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How was your cycle commute?

As I'm taking a week off work I'm missing all this fine dry weather on my daily commute. However, am hoping to get a few miles in on Sunday.
 
I strongly suspect I won't be going anywhere this weekend - I've now sneezed about 5 times over the past few days and have found myself being a bit phlegmy and snotty and gassy .... :p
 
I've had two close passes this week, including a very high speed one by a prick in a white Golf this morning (I was out fairly wide to keep out of the door zone, passed within half a meter to my right at about 40mph).

On both occasions it's been where there's been a two-lane road with a roundabout at the end with traffic queuing back some distance in the right lane, whilst I'm proceeding in the left. Both drivers who've overtaken me close have then cut into the right lane at or just before the roundabout, so not only dangerous pricks but queue-jumping pricks too. Some people are just terrible all-round drivers, or just terrible cunts in general.
 
Dogsauce said:
Some people are just terrible all-round drivers, or just terrible cunts in general.
Click to expand...

We were talking about this at work today. My motorcycling colleague got pulled over & a talking from old bill today for "having one wheel in the cycle box" causing him to trot out the old "all cyclists jump red lights" argument.

After I steered the discussions we came to the conclusion that "some people are just terrible all-round drivers" whether they are on a bike, a moped, a motorcycle or a car.
 
Nearly fell off my bike as soon as I got on it this morning, as someone flytipped a barrel of cooking oil all over my street and no one has come to clear it up, despite my calling the council on Sunday.
Actually, this is probably best for another thread as I would like to find out just who is responsible for clearing it up.
I may have to resort to twitter again to get them to sort it out! Aargh!
 
I've come in to work on the 'project' bike today (my old Raleigh Record Sprint), the gears of which are an absolute basket case (the chain just rides over them when you change, instantly losing you momentum). I chose this one as I'm getting the train over to a gig in Manchester straight after work, so need to abandon the bike in the shed up here until I have means to take it home again (I'll have a hire car from work sooner or later, this the easiest of my bikes to whip off a wheel and fit in the boot). Didn't want to lose one of my more useful bikes for a few days.

I rode most of the commute in one gear (quite a high one), effectively as a single speed, until I hit the last big climb and had to try and slip into something more comfortable which just had the chain leaping and sliding all over the place. A bit stumped as to why it does this - had someone look at it in the workshop, and the adjustment is correct for riding on the big and little cogs at the back, but it just rides over most of everything else. Nothing is worn (old, solid steel non-indexed freewheel block on the back, new chain, but the old one still had the same problem). I don't really want to swap out the whole drivechain because it has the original gold-coloured crankset which matches some of the other hardware nicely (brakes and cables all gold, JSP-style bling).

Riding with drops is still a bit weird, but I reckon I can get used to it. I've not replaced the grip tape yet, but it was less bother griping the bare alloy than when I did a few test rides in the summer as I had gloves on. Feels a bit wobbly when I have to signal or reach down to the downtube shifters.
 
Dogsauce said:
I've come in to work on the 'project' bike today (my old Raleigh Record Sprint), the gears of which are an absolute basket case (the chain just rides over them when you change, instantly losing you momentum). I chose this one as I'm getting the train over to a gig in Manchester straight after work, so need to abandon the bike in the shed up here until I have means to take it home again (I'll have a hire car from work sooner or later, this the easiest of my bikes to whip off a wheel and fit in the boot). Didn't want to lose one of my more useful bikes for a few days.

I rode most of the commute in one gear (quite a high one), effectively as a single speed, until I hit the last big climb and had to try and slip into something more comfortable which just had the chain leaping and sliding all over the place. A bit stumped as to why it does this - had someone look at it in the workshop, and the adjustment is correct for riding on the big and little cogs at the back, but it just rides over most of everything else. Nothing is worn (old, solid steel non-indexed freewheel block on the back, new chain, but the old one still had the same problem). I don't really want to swap out the whole drivechain because it has the original gold-coloured crankset which matches some of the other hardware nicely (brakes and cables all gold, JSP-style bling).

