Silly commuting racing

Clever Pun

itboffin wrote:

A interesting quote from Dr David Bailey, a physiologist for British Cycling.

I have not cycled seriously for a few years, but I still ride to work most days, slipstreaming commuters, not satisfied until I have broken the 50-year-old man on a Brompton who is oblivious to the race he has not entered.

Sound familiar...?

I hope he's riding a shopper

DiggingDeeper

Clever Pun wrote:

itboffin wrote:

A interesting quote from Dr David Bailey, a physiologist for British Cycling.

I have not cycled seriously for a few years, but I still ride to work most days, slipstreaming commuters, not satisfied until I have broken the 50-year-old man on a Brompton who is oblivious to the race he has not entered.

Sound familiar...?

I hope he's riding a shopper

Nah, can't be a proper SCR ...he's a drafting fairy!

itboffin

Just a short virtual commute for me today had to stop due to the loudest crunching noises coming from everything, this winter muck has worn out just about everything including a brand new set of headset bearings.

There was one hell of a gusty headwind today, a real stop you in your tracks breeze. I only saw one cyclist and he looked like he wasn't have much fun either, typically he was going the other way as well.

ansbaradigeidfran

Got an almost-scalp this evening: shame the ninja was riding along the pavement.

In other news, while going through a supermarket car park, a taxi driver didn't expect me to be hiding behind a car turning left, and was surprised to find me in his way as he started pulling out. I gave him an extremely goofy grin, and pootled on to the cycle racks.

ChrisLS

...it being Christmas and all that do you think we should cease SCR, meet in no mans land, sing carols and play football...


...or will Greg T have us all shot?

Totalnewbie

It's awful quiet out there...

gtvlusso

No scalps, was out too early at 6am.....no one to see my snazzy new "Stars 'n stripes" bar tape....boo

il_principe

Dammit dammit dammit dammit.

Picture the scene - it's Saturday am and I'm so hungover I can hardly move. I get up early and dress so that I'm ready to answer the door and take delivery of my new wheels. I don't take a shower as I'm the only one in and I cannot miss the doorbell - my new wheels are arriving today and I'm very excited.

1pm - desperate for a shower now and feeling very very sick (I don't cope well with hangovers) doorbell goes - it's some religious nut who wants to talk about Jesus. The Christmas spirit is not with me so I snap something rude about fairytales and hang up the intercom.

2pm, buzzer again and it's the wheels - let joy be unbounded! I unbox them in a state of feverish excitement, take out the rear wheel and by God it is beautiful, lovely carbon and glossy red and white decals, beautiful DT Swiss 190 ceramic hubs. And they've even pre-installed the rim tape!



I pause momentarily to wipe the drool off my chin and dive in for the front wheel, pull it out and give it a spin:

RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE. Noooo, what foul noise is this? There's something loose trapped inside the rim, I'm nearly in tears at the injustice of it all.

3 HOURS of fiddling later and I've concluded that part or all of a spoke nipple is free-ranging around the rim interior. I try everything to get the bugger out via the valve hole but to no avail, then retire to my bathroom for a quiet vom and perhaps a little cry. :oops:

*Sniffs Why do things like this always happen to me? Last month I bought a new washing machine - first one arrived, fitters unpack it and it's broken. Second one arrives a week later and that's broken too. Third one works.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Just arranged for a courier to take the wheel back, seriously fcuked off. :evil:

Rant over.

Dead this morning, dead on the roads, dead in the office.

:?

gert_lush

Another quiet ride in this morning and a bit slower than normal due to the weekends excess of food and drink
I was however mightly pleased by how quiet the bike was sounding today after its first clean and oil in 6 months, maybe I should do this more often! The brakes even work and everything!

attica

Tough luck Jash

So did you wheelie all the way to work this morning?

gert_lush

Attica wrote:

Tough luck Jash

So did you wheelie all the way to work this morning?

...like cannonball run

Totalnewbie

Condolences, that is very frustrating and I well know the feeling.

In a similar vein I ordered a bunch of parts to replace bits of my tourer's worn drivechain including a freewheel remover to get the old cogs off (as opposed to the lockring tool you would use for a more modern bike).

I had every shiny part ready from various ebay sellers (brand new freewheel block, derailleur, new chain etc) but one seller sent me a lockring tool instead of a freewheel remover, and at first wouldn't even agree that they were, in fact, different tools...I had to send it back (they said they would refund my postage; they haven't yet) and wait for the right one to arrive, which the cheeky feckers sent second class!

The vital tool has only just arrived on my desk, and of course I have no time to do the work now as Xmas is almost upon us and I'll be sodding off to my family soon, sans bikes. I'm now past caring. Bah.

il_principe

Attica wrote:

Tough luck Jash

So did you wheelie all the way to work this morning?

Nope! Them's not commuting wheels...

Still annoyed though!

biondino

It still hasn't happened to me (touch wood) but I did see someone else's chain go this morning, luckily as they were crossing a road at some lights (let's not think about what they were doing cycling on a pedestrian crossing and just be glad they didn't get hurt). Does it usually happen when you're putting your foot down to get started, like it did to this guy? I could live with that - my fear is I'm doing 20 and stand up to power past a milk float or something only to wipe out at high speed on the wrong side of the road...

il_principe

Shouldn't happen if you buy a decent chain, maintain it properly and replace it once it's worn. As ever good maintenance is the key to prevention.

wgwarburton

jashburnham writes:

> 3 HOURS of fiddling later and I've concluded that part or all of a spoke nipple is free-ranging around the rim interior. I try everything to get the bugger out via the valve hole but to no avail

Out of interest, what did you try? What are the nipples made of, and were you able to move it around the inside of the rim to get it to the valve-hole?

