How was your cycle commute?

[gentlegreen]

Bloody hell. Sweated like a pig.
I wish I hadn't gone with the extra layer. The scarf came off half way
And I have a touch of hayfever - which probably means it's definitely spring.

 

[Crispy]

Saw a guy holding onto the side rail of a moving lorry nearly lose his balance.
I called him a fucking idiot

 

[joustmaster]

Saw a guy holding onto the side rail of a moving lorry nearly lose his balance.
I called him a fucking idiot

I saw some one cycle into the back of a moving lorry and go flying, last year.
I am not sure how he managed it..

 

[a_chap]

Crikey what a difference a day makes. Warm and sunny this morning.

 

[a_chap]

At lunchtime I rode to the shops to get a sarnie. Usually I'd change my shirt for a t-shirt, shoes for trainers, trousers for shabbier trousers then don a helmet and gloves. But now I have a Pashley Roadster I thought sod that for a lark.

I put on my cloth flat cap and rode in the sunshine to the shop and then a country lane route back to the office. Bloody marvellous.

Next time I'm going to add a neckerchief...

 

[smorodina]

"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"

my usual exchange inevitably includes (with various degree of politeness depending on my mood levels):

* Look at me, honey
* LOOK AT ME!!
* LOOK AT ME, YOU FUCKING IDIOT!!

* off
* get off my way
* What the fuck are you doing?
* GET OFF THE FUCKING ROAD!!

* Regard!
* Attend!
* S'arret!

* Thank you!

and enthusiastic thumbs ups and waves to considerate drivers (much more often, to be fair)

 

[a_chap]

Cooler today, but for some reason I fair flew into work and flew back again.

By "flew" I mean rode my bike pretty quickly. I could sense the crap jokes, ok?

Anyway, I flew. So there.

 

[gentlegreen]

"Sailed" is about the best I manage..

 

[gentlegreen]

For your delectation, how to lube your chain and also lose the will to live.

http://www.madegood.org/bikes/how-to/lubricate-a-bike-chain/

Instantly reminded me of this :-

Spoiler

 

[girasol]

and enthusiastic thumbs ups and waves to considerate drivers (much more often, to be fair)

yeah, I like waving and giving thumbs up to considerate drivers too! Was talking to a friend the other night and we agreed that from now on if we get beeped at or sworn at we will smile enthusiastically and wave and send kisses - that will freak the fuck out of them

 

[gentlegreen]

Speaking of chains....

The chain I replaced a few weeks ago is now at the "replace chain" measurement on my gauge.
Though I have spare cassettes and chains, I think I'm just going to wear the two of them out together - perhaps I should put the previous chain back on ...

And my bike has acquired lateral play somewhere - I sprinted past someone on Friday and almost got into a tank-slapper - and it felt a bit odd yesterday when I was out for a ride.
The worst part of my bike is the temporary second-hand suspension fork ...

But why has the problem suddenly appeared ?

 

[smorodina]

yeah, I like waving and giving thumbs up to considerate drivers too! Was talking to a friend the other night and we agreed that from now on if we get beeped at or sworn at we will smile enthusiastically and wave and send kisses - that will freak the fuck out of them

love this!
*enthusiastically joins the league of kiss-blowing riders*

 

[a_chap]

For your delectation, how to lube your chain and also lose the will to live.

http://www.madegood.org/bikes/how-to/lubricate-a-bike-chain/

Not quite the same as my 60 seconds of WD40 on full blast whilst turning the pedals by hand...

Speaking of chains....

The chain I replaced a few weeks ago is now at the "replace chain" measurement on my gauge.

I'm in two or three minds about this whole chain replacement thing.

Earlier this year, in a moment of weakness, I changed the chain and cassette on my fifteen year old commuting bike. It rides no better or worse than it did with the original chain.

On one of my Audax bikes I had a chain snap in the last 20km of a 600km ride. The chain had only done about 2,000km. Which aint that many miles to be fair.

I took the current Audax bike to the Local Bike Shop two months ago. The first thing they did (why???) was to measure the chain wear and pronounced the chain "very stretched". I said I'd stick with the current chain thanks. And indeed I beleive the chain has stretched; in top gear on the middle ring the deraillieur is folded back on itself so much that I can hear the chain rubbing against itself. So I now use the big ring more often.

The chain still works, no stiff links, no jumping of sprocket teeth. What's the problem?

 

[gentlegreen]

Why not remove a link from the chain ?

You must use better quality parts than me .. before I started doing longer rides and maintenance, I would get about 12 months and 1700 miles out of a chain/cassette - at which point the combo would struggle to stay engaged - I usually replaced the chainwheels too - in fact I have quite a collection I need to sort through and probably file / rotate etc to get the most value from them.

 

[pissflaps]

The chain still works, no stiff links, no jumping of sprocket teeth. What's the problem?

problem solved.

 

[gentlegreen]

Does free medical insurance including new knees come with that ?

 

[pissflaps]

the only twat i've ever seen get clattered on a fixed gear bike is me.

 

[gentlegreen]

The key thing about fixies is they don't do the mileage or get exposed to the rain.

 

[pissflaps]

The key thing about fixies is they don't do the mileage or get exposed to the rain.

why?

 

[gentlegreen]

To be any kind of a solution to transmission wear, the transmission would be fully-enclosed.

 

[weepiper]

To be any kind of a solution to transmission wear, the transmission would be fully-enclosed.

Fixed gear or singlespeed chains last longer because they don't ever move sideways.

 

[gentlegreen]

Fixed gear or singlespeed chains last longer because they don't ever move sideways.

Well yes - assuming it's decent chain, but it doesn't stop all the crap getting on it - given the total lack of mudguards.

 

[weepiper]

Well yes - assuming it's decent chain, but it doesn't stop all the crap getting on it - given the total lack of mudguards.

All the mechanics' fixies at work have full length mudguards on them Not everyone that rides fixed is a hipster.

 

[pissflaps]

can we stop saying 'fixie'?

it's a word that hates bikes.

 

[weepiper]

can we stop saying 'fixie'?

it's a word that hates bikes.

Ok. Can I call 'em fixpushes instead

 

[Boycey]

@a_chap- do you ride a lot? are you tiny and very skinny? your experience is the absolute opposite experience of me and pretty much everyone i know, or meet. chains wear, mainly it's the central rollers. the length of the chain has not actually extended, but due to the movement between rollers and pins the chain sits more loosely on the teeth- wearing wider gaps at the same time as being less efficient. my experience is that modern ramped and pinned chainrings wear chains much faster.

 

[pissflaps]

try a halflink.

you may have to buy a child's bike to match.

 

[Boycey]

try a halflink.

horrible things.

eta:

vile

 

[pissflaps]

it's just a chain...

 

[Boycey]

call that a chain?

Spoiler: this is a chain