Stupid New Years Resolution!
Discussion
I've had this Cree 1800 Lumen front light on my bike for six months now and am very happy with it.
The battery straps neatly to my frame.
As well as having high (1800 Lumen), low (700 Lumen) and strobe it also has a belt attachment for the battery pack...
...and a kind of upside down Sumo jock strap for your head.
The headlight itself is a well focused beam, here at twenty meters...
...and again at fifty...
...but as well as being a superb bike light working on cars in the dark is now a whole lot easier.
Just a very useful thing to have around the house. When we had a power cut last week the light aimed at the ceiling illuminated a fairly large room (on the low setting) for five hours without killing the battery. I use it on my daily commute to work and only need to recharge it every three days. A great bit of kit and worth every Penny of the £39.99 I paid for it, best of all they're now on eBay for £25 as the £40 lights are 3000 Lumens.
The battery straps neatly to my frame.
As well as having high (1800 Lumen), low (700 Lumen) and strobe it also has a belt attachment for the battery pack...
...and a kind of upside down Sumo jock strap for your head.
The headlight itself is a well focused beam, here at twenty meters...
...and again at fifty...
...but as well as being a superb bike light working on cars in the dark is now a whole lot easier.
Just a very useful thing to have around the house. When we had a power cut last week the light aimed at the ceiling illuminated a fairly large room (on the low setting) for five hours without killing the battery. I use it on my daily commute to work and only need to recharge it every three days. A great bit of kit and worth every Penny of the £39.99 I paid for it, best of all they're now on eBay for £25 as the £40 lights are 3000 Lumens.
236 miles...
It took fifty three minutes to get to work. In the worst of it my back tyre broke traction as I was pedaling against the wind. I spent the first ten hours of my shift looking forward to the tailwind home; but then the direction changed and it took fifty minutes to get home. Just over eleven miles per hour average is still pretty respectable in forty mile per hour winds.
Dreading tonight.
Looking forward to the challenge as usual but will leave a fair bit earlier though.
It took fifty three minutes to get to work. In the worst of it my back tyre broke traction as I was pedaling against the wind. I spent the first ten hours of my shift looking forward to the tailwind home; but then the direction changed and it took fifty minutes to get home. Just over eleven miles per hour average is still pretty respectable in forty mile per hour winds.
Dreading tonight.
Looking forward to the challenge as usual but will leave a fair bit earlier though.
563 miles.
A bit of a delay in my updates. Well apart form moaning about the weather and inconsiderate drivers there's not a great deal to share and even I'm getting fed up of that so...
...I found a quarter inch long bit of glass in my rear tyre the other day and because I thought I could use it as an excuse to get a lift home I pulled it out. The tyre was unaffected and I've done a hundred miles since then.
I'm cycling to work this month no matter what the weather (apart from fog) because I can't afford to fill my car with petrol let alone give the DVLA their twenty pieces of silver for renting the log book from them. My work is as usual getting in the way of play. The company I worked for lost the contract on the site so now I work for someone else. This transition means two things. 1/ I won't be paid again for another six weeks and 2/ My previous employers decided to take £400 out of my last pay cheque.
I literally have £4.00 to last until the March 15th.
Life's little tests eh?
A bit of a delay in my updates. Well apart form moaning about the weather and inconsiderate drivers there's not a great deal to share and even I'm getting fed up of that so...
...I found a quarter inch long bit of glass in my rear tyre the other day and because I thought I could use it as an excuse to get a lift home I pulled it out. The tyre was unaffected and I've done a hundred miles since then.
I'm cycling to work this month no matter what the weather (apart from fog) because I can't afford to fill my car with petrol let alone give the DVLA their twenty pieces of silver for renting the log book from them. My work is as usual getting in the way of play. The company I worked for lost the contract on the site so now I work for someone else. This transition means two things. 1/ I won't be paid again for another six weeks and 2/ My previous employers decided to take £400 out of my last pay cheque.
