MONDAY 2nd - who'se still commuting

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  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    I just got back after going in for the afternoon - it was great! I had a lot more grip and control than the cars. I wasn't too sure whether to poplock out the suspension or not - it didn't seem to make much difference! I left it unlocked for most of the ride, in case I hit anything hidden in the snow.

    For once, my black bike and clothing stood out without the need to add reflectives!
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • Beer, anyone?
    Beer, anyone? Posts: 43
    I had a much enjoyable commute with full on knobblies on the MTB in the snow across Londontown that I feel inspired to write my first post!

    Got to work, built a snowman, went to the pub and came home again.

    A great day was had by all.
  • symo
    symo Posts: 1,743
    Snow just coming down in Newton Abbot. Not looking forward to the ride home.
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    we are the proud, the few, Descendents.

    Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    Welcome, Beer, anyone?, great name :D

    You've inspired me to stop worrying about the ever-increasing snowfall and traffic levels, to MTFU and go home and have that bottle of beer as reward for my bravery!
  • Beer, anyone?
    Beer, anyone? Posts: 43
    iani_j - MTFU and have two bottles of beer!
  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    Lots and lots of snow in Macclesfield at the moment, I wimped out and took the car this morning. I'm seriously tempted to bring the MTB tomorrow though..

    I have to say It's not the riding in snow that bothers me, it's the idiots in cars who can't drive sliding around the place.....
    Manchester Wheelers' Club
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    DragQueen wrote:
    LiT, that is perhaps the most impressive thing that I have ever seen that is made of snow.

    The one I've just made with the kids, on the other hand, looks like something out of Tim Burton's The Night Before Christmas...
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    cjcp wrote:
    DragQueen wrote:
    LiT, that is perhaps the most impressive thing that I have ever seen that is made of snow.

    The one I've just made with the kids, on the other hand, looks like something out of Tim Burton's The Night Before Christmas...

    Oooooh that would be waaaaay more impressive! I love that film.

    Maybe I'll try and make a Jack Skellington tomorrow... the snow is really coming down... again.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oooooh that would be waaaaay more impressive! I love that film.

    Believe me, there's nothing impressive about this little chap. :oops: It should keep the foxes out of the front garden tonight though.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    cjcp wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    Oooooh that would be waaaaay more impressive! I love that film.

    Believe me, there's nothing impressive about this little chap. :oops: It should keep the foxes out of the front garden tonight though.

    If it doesn't I can loan you a couple of shooters, one careful owner - say no more :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • The Chingford Skinhead
    The Chingford Skinhead Posts: 718
    Beer, anyone? wrote:
    iani_j - MTFU and have two bottles of beer!

    Surely Iain needs to DTFU and have another bottle - the ~D being drink of course :D (and welcome by the way :wink: )
    Pain is only weakness leaving the body
  • jimmypippa
    jimmypippa Posts: 1,712
    maybe this would look good on the commute?

    Apparently some reviews say that rolling resistance is a problem, which I suspect might be a fundamental attribute of this type of product.
    http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=6404
  • marksteven
    marksteven Posts: 208
    did my usual 12 mile commute not much snow about canterbury , great going past the 1 1/2 mile Q except 4 the bloke who did a uee without looking . rained on way home 2 moz might be tricky if it ices like they say wish my mtb wasn't broke
  • marksteven
    marksteven Posts: 208
    did my usual 12 mile commute not much snow about canterbury , great going past the 1 1/2 mile Q except 4 the bloke who did a uee without looking . rained on way home 2 moz might be tricky if it ices like they say wish my mtb wasn't broke
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    I managed to avoid work today :-) Thankfully as I had a cracking day with the little one's outside!

    This afternoon I took a walk over to my mum's in anticipation of tomorrow's impending snow to collect the MTB. Set off for the walk and 40 minutes later arrived there and said hello to my rather surprised parents! Went out to the garage to be greeted by a bike rack sans my MTB..............OH B0LL0X!! I completely forgot that the last time I used it would have been for the centre parcs holiday and it therefore must be in MY shed :evil:
    still wasn't an entirely wasted journey as I brought the kiddies sled home with me! 40 minutes later I got a chance to try it out on one of the quiet hills near my house :-) Took a snowball in the chest from some ejits on the way down but it didn't bother me much as I was having such fun :lol:

    Fished the MTB out the shed and took it for a quick ride up the road. Think gearing is going to be key tomorrow as I need to balance traction with control, being a cr4ppy Halfords full-susser (Apollo Abyss) it has the lovely Mega-Range gearing (with sloppy changing due to lack of maintenance!) meaning that the low gear on the rear cassette is quite a jump from the 2nd lowest! So far the only positives I can draw are the tyres are nice n wide, knobbly and slightly under-inflated so grip is fairly good and it weighs about 2 tons so sinks through the soft snow!

