.
GuinnessMK said:
Discovered this week that the brand new cyclepath installed by the council this autumn didn't have any grit bins located along it, nor was it gritted at all.
So I've gone back to riding on the road, in the dark, with all the traffic, while the cycling infrastructure that the council are so proud of sits there slippy as fu*k.
This is the reason I'm now glad that a good proportion of my route is a compacted gravel path. I've seen no evidence of the tarmac sections of the (shared) cycle path being gritted.So I've gone back to riding on the road, in the dark, with all the traffic, while the cycling infrastructure that the council are so proud of sits there slippy as fu*k.
Going to cycle a few times again this week and next with the idea being that I'll do it every day from the New Year. While it's only a round trip of 14 miles a day it should add up over a year.
Yesterday, partly prompted by an Xmas do which meant a train home I cycled to work for the first time. It's still mild down here, and although there was heavy rain overnight it was quite clear and improving as I made my way in.
About 11/12 miles avoiding the main roads, going from Narberth to Wiseman's bridge, along the coast to Saundersfoot, and the pleasure of 'heartbreak hill' climbing out of Saundersfoot to Tenby. (To be honest, it isn't that long, nor that bad with mountain bike gearing)
Rubbish phone pics:
Stepaside
Wiseman's bridge
Coast path
Tenby
It will certainly be repeated again soon.
About 11/12 miles avoiding the main roads, going from Narberth to Wiseman's bridge, along the coast to Saundersfoot, and the pleasure of 'heartbreak hill' climbing out of Saundersfoot to Tenby. (To be honest, it isn't that long, nor that bad with mountain bike gearing)
Rubbish phone pics:
Stepaside
Wiseman's bridge
Coast path
Tenby
It will certainly be repeated again soon.
Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff