(Yet) Another Newbie

[Lazy-Commuter]

Hello Everyone,

Another newbie to the forum. I stumbled across it a few weeks back and have been lurking about for a while, before finally getting around to registering. I’ve been trying to come up with a great / useful first post and have failed, so I’ve just gone for an introduction. Feel free to skip the waffle below …

As the name suggests, I use my bike mostly for the trip to work. It’s around 6-7 miles (depending on route) with a mix of quiet lanes, a wood, some fields, a lake, two housing estates and a section alongside a dual-carriageway bypass on a “proper” cycle lane that’s wide, well surfaced and separated from the road by a barrier. There’s no particular hazards on it, other than the odd person walking and some others on bikes. But those are few and far between: usually it’s like having my own private road. Which is nice.

My wife and I bought bikes last year in response to the children getting big enough to leave us behind when we were out walking with them on their bikes. I then figured that I might as well actually use my bike for more than just family outings. So, after a bit of time (some weeks!) spent getting myself to the point where I could get up the hill near my house I did my first commute last year on the August Bank Holiday.

I did a few weeks last Autumn until the nights got too dark and then bottled it for the winter; I started back up again in March of this year and have been averaging 3-4 days a week since.

So, there you go. My cycling biography.

Lazy-Commuter

 

[Scoosh]

Welcome Lazy-Commuter and no need to denoigrate your first post - it's what we like to hear

Probably someone will be along shortly to ask you what bike you are currently riding , what you are going to get next , where you live and all the rest, so be prepared !

Meanwhile, you might like some Tea or would you rather a Beer ? Either can take a long time .....

 

[ianrauk]

Lazy-Commuter.
Welcome..
What bike are you currently riding?
What bike are you planning to get next?
Where do you live?

 

[Dayvo]

Hello, L-C! Welcome along. I'll have a beer, thanks!

Tons of good advice here, and a lot of bullshit knowledge.

Enjoy your cycling, and foruming.

 

[rich p]

Welcome.

You do realise that we're all shoot hot cyclists only kept out of the Olympics and the Tour coz we're so busy. We don't tolerate slackers you know.


Lazy??!!! Whatever next

 

[andyfromotley]

hello

 

[Safrican]

Welcome Lazy C and enjoy the commuting, it sounds like a nice route.
Now the mission is to do most of the winter on the bike as well.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Thanks

Thanks for all the welcomes. I'll be along for a beer in a bit scoosh; anything you'd like in particular Dayvo?

A bit more about me: I'm 40, married, two kids. I have a Giant Rincon '07 model. Not sure what to get next or when I'll get it. Probably not for a while: I'm having too much fun adding stuff to the current hack. Every time we go near a bike shop now, the kids chorus "oh no, daddy's getting another gadget!!". It gets in your blood, doesn't it?

Having been a big wuss last year, Safrican, you're right: I have every intention of doing as much as possible this winter .. I'm enjoying it too much to stop. It is a nice route and I tend to see a lot of the same people on bikes or walking to work / the dog each morning, so I get to say "hi" to them .. don't get that in the car. I'm also now getting to the point where I can do the ride in about 5 minutes less than the car journey on a typical day: the car journey is far less predictable of course!!

I'd set myself a target of 1000 miles this year, and hit that in June, so have set a new target which will mean commuting into the dodgy weather.

To that end, I did a bit of lights research of late and picked up a pair of Cateye EL-530s for the front and a TL-whatever-it-is for the back last week. Much of the route is lit, with just one darkish bit (in the woods and down the lane) where there's some lights (well, none in the wood of course but it's only a coupla-hundred yards) but not many, so I figured the Cateyes would be adequate .. no need for Ayups or anything like that.

I gave them a test last night and they are just fine: the dark bit is the bit closest to home so I was able to test them where I will need them most. And then I was shadowed by an owl as I headed for home .. it flew alongside me down the lane for a while, just on the edge of the light. I must try more night rides now!!

Today, I did my first commute in bad weather. I've got caught in showers before but today was the first time I set off in rain .. I've tended to wimp out before. I did a few cold mornings in February, but not rain.

I got wet, but I don't care!! I've got one of the Montane Fetherlite things which held the rain off for the 25 minutes or so it took me to get to work, where I had a shower and put on some dry clothes. No worries.

We've always done lots of walking, camping and so on as a family in the past so I'm used to being out in the wet, but I have tended to chicken out on the bike. Not sure why really ..

Anyway, enough for now.

 

[Scoosh]

Lazy-Commuter.
Welcome..
What bike are you currently riding? TICK
What bike are you planning to get next? TICK
Where do you live? :?:

 

[Paulus]

Welcome L C. Not only does cycling get in your blood, it eats you bank balance if you let it. Coming here is the first step to madness. You will soon have to buy a new shed/garage to accomodate all the bikes you will soon buy and all the gadgets you can fit on them. Plus a new wardrobe to hang all the cycling tops and other clothing you will acquire. Pop over to the Cake stop for a bit of chat and a cup of tea or a beer, we are a friendly bunch.

 

[Lazy-Commuter]

Welcome L C. Not only does cycling get in your blood, it eats you bank balance if you let it.

Gosh yeah!! Still, I'm justifying it against "all that money I'm saving on diesel not using the car for work". I might just about be even.

In much the same way that I can eat more cos of all the calories I burn off on the bike. Which might explain why - even though I'm undoubtedly fitter than a year ago - I haven't lost all that much weight.