How was your cycle commute?

[gentlegreen]

Darn,

I should have asked you to take a photo of the sign inside the back gate - I seem to remember it seemed humorous to me at the time.

 

[Onket]

one overtake was so bad it was the first time I have ever used the wanker gesture.

Ever? Or on the bike?

I have only ever done the 'dickhead' sign at someone once while on the bike. It's actually quite tricky with a cycle helmet on.

 

[gentlegreen]

Ever.
I think it's a bizarre thing to use as an insult - unless the implication is that they're doing it while driving.
(I've made that accusation more than once)

My most common gesture is the "funny in the head" one.

 

[Crispy]

I just realised that the probable reason for the WVM cutting me up (and getting out to offer me out) was that he'd mistaken my "one moment, please" index finger in the air gesture (in response to his beeps) for a different single-fingered gesture

 

[gentlegreen]

I think my late "wanker " gesture to yesterday's idiot may have been momentarily misinterpreted by the other idiot parked in the bike lane..



New twintone air horn on order.

 

[a_chap]

Rode home in the sort of weather that I would only ever hope for in southern France, Spain or Italy. Hot, sunny, very hot. Really lovely.

Watched the poor saps in strapped into cars rev and accelerate at every junction as I serenly peddalled gently onwards.

I had a big grin on my face for the sheer enjoyment of riding a bike. I doubt whether any of them were grinning for the sheer enjoyment of being stuck in traffic.

Good times

 

[gentlegreen]

I assumed that they all felt happier sealed in their cans with the air conditioning and mobile phones.
I suppose the texting and driving is an indication that the driving part is getting boring.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Anyone else off to Dunwich tomorrow night?

 

[Geri]

Darn,

I should have asked you to take a photo of the sign inside the back gate - I seem to remember it seemed humorous to me at the time.

I didn't notice it. Anyway - a tip. if you are going to cycle to Beeses, go along the other side of the river through Conham and get the ferry over. So much nicer!

 

[gentlegreen]

I didn't notice it. Anyway - a tip. if you are going to cycle to Beeses, go along the other side of the river through Conham and get the ferry over. So much nicer!

Yep. The ride through St Annes and Bris leaves a bit to be desired.

 

[Geri]

I just need to overcome my fear of getting onto a little boat.

 

[Onket]

I assumed that they all felt happier sealed in their cans with the air conditioning and mobile phones.
I suppose the texting and driving is an indication that the driving part is getting boring.

Jesus wept.

 

[gentlegreen]

I just need to overcome my fear of getting onto a little boat.

Have they upgraded their tea and coffee offerings yet ?

 

[Ted Striker]

Anyone else off to Dunwich tomorrow night?

I am (trying to!)...Riding solo tho its my main training ride for the ride London 100 thing

 

[Geri]

Have they upgraded their tea and coffee offerings yet ?

I dunno about that. I had a pint of cider and a steak baguette.

 

[a_chap]

Anyone else off to Dunwich tomorrow night?

Sadly I'm not on the Dunwich thing.

Saving my energies for the London Edinburgh thing

 

[gentlegreen]

Well I can certainly recommend SPA cycles - ordered my new saddle lunchtime on a Friday and I should get it by Tuesday. The Aldi one is very weird - somewhat skew-whiff .. it has springs and masses of foam and is too short.

If I sort myself out with a nimbler bike, I may try one of their other Brooks imitations at a third of the price.

 

[stavros]

I woke up at about 5.45 this morning, I think through a combination of heat and sunlight, and I couldn't get back to sleep, so after requisitely hydrating myself went on a very short ride. It was so good going through a very urban area which is normally congested with virtually no traffic.

 

[DownwardDog]

Unfortunately my eyes deceived me about the paint in the crack - but it clearly started with a flaw - and there's no water splashing under there ...

It's very unlikely that the 'flaw' just happened to be at the exact point where the rail clamps to the post. I think it's cracked slightly at some point, ambient moisture caused that corrosion then some time later it's completely failed.

 

[Onket]

Be interesting to see what Brookes say, though.

 

[gentlegreen]

I started a thread on the CTC forum and directed their attention to it.
My previous saddle failed the same way - but I can't see an alloy clamp being to blame.
I suppose if I was lucky I might find someone who has a B17 with knackered leather but a good frame.

 

[Dogsauce]

Schwalbe marathons, you say, you say, you say, you say?

