Tales from today's commute....

[Sixmile]

3rd consecutive fat bike commute this morning. I'm loving the current simplicity of just sticking on trackies and trainers and riding to work.

The motor traffic in SE London is slowly coming to a complete standstill. I did 16 miles this morning and for most of those miles I seemed to be overtaking backed up traffic. Utter madness.

Ah how i long for another major city gridlock, I haven't enjoyed the smugness of sailing past miles of traffic in quite a few months. I think I'm ready for it again now!

 

[skudupnorth]

Looks like it’s going to be a pea souper going home, be careful out there everyone. Donkeys are for added affect and no way related to any that might be driving with their eyes shut 😆😆

 

[skudupnorth]

Carrying on from my previous post, yes it was mad getting home with clowns in cars who apparently cannot see bright LED lights or have lost the skill to drive in anything but pure, bright summers day ! What was even more amazing were the large amount of motorists who had no lights on or just side lights 😳
Thankfully the danger part was soon over and I rode the majority of my commute on the lovely NCN55 and guided busway

😁

 

[skudupnorth]

Let’s have a thought for the poor drivers trying to get into Manchester this and every morning along the M.61 😳 I bet many of them could find alternative ways to get to work but cannot be bothered

 

[Arjimlad]

Got up, brushed teeth, dressed & left house by 0710 to get 22.5 miles in before work this morning. Ventured out of South Gloucestershire into Gloucestershire proper !

It was great to be up & about.

One close pass from a van, three ladies doing their eye makeup in slow-moving traffic and one persistent phone addict who continued fiddling with the phone as she pulled away from the traffic lights with no hands on the wheel. Clear footage of the latter was duly uploaded to the rozzers for re-education !

 

[Sixmile]

4th consecutive commute on the fat bike. I don't think I've ever ridden it as often, just my >1yo Alfine powered Boardman is off the road again for repairs but you know what they say.... Winter miles on the big heavy fat bike equals summer smiles on the wee light road bike!

 

[biking_fox]

Discovered at work that one of my (Brooks - 12yr old) saddle rails had snapped! Didn't feel that odd wasn't riding twisted, very surprised. (Went to move bike by lifting the saddle and it sagged!). Decided it was probably safe enough to ride home as it had got me that far. Came in today on the summer bike though, which doesn't like the mud so much.

Tomorrow? Should I stay on the summer bike? ride on the 1 rail? How long should a Brooks saddle last? I thought they were lifetime objects?

 

[Shearwater Missile]

Discovered at work that one of my (Brooks - 12yr old) saddle rails had snapped! Didn't feel that odd wasn't riding twisted, very surprised. (Went to move bike by lifting the saddle and it sagged!). Decided it was probably safe enough to ride home as it had got me that far. Came in today on the summer bike though, which doesn't like the mud so much.

Tomorrow? Should I stay on the summer bike? ride on the 1 rail? How long should a Brooks saddle last? I thought they were lifetime objects?

Have you got a spare saddle to use ? What if the second rail snapped ? as that would be taking the strain. I would not rely on it.

 

[C R]

Discovered at work that one of my (Brooks - 12yr old) saddle rails had snapped! Didn't feel that odd wasn't riding twisted, very surprised. (Went to move bike by lifting the saddle and it sagged!). Decided it was probably safe enough to ride home as it had got me that far. Came in today on the summer bike though, which doesn't like the mud so much.

Tomorrow? Should I stay on the summer bike? ride on the 1 rail? How long should a Brooks saddle last? I thought they were lifetime objects?

Can you not swap seats between the two bikes?

 

[Mike_P]

Depressing homeward commute, managed to avoid cars, potholes etc without really caring too much having found out that I had not got the "new" internal job I applied for, one that I had done for 13 years until it was foolishly scrapped 6 years ago Find out tomorrow about the other but think theres more chance of Simon Yates winning the Tour Down Under.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

My home/work commutes certainly melt off any holiday weight! The weights for the last 4 Fridays (always measured on Friday afternoons) are:
- Fri 3: 86.5kg (at the end of 2 weeks holiday, with no cycling)
- Fri 10: 84.5
- Fri 17: 83.5
- Fri 24: 80.0

 

[StickyPTFE]

My home/work commutes certainly melt off any holiday weight! The weights for the last 4 Fridays (always measured on Friday afternoons) are:
- Fri 3: 86.5kg (at the end of 2 weeks holiday, with no cycling)
- Fri 10: 84.5
- Fri 17: 83.5
- Fri 24: 80.0

Very impressive weight loss figures! Is 80kg your target weight?

 

[biking_fox]

Have you got a spare saddle to use ? What if the second rail snapped ? as that would be taking the strain. I would not rely on it.

Turns out I did have a spare saddle so have fitted that. Not the same though.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Due to the back issue and the availability of free parking for a couple of days near the office no use of the bike at the end of last week but back issue seemed a lot better late yesterday, i.e. I could get a pair of socks on without being in agony. Has made me wonder why we have not evolved to have multi jointed arms that extend to feet without bending, on the other hand (pun not intended) the cycling injuries would be emmense. Anyway all that rambling brings to a full commute circuit on the road bike today, complete with laptop on the return as its work at home in the morning and then suited into the office for an interview tomorrow afternoon, so again no bike. Applied for two jobs in the vane hope of getting one, if not then it's another interview at a future date with a possible P45 outcome

All the very best with that! It's always better to leave in the way you want to.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Very impressive weight loss figures! Is 80kg your target weight?

No, probably about 76-78. I'm 190cm (or just under 6'3"), so I wouldn't want to go any lower. It definitely helps when cycling up mountains in the Pyrénées and Alps, though. The only reason it fell so fast is that I spent my 2 weeks annual leave not doing any cycling, although I still got some other exercise, but I was still relatively idle compared to what my work commute does: it's about 28.5km each way on average, with an average climbing of about 300m, as I live in a hilly area.