Silly commuting racing

linsen

Well I just managed my first commute of the year today.

Minus 2, positively toasty

Add in the dark start and I didn't even notice all the black ice........

I feel very smug about all this winter riding, but I must admit I'm looking forward to some longer evenings and warmer temperatures now.

cjcp

Anyone seen a chap on a Bianchi track bike but with odd bars. Not drops, but not cow horn either? Black tights and blue jacket this morning. Had bags of speed. I buried myself to catch him, but hardly made an impact. My rear mech wasn't shifting to my preferred gear so ended up spinning as fast as him. I probably looked absolutely ridiculous.

Citizen Smith

linsen wrote:

I feel very smug about all this winter riding, but I must admit I'm looking forward to some longer evenings and warmer temperatures now.

Hear, hear Lins.

I am definitely deriving some masochistic pleasure from this winter riding but the tips of my fingers were giving me some serious jip today. Had to keep bunching my hands into fists to get the circulation going. Only for the first 15 mins or so though.

On a postive note, first ride in my new dhb tights this morning. I am most definitely a convert to the ways of the tights. Now, where's my band of merry men and just need to find some rich to rob....

biondino

Hmm, I am feeling shamed by my not-riding stance this week. Not sure I can claim to still be in recovery from the Isle of Wight for much longer. Maybe Friday...

iain_j

Fitted my new brake pads last night so apart from the icy fingers again (despite trying my chunky hiking gloves) it was a much more enjoyable ride than the last few mornings, being able to stop on demand! Nearly got one scalp but with my extra chunky gloves i caught the wrong gear lever and changed down instead of up when i wanted to accelerate. Bah. Oh and my rear mech is still playing up from the Big Clean at the weekend - i'm loathe to start playing with the cable adjuster cos it's indexing properly, just very hesitantly on one or two sprockets - hints anyone?

il_principe

biondino wrote:

Hmm, I am feeling shamed by my not-riding stance this week. Not sure I can claim to still be in recovery from the Isle of Wight for much longer. Maybe Friday...

MTFU.

I'm quite enjoying this cold snap. My route from Willesden to Borough is used by buses for the entire stretch so all gritted and ice free. Flew in, 3 roadie scalps on Edgeware road despite their persistent RLJ'ing.

Seriousl though blondie, you do have a worrying habit of adopting a "non-riding stance" have words with yourself fella; this simply isn't good enough, London roads are gritted - there is no excuse. Anyway, the term should be "Active Recovery."

alfablue

iain_j wrote:

Oh and my rear mech is still playing up from the Big Clean at the weekend - i'm loathe to start playing with the cable adjuster cos it's indexing properly, just very hesitantly on one or two sprockets - hints anyone?

Your hesitation is most likely caused by a gunked up cable outer on the curve that goes to the rear mech - your big clean may even have washed more gunk into it. Some recommend lubricating the cable, bt you will only get a week or two relief from this, a permanent solution is to fit a fully sealed cable, I fitted Transfil Mudlovers two years ago after similar recurrent problems, and they have been totally smooth and maintenance free in all weathers since then. They cost little more than a regular set but will save money and time in the long run. There is a thin inner sleeve that goes all the way from shifter to mech sealing the cable run entirely.

biondino

Jash, I know, I know. I'm currently really engrossed in a book which makes the train seem a lot more appealing! More than that, I really don't want to ride and hate it, because it'll have a psychological effect on my commuting the rest of the winter.

Basically, I am lucky enough to have a good, easy, comfortable public transport alternative and I'm not bloody minded enough to think that I MUST cycle whenever possible.

gb155

Not commuting till Monday but went to the supermarket this morning,

So there I was on the way back,

Loaded with lots of liquid on my back,

roads covered in snow

on a 30 year old (Maybe not 30 but hey) STEEL Townsend MTB and boom,

SCALP, Almost killed me, but damm it felt amazing

iain_j

Thanks alfablue, i'll have a look at the cable tonight. Might treat myself to new cables actually cos i stabbed myself a few times on stray cable strands doing the brakes last night.

il_principe

biondino wrote:

Jash, I know, I know. I'm currently really engrossed in a book which makes the train seem a lot more appealing! More than that, I really don't want to ride and hate it, because it'll have a psychological effect on my commuting the rest of the winter.

Basically, I am lucky enough to have a good, easy, comfortable public transport alternative and I'm not bloody minded enough to think that I MUST cycle whenever possible.

:shock:

Does not compute. I don't think I've ever ridden and hated it, even when I nearly died going up Gospel pass last March.

Also

biondino wrote:

good, easy, comfortable public transport alternative

I thought you lived in London!

Littigator

biondino wrote:

Jash, I know, I know. I'm currently really engrossed in a book which makes the train seem a lot more appealing! More than that, I really don't want to ride and hate it, because it'll have a psychological effect on my commuting the rest of the winter.

Basically, I am lucky enough to have a good, easy, comfortable public transport alternative and I'm not bloody minded enough to think that I MUST cycle whenever possible.

