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  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    edited December 2017
    Third time I've pushed thumb in 3 weeks through my one and only merino baselayer this morning - much colder than I expected (mis read of thermometer) and following some out of saddle exertion to warm up, had to pull it down again.

    18 years old, and has been a weekly wear & wash for over a year appears to be taking it's toll on it.
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,821
    Wolfsbane2k wrote:
    Third thumb...
    Most of us only have two thumbs, burn the witch.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Wolfsbane2k wrote:
    Third thumb...
    Most of us only have two thumbs, burn the witch.

    Cackle Cackle.....
    :oops:
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • dyrlac
    dyrlac Posts: 751
    DrHaggis wrote:
    I'm going to hypothesise that losing a substantial amount of weight (say 10kg/20lbs or more) is more difficult thant quitting smoking. I'll base that first on anecdotal evidence: several friends/family members quit smoking, can only recall 2 losing the above amount of weight.

    Will counter your anecdata with my own: I dropped from 95kg (in 2013) to 73.4kg (as of today) without changing my diet at all but massively increasing activity levels (adding c. 1000 incremental calories/day*, plus a fair amount of strength training in the early days to increase my metabolic rate). I am, however, still partial to the occasional coffin nail :oops: , which I've been totally unable to give up for good.

    *This is now something of a set of golden handcuffs: I'll gain 5kg in a fortnight if I let the intensity slip even a little bit.
    All my Dolans
    Cannondale CAADX
    Charge Plug 1
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    Dyrlac wrote:
    DrHaggis wrote:
    I'm going to hypothesise that losing a substantial amount of weight (say 10kg/20lbs or more) is more difficult thant quitting smoking. I'll base that first on anecdotal evidence: several friends/family members quit smoking, can only recall 2 losing the above amount of weight.

    Will counter your anecdata with my own: I dropped from 95kg (in 2013) to 73.4kg (as of today) without changing my diet at all but massively increasing activity levels (adding c. 1000 incremental calories/day*, plus a fair amount of strength training in the early days to increase my metabolic rate). I am, however, still partial to the occasional coffin nail :oops: , which I've been totally unable to give up for good.

    *This is now something of a set of golden handcuffs: I'll gain 5kg in a fortnight if I let the intensity slip even a little bit.

    Plus my anecdata - I have gone from 102kg in 2013 to 85kg now without mindfully changing my diet. Packed in a 20 plus year 20-a-day addiction approx. 7 years ago (gave up for 2 years aged 30, then made the mistake of thinking I could have "just one", and was back on 20-a-day for another 2 years before finally stopping. Mind you, I'm a devil for booze...
  • dinyull
    dinyull Posts: 2,979
    Set some time aside this weekend to service the disc brake calipers, replace the chain and give a good clean to the commuter.

    Get to the garage and can't for the life of me find the chain I bought a few weeks back. Good half hour wasted.

    Got the calipers off no problem and set off servicing them. All well and good on the first caliper, although took slightly longer as I was doing for the first time and wanted to make sure I was doing correctly.

    2nd caliper, can't remove pads because as some point I've rounded off the pad retaining bolt. Mess on trying to remove bolt before realising if I get it off, I'll not get it back on with a new one. Another half hour wasted.

    Just about to head back to the garage to re-fit to the bike and get ready for the morning before the wife announces she's off to do the "big shop". Would usually let her get on with it, but with us recently having our first child didn't seem fair to let her do it all herself with bairn in tow.

    Roadworks on the way to shop, mountains of people in the shop, petrol run and dog food run meant another couple of hours wasted. Darkness stopped play getting the commuter back up and running so instead make sure the best bike is ready to go: inflate tyres, check brakes and gears so all is good.

    Until I open the garage this morning to a fairy visit. And then find the chain where I had checked at least 5 times yesterday.

    Any time I have to mess with disc brakes something ALWAYS goes wrong. Mechanical discs are the devils work.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    Not one, not two, but 3 double decker buses went straight through a red light I was sat at this morning on the way in.

