The daily "I cycled to work" thread (Vol 2)
Discussion
Hit 2,100 miles year to date.
Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
Shirt587 said:
Hit 2,100 miles year to date.
Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
I feel for you, if I were to cycle the whole way my commute would be like that which is one of the reasons I drive the first 14 miles and cycle the second which is more built up and street-lit.Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
Shirt587 said:
Hit 2,100 miles year to date.
Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
What kind of lights are they? I got some CREE ones off Ebay for about £20 and find them perfectly good enough for dark country lanes. Yes, I also have the can't see anything else when a car is coming towards me, but that's a different issue.Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
Daveyraveygravey said:
Shirt587 said:
Hit 2,100 miles year to date.
Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
What kind of lights are they? I got some CREE ones off Ebay for about £20 and find them perfectly good enough for dark country lanes. Yes, I also have the can't see anything else when a car is coming towards me, but that's a different issue.Massively dark this morning and three front lights did nothing. What they did highlight was when a car comes towards me, I suddenly can't see anything other than what's illuminated by their headlights, which is not good from a pothole avoidance perspective.
Actually felt nervous on the first five miles of commute because it's proper country lanes with no other light.
Time to call it a year, see you all again in late February!
I'm not trying to change Mr Shirt's mind. Just discussing the issues he posed. As part of the cycling brother-hood, we welcome you with open arms, whether you do 21 or 2,100 miles a year!
Daveyraveygravey said:
What kind of lights are they? I got some CREE ones off Ebay for about £20 and find them perfectly good enough for dark country lanes. Yes, I also have the can't see anything else when a car is coming towards me, but that's a different issue.
Yes, CREE ones. They're great when there's nothing else around, but the volume of traffic means that's a rarity, and the lanes in question have a lot of potholes that are very easy to hit when you can't see because of other lights...Wet and windy this morning. Car has heated seats. I'll stop gloating now...
Up to 90miles this week, after tomorrow hit a new record for me (115).
Headwind all the way, lots of traffic that made me feel slightly smug but it also put 10mins on my journey time. To top it off I got soaked before getting to work, so I passed my smugness on to all the car drivers sailing past in the rain.....
Headwind all the way, lots of traffic that made me feel slightly smug but it also put 10mins on my journey time. To top it off I got soaked before getting to work, so I passed my smugness on to all the car drivers sailing past in the rain.....
Shirt587 said:
Yes, CREE ones. They're great when there's nothing else around, but the volume of traffic means that's a rarity, and the lanes in question have a lot of potholes that are very easy to hit when you can't see because of other lights...
I know what you mean. I've thought about mounting a light lower down, maybe around axle height, or getting a good head torch and having that aimed at a different angle. I've only got one eye so depth perception isn't great; even if I see the pothole I can't ell how deep it is sometimes!Shirt587 said:
Wet and windy this morning. Car has heated seats. I'll stop gloating now...
I loved it on the Downs this morning! The wind was a b
d, the clouds looked heavy and threatening, but it was warm. Rode in shorts and only two tops! 
Jacobyte said:
Indeed, stunning clear views from the NDW and Hog's Back on my ride in. But it was also the first morning of autumn requiring fully covered arms and legs. There was a proper nip in the air. Brrr.
You must have been early James. Up and over Newlands this morning it was shorts all the way 
(7:25 ish)J886ATV said:
You must have been early James. Up and over Newlands this morning it was shorts all the way (7:25 ish)
I wasn't much earlier Dunc. I rarely cover my knees when on the bike, but it was only 5 degrees C when I left home and i was glad I had legwarmers. These soft southern hands and feet were on the verge of numb by the time I got to the office, but it's not quite cold enough for winter gloves and overshoes. (7:25 ish)Yeah, I know, rule number 5.
Still, cycling into the rising sun as it permeates through the trees is always a great start to the day.
Cycled to work this morning nice and breezy but still fine in shorts.
I don't cycle everyday, but when I do its baffling the amount of blind people in cars that have no idea whats going on around them.
Be it on the phone, hugging the curb or not moving with traffic. Everyone should have a go on the bike for 1 morning just to see what its like from outside the car.
I don't cycle everyday, but when I do its baffling the amount of blind people in cars that have no idea whats going on around them.
Be it on the phone, hugging the curb or not moving with traffic. Everyone should have a go on the bike for 1 morning just to see what its like from outside the car.
Not commuting at the moment - on garden leave so nowhere to go - but I have completed 5000 recorded miles on my brompton (so probably 8000 - 9000 total miles on it) and today completed 1000 miles on my single speed bike. Got another 40 miles to complete 1000 miles this year. Dropped back on the miles as I was hit by a car in April - last year I was about 5 miles of 2500 for the year.
I had my first encounter with what I believe (and kinda hope!) was an illegal ebike on the way home last night. The guy shot over a cross-road in the cycle path without looking about 30ft ahead of me. As I turned left to head in the same direction I was doing about 20mph and he was 50ft ahead and not pedalling. As soon as he started pedalling slowly (like 40rpm slowly) he just disappeared down the path. I averaged 20mph along that section but was totally convinced I couldn't have caught him if I'd have ridden as hard as possible. To make it worse the guy was dressed like he was going skiing and it was a proper fat bike with probably the widest tyres I've seen on a bicycle in real life! If it wasn't an ebike I really hope it was an Olympic track cyclist and it had some sort of monster chain ring.
a colleague is wanting to sell his old 2013 cannondale CAADX 105 to me. I'm spending the week using it rather than my giant hybrid and I must say I like the decrease in weight and the drop handlebars, not so keen on the overlap of the pedals (my feet) and the front wheel, caught me out a few times.
As he wants too much for it being a 4 yr old bike I now need the cycle2work scheme to re- open and see if they have anything similar on the scheme as going back to my larger bike and flat handlebars will be a shock.
I've looked into just changing the handlebars but it then needs brake/gear levers and then no guarantee it will shift nicely.
short term plan is changing the semi slicks to something that will cope with the winter debris on the road.
As he wants too much for it being a 4 yr old bike I now need the cycle2work scheme to re- open and see if they have anything similar on the scheme as going back to my larger bike and flat handlebars will be a shock.
I've looked into just changing the handlebars but it then needs brake/gear levers and then no guarantee it will shift nicely.
short term plan is changing the semi slicks to something that will cope with the winter debris on the road.
m444ttb said:
I had my first encounter with what I believe (and kinda hope!) was an illegal ebike on the way home last night. The guy shot over a cross-road in the cycle path without looking about 30ft ahead of me. As I turned left to head in the same direction I was doing about 20mph and he was 50ft ahead and not pedalling. As soon as he started pedalling slowly (like 40rpm slowly) he just disappeared down the path. I averaged 20mph along that section but was totally convinced I couldn't have caught him if I'd have ridden as hard as possible. To make it worse the guy was dressed like he was going skiing and it was a proper fat bike with probably the widest tyres I've seen on a bicycle in real life! If it wasn't an ebike I really hope it was an Olympic track cyclist and it had some sort of monster chain ring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIhfwjWuj-I&t=...
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