How was your cycle commute?

[gentlegreen]

Is it just me?

As the weather has turned steadily more wintery this week I've enjoyed my daily commute more and more.

Ok, so it's just me.

It makes a change.
It would be fine if it wasn't for having to share the roads and paths with variously skilled examples of humanity.

 

[weepiper]

I check my brakes a number of times a day. Every time I brake in fact.

This isn't enough for some of the people we get bringing bikes into the shop who somehow haven't noticed that their brake pads have worn right down to the metal, despite the godawful racket and lack of any noticeable stopping power

 

[gentlegreen]

I sorted out my young colleague's brakes the other day.
I really hate the responsibility... not that I've ever had a cable slip or whatever in all the years I've been doing mine.

 

[plurker]

Is it just me?

As the weather has turned steadily more wintery this week I've enjoyed my daily commute more and more.

Ok, so it's just me.

I've enjoyed it less, but mainly as befre I leave i think 'it's cold' so put long-sleeved baselayer and thicker gloves on. Then by mile 2 I'm sweltering and arrive in a sweaty mess. Need to go back to teeshirt I think.

 

[Onket]

ffs man..
buy it
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAINLESS...sure_cycling_bikeparts_SR&hash=item3f26cdea1d

There's nothing wrong with the cable, it's just that I unscrewed it from the lever and can't get it screwed back in!

 

[gentlegreen]

Does it not thread in from the lever end ?

It may be easier to use a new cable.

 

[Onket]

There's an attachment that screws into the knuckle end of the lever, but the angle is tight and my fingers are always cold!

 

[girasol]

Is it just me?

As the weather has turned steadily more wintery this week I've enjoyed my daily commute more and more.

Ok, so it's just me.

Well, there's less people around and I do cycle faster in this cold weather, wind permitting... The only thing I'm not keen on is wearing all that stuff, taking it off at work, then changing again to go home, feels like I'm getting changed most of the time. It does happen in the summer too, but there are less items involved

I've been making use of these, no more numb toes! (get it quite bad)

 

[Onket]

My first thought was that was some kind of box.

 

[Crispy]

Well, there's less people around and I do cycle faster in this cold weather, wind permitting... The only thing I'm not keen on is wearing all that stuff, taking it off at work, then changing again to go home, feels like I'm getting changed most of the time. It does happen in the summer too, but there are less items involved

I've been making use of these, no more numb toes! (get it quite bad)

I might have to get some of those...

 

[girasol]

I might have to get some of those...

You're supposed to wear them over your shoes, but they work just as well on the inside, over socks (will last longer that way )

 

[gentlegreen]

I may improvise something - perhaps I could get a trashed wetsuit from somewhere ...
My MTB / touring shoes are as porous as a sieve.

 

[plurker]

I use the full overshoe things, really good for keeping feet warm. I lucked out and found a pair on the road last year, must have dropped from someone's bag.

 

[gentlegreen]

Thinking back I'm amazed at how I used to manage with holey shoes lined with porridge bags !
Mind you, until recently we didn't get any proper winter weather.

 

[Dogsauce]

Don't buy the Muddy Fox overshoes from Sports Direct - I fell for that one last year in the sales, the cheap shitty zip at the back broke the first time I put one of them on, the second lasting maybe two rides before the same happened. Couldn't find the receipt for them to take them back. They still fasten at the top of the ankle with velcro, so wearable, but just with a gaping hole at the back.

If anyone can recommend something better for commuting please do - though nothing too expensive. I think I need to invest in some better winter kit generally, particularly as I'm planning to fuck off the trains and ride back down to the south-west for Christmas. Legs are probably where I need the most upgrading, the ex-girlfriend's over-the-knee socks aren't much good in freezing rain.

 

[Dogsauce]

This is a near miss someone who posts on the Leeds Cycling Campaign Facebook group had yesterday at a pinch point - they're appealing if anyone recognises the company logo as the police can't trace the plate (believed to be a dutch wagon)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAtFRXIMp6I&feature=youtu.be

 

[Orang Utan]

Shit ride home.
Two cars driving in the cycle lane on the way home.
And then I rode right through a red light at a junction. Phew, that was close!

 

[gentlegreen]

Muddy Fox overshoes from Sports Direct

I'm wearing Muddy Fox MTB shoes from Sports Direct at the moment - the best I can get in my size, but the first pair broke up after less than a year - I'm going to see if I can mod them with DIY soles and adhesive.
I don't use them, but the SPD mounts slide about too ...

Sadly I'm going to have to buy some more - Shimano in their wisdom having decided not to cater for anyone over a size 12 in shoes you can actually walk in.

 

[gentlegreen]

I was intimidated twice today - sadly my rear camera let me down this morning, but I got some decent footage of this evening's idiot.

I actually know better than to even suggest this on Urban and I know it's in an entirely different league, but I see a touch of the EDL / anti-feminist thing going on with a certain type of driver - the more attention we (presumably nerdy / middle class) cyclists get, the more they feel "persecuted" - so it isn't just the "squeezed middle" with their tedious "road tax and red lights" bollocks.

This morning's was a builder's van, this evening's was an Audi - but the idiot leaning out of the passenger window didn't look like your standard Audi owner - just how much do these cars cost ?
It had those crap almost black lamp lenses on the back - the sort of thing you would expect on a Corsa.

 

[Onket]

Your sweeping statements are as bad as 'theirs'. What does a standard audi owner look like?

 

[gentlegreen]

Your sweeping statements are as bad as 'theirs'. What does a standard audi owner look like?

Here we go ....

 

[plurker]

on a v-plate that car's probs less than £2k.

 

[Onket]

Here we go ....

Why bother?

 

[gentlegreen]

My camera caught this last night when Bristol was gridlocked.

 

[gentlegreen]

Why bother?

Well I don't remember inviting you ....

 

[Onket]

Eh?

 

[gentlegreen]

on a v-plate that car's probs less than £2k.

That explains a lot.

It has a Porschy profile though ...

I had to look closely at the footage to see if the lights actually worked ...

 

[stavros]

I did a route I'd been meaning to do for a while this morning, and it lived up to expectation. I'm sure I'm getting stronger in my legs too, because I'm typically going to the top chainset on any bit of flat, whereas that used to be reserved for descents.

 

[gentlegreen]

Sadly I haven't managed to work up the enthusiasm for probably two months and it seems to be a recurring autumn/winter pattern - I build up to several extra rides a week as the evenings draw in, go down with the lurgy and that's that.
This year I've had the added joy of being knocked off my bike that made cycling actually painful for weeks.

 

[Frances Lengel]

I'm loving this clear, still, cold weather. Best weather for cycling IMO.