Potential newbie
- Thread starter jonny jeez
- Start date
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upsidedown
Waiting for the great leap forward
- Location
- The middle bit
Winter is fine, I find that multiple layers works better than 1 or 2 thick layers. My commute goes through a very rural part and you can feel the temperature drop by several degrees as you leave the town, it's nice to have a thin top to put on when needed.
Ice is nasty, i had a bad off in February/March, very quick and scary, dread to think what would have happened if a car had been behind.
Ice is nasty, i had a bad off in February/March, very quick and scary, dread to think what would have happened if a car had been behind.
karlos_the_jackal
Work in progress
- Location
- Haywards heath
Good luck for tomorrow, i'll be riding in tomorrow (after nearly a week off) anyway so i'll have puncture kit and tools spare if i see somebody on the side of the road.
OP
OP
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
Karlos...very kind....thanks for the support although I have chosen the route and will probably be running more to the west than you
By the way, does your route take you up from lewisham through New cross (which I guess is your biggest climb) if so, I was tempted to trace this as its a good straight run to waterloo and I could then ride the embankment (sea level!!!) all the way to earls court. Or have you found a route to bypass new cross.
Anyway...a small glitch has occured
-Got Tyres
-Got new tubes
-Got gear
-Worked out route
-Brought in change of clothing today
-Informed everyone in the office that I may be "a little delayed" depending on how well I fair
-Got motivated
-Got bunch of bananas
-Got shiny new pump
BUT then was told that the shower at work is broken......perfect....no hot water and some sort of leak into the board room (of all places)
So, not to be outdone, I am adjusting "launch date" (around the plumber) and will instead take a dummy run tomorrow evening afterwork to get myself up to running speed for the big day - which is now likely to be friday.
Going to take a run to the top of Crystal palace (my nemesis) and back home, it's only 12 miles (round trip) but is a good test of my ability (and timing) to the top...everything else is pretty much down hill from there to my office (short of a slow climb up tulse hill), so turning around and reversing the route will be more work than the "actual run" as it has more hills (I have to first drop 100m from chislehurst into penge before climbing up again through crystal palace and tulse hill...why cant they just build a big bridge between them!!!!).
By the way, i appreciate all of this means nothing to anyone who doesnt live in London...apologies for this post being so "London Centric"
will update you as soon as tech support (plumber) have done their thang
Jonny
By the way, does your route take you up from lewisham through New cross (which I guess is your biggest climb) if so, I was tempted to trace this as its a good straight run to waterloo and I could then ride the embankment (sea level!!!) all the way to earls court. Or have you found a route to bypass new cross.
Anyway...a small glitch has occured
-Got Tyres
-Got new tubes
-Got gear
-Worked out route
-Brought in change of clothing today
-Informed everyone in the office that I may be "a little delayed" depending on how well I fair
-Got motivated
-Got bunch of bananas
-Got shiny new pump
BUT then was told that the shower at work is broken......perfect....no hot water and some sort of leak into the board room (of all places)
So, not to be outdone, I am adjusting "launch date" (around the plumber) and will instead take a dummy run tomorrow evening afterwork to get myself up to running speed for the big day - which is now likely to be friday.
Going to take a run to the top of Crystal palace (my nemesis) and back home, it's only 12 miles (round trip) but is a good test of my ability (and timing) to the top...everything else is pretty much down hill from there to my office (short of a slow climb up tulse hill), so turning around and reversing the route will be more work than the "actual run" as it has more hills (I have to first drop 100m from chislehurst into penge before climbing up again through crystal palace and tulse hill...why cant they just build a big bridge between them!!!!).
By the way, i appreciate all of this means nothing to anyone who doesnt live in London...apologies for this post being so "London Centric"
will update you as soon as tech support (plumber) have done their thang
Jonny
karlos_the_jackal
Work in progress
- Location
- Haywards heath
If you check out
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=12068
thats my route, i think i've only got one minor climb through lewisham new cross area. Well, everything feels minor in the morning and major in the evening
(and i dont think people mug people for decathlon bikes!)
www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?id=12068
thats my route, i think i've only got one minor climb through lewisham new cross area. Well, everything feels minor in the morning and major in the evening
(and i dont think people mug people for decathlon bikes!)
Wheeledweenie
Über Member
- Location
- Hanwell, west London
I started commuting a year and a half ago having given up bikes in my early teens. My route's about 10 miles each way. | found that the best way to begin was to pick routes that went past stations with decent bike parking, that way I could get off and use the train partway if it all proved too much. I gradually got further and further and now I do around 100 miles a week as well as using my bike to get around on weekends.
I found that if I pushed it too far too soon I got despondent when it was difficult and I couldn't make progress.
As for winter cycling, invest in a good waterproof jacket and investigate things like showering at work. Rain's really not that bad. The cycling keeps you warm and if you're in the right gear it's no worse than commuting in wet weather.
Good luck!
I found that if I pushed it too far too soon I got despondent when it was difficult and I couldn't make progress.
As for winter cycling, invest in a good waterproof jacket and investigate things like showering at work. Rain's really not that bad. The cycling keeps you warm and if you're in the right gear it's no worse than commuting in wet weather.
Good luck!
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
What's the ETA on the plumber? 
Take Baby Wipes until then...
Good Luck!
SD
Take Baby Wipes until then...Good Luck!
SD
OP
OP
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
Thanks Karlos, I thought as much....the dreaded "ARMpit vale" out of lewisham.
Think I'll stick to the "west bound" route and get over (literally) the crystal issue.
Thanks Wheelied, I am exactley the same, if its just to awful I am likely not to jump back into it so I'll try my best to find a way to ease myself into it. Fortunatley my team at work are very supportive, so one way may be to take it extremley easy and forget about the time, just try and treat it like a sunday ride .
Sitting duck..... ooooooh noooo couldn't do baby wipes...I have an inherent aversion to the smell...reminds me too much of sleepless nights and struggling everywhere with tons of baby "stuff".....(shivers).
Besides, with the comments and thoughts above, the last thing I want to do on my firt run is make it to the office only to feel crap (and strangley fetal) all day...No, I'm looking forward to a good shower, change of clothes, latte and then cracking on fuelled by my own infalted sence of over acheivement.
Sigh!!
Jonny
Think I'll stick to the "west bound" route and get over (literally) the crystal issue.
Thanks Wheelied, I am exactley the same, if its just to awful I am likely not to jump back into it so I'll try my best to find a way to ease myself into it. Fortunatley my team at work are very supportive, so one way may be to take it extremley easy and forget about the time, just try and treat it like a sunday ride .
Sitting duck..... ooooooh noooo couldn't do baby wipes...I have an inherent aversion to the smell...reminds me too much of sleepless nights and struggling everywhere with tons of baby "stuff".....(shivers).
Besides, with the comments and thoughts above, the last thing I want to do on my firt run is make it to the office only to feel crap (and strangley fetal) all day...No, I'm looking forward to a good shower, change of clothes, latte and then cracking on fuelled by my own infalted sence of over acheivement.
Sigh!!
Jonny
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
That's a good bit .. I find that after the ride to work, shower and first coffee I can sit there high on all those exercise induced endorphins.jonny jeez said:
Then you get all your colleagues going on about how far you've come and comments like "you didn't ride in this weather?" and treating you like some you're kind of superman / nutter. You know you've cracked it when they introduce you as "jonny, he's the one that rides to work".
OP
OP
jonny jeez
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chislehurst, Kent, UK
Took the "test flight" last night inpreperation for launch, minus 17 hours.
averaged 14 MPH, got as slow as 6mph at one point (I know, I could have walked quicker) but did reach 37mph going down one hill.
Didnt quite make it to the top of the big hill (crystal palace) but did crack two other fairly big lumps that are on the same route.
Slick tyres really do make a huge difference, as soon as I popped the bike back on the deck of the workshop it started rolling about with a life of its own, I wasnt used to that and nearly dropped the bike twice as the handlebars kept wanting to turn and run away.
On the road it made even more difference, knobbly tyres really do slow you down a lot..I was amazed.
Going to take my first full run in tomorow....shower is working to a fashion, enough for me to have a semi-shower.
gulp!
Jonny
averaged 14 MPH, got as slow as 6mph at one point (I know, I could have walked quicker) but did reach 37mph going down one hill.
Didnt quite make it to the top of the big hill (crystal palace) but did crack two other fairly big lumps that are on the same route.
Slick tyres really do make a huge difference, as soon as I popped the bike back on the deck of the workshop it started rolling about with a life of its own, I wasnt used to that and nearly dropped the bike twice as the handlebars kept wanting to turn and run away.
On the road it made even more difference, knobbly tyres really do slow you down a lot..I was amazed.
Going to take my first full run in tomorow....shower is working to a fashion, enough for me to have a semi-shower.
gulp!
Jonny
Sittingduck
Legendary Member
- Location
- Somewhere flat
Good news indeed!37mph is pretty brisk for commute mode
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
Enjoy it jonny. Relax and enjoy it.
Well, don't relax too much obviously, but you know what I mean.
Well, don't relax too much obviously, but you know what I mean.
karlos_the_jackal
Work in progress
- Location
- Haywards heath
Good luck for tomorrow. another person on slicks that will fly past me!!
hackbike 666
Guest
Lazy-Commuter said:.. isn't Billy Connolly another?
Definitely. I'd far rather it rained on me than be out in strong winds. It's funny, but rain never seems as bad when you're out in it as it does when you're sat indoors looking out at it.
True.
Lazy-Commuter
New Member
- Location
- Bottom Right Corner
Ironic you should find that post now hackbike, I've got a 30mph headwind to look forwards to tonight, gusting to 40mph.
Still, it was fun on the way in this morning ... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Still, it was fun on the way in this morning ... WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!