The daily "I cycled to work" thread (Vol 2)

The daily "I cycled to work" thread (Vol 2)

Author
Discussion

funkyrobot

18,789 posts

229 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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Benjarke said:
RizzoTheRat said:
I bought some waterproof overshoe thingies before Christmas but haven't actually needed to use them yet, had loads of days when it's arsed it down overnight but stopped in time for my commute.
I've tried several sets of those and none of them have ever kept my feet dry! Let me know how you get on with them and if they are any good I may look at picking some of the same ones up.
I have tried a few pairs of overshoes. Can never find then in my size though and they never fit properly. I'm a size 13 shoe. I have a pair from Aldi that cover my foot, but they leave a gap around the top of them. Water runs down my leg and into them.

louiebaby

10,651 posts

192 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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funkyrobot said:
I have tried a few pairs of overshoes. Can never find then in my size though and they never fit properly. I'm a size 13 shoe. I have a pair from Aldi that cover my foot, but they leave a gap around the top of them. Water runs down my leg and into them.
The answer is to have Northwave winter boots, and proper mudguards. It's not a perfect solution to dry feet, but it should mean they stay warm.

2gins

2,839 posts

163 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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Soaking wet ride home for me last night. Feet dry inside the NorthWave boots, but wet ankles. I'll take that after 15 miles!

gregs656

10,905 posts

182 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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Still able to commute, hasn’t been properly cold yet and not too much snow.

I have a very short commute now, maybe 3k, but it is so much better than any of the alternatives I’m hoping I can push through the rest of the winter.

Forecasting 20cm of snow this weekend however.

1ians

398 posts

194 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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Lashed it down yesterday, Northwave boots are still drying out! I’ve only found the good in light rain. I use cycling gaitors too but water still seeps down the top.

Standard cycling shoes with over shoes work better for me in the rain. They dry out within a few hours too, unlike Northwave boots which take days.

Northwave boots are great when it’s cold.

2gins

2,839 posts

163 months

Tuesday 14th January 2020
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I'll find out soon enough as it'll be a wet ride in tomorrow. They might end up in a fume cupboard for the day, 1500 m3/hr airflow might do the job.

Adrian E

3,248 posts

177 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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Thought I could dodge faffing about with my mountain biking overshoes this morning, but regretting it now sat on the train with soaking wet feet! Taking the things off at the station and needing to carry them in my bag puts me off too

Will hairdryer socks when I get to the office lol

Haven’t commuted much since November after waking up one night with no feeling on one side! Now doing a couple of days in London and rest of week from home. Getting on the bike with no test ride was ‘interesting’ but so far not too bad. Had a Kia Picanto try and ride through me at a width restriction this am, but at least it wasn’t a bus today!

RizzoTheRat

25,191 posts

193 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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Forecast was 50mhp gusts for the way home last night, why are they never from behind though? running home tonight instead so hoping the winds die down a bit.

yellowjack

17,080 posts

167 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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1ians said:
Lashed it down yesterday, Northwave boots are still drying out! I’ve only found the good in light rain. I use cycling gaitors too but water still seeps down the top.

Standard cycling shoes with over shoes work better for me in the rain. They dry out within a few hours too, unlike Northwave boots which take days.

Northwave boots are great when it’s cold.
Mine are just about dry now. I rode in them at the end of last week in torrential rain. About ten miles in I got that tell-tale feeling as the rain finally soaked through my socks down into the boots. And the trouble is, they'll not then dry out at all until you can take them off, as, unlike with non-waterproof shoes, there are no exit points for the water to escape. I stayed out too long too, so had very wrinkly feet on my return. Thankfully, though, there was the small mercy that my feet were wet, but they stayed warm.

As you say, though, they are really good at keeping feet toasty in cold weather.

Can't blame the boots, really. Nothing can be truly waterproof while it has a hole in the top, and there's no practical way I can see to form a comfortable seal between boot and leg that would stop all water ingress...

louiebaby

10,651 posts

192 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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yellowjack said:
1ians said:
Lashed it down yesterday, Northwave boots are still drying out! I’ve only found the good in light rain. I use cycling gaitors too but water still seeps down the top.

