The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

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  • Long_Time_Lurker
    Long_Time_Lurker Posts: 1,068
    Scum bags smashed glass in an underpass - no chance of avoiding it at the speed I was going. Stupidly slammed on the anchors and skidded through it, rather that getting off the seat and riding through as fast and delicately as possible.
    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
    So who else got caught in the 10 minute blizzard?
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • mikebikemike
    mikebikemike Posts: 166
    well depends which blizzard you meant - today was nuts with snow sunshine sleet hail all swapping over every 10 -30 mins
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    Just a tad on the chilly side this morning....wish this cold spell would F**k Off....
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    yea a bit cold, but not too bad. I thought the roads would be slippier than they were, a lot had a white frost, but it still seemed to be grippy enough to cycle comfortably, at least no sheet ice. It better start warming up soon, I'm away over Easter in the caravan!

    It seems my summer tyres and using my backpack rather than panniers has made me faster, not sure how much is physiological though. I am now comfortably under 50 mins every day each way, whereas before it was closer to 55mins. Which gives me the milestone of being under 4min a mile average.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    It was pretty frosty last night at 12 o'clock. I swear the tears running down my cheeks were freezing up. Strangely, I didn't really feel the cold at all
    On another note, phone apps are doing my head in. Both Endomondo and Strava regularly miss the first mile or so from my ride, despite switching them on as I'm walking to the bike racks, (A good 10 minute walk) so the GPS has plenty time to get a signal. They'll still time me from hitting the start button, so my average speed is pathetic - I don't try to use both at the same time, before anyone thinks that

    Edit:
    anthdci wrote:
    !

    It seems my summer tyres have brought back winter conditions.
    FTFY :)
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Andy9964 wrote:
    On another note, phone apps are doing my head in. Both Endomondo and Strava regularly miss the first mile or so from my ride, despite switching them on as I'm walking to the bike racks, (A good 10 minute walk) so the GPS has plenty time to get a signal. They'll still time me from hitting the start button, so my average speed is pathetic - I don't try to use both at the same time, before anyone thinks that
    \

    they do that on purpose, so that when you upload them to their site other people cant see where you traveled form or too, so they cant pinpoint where your bike will be to come and pinch it! You can turn that handy feature off if you like, its in the settings somewhere.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    yea a bit cold, but not too bad. I thought the roads would be slippier than they were, a lot had a white frost, but it still seemed to be grippy enough to cycle comfortably, at least no sheet ice. It better start warming up soon, I'm away over Easter in the caravan!

    It seems my summer tyres and using my backpack rather than panniers has made me faster, not sure how much is physiological though. I am now comfortably under 50 mins every day each way, whereas before it was closer to 55mins. Which gives me the milestone of being under 4min a mile average.

    Same here ref the caravan....i'm up at ours next couple of weekends ( South Northumberland)..next weekend its a free one (missus/child free) so got a couple of rides planned on the roadie.....weather permitting :roll:
    Hoping to get out as well this Sat morning for a quick blast....
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    anthdci wrote:
    Andy9964 wrote:
    On another note, phone apps are doing my head in. Both Endomondo and Strava regularly miss the first mile or so from my ride, despite switching them on as I'm walking to the bike racks, (A good 10 minute walk) so the GPS has plenty time to get a signal. They'll still time me from hitting the start button, so my average speed is pathetic - I don't try to use both at the same time, before anyone thinks that
    \

    they do that on purpose, so that when you upload them to their site other people cant see where you traveled form or too, so they cant pinpoint where your bike will be to come and pinch it! You can turn that handy feature off if you like, its in the settings somewhere.
    Aha, of course, I saw that in Strava.. I'll have a look to see if I can only have my home address hidden, cheers
  • byke68
    byke68 Posts: 1,070
    Caught the wiff of hot-cross buns escaping from Gossie ASDA this morning, mmm..................
    Cannondale Trail 6 - crap brakes!
    Cannondale CAAD8
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    byke68 wrote:
    Caught the wiff of hot-cross buns escaping from Gossie ASDA this morning, mmm..................

    i always go past a deli on a morning where you can smell the sausage and bacon being prepared. I used to go past 2 chippies on my way home, but changed the route so i only pass one now, but it is hard to resist!
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Andy9964 wrote:
    anthdci wrote:
    Andy9964 wrote:
    On another note, phone apps are doing my head in. Both Endomondo and Strava regularly miss the first mile or so from my ride, despite switching them on as I'm walking to the bike racks, (A good 10 minute walk) so the GPS has plenty time to get a signal. They'll still time me from hitting the start button, so my average speed is pathetic - I don't try to use both at the same time, before anyone thinks that
    \

    they do that on purpose, so that when you upload them to their site other people cant see where you traveled form or too, so they cant pinpoint where your bike will be to come and pinch it! You can turn that handy feature off if you like, its in the settings somewhere.
    Aha, of course, I saw that in Strava.. I'll have a look to see if I can only have my home address hidden, cheers
    You have to wait for them to get signal before setting off, find out where the GPS antenna is in your hand set and point it at the sky with as little metal etc between it and the sky as possible to speed up detection. On a side note check the article on GPS app bike thefts and revise your privacy settings if needed.
    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
    well I hare a nightmare getting home on friday. Puncture at 2 miles from glass. Got the tyre out and swapped, was busy pumping the spare up when a lovely passerby offered to help. My spare wasn't working going up either, so turned out the valve had split where it joins the rubber, so that was ruined! The lad offered to repair the tube with glass, so we did, but the lads glue was old so that wouldn't hold the patch :( Nothing more we could do so I rang for a lift.The was going to take awhile so I carried the bike to Asda on the felling bypass on the off chance they had a repair kit, they didn't :( 45mins later my lift arrives. The bike is still upside down in my hall with no wheels on, cant bare fixing it at the moment. In future I'll have a spare tube in my saddle bag, another in my backpack and a repair kit, just incase!! Going to buy some CO2 cartridges for ease, the hand pump is terrible.
  • Captain Slackbladder
    Captain Slackbladder Posts: 175
    anthdci wrote:
    well I hare a nightmare getting home on friday. Puncture at 2 miles from glass. Got the tyre out and swapped, was busy pumping the spare up when a lovely passerby offered to help. My spare wasn't working going up either, so turned out the valve had split where it joins the rubber, so that was ruined! The lad offered to repair the tube with glass, so we did, but the lads glue was old so that wouldn't hold the patch :( Nothing more we could do so I rang for a lift.The was going to take awhile so I carried the bike to Asda on the felling bypass on the off chance they had a repair kit, they didn't :( 45mins later my lift arrives. The bike is still upside down in my hall with no wheels on, cant bare fixing it at the moment. In future I'll have a spare tube in my saddle bag, another in my backpack and a repair kit, just incase!! Going to buy some CO2 cartridges for ease, the hand pump is terrible.

    Nightmare.....at this point and be all smug and say i carry 2 spare tubes and a repair kit always.. :wink:

    Anyway, managed a decent ride on the roadie on Sat morning, a couple of wrong turns...but thats half the fun. Looks a grim week on the weather front... :(

    http://app.strava.com/activities/44597223
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    snowing in NE1... glad i got the metro, even if it was an eventful journey in. Need to pop into start cycles on my way home for a new puncture repair kit.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Anybody got £550 they don't want :D
    Spotted a Cannondale Synapse in tiagra flavour for £550 at a LBS.
    Problem #1, they don't operate the cycle scheme my employer does
    Problem #2, they only have one (and it's my size) as its a 2012 model

    I could get the money by the end of April, but by then................... Must........resist........credit........card
  • daveyroids
    daveyroids Posts: 223
    Anyone brave/stupid enough to be doing the Killhope Grimpeur this weekend, weather looks interesting for it!
    http://www.sunderlandclarion.org.uk
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    @anthdci: which LBS?

    @Daveyroids: Shame it's closed, I fancy that, nice hills around Blanchland.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • jejv
    jejv Posts: 566
    Initialised wrote:
    nice hills around Blanchland.
    Ahhh.

    And Allenheads and Allendale.

    Maybe next Summer.
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Initialised wrote:
    @anthdci: which LBS.
    Do you mean me ;)
    Going to have a look at it on Friday or Saturday. If I can't sort out the cash I'll reveal all :)
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Initialised wrote:
    @anthdci: which LBS.
    Do you mean me ;)

    yea i was going to say, i said I was going to start cycles, didn't mention a LBS...

    I've got the metro in the last couple of days because of the weather forecast, then when I've got to work I've regretted it because it hasn't been that bad, so back on the bike this morning and got blasted by hail coming along the felling bypass, my face was on fire from it :x
  • daveyroids
    daveyroids Posts: 223
    @Daveyroids: Shame it's closed, I fancy that, nice hills around Blanchland.

    It maybe literally closed, have you saw the forecast!
    http://www.sunderlandclarion.org.uk
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Do you mean me ;)
    Yes I did.

    35 miles of snow, hail, sleet and freezing rain in the face today. :P

    Only looked like it had managed to settle around Stanley so that doesn't bode well for the hills beyond if it keeps going.
    I used to just ride my bike to work but now I find myself going out looking for bigger and bigger hills.
  • daveyroids
    daveyroids Posts: 223
    No not at all.
    http://www.sunderlandclarion.org.uk
  • bucklb
    bucklb Posts: 296
    If you were the chap (genesis single speed) kind enough to show me a safe route from pilgrim street to byker then thanks very much. We got separated just before my turn so I didn't get to say thanks at the time.

    Cheers, Bob
    ________________________
    So it goes ...
  • andy9964
    andy9964 Posts: 930
    Initialised wrote:
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Do you mean me ;)
    Yes I did.
    .
    PM'd you with a link
  • anthdci
    anthdci Posts: 543
    had a really fun ride in this morning. Wide behind me, I was flying. Got into work 7mins faster than my average. But I was thinking all the way, going the other way is going to be pure hell, and by the looks of it the wind has got stronger. 13miles in a 32mph headwind (according to bbc weather) wont be fun.
  • tuktuk
    tuktuk Posts: 179
    After tempting fate by saying I hadnt picked up a puncture for a long time I had a nightmare week.

    Front puncture on wednesday, no problem.

    Rear puncture on thursday. Changed tube, inner tubes valve was too short to get the pump on it, managed to get a small amount in the tyre with a co2 canister and got to work. Changed to another tube at work and managed to use the hand pump on this one.

    Friday morning use the track pump to fully inflate the new tube. The tube burst, blowing the tyre completely off the rim and something hit my finger and took out a chunk of flesh. Was also deaf for 5 mins haha
    ReefFishForum
  • Initialised
    Initialised Posts: 3,047
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Initialised wrote:
    Andy9964 wrote:
    Do you mean me ;)
    Yes I did.
    .
    PM'd you with a link
    Thanks, but I think it'd be to small for me.
    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
    Back in the saddle today after a week off :)
    Got a PB for the journey in, @ 28 min. Felt a lot stronger than usual, but didn't seem as if I was putting any extra effort into it. Must have been the week off and tail wind combo, which was more obvious on the way home - 32 min :(

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