Stupid New Years Resolution!
Discussion
TwistingMyMelon said:
Trailer would be great fun at first, esp when overtaking others!! But I think it would be overkill and something else to go wrong, esp with punctures if using everyday, esp if it was for "small loads" . I am always tempted by a Kona Ute for my commute, but I only ever need a small rucksack! I think the gear ratios would drive me nuts after a couple of rides as they are there to cope with serious loads. I think you would need some weight in the trailer otherwise whilst fun at first it could be lethal on some off camber corners, or swerving.
I use just a cheap fabric rucksack I got free with a cheapo camping rucksack from Tesco about 6 years ago, Ive used it so much it feels part of me!!
I would get panniers, or just use less layers so you stay cooler
I would agree, I have a rack and square mesh bungee thing to hold my backpack on to it. Bit of a faff getting it on but at least I have a normal not sweat soaked backpack when I get to work. A friend of mine did have a trailer to tow an accordion but found it quite annoying having to judge gaps and dodgy ground with it. To be fair it was her fault to take an accordion on a several thousand mile cycle trek. I use just a cheap fabric rucksack I got free with a cheapo camping rucksack from Tesco about 6 years ago, Ive used it so much it feels part of me!!
I would get panniers, or just use less layers so you stay cooler
2221 miles.
That was so much fun!
This morning the forecast was for heavy rain and 50+mph tailwinds. The sky was the clearest I've seen in ages and 10-20mph tops.
The ride home was either a head or three quarter headwind. Steady 20mph and gusts up to fifty. If I put weight on the back wheel the front felt light and twitchy; if I put weight over the front the back wheel would lose grip.
Thirteen miles in forty four minutes.
I hope the wind holds for the morning.
That was so much fun!
This morning the forecast was for heavy rain and 50+mph tailwinds. The sky was the clearest I've seen in ages and 10-20mph tops.
The ride home was either a head or three quarter headwind. Steady 20mph and gusts up to fifty. If I put weight on the back wheel the front felt light and twitchy; if I put weight over the front the back wheel would lose grip.
Thirteen miles in forty four minutes.
I hope the wind holds for the morning.
2272 miles.
This morning.
Drizzle, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 headwind, headwind, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 head wind, headwind, 3/4 tailwind, side wind, 3/4 headwind, side wind, tail wind, all 20-30mph with gusts of up to 60mph (recorded at Marham). I had to stop for one red light (about thirty seconds) and had to slow for one car in a thirty zone (I was flat out hoping my friendly Police Officer friend was there). Left my house at 05:45 and arrived at work at 06:18....
THIRTY THREE MINUTES!!!
...but because it was a bloody gale the time doesn't count.
Last nights headwind was a turbo trainer session for this mornings sprint I recon.
This evening was a different story. Proper rain and no wind at all. I like proper rain because as soon as you've been out for a couple of minutes you're as wet as you are going to get. That drizzle stuff from earlier was crap. I was soaked through without realising it and three layers of skin removed from my face. With the sugarbeet season mud pack my complexion should be marshmallowy soft now. Women pay a fortune for this kind of treatment and some conservative MP's pay by the hour for it.
Proper rain and no wind meant a nice and consistent thirty six minute ride home. I'm glad I'm getting back of form after my off.
Novembers forecast is for heavy snow?
Bring it!
This morning.
Drizzle, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 headwind, headwind, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 tailwind, tailwind, 3/4 head wind, headwind, 3/4 tailwind, side wind, 3/4 headwind, side wind, tail wind, all 20-30mph with gusts of up to 60mph (recorded at Marham). I had to stop for one red light (about thirty seconds) and had to slow for one car in a thirty zone (I was flat out hoping my friendly Police Officer friend was there). Left my house at 05:45 and arrived at work at 06:18....
THIRTY THREE MINUTES!!!
...but because it was a bloody gale the time doesn't count.
Last nights headwind was a turbo trainer session for this mornings sprint I recon.
This evening was a different story. Proper rain and no wind at all. I like proper rain because as soon as you've been out for a couple of minutes you're as wet as you are going to get. That drizzle stuff from earlier was crap. I was soaked through without realising it and three layers of skin removed from my face. With the sugarbeet season mud pack my complexion should be marshmallowy soft now. Women pay a fortune for this kind of treatment and some conservative MP's pay by the hour for it.
Proper rain and no wind meant a nice and consistent thirty six minute ride home. I'm glad I'm getting back of form after my off.
Novembers forecast is for heavy snow?
Bring it!
2323 miles.
Bloody Hell.
