The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

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  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    jomoj wrote:
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    The boulevard of broken glass section along the river cycle path is shocking atm....

    No flatties as yet this week, only a matter of time.


    As if by magic at 7am this morning.... :evil:

    yep, the local chavas have had a smashing time. Literally.
    I bypass it by dropping down welbeck or neptune road, riding along White st / wincomblee rd and rejoining the path at Malaya Drive after which it's mostly just dog sh*t you have to avoid. The road isn't all that busy, a few white vans and lorries and so on but no through traffic.

    PS. I'm touched to see my strava segment name being used to describe the bit you're talking about :)

    Aye, that's where i got it from :)

    Dog dirt dash is another favorite, only joined strava a couple of weeks back, really enjoing it. Feel free to add me etc.

    http://app.strava.com/activities/41746485
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I wouldn't fancy fixing a puncture in the Boulevard of Broken Glass after doing the Dog Dirt Dash!
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Hmmm! Rain forecast over the next few days, been a while since I got a soaking, should be entertaining :)

    *digs out waterproofs*
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Was supposed to be 16 degrees today. If this is 16 degrees, what's the 5 degrees forecast for tomorrow going to be like!
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    5C in the mist felt more like -2C today. So it'll probable snow tomorrow if they're predicting rain. It's due because someone recently switched back from studs to slicks.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    it better not be miserable, I've just spent the last 2 hours giving the bike a work over. New brake pads, new chain, new cassette, removed the pannier rack (going to use my backpack for a change), fitted the summer wheels (fulcrum racing 5s with GP4000s rubber instead of marathon plus) and gave it a good wash.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Likewise, fitted a new cassette, destroyed the last one in six months riding through all the floods and snow. You've just put your summer wheels on, we're all doomed, it snowed just after I switched back to slicks.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    Worse yet, i just got the commuter bike out of hibernation last night...
  • Long_Time_Lurker
    Long_Time_Lurker Posts: 1,068
    Was supposed to cycle in this morning.
    Last night I decided to have a quick 30 minute run. Ended up doing a full 25 mile loop, through mud with off-road lights blazing. Legs like lead, so I got a lift in.

    I'm such a lightweight. I'll try again next week.
    2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
    2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
    2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    it better not be miserable, I've just spent the last 2 hours giving the bike a work over. New brake pads, new chain, new cassette, removed the pannier rack (going to use my backpack for a change), fitted the summer wheels (fulcrum racing 5s with GP4000s rubber instead of marathon plus) and gave it a good wash.

    Was minging this morning, well the roads were anyway. Did exactly the same as you on Monday..bit of a spring clean on the bike new tyres etc...its as hacky as it was before after this morning. :x

    Weather dosn't look great for the next few days..possible snow early next week... :(
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Was minging this morning, well the roads were anyway. Did exactly the same as you on Monday..bit of a spring clean on the bike new tyres etc...its as hacky as it was before after this morning. :x

    Weather dosn't look great for the next few days..possible snow early next week... :(

    yup very true. But the bike doesn't look too bad thanks to the mud guards. Nothing a quick spray with the hose tonight wont fix, was quite depressing watching me shinny new cassette get darker and darker though :(

    The ride in itself was actually really nice, felt really quick and when I got to the Tyne bridge I think it was the quickest I got there, however after seeing every light change from green to red in front of me a possible sub 45min became a 47min commute, still faster than the normal 50-52min.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Was minging this morning, well the roads were anyway. Did exactly the same as you on Monday..bit of a spring clean on the bike new tyres etc...its as hacky as it was before after this morning. :x

    Weather dosn't look great for the next few days..possible snow early next week... :(

    yup very true. But the bike doesn't look too bad thanks to the mud guards. Nothing a quick spray with the hose tonight wont fix, was quite depressing watching me shinny new cassette get darker and darker though :(

    The ride in itself was actually really nice, felt really quick and when I got to the Tyne bridge I think it was the quickest I got there, however after seeing every light change from green to red in front of me a possible sub 45min became a 47min commute, still faster than the normal 50-52min.

    Been thinking about getting some mudguards for a bit, the Walker road is shocking once it gets slighty wet.
    Cut my rides down to about 30min coming in and 50min going home (thankyou strava), i add a few extra miles on the way back.......around 18mile a day in total....will be increasing over the next few weeks so its around 22/25 mark.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    22/25 miles a day is nice. I do just shy of 13 miles each way. I go along Follingsby Lane which can get quite muddy, was tempted to take the mud guards off last night because they don't look that good, but so glad I didnt
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    was that a windy ride home, was there that much wind this morning?? I thought I was quick on my way in but didn't think it was down to a tail wind.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    am i the only one posting? Was probably my best ride in this morning. 43mins, my fastest to date by quite some margin. I was coming down the Felling bypass from Heworth towards Gateshead stadium and was happily sitting at between 35 and 40mph! I normally top out at 30 down there, lights were kind to me too for a change.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    I'll chip in.
    Took a half day off, and tried a detour on the way home.
    Nissan-Boldon-Cleadon-Whitburn-Home. An extra 4 miles
    Left all my gear at work as I'm in tomorrow, so I was without luggage. Quite a breeze coming off the North Sea, but it was rather pleasant ride home
    Day off the bike tomorrow, so I might try a 20-25 miler on Sunday
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Left all my gear at work as I'm in tomorrow, so I was without luggage. Quite a breeze coming off the North Sea

