How was your cycle commute?

[dlx1]

Anyone know any map apps that I can plan routes on? Can't do it on Google Maps.

Draw with and save file.
Ridewithgps / Strava / Garmin comet / Everytrail - easy to make route and free export.

Bikehub - will give you turn by turn with voice so can stick phone in pocket no need to have on bars.

Should you want 99p do phone pouch clips to bars.

Just remembered Ridewithgps can made route and save but can't export unless payed member. So no good

 

[Orang Utan]

Strava!NOOOOOOOOOOO!
I don't want to be consulting it while I'm riding it. I just want to plan my route

 

[dlx1]

Re look I edit post
PM

 

[iamwithnail]

Gmap-pedometer.com

 

[sleaterkinney]

I just use Google maps and have it call out directions from my pocket.

There is a sale of winter bike clothing in aldi today.

 

[Crispy]

First puncture in absolutely ages last night.
Tore the tube while getting the tire off >_<
Had to walk a mile to the nearest bike shop for a new one.

 

[Dogsauce]

Very misty at the top of the hill today (work end), like I'd gone up into the clouds. Felt nice and cool after the slog up Selby Rd.

 

[Orang Utan]

I just use Google maps and have it call out directions from my pocket.

That's only good for the quickest route though

 

[Crispy]

That's only good for the quickest route though

And even that's no good. I just asked gmaps for my cycle home and it takes me on all sorts of detours.

 

[Dogsauce]

I've taken screen shots of google or apple maps aerial photos of my route before and saved them on my ipod touch, then just scrolled through them sequentially. Saved killing the phone battery. For the difficult bits I had zoomed out and zoomed in pictures. Doesn't really work as a 'real time' guide, but phone is there as a back up.

Did this on my epic Christmas parental visit run last year (just before the gales hit, 20mph+ headwind all the way), and it only fucked up somewhere around Yate where I didn't have a far enough zoomed out shot and my phone was dead, ended up stuck on a waterlogged bridleway. On other touring trips it's been pretty good.

 

[Orang Utan]

And even that's no good. I just asked gmaps for my cycle home and it takes me on all sorts of detours.

If i want the actual quickest route on that, I just pick the car rather than the bike.

 

[Crispy]

If i want the actual quickest route on that, I just pick the car rather than the bike.

Ah but that's no good either, because it ignores cycle-only routes, several of which make my route much more direct.

 

[stavros]

I just had a little 7.5m trundle this morning, as I get to learn the area I've just moved to.

 

[han]

I find the Bikehub app to be great for route planning and realtime navigation. You have a choice of quickest, mixed, quietest. I always choose quietest as I like exploring side streets and using the NCN.

 

[Orang Utan]

What's the NCN?

 

[BigTom]

Sustran's National Cycle Network

 

[Dogsauce]

I felt a little anxious when I saw that while I was out at the shops yesterday Amazon had delivered my new Garmin to no.2, which comprises a number of bedsits generally let to people a bit dodgy or down on their luck. After popping round to knock on the door several times (and seeing lights and telly on with windows open, so someone was in) I finally caught up with the guy who'd signed for it in the street outside in the evening, and it turns out coincidentally that he'd been burgled in the afternoon and my parcel was among the things taken. What are the chances?

Fortunately Amazon are sending me a replacement at no cost (which involved surprisingly little persuasion on my part).

 

[Dogsauce]

Coldest day since last winter, about 1 degrees here. Forehead stinging on the initial 2-mile downhill, I'm going to have to double-Buff* it if it's like this again, one for the top, one for the bottom. The fleece balaclava can wait until the dial goes a couple of notches south of zero.

(*or generic three-for-a-fiver TK Maxx equivalent)

 

[Virtual Blue]

do any of you get teary eyes from the cold weather?
what's the fix?

Coldest day since last winter, about 1 degrees here. Forehead stinging on the initial 2-mile downhill, I'm going to have to double-Buff* it if it's like this again, one for the top, one for the bottom. The fleece balaclava can wait until the dial goes a couple of notches south of zero.

(*or generic three-for-a-fiver TK Maxx equivalent)

i have never seen any other cyclists apart from me who wear a balaclava!
i have the gimpy ones with the mouth and eye holes. can't wait to start wearing that outdoors!!

 

[The Boy]

do any of you get teary eyes from the cold weather?
what's the fix?

You tried glasses?

 

[Virtual Blue]

You tried glasses?

yeah but the ones i tried tend to fog up.
i have tried my extremely wide swimming goggles but they look a tad OTT.
feel foolish cycling with them.

 

[The Boy]

Fair enough. I'm out of ideas tbh. Always used to suffer from it at the start of a ride but it passed quickly enough.

 

[Dogsauce]

I get really bad teary (then later dry) eyes, so always wear glasses when riding. They only steam up when I'm stationary.

At the moment, since leaving one Aldi set at another office and a lense falling out of the other pair I had I'm reduced to using safety specs from work, which aren't very comfortable, so am after something new. What's good/good value?

 

[Virtual Blue]

these are decent but they look like swimming goggles - which they are. I have the ones on the far right.

Looking for something less obvious.

 

[a_chap]

A bit parky this morning.

Wore a full wooly hat instead of the cycling cap, but my head started to melt wearing it on the way home at lunchtime

do any of you get teary eyes from the cold weather?
what's the fix?

I ride with my eyes closed.

 

[hash tag]

You ride with your eyes closed! It was you that hit me this morning, wasnt it.

 

[a_chap]

That bump was a person was it? Oops.

 

[stavros]

My front gear cable has gone again. I was already without the smallest chainset due to the adjustment screws being set, but now I'm just on the central set.

 

[a_chap]

Just got back from a 200km ride. It was either in the Arctic or the Cotswalds. Not sure which.

Must. Buy. Thermal. Socks.

 

[ringo]

Cyclist very badly injured in Farringdon near Mount Pleasant after a collision with a skip lorry. Air ambulance has just left