Tales from today's commute....

[si_c]

What kind of pedal?
I'm thinking of M9000 XTR for my next bike (purely for the bling, I'm sure they won't perform any better than XT SPD) but have read many tales of failure on the older versions so now a bit worried in case the M9000s are the same but the stories haven't hit the web yet.

Boardman MTB pro. Decent pedal for the price (£23), but there is supposed to be a bolt that you undo to grease the bearings, I didn't realise that it had come off. Could also have been damaged at some point being fair as I've come off a few times over the last year.

Either way it's done about 10k km without me even looking at it.

 

[Bazzer]

Pleasant journey home last night. Wind behind me most of the way, the sun trying to cough some UV on me and seemed to catch the traffic just right as for the most part, it was lighter than usual.

This morning was probably the best ride for about a month. Darkness, (at least to begin with), no wind, cool and no black ice. Even the traffic light fairies smiled on me as I only had to stop at 29 and 30 out of 30.

 

[ianrauk]

I thought people didn't mind cyclists in Australlia.

It's well known as a cycle hating country.

 

[ianrauk]

What kind of pedal?
I'm thinking of M9000 XTR for my next bike (purely for the bling, I'm sure they won't perform any better than XT SPD) but have read many tales of failure on the older versions so now a bit worried in case the M9000s are the same but the stories haven't hit the web yet.

I've been using those pedals on both my commuter/tourer and leisure bikes for years. The reason I like them is that you can take out the spindles to change the grease in them. OK.. and the bling

 

[ianrauk]

Cold and bleedin' headwind this morning. There was a little bit of drizzle in the air but not too much to get the clothes wet.
The first mile of my morning commute is a mile and a half downhill trot. It passes a huge new housing development and a quarry, so when the roads are wet or damp, the much from the sites get's all over the bloody place. My nicely stripped own, sparkling clean bike is now all mucky again. ggggrrrrrr.

 

[I like Skol]

I've been using those pedals on both my commuter/tourer and leisure bikes for years. The reason I like them is that you can take out the spindles to change the grease in them. OK.. and the bling

That's good to know. I have been running a few sets of M780 XT pedals for commuting, road and off-road and just recently had to adjust one of the newest ones due to running a bit tight. I think these adjust the same way as the XTRs, simple to do.

 

[J1888]

In from SW London into town...not really cold, but fark me, what a head/cross-wind all the way in. Energy-sapping (recovering from a cold) doesn't even begin to describe it, even going downhill was a chore.

 

[bonker]

In from SW London into town...not really cold, but fark me, what a head/cross-wind all the way in. Energy-sapping (recovering from a cold) doesn't even begin to describe it, even going downhill was a chore.

Had the same yesterday going into town from Surrey. You will be rewarded at the end of the day. If your ride home is anything like mine yesterday it will be a blast.

 

[J1888]

Had the same yesterday going into town from Surrey. You will be rewarded at the end of the day. If your ride home is anything like mine yesterday it will be a blast.

Unfortunately, I'll be continuing in the same direction on the way home - was coming in from my folks this morning, but I'm other side of the river!!

 

[Sixmile]

A had an uncharacteristic full week off the pedals due in part to too much wind last week. Back on the commute this morning and it was chilly but I'd got the layers spot on. I almost got cleaned within 300 yards of my house by a lady in a yellow SUV (better visibility you see..) coming out of a give way junction into my path. She did acknowledge her error with the 'I'm sorry I almost knocked you over' hand in the air.

 

[J1888]

Farkin hell, same headwin on the way home. Only 5 miles but what an energy sapping, demoralising experience - every pedal stroke a chore, relentless wind for nearly the whole journey.

 

[Bazzer]

.

Cold and bleedin' headwind this morning. There was a little bit of drizzle in the air but not too much to get the clothes wet.
The first mile of my morning commute is a mile and a half downhill trot. It passes a huge new housing development and a quarry, so when the roads are wet or damp, the much from the sites get's all over the bloody place. My nicely stripped own, sparkling clean bike is now all mucky again. ggggrrrrrr.

In from SW London into town...not really cold, but fark me, what a head/cross-wind all the way in. Energy-sapping (recovering from a cold) doesn't even begin to describe it, even going downhill was a chore.

A had an uncharacteristic full week off the pedals due in part to too much wind last week. Back on the commute this morning and it was chilly but I'd got the layers spot on. I almost got cleaned within 300 yards of my house by a lady in a yellow SUV (better visibility you see..) coming out of a give way junction into my path. She did acknowledge her error with the 'I'm sorry I almost knocked you over' hand in the air.

View attachment 400756

Farkin hell, same headwin on the way home. Only 5 miles but what an energy sapping, demoralising experience - every pedal stroke a chore, relentless wind for nearly the whole journey.

Blimey, now beginning to feel guilty about enjoying my ride last night and this morning.

 

[ianrauk]

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Blimey, now beginning to feel guilty about enjoying my ride last night and this morning.

Aha....Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed my cycle commute today. Except for the mucky bike bit.

 

[Bazzer]

Very hard air frost at home this morning and the frost was evident on parked cars for about 10 miles.

Witness to a car incident this morning. Riding an unlit rural road a little over a couple of miles from home. A car passed me around 60 metres before a sharp bend. It then ploughed into a line of chevrons indicating said sharp bend. There then followed a shower of sparks, followed by a remarkably neat felling of an electricity pole, complete with wires, across both carriageways. The driver, a man in his late 20s/early 30s managed to open one of the car doors and clambered out of the ditch his now steaming car had ended up in.
The driver seemed to be shaken more than anything, as after blaming ice on the road, (the roads were dry ), he was quickly on the 'phone, not to the emergency services but to a friend or relative. Using the bike lights and some vigorous waving managed to stop a car travelling uncomfortably fast in the same direction from hitting the electricity pole. A car which had been coming from the opposite direction seems to have seen the shower of sparks and had stopped before the electricity pole.
Both carriageways blocked and vehicles acting as buffers; driver shaken but seemingly otherwise OK, nothing more to do except carefully pick my way over the leccy wires and carry on.
Suspect speeding. The road has various speed limits, 30, 40 and 50 The incident was in the 40 mph zone, but being passed on that road by cars which are clearly exceeding the speed limit is so common it no longer registers with me.

 

[John_S]

Morning Bazzer, glad to hear that not only the driver was unhurt (apart from being a bit shaken) but also glad that their driving didn't end up taking you out at the same time during the accident.

I have to say that there was nothing nearly as eventful as that on my commute today. In fact it was a lovely ride into work and a great morning to be on the bike!

It was a little bit chilly at about -1 with a frost on the fields and gardens wither side of the road but the road was dry and it was lovely and sunny without too much wind so I really enjoyed this mornings ride. I do have a problem with the shifting on my Shimano Alfine IGH at the moment so I'm riding singly speed for now but that just meant it was a nice leisurely ride into work and I just took in my surroundings on a beautiful morning.