Oi! You! Lurker!....That's right you! Hiding over there!

asprilla

nafescort wrote:

i am looking for encourangement to commute and advice on what equipment i need to purchase as i have nothing apart from a camelbak, tools and waterproof jacket.

First thing I would suggest is some nice slick tyres for your bike. If you can get some of those on and lock your suspension off then it's going to improve things greatly.

Cafewanda

Satu wrote:

Another mostly-lurker here (you guys are indeed the most entertaining thing on this forum ) -- hello!

I commute in Birmingham, 4 miles each way, every day -- coming up to my second year now. I've barely missed a day because whatever the weather is like, the alternative is the bus or the car; the former takes forever, and I just don't like driving at all.

I am a mountain biker at heart, which is mainly Mr Satu's fault. Until recently, I was mostly commuting on my big old heavy Specialized Hardrock with monster tyres (fantastic in the snow, but such hard work in everything else...), but I've now got a Kona Dew Drop called Dewey[1]. We'll be riding Land's End to John o'Groats this summer[2], which is what I bought it for, but it's actually lovely to commute on, too. I have 2 more bikes apart from that -- a FS trail bike and a road bike that's now being neglected in favour of Dewey. N+1 is alive and well here.

--
[1] I am a library cataloguer. It had to be done.
[2] In two months' time, in fact. Eek! Do you think I ought to start training?

Hi Satu. You're a burd, right? I just want to be sure as we don't appear to have many burds on this site. Welcome and yes, I think you should start your LE/JoG training

Satu

Cafewanda wrote:

Hi Satu. You're a burd, right? I just want to be sure as we don't appear to have many burds on this site.

I am indeed! You can tell because my bike is pink and has little flowers on it. (This may not, in fact, be true.)

Cafewanda

Satu wrote:

Cafewanda wrote:

Hi Satu. You're a burd, right? I just want to be sure as we don't appear to have many burds on this site.

I am indeed! You can tell because my bike is pink and has little flowers on it. (This may not, in fact, be true.)

:shock: Please tell me you lying

I'm sure they have fans I'm just not one of them. Mind you, I am miffed I cant get the bike I want in the colour of my choosing (not that I've started looking for the next one yet) :roll:

Satu

Cafewanda wrote:

:shock: Please tell me you lying

Yes. Yes, I am. Don't get me started on the "It's for girls, so we'll make it pink and sparkly because that's what girls want" school of thought!

Dewey is black, both of my mountain bikes are dark blue, and my road bike is dark red and does have floral patterns on it, but they're black, so I tolerate it.

How do you know you won't get the colour you want if you haven't started looking?

Kieran_Burns

Satu wrote:

Cafewanda wrote:

:shock: Please tell me you lying

Yes. Yes, I am. Don't get me started on the "It's for girls, so we'll make it pink and sparkly because that's what girls want" school of thought!

Dewey is black, both of my mountain bikes are dark blue, and my road bike is dark red and does have floral patterns on it, but they're black, so I tolerate it.

How do you know you won't get the colour you want if you haven't started looking?

banana bread???

Mmmmmm..... nom nom nom

supersonic

It seems nowadays more men ride pink bikes than women...

cyclopsbiker

Satu wrote:

Cafewanda wrote:

Hi Satu. You're a burd, right? I just want to be sure as we don't appear to have many burds on this site.

I am indeed! You can tell because my bike is pink and has little flowers on it. (This may not, in fact, be true.)

I'm a bird!!!

Cafewanda

Satu, I'm a noob at cycling but even at this early stage I've not seen many pure red bikes (red is my fave colour). My new bike obsession is funded by the C2W scheme so I'm constrained by what is 'out there' when it's voucher time. Black is my 'plan b' colour as I can always add red bits.

I'm also a shrimp so I need WSD titch bikes which don't tend to come in 'red' as yet Having, very recently, seen a 'titch' bike with 650c wheels (which I think I'd feel more comfortable on), that narrows the field further, but I'll worry about that during the summer when I start my research/search in earnest.

Edit: K_B - banana bread? :?

Cafewanda

cyclopsbiker wrote:

Satu wrote:

Cafewanda wrote:

Hi Satu. You're a burd, right? I just want to be sure as we don't appear to have many burds on this site.

