Well I've finally started commuting

badlydrunkboy
badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
edited June 2011 in Commuting chat
After months of getting on at my managers, HR and CEO I finally got them to commit to the cycletowork scheme a while back and have recently started doing the 25 miles round trip 3 times a week, and you know what, i love it. It's so much easier than i thought, apart from a couple of absolute killer hills, but even they're getting easier quickly. I've done it about 10 times now and have lost over 8lbs in 3 weeks :D

So glad i bought a road bike in the end (Scott Speedster S50) as i sometimes cycle with a colleague and he lloks like he's riding in treacle on his mountain bike with slicks.

Just wanted to tell someone :wink:

Comments

  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Good stuff. Warning: this kind of thing is dangerously addictive.
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    Good stuff - thought about any bike upgrades yet......you will!!! gets very addictive :-)
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Well today was a lot harder as i went out for my birthday last night and ate 36 ribs :oops: but i was determined to do it and actually did my fastest time yet. 44m47s for 12.68 miles

    Not really thought much about upgrades to the bike, i don't really know anything about it so dont really want to get into that yet but i think it might need a service. Sometimes it takes ages to actually go into the next gear after i've clicked the button thing. Also, some gears make a funny noise, doesn't sound smooth. I only seem to use the top 2 or 3 gears but when i get to a big bastard hill and try to change down it sounds like it doesn't really like it.
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Well today was a lot harder as i went out for my birthday last night and ate 36 ribs :oops: but i was determined to do it and actually did my fastest time yet. 44m47s for 12.68 miles

    Not really thought much about upgrades to the bike, i don't really know anything about it so dont really want to get into that yet but i think it might need a service. Sometimes it takes ages to actually go into the next gear after i've clicked the button thing. Also, some gears make a funny noise, doesn't sound smooth. I only seem to use the top 2 or 3 gears but when i get to a big bastard hill and try to change down it sounds like it doesn't really like it.

    Stretched rear gear cable, just needs a tweek up and all will be fine.

    36 ribs...chapeau!
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    essex-commuter wrote:
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Well today was a lot harder as i went out for my birthday last night and ate 36 ribs :oops: but i was determined to do it and actually did my fastest time yet. 44m47s for 12.68 miles

    Not really thought much about upgrades to the bike, i don't really know anything about it so dont really want to get into that yet but i think it might need a service. Sometimes it takes ages to actually go into the next gear after i've clicked the button thing. Also, some gears make a funny noise, doesn't sound smooth. I only seem to use the top 2 or 3 gears but when i get to a big bastard hill and try to change down it sounds like it doesn't really like it.

    Stretched rear gear cable, just needs a tweek up and all will be fine.

    36 ribs...chapeau!

    + 1 on the gear cable

    +1 million on the ribs!!! Chapeau indeed.....!
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Is the gear cable the sort of thing i can do myself or should i take it somewhere? I'm assuming it needs tightening or something?

    Amazing how much food you can plough through after a few hours exercise in a day :D
  • mudcow007
    mudcow007 Posts: 3,861
    yep just needs pulling through a touch

    shoudl be able to do it your self

    is it the rear gears or front?
    Keeping it classy since '83
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Is the gear cable the sort of thing i can do myself or should i take it somewhere? I'm assuming it needs tightening or something?

    Amazing how much food you can plough through after a few hours exercise in a day :D

    Easy to do yourself really. Look online for a video, or....

    At the back of the rear mech where the cable enters there is a barrel adjuster. Standing at the back of the bike looking forward with the rear mech on the right of the bike you will need to turn the adjuster in an anti-clockwise direction to tighten the cable...probably a quarter turn or so depending on how bad it is. Tweek it until it shifts in all gears cleanly.
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Cheers guys, i'll have a mate at work look at it to make sure i dont do it wrong and know what to do in future. Do i need a specific tool to do it?

    I think it happens on the front and back gears. I barely ever change out of the big cog on the front but when i have the change hasn't exactly been smooth. I'll get him to look at both. :)
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Do i need a specific tool to do it?

    Fingers if just the barrel adjuster, an allen key if you need to pull more through than the adjuster can manage.

    Simples job.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Cheers guys, i'll have a mate at work look at it to make sure i dont do it wrong and know what to do in future. Do i need a specific tool to do it?

    Fingers!

    http://bicycletutor.com/adjust-rear-derailleur/

    As you turn the adjuster you will see the mech move in or out. Probably just needs a very fine tweek to stop the noise. You will need to get the wheel off the ground and spint it up with the pedals to test.
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Thank you all!

