Commuting - Day 1

paulbox

Having recently bought a new full-sus mountain bike, I decided to convert my trusty 19 year old GT hardtail in to a commuter. Well, I stuck some slick Schwalbe tyres on it...

So yesterday was day 1 of my new health & fitness regime. The ride is 23 miles, 30 is about top end for me off-road so I thought it wouldn't be a problem.

I set off from home at about 7:15, about half way in to the ride I hit a pot hole and the bolt in my seat clamp snapped (I'm a big fella - 6'4" and 18.5 stone, so the poor little bolt didn't stand much chance). I had to cycle back about 2.5 miles to a Halfords I know in Uxbridge and wait for them to open. The guy very kindly let me in about 15 min's early and sold me a couple of bolts which I used to repair my clamp and get back underway. By the time I’d showered I didn’t get to my desk until about 10am, so not exactly a great success, but sh!t happens I thought… Baring in mind that the detour took at least an hour I would have been on time and I didn’t feel too bad.

For the return journey I left the office at about 5:10, I soon realised that my legs (and backside) were going to be hurting pretty soon… However things were going pretty well until I got a puncture about 4 miles from home. A heavy duty staple (how did that get there?) in the rear tyre. In total the return journey took 1h:50m including the repair.

Is someone telling me that I should stick to driving? All in all it was about 51 miles for the day, my body definitely knows that I’ve done it, not sure how it will be for my regular mid-week mountain bike ride this evening, but I’ll give it a go.

The roads are terrible! I have a pretty hard riding car so know that they aren't great, but I couldn't believe how uncomfortable it is riding along the side of the road on a bike. I might swap the tyres over on my bikes and start using the ful-sus to commute on… I was considering swapping my bomber forks back for the original fixed forks that came with the bike, but I think this would just make things worse.

Drivers, very mixed, some fantastically considerate, some complete @rseholes. One guy in BMW very nearly got a shoe shaped dent in his door!

Cycle lanes… WTF is going on there? Start / stop on and off the road, through bus stops, what a PITA!

The weather was glorious, not sure I could hack it in the rain/dark/cold.

It’s going to be a once a week thing for a while due to other commitments so role on next week!

WesternWay

well done, and keep at it :-) these things are sent to try us. I snapped a saddle bolt a couple of months ago and may have said a bad word.

Puncture resistant tyres are a a must for me. mending stuff on the side of the road grinds my gears man.

When I started riding my Flight after previously going on a Brompton I hated it, thought I had bought a real dud, it was so uncomfortable, but sticking with it I love it now.

notsoblue

MTFU

:P

Seriously though, you'll get used to the routine. Also, puncture resistant tyres are a must, some nasty debris at the side of the road. I've used Spesh Armadillo Nimbus for some years now, and haven't ever had a puncture on them. I hear Gatorskins are pretty good too.

kurako

Well done and get a Thompson seat post and some padded bib shorts 8)

paulbox

Was wearing padded bib shorts... :oops:

Am first going to see if my seat post from my Giant will fit in the GT, if so I'll just swap between the two bikes which will have the added benefit of using the same saddle for all riding. Fizik versus Flight Titanium. If not I will get a decent new post, the one on my GT is the only original component left on the frame.

paulbox

notsoblue wrote:

MTFU

:P

Seriously though, you'll get used to the routine. Also, puncture resistant tyres are a must, some nasty debris at the side of the road. I've used Spesh Armadillo Nimbus for some years now, and haven't ever had a puncture on them. I hear Gatorskins are pretty good too.

When I bought the tyres I just couldn't justify the £60 a set for the Spesh Armadillo's in case I don't keep it up, if I do I will get something a bit tougher.

I'm looking forward to getting in to the routine, working out what I needed to bring in to the office on Monday was a PITA...

soy_sauce

well done with the first commute and even more well done for not letting all the sh*t happened to ruined your spirit.

Puncture resistant tyres is a must and also an spare inner tube would save you alot of time too and you can repair the tube when you have time later.

paulbox

I always carry two spare tubes in my camelbak.