fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Cold and windy in Manchester today. Avoided the showers. Took the short route as was running late, and I deserved it after yesterday's mini Sportive.
Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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Decided to try a new route to work this morning, involved two cat 4 climbs in the first 15km, Red Barn Hill and Hackpen Hill.
This resulted in 300m of climbing in the first 15km, average gradient of 2%, maximum of 14.2%.
Overall after 47km I had a total of 520m of climbing, the most I have had on a commute by 100 metres.
Riding up Hackpen Hill was made more interesting by being blinded by the early morning sun and steamed up glasses, because it was a little chilly.
This resulted in 300m of climbing in the first 15km, average gradient of 2%, maximum of 14.2%.
Overall after 47km I had a total of 520m of climbing, the most I have had on a commute by 100 metres.
Riding up Hackpen Hill was made more interesting by being blinded by the early morning sun and steamed up glasses, because it was a little chilly.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Cooler and windy this morning. Had a nice chat to a bloke on a specialized tri cross this morning on the way in. Decided to do a detour this morning thinking it would add a mile or so tops onto the total distance, miscalculated slightly as it added 5 miles, still the exercise is doing me good.
only 8degs when I left this morning, but the sun was shining.
So went for the LS CC top as would soon warm the body up with the first climb of the commute.
Jeez, there was so much traffic today.. the traffic jam gods must have directed everyone to SE London.
And I got creamed by a fast roadie.. he could shift. Fair play sir.. and you stopped for reds too.
So went for the LS CC top as would soon warm the body up with the first climb of the commute.
Jeez, there was so much traffic today.. the traffic jam gods must have directed everyone to SE London.
And I got creamed by a fast roadie.. he could shift. Fair play sir.. and you stopped for reds too.
MichaelO
Guru
Quite cool as I left this morning, but definitely warmer 80mins later as I arrived at work.
I’m sure we all have our own small challenges on our commuter routes – mine is getting up Woodcote Grove Road (Coulsdon). Not the steepest/biggest hill by any stretch, but in a morning can be a bit of a drag. Looking forward to seeing how this morning compares to my PB on strava – felt really good going up today!
I’m sure we all have our own small challenges on our commuter routes – mine is getting up Woodcote Grove Road (Coulsdon). Not the steepest/biggest hill by any stretch, but in a morning can be a bit of a drag. Looking forward to seeing how this morning compares to my PB on strava – felt really good going up today!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Full winter longs, long sleeve base layer/ jersey 
Shorts though 
It was beautiful crisp clear start and stayed that way for about 10 miles as I battled a strong head wind. Got over Morborne Hill on the fixie (it just a short sharp thing) and a few miles down the road with an enjoyable tailwind. Then things started to happen, got overtook fast on a blind bend on a country road, no problem with the overtake, just another car was coming the other way; thats the closest I've got to seing a head on 
Crossed over the A1(M) towards Yaxley, Farcet and town and got alot of good overtakes; one had waited 5secs for a clear gap, so I gave them the thumbs up and behind them was a motorbike he was desperately directing me towards the aptly named Farcility; he failed to see the irony of his vest 'Think Bike' 
. After going through the vilages of Yaxley then Farcet theres a short barrier down the middle of the road and car can't overtake so I natrually expect the fustration of drivers held up for that 3 secs, the driver behind was fine though and executed a good swift and wide pass before the rbt. WVM behind though wasn't as considerate; I was going a good speed with the tail wind and he just caught me at the rbt wher he preceded to overtake me anyway and immediately left hook. Got a few miles down the road and turned into a minor residential road and car waited (or so I thought, assumption is the mother of all feic ups 
). It was stopped in the middle of the road about 200m away and just as I reached her she drove off (straight at me ). Hopefully this will be all my incidents for the year.
