The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

tuktuk

Going to take mine in for a service next week, I have a choice of 2 that are close enough to my work to drop in of a morning - Edinburgh cycles or the cycle centre on shields rd.

Any experiance of having work done at either ?

king_jeffers

I use Cyclelogical in Forest Hall they are good, or steels.

If your going to Edinburgh Cycles what about this: http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/product ... -for-dates

tuktuk

I think il have to keep it at either of the 2 in byker so I can drop it in on a morning and collect on the way home. Id prefer to have it in at whiptail as he has a new stem for me to modify mine but you cant book it in, just leave it and collect whenever its done.

That course sounds good! I know there is also a cafe 2 mins away from my office on the quayside called the bike hub or something which has a workshop and I think they might do training too.

Long_Time_Lurker

Whiptail is my preferred place. Friendly bunch, good servcie at a good price.

But Edinburgh and Cycle Centre are decent too. I have used Cycle Centre in teh past as I bought my Cube there. From my experience, they normally have a quicker turnaround than Edinburgh too (less busy I assume - if I'm in Edinburgh on a weekend, there is always 2 or 3 people taking their commuters in for a service).

I don't use Steele's as their customer service is a little cold (and it's a bit more expensive).

y33stu

I've used most of them for repairs but find Cycle Centre to be the best. Bought my new Cube from there. Quick turnaround, friendly and helpful - cheaper than Edinburgh too.

tuktuk

Excellent, thanks guys

Initialised

jomoj wrote:

I've been on my winter bike all year, it's been such crap weather

TBH I only have a 'winter' bike!

anthdci

Initialised wrote:

TBH I only have a 'winter' bike!

me too, I only got my Tricross in April, so I've used it through the summer and planning on using it through the winter with the plan to buy a summer bike next April/May time

Long_Time_Lurker

I have 2 bikes, but the winter bike is so poorly specced compared to the other bike, that it hasn't been used for 18 months.

Initialised

Hi to the guy I passed (white Specialized possibly a Roubaix?) on Kibblesworth bank today, it is quite a punishing climb and if it's any consolation I do it most days and am normally slower. Anyway thanks for the motivation on the way up, that ride took me over 1000km ridden and 20000ft climbed this month. Same time tomorrow?

bennett_346

Initialised wrote:

Hi to the guy I passed (white Specialized possibly a Roubaix?) on Kibblesworth bank today, it is quite a punishing climb and if it's any consolation I do it most days and am normally slower. Anyway thanks for the motivation on the way up, that ride took me over 1000km ridden and 20000ft climbed this month. Same time tomorrow?

Try riding up it on a full suss mtb once a week :shock:

Initialised

bennett_346 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

Hi to the guy I passed (white Specialized possibly a Roubaix?) on Kibblesworth bank today, it is quite a punishing climb and if it's any consolation I do it most days and am normally slower. Anyway thanks for the motivation on the way up, that ride took me over 1000km ridden and 20000ft climbed this month. Same time tomorrow?

Try riding up it on a full suss mtb once a week :shock:

OK race you, PM me what day would be good and we'll meet at Ravensworth Arms or the Lamesley round about. My legs hate me this week so maybe best leave it til next week...

I'm not sure exactly how heavy my bike is but I'm sure it's getting toward full-sus territory. 90s Giant, Al T6 6061 23.5inch (60cm) frame, heavy steel forks etc... I'll give it a bash when I get the Snow Studs on (+ 0.7kg extra per wheel).

If I had a full sus (or just not slicks) I'd be going up the Tanfield Railway path rather than the roads, it's more fun especially where the floods have washed most of the path away and there's six inches or trail left at the side and it's a fair bit flatter with less steep climbs.

bennett_346

Initialised wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

Hi to the guy I passed (white Specialized possibly a Roubaix?) on Kibblesworth bank today, it is quite a punishing climb and if it's any consolation I do it most days and am normally slower. Anyway thanks for the motivation on the way up, that ride took me over 1000km ridden and 20000ft climbed this month. Same time tomorrow?

Try riding up it on a full suss mtb once a week :shock:

OK race you, PM me what day would be good and we'll meet at Ravensworth Arms or the Lamesley round about. My legs hate me this week so maybe best leave it til next week...

I'm not sure exactly how heavy my bike is but I'm sure it's getting toward full-sus territory. 90s Giant, Al T6 6061 23.5inch (60cm) frame, heavy steel forks etc... I'll give it a bash when I get the Snow Studs on (+ 0.7kg extra per wheel).

If I had a full sus (or just not slicks) I'd be going up the Tanfield Railway path rather than the roads, it's more fun especially where the floods have washed most of the path away and there's six inches or trail left at the side and it's a fair bit flatter with less steep climbs.

I mostly do ride up the railway path, its great fun on the bit between lamesley and wrekenton with 6 ft holes etc from the rain!