I literally have £4.00 to last until the March 15th.
Life's little tests eh?
589 miles.
Following another near miss SMIDSY I've put my spare rear light on my bag...
...so that's flashing red lights on my mud guard, helmet and bag with a constant red light on my seat post. Hopefully this will be enough.
I was discussing SMIDSY events with a fellow commuter and he has a rather unique way of dealing with close overtakers. He has a six inch metal bar with a roughly ground point at the end. He took great pleasure in telling me how he has gouged the side of HGV trailers and vans with it. He's fed up of reporting dangerous drivers to the non-existent Police so has taken the law into his own hands. On the scale of things though I hardly feel thousands of Pounds of criminal damage can be a justifiable punishment for Careless Driving.
Following another near miss SMIDSY I've put my spare rear light on my bag...
...so that's flashing red lights on my mud guard, helmet and bag with a constant red light on my seat post. Hopefully this will be enough.
I was discussing SMIDSY events with a fellow commuter and he has a rather unique way of dealing with close overtakers. He has a six inch metal bar with a roughly ground point at the end. He took great pleasure in telling me how he has gouged the side of HGV trailers and vans with it. He's fed up of reporting dangerous drivers to the non-existent Police so has taken the law into his own hands. On the scale of things though I hardly feel thousands of Pounds of criminal damage can be a justifiable punishment for Careless Driving.
588 miles.
Okay I'm going to moan about the weather.
Will it make up it's bloody mind? Lazy wind this morning it decided to go through instead of round me and virtually every other turn I was faced with a different kind of precipitation. Snow, rain, hale, sleet or nothing but the road was slippery as there were a few flakes on the ground freezing the water already on the surface. Perfect for slick tyres in a head wind. For one reason or another I had only three hours sleep in the forty eight hour period leading up to my ride home so I was too knackered to loose traction this time. Cycling to work was the survivalist option. Cardiovascular activity elevated my heart rate and blood Oxygen levels keeping me awake. Basically to ensure I didn't fall asleep at the wheel I used two instead.
Okay I'm going to moan about the weather.
Will it make up it's bloody mind? Lazy wind this morning it decided to go through instead of round me and virtually every other turn I was faced with a different kind of precipitation. Snow, rain, hale, sleet or nothing but the road was slippery as there were a few flakes on the ground freezing the water already on the surface. Perfect for slick tyres in a head wind. For one reason or another I had only three hours sleep in the forty eight hour period leading up to my ride home so I was too knackered to loose traction this time. Cycling to work was the survivalist option. Cardiovascular activity elevated my heart rate and blood Oxygen levels keeping me awake. Basically to ensure I didn't fall asleep at the wheel I used two instead.
716 miles
It's time to say goodbye to an old friend...
...and in with the new.
My fog light idea is taking shape.
I found these at work...
...and thought I'd try a lens on my light...
...superb fit but...
...still too pink. There must be a 200+ Lumen rear light for poor weather conditions.
It's time to say goodbye to an old friend...
...and in with the new.
My fog light idea is taking shape.
I found these at work...
...and thought I'd try a lens on my light...
...superb fit but...
...still too pink. There must be a 200+ Lumen rear light for poor weather conditions.
I thought this one...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140861230498?ssPageName=...
...was expensive.
It's light enough when I set off and when I get home not to need lights at all and it'll soon be warm enough not to need a mask so by the time the payday fairies visit I won't need any new lights anyway.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/140861230498?ssPageName=...
...was expensive.
It's light enough when I set off and when I get home not to need lights at all and it'll soon be warm enough not to need a mask so by the time the payday fairies visit I won't need any new lights anyway.
769 miles.
Between snow showers and ice instead of roads my new masks holes are smaller than my old one so it was like cycling whilst being trapped in a box. I've cut slits between some of the holes so my diaphragm doesn't get as much of a work out. Having said that I haven't had hicups for a while.
