Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
LeetleGreyCells
Un rouleur infatigable
I’ll just leave this here…
ianrauk
Tattooed Beat Messiah
Thats just rubbish....what hair? 😀
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
This weather is fantastic at the moment for cycling even with a sore hand from Tuesday’s off. Everything is healing nicely so todays commute was even more enjoyable to and from Bolton.
Only my 2nd commute of the year, and cycling in last night was very nice, if a little chilly. Riding home after a 12 hour night shift in freezing fog with icy roads this morning somewhat less so. Frosty eyebrows by the time I got home.
HarryTheDog
Guru
Cycle home on friday was a pain, felt that the front tyre was getting squidgy, sure enough it was soft, put some more air in it and carried on, but got progressively flat. The sealant was not sealing wherever the puncture was, but not a bad enough leak to stop me. Got to the train station and found both tyres were soft. At home found both tyres had gone down to 30 Psi. Over the weekend I tried to straighten the 5th spider arm on the crank which was only partially succesful , its a short arm and refused to completely straighten so the chain ring now held on by 4 bolts tightly, got it loose on the 5th to keep the chainring straight. Found I have a praxis Direct mount crank in the loft( came with the praxis power meter) , however now just need a praxis DM 40T chainring,none in the country, importer expecting more in, in febuary so Ill have to put up with it till then.
The rear tyre once pumped up did not leak again. The front however kept going down, even put it in the sink fully pumped up to find the leak, could see no bubbles at all. Went down again though after 2 hrs. took the tyre patially off , put more sealant in and put in the sink again. stayed up for 4 hrs. got up this morning, soft again. Thought sod it put air in, maybe the ride will sort it out. Thankfully it stayed up all the way in. Mystery as to where it was leaking from.
At the 15 mile point got a cheery on your right mate and a youngster went past on a very green Stevens CX bike. He kept a good pace and I drafted him mercicesly. to keep his speed up he sometimes rode the concrete right on the canal edge, I did not follow him there, I just hate the idea of ending up in a freezing cold canal.
The rear tyre once pumped up did not leak again. The front however kept going down, even put it in the sink fully pumped up to find the leak, could see no bubbles at all. Went down again though after 2 hrs. took the tyre patially off , put more sealant in and put in the sink again. stayed up for 4 hrs. got up this morning, soft again. Thought sod it put air in, maybe the ride will sort it out. Thankfully it stayed up all the way in. Mystery as to where it was leaking from.
At the 15 mile point got a cheery on your right mate and a youngster went past on a very green Stevens CX bike. He kept a good pace and I drafted him mercicesly. to keep his speed up he sometimes rode the concrete right on the canal edge, I did not follow him there, I just hate the idea of ending up in a freezing cold canal.
GeekDadZoid
Über Member
It was a frosty one this morning, the shared path was very slippy. But I really wanted to get the Raleigh out for a ride with its new look, deffo got a list of jobs to do on it now. Cotter pin came loose ( don't ask!!! ) so had to walk / scoot home.
HarryTheDog
Guru
Decided to take it easy to begin with, my Xert training app tells me I am fatigued and I felt it . However by 10 miles I was on top of the world again. At the 13 mile point saw a winking light ahead so went after it. Turned out to be a young bloke in work clothes,paint spattered jeans and trainers but going at a ok pace and mucking about grabbing air on any little hump he could. I figured pointless going past for the moment, then he realised I was behind him and put a bit of a surge on, I off course responded and waited to see what would happen. After a mile or so I figured it was my turn, but no he wasnt going to let me pass and speeded up even more. We then got slowed by a convey of 3 riders, which is the first time I have seen that many in convey going my way.
Once past them he really went for it, however I knew it was going to be brief, he slowed turned and smiled and waved me past the only word I caught was "shoot". I then gave it some beans but he did not follow.
I then had further reason to grin when I got to a proper road just before work, a Mclaren car was sitting on my tail then blew past making lots of noise etc, 100yds later I cycled past him in slow traffic.
Once past them he really went for it, however I knew it was going to be brief, he slowed turned and smiled and waved me past the only word I caught was "shoot". I then gave it some beans but he did not follow.
I then had further reason to grin when I got to a proper road just before work, a Mclaren car was sitting on my tail then blew past making lots of noise etc, 100yds later I cycled past him in slow traffic.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
Another good start to the week riding to sunny Bolton. Sunrises and sunsets have been amazing. Sadly the section near Bolton is always blighted with glass and rubbish but also the remains of a probably stolen motorcycle which had obviously been used to destroy the grass verges 😡
HarryTheDog
Guru
A bad day at work followed by a crap ride home. First off despite my front camera being charged all day at work it was completely dead. I thought last time this happened I got hit by a car in a hit and run, so was very wary when setting off. No I didnt get hit by a car, I got hit by a stone thrown by a primary school kid lurking in bushes. It hit me in the leg, didnt hurt just really peed me off at the cheek of it. He had 3 little mates with him, pointless stopping to say anything I was likely to get in more trouble than them.
Then when I was going over stone corrugations at Ponders End Lock my chain bounced off the front chainwheel, once I had got it back on, the noise it made made me realise it had jumped off one of the wide-narrow jockey wheels and was now wide tooth to narrow part of the chain. Had to stop again to sort that out so fingers now covered in oil.
Got home to a phone call from my son, he has to move out of his flat a month early so can he come back and live with me for a few weeks. Nice lad just a pain to live with.
Then when I was going over stone corrugations at Ponders End Lock my chain bounced off the front chainwheel, once I had got it back on, the noise it made made me realise it had jumped off one of the wide-narrow jockey wheels and was now wide tooth to narrow part of the chain. Had to stop again to sort that out so fingers now covered in oil.
Got home to a phone call from my son, he has to move out of his flat a month early so can he come back and live with me for a few weeks. Nice lad just a pain to live with.
simongt
Guru
Ahh, the pleasures of having children, I mind of them well - !
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
Fingers crossed, I'll be back commuting two days a week when in the office. Work currently checking DFE and Local Health guidelines before inviting us back office staff back. I was really enjoying the two days a week canal commute. I've managed to lose one of my rear lights in the house. It was on the bedroom windowsill with another light, but it's vanished - I think it's become a new cat toy.
I expect I'll be going back to two days a week from the start of February as well, as the Welsh government are removing the legal requirement to work from home if possible from 29th Jan.