I am indeed! You can tell because my bike is pink and has little flowers on it. (This may not, in fact, be true.)

I'm a burd*!!!

Finally she comes out of hiding


*fixed that for you. BR spelling is superior to all other forms

Kieran_Burns

Cafewanda wrote:

Edit: K_B - banana bread? :?

checks satu's link..... good recipe for pig out nana bread there!



p.s. - how do you stop spelling bananananananana?

Stu T

Posted a bit on the Mountain Bike Threads but went off it when the spelling police had a go. So mainly lurk to try and pick up free advice.

Got a road bike this year to get fitter for the off road stuff and take my mind off smoking by commuting to work 7 miles e/way to Neath.

Had my first spd prat fall last week so feel like a proper cyclist now

cyclopsbiker

Cafewanda wrote:

Finally she comes out of hiding

hi!!! (sheepish wave)

Satu

supersonic wrote:

It seems nowadays more men ride pink bikes than women...

Probably true! It still goes on a lot with cycle clothing, though...

Satu

Aah, I can see that would be tricky, Wanda! I can't think of many properly red bikes. My road bike is a 2009 Specialized Dolce Elite, but I see the new models aren't red... Good luck on your hunt, though! Maybe you'll get lucky!

Satu

Kieran_Burns wrote:

checks satu's link..... good recipe for pig out nana bread there!

Best one I ever made! Even if I do say so myself.

itboffin

supersonic wrote:

It seems nowadays more men ride pink bikes than women...

Something you wanna tell us soup?

supersonic

Mine is a black as is possible.

The bike that is.

Cafewanda

Satu wrote:

Aah, I can see that would be tricky, Wanda! I can't think of many properly red bikes. My road bike is a 2009 Specialized Dolce Elite, but I see the new models aren't red... Good luck on your hunt, though! Maybe you'll get lucky!

I hope so.

lost_in_thought

nafescort wrote:

My commute would be 16miles each way but i am not feeling confident enough at the minute to actually bite the bullet and do it. i have only done the odd 10 mile ride in the past couple of years but not regular. i used to be on my bike everyday whatever the weather when i was younger but like most people i got a driving license and the biking went out the window.

i am looking for encourangement to commute and advice on what equipment i need to purchase as i have nothing apart from a camelbak, tools and waterproof jacket.

Go for it! Is there somewhere say 8 miles in you could drive to and park or train it to? It might be helpful to start with...

You will be slow and find it painful to start with, but keep at it and you'll be away before you know it.

As for equipment, I'd grab some cycling shorts, padded if you can, Lidl and Aldi do cheap ones. Oh, and lights and a lock. Other than that, you'll be fine.

The key is to start doing it!

tailwindhome

*Bumpity Bump

Summer time and the living is easy.........

Lets see who got the old Raleigh Banana 10 speed out of the shed now the sun's out

MonkeyMonster

or the

tailwindhome

A Falcon Scorpio?

I had a Scorpio when I was 16, but it was a Raleigh. My first real bike bought with first ever pay packet from my first summer job. Also bought a pair of Banesto shorts cos Big Mig was awesome.

outofbreath2

Hello (again! - have contributed to a couple of threads but never really introduced myself, sorry rude I know)

I started commuting last year - a summer commuter since about half of my route is off road through woods/common so I don't really fancy that in the dark. To my shame I haven't started this year yet - if I don't get a move on the summer will be over.

It's 13 miles each way and I manage(d) that in about an hour, a bit under on a good day.

There's no showers at work so it's a flannel and sink job with minimum water products. My clothes/toilettries are kept in a plastic box under my desk. I can keep the bike inside though so no worry about some wipe nicking it - not that they'd be interested probably. I've got an 'entry level hybrid' and that's all I'm saying.

LiT is right 'gateway drug'- I also bought a road bike and have done a couple of sportives, longest 60 miles. I'm working on climbing and getting out of the saddle in the right gear - that's more difficult than it looks.
Maybe I'll sort a road route for the winter.... maybe not. Dunno yet.
Look forward to qualifying to contributing a bit more. Well done if you got to the end of this.

bornagainroadie

Ok, since you invited me in... thank you.