Initialised

bennett_346 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

bennett_346 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

Hi to the guy I passed (white Specialized possibly a Roubaix?) on Kibblesworth bank today, it is quite a punishing climb and if it's any consolation I do it most days and am normally slower. Anyway thanks for the motivation on the way up, that ride took me over 1000km ridden and 20000ft climbed this month. Same time tomorrow?

Try riding up it on a full suss mtb once a week :shock:

OK race you, PM me what day would be good and we'll meet at Ravensworth Arms or the Lamesley round about. My legs hate me this week so maybe best leave it til next week...

I'm not sure exactly how heavy my bike is but I'm sure it's getting toward full-sus territory. 90s Giant, Al T6 6061 23.5inch (60cm) frame, heavy steel forks etc... I'll give it a bash when I get the Snow Studs on (+ 0.7kg extra per wheel).

If I had a full sus (or just not slicks) I'd be going up the Tanfield Railway path rather than the roads, it's more fun especially where the floods have washed most of the path away and there's six inches or trail left at the side and it's a fair bit flatter with less steep climbs.

up behind Kibblesworth it looks like a staircase from the bottom. Hope they don'tfix it too soon as I fancy doing it as a descent once iI'm on the winter tyres.
I mostly do ride up the railway path, its great fun on the bit between lamesley and wrekenton with 6 ft holes etc from the rain!

bennett_346

I must admit i've rode down those huge "steps" behind kibblesworth.

[don't try and jump them, it hurts ]

Initialised

Doubt I could resist on the right bike. Drop your seat and hang off the back and you'd be OK. When I sort out the fork on mysson's hard tail I'll give it a bash.

Initialised

Did the hill on the Snow Studs today. Then bailed onto the Bowes/Tanfield Railway path. Was great finding some icy puddles to break the tyres in with. Front wheels still too shiny for my liking. I will see if I can manage a 40mile day on them tomorrow to ride off some of the newness.

bennett_346

How far do they need bedded in on road for?

y33stu

Anyone else make the mistake of layering up in full thermals today thinking it was as cold as it was yesterday? I did. Was sweating when I got into the office as it was much warmer today.

tuktuk

I just thought it was extra cold yesterday as my boiler packed in and my clothes were still wet on the radiator. Was chilled to the bone by the time i got to work!

y33stu

Nasty! Wouldnt fancy that. Although the heating in the office was broken yesterday so It took my all day to warm up so i sort of feel your pain!

tuktuk

I was really pee'd. To top it all off, after i put the wet gear on i went to walk outside and slipped on the wood flooring so aswell as a freezing cold ride i had a sore hip haha.

Initialised

bennett_346 wrote:

How far do they need bedded in on road for?

25miles, did that a couple of years back when I first got them. Never lost a stud or had a puncture but climbing on them hurts.

Took the Bowes path downhill today, the Staircase round the back of Kibblesworth is an interesting choice between big drops and narrow mud.

We seem to have run out of ice for now so I'm going to put the slicks back on.

bennett_346

Just i was thinking about getting some ice studs for commuting in during winter. It's mostly on main roads (sheriff hill) and into newcastle, then all uphill home.

Just some bits i think if it was icy i could really cop it, and i've never commuted in in winter before. Have mountain biked in snow and ice extensively but thats another story entirely.

Initialised

You know that feeling when you make a hard turn in the mud or gravel, and the tyres struggle for traction and then the side lugs dig in and you stay up, and make the turn and keep going? That's what ice tyres let you do on sheet ice. The major downside is the weight but if you're already used to chunky mtb tyres it won't be that much extra weight and rolling resistance.

I thought I'd be giving up my lunchtime rides up and over Kibblesworth bank by now but having decent knobblies just opened up some new routes so why not keep going?

I guess the choice is based on cost (more £=more studs) and riding. A tyre like the Snow Stud is OK on the road but means I can go off road with much more confidence than on slicks, useful when the roads jam up in the snow, and can basically treat ice like mud. I so yeah, get some and stay on the bike through the best and worst that Northern Winters have to offer.

bucklb

Surprised I've managed to miss this thread. Another London leaver (Hounslow) here, travelling Monkseaton to the Business Park 3 times a week. Wonder how may of you I've seen without realising (maybe one of you is the Whitley Bay librarian I see regularly)?

bennett_346

Thanks for the advice Initialised, i'd like to continue riding in through as much of the winter as i can!

Long_Time_Lurker

Christ - there is a bloke who rides a bike up the wrong way of the coast road at the Silverlink junction. I thought I was imagining it the other day, but I have seen him twice this week.
I assume that he work on the Chirton industrial estate.

F-ing idiot. I thought RLJers gave cyclists a bad name, but this is at a whole new level!

y33stu

That's insane. I think anyone who even cycles on the coast road (not path) has a death wish. But to ride the wrong way? Guy needs help. I've seen a guy riding on the coast road, all in black with no helmet a couple of times, and I wince when I see him as I just know he'll get hit one day.

tuktuk

When i first started on the bike there was often a girl going the opposite way to me, cycling down the coast rd doing a no hander!

Cars just dont expect cyclists on that road and god knows what happens when you come to cross and entry/exit.