Last of the summer commutes

beverick

OK, that's it. Summer's over, the school kids are back at their desks from Monday and those nice quiet roads we've become used to over the last six weeks will be back to their busy winter state.

Next it's the lights back on the bike and full winter gear.

Bob

redvee

Dug my front light out of the cupboard yesterday and gave it a charge.

downfader

I've been using my lights already. Dark, overcast and drizzly weather in the mornings and had to put them on flash.

I do want to get a set of new lights for winter though. I dont think mine cut it.

biggstevie

Ahh crap i need new lights i sold my old set with my road bike

sc999cs

Well look on the bright side, the winter will probably be drier than the summer... :?

If you want rechargeable lights but can't afford to spend the earth, then the "ELECTRON 5w-10w NiMH TWIN LIGHT SYSTEM - EHP315" system isn't bad. You can also swap the bulbs for higher power ones if it isn't bright enough (with a corresponding drop in run time).

Steve C

biggstevie

How much are spare bulbs? thanks

AndyManc

beverick wrote:

OK, that's it. Summer's over, the school kids are back at their desks from Monday and those nice quiet roads we've become used to over the last six weeks will be back to their busy winter state.

Next it's the lights back on the bike and full winter gear.

Bob

It doesn't start getting cold till mid October :?

redvee

gonna try and keep the shorts going as long as I can even if it only once a week. If you see me I'll be the one with Altura baggies and blue legs in Bristol :oops:

girv73

Brrr! That was a cold one in Belfast this morning, I got to work with bright pink arms and legs. Needed the tail light as well I felt. Time to dig out the 3/4 bottoms at least, perhaps.

Clever Pun

I conside the summer over when the clock change and the ride home is plunged into darkness

lost_in_thought

I'm the same, as soon as I'm riding in the dark that's winter, I get really excited when spring comes around and start leaving early to cycle in daylight...

sc999cs

biggstevie wrote:

How much are spare bulbs? thanks

Between £3.70 (www.cyclebasket.com) and £4.99 (www.ukbikestore.co.uk)

Steve C

dafruk

Edinburgh Bike coop sale started this weekend, first purchase was a new front light, god knows where the last one went.

Bike is now loaded up with a pair of front and rear lights. I'll still cycle in shorts in the depths of winter but will wear long sleeves and possibly a second layer on top. I usually get people questioning why I'm not freezing. Never worked it out but I reckon I run a very high body temperature and have very hairy legs so I don't feel the cold that bad even at the worst of times.

Surf-Matt

Traffic at least triples here when the schools go back

On the other hand, it's the best season for surf!

biondino

Definitely a nip in the air when I started riding this morning, though hot and sunny by the time I got to work!

redvee

Just realiased I can't ride with a front light on my bars as I haven't got the space with my camera and computer, though I do have a bar extender type thingy somewhere I'll have to start using.

Littigator

At least the colder weather removes fair weather riders from the roads..sorry I know that may be a bit inflammatory to some cyclists who chose not to commute in the winter.

It is really aimed at the numpties who pull their dust covered bone shakers out of the back of the shed only on the odd sunny day and wobble to work with brakes and gears squeaking all the way.

I must be feeling a bit ranty today cos the other thing that gets my goat is town cycilsts who feel the need to mount lights on their bikes bright enough to pull in straying aircraft. Last winter when my route took me through Hyhe Park which has a narrow 2 way cycle path, it got really annoying as people would cycle towards and past me with something akin to a WWII spotlight on the front, happily lighting their way whilst blinding me in the process.

I can already here the cries of "I want to stay safe, bright lights are the best way blah blah blah" it's bloody selfish if it affects someone elses safety so don;t do it. Super bright lights should only be used on unlit roads where oncoming traffic is at a minimum.

singlespeedexplosif

had the lights on for a fortnight now. It's dark at 05:00 in Lancashire!
still nice and mild though - although the armwarmers are in the panniers just in case.

I must be feeling a bit ranty today cos the other thing that gets my goat is town cycilsts who feel the need to mount lights on their bikes bright enough to pull in straying aircraft.

ah well. See, I have no problem with that. I'd much rather use my L&M ARC for road riding than offroad these days. It's nice to be seen by cars.
It's the ones on flash, or the people who appear to have captured a stray firefly and tied it to the bars, which annoy me...

lost_in_thought

In hyde park, it's also really hard to distinguish cycle lights from the lights of all the cars beaming through the fence, so they really serve little purpose.

I remember I used to see a guy every evening with what appeared to be a strobe light stolen from a local disco attached to the front of his bike, it seemed to attract other cyclists like moths...

And yes, it will get the fairweather commuters back indoors, it's great that people cycle at all so no criticism, but I enjoy having 'my' lamppost always at my disposal!

redvee

Littigator wrote:

Last winter when my route took me through Hyhe Park which has a narrow 2 way cycle path, it got really annoying as people would cycle towards and past me with something akin to a WWII spotlight on the front, happily lighting their way whilst blinding me in the process.

Must remeber that when I'm in the lanes around Lulsgate

cjcp

Littigator wrote:

I must be feeling a bit ranty today cos the other thing that gets my goat is town cycilsts who feel the need to mount lights on their bikes bright enough to pull in straying aircraft. Last winter when my route took me through Hyhe Park which has a narrow 2 way cycle path, it got really annoying as people would cycle towards and past me with something akin to a WWII spotlight on the front, happily lighting their way whilst blinding me in the process.

I can already here the cries of "I want to stay safe, bright lights are the best way blah blah blah" it's bloody selfish if it affects someone elses safety so don;t do it. Super bright lights should only be used on unlit roads where oncoming traffic is at a minimum.

Richard Dreyfus in Close Encounters.

But, seriously, it's is a very valid point and it applies to Richmond Park too - I decided to keep to the road around the Park rather than cut through the middle because some of the on-coming lights were too powerful. At least with the roads, there's a bit of distance between your eyes and the other bike.

roger_merriman

got to admit my bike or rather the town bike is a bit like that, though i do take care to push the 3 million twinkies so they are angled down rather than blinding folk. if it's dark i put the lights to full rather than blinking as it helps people to gage my speed and distance.