Stupid New Years Resolution!

Stupid New Years Resolution!

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Discussion

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Sunday 2nd December 2012
quotequote all
Stupid tyre! The red one lasted over 3,000 miles without a single puncture. This morning I got two miles before it was flat. Grrrr!

Something else that's a concern is my Halfords front light. As I mentioned a while ago the batteries would last ages when I first used it. Now I'm lucky if they last a couple of weeks. Could the be because the LED's degrading? scratchchin

I think I'll put the other white tyre on while I have the bike upside down after work. It looks a bit daft with two different ones.

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Sunday 2nd December 2012
quotequote all
Okay just spent a good few minutes looking for a puncture in my tube and found a split "o" ring in the valve. scratchchin

It wasn't that cold this morning was it?

The tyres were both at 45PSI when I set off and it was barely -4'C could that have been enough to weather the valve?

Probably just a tired tyre. wink

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Monday 3rd December 2012
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43-ish minutes tonight. Headwind-ish and wet roads so it felt a lot slower. +5'C though so tropical again.

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
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I thought I'd take the old A47 home as it's the X1 bus route and should be gritted. This is all well and good as far as planning ahead goes but it was mild all night 3-5'C and the afternoon there was a quite a bit of rain. The salt grit was washed away and when it did finally turn cold between half four and five the wet roads became sheet ice. Not much of an issue until I reached the first overpass bridge. I didn't get up and wriggle it as I could feel the bike was loose I changed a couple of gears and sat over the back wheel. I got up there just fine but a car decided to overtake couldn't get back on the right side of the road and slid half way down the other side. Pity it was still dark I could have filmed it.

Anyway as soon as I turned off the bus route the roads looked like this...



...great fun on slick tyres. wink

I'll not put my nobblies on yet as the forecast is warm again. rolleyes

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Tuesday 4th December 2012
quotequote all
Mud, mud, glorious mud....

...at least it would be if it wasn't salt grit infested. frown

Bleaugh!

Glad I wear a mask...


Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 5th December 2012
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Que temperature drop. I'll be headed home in forty minutes. smile

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 5th December 2012
quotequote all
I'm as pleased as I am annoyed with myself today. I've modified my mudguards so they actually might work, but due to fog I too the car this evening. Got half way and there was no fog at all, the wind had got up and it was trying to snow again. I should have pedaled it tonight. rolleyes


Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Saturday 8th December 2012
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So my stiff neck is a symptom of a Lymph node infection. They're the glands between your throat and neck muscles and when infected they become swollen and irritate these muscles and tendons. Typically the more I ignored it the worse it got until I actually went to the doctors yesterday. I'm instructed to take a week of work and "NO CYCLING". frown

With an ear infection caused by the hygienic conditions of council swimming pools and my Summer bug bite this is the third time I've been ill this year, but the first occasion I've had to take time off work. Seriously; it felt like my neck was broken this morning continuous discomfort and I couldn't move without it causing what I would describe as pain. The origins of this infection are a mystery at the moment but I think it could be due to my face mask, extra muddy roads or a changing my tooth paste (did you know that approximately 60% of sore throats are caused or contributed by an old toothbrush?). Also whilst cycling to work may be healthy it has taken the place of any other exercise in my life and because I'm traveling light my diet could be a little less processed to say the lest.

So that'll be next years resolution. Eat and drink more healthily to compliment my commute. wink

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 12th December 2012
quotequote all
Well I'm fit for work (can't afford any more time off at least) but nowhere near fit to cycle. So I'll be borrowing dads car for the next three night shifts. rolleyes

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Thursday 13th December 2012
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Dear Santa...

I'd like enough money to buy myself something like this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251198970114?ssPageName=...

...painted with this...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220962108157?ssPageName=...

... lacquered with this...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&am...

...with a set of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261108062985?ssPageName=...

...a pair of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-Schwalbe-Ultremo-R-...

...and one of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BICYCLE-BIKE-CYCLE-BELL-...

...should make my commute safer and quicker. wink

donfisher

793 posts

172 months

Thursday 13th December 2012
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What's your mileage looking like it's going to be for the year?


Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Thursday 13th December 2012
quotequote all
donfisher said:
What's your mileage looking like it's going to be for the year?
I'm off the bike this week and have twelve shifts left so it should be around the 4,600 mile mark. That's a couple of track days worth of Carbon.

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Tuesday 18th December 2012
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Results of my experimenting with mudguards went well and crap.

The front?



Worked.



The back?



Was as crap as before.



So back to the drawing board (MS Paint) then. rolleyes

In other related news my rear shock is knackered and won't lock out. frown


Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 19th December 2012
quotequote all
Had a bit of a rant this morning.

Facebook said:
An open letter to all Citroen Picasso and Renault Scenic owners. Look I know you've given up on life, you feel humiliated every time you get behind the wheel. Doing a job that you feel is a waste of time to pay bills you never see the up side of. Driving something so feminine you mistake you balls piles. I get it, I understand; I can see why you drive like you're trying to commit suicide at every bend; but please don't try to take everyone else on the road with you. The next time you see a cyclist; don't try to ram them off the road. It could be me and you could end up needing a proctologist to get you head back.
Ooops. wink

To be fair they were out to get me this morning in the fog. Two Picassos and Scenic decided to try and ram me off the road. One left hook, one overtook and brake tested and the other decided to pull out of junction without seeing 1800 lumens of light aimed at him. rolleyes

marky911

4,427 posts

225 months

Wednesday 19th December 2012
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Hi LK,
I remember reading this thread when you started it at the beginning of the year. Hat's off to you for sticking with it.
I only work 6 miles from home but doubt I could manage to cycle all the time. As soon as I leave my street there's a two mile gradual incline with sharper climb at the end just to finish me off. So I'm knackered by the time I'm a third of the way there. smile

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 19th December 2012
quotequote all
marky911 said:
Hi LK,
I remember reading this thread when you started it at the beginning of the year. Hat's off to you for sticking with it.
I only work 6 miles from home but doubt I could manage to cycle all the time. As soon as I leave my street there's a two mile gradual incline with sharper climb at the end just to finish me off. So I'm knackered by the time I'm a third of the way there. smile
How much fun would you have riding home though? woohoo

marky911

4,427 posts

225 months

Wednesday 19th December 2012
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Haha! Yeah fair point. I was doing it on a mountain bike in the summer. I'll try it on my roadie in the new year.

You look like you have the choice of some lovely routes.

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Wednesday 19th December 2012
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I like to change it up so I don't get bored. wink

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Friday 21st December 2012
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Yesterday I was woken up by gale force winds driving heavy rain into my windows so I took the radical step of hitting my snooze button, staying in bed an extra forty minutes and driving into work instead. smile

I'm on night shift again today and the stiff sore neck has returned with a vengeance. I'll probably pedal it but I'll be taking my time as the predicted monsoon isn't happening at the moment.

Liquid Knight

Original Poster:

15,754 posts

189 months

Friday 21st December 2012
quotequote all
Just went to the shop and back for supplies and my neck is throbbing with pain again. I think it could be where the traveler kicked me off my bike a few weeks ago. Hmmmm, flame throwers are easy to make. wink