Tales from today's commute....

[Frood42]

Ride home last night matched my mood.
A miserable grey sky with rain and an annoying wind.
Really crap ride...
I ended up cutting the ride short at having done a little over 20 miles and took the train part way home, even though it was 20:00, it just felt dark and depressive...

 

[Christopher]

Agree with that, Frood. Cars had their lights on last night at 6PM it was so dark, and I had the rear light on at 7 this morning. Soaked. Cateye computers don't seem to like the rain - mine stopped working on the way in. A minor thing but still irritating. Bar unit just shows zero speed. may need drying out, we will see. I can now understand why peeps use smartphones or gps units in a waterproof bag. ..

 

[potsy]

Wet and miserable this morning, lights on here too.
On the good side it's a 4 hour shift and I'm halfway through it already

 

[Frood42]

This morning's ride was better, despite the wet roads, the grey sky's and the Lorry driver who nearly tried to mow me down.
Got on the bike, got going and just didn't feel like riding, but I kept going as it was probably just the effects of the crap weather on my mood.

Got up to Epping, but some idiot Lorry driver decided to pass me really close, and he was very close to cutting in and taking me out with his rear wheels, but thankfully he seemed to notice and stopped, and then let me continue on his inside and then up in front of him at the lights, where I took primary.

In the mood I was in (very much ) I could have just trundled along in front of him very very slowly in the middle of the road.

However I decided to be the better person, I only trundled slowly in the middle of the road in front of him until the bus stop/layby, where I pulled in to let him past, for which he gave me a little toot on his air horn as a thanks, hhhmmmm...

However my mood has improved greatly, and for one reason only, I got off the main road and onto some of the back roads.

There is a nice long downhill where I can hit 35mph easily, and with the wind blowing in my face, it was great!
No cars, no traffic, no temporary lights, just me going downhill very quickly, wwwwweeeeeee!!!!!

Oh, and the other thing was dropping the roadie along a straight way section (FCN 10, kiss my rear roadie!).
I let him go first, but man was he was slow off the lights, and then just seemed to dawdle, so I went past very nonchalantly, then went for it down along there as fast as I could, hitting 27-28 mph in the big cog despite the head wind, it was great fun!
Didn't see him again until I got caught in traffic, where he filtered down where I normally wouldn't on the hybrid (he was a bit skinnier ).

 

[PJ79LIZARD]

Agree with that, Frood. Cars had their lights on last night at 6PM it was so dark, and I had the rear light on at 7 this morning. Soaked. Cateye computers don't seem to like the rain - mine stopped working on the way in. A minor thing but still irritating. Bar unit just shows zero speed. may need drying out, we will see. I can now understand why peeps use smartphones or gps units in a waterproof bag. ..

I've used a cateye micro wireless for years never had a problem, used in all conditions.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Very wet and very filthy. Not put mudguards on the new bike (yet? can't decide) and had to go across a field or two this morning. Only bit of my kit dry so far are my gloves, have accepted the shoes won't dry in time but fingers crossed clothing will be dry for the ride home. On the plus side, broke 10,000 km for the year this morning, going to celebrate with a piece of banana loaf that our lass baked last night.

 

[Frood42]

I can now understand why peeps use smartphones or gps units in a waterproof bag. ..

I use a Mio GPS unit which is "water resistant (IPX7)", and no problems so far.
It was a bit of an investment, but cheaper from Halfords than their own website, and cheaper than the Garmin.
As I am more of a leisurely rider I wanted the navigation more than anything (Garmin tends to be geared towards a sportier demographic).

 

[Deleted member 1258]

. Cateye computers don't seem to like the rain - mine stopped working on the way in. A minor thing but still irritating. Bar unit just shows zero speed. may need drying out, we will see. I can now understand why peeps use smartphones or gps units in a waterproof bag. ..

I've always wrapped mine in cling film held in place with an elastic band, keeps the rain out a treat.

 

[Kookas]

Agree with that, Frood. Cars had their lights on last night at 6PM it was so dark, and I had the rear light on at 7 this morning. Soaked. Cateye computers don't seem to like the rain - mine stopped working on the way in. A minor thing but still irritating. Bar unit just shows zero speed. may need drying out, we will see. I can now understand why peeps use smartphones or gps units in a waterproof bag. ..

That's worried me, since my Blackburn Atom SL has been playing up a lot, as well. On some rides, it's perfect, and positioned right it has no problems, but on occasion it'll lag behind by a minute, or show nothing at all. Hate to think it might be water damage.

 

[GrasB]

It's a bit greasy out there. Nothing major just a few unexpected rear wheel lockups when pulling to a halt & wheel spins when getting out of the saddle on the more secluded upwards pointing roads.

 

[HLaB]

I ended up wearing my black jacket and with a black bike and helmet and with greasy roads I just took it cautiously; the bright yellow tyres and cycling cap probably made my stealth mode ineffective but I was taking no chances

 

[Supersuperleeds]

It's a bit greasy out there. Nothing major just a few unexpected rear wheel lockups when pulling to a halt & wheel spins when getting out of the saddle on the more secluded upwards pointing roads.

Lad at work came off his bike this morning on a greasy surface, he was fine and so is the bike

 

[Leodis]

Tough work coming home, was like a punch drunk boxer at one point with the wind.

 

[Summerking]

I was on my way home through Helston today and was pulling away at a roundabout giving it some welly like you do to get clear and an almighty crunching sound accompanied the longest back wheel skid I have done in years..I looked back at my rear wheel expecting to see the chain off but quickly took in the fact that my rear derailleur was bent up and backwards into the rear spokes several of which were bent out of shape,all this took milliseconds to absorb as I was in traffic. Making a run for the pavement I avoided Norbert and his Dentressangle by inches, looking closer at my bike I could see the rear hanger was bent at a right angle where the derailleur had been wound up around the back wheel and the jockey wheels in the derailleur were chewed up and loose, I tried pulling the rear forged hangar straight thinking I could coast home at least but no chance, the Rear Deraileur was twisted, the rear wheel was now outrageously buckled with 3 bent spokes, the chain was in two! pieces and the rear hangar was bent and had a hairline crack from being straightened (no replaceable hangar) with this Raleigh...all I could find to hint at what had happened was that the rear gear cable had shorn in two..unfortunately by the time I have bought all the spares I need to fix the bike it will cost more than the bike is worth, I just wish me and the Bike had parted ways on better terms as I was attached to it..

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Outside Poundland, was turning left to follow the one way system - very greasy roads and the next thing I know i'm sliding on my 'arris. Just put new bar tape on and it's scuffed
I'm fine and so's the bike.

Yep that surface there is well tricky, when going round you have to stay almost upright !

I nearly lost it turning right down past Budgens where we spilt up on the way back, slipped the rear over a man hole cover in the wet, but it slid off back on to tarmac just before it gave way!