Side Effects of Commuting

StorckSpeed

Constantly checking the BBC weather app, then double checking it on the Accu Weather app!!!

Kieran_Burns

StorckSpeed wrote:

Constantly checking the BBC weather app, then double checking it on the Accu Weather app!!!

Except commuters know they're rubbish and you should only rely on the Met Office

Sharkyssurfers

usually when driving and behind cyclists notice their cadence is all wrong or they are in the wrong gear and then proceed to bore wife and kids telling them what gear they should be in. going through the puddles instead of going round them when cycling, I am already wet so a bit more water won't hurt.

MrSweary

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

usually when driving and behind cyclists notice their cadence is all wrong or they are in the wrong gear and then proceed to bore wife and kids telling them what gear they should be in.

Even the wife has picked up this habit now criticising peoples position on the bike. She doesn't even commute by bike....

MonkeyMonster

rower63 wrote:

I race people even when walking along the pavement, gradually accelerating if I detect someone on my shoulder.

and nearly all of hte others bar I don't drive so lack that pov. It's also knowing your timing is self reliant. To get train A I need to leave at time A. When not cycling i have to book a taxi etc and rely on others who sometimes are late beyond my control - that irritates mahoosively.

Shoulder checking is 2nd nature doing pretty much anything. Really wishing more shops allowed you to take a bike inside briefly. hate that most t-shirts aren't fitted. Shirts can be bought to fit cyclist build tbh - tm lewins slim fit or fully fitteds are fine for that.

Cake allowance if cycled is fine. If I haven't the craving of course hits and you try to justify I'll cycle twice as hard the next day... which you don't but still allow yourself cake.

An awareness of how full of crap roads can be because when wet it ends up on you...

anonymousblackfg

If I need get PT to work I end up coming in madly early as I now hate PT so much compared to the bike.

elbowloh

MrSweary wrote:

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

usually when driving and behind cyclists notice their cadence is all wrong or they are in the wrong gear and then proceed to bore wife and kids telling them what gear they should be in.

Even the wife has picked up this habit now criticising peoples position on the bike. She doesn't even commute by bike....

Almost every nodder you see has their saddle far too low.

cookeeemonster

TGOTB wrote:

drawblood wrote:

Sometimes...while pushing the shopping trolley around Sainsbury's, I do find myself shoulder checking and often ******* my right elbow to let the impatient lady behind take her turn at the front... just sometimes!!

I can't stop myself pushing the trolley around with my hands on the hoods. Even though it's clearly designed for hands to go on the tops, that just feels wrong. That's unless I'm pushing it up a ramp in the multi-storey car park, of course, in which case hands on the tops suddenly feels right...

+1

CiB

Mental arithmetic is better than it's been since I had a dartboard for Christmas when I was 13 and leant how to add multiply & subtract any combination of scores in the walk to retrieve the darts; that same bit of brain now spends its time working out ETAs based on current avg speed * remaining distance, or working out what time it is without reference to my watch based on when I set off & how far I am. Accuracy of estimated distances of all sorts from <20 yards (0.01 miles) upwards is pretty good too - last week's stab at meeting up at a village that I was only vaguely aware of 19.5 miles away (turned out to be 19.8 ) was close enough, esp with the 19.5 miles at about 18mph = see you there at about quarter to one. Bang on as well.

walkingbootweather

Dirty finger nails. No matter how often I wash and scrub.

Loose elastic on my socks from when I'm out in regular jeans / trousers and tuck in my socks.

Loose elastic on my pants - I'm just so fit me

elbowloh

Side effect of cycling in general.

Most of my trousers are now far to large for me. Dropped at least 3 inches off the waist line.

