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How was your cycle commute?

I probably instinctively lift myself off the saddle a lot on the way home without even thinking about it.
Not the worst roads in the world, but cetainly no velodrome.

 
I decided to do one of the reasonably steep hills near me this morning, and after keeping the cadence high on the middle chainset for the approach, I switch to the bottom set and my chain slipped off and onto the bottom bracket. This hasn't ever happened to me before, in more than 5 years on this bike.

It was easily fixed and I got up the hill much easier than I remember it being the last time I did it. I then, bizarrely, got a stitch on the descent on the other side, before turning into a horrendous headwind which was like riding through treacle.

And I missed the rain.
 
Crisp and chilly this morning. On with the ex-girlfriend's over-the-knee socks, a seasonal milestone.

My overall time was slow (37 mins vs typical 32 mins) but I blasted it on the final climb and got a best time despite carrying a heavy rucksack today. It's easier to work hard in the cold!
 
Oh well..

Just ordered a 36 spoke touring wheel Rigida Sputnik rim - as favoured by the folks on the CTC forum.
I needed a spare wheel with disc mounts anyway so if the rim works out I'll have one put on the other wheel.
 
gentlegreen said:
Oh well..

Just ordered a 36 spoke touring wheel Rigida Sputnik rim - as favoured by the folks on the CTC forum.
I needed a spare wheel with disc mounts anyway so if the rim works out I'll have one put on the other wheel.
Click to expand...

Do you admit on the CTC forum to following the advice of people on U75, but not admit to them that you take their advice?

I've never seen you take one single bit of notice of any advice anyone has ever given you!
 
The CTC lot are hard-core distance riding people - I had this about the Mavic rims I was using :-

Mavic specify certain spoke tensions for their rims. Sadly you can't build good wheels using their specs! The spoke tension was almost certainly higher than recommended, but then it needs to be if the wheel isn't going to fail in other ways.
Click to expand...
 
BigTom said:
This looks good, proper segregation on the cycle superhighway 2 - any Londoners here going to use this route? Be interested to hear what it's like, it looks as though cyclists have priority at side roads but everyone is in the mix together at traffic lights? http://lcc.org.uk/articles/mayors-c...-step-towards-going-dutch-for-london-cyclists
Click to expand...
Passing junctions looks frightening.
You can't move out and hold a position in the road, whilst trapped in the blue lane. And there is no way I'm trusting a taxi to wait for me.
 
joustmaster said:
Passing junctions looks frightening.
You can't move out and hold a position in the road, whilst trapped in the blue lane. And there is no way I'm trusting a taxi to wait for me.
Click to expand...

By junctions do you mean side roads? I agree I'd not trust any driver to wait for me, I'd be looking over my shoulder and not trusting them, because they are used to having priority, but elsewhere cyclists have priority passing side roads and this isn't a problem - change has to start from somewhere to get drivers used to giving way to a cycle lane when turning left, so I'd see this as a good move, or at least a necessary one if we were to move to complete dutch/copenhagen style cycle infrastructure.
I'm really curious to hear from people when it's open and being used, what it's actually like.

Onket said:
I thought segregation was pretty much agreed to be a bad thing?
Click to expand...

eh? I totally disagree and I'd say most people I know would. There's a reason why places with properly segregated cycle infrastructure has much higher rates of cycling participation/transport modal share than those without, and why you see barely anyone in those places wearing helmets etc.

Here's a design guide I tend to agree with:

8662320975_a65709f210_c.jpg


The biggest thing imo/ime stopping people from cycling is fear, good segregated infrastructure removes that fear.
 
BigTom said:
By junctions do you mean side roads? I agree I'd not trust any driver to wait for me, I'd be looking over my shoulder and not trusting them, because they are used to having priority, but elsewhere cyclists have priority passing side roads and this isn't a problem - change has to start from somewhere to get drivers used to giving way to a cycle lane when turning left, so I'd see this as a good move, or at least a necessary one if we were to move to complete dutch/copenhagen style cycle infrastructure.
I'm really curious to hear from people when it's open and being used, what it's actually like.
Click to expand...
yes, sorry. I meant passing a side road.

The segregated part puts the cyclist up the inside of traffic turning left. They are protected by a barrier, until you reach the side road. Then you have to rely on a car checking for you.

When cycling on a road, I would be in a position so a car couldn't be along side me when passing a side road.

I cycled to Holland this summer. So I can see how it works.
But just having it here on 0.001% of roads feels like its inviting a squashing
 
joustmaster said:
yes, sorry. I meant passing a side road.

The segregated part puts the cyclist up the inside of traffic turning left. They are protected by a barrier, until you reach the side road. Then you have to rely on a car checking for you.