I haven't been this wet outside since went for a swim fully clothed. My waterproofs are to an extent but it ran down from head down my back and literally filled my boots. I don't the full on rain suit unless it's cold enough not to look feel like a Torture Garden session when I stop.
I didn't bother looking at the clock either. Getting to work and back was enough effort.
Bloody Hell.
I haven't been this wet outside since went for a swim fully clothed. My waterproofs are to an extent but it ran down from head down my back and literally filled my boots. I don't the full on rain suit unless it's cold enough not to look feel like a Torture Garden session when I stop.
I didn't bother looking at the clock either. Getting to work and back was enough effort.
I used the Dyson Airblade to dry undergarments and the rest left hanging in an empty office over a radiator and took eight hours to dry. My waterproof boots now aren't but I'm switching back to shiny leather ones if the temperature drops any more.
Wind chill is all well and good if it's dry but when it's wet you it's twice as effective. Add the speed you're punting along to the wind speed to get a more accurate idea of how cold it actually gets.
Wind chill is all well and good if it's dry but when it's wet you it's twice as effective. Add the speed you're punting along to the wind speed to get a more accurate idea of how cold it actually gets.
2374 miles and someone asked me...
"How do you keep your phone and laptop dry?"
...resealable food bag for my phone and a larger freezer bag for my laptop.
There is enough Sun shine to keep my Solar rear light charged...
...a couple of these and I won't need to buy batteries again.
Driving today I have a 10:00 AM appointment in the morning so I need to get home and have a couple of hours sleep beforehand.
"How do you keep your phone and laptop dry?"
...resealable food bag for my phone and a larger freezer bag for my laptop.
There is enough Sun shine to keep my Solar rear light charged...
...a couple of these and I won't need to buy batteries again.
Driving today I have a 10:00 AM appointment in the morning so I need to get home and have a couple of hours sleep beforehand.
2377 miles...
This is what 10,000 miles of all weather commuting and a several days in a car does to a £12.99 high viz ruck sack...
...brilliant.
The zip finally broke so I bought a new one.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130937903244?var=4301628...
Big enough for a laptop, small enough to be compact. I don;t think I'll bother with a trailer or rack now.
This is what 10,000 miles of all weather commuting and a several days in a car does to a £12.99 high viz ruck sack...
...brilliant.
The zip finally broke so I bought a new one.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130937903244?var=4301628...
Big enough for a laptop, small enough to be compact. I don;t think I'll bother with a trailer or rack now.
2402 miles.
I was in a hurry to get home tonight. I had an exciting delivery for my Panda 4x4...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
...34 minutes 40 seconds!
I was in a hurry to get home tonight. I had an exciting delivery for my Panda 4x4...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
...34 minutes 40 seconds!
2429 miles and I've been in topsy turvy land for the last thirty six hours.
Last night was perfect. Not too dark, not too cold, no wind to speak of I was expecting a quick time into work. Pedaling along it felt fast and looked fast as well with cars barely going quicker than me to overtake.
It wasn't. Thirty nine minutes?
This morning it was raining not heavy but superdrops (you know the ones that are about three or four normal rain drops held together by surface tension) windier, dark enough for me to think I needed lights but not dark enough for silver and grey cars owners to. I just took my time, kept pace and got home in one piece.
Thirty six minutes?
How does that work? The less effort I put in the quicker I was.
Today I really can't be arsed so I should get a thirty four at least.
Last night was perfect. Not too dark, not too cold, no wind to speak of I was expecting a quick time into work. Pedaling along it felt fast and looked fast as well with cars barely going quicker than me to overtake.
It wasn't. Thirty nine minutes?
This morning it was raining not heavy but superdrops (you know the ones that are about three or four normal rain drops held together by surface tension) windier, dark enough for me to think I needed lights but not dark enough for silver and grey cars owners to. I just took my time, kept pace and got home in one piece.
Thirty six minutes?
How does that work? The less effort I put in the quicker I was.
Today I really can't be arsed so I should get a thirty four at least.
2456 miles.
Stupid sneaky head wind last night. Not only did it take forty one minutes but I was a minute late for work.
This morning I was supposed to take it easy but I was cut up on the first corner by an idiot who decided to overtake and then stop for no reason. I took my temper out on my pedals and got home in a little over thirty five minutes.
I have a theory.
When I cycle in it's darker than when I cycle home. Because I can see clearer I go faster. It could be that simple. My times are coming down on the way in but staying the same coming home. The trouble with day shift is it's just as dark both ways.