The rear wheel snapped another couple of spokes and it's so cold my fork tubes are free of the seals so I have no suspension whatsoever. It'll soon be Spring.
Between snow showers and ice instead of roads my new masks holes are smaller than my old one so it was like cycling whilst being trapped in a box. I've cut slits between some of the holes so my diaphragm doesn't get as much of a work out. Having said that I haven't had hicups for a while.
The rear wheel snapped another couple of spokes and it's so cold my fork tubes are free of the seals so I have no suspension whatsoever. It'll soon be Spring.
912 miles.
I was hoping the batteries in my lights would last another week for it to be too light to need them for a while but having seen tonight's forecast I've put my knobblies on and fitted new ones. Should be an interesting home in the morning. It was near gale force winds today a bit of a flurry, tomorrow promises to be a blizzard.
I was hoping the batteries in my lights would last another week for it to be too light to need them for a while but having seen tonight's forecast I've put my knobblies on and fitted new ones. Should be an interesting home in the morning. It was near gale force winds today a bit of a flurry, tomorrow promises to be a blizzard.
962 miles.
Finally I have the right weather for my tyres. Not enough of it and 5,000+ road miles on a bike designed specifically for cross country work have claimed another victim. Instead of having a cog on my crankset I now have a rather decorative shark fin design. This only became apparent thanks to the added friction of the knobblies yesterday combined with a strong head wind. This morning the chain skipped more times than an Eminem track played on Radio One at 9:00am. The slightest bit of will to accelerate, tiniest of hills or turning into the wind made it skip again so it took best part of an hour to get home. This must be how normal commuters feel. Added to that the knobblies chucking snow, sluch, grit and stuff over my boots meant I couldn't feel my toes after three miles and when I got my socks off it looked as if I was going to lose both big toenails. Grrrr!
So the weather was perfect for my tyres but thanks to the crank deciding to lunch itself every time I pedaled with any effort let alone gusto I may as well have walked.
Good news. As I haven't used the two smaller crank wheels (I couldn't shift down to one earlier due to my front mech' being frozen solid) I can simply replace the 44 tooth outer ring.
I was thinking of this...
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
...an extra four teeth should be good for a few mph flat out, but due to the way the frame and front mech' are designed it won't work.
Shark fins...
Daft gearing...
Can I get a 48t in there?
Finally I have the right weather for my tyres. Not enough of it and 5,000+ road miles on a bike designed specifically for cross country work have claimed another victim. Instead of having a cog on my crankset I now have a rather decorative shark fin design. This only became apparent thanks to the added friction of the knobblies yesterday combined with a strong head wind. This morning the chain skipped more times than an Eminem track played on Radio One at 9:00am. The slightest bit of will to accelerate, tiniest of hills or turning into the wind made it skip again so it took best part of an hour to get home. This must be how normal commuters feel. Added to that the knobblies chucking snow, sluch, grit and stuff over my boots meant I couldn't feel my toes after three miles and when I got my socks off it looked as if I was going to lose both big toenails. Grrrr!
So the weather was perfect for my tyres but thanks to the crank deciding to lunch itself every time I pedaled with any effort let alone gusto I may as well have walked.
Good news. As I haven't used the two smaller crank wheels (I couldn't shift down to one earlier due to my front mech' being frozen solid) I can simply replace the 44 tooth outer ring.
I was thinking of this...
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...
...an extra four teeth should be good for a few mph flat out, but due to the way the frame and front mech' are designed it won't work.
Shark fins...
Daft gearing...
Can I get a 48t in there?
Edited by Liquid Knight on Sunday 24th March 13:58
Funny how a simple ten minute job can turn into two hours of faffing about isn't it. New crank wheel, cleaned and wet lubed chain and checked the cassette for wear. Considering the mileage it's all pretty good.