    All in it's been a great day and its been really nice as most people where really friendly today (except the tw4ts who threw snowballs at me whilst walking, but I hope one day they might either grow up or become someone's "special friend" in prison) and I had some great conversations with complete strangers! As such here's my snowman effort:

    img_6318.jpg

    BTW it's the one on the right...........the other being my lovely assistant :-)
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    edited February 2009
    Delete - Double post
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    edited February 2009
    Delete - Triple post
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    DOUBLE POST!!
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • scottgeniusltd2005
    scottgeniusltd2005 Posts: 575
    first day commuting, set off 6am, up a massive climb took 45mins to get to top due to wind and snow totalled 1hr25mins. return jouney into cross wind, drifting snow, all my commute is between 200m to 400m, rucksack way too heavy, knackered aching but chuffed
    Cotic Soul rider.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    The Chingford Skinhead wrote:
    Beer, anyone? wrote:
    iani_j - MTFU and have two bottles of beer!

    Surely Iain needs to DTFU and have another bottle - the ~D being drink of course :D (and welcome by the way :wink: )

    If only... I've only got one bottle left, however I've just poured it to sit down and catch up on my favourite cycling website with a pint of Black Sheep Ale. Yum!

    After the thoroughly un-enjoyable ride into work this morning - I was all for leaving the bike and getting the bus home - I redeemed myself and had the most fun I've ever had on a commute. Went the long way home to avoid the busy main roads in favour of the roads which would either be too blocked up for anyone to go too fast, or completely empty.

    The first two miles out of town were complete gridlock, so with a biiig grin on my face I weaved through it all. Then along the cycleway which comes out of the university part of town, taking it slowly on the 1-2 inches of crisp, fresh snow, grinning ear to ear at the kids playing in the snow on the pavement in a way I've not seen since I was a kid myself. I had a few snowballs thrown my way but they all failed to take into account that when the snowball arrived at where they aimed it, I was no longer there, because I was moving too :P

    Then down the back streets behind the main road which were virtually deserted. At first I tried following the tyre tracks thinking they'd be safer but after a few skids on the ridges of slush I went for the fresh snow again. I was going not much more than walking pace down the hill and the odd car that went past did so sensibly at maybe 2mph more than me with plenty of space. One of them gave the brakes the lightest tap and went sliding quite gracefully across the road. It was, let's say, interesting, negotiating the invisible speed ramps along here - the ramps across the whole road were easy if surprising to suddenly hit it, but the square blocks in the middle of the road were sheer guesswork.

    Got home with numb fingers again, the normal 15-20 minute journey had taken an hour. Had to give me and the bike a good brush down before going inside. I'll just say though a bike with 700x35 tyres makes a good snowmobile :D

    3247973271_c9fedb0b9e.jpg
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,052
    ANYONE ELSE TIRED OF GETTING ARTICLE NOT FOUND


    GRRRRRRRRRRRR :evil:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    edited February 2009
    Double post. Please fix bikeradar......
  • boy on bike
    boy on bike Posts: 139
    Just been to and from my local pool on my trusty town hack: roads all clear now bar a bit of slush. It was quite magical riding slowly around in the dark & quiet with a few flakes still drifting down around me. :)

    Guess we just need to wait and see what arrives overnight...
    Road - FCN3

    Town - FCN8

    Play
  • symo
    symo Posts: 1,743
    Woo hoo I did a 100 ft skid. Any new PBs set today like mine?
    +++++++++++++++++++++
    we are the proud, the few, Descendents.

    Panama - finally putting a nail in the economic theory of the trickle down effect.
  • iain_j
    iain_j Posts: 1,941
    I was extremely tempted to jam on the brakes just to see how far I could skid without falling. I even had a long shallow hill for it. 100ft sounds good tho!
  • Pip13
    Pip13 Posts: 36
    Well I spoke too soon as Devon eventually got the snow! Still had the best cycle ride to work tonight, loved it. Its still snowing at the airport so we are out building snowmen!
    :D
  • the_hundredth_idiot
    the_hundredth_idiot Posts: 813
    Anyone giving it a go this morning?

    I stayed at home yesterday - but it was a planned day off as it was my eldest's 2nd birthday (and what a day to take off?).

    This morning, I'm thinking of braving it, not on the road bike but on the old MTB (semi-slick tyres). Worth it or shall I just wait at the station for an hour while all the trains get cancelled again?
    Never be tempted to race against a Barclays Cycle Hire bike. If you do, there are only two outcomes. Of these, by far the better is that you now have the scalp of a Boris Bike.
  • Coriander
    Coriander Posts: 1,326
    Hi, Hundredth,

    I just posted in SCR to ask the same - the main roads were just a little damp last night and it was quite warm, but am wonderig whether to cycle - will the roads be very slippy?

    I too go from SE London up to Trafalgar Square.
  • singlespeedexplosif
    singlespeedexplosif Posts: 1,564
    Why have snowmen started gaining an extra lump? That's about the third one I've seen now which isn't along the traditional '2 large snowballs on top of each other' lines.
    Evolving into snow insects perhaps? Head, abdomen, thorax?
  • Mog Uk
    Mog Uk Posts: 964
    Well most of the snow had gone this morning :( plenty of ice though.

    I couldn't stand another day in the car so I've used the MTB, god I forgot how hard it was commuting on a MTB with knobbly tyres, it's much comfier than the road bike but good god it was hard work...
    Manchester Wheelers' Club

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