    Great, it was the same as yesterday. Just realized i got KOM on my "A184 past heworth to gateshead" segment in strava, 1 second faster than 2nd place :P
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Didn't quite get a KOM along the coast road. 96th out of 100 :D
    To be fair, it is a popular road with ultra light roadies, at least I wasn't last :)
    Oh, and I just weighed myself, down from 236lbs on 11th January to 220lbs ( a straight 100kg) today. No real dieting as such, just eating more fruit and cycling
  • Mayhemwmb
    Mayhemwmb Posts: 108
    Wish the weather would turn, managed to get out for 35miles on Tuesday and then the 11.5miles each way from home to Blyth, thankfully spend 80% of the commute on cycle paths - like earlier posts - these would be so much better if they weren't covered in dog sh!te and glass..............
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    anthdci wrote:
    it better not be miserable, I've just spent the last 2 hours giving the bike a work over. New brake pads, new chain, new cassette, removed the pannier rack (going to use my backpack for a change), fitted the summer wheels (fulcrum racing 5s with GP4000s rubber instead of marathon plus) and gave it a good wash.
    See, that white stuff falling from the sky. You did that!
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Initialised wrote:
    See, that white stuff falling from the sky. You did that!

    I know :(
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    sorry lads, didn't think it would be this bad. I didn't risk it this morning, far too much of the white stuff on the main roads nevermind getting out of the estate.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    sorry lads, didn't think it would be this bad. I didn't risk it this morning, far too much of the white stuff on the main roads nevermind getting out of the estate.

    Same here, duffed it.

    Braved a tootle out yesterday though..up hadrians and back down keelmans, was one of those days. Couple of flatties and a finger end sliced when checking for glass inside the tyre....not good :evil:

    Best tyre protection anyone? Slime? I've noticed those strips you can fit inside the tyre to protect the tube, any good?
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Captain Slackbladder wrote:
    Best tyre protection anyone? Slime? I've noticed those strips you can fit inside the tyre to protect the tube, any good?

    they will help, its essentially an extra layer of protection, but you pay for it with the extra weight, so you have to decide if the trade off is worth it.
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    I've never had a puncture on Schwalbe tyres.

    The ride out this morning was fun. Braved it without switching back to the Snow Studs and was suprised how much grip I had on the Duranos. Was snow then turned into slush until I made it past Scotswood Bridge, was OK after that. Saw someone on a fixie and the obligatory ice dancing Beemers.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • bennett_346
    bennett_346 Posts: 5,029
    My schwalbe city jets haven't punctured in the 8 months i've had them. Not the fastest or lightest by any means but that's irrelevant once you've stopped to fix a puncture - no tyre will outpace the time it takes to change a tube!
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    bennett_346 wrote:
    My schwalbe city jets haven't punctured in the 8 months i've had them. Not the fastest or lightest by any means but that's irrelevant once you've stopped to fix a puncture - no tyre will outpace the time it takes to change a tube!

    My Marathon Plus have only punctured once in about 2500miles, and I think what beat them would have got through any tyre on the market!

    I was back on the bike this morning, avoided the side roads so added 5mins onto my commute but I didn't have any problems with grip. It was cold but not unbearably so.
  • Long_Time_Lurker
    Long_Time_Lurker Posts: 1,068
    Double puncture last night. Haven't had one for a while, so the 'thumbs of steel' are way out of practice.
    Woke up this morning and my thumbs are killing me. :cry:

    Schwalbes btw - so I'm blaming you lot and your 'they never get punctures' posts. :evil:
    2007 Felt Q720 (the ratbike)
    2012 Cube Ltd SL (the hardtail XC 26er)
    2014 Lapierre Zesty TR 329 (the full-sus 29er)
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    edited March 2013
    Think I cursed myself, got the bike out this morning and the back tyre was flat. On the plus side I think it was from hitting a pothole while drafting a bus at 30mph+ making up the time I lost filming that bloke on a unicycle as the bit of glass I found in the carcass was nowhere near the hole in the tube :confused: so probably a pinch flat.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Long Time Lurker wrote:
    Double puncture last night. Haven't had one for a while, so the 'thumbs of steel' are way out of practice.
    Woke up this morning and my thumbs are killing me. :cry:

    Schwalbes btw - so I'm blaming you lot and your 'they never get punctures' posts. :evil:

    ouch, 2 on one commute is pretty bad luck :( did you catch the innertube between the tyre and rim when fixing the first one or was it two separate sharp objects? I thought I got one this morning when i hit a pothole/sunken manhole cover, as I was entering Newcastle, but I was far from work and got there without it going flat, so I'm going to check at lunch time to see if it's still up

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