No today's faffing was due to setting my bike up for Summer (a-hem) 30 extra PSI for the forks and 10PSI less in the tyres. I have harder tyres and softer forks in the Winter to get the best out of the road temperature. I'm sure it's just psychosomatic but it's how I used to set my motorbikes up and I do it more out of habit than anything. The side walls are starting to look a little worse for wear from the salt grit so that's on my list for the next payday fairy visit.
No today's faffing was due to setting my bike up for Summer (a-hem) 30 extra PSI for the forks and 10PSI less in the tyres. I have harder tyres and softer forks in the Winter to get the best out of the road temperature. I'm sure it's just psychosomatic but it's how I used to set my motorbikes up and I do it more out of habit than anything. The side walls are starting to look a little worse for wear from the salt grit so that's on my list for the next payday fairy visit.
1041 miles.
I did work it out but without confirmation I wasn't willing to risk it. Also a larger cog up front would be counter productive in the winds we get here. As it will soon be the Summer season, when I work day shift I'll have a head wind all the time and when I'm on nights I'll have a tail wind all the time. The joys of being close to the sea and in a tornado alley.
As for my old cog I was thinking of wearing it on a chain for the blingers or better still attaching it on the end of a 1.5m pole that would be mounted to my seat post. Close overtakers are a bit of a menace these days so maybe a nice gauge down the side of their car would be an incentive to learn how to drive. Maybe provoke road rage so it would need to be quick release and weaponise-able. Within what I consider a reasonable amount of force of course officer.
So the new cog works and that's about it.
Oh, I did have a bit of an adventure yesterday. As I entered a 30 zone a car overtook me gave plenty of room and was slowing to turn right about a quarter of a mile further up the road. Mr black Audi A3 streamed past me at well over twice the limit as close to me as he could get. Obviously only driving six feet at a time meant he ploughed into the side of the car who was now turning right. Knocking him into a car parked on the other side of the road. As I stopped I heard a blast from a horn behind me and another car drove past me and straight into the three car pile up ahead. I made sure everyone was okay left my details with the innocent driver and the Police. As I continued my journey to work I got on the last stretch (I usually sprint this bit) and the road was partially blocked by the Police and a recovery truck. Another idiot driver had tried to overtake a line of traffic at about 70mph (in a 30 zone) panicked when he noticed a car coming the other way, only just missed it by driving along the pathway. The path wasn't gritted so he lost control and went through a fence. The other side of the fence was a six foot drop the he went down, hit the bottom, flipped back up and through the fence fifty yards later. He finally came to rest on the path a couple of feet away from where an old dear was walking her dog.
Be careful out there guys. These things happen in threes.
I did work it out but without confirmation I wasn't willing to risk it. Also a larger cog up front would be counter productive in the winds we get here. As it will soon be the Summer season, when I work day shift I'll have a head wind all the time and when I'm on nights I'll have a tail wind all the time. The joys of being close to the sea and in a tornado alley.
As for my old cog I was thinking of wearing it on a chain for the blingers or better still attaching it on the end of a 1.5m pole that would be mounted to my seat post. Close overtakers are a bit of a menace these days so maybe a nice gauge down the side of their car would be an incentive to learn how to drive. Maybe provoke road rage so it would need to be quick release and weaponise-able. Within what I consider a reasonable amount of force of course officer.
So the new cog works and that's about it.
Oh, I did have a bit of an adventure yesterday. As I entered a 30 zone a car overtook me gave plenty of room and was slowing to turn right about a quarter of a mile further up the road. Mr black Audi A3 streamed past me at well over twice the limit as close to me as he could get. Obviously only driving six feet at a time meant he ploughed into the side of the car who was now turning right. Knocking him into a car parked on the other side of the road. As I stopped I heard a blast from a horn behind me and another car drove past me and straight into the three car pile up ahead. I made sure everyone was okay left my details with the innocent driver and the Police. As I continued my journey to work I got on the last stretch (I usually sprint this bit) and the road was partially blocked by the Police and a recovery truck. Another idiot driver had tried to overtake a line of traffic at about 70mph (in a 30 zone) panicked when he noticed a car coming the other way, only just missed it by driving along the pathway. The path wasn't gritted so he lost control and went through a fence. The other side of the fence was a six foot drop the he went down, hit the bottom, flipped back up and through the fence fifty yards later. He finally came to rest on the path a couple of feet away from where an old dear was walking her dog.
