Last commute of the year??

[FrothNinja]

I'm not a regular bike commuter as it is a 50 mile round trip from Pendle to Preston, that's the foothills of the Pennines to pretty much sea level and back. I do, however, manage to do a few when the weather & light are right. The last few weeks its been 2 wheels most of the time as the car is out of action.
Of late the puncture situation has been getting silly, to the point that this last time I have taken a tubeless bike in and out of Preston. Just as well as today I pulled 3 very long thorns out of the tyres. The tube goob did it's job but it is pretty much the final straw. The killer stretch is the A59. The shared use paths are not properly maintained and the traffic is bloody dangerous, even on the path. When they do eventually smash up the hedges, they leave the caltrops all over the place.
Anyway, thats me done with the death run until 2023 if I have any choice. It'll be the motorbike until the car is back and fingers crossed it doesn't rain.
Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

 

[I like Skol]

Last cycle commute of the year is usually late December for me. There's a lot of year left yet, far too early to be thinking about finishing for Christmas....

 

[DCLane]

My autumn commutes have only just started, and I'll be continuing probably until about the 23rd of December when the university closes.

 

[HLaB]

I only commute once a week at the moment (wfh the other days) but if last year is anything to go by my last commute will be when I break off for Christmas. I do a train/cycle commute and have the train/train option if it gets icy but it was mild last year. There's one dip (sharp down and up) through a wooded where you can feel the temperature drop a degree or two but thankfully that stayed above freezing also. I might have to reconsider my finish date if it gets anywhere near icy because of that section.

 

[I like Skol]

Many years ago one of the Preston cycling clubs - there were, and still are, too many of them - went on the Sunday run down a lane that the farmer had flailed. Numerous punctures.
Not sure exactly what happened next but farmer and cyclists were not friends.
Cyclists decided to submit a claim via Small Claims Court, and won.
British Cycling won't get involved and say it depends on rules set by each local authority, so the caltrops will stay until traffic clears them.

Oh, that sounds like a hilarious urban myth. Nice tale, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story.....

Anything to back this up?

 

[cyberknight]

Thats a heck of a commute !
Im planning on riding unless the roads are dodgy, it was bloomin chilly last night

 

[I like Skol]

if last year is anything to go by my last commute will be when I break off for Christmas.

I usually take the time between Christmas and new year as holiday but on the rare occasion I do work any of those days I ALWAYS cycle to work. It is just too good to miss, a chance to buck the festive gluttony by getting some exercise and also enjoying the quieter roads while the rest of the population indulge in shopping and excessive consumption.

 

[cyberknight]

I usually take the time between Christmas and new year as holiday but on the rare occasion I do work any of those days I ALWAYS cycle to work. It is just too good to miss, a chance to buck the festive gluttony by getting some exercise and also enjoying the quieter roads while the rest of the population indulge in shopping and excessive consumption.

we have planned shutdown for the week so i have to be restrained from just riding if its bad, then again x mas tends just to be drizzly

 

[fossyant]

I'll only stop the commute when I break for Christmas. Thorns are an issue this time of year - was averaging one a commute last autumn along the canal. I've revised my route for the winter which is less muddy and 'less' thorns, but not guaranteed (pulled one out last week).

 

[Alex321]

I expect to be commuting by bike (usually in the office twice a week) all year. I usually take leave between Christmas and New Year, so my last commute will probably be the 23rd of December.

 

[I like Skol]

we have planned shutdown for the week so i have to be restrained from just riding if its bad, then again x mas tends just to be drizzly

We used to do the shutdown but now running 24/365 (there's a world wide chip shortage don't you know ). I still try to duck the festive period despite generous incentives to work right through. The main deciding factor is a limit of two days/nights which has minimal family impact while delivering maximum physical reward (endorphins?) with a financial reward to boot.

 

[I like Skol]

Yup. Plenty. My brother was one of those involved.

Must be true then? Still would like some links to a substantiated reference that would suggest this is anything more than a good pub yarn recounted by an enthusiastic story teller.

 

[cyberknight]

We used to do the shutdown but now running 24/365 (there's a world wide chip shortage don't you know ). I still try to duck the festive period despite generous incentives to work right through. The main deciding factor is a limit of two days/nights which has minimal family impact while delivering maximum physical reward (endorphins?) with a financial reward to boot.

trouble is our place when they shut down for any period the paint ovens can take 2 days to get up to full working speed so although we are off someone will be in to switch them on and monitor them and i doubt you can leave them on tickover without someone being there

 

[ianrauk]

My autumn commutes have only just started, and I'll be continuing probably until about the 23rd of December

Yep, same here.

 

[I like Skol]

trouble is our place when they shut down for any period the paint ovens can take 2 days to get up to full working speed so although we are off someone will be in to switch them on and monitor them and i doubt you can leave them on tickover without someone being there

Same here. We have furnace ovens that run up to 1800-2000°C, vacuum systems that run lower than outer space, toxic gases like arsenic, boron and phosphorus (I work with these!) and massively aggressive acids that are poisonous in small ll doses (I also work with these!).

These systems don't shut down easily and are not always happy in standby without expert supervision.

Even if we do a shutdown there is still a round the clock staffing requirement.