Back on the saddle...
Discussion
Thirty four minute run in a head wind last night. I passed the Lycraists (I thought they'd given up) on my sprint between traffic lights section. It's a quarter mile of cycle lane with a miniroundabout I like to cover it in thirty-ish seconds. 
Eighteen degrees all day and as the Sun sets well before I set off thanks to the clocks being messed about with I find it nicely chilled for my recovery time at work.
The morning was an interesting one. Stuck at a set of lights next to a fellow cycle commuter on an old school Raleigh racer. He had half a Volvo boot load in a pannier bag and we exchanged notes about it's virtues (extra weight over the back wheel coming in very handy in wet, snow and slushy conditions). The lights eventually changed and some twonk in a Transit pulled out of the next junction either without looking or incapable of looking as the condensation hadn't been cleared from the side windows. Normally this would be a mild irritation but I was feeling frisky and got in the tow of the van as he exceeded the speed limit I pulled into the cycle lane and left him to it. The cycle lane bypasses the miniroundabout headed out of town and Just as I reached the next red light some other twonk in a poorly kitted up Corsa made a job of overtaking me and almost locking up at the line. Because the cycle lane stops about eight feet further I clicked up a couple of cogs and filtered past the Corsa. When the lights changed still feeling playful I nailed it all the way to top (as it was a forty zone I was fine) and it took Mr Corsa a good couple of hundred yards to creep past me about three miles per hour more than my thirty something.
As the clocks have been faffed about with it was almost daylight. Despite this I had the usual Penis Experiment II candidates but I'm resisting the urge to do another clip as I was recognised at the second set of lights last night.
Eighteen degrees all day and as the Sun sets well before I set off thanks to the clocks being messed about with I find it nicely chilled for my recovery time at work.
The morning was an interesting one. Stuck at a set of lights next to a fellow cycle commuter on an old school Raleigh racer. He had half a Volvo boot load in a pannier bag and we exchanged notes about it's virtues (extra weight over the back wheel coming in very handy in wet, snow and slushy conditions). The lights eventually changed and some twonk in a Transit pulled out of the next junction either without looking or incapable of looking as the condensation hadn't been cleared from the side windows. Normally this would be a mild irritation but I was feeling frisky and got in the tow of the van as he exceeded the speed limit I pulled into the cycle lane and left him to it. The cycle lane bypasses the miniroundabout headed out of town and Just as I reached the next red light some other twonk in a poorly kitted up Corsa made a job of overtaking me and almost locking up at the line. Because the cycle lane stops about eight feet further I clicked up a couple of cogs and filtered past the Corsa. When the lights changed still feeling playful I nailed it all the way to top (as it was a forty zone I was fine) and it took Mr Corsa a good couple of hundred yards to creep past me about three miles per hour more than my thirty something.
As the clocks have been faffed about with it was almost daylight. Despite this I had the usual Penis Experiment II candidates but I'm resisting the urge to do another clip as I was recognised at the second set of lights last night.
my first fan said:
'ere! Are you that bloke on YouTube?
Me said:
One of them.
my first fan said:
You did that Penis thing right?
Me said:
The experiment clip?
my first fan said:
That's the one. My dad f
g hates you. He was drivin' the Merc'.
g hates you. He was drivin' the Merc'.Me said:
It's all tongue in cheek. I wouldn't worry about it.
my first fan said:
I emailed to all his mates at work and they keep posting it on his Facebook wall. Brilliant!
And that explains my mood this morning. So as it's the school holidays again I got two hours sleep yesterday. The ride in was uneventful but the ride home was a little more involving. To say my sleep deprived state had left me a little hypersensitive would be an understatement, but there were some Darwinian displays of driving today.
I'm off to bed.
I'm off to bed.
A new addition to the bike for last night and this mornings run...
...I fitted an old rack from the deepest darkest corner of my shed. Had to move my lower rear light on to the mudguard above the rear hoop so it doesn't fall off and gave both rims a light dust of...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171406832761?_trksid=p20...
...I'm not 100% on this but thought it would make an alternative to the usual technicolor rim tapes.
...I fitted an old rack from the deepest darkest corner of my shed. Had to move my lower rear light on to the mudguard above the rear hoop so it doesn't fall off and gave both rims a light dust of...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171406832761?_trksid=p20...
...I'm not 100% on this but thought it would make an alternative to the usual technicolor rim tapes.
So....
...I have no idea how to fit these pannier bags. It's as if they are missing straps or clips to fit securely. No instructions included just a couple of hooks for the side bags and a top bag that's a foot wider than the rack.
I think I'm going to have to get my grinder and welder out.