    No excuses, it hadn't just gone red from amber, but was red for ages. The second 2 had actually stopped before they decided to just go through it.
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Dinyull wrote:
    Get to the garage and can't for the life of me find the chain I bought a few weeks back. Good half hour wasted.
    And then find the chain where I had checked at least 5 times yesterday.
    Get used to it ...

    In about a year you'll be putting stuff down where little one can't reach it - then forget where you put it and waste time trying to find it - only to find it where you thought you'd put it to start with - and had checked several times ...
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    elbowloh wrote:
    Not one, not two, but 3 double decker buses went straight through a red light I was sat at this morning on the way in.

    No excuses, it hadn't just gone red from amber, but was red for ages. The second 2 had actually stopped before they decided to just go through it.

    No they didn't. Only ALL CYCLISTS run red lights. No one else. Ever.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,821
    Just pulling away from a green light having waited for an ambulance to pass and had to stop again as a car went straight across the front of me at speed. Checked my light was definitely green so I can only assume the twunt in the car normally cycles.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,154
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Just pulling away from a green light having waited for an ambulance to pass and had to stop again as a car went straight across the front of me at speed. Checked my light was definitely green so I can only assume the twunt in the car normally cycles.

    You need your eyes checked, it must have been a bike.
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Just pulling away from a green light having waited for an ambulance to pass and had to stop again as a car went straight across the front of me at speed. Checked my light was definitely green so I can only assume the twunt in the car normally cycles.

    You need your eyes checked, it must have been a bike.

    Two bikes in parallel, as a matter of fact, for he saw 4 wheels moving in unison.
  • fat_tail
    fat_tail Posts: 786
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Ridley Fenix SL
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.

    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.

    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    _
  • fat_tail
    fat_tail Posts: 786
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.

    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.

    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.

    still a no cycling sign...
    Ridley Fenix SL
  • rower63
    rower63 Posts: 1,991
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...
    Dolan Titanium ADX 2016
    Ridley Noah FAST 2013
    Bottecchia/Campagnolo 1990
    Carrera Parva Hybrid 2016
    Hoy Sa Calobra 002 2014 [off duty]
    Storck Absolutist 2011 [off duty]
    http://www.slidingseat.net/cycling/cycling.html
  • drhaggis
    drhaggis Posts: 1,150
    Riding home yesterday, there were a minibus and a cab parked on double yellows on Haymarket, Edinburg. This would only be an annoyance, exept for the fact that they were on the bike lane, after a crossing, and pushing the cyclists into traffic AND on a shallow angle over the tramlines. Farking idiots.

    I really should have stopped, pictured the offenders, and send the images to the Police, because there have been several cyclists injured there due to the tramlines.
  • fat_tail
    fat_tail Posts: 786
    rower63 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...

    two massive signs with a red circle and a bicycle inside.... can't miss them.

    I don't mind someone ignoring me when I point out that they are breaking the law - but to tell me I don't know the highway code is going too far...

    and when we get to Vauxhall bridge, this plonker comes along dismounts (this time), uses the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side by which time the lights change and we all got ahead of him...
    Ridley Fenix SL
  • wolfsbane2k
    wolfsbane2k Posts: 3,056
    Fasting blood test today. That means no food, let alone no coffee until 4 hours after being awake.
    This meant todays ride in was not in the best of mood.. my tolerance in the morning for idiots is normally bad... today:
    :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil: :shock:
    Intent on Cycling Commuting on a budget, but keep on breaking/crashing/finding nice stuff to buy.
    Bike 1 (Broken) - Bike 2(Borked) - Bike 3(broken spokes) - Bike 4( Needs Work) - Bike 5 (in bits) - Bike 6* ...
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    fat_tail wrote:
    rower63 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...

    two massive signs with a red circle and a bicycle inside.... can't miss them.

