Tales from today's commute....

[GeekDadZoid]

Route I've been using since returning to commuting last year - canals - just short of 13 miles each way and around 55-60 mins

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And slightly revised route cutting commute time to 45-50 mins and 11 miles

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You must not be too far from me, I live near Woodbank Park in Stockport and quite often meet my mate down near the Hulme Arch on a Friday so we can go for a coffee at Takk on Oxford Road.

How do you find the Fallowfield loop these days? Is it busy again, I stopped using it when I found it became very quiet in the evenings.

 

[fossyant]

You must not be too far from me, I live near Woodbank Park in Stockport and quite often meet my mate down near the Hulme Arch on a Friday so we can go for a coffee at Takk on Oxford Road.

How do you find the Fallowfield loop these days? Is it busy again, I stopped using it when I found it became very quiet in the evenings.

Stones throw (well walking distance from Woodbank) - near St Marks Church in Woodley/Bredbury. Work just next to Hulme Arch !

The loop was busy last week and will get busier. Seems fine at rush hour. I think the trouble is during the day, although the 'issues' are not too common - it's better than using the canal in the pitch black. The canal has been busy, especially from New Islington into town, so I've been getting off there, just as you hit the flats as there are too many 'city dwellers' with headphones on.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Stones throw (well walking distance from Woodbank) - near St Marks Church in Woodley/Bredbury. Work just next to Hulme Arch !

The loop was busy last week and will get busier. Seems fine at rush hour. I think the trouble is during the day, although the 'issues' are not too common - it's better than using the canal in the pitch black. The canal has been busy, especially from New Islington into town, so I've been getting off there, just as you hit the flats as there are too many 'city dwellers' with headphones on.

Not too far then, especially with the new Woodbank bridge.

I have an adversion to riding next to canal but am trying to overcome that, I rode from Woodley to Marple on the canal the other week as part of my plan to overcome it, I am also terrified of heights so the aquaduct was like walking the tightrope.

Tonight's ride home was wet, I am not that happy with the brakes on Super Galaxy in the wet, so took it easy. Will try and swap the pads later to some Fibrax ones which I love on my Brompton so will hopefully feel the same.

 

[cyberknight]

another day another puncture
coming home from late shift and already running late when i could feel the tyre going soft so i thought i could get away with pumping it up , in the end stopped 3 times in about 4 miles and made it home but i didnt get to to till 1.40am
im going to stick another tyre on in a bit from my spares and order a replacement as well as mend the flat when the caffeine has soaked in enough

 

[HLaB]

I've tweaked my commute route so instead of trying to cross n-s over a dual carriageway (which runs e - w). I now go along the dual c'w which gives me a few options. Pulling to the left and using both sides of a staggered crossing or if traffic allows, moving to the outside and using one of the crossing. The latter was very easy today. The dual carriageway was a complete standstill. I could have carried onto the roundabout but I prefer the toucan crossing route it leads me to a steeper hill but a narrower road where no one dares overtake.

 

[fossyant]

Couple of route tweaks last night. Came off the TPT in Reddish Vale for Brinnington and used the roads to cross the motorway before picking up another track that takes me near home. Tonight, I'll tweak the back street in Brinnington to take me over a footbridge (we've a choice of three routes, road, footbridge, then a wide farm bridge, all at different points over half a mile). Just perfecting the crappy weather route so I don't get covered in mud.

The canal has been lovely and dry for about 6 months, but that will soon change into a mud bog of drive chain eating quality. It's also nice getting home 20 minutes earlier !

 

[Andy in Germany]

The river is getting deeper.

 

[fossyant]

Looks like the 'Floop' has struck again (Fallowfield Loop). It's well known for glass - woe betide anyone that doesn't use good tyres.

WFH today but popped in the garage and the back is flat. Noticed a fair sized hole in the middle of the tread of my 26x2" Schwalbe Landcruisers, and dug out debris. Ah well.

I had to bin Conti 4 Seasons when riding the Floop previously and go to Durano Plus. They fared well, rarely 'holed' but they looked a right mess with all the cuts in them.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Looks like the 'Floop' has struck again (Fallowfield Loop). It's well known for glass - woe betide anyone that doesn't use good tyres.

WFH today but popped in the garage and the back is flat. Noticed a fair sized hole in the middle of the tread of my 26x2" Schwalbe Landcruisers, and dug out debris. Ah well.

I had to bin Conti 4 Seasons when riding the Floop previously and go to Durano Plus. They fared well, rarely 'holed' but they looked a right mess with all the cuts in them.

Thats one of the tamer ways the FLOOP can strike though :-)

 

[fossyant]

Thats one of the tamer ways the FLOOP can strike though :-)

Daytime muggings, and also wire over the entrance routes - that happened when I was commuting some years back.

 

[ianrauk]

Riding home this evening I came across this rather splendid chap and his canine companion. Blasting out the Clash's White Riot at nuclear volume.

 

[fossyant]

Riding home this evening I came across this rather splendid chap and his canine companion. Blasting out the Clash's White Riot at nuclear volume.
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We've a chap that rides from the Northern Quarter to Hulme every day (Manchester) to see his mum. He's been in the Manchester Evening News and is well known. Always has his sound system on (regge etc) , and we can hear it in our building as he passes (it's very loud - the building is sound proof). Anyway, yesterday he whizzed past on an e-scooter.... OMG, he used to be always on a bike. Might be due to his age as he's not young. He's a lovely character.

 

[fossyant]

Riding home this evening I came across this rather splendid chap and his canine companion. Blasting out the Clash's White Riot at nuclear volume.
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Actually, he needs a Soundcore Motion Boom or the new big one - smaller and better sound, and much lighter !

 

[fossyant]

This is our man...

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...arrington-manchesters-favourite-boom-17753667

 

[GeekDadZoid]

I enjoyed the cold but sunny ride in this morning, ended up taking some inspiration from @fossyant and using the FLOOP then my mate was a bit late so I ended up meeting him down in Old Trafford before riding back up to the city centre, so an extra few KM in the legs this morning. Then I booked a meeting with one of my team at Rapha so I could have a nosey at some of the winter gear.