At least my feathered friend has returned. I felt a familiar draft on the way in last night. Looked up and directly above me was a now very adult male barn owl. His wing span must be four feet. Very impressive and he followed me until the noise I was making disturbed his supper.
The things you miss out on in cars.
Stupid sneaky head wind last night. Not only did it take forty one minutes but I was a minute late for work.
This morning I was supposed to take it easy but I was cut up on the first corner by an idiot who decided to overtake and then stop for no reason. I took my temper out on my pedals and got home in a little over thirty five minutes.
I have a theory.
When I cycle in it's darker than when I cycle home. Because I can see clearer I go faster. It could be that simple. My times are coming down on the way in but staying the same coming home. The trouble with day shift is it's just as dark both ways.
At least my feathered friend has returned. I felt a familiar draft on the way in last night. Looked up and directly above me was a now very adult male barn owl. His wing span must be four feet. Very impressive and he followed me until the noise I was making disturbed his supper.
The things you miss out on in cars.
Liquid Knight said:
At least my feathered friend has returned. I felt a familiar draft on the way in last night. Looked up and directly above me was a now very adult male barn owl. His wing span must be four feet. Very impressive and he followed me until the noise I was making disturbed his supper.
The things you miss out on in cars.
Excellent, I haven't followed the thread from the start, so I presume he's appeared for you a few times before as a youngster?The things you miss out on in cars.
When I first started commuting he and his mum would fly around me as I cycled along. He's the rarer and slightly bigger dark breasted Barn Owl. If I ever stop to take a photo' he disappears so I just leave him to it. His mum still fly around her territory but he's a good few miles further up the road. I was a little worried after he was attacked and brought down by a Kestrel. This was a dispute over a meal first thing in the morning. The Owl caught something the Kestrel had it's eye on and didn't take the swipe too kindly as it was hovering above it.
I was really pleased to see him and how hard he's working I recon he's got himself a nest or box and a couple of chicks somewhere.
Back on the bike The last couple of days it has felt like my back tyre was flat. Seals gone in my rear shock again! Grrrr!
Dear Fox,
Your shocks are almost as crap as DT Swizz wheels!
Oh and if you hadn't guessed with the drop to decent temperatures, rain, mud, poo, dead animals and car related grime on the road (has anyone else noticed since the economic depression started the number of cars vandalising themselves on the roads leaving oil and crap everywhere has become pandemic?) the death mask is back.
Probably something to do with why I haven't been moaning about drivers lately.
I was really pleased to see him and how hard he's working I recon he's got himself a nest or box and a couple of chicks somewhere.
Back on the bike The last couple of days it has felt like my back tyre was flat. Seals gone in my rear shock again! Grrrr!
Dear Fox,
Your shocks are almost as crap as DT Swizz wheels!
Oh and if you hadn't guessed with the drop to decent temperatures, rain, mud, poo, dead animals and car related grime on the road (has anyone else noticed since the economic depression started the number of cars vandalising themselves on the roads leaving oil and crap everywhere has become pandemic?) the death mask is back.
Probably something to do with why I haven't been moaning about drivers lately.
2582 miles.
It's so obvious now.
I don't know why I didn't think of it before.
It explains everything.
The last few weeks the weather was "okay" average not too anything to note or worry about and the drivers were all the same. Yesterday the weather was atrocious and the drivers were out to get me.
In the Summer time when the weather is fine you can reach out a few inches and take overtakers mirrors.
When the weather is good drivers are either in shock or so busy trying to get somewhere to appreciate it they ignore most other road users, signs, traffic lights, the Road Traffic Act in general, etc...
When the weather is crap it's a case "I want to get somewhere warm away from all this" and they ignore other road users, signs, traffic lights, the Road Traffic Act in general, etc...
Because we've had "average" weather the last few weeks (gales not included) I haven't had any drivers to moan about because they're not trying to get somewhere in a hurry they can actually operate their vehicles in a manor suitable for an evolved Cerebral Cortex.
It's so obvious now.
I don't know why I didn't think of it before.
It explains everything.
The last few weeks the weather was "okay" average not too anything to note or worry about and the drivers were all the same. Yesterday the weather was atrocious and the drivers were out to get me.
In the Summer time when the weather is fine you can reach out a few inches and take overtakers mirrors.
When the weather is good drivers are either in shock or so busy trying to get somewhere to appreciate it they ignore most other road users, signs, traffic lights, the Road Traffic Act in general, etc...
When the weather is crap it's a case "I want to get somewhere warm away from all this" and they ignore other road users, signs, traffic lights, the Road Traffic Act in general, etc...