    I don't mind someone ignoring me when I point out that they are breaking the law - but to tell me I don't know the highway code is going too far...

    and when we get to Vauxhall bridge, this plonker comes along dismounts (this time), uses the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side by which time the lights change and we all got ahead of him...
    There are about 5 signs now. They're big; if you don't see them you're quite likely to crash into them. I pointed them out to one guy this morning, who totally blanked me. I quite enjoyed the irony when he started f-ing and blinding at a taxi driver on Millbank, and then got even more upset when the driver blanked him.

    It's too narrow to filter there; I figure the two options are either to sit in primary and move forward with the traffic (which actually isn't too bad) or get off and walk along the pavement. You can hardly ride along the pavement, past 5 "no cycling" signs and numerous pedestrians, and then get upset when a car driver breaks the rules. And if a zombie iPed did randomly veer in front of you, causing you to hit them, they could quite reasonably claim that they didn't expect a cyclist to be there...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,154
    fat_tail wrote:
    rower63 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...

    two massive signs with a red circle and a bicycle inside.... can't miss them.

    I don't mind someone ignoring me when I point out that they are breaking the law - but to tell me I don't know the highway code is going too far...

    and when we get to Vauxhall bridge, this plonker comes along dismounts (this time), uses the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side by which time the lights change and we all got ahead of him...

    What we need is for cyclists to have to pass a test before they can ride a bike. And insurance. And helmets. And hi viz. And road tax.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    TGOTB wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    rower63 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...

    two massive signs with a red circle and a bicycle inside.... can't miss them.

    I don't mind someone ignoring me when I point out that they are breaking the law - but to tell me I don't know the highway code is going too far...

    and when we get to Vauxhall bridge, this plonker comes along dismounts (this time), uses the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side by which time the lights change and we all got ahead of him...
    There are about 5 signs now. They're big; if you don't see them you're quite likely to crash into them. I pointed them out to one guy this morning, who totally blanked me. I quite enjoyed the irony when he started f-ing and blinding at a taxi driver on Millbank, and then got even more upset when the driver blanked him.

    It's too narrow to filter there; I figure the two options are either to sit in primary and move forward with the traffic (which actually isn't too bad) or get off and walk along the pavement. You can hardly ride along the pavement, past 5 "no cycling" signs and numerous pedestrians, and then get upset when a car driver breaks the rules. And if a zombie iPed did randomly veer in front of you, causing you to hit them, they could quite reasonably claim that they didn't expect a cyclist to be there...

    My cost-benefit-analysis falls squarely on riding on the pavement for that 30m stretch.
    _
  • fat_tail
    fat_tail Posts: 786
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    rower63 wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    fat_tail wrote:
    Pointed out to an idiot whole was riding on the pavement by the road works near chelsea bridge (heading east) that he was not allowed to cycle on the pavement. He had just gone past two large signs with a red circle and bicycle inside. He then proceeded to tell me that I didn't know how to read the signs and that it was actually permitted.
    Meh. In this instance I did this this morning, along with 20-30 other push-bikes.
    Spied 3 tipper trucks up ahead, and figured I wasn't going to be hanging around those on a very narrow road.
    I haven't noticed the no cycling sign, and I have been using that section of pavement when the extremely-narrow lane has been choked with HGVs, which it usually is.
    Given that the pavement on the other side was/is "shared use" I thought it reasonable to assume that the other side is as well, while the works are going on. It would certainly make sense, but no, they'd prefer us to mix it with the HGVs ...

    two massive signs with a red circle and a bicycle inside.... can't miss them.

    I don't mind someone ignoring me when I point out that they are breaking the law - but to tell me I don't know the highway code is going too far...

    and when we get to Vauxhall bridge, this plonker comes along dismounts (this time), uses the pedestrian crossing to get to the other side by which time the lights change and we all got ahead of him...
    There are about 5 signs now. They're big; if you don't see them you're quite likely to crash into them. I pointed them out to one guy this morning, who totally blanked me. I quite enjoyed the irony when he started f-ing and blinding at a taxi driver on Millbank, and then got even more upset when the driver blanked him.