Riding with drops is still a bit weird, but I reckon I can get used to it. I've not replaced the grip tape yet, but it was less bother griping the bare alloy than when I did a few test rides in the summer as I had gloves on. Feels a bit wobbly when I have to signal or reach down to the downtube shifters.
Click to expand...
How do you ride on drop handlebars? I hold the tops mostly and only hold the drops while sprinting and on the rare occasions I climb
 
Orang Utan said:
How do you ride on drop handlebars? I hold the tops mostly and only hold the drops while sprinting and on the rare occasions I climb
Click to expand...

A mix of both really, I tend to start off down, hovering over the brakes, then come up on to the tops on open road when I've picked up a bit of confidence with them. I've not ridden this bike much at all (I was hoping to have it fully running for the summer, but had problems getting hold of a new axle/cones which were non-standard) so still finding my way with it, unlike my normal commute bike which is almost an extension of myself as I ride it so much, dependable gear changes are a flick of the thumb and I know I can put some strain on it without anything jumping or slipping - total faith.

I also need to put cleated pedals on it, I've actually bought some but haven't stuck them on yet - I'm a little reticent about this as the slipping gears often mean I have to stop abruptly and stick my foot down which is harder with new and potentially stiff SPDs - I might try sticking one on to start with to wear it in and get used to it and add the other when I know stopping abruptly is manageable.
 
Someone undertook me on a roundabout today when I was going straight ahead :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

eta The only reason there was space to undertake is that I like to hug the middle/ right a little bit because otherwise people turning left overtake. I hate people.
 
Dogsauce said:
I've come in to work on the 'project' bike today (my old Raleigh Record Sprint), the gears of which are an absolute basket case (the chain just rides over them when you change, instantly losing you momentum). I chose this one as I'm getting the train over to a gig in Manchester straight after work, so need to abandon the bike in the shed up here until I have means to take it home again (I'll have a hire car from work sooner or later, this the easiest of my bikes to whip off a wheel and fit in the boot). Didn't want to lose one of my more useful bikes for a few days.

I rode most of the commute in one gear (quite a high one), effectively as a single speed, until I hit the last big climb and had to try and slip into something more comfortable which just had the chain leaping and sliding all over the place. A bit stumped as to why it does this - had someone look at it in the workshop, and the adjustment is correct for riding on the big and little cogs at the back, but it just rides over most of everything else. Nothing is worn (old, solid steel non-indexed freewheel block on the back, new chain, but the old one still had the same problem). I don't really want to swap out the whole drivechain because it has the original gold-coloured crankset which matches some of the other hardware nicely (brakes and cables all gold, JSP-style bling).

Riding with drops is still a bit weird, but I reckon I can get used to it. I've not replaced the grip tape yet, but it was less bother griping the bare alloy than when I did a few test rides in the summer as I had gloves on. Feels a bit wobbly when I have to signal or reach down to the downtube shifters.
Click to expand...

You almost certainly need to get a new freewheel. Had this exact problem on an old steel Orbit racer I was doing up in the shop the other day. His was fine on the two biggest sprockets but slipped on the rest. Even though the freewheel 'looks' ok it doesn't mesh nicely with the new chain. The old chain may have been slipping because it was fucked (rusty/stiff links or whatever) but now the new chain is slipping on the old freewheel because the freewheel has worn to match the old chain.
 
Just realised that for the second evening in a row, the driver who followed me through two traffic light cycles was more concerned with his phone conversation than the cyclist in front.

This rear camera is proving an eye-opener.

insta.gif
 
Last edited:
weepiper said:
You almost certainly need to get a new freewheel. Had this exact problem on an old steel Orbit racer I was doing up in the shop the other day. His was fine on the two biggest sprockets but slipped on the rest. Even though the freewheel 'looks' ok it doesn't mesh nicely with the new chain. The old chain may have been slipping because it was fucked (rusty/stiff links or whatever) but now the new chain is slipping on the old freewheel because the freewheel has worn to match the old chain.
Click to expand...