Because we've had "average" weather the last few weeks (gales not included) I haven't had any drivers to moan about because they're not trying to get somewhere in a hurry they can actually operate their vehicles in a manor suitable for an evolved Cerebral Cortex.
2609 miles
So Wednesday I did a night shift and today I did a day shift.
It was perfect this morning. 1'C when I left, 3'C when I arrived in a good thirty nine minutes.
This evening was crap! An absolute torrent with flooded sections of road and idiot drivers. I was too tired to care and took a leisurely thirty nine minutes to get home.
So Wednesday I did a night shift and today I did a day shift.
It was perfect this morning. 1'C when I left, 3'C when I arrived in a good thirty nine minutes.
This evening was crap! An absolute torrent with flooded sections of road and idiot drivers. I was too tired to care and took a leisurely thirty nine minutes to get home.
2,688 miles and I fought the Law and won!
On my way into work yesterday evening it was dark enough to have my headlight on full. A car approached me with bright white headlights, I dipped mine, he didn't, I strobed for a few seconds and put my light back on full, his lights finally dipped, I dipped, he put his headlights back on full beam.
Hmmmmmmm?
head!
I put my strobe back on and he put his blue flashing lights on.
We both pulled over and the driver (?) opened his window so we could have a little chat...
Good evening Alex.
That's earned me a drink the next time I'm at the golf club.
On my way into work yesterday evening it was dark enough to have my headlight on full. A car approached me with bright white headlights, I dipped mine, he didn't, I strobed for a few seconds and put my light back on full, his lights finally dipped, I dipped, he put his headlights back on full beam.
Hmmmmmmm?
head! I put my strobe back on and he put his blue flashing lights on.
We both pulled over and the driver (?) opened his window so we could have a little chat...
Officer Dribble said:
Do you know it's illegal to have a flashing light on the front of your bike like that?
It isn't illegal officer, in accordance to the Highway Code the only time you should flash your headlight to make another vehicle aware of your presence. As you had failed to dip your headlights to oncoming traffic after I had dipped my headlight for you I felt I needed to make you aware.Officer Dribble said:
Well the only time you should have a strobe light on the front of a vehicle is a hazard warning for recovery vehicles, HGV's and emergency services.
Did you see me in the road officer?Officer Dribble said:
Yes I noticed you as soon as I tuned on to this straight.
And yet you failed to dip your headlights until I had dipped mine for five seconds and used a strobe setting for another three. Is there any reason why?Officer Dribble said:
Why what?
Why you failed to display the standards of driving expected of a competent and or experienced driver? Officer Dribble said:
What's that supposed to mean?
You've already stated you noticed me right away so you aren't driving without properly corrected vision so it must be without due care and attention or due consideration.Officer Dribble said:
How about I arrest you under section (something or other) of PACE for wearing a mask and failing to identify yourself?
Firstly I'm not withholding any information because you haven't asked and second you haven't asked me to remove my mask or identify myself, even if you had I would only be obliged if I were under caution. So you don't know the Road Traffic Act particularly well or PACE; fancy going for third time lucky?Officer Dribble said:
How about wasting Police time?
Passenger said:
Groan! Sigh!
You pulled me over. So you're wasting my time; and everyone else's. (I gesture to the five cars cued up behind the Police car). Good evening Alex.
Passenger said:
Hi Rob' how's things?
Not bad. Is this guy new? Alex said:
I was wondering when he was going to run into you. Glad I got to watch it. Enjoy the rest of your evening. Let's go.
And the Police car drove off. That's earned me a drink the next time I'm at the golf club.
2,728 miles.
So that didn't go according to plan.
I gave my sister a driving lesson and she decided that a ditch would be a good way of stopping. Popping all my ribs out again and this time I was out of the saddle for six weeks.
I'll be back pedaling next year. Because I hadn't given myself chance to recover properly the first time it was waiting to happen again.
Thank you all for your support, advice, critique and patience.
One of my resolutions for 2014 is to try and be more positive so hopefully I won't feel like punching every other driver on my commute.
So that didn't go according to plan.
I gave my sister a driving lesson and she decided that a ditch would be a good way of stopping. Popping all my ribs out again and this time I was out of the saddle for six weeks.
I'll be back pedaling next year. Because I hadn't given myself chance to recover properly the first time it was waiting to happen again.
Thank you all for your support, advice, critique and patience.
One of my resolutions for 2014 is to try and be more positive so hopefully I won't feel like punching every other driver on my commute.
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