Cycle commute!

[Malt_Vinegar]

I MADE IT!
*snip*
My arse feels like its been invaded too. I need a better saddle!!

Good work chap

I refer to point 2 in my earlier post I actually run a saddle cover from tesco ontop of my already plush saddle. It seems to really make it that much more comfortable. It was only a few quid too, and just slides over the top. Might be a cheaper alternative to buying a new saddle!

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

The roadbike i am using costs less than that, i think!

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

This is "Motors", you want the next one down.

Move along, the Dons disagree with u by the looks of it too

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Happy Bunny time.

That looks fantastic!! Get the saddle changed to something a little more comfortable

I could mountain bike on my road frame, its sooo heavy and dull. I really like the look of that thing. I bet it weighs half the weight of mine.

Seriously, i want

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

according to the scales, it weighs around 16lb. Doesnt feel like its that heavy, easy to pick up with 1 hand and move about.

I shall weigh mine tonight, i am pretty sure it will be over 25lbs

Did my first properly wet ride today, added about 6 minutes to my normal time? I dont know if I was just put off by the weather, or perhaps I am just a bit tired today!

Nearly got squashed by people a lot more often, do people feel more sleepy when driving in the rain??

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Not all of us are born athletes...........well im certanly not Now there you have me thinking that thats not a reasonable time Ive only been cycling about 3 weeks. i managed a 10mile ride in 37mins, that was followed by a 20mile ride in 1hr20 and now ive managed 30miles in 2hrs15. I know there not great times (although the more i ride im sure the faster i will get) but its distance im going for as im doing a 54 mile charity ride at the end of August.

I think your times are perfectly respectable! I cant imagine 30 miles is easy to do sub in 2 hours, so 2:15 sounds pretty good.

I will be going from a 9.1 mile commute to a 19.1 mile commute as of Thursday. So thats nearly 40 miles a day. I would hope to be doing each leg in under an hour eventually. But if i am close to the hour mark i will be happy at first

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

After stalling for far too long, i did the long run in today, route works out as 20.02 miles. I managed it in just under 1hr 15, and it didnt feel all that much harder than the half distance i was doing before!

Feeling really good today, and actually looking forward to the ride home

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

what kit do you guys carry with you? I just take myself, MP3 player phone and food plus some deodorant.

I carry a carefully folded shirt change of socks/pants, a small towel, deoderant, hair stuff, wallet/phone/keys an 80gig USB HDD (for taking work home if required) and errm, my helmet (sometimes i take my laptop+PSU too if I really need it)

I dont take a drink or tools with me. If im going to be home late i might take my lights with me too.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

You guys are fast, I only average about 13-14mph

If i remember correctly, you are riding a cheapy MTB, so its no supise that you are a little slower!

I am riding a VERY heavy cheapy road bike, and i averaged 16mph today, 20 miles including through a town centre with nasty traffic. At some points (Cemetary Junction, for those in the area) it is so narrow and slow that I have to just ride in the middle of the road and stop start with the traffic. Also traffic lights really nail my average speed

On some of the flat parts i am hitting 20-21 mph (according to my GPS, although i was sat up, with on hand on the bars and looking at my phone to get the reading!

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Doing between 32 and 36 mins for 9 miles at the moment.
Dont help that i sometimes have a headwind outbound and homeward bound, the joys of living next to the coast.

I agree, what is it with headwinds seeming to appear just before i have to ride! I just get down low on the bars and head down

I had an interesting chat with another cyclist on the way home last night whilst riding along in slow moving traffic, was really odd, but kinda cool. Do you guys ever talk to other cyclists when riding?

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

I'm gonna cycle tomorrow, will see how it goes

Good luck!

I did my 20 mile ride in this morning, record time for me, of 1 hour 10 mins

I had to stop twice though, once for when the rear mech cable end got caught in the rear mech, took a couple of minutes pulling that out, then my front brake came loose and nearly rattled itself out of its mounting. That added another couple of minutes

I reckon I can push 1 hour soon if i really go for it, which is not bad, seeing as i have to go through a town centre and have traffic and lights to deal with. Averaging now just over 17mph, need to hit 20mph to meet the hour point (well durrrr )

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Hi, could you screeny your route in Google Maps or something similar, that's a damn impressive time especially on the bike posted - I didn't think they'd be geared for pacing 20 mph. I can't even average that round my area on this

You got legs!

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-kingdom/thatcham/651452342368

Thats the route - I would kill for a lighter bike I just finished its weekly maintenance, EVERYTHING needs tightening every week

I just weighed it now, and its 2 stone almost dead, thats 28 pounds, is that heavy for a road bike?

*edit* Just looked up your bike - 16.7 lbs?! wow, thats anorexic compared to my beast, VERY jealous!

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Had an off yesterday on the road at 30mph. Chain broke whilst I was in top gear standing on the pedals, never stood a chance of recovery. Didn't hit anything apart from the ground, bike is untouched since it landed on me.

Lots of roadrash and seeping but the wounds are drying out slowly. Bike's fixed and rode back in this morning.

Ouch!!

Hope you heal up quickly!! What chain did u have on there, did it just ping off a link, or actually break?

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Dont get me started on road surfaces!!

I seem to kill my wrists when i am riding, i find myself having to move out a meter from the kerb in some places! It seems to me that the larger a road is, the worse the edge will be, hence why dual carriageways just seems to be like riding on cobblestones

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

Have to say I respect all you guys for cycling, I think about doing it occassionally but I saw yet another cyclist who'd been knocked off this morning, police and ambulance in attendence.

I also saw a fellow cyclist knocked down the other day. He had gone over a roundabout I was waiting to join, when i finally got onto the road he was about 200 yards ahead of me, so I decided to try and close him down (as u do ). When we got to another roundabout, I had lost sight of him just round a bend, and saw what looked to be a Black renault convertable crossing two lanes. I didnt think much of it till when I caught up, the renault has crossed two lanes on the roundabout from the BP garage (its an elongated one with shops/BP garage inside it) and seemingly nailed the cyclist who was passing the exit.

Lots of other people had stopped, and I think the cyclist was being walked away from the scene by witnesses and two other cyclists were off-bike and talking to the stunned looking lady driver. So I didnt think it was worth me stopping.

 

[Malt_Vinegar]

*snip*

What were you wearing when you crashed out of interest, your shoulder looks nicely cut up! Knee/legs and arm i would expect, but i kinda thought the shoulder would at least partially be protected by cycle clothing?

Maybe we should get some full leathers for ya