Sharkyssurfers

yep jeans are a pain for me, waist fit fine, but then very tight on thighs, usualy have to look for super baggy, did have a pair of skinny jeans but managed to tear them with my thighs!! :shock:

meanredspider

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

yep jeans are a pain for me, waist fit fine, but then very tight on thighs, usualy have to look for super baggy, did have a pair of skinny jeans but managed to tear them with my thighs!! :shock:

Rapha Sprinter jeans have solved the problem for me. Not cheap (even discounted to £125) but feel like they will last forever

elbowloh

meanredspider wrote:

Sharkyssurfers wrote:

yep jeans are a pain for me, waist fit fine, but then very tight on thighs, usualy have to look for super baggy, did have a pair of skinny jeans but managed to tear them with my thighs!! :shock:

Rapha Sprinter jeans have solved the problem for me. Not cheap (even discounted to £125) but feel like they will last forever

I have the Levi Commuter jeans (not the skinny ones), they fit well. Again not cheap, but bought in the sale and a lot less than the Rapha ones!

meanredspider

Another side effect of commuting is that I just can't cycle slowly! It's a PITA for me now as Amsterdam is warm and very humid and the commute too short (5k-ish) to make getting changed/showered worthwhile. So, instead, I just wear a different (sports) top and change into my work shirt when I've cooled off. I wish I could embrace the Amsterdam slow and steady commuting pace!

rower63

I get black ears every 3-4 days

MonkeyMonster

i am spending an every increasing sum of money on items I *need* each year...

Koncordski

I need more and more 'spare' bikes, every time i buy one it needs a bit of work so i need another one as a spare. She's not really buying it anymore.

jspash

The other day at the office I caught myself twisting my right foot as I got out of my chair.

asprilla

rower63 wrote:

I get black ears every 3-4 days

Indeed.

dodgy

I'm the guy buying winter gear in summer, summer gear in winter.

jimmypippa

Black ears?

rower63

jimmypippa wrote:

Black ears?

My ears seem to collect most of any given day's soot/traffic particles. Every few days I stick my finger in a not-too-inner fold in my ear, and it comes out black. Christ knows what my lungs must look like. Left ear much better collector than the right.

asprilla

rower63 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

Black ears?

My ears seem to collect most of any given day's soot/traffic particles. Every few days I stick my finger in a not-too-inner fold in my ear, and it comes out black. Christ knows what my lungs must look like. Left ear much better collector than the right.

Because you spend more time looking over your right shoulder?

I don't get black in my inner ear, I get it under the cartilage at the top if my ear. London is a bit grim like that.

First.Aspect

You guys. Seriously.



Every day.

Probably worth using some on your privates as well. The mind boggles. I just puked slightly.

asprilla

First Aspect wrote:

You guys. Seriously.



Every day.

Probably worth using some on your privates as well. The mind boggles. I just puked slightly.

I do. But sometimes you miss a bit, that's all.

tgotb

rower63 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

Black ears?

My ears seem to collect most of any given day's soot/traffic particles. Every few days I stick my finger in a not-too-inner fold in my ear, and it comes out black. Christ knows what my lungs must look like. Left ear much better collector than the right.

Now I understand how you manage to go so fast; you're getting extra VO2Max by breathing through your ears, nice trick!

tlw1

happier & not having to fill the car up as often (35 miles each way to the office).

This week saw a new record, 16.8 miles before seeing a car

meanredspider

matthew h wrote:

happier & not having to fill the car up as often (35 miles each way to the office).

This week saw a new record, 16.8 miles before seeing a car

Good mileage. And even I'm impressed by that distance before seeing a car - I've probably done 10 miles but 16.8 is amazing (assuming you're not commuting at 3am on a Sunday morning )

Kieran_Burns

meanredspider wrote:

matthew h wrote:

happier & not having to fill the car up as often (35 miles each way to the office).

This week saw a new record, 16.8 miles before seeing a car

Good mileage. And even I'm impressed by that distance before seeing a car - I've probably done 10 miles but 16.8 is amazing (assuming you're not commuting at 3am on a Sunday morning )

He's legally blind. That was the one that hit him.