In recovery mode....not riding...a book you have is too appealing to put down .....hmmmmmm (taps foot impatiently) there are just 4 letters in response to that BD...do you want to tell everyone what you should be doing?

audaxvirgin

A scalp! A scalp! Riding as if he hadn't woken up yet, at about 3 mph so not much of a contest. Too dark to see more than that he had a beanie and a big yellow courier bag, and his bike had bigger wheels than mine - not hard since my wheels are only 20 inches. Does this move me up the food chain? Can I move up when I get my folder with big wheels? please!

redvee

iain_j wrote:

I stabbed myself a few times on stray cable strands doing the brakes last night.

The worst mechanics injury going

biondino

South West Trains Barnes to Vauxhall - about 18 minutes, almost always on time and I always get a seat, followed by Vauxhall to Oxford Circus on the tube, about 8 minutes, usually get a seat and there are trains every 2 minutes. Slightly less likely to get a seat on the way home but it's hardly hellish, unless Oxford Circus is shut due to overcrowding or I have to stand on the freezing wind tunnel that is Vauxhall platform 3 for more than a few minutes.

Anyone who has never hated being on a bike is a freak.

jonginge

redvee wrote:

iain_j wrote:

I stabbed myself a few times on stray cable strands doing the brakes last night.

The worst mechanics injury going

No, no, no. Knuckles scraping on chainrings when the pedal spanner slips. That's the worst

biondino

JonGinge wrote:

Knuckles scraping on chainrings when the pedal spanner slips

...when your fingers are freezing.

cjcp

Closely followed by the ripping of the skin on your knuckles when you scrape them on your rear spokes when untightening the cassette.

lost_in_thought

I've never hated being on a bike once I've actually got on the bike and got going, well, not without good reason! For example, cycling home with my current injury was pretty effing hateful. And a couple of really icky hangovers have been a bit rough.

However, if I wake up and really, really don't feel like cycling then I won't. It doesn't happen often, when I first re-started it happened a lot more, and I didn't want to turn cycling into a chore so I took the tube.

More recently it's been the other way round - anything but the tube!

gb155

JonGinge wrote:

redvee wrote:

iain_j wrote:

I stabbed myself a few times on stray cable strands doing the brakes last night.

The worst mechanics injury going

No, no, no. Knuckles scraping on chainrings when the pedal spanner slips. That's the worst

Thats a close call.

redvee

The worst thing a home mechanic can do to themselves is having to take their bike to LBS to do the job they can't :x

Totalnewbie

I undid my old cassette at the weekend (actually an old-skool screw-on freewheel) by kind of standing on the spanner with one foot, hence avoiding injuries. It only got that tight by my own legs pedalling, so it made sense to use my legs to undo it too...

Also added a new chain and derailleur but couldn't get the bloody gears right at all despite hours of swearing etc, so slunk down to the LBS for a bit of help, painful as it was...turned out a new cable outer was needed as the old one was pinching the cable plus the hanger was a bit bent...it's a flexy steel frame, so they bent it back. I doubt I'd have been able to bend it back at home although I should have spotted the cable kink thing.

I'm not using that bike on the commute any more I don't think, the hub-geared hybrid will save on wear and tear even though it is slower so I will continue to use that for winter. Still did two others on road bikes with it yesterday so it's not all bad!

Littigator

Totalnewbie wrote:

I undid my old cassette at the weekend (actually an old-skool screw-on freewheel) by kind of standing on the spanner with one foot, hence avoiding injuries. It only got that tight by my own legs pedalling, so it made sense to use my legs to undo it too...

Also added a new chain and derailleur but couldn't get the bloody gears right at all despite hours of swearing etc, so slunk down to the LBS for a bit of help, painful as it was...turned out a new cable outer was needed as the old one was pinching the cable plus the hanger was a bit bent...it's a flexy steel frame, so they bent it back. I doubt I'd have been able to bend it back at home although I should have spotted the cable kink thing.

I'm not using that bike on the commute any more I don't think, the hub-geared hybrid will save on wear and tear even though it is slower so I will continue to use that for winter. Still did two others on road bikes with it yesterday so it's not all bad!

Does it have horizontal dropouts?...turn it into a fixer!!!!! Go on you know you want to!

Totalnewbie

I swear after four hours trying to index the gears I nearly did fix/SS the bloody thing, so tempting!

But I like to use that bike for longer rides with them there hills and the odd bit of light touring, so I resisted...

iain_j

Getting stabbed by the cable strands hurts even more when your fingers are dry and cracked from cycling in subzero temperatures. Like mine.

There have been times when i've hated being on my bike from tiredness, or struggling with a headwind or steep hill, or getting the bonk, but always looked back on them with fondness. In fact some of my best biking memories are the ones i've not been enjoying at the time - triumph in the face of adversity and all that.

However if i hate a bus or train journey it stays hated.

Clever Pun

Blondie... maybe you could read your book when you get home as a reward for cycling and not being a great big nancy

cjcp

Clever Pun wrote:

Blondie... maybe you could read your book when you get home as a reward for cycling and not being a great big nancy

(Half-masticated sandwich all over the keyboard)

biondino

Whatever. I'm not ashamed.

Coriander

biondino wrote:

Whatever. I'm not ashamed.

And that is the greater tragedy.

il_principe

Coriander wrote:

biondino wrote:

Whatever. I'm not ashamed.

And that is the greater tragedy.

Just spotted Blondie's new bike, it's a little Nancy's bike: