Happy commuter thread

[gambatte]

The road bike needs a new tyre, so for todays commute the roadie’s been swapped for the hack. It’s an old slim black Raleigh hybrid, steel frame, with a couple of 26x1.95 slicks which only just fit with minimal clearance. Basically, built from 3 free scrappers.

Good thing is, I can take this places the roady won’t go

So for today the first couple of miles of the commute were on bridleways, down the side of fields. Vibrating along the now dried out mud, which still showed evidence of the passing of tractors.

I’ve not been bike commuting since lastr week, so it seemed quite chilly (only a few hundred yards before I remembered I’d left the gloves on the table!) but I was soon used to it and that chill, that turns your arms red, quickly becomes exhilarating.

The ride in was uneventful. I noted plenty of wide passes, drivers hanging back at pinchpoints and also drivers hanging back, anticipating my upcoming manoeuvres, following a couple of rearwards glances.

Altogether, a rather pleasant commute.

 

[adds21]

I had a fantastic commute this morning too.

I generally commute on the road bike, but try to get up early once a week and take the MTB the long way. I enjoy the ride more, and can go various cross country routes.

This morning, I came across this:

What a way to start the day. It was only slightly marred by the puncture 3 miles before the end.

 

[Tinuts]

You lucky boy!

 

[Sapper]

Wow that does look an interesting commute, beats Barnet hill!!


Lucky geezer

 

[benb]

I had the boy on the seat on the back, and the wife cycled in too. Very pelasant having some company - I'm glad I finally managed to persuade her she could manage the 6 or 7 miles to work. She's not very confident yet, but she's getting there.

Having an extra 16kg on the bike makes my legs hurt though!

 

[BSRU]

Nice and quiet on the roads in Swindon this week because the schools are on holiday, makes it a far more enjoyable commute.

 

[gambatte]

I’ve got something similar I could work into the commute, but it’d definitely put a couple of miles onto it and I’m not sure if it’d then class as ‘commute’ or ‘detour’.....

BSRU same here, could be a protracted lull in the traffic. Don’t know about near you, but up here they’re off till 26[sup]th[/sup].

I could be alternating between the cage and the hack for longer than I’d thought. My 700 x 23c turned up last night. So far the clincher won’t clinch above 80psi. It doesn’t fill me with confidence.

Maybe that detours looking more likely?

 

[BSRU]

BSRU same here, could be a protracted lull in the traffic. Don’t know about near you, but up here they’re off till 26[sup]th[/sup].

Yes, two weeks of school holiday until the 26th and I will be off that week, like many of the people where I work taking advantage of using 3 annual leave days to get 11 days off work.

 

[gambatte]

Ditto. I’ll still have the 3 year old at home, but I can do the school run with the other 2. Soon as the wedding was announced I got in with that one. You knew the 29[sup]th[/sup] was more than likely going to be a bank holiday.

 

[gambatte]

Back on the roadie and for the first time in ages I shunned the back and country roads, opting instead for the main carriageways. Incident free yet again, apart from one close pass on the approach to some red lights who suddenly found I was positioned in primary infront of him again :-)

Its strange how you can be in the house, prepping for the commute thinking about putting on a long sleeve top as you know its going to be chilly out.

5 mins into the ride you’re loving the chill and the way your arms are going red as blood pumps to the surface to keep you warm.

 

[cyberknight]

I get to see the sun coming up over mist covered fields with only the odd car , watching the lambs play !

I really enjoy the commute to work

 

[fossyant]

Much better ride today, fixed the star nut last night, fixed the front guard (rivets for the brake bridge had worked loose - nothing a hammer can't fix), no clicks from the bars, no silly drivers - just need to get the battery for my wireless cateye - must be low in the sensor.

 

[Tynan]

My best ride of the year today, a nice morning but a slight hangover, Thursday legs, but a long weekend ahead, sister in laws party on Saturday, out of the house a little earlier than usual and in my newish bib shorts and the summer top, smart black with red flashes, summer Briko socks, white with red band at the ankle, weight down from the post crimbo bloat to a only slightly tubby15st 3lb, all rather sleek, even the wife made approving comments

right from the off it was all good, lovely weather, and the bike seemed to be going on it's own, good speed and any extra effort from me resulting in faster

I followed a sterling young man in civvies hammering along on a Bormpton, really putting the effort it, it was a joy to watch especially when cruising along with almost no effort

A very pretty young girl on a bike (with protective young man) in a short pleated hockey type skirt waiting to turn right into Columbia Road, she looked for all the world like she was making a porn film, in a good way, a skirt like that with such a delightful leg raised on left pedal

A couple of chaps in a truck tooting their horn and craning to watch a lady crossing the road, her stony but I hope inwardly pleased face

lots of bikes for once being ridden sensibly, some pretty girls looking very competent on old but smart bikes and a final sprint up London Bridge having to be stopped early as I reached 27mph (with plenty left in the tank) and caught up with the black cab in front rather quickly

and the cold shower at work was actually refreshing and manly rather than a irritant

if I could have bottled and sold the feeling over that hour I'd be a millionaire

 

[gambatte]

Happy, but so nearly might not have been. I’m glad I had to take the dog ‘round the block’ this morning. It let me experience what it was like this a.m. with all the low mist, rather than the early sun I’ve managed to get used to. So this a.m the legs were exposed in the shorts, but my arms were covered with my jacket. It could so easily have been a bad mistake.



Main roads were eerily quiet, bit like a zombie film at times.....



Found that although I was doing lifesavers, you didn’t need to, it was quiet enough to do it by engine noise alone.



Just go to get home now and no commutes for over a week. (Plenty of time to investigate triathlons instead.....)

 

[gambatte]

Great commute yesterday, no knobheads trying to kill me, plenty of wide passes and (thanks to taking the dog out early) I didn’t get caught out with short sleeves on a day with a decidedly chill breeze.

Add into that, on the return journey, about 3 miles from home, getting in a ‘commuter race’ with a roadie. Calfs like Arnies arms and I still kept up with him, despite the pannier (wonder if he knew he was racing?)

Good to see a guy like this on the road. Despite thinking I’m a pretty decent, safe rider, it surprised me to see how many more lifesavers he carried out amongst other things. Hope to see him on the road some more.