The trails, challenges and annoyances of commuting...

UPGRAYEDD
UPGRAYEDD Posts: 117
edited March 2011 in Commuting general
In February, I decided I needed to justify the amount of money I'd spent on new bike and kit by actually riding bikes as opposed to just propping them up against the lounge wall.

The result was a commitment to cycle to and/or from work at least four times a week.The route is undulating/hilly taking in the climb up to the Mendips in Somerset and then into Bristol, so it's certainly been keeping me fit and getting rid of the excess blubber.

However, in the last four weeks, I have endured the following:

1.Puncture at work. Valve jammed in drill hole, took 45 minutes to get the inner tube out. Rained all the way home.

2. Double puncture at point of no return (middle of nowhere) - hit pothole and blew out both front and back. Pitch black, unable to even see wheels let alone replace inner tubes. Phone engaged for an hour, so forced to walk 3 miles in pouring rain before being rescued.

3. Front light batteries ran out - going down steep hill 10 miles from home. Replaced them with spare set. Which I hadn't charged. Walked home in the dark. It was minus 4.

4. Puncture 20 Miles from home. Then chain fell off.


Any of this sound familiar?
"A gentleman who goes by the name Upgrayedd. Which he spells thusly, with two D's, as he says, "for a double dose of this pimping."

Comments

  • Marcus_C
    Marcus_C Posts: 183
    UPGRAYEDD wrote:
    Any of this sound familiar?

    Yes, quite a lot of it, though not for a while.

    1. The occasional puncture just has to be expected, the worst ones are when you only realise at 5:30 when you want to go home, practice replacing a tube maybe, i've never taken much more than 5 minutes just getting a tube out, take a knife to it if it won't budge! it's only £3.

    2. What are your tyres and what pressure are they at? Sounds like you need more pressure. As for phone engaged for an hour, I hope she was talking about something important...

    3. Always carry spare batteries, job done...

    4. Punctures are always annoying though tyres and pressures cut down them a lot, sounds like you're a candidate for a pair of marathon plus's. Chain falling off shouldn't really be a problem, take your front light off and put it back on, you can tidy up when you get home. Chain snapping is worse.

    Other than that, carry two front lights when it's properly dark, it's useful to be better seen anyway and chances of them failing together is slim. Carry batteries, at least two tubes, tell the mrs to shorten her conversations when you're on the commute just in case, and if you ever get really frustrated by it, take a couple of days driving/PT, whichever.

    Remember, summer's coming, you won't need lights, hotwater bottle or scuba equipment soon.
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  • Moodyman
    Moodyman Posts: 158
    Get yourself some Marathons Plus tyres. You'll have a puncture so infrequently, that'll you'll forget how to replace an inner tube.

    They're about a minute slower than my fast tyres over a 12 mile commute, but then I'm not wasting 15-20 mins in the cold fixing a flat.
  • jeremyrundle
    jeremyrundle Posts: 1,014
    Never had a puncture, use puncture proof tyres and slime.
    Peds with ipods, natures little speed humps

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  • ride_whenever
    ride_whenever Posts: 13,279
    Proper Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance...


    Sounds like you need better lights (and a backup) so they're more reliable preventing you hitting potholes etc. and getting punctures.
    Neeermad
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  • unixnerd
    unixnerd Posts: 2,864
    2 & 3 could be mitigated with a good headtorch. Also nice to look directly at drivers in junctions to make sure they see you.
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  • oodboo
    oodboo Posts: 2,171
    Took me 50 minutes to fix a puncture the other day (embarrassing really), I just couldn't get the wire beaded tyre back on the bloody rim. Maybe I should have just used the screwdriver first rather than try messing about with tyre levers.
    I love horses, best of all the animals. I love horses, they're my friends.

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  • Tonymufc
    Tonymufc Posts: 1,016
    As others have pointed out there are lessons to be learned from the points that you made. Better tyres, lights with well charged batteries, back up lights front and back. Fixing punctures at the side of an unlit rode is difficult at the best of times so maybe in vest in a cheap head light that could be stored in your bag and used when needed. In addition to using a pump I carry a C02 canister and adapter. 0-110psi in a second. I'm sure someone else will be along in a min with more/better suggestions.
  • chilling
    chilling Posts: 267
    Got to agree with the Marathon Plus tyres. I've commuted in London for over 10 years now, Since switching to them I can count the punctures I've had on one hand (that's probably over 14K miles).

    Carry a spare set of new batteries that aren't rechargeable. They tend to keep their charge in the packet for years for when you need them.

    i always have two spare inner tubes in my seat bag, just in case. As stated above they are cheap and it saves the walk home if you get a double.

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