...I have no idea how to fit these pannier bags. It's as if they are missing straps or clips to fit securely. No instructions included just a couple of hooks for the side bags and a top bag that's a foot wider than the rack.
I think I'm going to have to get my grinder and welder out.
Either my new bags are missing something or I am.
The side bags come with little plastic hooks that...
...clip on to the top bar of the rack.
The top bag (laptop section) zips to the side bags...
...but the only straps on all three bags...
...go over the top of the top bag. I assume for extra stuff to go on top that won't fit in the side bags.
This to me is ridiculous. There is no way of securing any of the bags to the rack at all. Even if I get a load of bungee chords as the top of the rack is completely covered its inaccessible.
So either the bags are missing supplementary straps to secure the side bags at the bottom of the rack and the top straps are supposed to go underneath somehow or this is a really pi$$ poor design that relies on little more than gravity to hold it in place.
I'm also not happy with the idea of my laptop going in there. How much more general vibration and potholing I feel from the hybrid compared to the dual suspension mountain bike I had before suggests I'll have bits of laptop in the bag after a hundred yards even if I pack it in Polystyrene.
So the bag and rack are headed towards the bin and I'll look at a trailer with suspension.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/One-wheel-Single-Wheel-C...
The side bags come with little plastic hooks that...
...clip on to the top bar of the rack.
The top bag (laptop section) zips to the side bags...
...but the only straps on all three bags...
...go over the top of the top bag. I assume for extra stuff to go on top that won't fit in the side bags.
This to me is ridiculous. There is no way of securing any of the bags to the rack at all. Even if I get a load of bungee chords as the top of the rack is completely covered its inaccessible.
So either the bags are missing supplementary straps to secure the side bags at the bottom of the rack and the top straps are supposed to go underneath somehow or this is a really pi$$ poor design that relies on little more than gravity to hold it in place.
I'm also not happy with the idea of my laptop going in there. How much more general vibration and potholing I feel from the hybrid compared to the dual suspension mountain bike I had before suggests I'll have bits of laptop in the bag after a hundred yards even if I pack it in Polystyrene.
So the bag and rack are headed towards the bin and I'll look at a trailer with suspension.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/One-wheel-Single-Wheel-C...
I echo buy cheap buy twice, some of the Chinese stuff is very good value, some of it is bloody nuts, its like they haven't thought it through at all!
Trailer for a laptop? Fck that especially if you are complaining of near misses, sod having a tank slapper on a bike whilst a car is passing too close
I try and avoid taking my laptop full stop via bike, too much of a risk, when I do I just put it in a rucksack, sometimes trying to invent the wheel gets you nowhere, off all the st I have to put up with a sweaty back is very low down the list , plus now its getting cold, just wear less or ride slower.
If I was going to use a rack , I would just shove my rucksack on there and wrap it tighlty with bungees: Job Jobbed
Trailer for a laptop? Fck that especially if you are complaining of near misses, sod having a tank slapper on a bike whilst a car is passing too close
I try and avoid taking my laptop full stop via bike, too much of a risk, when I do I just put it in a rucksack, sometimes trying to invent the wheel gets you nowhere, off all the s
t I have to put up with a sweaty back is very low down the list , plus now its getting cold, just wear less or ride slower. If I was going to use a rack , I would just shove my rucksack on there and wrap it tighlty with bungees: Job Jobbed
Liquid Knight said:
gazza285 said:
Buy cheap, get cheap?
Altura do a lap top specific pannier, not cheap.
On a bike that rattles down the road instead of rides I wouldn't trust a rack mounted waterbed with anything remotely fragile let alone a £2,000 laptop with nine years work on it. Altura do a lap top specific pannier, not cheap.
Liquid Knight said:
Thirty five and never used panniers on a bicycle before.
The ones I had on my TDM850 had more straps than a weekend at the Torture Garden. These just don't look like they're going to anything but fall off.
It was more of a general query relating to your posting style than a comment regarding the panniers, never before I have read so much about what boils down to, riding a bike to work. It seems this has consumed your life somewhat, with all these bike modifications, clothing purchases, rants, YouTube videos, races against the clock etc. Have you ever considered just enjoying pootling to work without turning it into an angry man's diary? It's all very strange The ones I had on my TDM850 had more straps than a weekend at the Torture Garden. These just don't look like they're going to anything but fall off.
I do enjoy it most days. But those little people in tin boxes who don't have a care in the world let alone give a flying fk about anyone else on the road in front of them; turn what was a pleasure into a chore and a near life experience.