    Really want to get up to doing 100 miles a week but i find 2 days in a row is really hard at the moment. I also find my hands are quite sore after on the pads and ache a bit.
  • dhope
    dhope Posts: 6,699
    No rush to get upto 100miles a week, just work upto it. I've been commuting for a little under a year and it's only a short 6 miles so you're already upto the same weekly mileage as me.
    Rose Xeon CW Disc
    CAAD12 Disc
    Condor Tempo
  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    hey drunk boy! nice one!

    just wandering what you think of the scott? this one right? http://www.bikelab.co.uk/825/products/S ... iple_.aspx

    saw that and the s40, but wondering if the s40 is worth a £100 more http://www.bikelab.co.uk/824/products/S ... iple_.aspx
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • edhornby
    edhornby Posts: 1,780
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    I barely ever change out of the big cog on the front

    That's the kind of riding that we approve of round here 8)

    (being serious for one second, don't leave it in the big ring at the expense of straining the gears round really slowly, keep your legs spinning - and using the smaller ring is preferable to the big ring and the biggest sprocket at the back because the chain doesn't like being at a funny angle)
    "I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
    --Jens Voight
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    Ooh Bikelab, great retailer. Got measured and purchased my Litespeed there. Clive - good bloke.
  • gtvlusso
    gtvlusso Posts: 5,112
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Thank you all!

    Really want to get up to doing 100 miles a week but i find 2 days in a row is really hard at the moment. I also find my hands are quite sore after on the pads and ache a bit.

    Double wrap the bars with thick tape - cinelli tape is quite thick.

    You will get there - build up to it, I am doing 100 miles a week on a fixie, but I can pick and choose my route to be hilly or flat and add a few extra miles in if I am feeling particularly motivated.

    Just sit in and build gently - don't go nuts straight away; you will hate it and never get back on a bike again! Don't do 100 miles after eating 36 ribs!
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    gtvlusso wrote:
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Thank you all!

    Really want to get up to doing 100 miles a week but i find 2 days in a row is really hard at the moment. I also find my hands are quite sore after on the pads and ache a bit.

    Double wrap the bars with thick tape - cinelli tape is quite thick.

    You will get there - build up to it, I am doing 100 miles a week on a fixie, but I can pick and choose my route to be hilly or flat and add a few extra miles in if I am feeling particularly motivated.

    Just sit in and build gently - don't go nuts straight away; you will hate it and never get back on a bike again! Don't do 100 miles after eating 36 ribs!

    You are wearing padded mitts as well, right?
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    richVSrich wrote:
    hey drunk boy! nice one!

    just wandering what you think of the scott? this one right? http://www.bikelab.co.uk/825/products/S ... iple_.aspx

    saw that and the s40, but wondering if the s40 is worth a £100 more http://www.bikelab.co.uk/824/products/S ... iple_.aspx

    I like it mate, but then i have nothing to really compare it against. The S50 you linked to there is indeed the one i have. I haven't really had any trouble with it other than this noisey gear thing. Everyone comments on how nice it looks too which is always reassuring. I dont know anything about the S40 so i'm not really the person to ask. 27 speed seems excessive though. Like i said, i only use very few of mine.
  • richVSrich
    richVSrich Posts: 527
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    richVSrich wrote:
    hey drunk boy! nice one!

    just wandering what you think of the scott? this one right? http://www.bikelab.co.uk/825/products/S ... iple_.aspx

    saw that and the s40, but wondering if the s40 is worth a £100 more http://www.bikelab.co.uk/824/products/S ... iple_.aspx

    I like it mate, but then i have nothing to really compare it against. The S50 you linked to there is indeed the one i have. I haven't really had any trouble with it other than this noisey gear thing. Everyone comments on how nice it looks too which is always reassuring. I dont know anything about the S40 so i'm not really the person to ask. 27 speed seems excessive though. Like i said, i only use very few of mine.

    cool! well theyr 24 and 27 gears not not really much difference in it (currently have an 18! and cope fine generally anyway :P)

    is the noise just when you change gear? maybe need to ease off the pressure slightly when you change perhaps?
    Boardman Hybrid Commuter Workhorse
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Yeah i'm wearing padded mitts but i think they may be a bit big for me so might have to look into getting some smaller ones and see if that helps.

    I'll try putting another layer of bar tape on, will help hide the dirty marks i've got all over my previously nice shiney white ones. Fairly certain i'll balls that right up though.
  • essex-commuter
    essex-commuter Posts: 2,188
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Fairly certain i'll balls that right up though.

    I agree. :wink:
  • Wrath Rob
    Wrath Rob Posts: 2,918
    For the gears, google "sheldon brown" and browse the site. Or seach for the Park Tools website, they have a maintenance section with lots of pictures and descriptive text
    FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    Brilliant, thanks guys.

    I'm really not looking forward to the ride home. Played football at lunch and i'm hurting like hell. :(
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    badlydrunkboy wrote:
    Brilliant, thanks guys.

    I'm really not looking forward to the ride home. Played football at lunch and i'm hurting like hell. :(

    Just take it easy and spin in lower gears, it will probably help to wash out the crap from the football in your leg muscles anyway.
  • badlydrunkboy
    badlydrunkboy Posts: 78
    I took it pretty easy last night and got home in 49 minutes but man alive i ache this morning. Lost another 3lbs this week though :D

    I gave the gear thing a turn and it seems to have made a bit of a difference in that the gears now seem a lot harder :shock: There's still a fair bit of noise when in the middle and smaller cogs though :?

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