How was your cycle commute?

[a_chap]

Today I ordered myself a new Carradice bag.

 

[ChrisD]

That will last for ages...i still have some car radical luggage a bought in 1980. I remember my sister thinking it was Italian (lots of bike stiff was then) and pronouncing it "carra- ditch- a" I'm sure that's not the way it's spoken in Nelson (or it made in China these days?)

 

[ChrisD]

"Car radical" is my bloody phone correcting "carradice"

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

people say the new ones aren't as good as the old ones, be interested to hear what you thing a_chap

 

[a_chap]

That will last for ages...i still have some car radical luggage a bought in 1980. I remember my sister thinking it was Italian (lots of bike stiff was then) and pronouncing it "carra- ditch- a" I'm sure that's not the way it's spoken in Nelson (or it made in China these days?)

Fear not Carradices are still made in Nelson. In fact each one has a label inside with the name of the person who made it!

people say the new ones aren't as good as the old ones, be interested to hear what you thing a_chap

This bag's replacing a previous Carradice bag which "only" lasted about 6 years and 20,000 miles. There seems to me to be two types of Carradice bag; the old type (which is what I've bought) and the new type (which is what I'm replacing).

The main difference would seem that the old types are held together with leather straps and the new type, zips. Also some of the new types have handy bungy cords and/or elastic straps to attach pumps, etc. Well, the old (er... "new") bag I'm replacing with the new (er... "old") bag is being replaced because the bungy, elastic straps and (one of the) zips have failed. The rest of the bag itself is basically as good as new.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

its all about the dowling

 

[weepiper]

It is NOT cycling weather out there.

 

[a_chap]

Au contraire young lady. May I refer you to the remarkable Emily Chappell who is currently cycling from Anchorage to Seattle. Today she was grateful for it only being -10C...

ETA: sorry, forgot to add a link to her web site

http://thatemilychappell.com/about/

If you look hard enough you'll find a picture of me.....

 

[gaijingirl]

cycling back this evening with my 2 children - aged 5 and 2, we used a pedestrian crossing (to cross a very major intersection/road). The 5 year old was cycling herself - the 2 year old on the back on bike. So we wait for the green man - go to cross and and a fucking knobstainwankshaftfuckwit comes this close to mowing down my 5 year old on her bike as he attempts to drive through the pedestrian crossing (on green for pedestrians). I have never screamed so loud in my entire life.

 

[weepiper]

Shitting hell gaijingirl glad you're all ok. Close calls are horrible enough when it's just yourself involved.

 

[The Boy]

It is NOT cycling weather out there.

View attachment 68344

The wind was shit, but I did find myself thinking about the days I would have happily cycled in that.

Then again, I'm hoping for better tomorrow when I'm actually going to be on my bike....

 

[weepiper]

I did cycle in it. I wouldn't say I was happy about it though.

 

[The Boy]

cycling back this evening with my 2 children - aged 5 and 2, we used a pedestrian crossing (to cross a very major intersection/road). The 5 year old was cycling herself - the 2 year old on the back on bike. So we wait for the green man - go to cross and and a fucking knobstainwankshaftfuckwit comes this close to mowing down my 5 year old on her bike as he attempts to drive through the pedestrian crossing (on green for pedestrians). I have never screamed so loud in my entire life.

Horrible. I went ape shit a while back at a securicor driver who nearly took out a baby in a pram in similar circumstances. The fact that there is a video billboard at the end of the road is no doubt entirely coincidental.

 

[The Boy]

I did cycle in it. I wouldn't say I was happy about it though.

Aye, fair enough not to be

 

[gaijingirl]

Shitting hell gaijingirl glad you're all ok. Close calls are horrible enough when it's just yourself involved.

Horrible. I went ape shit a while back at a securicor driver who nearly took out a baby in a pram in similar circumstances. The fact that there is a video billboard at the end of the road is no doubt entirely coincidental.

I think I have significantly shortened my life span through shock. She looked at me about to burst into tears and then, heroically, got over it. Later we talked about it and I told her that she can't just rely on a green man but must look carefully too. I suppose it's a lesson. It's probably a good thing I had the tiddler on the back of my bike because I might have lost it otherwise.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Horrible story, I hope you the little'un are ok.

 

[ffsear]

I agree. Astonishing bright red sky at dawn today. Made Bredon Hill look like it was on Mars.

I grew up on Bredon Hill!

 

[The Boy]

Lovely, lovely, lovely today. I didn't even care about the wind.

 

[a_chap]

I grew up on Bredon Hill!

What? Actually on the hill? Blimey.

 

[The Boy]

How is it possible to be so fucking windy - and I do mean cycling like a trojan while going downhill windy here - while having little to no effect on the trees outside my window. I though it was short sleeves weather

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

My commute was on thameslink as I had to leave the bike at home (wearing a whistle). Trains are shite!

 

[toblerone3]

a lot of really really bad driving out there tonight in Hackney and Islington left hooks, right hooks cars driving straight at you at speed on narrow roads. Quite scary. Probably people getting away for a Spring weekend. But what gives people the excuse to endanger people's lives just because they are frustrated by being stuck in a traffic jam for ages!

 

[a_chap]

My lovely new Carradice bag arrived

Very much made in Britain. By Sue in fact

 

[a_chap]

Lord help me - I'm just trying to attach it to the bike. It's a fecking HUGE bag

 

[braindancer]

First day of summer! Beautiful day for a ride.... went to Southend - fish and chips on the beach in glorious sunshine then back home - 92 miles - longest ride of the year so far. Felt pretty good most of the way - until the last 10 miles which were a bit of a drag...

 

[stavros]

I though it was short sleeves weather

It was for me today, although I'll concede there was a pretty fierce wind. A warm one though.

 

[The Boy]

It was for me today, although I'll concede there was a pretty fierce wind. A warm one though.

Windy enough to keep me off the bike today.

 

[stavros]

I think it was marginally less windy today, but still noticeable.

My rear mech is making a odd sporadic noise, I think on each revolution of the chain. I've tried replicating it with the bike upside down and pedalling with my hands, but it doesn't seem to do it then. All the links look OK and it doesn't seem to be rubbing on anything.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

are you using a powelink?

 

[han]

I've noticed a load more cyclists dismounting and running through red lights then re-mounting the other side lately.
I still catch them up after having waited for the lights to change, it's bizarre behaivour.

I always cross the road at the lights (though I walk, not run) at busy junctions, these days. There are some particularly bad ones that I don't want to risk getting squished. Tremadoc into Clapham Rd , the road around the Oval turning R to get around the side of the Oval to Vauxhaull St. Cars don't let you turn right so it's safer to cross at the lights.