How was your cycle commute?

[gentlegreen]

Blimey.
But I bet you'll not be able to resist going for it to wind up the petrolheads.

What's the gearing ?

 

[a_chap]

Blimey.
But I bet you'll not be able to resist going for it to wind up the petrolheads.

It's a bit, er... unwieldy at the moment. The riding position is so different to anything I've ridden before I think it'll take a while to build up some speed on it. I'm sure as heck using leg muscles on it that I don't use on any of my other bikes.

I didn't realise just how cool Pashleys were until today. I had a random stranger compliment me on the bike within minutes of picking it up. And the young, trendy things where I work have all declared it to be an Object of Desire. And therefore not at all in character for me.

What's the gearing ?

I don't know what you're asking, sorry.

 

[gentlegreen]

Sorry, I meant does it at least have the range of the average middle front cog ?
Mind you, they say one can learn to like single speed ...

 

[gentlegreen]

I didn't realise just how cool Pashleys were until today. I had a random stranger compliment me on the bike within minutes of picking it up. And the young, trendy things where I work have all declared it to be an Object of Desire. And therefore not at all in character for me.

Do you have the appropriate clothing ?

 

[gentlegreen]

Battled against serious wind on the way home. Mused on cycle clothing that could be flappy when there's no wind or when you want to harness a useful one ...

It was a pleasant ride nonetheless, apart from the usual selfish assholes needing to be told that cyclists aren't going to be diving into the hedge so they can drive their clown cars at speed through narrow gaps.

 

[ddraig]

went to rescue bike from work and changed inner tube
lost the plastic nut from the quick release for ages
put it all together and pumped it up, went to office
came back and it was deflated! had to pump it up 4 times on the 2 mile journey home

 

[a_chap]

Sorry, I meant does it at least have the range of the average middle front cog ?
Mind you, they say one can learn to like single speed ...

It's got a five speed Sturmey Archer hub gear which I haven't yet used enough to know how good the ratios are for my riding abilities.

Do you have the appropriate clothing ?

I very nearly stopped in the centre of Worcester at a Gentleman's outfitters to get myself kitted out in Tweeds and Plus Fours

 

[Dogsauce]

My Pashley is considerably less elegant, but still turns a few heads.

http://instagram.com/p/W9MGrUI_Fg/

'Found' it abandoned on a derelict industrial site I was working on, pumped up the tyres and it just went. The basket is massively practical for shopping/vet trips etc.

http://instagram.com/p/UN0QwDo_KH/

It's a three-speed Sturmey Archer, some days only a two speed if that's the way it's feeling. I'm planning on riding the London-Brighton nightride on it in the summer.

 

[Orang Utan]

Only 2 days of commuting this week cos of clothes transportation issues. If only there were a dry cleaner right outside work.

 

[gentlegreen]

I just checked and my middle cog/ megarange combo gives me about 300 percent, whereas the SA 5 speed gives 256 percent.
I'm managing without my big front cog at the moment, but I would have to get off and push on the final hill on my morning commute if I lost the granny. (half a mile, averaging 10 percent gradient).

38/34*26 = 29inches to 38/34*26 = 90 inches = 310%

28/34*26 =21.4 inches to 48/11*26 = 113.45 inches = 530%

I couldn't live without my gears...

 

[DownwardDog]

I just checked and my middle cog/ megarange combo gives me about 300 percent, whereas the SA 5 speed gives 256 percent.
I'm managing without my big front cog at the moment, but I would have to get off and push on the final hill on my morning commute if I lost the granny. (half a mile, averaging 10 percent gradient).

38/34*26 = 29inches to 38/34*26 = 90 inches = 310%

28/34*26 =21.4 inches to 48/11*26 = 113.45 inches = 530%

I couldn't live without my gears...

I thought you were now eschewing mixed radix counting systems!

Redo in mètres de développement!

 

[gentlegreen]

I wonder if I should get some naughty blue lights and a siren.. I reckon even an American one would work.
I managed to make a driver drop her phone like a hot potato - she was in traffic on a hill, but starting to drift ...



I need to practice my spiel too ...

I had all my lights on because the rat-runners had backed up the side road and the overall speed was near walking pace, so I decided to filter

 

[gentlegreen]

I thought you were now eschewing mixed radix counting systems!

Redo in mètres de développement!