Was working at home for a long time and rode an old hybrid at lunchtimes to get myself out of the office for a break. Was doing an 8 mile circuit which ran past my inlaws house which was good for cups of tea when the wind was a bit strong.

Got a new gig requiring me to be on site everyday and discovered a hardened core of cycle commuters; some commute daily and some of those compete at weekends. It was a great way to collect a lot of information in a short time from those who had thousands of miles under their belts.

Eventually bought a Trek 1.5 (Triple, 2010) and put mudguards on it, no panniers (yet). The commute is 25 miles round trip (12 miles in, 13 miles out), in general I can do both directions in under 45 minutes. Been building up over the last couple of months now and the bike has over 500 miles on it and I am close to being a daily commuter. Currently no shower facilities at work but have convinced the powers that be to convert an unused kitchen area into a shower with built in drying room ready for when the darkness returns.

Have essentially converted my 6.30am gym habit into a 6.30am bike commute habit.

Already had my share of "incidents" courtesy of other road users. Maybe if I looked more like a horse than I do people would give me a wider berth.

Got royally scalped at the lights last week by some guy on a fixie as I started off again. Chased him for a while but it was the wrong end of my commute and the legs didnt have it in them. It doesnt seem fair that you can be had by someone with fresh legs like that. The rules they are hard.

FCN 5 according to the calculator, unless the added mudguards make me a tourer in which case they are coming off!

Safe riding,
Nick

PS. Cambridge, and its surrounds, not as flat as most people think it is!

bobgale67

Hi all, have posted once before but like to read what everyone else has to say, hence my great lurking ability. I have been commuting occasionally for quite a while but have taken it on full time recently, mainly due to the dire price of petrol and the good fitness benefits.
My commute is 12 miles one way across Lincoln which includes one pesky hill on the way in and a good burst of speed on the way home.
I have been using a Steppenwolf rigid mountain bike with decent slicks but have recently purchased a Ribble audax bike (Not a tourer!!) The Ribble will be good weather use only but it is sooooooo fast (Is it ok to love a bike!) (Is that wrong!)
One bad point on the Lincoln commuting scene is the pitiful state of the roads and any so called cycle paths are pretty much rubbish! Most drivers are ok-ish! Nowhere near as bad as some of the tw@s that i have read about on here!
Stay safe everyone.

SimonAH

If Bruce Springsteen had recorded 'Born to Lurk" I would have been on the album cover.

Train plus bike commute, only short bike section ~4 miles, total time travelling ~2 hours each way but I'm going to be tearing up the season ticket shortly as the deal on my new house (15 pedalling minutes from the office) FINALLY coming to completion after three months from offer

Bikes are Carrera Vanquish winter hack, Trek District SS belt for grins and sunny days and..... well.... this isn't advertising but search 'stingray bonkers' on the 'bay. Bought for a laugh with this Saturday's critical mass in mind... :oops:

nzandy

Hi everyone,
Started lurked a few months ago - before that I just cycled to work on my second hand hybrid bought off eBay, now I want a 'proper' road bike with drop bars thanks to this forum. Due to financing impending nuptials this has to wait

I've also been inspired by the helmet cam recordings and got a cheap spycam from ebay - have posted a few vids here http://www.youtube.com/user/agbell99. Nothing too crazy yet, any time I'm not filming something always happens though.

Quit smoking just over a year ago and started cycling to work just after the tube strike in June last year. I've probably only taken the tube to work no more than 5 times since then (today being one of them - stag night in town tonight). Also I should mention I've had no sick days off work since I've been cycling to work. Coincidence? I definitely feel healthier anyway.

SCR is a bit poor on my commute from north london to the city - I think I'll have to move south of the river.

Catch you on the road

Andy

EArmstrong

Whilst the general opinion on the internet is "Lurk More", sice you've asked so nicely...

I've been commuting 10 miles a day 5 days a week since september (bar snow days, broken bike days, being run over days, not going to work days).
I think I've covered 3600 miles this year, and have covered 400ish miles mtd.

I commute on a Dawes Ultra Galaxy (<3) which my dad used for 4Points+LEJOG.

Current challenge is getting the pansy down the road to cycle in with me aswell.

Porgy

I'm thinking of joining the lurkers - any advice?