Road Cycling Essentials

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platypus said:
Back on the road at long last o/.

Although I did come off on a patch of ice that I wasn't looking out for. Will be a careful ride home..
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That sucks dude, I take it you weren't injured, and that your bike is okay? I fell off my bike a couple of weeks ago on the ice, fortunately no damage was done and I was able to get up straight away. We have a thick fog here this morning, which certainly made junctions interesting on the way to work. Still, better than walking :)
 
platypus said:
What is the deal with that charger on the Flea?
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You charge it off an AA or AAA battery. Not particularly efficient, but very, very handy.

The charger is seperate and attached to the back of the flea magnetically. The terminals then attach to the battery magnetically as well. When not in use the wires wrap round the charger and it fits in it's own little case.
 
I'm back on the road today and I've really started to notice the resurgence in potholes. I have to scan the road like a hawk, especially as I'm on a Brompton.
 
Well the front lights have turned out to be a nifty purchase. The Eurolights - with a bit of modification with a stanley knife the connectors problem is no more. And they are excellent.
 
uvarvu said:
I'm back on the road today and I've really started to notice the resurgence in potholes. I have to scan the road like a hawk, especially as I'm on a Brompton.
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Is using a proper bike not an option for you? I find the 26" wheels on my commuter bad enough, I dread to think what it'd be like riding a Brompton around here!
 
Well my new MARS 3 light turned up today. It's different, as Saundie pointed out.

I've got to say I'm a bit meh about it. The light output is quite significantly higher but the plastic is noticeably thinner and more fragile, the toughness being one of the reasons I bought the old model. The clip on the back feels quite brittle and I'm not convinced there was any need to change the latch mechanism, which also feels weaker. People have complained about the fact that the screws used to corrode, but I prefer a light that screws closed. Could they not just have used stainless screws?

I'll put up with it, but I think it's going to break if I drop it.
 
I have my Mars 3.0 mounted to my seatpost, and as I wasn't able to obtain more mounts for my other bikes, the light is only ever removed when I need to change batteries. It seems to be secure enough. I use some very cheap (£1 each from a Chinese eBay seller) 5 LED red lights strapped to my rucksack, as they have a tendency to fall off into the road. As they're so cheap I don't really care when they're lost or broken. I've also got some red spokelits on my spokes, which aids sideways visibility.
 
Was yours an old model or a new model though? I really liked my old model. I also found out that the new style mount won't fit where I had the old one, which was conveniently between the two rear uprights :(

Today's news: I am a plank. Arrived at the station and found I hadn't brought my keys with me so I had to ride back home, then back again. So this morning's commute was 18km instead of 6. After a 7k run last night. Good job I'm fit :(
 
Saundie said:
Is using a proper bike not an option for you? I find the 26" wheels on my commuter bad enough, I dread to think what it'd be like riding a Brompton around here!
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I used to but storage where I live is really tight so I switched to a folder. I've kept the big bike for the longer rides though.
 
I noticed a couple of days ago that I was aproaching it, and today I finally reached 1000 miles on my commuter bike - riding home in the snow made it feel more special for me, somehow. Looking forward to doing many, many more next year :)
 
Don't know what salt they're using on the roads this year but it's like corrosive black treacle. I'm really struggling to get it off my bikes. It's wrecked my new North Face jacket and two pairs of pants where it's soaked through my shorts.

In bike news, the Yellow Peril is now re-chained and I'm expecting my VO rims tomorrow. I have the hubs, spokes and rim tape, so technically I can get wheelbuilding tomorrow night. So Excited :D
 
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