The Tyne and Wear Commuter Thread

anthdci

Captain Slackbladder wrote:

Pissing down this morning, more like a February morning than an early Summer one...

think you'd need a canoe rather than a bike to get to work this morning.

Captain Slackbladder

anthdci wrote:

Captain Slackbladder wrote:

Pissing down this morning, more like a February morning than an early Summer one...

think you'd need a canoe rather than a bike to get to work this morning.

tbf the commute was a doddle after a 5 hr soaking on the CTC Sat....thankfully we have changing and shower facilities at work,

anthdci

I was tempted to put my full waterproofs on, but going to work in the rain, and coming home with it still lashing down did not appeal to me. Mind you even with the big golf umbrella, my jeans still got wet walking to and from the metro.

Tony Mc

Braved it this morning Wet but good for doing it once in too work
should have had arm warmers on but overshoes were a God send

Initialised

Utterly drenched this morning, full waterproofs but it still found it's way in, my ass didn't dry off until lunchtime and my shoes were still damp for when I got back. Better over shoes and some guards for the road bike on the way.

andy9964

Initialised wrote:

Better over shoes and some guards for the road bike on the way.

thanks for that, you've just guaranteed a nice dry hot summer

y33stu

Got some good news last night. Got a new job. So instead of cycling from Gosforth to Ncl City Centre, I'm riding to Follingsby Park. Any suggestions on route? Felling bypass looks quickest, but does anyone ride on the road on it rush hour? I'll be on a road bike, so can't do any trails.

anthdci

y33stu wrote:

Any suggestions on route? Felling bypass looks quickest, but does anyone ride on the road on it rush hour? I'll be on a road bike, so can't do any trails.

Firstly congrats on the new job!

That is my route, although in the opposite direction. The road is wide enough and I haven't had any run ins. There is a short uphill between Heworth and the turn off that can be a little bit unsure because the cars are speeding up along there. Once your off at Lingey Lane it is straight forward, there is a cycle lane on the road.

For on your way home I would come off Lingey Lane at Merseyside, then down Stileford and join the A184 (felling bypass) from there and use the bus lane all the way to Heworth. That is what I do on a morning and apart from a crumbling speed bump at the end of Stileford it is smooth and easy.

y33stu

Cheers! And thanks for the tips. I ride on the Great North Road every day so cant see the Felling By pass being an issue. Do you go over the swing bridge or the high level? Reckon I'll do swing bridge and go up the bank / Dean Street to get some hills in the legs!

anthdci

y33stu wrote:

Do you go over the swing bridge or the high level? Reckon I'll do swing bridge and go up the bank / Dean Street to get some hills in the legs!

Tyne Bridge, on the road going into Newcastle, but on the path going out of it, the reason being when I am leaving work the tyne bridge is basically at a standstill, and it is not wide enough lanes to filter. I go up and round past the mecca bingo place.

y33stu

Not sure the Tyne will be an option.. sure i'll do it at some point though. Current mileage is 6 each way. Its gonna be twice that. So does that mean I'll be twice and fit, and lose twice as much weight? Er.. no!

Initialised

Andy9964 wrote:

Initialised wrote:

Better over shoes and some guards for the road bike on the way.

thanks for that, you've just guaranteed a nice dry hot summer

Hope so!

andy9964

Finally.......after TWO WEEKS!!! My replacement LoC has arrived (The one I lost only took four days)

Straight to the shop to get the bike sorted before I lost this one as well, will be ready tomorrow

Weather looks more like

Captain Slackbladder

Andy9964 wrote:

Finally.......after TWO WEEKS!!! My replacement LoC has arrived (The one I lost only took four days)

Straight to the shop to get the bike sorted before I lost this one as well, will be ready tomorrow

Weather looks more like

Weather is awful..braved it today and manged to stay pretty much dry this morning...nice tailwind most of the time as well....going to fun going home.

andy9964

Andy9964 wrote:

Finally.......after TWO WEEKS!!! My replacement LoC has arrived (The one I lost only took four days)

Straight to the shop to get the bike sorted before I lost this one as well, will be ready tomorrow

Weather looks more like

Luckily, I was wrong, dead wrong about the weather
Going to take some getting used to - brakes in the "wrong" place and a sorry excuse for tyres, can't imagine why there's valves on the rims, they feel like solid rubber compared to what I'm used to ........and, changing gears with the brake levers.......madness or genius??
I definitely feel quicker on it, with less effort.Might need some minor tweaks - seat height, bars adjusting. But I'll see how I get on before ruining anything
Quick pic just after I got home. Will post some better/more OCD ones in Gallery if I get time


P.S. dog not part of purchase

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Initialised

I took to drops (hadn't ridden them since I was around 12) really quickly and STI shifters are really intuitive and quick, took to them much quicker than I managed with modren MTB shifters (still prefer grip shifts). The position just makes you want to go doesn't it?

Nice looking bike, see you on the roads some time.

andy9964

Initialised wrote:

. The position just makes you want to go doesn't it?

God yeah!! The power gets put down onto the road so much easier. Might be a closer grip, better riding position, lighter bike with better wheels or a combo of the lot, but it's a he'll of a lot easier to go as fast/faster than on the MTB

Initialised

Just signed up for the 104 mile Cyclone 29th June. Anyone else doing it?

Tony Mc

Gone for the middle one 65ish miles as first attempt

andy9964

Hmmmm
Links please

Long_Time_Lurker

I've done them for the past 2 years, but am giving it a miss this tyear.
I'll be honest, I get annoyed with all of the crowds.

Me and my mates are taking the opporunity to head off in the opposite direction. We're hoping that everyone else will be on the Cyclone, leaving the trails nice and peaceful for us.

andy9964

Another cracking morning for a ride home (why is it always night shift that gets the best weather?). Total contrast to yesterday, when I got a good soaking after stubbornly refusing to put waterproofs on, in what started as a slight drizzle and turned into a downpour Having said that, I laughed at myself all the way home

In other news, my PB is now down to 21:44. Another 3 minutes off, and av speed 18.6mph. Must be the new roadie........and Strava segments

andy9964

Had my first clipless 'moment' today, on the way home :oops:

Coming down a bank, I filtered through to the junction at the end...........and, forgetting about the shoes/pedals, promptly fell to the right. Luckily, there was a very understanding (and amused) elderly couple in a Focus, who's bonnet I had to use to stop my fall.

Other than some sweaty fingerprints, there was no damage, except my pride.

Apologised profusely, and mumbled some excuse about new shoes etc. They laughed. I died inside. There wasn't a hole big enough to swallow me up

Continued on my way, making sure I didn't go the same way as them

I have a feeling it may happen again

Captain Slackbladder

Cracking week so far on the weather front...why cant it always be like this?

While its always nice to see so many bikes out i cant help but notice at times the lack of lids and general etiquette....

Long_Time_Lurker

My front fork is dying.
Hissing like an angry snake when I turn the lock off. This could be expensive.

anthdci

Captain Slackbladder wrote:

Cracking week so far on the weather front...why cant it always be like this?

been lovely monday and tuesday, didn't even need a base layer, this morning not so much, baselayer went back on!

Captain Slackbladder wrote:

While its always nice to see so many bikes out i cant help but notice at times the lack of lids and general etiquette....

unbelievably so. I can expect to see students and such likes going slowly on town bikes not wearing them but I see people going quite quickly on road bikes without them also. The number of people I see jumping red lights or cycling up northumberland street is unreal. I even had a bus driver open his window on congratulate me on being the only cyclist he had seen stopped at a red light that day, surely an exaggeration but just the fact that he felt the need to tell me says a lot.

Long Time Lurker wrote:

My front fork is dying.
Hissing like an angry snake when I turn the lock off. This could be expensive.

get a solid one, if your commuting you don't need suspension.

jomoj

careful, before you know it there'll be A Helmet Debate. And no one wants that. Again. Please

re: etiquette, you're just seeing the usual fair weather effect of old bikes being trundled out of sheds and a general lack of road skills from the casual cyclist.

Been a while since I posted, just been enjoying the slightly better weather but ironically 3 punctures in 2 days after a whole winter with only 1. One of them caused by a 4" screw that went through the tyre and pierced the inside of the rim! Trashed the tyre and the tube unsurprisingly.

Also finally paid a visit to the Bike Hub cafe on the Ouseburn, canny enough with a nice view down the river. Slightly less relaxing heavy duty industrial noise from over the river though. Cake was good though so I'll let them off.

Initialised

https://virginmoneycyclone.co.uk/Cyclon ... owPage=552

Andy9964 wrote:

Hmmmm
Links please

Sorry that's messy

Captain Slackbladder

jomoj wrote:

careful, before you know it there'll be A Helmet Debate. And no one wants that. Again. Please

re: etiquette, you're just seeing the usual fair weather effect of old bikes being trundled out of sheds and a general lack of road skills from the casual cyclist.

Been a while since I posted, just been enjoying the slightly better weather but ironically 3 punctures in 2 days after a whole winter with only 1. One of them caused by a 4" screw that went through the tyre and pierced the inside of the rim! Trashed the tyre and the tube unsurprisingly.

Also finally paid a visit to the Bike Hub cafe on the Ouseburn, canny enough with a nice view down the river. Slightly less relaxing heavy duty industrial noise from over the river though. Cake was good though so I'll let them off.

Pass it every morning on my commute...only been in once. I'm not 100% convinced of its location tbf.

My Dragons Den lightbulb moment is replicating it somwhere in North Tyneside...Silverlink or Near Asda along the A191.....anyone in with me?

Long_Time_Lurker

anthdci wrote:

Long Time Lurker wrote:

My front fork is dying.
Hissing like an angry snake when I turn the lock off. This could be expensive.

get a solid one, if your commuting you don't need suspension.

Not possible - it's my only bike at the moment. I'm commuting on it as training for some away days around Dalby.
Yesterday I found out that it is going to cost £100 + parts. :x