summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
They were working first thing this morning! You obviously took too long to get out of your house
! But cold this morning and traffic seemed lighter than normal!
Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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! But cold this morning and traffic seemed lighter than normal!
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Minus 7 forecast for tomorrow!
Need to be up half an hour earlier to get all the layers on in the morning.
Need to be up half an hour earlier to get all the layers on in the morning.
Simontm
Veteran
Comfortable ride back and slightly faster than this morning. Late meeting meant I didn't leave till 5:45 and traffic was surprisingly light compared with an hour earlier on most days. All day had a squeaky disc brake but a quick retightening and a reset of the wheel and it seems to have gone.
Tho' cold no frost expected tonight- that's Wednesday morning where it's forecasted for -3 when I leave warming up to -2 by work
Numpty count: 0
Tho' cold no frost expected tonight- that's Wednesday morning where it's forecasted for -3 when I leave warming up to -2 by work
Numpty count: 0
After being struck down by a nasty winter sickness bug last week I was well enough to get back on the bike this morning. The weather was pretty cold & crisp but it was really clear which meant that in between gaps in the trees I kept getting hit by the suns rays which felt like having an electric bar heater focused on me which was nice when I was in the sun.
I was not so chuffed on my ride to work when I reached a single file bridge whereby the right of way was mine and having arrived at the bridge at the same time as a car coming from the opposite way it decided to carry on instead of abide by the correct right of way. However what then really annoyed me was another two cars followed the first one.
The ride home tonight was I think the coldest commute so far this year and I think that it's going to be colder in the morning. I've already put the gloves on the radiator for the morning.
I was not so chuffed on my ride to work when I reached a single file bridge whereby the right of way was mine and having arrived at the bridge at the same time as a car coming from the opposite way it decided to carry on instead of abide by the correct right of way. However what then really annoyed me was another two cars followed the first one.
The ride home tonight was I think the coldest commute so far this year and I think that it's going to be colder in the morning. I've already put the gloves on the radiator for the morning.
OP
OP
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
"Fresh" when I left the house, outside thermometer saying -6C. A really nice sunrise over Hither Green Cemetery spoilt only by the d**khead trying to push through the pinch point alongside me. It's the narrowest pinch point on my whole commute and yet it's the one where most drivers try to get past 
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
It didn't feel like -7 this morning, though when I took my hat off once I got to work it had a good layer of ice on it.
Roads were surprisingly clear and I forgot about a road closure which added another mile or so and a climb to the ride. Despite being on the ice bike I quickly caught a roadie going up that climb.
@steveindenmark I wore those snow mitts for the first time today. Hands stayed lovely and warm.
Roads were surprisingly clear and I forgot about a road closure which added another mile or so and a climb to the ride. Despite being on the ice bike I quickly caught a roadie going up that climb.
@steveindenmark I wore those snow mitts for the first time today. Hands stayed lovely and warm.
biking_fox
Guru
- Location
- Manchester
Overcompensated this morning, by adding a fleece under my proviz (very bright boil-in-a-bag jacket). Was toasty and slightly damp by the time I arrived at work. Lovely ride though, high rpm low gear to keep the legs warm, and not rush too much. Quite a few other cyclists out which is always good to see, although the bike racks were pretty empty.
Morning All,
This morning it was a cold ride to work, probably about minus 3 or 4, but I'm not grumbling because I appreciate that lots of other people have it much colder than I do.
The annoying thing about my ride today was that the cold temperature caused an issue on my bike because on my bike which has a Shimano Alfine 8 IGH and a barend shifter the gear cable froze. Having gone downhill and changed up into a harder gear I them came to a slight incline afterwards. It was at this point when I tried to change down into an easier gear that nothing happened. With it being cold I assumed that the cable was sticking a bit due to the cold. Therefore I tried moving the shifter up and down slightly because I hoped that a small amount of movement my start to free it and I would be able to shift again. However it was to no avail and so I stopped to take a look.
When I had a closer inspection where the cable goes into the cable outer housing it was not going into this at all and so instead was just folding in two on itself between the barend shifter and the entrance to the cable outer. This doesn't appear to have done the cable much good. I only had about 8 more miles to ride to work and so not wanting to embark on any roadside repairs with freezing cold hands I decided just to carry onto work with the intention of taking a closer look later. However I was stuck in my hardest gear. Now luckily I live in Norfolk and so for the main it's pretty flat but there are one or two short sharp climbs on my route to work. As a consequence these were a bit of a struggle today because I had to get out of the saddle for the entirety of the climbs and there was also a fair bit of mashing/grinding going on today.
Whilst on my ride it got my thinking about wireless gear shifting. Now I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't be an option with my IGH and I'm not for a moment contemplating buying a wireless set up. However I was just thinking whether the people who do have wireless gear change set ups are freed from the potential problem of frozen cables impeding their shifting? If that is the case then I was certainly jealous of them this morning.
John
This morning it was a cold ride to work, probably about minus 3 or 4, but I'm not grumbling because I appreciate that lots of other people have it much colder than I do.
The annoying thing about my ride today was that the cold temperature caused an issue on my bike because on my bike which has a Shimano Alfine 8 IGH and a barend shifter the gear cable froze. Having gone downhill and changed up into a harder gear I them came to a slight incline afterwards. It was at this point when I tried to change down into an easier gear that nothing happened. With it being cold I assumed that the cable was sticking a bit due to the cold. Therefore I tried moving the shifter up and down slightly because I hoped that a small amount of movement my start to free it and I would be able to shift again. However it was to no avail and so I stopped to take a look.
When I had a closer inspection where the cable goes into the cable outer housing it was not going into this at all and so instead was just folding in two on itself between the barend shifter and the entrance to the cable outer. This doesn't appear to have done the cable much good. I only had about 8 more miles to ride to work and so not wanting to embark on any roadside repairs with freezing cold hands I decided just to carry onto work with the intention of taking a closer look later. However I was stuck in my hardest gear. Now luckily I live in Norfolk and so for the main it's pretty flat but there are one or two short sharp climbs on my route to work. As a consequence these were a bit of a struggle today because I had to get out of the saddle for the entirety of the climbs and there was also a fair bit of mashing/grinding going on today.
Whilst on my ride it got my thinking about wireless gear shifting. Now I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't be an option with my IGH and I'm not for a moment contemplating buying a wireless set up. However I was just thinking whether the people who do have wireless gear change set ups are freed from the potential problem of frozen cables impeding their shifting? If that is the case then I was certainly jealous of them this morning.
John
summerdays
Cycling in the sun
- Location
- Bristol
It was cold and my bike was making unusual noises that I haven't got to the bottom of, possibly cable against frame and a rubbing sound elsewhere... all in all it wasn't a happy bike today.
G3CWI
Veteran
- Location
- Macclesfield
First commuting OFF on the ice for me this year. My own silly fault - off-roading down un-gritted lane prone to flooding was never going to end well - and neither did it; came off on the first corner. Sore elbow and bruised pride. Lesson learned (until the next time...)
Leaway2
Lycrist
- Location
- Manchester (Sale)
Thought it was going to be colder than it actually was. I looked out of the bedroom window and the cars on the street were frosted over.
Just took it easy on the corners though.
Just took it easy on the corners though.
OP
OP
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Glorious morning in SE London. Shame I had to catch a train as I've got an interview today. Great sunrise though as I crossed the Thames at Battersea on my way back out to Croydon.