When cycling on a road, I would be in a position so a car couldn't be along side me when passing a side road.

I cycled to Holland this summer. So I can see how it works.
But just having it here on 0.001% of roads feels like its inviting a squashing
Click to expand...

Sure, it needs to be something that is everywhere for it to work properly, but it has to start somewhere to get everywhere, and unfortunately we need some bits of this that then get used lots in order for us to say "build it and they will come".
So although I agree it's well fucking dodge and any cyclist needs to be seriously aware, I think it's an improvement - I also think that you are reducing risk in all those bits in between side roads whilst increasing risk whilst passing side roads, which I think is probably a worthwhile trade off. Over time (and with increasing numbers of segregated cycle lanes with cyclist priority), drivers should get used to how this works, reducing the risk back down.

I haven't been to the netherlands for many, many years and didn't cycle when I was there anyway so I don't have personal experience of their cycling infrastructure (or that of Copenhagen or Germany).
 
BigTom said:
Sure, it needs to be something that is everywhere for it to work properly, but it has to start somewhere to get everywhere, and unfortunately we need some bits of this that then get used lots in order for us to say "build it and they will come".
So although I agree it's well fucking dodge and any cyclist needs to be seriously aware, I think it's an improvement - I also think that you are reducing risk in all those bits in between side roads whilst increasing risk whilst passing side roads, which I think is probably a worthwhile trade off. Over time (and with increasing numbers of segregated cycle lanes with cyclist priority), drivers should get used to how this works, reducing the risk back down.

I haven't been to the netherlands for many, many years and didn't cycle when I was there anyway so I don't have personal experience of their cycling infrastructure (or that of Copenhagen or Germany).
Click to expand...
Can't argue with that... But I will be cycling in the road :D

(Which they don't let you do in Holland. If the cycle infrastructure is there, you have to use it.. )
 
I am reluctantly moving towards favouring segregation.
I do love riding on the road though.
And I do enjoy the thrill of being amongst traffic.
I would miss that, and I wouldn't want to be slowed down too much either.


Got a whole load of new parts fitted to the undercarriage. Expensive for me but good value from the cheapest and nicest bikeshop in London, Jozef's in Peckham.
They told me not to ride it in my favourite gear. I shall probably ignore them. :)
Did a lot of riding this evening and it is smeeeuth. Can't wait for the commute tomorrow.
 
Orang Utan said:
I am reluctantly moving towards favouring segregation.
I do love riding on the road though.
And I do enjoy the thrill of being amongst traffic.
I would miss that, and I wouldn't want to be slowed down too much either.
Click to expand...
I'm far more nervous about other cyclists at the moment.
I get pissed off by the impoliteness of the suburban motoring public, but with a bit of "herding", they mostly only endanger themselves and other drivers (stupid overtaking), but there are some really dangerous macho idiots on two wheels taking the piss in shared spaces.
 
Orang Utan said:
Got a whole load of new parts fitted to the undercarriage. Expensive for me but good value from the cheapest and nicest bikeshop in London, Jozef's in Peckham.
They told me not to ride it in my favourite gear. I shall probably ignore them. :)
Did a lot of riding this evening and it is smeeeuth. Can't wait for the commute tomorrow.
Click to expand...

They are great. I used to use then when I lived just round the corner In Peckham.
 
Orang Utan said:
I don't want to share my space with them either, esp on narrow cycle paths.
I don't want to drop to 10mph or less either. The only lanes I've been impressed with so far as those Dutch ones that are as wide as roads and have no pedestrians.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it's important the cycle paths are wide enough for cyclists to be able to overtake each other (safely) otherwise they are shit and pointless.
As a 10mph cyclist I much prefer sharing space with 20-25mph cyclists than 30-35mph drivers and I rarely feel threatened by faster cyclists overtaking me.
 
BigTom -I'm not a fan of segregation and I am sure I have seen plenty of posts on this thread before about this subject, which I agreed with. Hence my earlier comment.

The holy grail for road users surely has got to be complete integration. Segregation only partially seperates traffic and therefore creates mistrust and confusion on those parts of roads that are not segregated. The only way round that is complete segregation on all roads everywhere in the country, and that's simply not going to happen. Think of the cost alone, plus upkeep, etc. Plus you've got people's choice. Cyclists (as evidenced above) don't always want to be segregated and so may not use the cycle lanes, leading to the type of confrontations often heard about, close overtakes, drivers telling cyclists to get off their roads, etc.

Therefore thorough education of all road users, combined with changes in regulations and law, is the only real option to work towards all types of traffic safely sharing the road system we have. The work towards making currently unsafe road vehicles, such as large lorries, much safer is an example of a huge step in that direction and would probably be pretty redundant if segregation became the norm.
 
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