Be careful out there guys. These things happen in threes.
1066 miles.
That is one thousand and sixty six miles my Fiat Panda has not been exposed to salt grit, mud and s
t left on the road. 
That means less welding to do later and the preservation of one of the UK's rarest cars continues. That's also about a million calories I've had to waste time and money in the gym and not looked like a pillock trying to avoid the hall of mirrors just in case the other people there aren't judgmental enough. Oh yes cycling to work is good. It's can also be nightmare-ish. With idiotic drivers, the weather, mechanical failure and motivational issues to deal with but ultimately I'm feel better for it.
I love driving (even a Fiat Panda) and my job isn't particularly involving or interesting enough to justify it's existence most days (that'd be the politically correct way of saying depressingly boring) by associating driving with that I began to think of driving as a means to a dead end. My grandfather told me "It's not an honest days work if you haven't broken a sweat". I stand by this and use my commute to keep me honest. If I come across as a bit of a prat putting down other commuters who pootle along without a care in the world while I try to get there quicker than the day before and time myself. It's not because I'm a serious cyclist (have the wrong tool for that job) it's because I'm breaking a sweat (avoiding any thought of my destination and the following twelve hours of my life) and also I'm a bit of a prat.
So first quarter conclusion? Bring on Summer. Not that I'm bothered by the weather but if people were to drive properly to the conditions I would be able to buy lotto tickets again as my luck won't be wasted on my commute.
That is one thousand and sixty six miles my Fiat Panda has not been exposed to salt grit, mud and s
t left on the road. That means less welding to do later and the preservation of one of the UK's rarest cars continues. That's also about a million calories I've had to waste time and money in the gym and not looked like a pillock trying to avoid the hall of mirrors just in case the other people there aren't judgmental enough. Oh yes cycling to work is good. It's can also be nightmare-ish. With idiotic drivers, the weather, mechanical failure and motivational issues to deal with but ultimately I'm feel better for it.
I love driving (even a Fiat Panda) and my job isn't particularly involving or interesting enough to justify it's existence most days (that'd be the politically correct way of saying depressingly boring) by associating driving with that I began to think of driving as a means to a dead end. My grandfather told me "It's not an honest days work if you haven't broken a sweat". I stand by this and use my commute to keep me honest. If I come across as a bit of a prat putting down other commuters who pootle along without a care in the world while I try to get there quicker than the day before and time myself. It's not because I'm a serious cyclist (have the wrong tool for that job) it's because I'm breaking a sweat (avoiding any thought of my destination and the following twelve hours of my life) and also I'm a bit of a prat.
So first quarter conclusion? Bring on Summer. Not that I'm bothered by the weather but if people were to drive properly to the conditions I would be able to buy lotto tickets again as my luck won't be wasted on my commute.
1091 miles.
Pretty pleased with my commute yesterday evening. Thirty five minutes and forty three seconds!
That works out an average of 20.14mph
The wind was perfect, not too warm (five-ish) degrees, not a lot of traffic holding me up and both sets of traffic lights were green for me. My first 20mph run of the year.
This morning by complete contrast was an epic battle between myself and letterbox drivers too busy doing other things to actually drive with any roadsense whatsoever.
Look if the operation of the vehicle you are traveling in is fifth on your list of priorities for the sake of others get a taxi/bus/train/walk/broomstick. Better still get a pushbike and see how you like it for a month.