Cheers,
W.

il_principe

WGWarburton wrote:

jashburnham writes:

> 3 HOURS of fiddling later and I've concluded that part or all of a spoke nipple is free-ranging around the rim interior. I try everything to get the bugger out via the valve hole but to no avail

Out of interest, what did you try? What are the nipples made of, and were you able to move it around the inside of the rim to get it to the valve-hole?

Cheers,
W.

DT Pro Lock Brass nipples. I've tried shaking, cotton buds, coathanger, reversed valve extender, suction with a hoover - basically anything I could think of. If I rotate the wheel then the nipple moves around - so i managed to get it sitting in the valve hole but only lying flat - it might fit through if it was vertical but despite hours of nipple poking ( :oops:) I just couldn't get it free,

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

Dammit dammit dammit dammit.

:?

Jash - I'd be livid too. Unlucky. Nice wheels though. 8)

My youngest daughter inserted part of a Bic pen into the rim of my decidedly less flash wheels - - in the summer. Had to insert a pencil into one of the spoke holes (before rim tape was fitted) to block it off and then use some tweezers (wife not at all happy) to get the offending object out. One of the most infuriating things I've ever done, but you feel like you've conquered all before you once you've got the little b*****d out.

cjcp

Was enjoying a nice quiet pootle this morning - was really quite pleased there was no one on the road.

And then I spotted a red flashing light in the distance, and what looked like team kit. "Oh, b*ugger", I thought. So I set off in pursuit.

It was indeed a roadie in team kit. A bit of luck with the light sequences and I got him on the NKR, while scooping up another one during my pursuit (who didn't seem to like me passing him much and put his foot down again, then RLJ'd :roll: ).

All quiet again after that.

itboffin

ooooh 1000 in your face GT that one you can't win.

Still watching you

No scalps for days not even the school run now

il_principe

5 posts a day eh? Addict.

Bassjunkieuk

Sorry to hear about the wheels James, it does suck having to wait in for deliveries only for them to be broken! I had to postpone by birthday meal out as a delivery that had a 7:00-19:00 time slot turned up at 18:30, by which point the restaurant would have been full.

Thankfully the 2nd eldest (who I share the b-day with) and her friend where happy enough to have fish and chips instead of Nando's :-)

Specialized Needs

biondino wrote:

It still hasn't happened to me (touch wood) but I did see someone else's chain go this morning, luckily as they were crossing a road at some lights (let's not think about what they were doing cycling on a pedestrian crossing and just be glad they didn't get hurt). Does it usually happen when you're putting your foot down to get started, like it did to this guy? I could live with that - my fear is I'm doing 20 and stand up to power past a milk float or something only to wipe out at high speed on the wrong side of the road...

My only experience of this so far, on my old bike last September (prompted me to finally get around to buying a new one), was pulling away from stopped on a slight incline (onto roundabout at Lambeth Bridge/Millbank travelling West). I was standing up and pushing down hard to try to get away from the zebra crossing and beat the taxis coming round, and ended up 5 yds into the junction with no power :oops: . Fortunately kept my balance.

So, in my experince: old chain + heavy rider + attempted mucho power = broken chain.

Gadge

Pitched up to the office by tube a couple of times last week (meeting and alcohol).

Couldn't help noticing how quick some of those peds march to the station.
All seemingly not trying but moving pretty fast. Sound familiar???
Suspecting a walking form of commuter racing, it was scalp or be scalped.

Tied on 2nd day with a fetching young lady in a rather motivating outfit. l made a huge undetectable effort to catch her up then maintained the same, eye poppingly, perfect distance between us as we scalped several suits that I judged to be worthy contenders for us in my new "size and sex matters" ped walking food chain.

Worst bit was arriving at the station and having to get on the cattle trucks provided by the LUG these days. How do they do it every day

Spitchips - BANNED

Tried racing some fellow bike riders but one guy bottled out of it because 'I've a heavy back pack'.
I replied well I have a heavy toolkit and pannier rack but he still did not rise to challenge. Rode at full pelt down the stretch anyhow and he still kept up with me.

Another guy on a road bike took the challenge and that was a real close photo finish job!!!!!!

girv73

duncedunce wrote:

So, in my experince: old chain + heavy rider + attempted mucho power = broken chain.

Word. Been there, broke that, while overtaking a parked bus in city centre, morning rush hour traffic. This was on an old bike on a chain that'd done a few 000 on- and off-road miles, long ago in the days before I knew about drivetrain maintenance.

itboffin

jashburnham wrote:

5 posts a day eh? Addict.

Hey jash want to see a picture of the worlds most expensive rattle...?



:twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

il_principe

You cheeky fcuker!

Jay dubbleU

Jash - have you tried tweezers - wives/gfs usually have these as part of the makeup process - line it up with the valve hole and you should be able to move it to the vertical

greg66_tri_v2.0

Jash, can't blow that pic up on the phone. What make/rim depth/weight are those?