It's hard to enjoy something after enduring nine months of recovery following one of these people deciding to turn left without indicating, braking or checking they had overtaken me properly, smashing my bike, dislocating my shoulder, separating my ribs from my sternum pulling all my intercostal muscles so I spent the first six months feeling like I had someone standing on my chest. For an active person being inactive is worse than any physical discomfort.
I like the challenge and timing myself sometimes is just a way of demonstrating to myself more than anyone that I'm doing my best. For my sake. I like to do my best in everything that I do and if setting a new record time makes for dull reading I apologise but it means I'm fit and my last off hasn't stopped me. Basically each time I set and log on this blog is a middle digit to the hit and run from last year. (by the way in case I haven't mentioned it the hit and run driver was caught, he lived two hundred yards from where he hit me. Got six points for Careless Driving, six points for leaving the scene of a collision, was banned for a year and ordered to pay a fine and court costs totaling £1,350)
There isn't a great deal of point pootling along in the dark as there is little to see and hear apart from the occasional Bat, Barn Owl, Foxes and Deer. During the Summer I back down a bit; forty three minute runs instead of aiming at thirty three and by my standards that's taking it easy. Riding into the sunset, breathing the fresh air; for the three days a year it is fresh and not a sea breeze or tainted by muck spreading, crop spraying, dust or pollen.
I have suggested before how different perspectives effect your emotional reaction to situations. As a driver you see things on the road and shrug your shoulders or roll your eyes and think "Pillock" but on a bike when there isn't a Faraday cage of airbags, crumple zones and drivers aids between you and the aforementioned "Pillock" your reaction is aimed more at the concept of self preservation. For example: That guy who had a letter box of frost cleared of his windscreen this morning is deliberately out to kill someone. Pure and simple.
Some drivers; especially ones like that should have their licenses and vehicles shredded in front of them; then be forced to drive pink G-Wizz's for a minimum of five years after they pass an extended test. Vote for me if I stand for election and I will do my best to make it happen.
Okay got a bit side tracked there. Sorry if this blog has been a bit ranty. I'm not angry with the world; just most of it.
k about anyone else on the road in front of them; turn what was a pleasure into a chore and a near life experience. It's hard to enjoy something after enduring nine months of recovery following one of these people deciding to turn left without indicating, braking or checking they had overtaken me properly, smashing my bike, dislocating my shoulder, separating my ribs from my sternum pulling all my intercostal muscles so I spent the first six months feeling like I had someone standing on my chest. For an active person being inactive is worse than any physical discomfort.
I like the challenge and timing myself sometimes is just a way of demonstrating to myself more than anyone that I'm doing my best. For my sake. I like to do my best in everything that I do and if setting a new record time makes for dull reading I apologise but it means I'm fit and my last off hasn't stopped me. Basically each time I set and log on this blog is a middle digit to the hit and run
from last year. (by the way in case I haven't mentioned it the hit and run driver was caught, he lived two hundred yards from where he hit me. Got six points for Careless Driving, six points for leaving the scene of a collision, was banned for a year and ordered to pay a fine and court costs totaling £1,350)There isn't a great deal of point pootling along in the dark as there is little to see and hear apart from the occasional Bat, Barn Owl, Foxes and Deer. During the Summer I back down a bit; forty three minute runs instead of aiming at thirty three and by my standards that's taking it easy. Riding into the sunset, breathing the fresh air; for the three days a year it is fresh and not a sea breeze or tainted by muck spreading, crop spraying, dust or pollen.
I have suggested before how different perspectives effect your emotional reaction to situations. As a driver you see things on the road and shrug your shoulders or roll your eyes and think "Pillock" but on a bike when there isn't a Faraday cage of airbags, crumple zones and drivers aids between you and the aforementioned "Pillock" your reaction is aimed more at the concept of self preservation. For example: That guy who had a letter box of frost cleared of his windscreen this morning is deliberately out to kill someone. Pure and simple.
Some drivers; especially ones like that should have their licenses and vehicles shredded in front of them; then be forced to drive pink G-Wizz's for a minimum of five years after they pass an extended test. Vote for me if I stand for election and I will do my best to make it happen.
Okay got a bit side tracked there. Sorry if this blog has been a bit ranty. I'm not angry with the world; just most of it.
bigdom said:
1. Backup work
2. Ortlieb panniers
I stick laptop in panniers all the time, you just better panniers.
Impressive.2. Ortlieb panniers
I stick laptop in panniers all the time, you just better panniers.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_tr...
Thank you.
I didn't cycle in last night as the forecast was for "I couldn't be arsed" with sporadic showers of laziness and cake.
Sorry I've been a bit of a grump. I do recall trying not to turn this blog into an elongated rant but I hadn't banked on how I'd feel about my little gauntlet.
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