A good commute requires a trial run

[dee.jay]

So here's mine - day off today so decided today's ride would be to test riding to my place of work:- (and obviously this includes coming home)

http://www.strava.com/activities/197958615

Was there in about 35 minutes including the short 30 seconds I almost took a wrong turn but the route in general is 90% cycle path. I'm a lucky boy.

 

[User16625]

I never bothered. I just deliberately gave myself too much time on the first run.
If im going out for a ride, I will use my nice bike and the proper cycling clothing rather than my old restored bike and clothing thats rather silly to wear for cycling.

 

[dee.jay]

Yeah the thing is I get up at 6am for work. I could get up at 6, cycle in, have a shower and still be ready for 7am start.... So that's all good. Wife says I should "wait until spring" but she's worried about the dark.... Hmpfh. I'll still do it when I have all the bits I need..

 

[Moodyman]

Nowt wrong with a dry run. I did mine on a weekend and was surprised at how quick I could do it. 55 mins vs 40 in a car. 12 miles. 8 glorious years ago

 

[summerdays]

I don't do a dry run when I'm going something new. Tomorrow, I haven't even decided which way I'm going, I know the beginning, and the end, and as for route in the middle I will know bits of it and probably end up working out a route whilst I'm riding.

 

[Simontm]

Did a trial run got a puncture. Did a second trial run and thought: Ah, I can do this and have done ever since.

 

[summerdays]

Ok, so I did end up in a cul de sac, and had to get the map out once on each journey. I'll probably take a different route next time, there was lots of broken glass on this mornings route.

 

[potsy]

I did a trial run of mine before I'd even had the interview, needed to know I could find the place when the big day came

 

[Pale Rider]

Ok, so I did end up in a cul de sac, and had to get the map out once on each journey. I'll probably take a different route next time, there was lots of broken glass on this mornings route.

Someone smashed a couple of bottles in my back lane, so it was out with the broom before I could get out with the bicycle.

Most glass is designed to shatter into hard granules rather than sharp shards, it's a safety measure so if you are 'glassed' in a pub the injuries, while nasty, won't be the dreadful gashes they would have been previously.

The relevance to cycling is that to sturdy hybrid tyres such as Marathon Pluses, broken glass doesn't represent a huge hazard.

I don't know about roadie tyres, and I'm not saying a Marathon won't puncture on glass, but you will often get away with it.

 

[summerdays]

I did get away with it, but I think I was surprised to find quite a few locations with glass, normally you occasionally come across some. And I have basic Marathons on the bike but didn't like the crunchy sounds.

 

[Pale Rider]

I did get away with it, but I think I was surprised to find quite a few locations with glass, normally you occasionally come across some. And I have basic Marathons on the bike but didn't like the crunchy sounds.

I don't like the crunchy sounds either, but it does indicate the glass bits are more granular, like gravel.

I've been known to stop after a crunchy incident and brush the tyres off with my (padded) gloved hand.

Might not make any difference, but could possibly eject a sharper bit before it's had time to work through to the tube.

 

[fossyant]

I did a trial run of my 'revised' route to work in the car last week- needed to work out where the entrance to the Fallowfield Loop was so drove the route I'd use on the road bike. I know the 'off road' route as far as it gets back to a short section of road. Always worth planning. Saves you the panic on that first morning.

 

[dee.jay]

That's what I thought :-)

 

[jagman.2003]

I use google maps & street view to give me the first clues. But not very good at working out gradients.

 

[dee.jay]

Strava did a very good job of showing my elevation too