How was your cycle commute?

[gentlegreen]

Touch wood most other road users this evening were moderately well-behaved.
Ice in the neck of my water bottle by the time I got home so especially refreshing.

 

[Blagsta]

No cycling this week, too icy.

 

[a_chap]

I had to resort to wearing a balaclava today. 'tis cold.

 

[joustmaster]

Touch wood most other road users this evening were moderately well-behaved.
Ice in the neck of my water bottle by the time I got home so especially refreshing.

Do you find you need a bottle for your commute?

 

[Onket]

Any suggestions for a decent front light to use on an unlit road? A section of my ride is pretty dark, too dark for the light I've got, I reckon.

 

[a_chap]

Any suggestions for a decent front light to use on an unlit road?

Where to start?

You can use anything from an LED torch through to multi-hundred pound mountain bike lights. Or go the Heath Robinson Gentle Green route and build your own.

My current set up is a Hope 2 (British built!) and a cateye EL530 as a back-up. But I have used LED torches (specifically the LED Lenser P14 and the H14) and I know riders who use much cheaper torches.

If anyone wants one I have a torch bike mount which I've never used that you can have for half price.

A site I heartily recommend is http://www.torchdirect.co.uk/

 

[Onket]

Cheers, will have a look. Not got loads of money to spend though.

 

[DownwardDog]

Cheers, will have a look. Not got loads of money to spend though.

Exposure Reflex are expensive but well worth it. I've just put one on my Thorn Mercury rando bike. No cables, very bright, intelligent battery life management and programmable modes.

Cheapo lights just don't last in my experience.

 

[gentlegreen]

The snag with mine is portability, but it's doable - one day I'll get around to making a detachable front light - but it's easy to find frame-mounting bags and velcro straps.

£5 to £10 for a triple 2 watt MR16, nothing for the yoghurt carton.

£24 downwards for a 12 volt NiMH battery (lamp is about 6 watts - half an amp - so a pack of 2AH AAs should in theory last 4 hours on a charge) - should last 3 or 4 years with care. I have a 3.7AH pack because they power other stuff as well..

£12 for a charger- 10 year investment ?
I have one at work, one at home and carry a spare battery.

Wiring is a doddle as the lamps can be connected either way.

The advantage with the triple LED configuration is it puts a nice splodge of light on the road.
My backup is a cheap as chips focusable Aldi torch with a genuine 3 watt CREE in it, but the beam pattern isn't to my taste for cycling.

I might put together a torch / lantern to see ...

 

[gentlegreen]

Do you find you need a bottle for your commute?

Definitely - but then I aim to max-out the exercise potential of my half hour commutes.
During the summer when I'm on form, I'll easily half empty a bottle.
Ironically it's often near the end - but it's a habit I get into through longer rides - if I have to stop for something, I might as well have a swig.

 

[gentlegreen]

No sign of frost anywhere, but unlike yesterday the cold got into my fingers a bit - in particular my left thumb - so perhaps the right one was kept warmed-up by the gear-changing ...

 

[artyfarty]

Solid traffic from Brixton nick to the Elephant today, due it seems to the Vauxhall closures...
Wonder when they'll open the roads again?

 

[DownwardDog]

Definitely - but then I aim to max-out the exercise potential of my half hour commutes.
During the summer when I'm on form, I'll easily half empty a bottle.
Ironically it's often near the end.

I did 2 x 600ml bidons on a 9km ride here as the end of the December. 40+ deg, humid and windy. Brutal.

 

[ddraig]

not as icy today but there was light bits of attempted snow
aching and had to go slower and change route after coming off yesterday

 

[joustmaster]

Definitely - but then I aim to max-out the exercise potential of my half hour commutes.
During the summer when I'm on form, I'll easily half empty a bottle.
Ironically it's often near the end - but it's a habit I get into through longer rides - if I have to stop for something, I might as well have a swig.

Interesting..
I don't drink anything on my 5mile/20min/central London commute. I don't usually rush to have anything when I reach the office either.
On a 2 or 3 hour leisurely weekend ride with a mate, I will only have a can of pop when we stop for a bit of dinner. And then a shed load of pints at the end.

 

[joustmaster]

Anyway - It was really cold this morning. Could really feel it on my face. And because its only a short commute, I only just start to warm up by the time I get to the office.

 

[Onket]

I generally drink half a bottle of water (250ml) after my 5 mile commute in the morning.

Enough detail?

 

[ddraig]

i used to have a water bottle every day and commute is only just over 2 miles
stopped now and just have a few glasses when i get in to the office
will probably have one again in summer

 

[joustmaster]

Now I feel like I am doing it wrong.

I'm going to buy a bottle cage this afternoon

 

[ddraig]

if you don't need it you don't need it
i think i was probably drinking too much

 

[gentlegreen]

Icy water is a real treat this time of year since I don't have a fridge - I nick the water from the office cooler and finish it off once I'm home. I have 3 bottles which I use in rotation.

 

[ExtraRefined]

I carry a water bottle all the time, since I'm a fat sweaty bastard, although I barely need it for my 6 mile commute in this weather. In the height of summer I figure on a liter an hour.

 

[Onket]

If anyone is looking for a thin beanie type hat or one made out of fleece (to go under a helmet?) they've got them in the pound shop.

Also balaclava type things but with a big hole for the face, rather than just the eyes, and a peak. Probably wouldn't go under a helmet though.

I didn't buy anything cos I've got stuff at home that I'm sure is suitable but I keep forgetting to look for it/them.

 

[plurker]

I am *very* glad that I kept my properly thick motorbike gloves from when I sold my Honda last year - I needed them this morning as it too cold for my normal windproof and liner combo. Mainly cause I could get a decent speed up due to the traffic, as mentioned above, due to Vauxhall Cross closure, but at least it felt very smug riding past everyone.
Gig in Camden tonight, so going to be a late ride back...hope it's not too cold by 11!

 

[pissflaps]

Fun and games from two days ago. Probably pissing in the wind here, but If anyone happened to witness this cunt trying to kill me on tuesday morning around 8am on the north side of Vauxhall Bridge, please PM me. tar.

 

[gentlegreen]

Someone videoed the aftermath ...

 

[pissflaps]

Aye i clocked gaz on his way in, gave me a heads-up about this vid. He's a good lad. Hope he gets his bikes back soon.

 

[weepiper]

Fun and games from two days ago. Probably pissing in the wind here, but If anyone happened to witness this cunt trying to kill me on tuesday morning around 8am on the north side of Vauxhall Bridge, please PM me. tar.

Jesus. I bet you felt a bit immortal after that.

 

[pissflaps]

hehe. wish i could say the same for my pissing bike.

 

[joustmaster]

Don't buses have a cameras on them?