Pretty pleased with my commute yesterday evening. Thirty five minutes and forty three seconds!
That works out an average of 20.14mph
The wind was perfect, not too warm (five-ish) degrees, not a lot of traffic holding me up and both sets of traffic lights were green for me. My first 20mph run of the year.
This morning by complete contrast was an epic battle between myself and letterbox drivers too busy doing other things to actually drive with any roadsense whatsoever.
Look if the operation of the vehicle you are traveling in is fifth on your list of priorities for the sake of others get a taxi/bus/train/walk/broomstick. Better still get a pushbike and see how you like it for a month.
1243 miles.
It's been an interesting and busy week. Coming close to the end of the poverty period thank's to my previous employer ripping £400 from my last pay check and it taking six weeks for my next one. I've been borrowing from Peter to pay Paul last month, paid Paul off so I was running on empty this month and with my days off being booked as holiday and Jesus's rebirthday I should be able to be above the line this coming month. The Payday Fairies are due to visit Monday and I spend my last fiver on food and stuff for work tomorrow and then (obviously I can't shop and be at work at the same time). The Spring weather has been kind with proper tail winds and favorable temperatures meaning I've dipped under thirty five minutes four times. Much to the annoyance of tin box commuters who can't understand why a bicycle can be near enough to the thirty speed limit for them to have difficulty overtaking. Lucky I'm not on a road bike. A dual suspension road bike would be awesome. Guess I'd better get my welder out at some point as they don't sell them I'll have to make one.
Back on track I've been annoyed, tired and frustrated thanks to losing sleep over money woes, my nephews thinking it's okay to instigate World War III when I'm working nights and the actual stress of having probably the worlds most unforefilling job. Not that I'm complaining. The site I'm at is about to make 350 people redundant so my situation could be a lot worse. The Payday Fairies will take Damocles's sword and shove it up various organisations bottoms.
On that note my bike needs two new wheels now as I hit a pothole near flat out thanks to a driver only giving me three inches to maneuver. Again I'm thinking bombproof rims with the existing hubs and decent (not DT fackin' Swiss) spokes.
Two of these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330854901299?ssPageName=...
...and 72 of these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36-BLACK-STAINLESS-STEEL...
...and a bit of effort.
It's been an interesting and busy week. Coming close to the end of the poverty period thank's to my previous employer ripping £400 from my last pay check and it taking six weeks for my next one. I've been borrowing from Peter to pay Paul last month, paid Paul off so I was running on empty this month and with my days off being booked as holiday and Jesus's rebirthday I should be able to be above the line this coming month. The Payday Fairies are due to visit Monday and I spend my last fiver on food and stuff for work tomorrow and then (obviously I can't shop and be at work at the same time). The Spring weather has been kind with proper tail winds and favorable temperatures meaning I've dipped under thirty five minutes four times. Much to the annoyance of tin box commuters who can't understand why a bicycle can be near enough to the thirty speed limit for them to have difficulty overtaking. Lucky I'm not on a road bike. A dual suspension road bike would be awesome. Guess I'd better get my welder out at some point as they don't sell them I'll have to make one.
Back on track I've been annoyed, tired and frustrated thanks to losing sleep over money woes, my nephews thinking it's okay to instigate World War III when I'm working nights and the actual stress of having probably the worlds most unforefilling job. Not that I'm complaining. The site I'm at is about to make 350 people redundant so my situation could be a lot worse. The Payday Fairies will take Damocles's sword and shove it up various organisations bottoms.
On that note my bike needs two new wheels now as I hit a pothole near flat out thanks to a driver only giving me three inches to maneuver. Again I'm thinking bombproof rims with the existing hubs and decent (not DT fackin' Swiss) spokes.
Two of these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330854901299?ssPageName=...
...and 72 of these...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36-BLACK-STAINLESS-STEEL...
...and a bit of effort.
Edited by Liquid Knight on Saturday 13th April 17:45
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