You multiply gear inches by 0.08 apparently

 

[Orang Utan]

I wonder if I should get some naughty blue lights and a siren.. I reckon even an American one would work.
I managed to make a driver drop her phone like a hot potato - she was in traffic on a hill, but starting to drift ...



I need to practice my spiel too ...

I had all my lights on because the rat-runners had backed up the side road and the overall speed was near walking pace, so I decided to filter

You are proud of making a driver drop her phone in fright?
You could have caused an accident

 

[gentlegreen]

You are proud of making a driver drop her phone in fright?
You could have caused an accident

LOL

I may have saved her from drifting into the next traffic island.
She may have stalled - I wasn't intending to barge in at that point.

 

[Orang Utan]

Just behave yourself fella.
You expect everyone else to.

 

[gentlegreen]

Just behave yourself fella.
You expect everyone else to.

I peered in the window to see if the driver was deliberately trying to stop me passing ...

 

[a_chap]

I sometimes thing I ought to organise an Urban75 > Transport > "How was your cycle commute?" (Bristol division) social ride.

Fun for all the regular posters here I think

 

[a_chap]

Anyway, I reverted to the humble 15 year old commuter bike for the second half of today's commute. I need a 13mm ring spanner to properly adjust the Pashley's saddle. Peddling something that big at speed with my knees needs a properly adjusted saddle.

Also, I feel a fraud by riding it with a hi-viz jacket, helmet and rucksack. I've decided it's tweed Plus Fours, waistcoat, cap at a jaunty angle (and possibly a fake Jimmy Edwards moustache) or nothing.

 

[pissflaps]

this morning's roadside slanging match included such timeless, golden hits as:

"it's your job to look out for cars turning"
"what do you know about driving, you're on a bike!"
"you can't talk to me like that, my husband's a lawyer"
"i'm recording this on my mobile"
"i've been driving longer than you've been in this country"
"why don't you fuck off back to where you came from"

and

"I wish i had fucking killed you"

still, nice to back after a short break.

 

[gentlegreen]

 

[pissflaps]

to be fair, i did call her a 'dumb fucking bitch'. so swings and roundabouts really.

 

[gentlegreen]

Not that I really believe there's any remote equivalency between the crap cyclists get and racism / xenophobia, I do constantly feel that the motons I encounter are looking for justification for treating us as if we shouldn't be there. The shocking thing is it seems to be quite widely spread - it's not limited to those driving German cars.
Perhaps it's because the tide is turning ...

Thankfully we aren't in the states where you get psychos in cars who literally believe cyclists should ride on the pavement. In the UK, we're supposed to use the "cycle lane".

Here's a guy in the UK doing his best to use a new "facility" which was chosen by the council over making the road 20MPH - note the adjacent dual carriageway :-

 

[joustmaster]

this morning's roadside slanging match included such timeless, golden hits as:

"it's your job to look out for cars turning"
"what do you know about driving, you're on a bike!"
"you can't talk to me like that, my husband's a lawyer"
"i'm recording this on my mobile"
"i've been driving longer than you've been in this country"
"why don't you fuck off back to where you came from"

and

"I wish i had fucking killed you"

still, nice to back after a short break.

 

[Dogsauce]

Should have worn my winter gloves this morning. I don't recall giving permission for it to be Autumn already.

 

[gentlegreen]

I swear I could see my breath as I left the house this morning.
Last night on the way home in very light rain it was cool enough for me to wear my rubber trousers and a second tee shirt under my jacket without overheating and I also gave my Aldi "buff" its first airing outside the house ...

 

[Dogsauce]

Do they have generic 'buffs' in Aldi at the moment? I noticed they had the cycle stuff in a couple of weeks back (got two pairs of shades given my previous habit of either leaving them on trains or running over them). Didn't spot any 'buffs' - I got a three-pack of Oxford ones from TKMaxx for £3 which has seen me through the winter, but I think my housemate was after some.

 

[gentlegreen]

I can see there's more to this TKMAX place than ski jackets ...
My problem with my Aldi one (bought several months ago) is that one size really does not fit all - so attempts to make a two layer beanie end up more like a yarmulke ... and it's not going to provide much solar protection for the back of my neck.

 

[gentlegreen]

Bloody hell.
It's so nippy this morning I will probably wear my extra winter layer on the way in - and a scarf - not sure about the buff

 

[Dogsauce]

After yesterday I had the winter mittens on this morning, at least for the first couple of miles downhill. Bit of a slow run today, seemed to hit every light on red.