Shorts though It was beautiful crisp clear start and stayed that way for about 10 miles as I battled a strong head wind. Got over Morborne Hill on the fixie (it just a short sharp thing) and a few miles down the road with an enjoyable tailwind. Then things started to happen, got overtook fast on a blind bend on a country road, no problem with the overtake, just another car was coming the other way; thats the closest I've got to seing a head on Crossed over the A1(M) towards Yaxley, Farcet and town and got alot of good overtakes; one had waited 5secs for a clear gap, so I gave them the thumbs up and behind them was a motorbike he was desperately directing me towards the aptly named Farcility; he failed to see the irony of his vest 'Think Bike' . After going through the vilages of Yaxley then Farcet theres a short barrier down the middle of the road and car can't overtake so I natrually expect the fustration of drivers held up for that 3 secs, the driver behind was fine though and executed a good swift and wide pass before the rbt. WVM behind though wasn't as considerate; I was going a good speed with the tail wind and he just caught me at the rbt wher he preceded to overtake me anyway and immediately left hook. Got a few miles down the road and turned into a minor residential road and car waited (or so I thought, assumption is the mother of all feic ups ). It was stopped in the middle of the road about 200m away and just as I reached her she drove off (straight at me ). Hopefully this will be all my incidents for the year.
PJ79LIZARD
Über Member
- Location
- WEST MIDLANDS
Lovely commute this morning, nothing better than riding on a freshly fettled bike, fitted new bottom bracket, chainset, cassette, chain, rear mech and cable, new wheel set, tubes and tyres, the bike had been cleaned and lubed thoroughly. So a quiet smooth commute in, helped by the sun being out and slight tail wind. Bliss
D
Deleted member 1258
Guest
Lovely commute this morning, nothing better than riding on a freshly fettled bike, fitted new bottom bracket, chainset, cassette, chain, rear mech and cable, new wheel set, tubes and tyres, the bike had been cleaned and lubed thoroughly. So a quiet smooth commute in, helped by the sun being out and slight tail wind. Bliss
I finally cured the rattle on the front mudguard at the weekend, the fixed is now back in full stealth mode
lovely to be commuting in silence again, its also nice to see the sun, just wish it would warm up and that wind would drop.
sickboyblue
Senior Member
- Location
- Manchester
No 'squatches??
addictfreak
Guru
- Location
- Boldon, Tyne and Wear
Nothing really to report about my commute, apart from its been 5 months since in did it! Nice morning, very windy which kept the temperature down. Gears jumping a little, I replaced my chain the other day and thought my cassette was ok but looks like its a tad worn. Anyway 18 miles in and a mere 8 on my return, wind had increased significantly for the return. But all said and done, great to be back to work and even better to be getting there by bike.
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Left work late, again! So just the six mile route home, nice and quiet, though the wind doesn't want to die down yet
Glow worm
Legendary Member
- Location
- Near Newmarket
Nice sunny ride in, but yet again a strong headwind. Less sunny coming home but at least I had some help from the wind. Needed it too with 3 days worth of food shopping on board, laptop, files and clothes as well!
No incidents thankfully, apart from a slight disagreement with a Volvo driver over his preference for keeping us all second guessing as to his likely course at a roundabout. Telepathy is not on of my strong points but giving Volvo drivers an earful when they suddenly aim at you with no signal certainly is! One day, I'll see a Volvo driver indicate, but I'm not holding my breath.
No incidents thankfully, apart from a slight disagreement with a Volvo driver over his preference for keeping us all second guessing as to his likely course at a roundabout. Telepathy is not on of my strong points but giving Volvo drivers an earful when they suddenly aim at you with no signal certainly is! One day, I'll see a Volvo driver indicate, but I'm not holding my breath.
14 days in a row on the bike and a head wind this morning made this mornings commute hard work. The tailwind on the way home was lovely and all cars being patient and giving me loads of room. I had three in a row on a bendy bit of road, all hanging back, passing when they could see ahead, or I waved them to pass, then giving me huge amounts of room, all a bit strange at the time, then car 4 goes passed, a police car, all made sense then.
paul04
Über Member
A good ride into work this morning with a tailwind behind me,
The ride home was hard work headwind more or less all the way, and I had to educate a motorist on who had the right of way on a roundabout,
as it appears he did not have a clue, even the cars behind were beeping there horn for him to move.
The ride home was hard work headwind more or less all the way, and I had to educate a motorist on who had the right of way on a roundabout,
as it appears he did not have a clue, even the cars behind were beeping there horn for him to move.
hennbell
Guru
- Location
- Lloydminster, Alberta , Canada
Here in Alberta we get most of those but it has been a long time since I saw a bear.
lots of moose, deer, gopher's,hawks, eagles, owls, and skunks (mostly see them dead on the road) occasional coyote, fox, bocat, and grass snakes. Never seen a possum, chipmunk here. The only squatche I have seen is on the side of a beer can.