    It's too narrow to filter there; I figure the two options are either to sit in primary and move forward with the traffic (which actually isn't too bad) or get off and walk along the pavement. You can hardly ride along the pavement, past 5 "no cycling" signs and numerous pedestrians, and then get upset when a car driver breaks the rules. And if a zombie iPed did randomly veer in front of you, causing you to hit them, they could quite reasonably claim that they didn't expect a cyclist to be there...

    My cost-benefit-analysis falls squarely on riding on the pavement for that 30m stretch.

    that's your call obviously but if I call you out on it don't tell me I don't know how to read the road sign (not saying that YOU did but just in case) ... also it's a bit more than 30m from the start of the pavement to the lights.
    Ridley Fenix SL
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Aye but I had dodged the tipper truck who’d already passed me during the contraflow bit.

    I wasn’t gonna hang around it.

    And TBH, as a gobby one myself, call someone out on something, expect to be told to f¥ck off.
    _
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    OR, and this is a bit crazy, you could go a different route?

    Not familiar with the road in question so might not be an option ;-)
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    My cost-benefit-analysis falls squarely on riding on the pavement for that 30m stretch.
    Hmmm... So walking 30m at 4mph (1.7m/s) takes about 18 seconds. Riding the same 30m at 12mph will take about 6 seconds, so just over 12 seconds quicker. I guess your time must be more valuable than mine!
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    TimothyW wrote:
    OR, and this is a bit crazy, you could go a different route?

    Not familiar with the road in question so might not be an option ;-)
    Or just ride in primary with the traffic; it actually moves reasonably well when the lights are green. Of the riders who overtook me down the pavement this morning, I'd already passed most of them by the lights after the railway bridge (which must be all of 200 yards beyond the junction...)
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    TGOTB wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    My cost-benefit-analysis falls squarely on riding on the pavement for that 30m stretch.
    your time must be more valuable than mine!

    A fair assessment ;)
    _
  • dyrlac
    dyrlac Posts: 751
    Eh, I did the same this morning, and for the same reasons. Will probably do it again. Pavement is as wide as the road at that point (not counting the trees) and there's very little ped traffic there in any event. About as big of a sin as the cheeky left from the Westminster bridge road main traffic lane onto the Vicky Embankment superhighway (which I do every single day, and normally involves crossing a green man). While I will ruefully and po-facedly accept a ticket if nicked by the officers of the law (inevitable sometime while these works are going on), I don't think the mere existence of a silly sign confers any particular moral obligation.

    Oddly it is much nicer pavement than the other side, which is (when not taken up by SuperSewer works) shared space.

    And, you can't go a different way. Greg's map clearly showed the presence of a big-ass Dragon on the south-of-the-river route.
    All my Dolans
    Cannondale CAADX
    Charge Plug 1
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Dyrlac wrote:
    Eh, I did the same this morning, and for the same reasons. Will probably do it again. Pavement is as wide as the road at that point (not counting the trees) and there's very little ped traffic there in any event. About as big of a sin as the cheeky left from the Westminster bridge road main traffic lane onto the Vicky Embankment superhighway (which I do every single day, and normally involves crossing a green man). While I will ruefully and po-facedly accept a ticket if nicked by the officers of the law (inevitable sometime while these works are going on), I don't think the mere existence of a silly sign confers any particular moral obligation.

    Oddly it is much nicer pavement than the other side, which is (when not taken up by SuperSewer works) shared space.

    And, you can't go a different way. Greg's map clearly showed the presence of a big-ass Dragon on the south-of-the-river route.
    I think the main issue for me is the presence of the massive signs. At a time when we're trying to earn the respect of drivers, a bunch of cyclists blatantly riding up the pavement past several massive "no cycling" signs only serves to reinforce the stereotype of cyclists ignoring the rules, and gives ammunition to people arguing that we should have to have licences, take tests etc.
    Pannier, 120rpm.

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