Thanks weepiper, think I'll give that a try. Thing is, it's always done this - this bike was my dads (swapped a ZX Spectrum for it a long time ago, from my sister's boyfriend who barely rode it - my dad hasn't ridden it much either as it's too big for him) and I used to ride it as a teenager and it used to slip in the middle gears then in exactly the same way. It needs some kind of attention anyway because if you turn it upside-down it doesn't freewheel properly, it pulls the pedals round slowly when the wheel spins.
 
Dogsauce said:
Thanks weepiper, think I'll give that a try. Thing is, it's always done this - this bike was my dads (swapped a ZX Spectrum for it a long time ago, from my sister's boyfriend who barely rode it - my dad hasn't ridden it much either as it's too big for him) and I used to ride it as a teenager and it used to slip in the middle gears then in exactly the same way. It needs some kind of attention anyway because if you turn it upside-down it doesn't freewheel properly, it pulls the pedals round slowly when the wheel spins.
Click to expand...

That's another reason to replace the freewheel. The other thing that might be making the chain jump is if the gear hanger's bent. Get someone to hold the bike upright or lean it on a wall and stand behind the rear wheel, look at the cage of the rear mech, it should be perfectly in line with the sprockets on the rear wheel. If it's leaning to one side or other the chain won't be happy

correct_size_3.jpg

this is usually less of an issue on an old bike with friction shifters but could still be causing a problem. A shop will be able to straighten it for you if it is bent
 
I wish I could find a better way to filter down this hill.
Large vehicles are wont to swing wide and fast around this blind bend and the cars don't always give me much room.

iffyfiltering.jpg
 
My Shimano chain is at the 0.5mm stage on my gauge after only 3 weeks, 150 miles.
I can't face it this week, but I'll order myself some link pliers and start rotating them next week.

I'll order up a shorter bottom bracket too. My weekly "Schleck manouevre" getting onto the granny on the way to work is annoying and it would be even more so on a Sunday ride with more than one hill.

It's sunny today - albeit not very warm, so I'll see if I can work up the energy for a 20 miler on the railway path later - my slightly drippy nose would preclude anything more challenging - but I need the psychological boost.
 
gentlegreen said:
My Shimano chain is at the 0.5mm stage on my gauge after only 3 weeks, 150 miles.
I can't face it this week, but I'll order myself some link pliers and start rotating them next week.

I'll order up a shorter bottom bracket too. My weekly "Schleck manouevre" getting onto the granny on the way to work is annoying and it would be even more so on a Sunday ride with more than one hill.

It's sunny today - albeit not very warm, so I'll see if I can work up the energy for a 20 miler on the railway path later - my slightly drippy nose would preclude anything more challenging - but I need the psychological boost.
Click to expand...

Are you sure your gauge is accurate?? That's ridiculous.
 
Thanks. :)

I have to admit I'm a bit sceptical of the accuracy of a short gauge.

When I start hanging my chains up to dry after cleaning them properly at last, I'll set up something on a board.
 
I've just measured this morning's ride on a online tracker and it turns out I did 18 miles, which is a lot further than I thought it was.
 
This week, with a couple of exceptions, I am not riding in any cycle lanes but am taking the middle of any lane I ride in, even if there is a cycle lane. The only exceptions are after a couple of sharpish bends.

I am also seeing if I can get through the coming cold spell in shorts. I reckon I can make it! Half an hour of coldness is good for you and keeps you mega-alert
 
Wind was fun today! I set off loads earlier than normal so there'd be less traffic about to drift into in crosswinds, some pretty scary gusts out there (also rain was forecast starting between 7 and 8 and didn't want that to contend with). One bit of Leeds is closed due to the wind - at a location where a lorry blew over a couple of years ago and squashed a pedestrian. Tall buildings are shitty. Wind (25-30mph)right up my arse most of the ride, quite good fun with the odd white-knuckle gust from the side.
 
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