Stupid New Years Resolution!
Discussion
1541 miles.
Yesterday was a nightmare, hot, windy, psycho' traffic, homicidal RAC van, every light was red and I got more of a sense of achievement in one journey than a hundred in my car.
This morning I took a slight detour to see if I could avoid a choke point. I can but it's two miles further so I won't bother with that again.
Yesterday was a nightmare, hot, windy, psycho' traffic, homicidal RAC van, every light was red and I got more of a sense of achievement in one journey than a hundred in my car.
This morning I took a slight detour to see if I could avoid a choke point. I can but it's two miles further so I won't bother with that again.
1606 miles.
Back to fitness? Pah! Thanks to my nephew bringing it home from school and my delayed recovery I've had my first ever Summer cold. It was crap. At times it felt like someone was trying to pull my eyes out with a sink plunger. No thirty five minute runs for a while. I have two night shifts followed by thirteen days off so I might get to use my knoblies without snow.
Another snapped wheel spoke. Why do DT Swiss use alloy spokes? They're brittle as porcelain. Looking for new wheels again but I'll probably mend and make do as always. The tyres are looking cracky as well so they'll need replacing soon.
Back to fitness? Pah! Thanks to my nephew bringing it home from school and my delayed recovery I've had my first ever Summer cold. It was crap. At times it felt like someone was trying to pull my eyes out with a sink plunger. No thirty five minute runs for a while. I have two night shifts followed by thirteen days off so I might get to use my knoblies without snow.
Another snapped wheel spoke. Why do DT Swiss use alloy spokes? They're brittle as porcelain. Looking for new wheels again but I'll probably mend and make do as always. The tyres are looking cracky as well so they'll need replacing soon.
1631 miles.
Last night was a little worrying. It was a headwind so as usual I swore a bit before tucking my head in and getting on with it. Thirty five minutes later I was early for work. Tailwind time in a headwind? Must be a fluke.
This morning I set off with a three quarter tailwind and after five miles I noticed the Lycra lot were behind me. I slowed so they could catch me up quicker and I stayed with them for the next three miles almost flat out while they cruised along between 26 and 28mph.
It's got me thinking about aerodynamics and gearing again.
Last night was a little worrying. It was a headwind so as usual I swore a bit before tucking my head in and getting on with it. Thirty five minutes later I was early for work. Tailwind time in a headwind? Must be a fluke.
This morning I set off with a three quarter tailwind and after five miles I noticed the Lycra lot were behind me. I slowed so they could catch me up quicker and I stayed with them for the next three miles almost flat out while they cruised along between 26 and 28mph.
It's got me thinking about aerodynamics and gearing again.
1666 miles. 
Well I waited an extra week to avoid the fog but now I'm fully recovered and back on the saddle. After the warmest and driest start to September in a very long time I wanted to wait for the temperature to be more palatable as well.
So my reward for such patience? Near gale force headwind and driving rain. Apart from being seriously unfit it was as if I had never stopped. Same idiots driving with blinkered views (please clear the condensation from all your windows guys), drivers and fellow cyclist not using lights when it's near as darn it pitch black, the same plethora of dead animals along the road a few new potholes, a few perfectly good roads made dangerous with loose chippings and the usual couple of hours drying stuff out on radiators.
Something that is new (at my place of work at least) Dyson Airblades are brilliant for drying rain soaked underwear.
Just enjoying a chicken pasta salad before this evenings commute.
Well I waited an extra week to avoid the fog but now I'm fully recovered and back on the saddle. After the warmest and driest start to September in a very long time I wanted to wait for the temperature to be more palatable as well.
So my reward for such patience? Near gale force headwind and driving rain. Apart from being seriously unfit it was as if I had never stopped. Same idiots driving with blinkered views (please clear the condensation from all your windows guys), drivers and fellow cyclist not using lights when it's near as darn it pitch black, the same plethora of dead animals along the road a few new potholes, a few perfectly good roads made dangerous with loose chippings and the usual couple of hours drying stuff out on radiators.
Something that is new (at my place of work at least) Dyson Airblades are brilliant for drying rain soaked underwear.
Just enjoying a chicken pasta salad before this evenings commute.
1,802 miles.
Yesterday was an eventful commute. I passed a friend of mine in my village as she was getting ready to go to Peterborough. There was a collision on the A17 so that road was closed and traffic diverted through the village. The back roads were busier with people paying more attention to their Sat' Nav's than the road and certainly weren't expecting me to be in the way.