Oops. Sorry for the quadruple post, I was in the countryside where they don't have 3G (I think they only have 1G and you have to take turns) - nothing happened when I hit submit, think my posts got queued up behind someone's postings on a turnip forum.

Not sure if it's just the heat, but they really don't seem to like cyclists much in Devon & Cornwall - I've never been honked at so much just for being on the road (and I've been pretty courteous, riding close in to help people get past on windy narrow bits). On a couple of occasions drivers honked and gesticulated towards the other side of the road, where the council had merely painted a bicycle on a lumpy stretch of pavement, as though that was some viable and convenient option for me and not just another bit of infrastructure shouting 'get out of the road' at me. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, I'll ride where I want and where I'm perfectly entitled to be.

I was quite amused that one of the gesticulators was driving one of those big Mitsubishi pick-ups with 'Barbarian' written on the back. Definitely not anything wrong with their manhood there, definitely not.

 

[Dogsauce]

Anyhow, my little bike holiday is over - started with an aborted ride from Leeds-London (the aforementioned broken axle at Newport Pagnall), then a switch to the Pashley in London for the Brighton nightride, on to Petersfield (Sunday), Wool (Dorset near Wareham (Monday), day off Tuesday, Ivybridge nr Plymouth (Weds), Penzance via Lizard point (Thurs), Lands End & back up to Bodmin (Fri). Got the train back up to my folk's place in Bristol last night. 510 miles in five days on the Pashley, plus 150 on the Falcon tourer the week before. My Mum's scales have me 7.5kg lighter, but unless I've lost a limb somewhere on the ride I'm pretty sceptical (I was only 75 to start with).

I was originally planning on riding back up to Bristol via North Devon, but the heat was starting to get to me and I wasn't sleeping very well (seemed to pick campsites near noisy roads). Cornwall is also very much on the lumpy side of the country - all the scenic routes are windy and steep, and on a bike that weighs just short of 25kg before you add the camping equipment etc even the shortest gradient has you drenched in sweat. I was finding myself sticking to the gently graded dual carriageways for a lot of the ride just to ease up on my knees, but it doesn't feel much like a holiday (the three-lane bit of the A38 running down into Plymouth is no different than a motorway - quite exhilarating in some ways). I got the Pashley up to 45.7mph on one section of the A38, just duck behind the basket and let it run, often the momentum gets you most of the way up the other side.

I've been on a little trundle into town along the gorge today and I felt fucked after 5 miles. Think I'm cycled out. I'm hanging around here for a few days and will probably be on GentleGreen's territory at some point - thinking of a ride out to Bath on the railway path then on to the new two tunnels bit - maybe making a larger loop including the Strawberry Line from Cheddar. Might borrow my dad's Dawes Galaxy just for a little more comfort.

 

[Geri]

Can't decide whether to cycle to my mum's tomorrow or not. It's only 10 miles, but when we went out that way last week I felt very tired after, and my leg seized up and I had to crawl upstairs to the toilet. I think it was heat exhaustion as we were out in the hottest part of the day.

The difference this time is that I will have a few hours break before cycling back, instead of 20 miles in one go. On the other hand, I will be on my own so if I faint or anything there will be nobody to help me. Not that I have ever fainted before!

 

[gentlegreen]

Food, and especially drink.

 

[stavros]

I overtook another roadie on a hill this morning, albeit one perhaps 25 years older than me.

I've no problem with the steep hills, but I find my recovery as the gradient tapers off is pretty poor. Maybe it's something I should work on.

 

[Dogsauce]

Food, and especially drink.

The biggest revelation for me in the last few weeks has been those electrolyte tablets you add to water - I was getting cramp even on my 9-mile commute, but since having those while I've been touring (and the odd bottle of lucozade) I've had no bother. Someone at work who does triathlons recommended them.

 

[ferrelhadley]

Anyone else off to Dunwich tomorrow night?

There and back again. Broken but stoked to have made the distance.

 

[gentlegreen]

My new saddle has arrived.
Much better made than the Brooks - but very hard.

 

[Ted Striker]

There and back again. Broken but stoked to have made the distance.

Cycled past you show-offs as one of the tail end charlies (I'm blaming a mechanical that forced me to ride holding my bike light from 2am onwards!). You still probably had a less taxing journey back than I did (arrived home at 6pm!)

Was a great ride. My whole body from the waiste down is aching now though!