Standard cycling shoes with over shoes work better for me in the rain. They dry out within a few hours too, unlike Northwave boots which take days.

Northwave boots are great when it’s cold.
Mine are just about dry now. I rode in them at the end of last week in torrential rain. About ten miles in I got that tell-tale feeling as the rain finally soaked through my socks down into the boots. And the trouble is, they'll not then dry out at all until you can take them off, as, unlike with non-waterproof shoes, there are no exit points for the water to escape. I stayed out too long too, so had very wrinkly feet on my return. Thankfully, though, there was the small mercy that my feet were wet, but they stayed warm.

As you say, though, they are really good at keeping feet toasty in cold weather.

Can't blame the boots, really. Nothing can be truly waterproof while it has a hole in the top, and there's no practical way I can see to form a comfortable seal between boot and leg that would stop all water ingress...
I hope you don't mind me bolding the key part. That's the whole battle with winter commuting. I don't worry about being dry, I worry about staying warm.

Matt_N

8,903 posts

203 months

Wednesday 15th January 2020
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Biblical rain on the way home last night here in N Bristol, bloody soaked when I got home but still managed a few threshold intervals hehe

I don’t mind riding in the rain, it’s the washing, drying cycle of kit and bike that annoys me.

2gins

2,839 posts

163 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
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Another 100 miles up last week, half of it wet.

-2 at the off tomorrow supposedly but dry at least. I'll find out what the boots are really made of, same for the Galabier gloves Santa dropped off last month.

cml24

1,414 posts

148 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
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Replaced the bottom bracket and chain and given the rest a good clean. Also fitted SKS bluemel mudgaurds. So after not managing to cycle once last week hoping for five days next week!

I've bought a thin long sleeved top to wear now. Will probably have that and the t shirt at -2 tomorrow morning. So far managed in just a t shirt and shorts. Fine once I get going but cold to begin with.

anonymous-user

55 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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Minus 2 in Bristol this morning, more layers required!!!

Scabutz

7,645 posts

81 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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pablo said:
Minus 2 in Bristol this morning, more layers required!!!
Very frosty. My paths are not treated so was a little cautious on the sparkly bits.

I'm also quite fat ATM and my winter cycle jacket is quite snug.

RizzoTheRat

25,191 posts

193 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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Chilly but pretty this morning






ETA: I uploaded those to Imgur in order to link here, and within about half an hour someone had commented on my Imgur post with the name of the road! eek

If you look really close on the second pic you can just about see a blob of yellow above and slight to the right of the front car. That's 2 blokes in high vis vests on a lift platform at the top of the wall of the prison. Nothing suspicious there at all biggrin

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Monday 20th January 09:55

louiebaby

10,651 posts

192 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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RizzoTheRat said:
Chilly but pretty this morning



thumbup

Very nice. My gears froze this morning. Or at least the gunky oil around them got cold enough to stop them working properly.

Barchettaman

6,319 posts

133 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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louiebaby said:
thumbup

Very nice. My gears froze this morning. Or at least the gunky oil around them got cold enough to stop them working properly.
Yikes. Not quite sure what I would do about that... small can of antifreeze aerosol or WD-40, maybe?

louiebaby

10,651 posts

192 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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Barchettaman said:
Yikes. Not quite sure what I would do about that... small can of antifreeze aerosol or WD-40, maybe?
It needs a decent clean.

cml24

1,414 posts

148 months

Monday 20th January 2020
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Cracking photo. I thought about stopping to take one, frosty field with horses in and woods behind. But I'm already slow enough into work!

Mine faced a similar issue. Single change up worked fine but would only let me change down one gear at a time and normally I can change three at a time.

I also think the new rear mudgaurd is speaking so might try cutting a bit of old inner tube to use as a rubber washer, or sort of bushing.