I got the the A47 and there was another collision on the slip road from country lane to the dual carriageway. Traffic was stopped and diverted into the next village much to the bemusement of the alleged drivers who had passed me getting there. I got to Wisbech and a cyclist had been knocked off by a hit and run driver and the Ambulance was blocking the main road into town causing tail backs as far as the A47.
I received a text from my friend letting me know she had just made it to Peterborough an hour and a half after I arrived at work and it took an hour and ten minutes to get to the Wisbech bypass!
Just as well I was on my bike otherwise I would have been half an hour late.
So there are some new additions to the bike...
...this was a pretty good little light until the lens fell off and now it's practically useless.
Some extra reflective tape...
...since my diversion across a left hookers roof I've become a little paranoid.
This morning I made a couple of discoveries. Idiots will let the air out of your forks, tyres and shock if your bike is locked and alarmed.
And...
...sometimes it's just nice to be out there.
Yesterday was an eventful commute. I passed a friend of mine in my village as she was getting ready to go to Peterborough. There was a collision on the A17 so that road was closed and traffic diverted through the village. The back roads were busier with people paying more attention to their Sat' Nav's than the road and certainly weren't expecting me to be in the way.
I got the the A47 and there was another collision on the slip road from country lane to the dual carriageway. Traffic was stopped and diverted into the next village much to the bemusement of the alleged drivers who had passed me getting there. I got to Wisbech and a cyclist had been knocked off by a hit and run driver and the Ambulance was blocking the main road into town causing tail backs as far as the A47.
I received a text from my friend letting me know she had just made it to Peterborough an hour and a half after I arrived at work and it took an hour and ten minutes to get to the Wisbech bypass!
Just as well I was on my bike otherwise I would have been half an hour late.
So there are some new additions to the bike...
...this was a pretty good little light until the lens fell off and now it's practically useless.
Some extra reflective tape...
...since my diversion across a left hookers roof I've become a little paranoid.
This morning I made a couple of discoveries. Idiots will let the air out of your forks, tyres and shock if your bike is locked and alarmed.
And...
...sometimes it's just nice to be out there.
Why do I hate cycling in fog?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjFdS74zv8&fea...
200 people in Kent can't all be wrong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjFdS74zv8&fea...
200 people in Kent can't all be wrong.
Liquid Knight said:
1,911 miles.
Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Excuse the ignorance, is the route all road? I'd try and get a decent roadie on ebay for >£250 or less , you sound like you do a a decent pace so will be able to exploit the benefits even more so. Or at least another bike to split the miles over.Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Is that six chains in 2k miles?
TwistingMyMelon said:
Liquid Knight said:
1,911 miles.
Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Excuse the ignorance, is the route all road? I'd try and get a decent roadie on ebay for >£250 or less , you sound like you do a a decent pace so will be able to exploit the benefits even more so. Or at least another bike to split the miles over.Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Is that six chains in 2k miles?
By comparison I'm getting about 2,500 miles per chain on my road bike, and about 800 miles per chain on my MTB.That's before we even think about the £80 per chain to replace one.
Seriously, I paid £35 for a genuine like-for-like Ultegra chain, and £30 for a KMC replacement item last time out. £80 is steep for a chain, unless you're talking about £80 all in for cassette AND chain?? Granted I'm not commuting in the wilds of East Angular in all weathers, and I'm pretty good about keeping the drive train clean and lubed, but at the rate your going, the car looks like a cheaper option? 
yellowjack said:
TwistingMyMelon said:
Liquid Knight said:
1,911 miles.
Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Excuse the ignorance, is the route all road? I'd try and get a decent roadie on ebay for >£250 or less , you sound like you do a a decent pace so will be able to exploit the benefits even more so. Or at least another bike to split the miles over.Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Is that six chains in 2k miles?
By comparison I'm getting about 2,500 miles per chain on my road bike, and about 800 miles per chain on my MTB.That's before we even think about the £80 per chain to replace one.
Seriously, I paid £35 for a genuine like-for-like Ultegra chain, and £30 for a KMC replacement item last time out. £80 is steep for a chain, unless you're talking about £80 all in for cassette AND chain?? Granted I'm not commuting in the wilds of East Angular in all weathers, and I'm pretty good about keeping the drive train clean and lubed, but at the rate your going, the car looks like a cheaper option? TwistingMyMelon said:
yellowjack said:
TwistingMyMelon said:
Liquid Knight said:
1,911 miles.
Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Excuse the ignorance, is the route all road? I'd try and get a decent roadie on ebay for >£250 or less , you sound like you do a a decent pace so will be able to exploit the benefits even more so. Or at least another bike to split the miles over.Chain number six is dead. Along with another £80 to replace it.
I think I'll go on eBay and find an £80 bike instead. I'm getting annoyed with this expensive bike being so unreliable.
Is that six chains in 2k miles?
By comparison I'm getting about 2,500 miles per chain on my road bike, and about 800 miles per chain on my MTB.That's before we even think about the £80 per chain to replace one.
Seriously, I paid £35 for a genuine like-for-like Ultegra chain, and £30 for a KMC replacement item last time out. £80 is steep for a chain, unless you're talking about £80 all in for cassette AND chain?? Granted I'm not commuting in the wilds of East Angular in all weathers, and I'm pretty good about keeping the drive train clean and lubed, but at the rate your going, the car looks like a cheaper option? £80 would be for chain and cassette but the Shimann HG30-9 has been superseded by the HG50-9 that's on less than half price at my local bike bits shop so £69 instead.
In total I've had six chains, four cassettes, two cranksets, the forks resealed twice, two rear shocks and three sets of wheels. Triggers broom of a bike but still gets me to work in one-ish piece.
The red rear tyre has done all of those 10,000 miles and I sent a nice message to Curio on their Facebook page along with an order for a new pair. The recommended the puncture resistant tyre I tested for them complete with the reflective strip I suggested.
https://www.facebook.com/curioUK?fref=ts
Out of all the bits that have gone wrong the tyres have been superb value.
Having said that I'm going for something a little more subtle this time...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/190647921248?var=4900534...
...black with a red sidewall so they don't look beige (like the white ones) and orangey pink like the red ones.
That's still a chain every 1,666 miles.
I need to compose my acceleration better. I'm a hammer down and go type. If I were to take it easier (I'd be bored) chains and bits could last longer. Having said that I wouldn't need to pedal as hard if I didn't always have a bloody headwind.
So here's the 10,000 mile tyre...
...on the chain side excess lube has eaten away at the sidewall so the bead lip is starting to show its stitching...
...I don't know if you can tell from the photo's but the canvas pattern is starting to show as the rubber is now very thin.
For £18 including posting I can honestly say these have been some of the best tyres I've ever used. Apart from discolouring due to road muck the white ones are still in very good condition and will be in use until the new ones arrive.
I did another Fog Light Experiment Monday morning...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ-pfXAgF_c&fea...
...Tuesday's view was a little less limited.
While I'm looking at cassettes and chains (driving to work so I'll pop in on my way) I'll look at an auxiliary front light as well. The Bikehut single LED one is completely knackered. Limited shelf life of the LED I think as it was killing batteries progressively quicker and now barely lasts a week.
I need to compose my acceleration better. I'm a hammer down and go type. If I were to take it easier (I'd be bored) chains and bits could last longer. Having said that I wouldn't need to pedal as hard if I didn't always have a bloody headwind.
So here's the 10,000 mile tyre...
...on the chain side excess lube has eaten away at the sidewall so the bead lip is starting to show its stitching...
...I don't know if you can tell from the photo's but the canvas pattern is starting to show as the rubber is now very thin.
For £18 including posting I can honestly say these have been some of the best tyres I've ever used. Apart from discolouring due to road muck the white ones are still in very good condition and will be in use until the new ones arrive.
I did another Fog Light Experiment Monday morning...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ-pfXAgF_c&fea...
...Tuesday's view was a little less limited.
While I'm looking at cassettes and chains (driving to work so I'll pop in on my way) I'll look at an auxiliary front light as well. The Bikehut single LED one is completely knackered. Limited shelf life of the LED I think as it was killing batteries progressively quicker and now barely lasts a week.
TwistingMyMelon said:
Excuse the ignorance, is the route all road? I'd try and get a decent roadie on ebay for >£250 or less , you sound like you do a a decent pace so will be able to exploit the benefits even more so. Or at least another bike to split the miles over.
I have been reconsidering the joys of using a road bike 30=mph would be a lot less effort but I would prefer to borrow one for a few days to see if my back can take it. If not build a 700C rear wheeled recumbent and have aerodynamic advantage as well as gearing. Gassing Station | Pedal Powered | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff