Top commuting tips ...

KnightOfTheLongTights

Forgive me if you've heard this one before but I just discovered it the other day ...
Tired of wrestling with tight overshoes* four times a day?
When removing, just roll them over the ankle / heel so they remain wrapped around the forefoot bit of your cycling shoe, exposing the ratchet / dial so you can pop that and release the shoe with overshoe largely attached - it can stay like that til you put them back on.
Saves wear and tear on overshoes too.

*the neoprene one-piece sort that don't have zip or velcro

tgotb

One I discovered earlier this week:
Recharging the batteries for your lights is not enough to guarantee that they'll work. Turns out that you also need to take the batteries out of the charger and put them back in the lights. No amount of banging the light, turning it on and off etc will work unless you've taken this critical step.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Astute, TGOTB.

rjsterry

TGOTB wrote:

One I discovered earlier this week:
Recharging the batteries for your lights is not enough to guarantee that they'll work. Turns out that you also need to take the batteries out of the charger and put them back in the lights. No amount of banging the light, turning it on and off etc will work unless you've taken this critical step.

Thanks. Just reminded me to turn off my rear light from this morning. Need to recharge it now.

gingaman

Works both ways too, if you want lights in the morning, remember to turn them off! Opinions please on knocking on a random door at 8pm because someone has left their bike lights on, helpful or weird?

Edit: Obv. the bike belonged to the house I knocked at, not just a 'random' house

Kieran_Burns

I dunno, knocking on some complete strangers house to tell them you've left your lights on would definitely be construed as weird.

DrLex

gingaman wrote:

[...]helpful or weird?

gingaman

I think personally I would rather someone knocked on my door than find I have no lights in the morning, plus if the lights are on it is easier for someone nefarious to see them/bike

goonz

gingaman wrote:

I think personally I would rather someone knocked on my door than find I have no lights in the morning, plus if the lights are on it is easier for someone nefarious to see them/bike

Thnk id be more worried that someone knew who the bike belonged to. What else would they know about you?

LiveGiantly

goonz wrote:

gingaman wrote:

I think personally I would rather someone knocked on my door than find I have no lights in the morning, plus if the lights are on it is easier for someone nefarious to see them/bike

Thnk id be more worried that someone knew who the bike belonged to. What else would they know about you?

:shock: :shock:

**buys an extra Kryptonite D-lock**

bigmat

Why knock? Just turn the lights off. That's what I do if I ever see any left on in the bike park. As for overshoes, easiest solution = don't wear them - haven't bothered at all this winter (did wear oversocks for a bit before Christmas).

LiveGiantly

BigMat wrote:

Why knock? Just turn the lights off. That's what I do if I ever see any left on

+1 so long as the lights are easy to turn off....

Kieran_Burns

LiveGiantly wrote:

BigMat wrote:

Why knock? Just turn the lights off. That's what I do if I ever see any left on

+1 so long as the lights are easy to turn off....

Remove the batteries :P

tgotb

goonz wrote:

gingaman wrote:

I think personally I would rather someone knocked on my door than find I have no lights in the morning, plus if the lights are on it is easier for someone nefarious to see them/bike

Thnk id be more worried that someone knew who the bike belonged to. What else would they know about you?

They'd know where you live, for a start...

ddraver

BigMat wrote:

As for overshoes, easiest solution = don't wear them - haven't bothered at all this winter (did wear oversocks for a bit before Christmas).

M'yeah +1

All my MTB kit is in storage at the moment so I'm forced to fight with overshoes but I'm already sick of them (and breaking them!)

redvee

BigMat wrote:

Why knock? Just turn the lights off.

Done that once a week it seems in work as I walk into the bike sheds at 2200.

Mikey23

... Remember where you are commuting to and how to get home again afterwards

This becomes more important as you get older

okgo

If your light breaks borrow one from your work bike park, but only if it has a layer of dust on it!

essex-commuter

I've been using DHB toe covers this year. Simple to put on and remove, keep my feet warm and believe it or not, as dry as most overshoes I've worn. Cheap good bit of kit.