Tales from today's utility ride

[mjr]

Triple-purpose utility ride today: pick up some bike spares from the retail park, go shopping in the town centre, plus a shakedown ride for the just-serviced left pedal on the Falcon.

Uneventful apart from DPD idiot had parked completely blocking the cycle track on the inside of a blind bend. I was stood there a couple of minutes waiting for a gap to "salmon" up the wrong side of the A10 to get past it and then the driver returned and drove off. It often feels like couriers are among the worst abusers of people cycling on the carriageway, but thanks to their illegal parking, my journey would have been much quicker (but more stressful) if I had.

The other main thing of note was that it reminded me why the Dutchie is a far better bike for town than the road bike. I felt I spent most of the time holding the Falcon back due to restricted visibility and upcoming junctions, corners or potential hazards, or on the brakes after picking up speed on an open stretch. Dutchie's not as quick to pick up speed (a little heavier and bigger gear steps - I get it near top speed maybe once on a there-and-back to town), but its higher riding position lets me see more, it corners much more surely, its 37s will bludgeon over a lot more shoot than 28s, and its V and hub brakes mean I'm more confident that I can slow it much more quickly if one of the potential hazards develops badly... the upshot of all that was the journey time today on the Falcon was basically in the usual range according to the tracker, but with a higher top speed.

 

[marknotgeorge]

Into town to pick up my second pair of glasses after I broke them the other week - the first pair took an hour. I also tried and failed to get anniversary card for the 'rents. One shop had narrow aisles and to many people, and the other a minimum card spend. Not to worry.

I do wish drivers would anticipate that I might want to go past parked cars too...

 

[Jayaly]

It turns out that the box for an extra large pizza sits very nicely on top of a front basket with the aid of a bungee.

Sadly, it also seems that only my son can get the pizza on a bike and it still be hot when it arrives.

 

[mjr]

Sadly, it also seems that only my son can get the pizza on a bike and it still be hot when it arrives.

Insulated bags. Also good for chilled and frozen food shopping, or other types of takeaway.

 

[Jayaly]

Insulated bags. Also good for chilled and frozen food shopping, or other types of takeaway.

I suspect the problem may solve itself as the son in question makes sure that his pizza is hot by collecting it himself

 

[Pale Rider]

My utility ride yesterday was notable for being the first time this year it was mild enough to sit outside to slurp a cup of coffee.

After Morrison's, I swung by my local bike shop to pick up my latest tool acquisition - a set of Torx keys.

I already have a set of the little hex Torx nibs, but for a reason I can't pin down, they don't seem to work very well.

A couple of Torxings with my new set confirms they are much better.

Park Tool this time, although they look identical to the Bondhus allen keys I bought a few weeks ago.

 

[Arjimlad]

On Mother's Day I got up earlier than her ladyship and bumbled off to the shops for some croissants for a special breakfast, and flowers. It was only 3/4 mile each way but enjoyable nonetheless, and having an "adventure bike" I crossed a grassy field and joined a footpath for some of the ride. The flowers fitted into my open rucksack fairly well.

 

[EthelF]

Limbered up the FollowMe tandem coupling to do the weekend butcher's & bakery run with my son. As expected, my local butcher didn't have what I was after so there ensued a longer trip to my backup butcher's. Ended up as a 14km shopping run. And when I got home I realised I had got the meat but had forgotten to buy any of the other ingredients I needed! So, unhitched the tandem and darted out again to the supermarket. Still faster than had I gone by car. And more enjoyable!

 

[mjr]

The word of the day was "congestion". On my trip to market and back, I seemed to keep meeting people on the cycle tracks today. Most often, they were either spread across the track obliviously or we met at a pinch point - including a couple where it happened despite my attempt to time arrival at the narrowing so we wouldn't. Most of the walkers picked a side or stepped off onto the footway in reply to a request, signal or bell, but cycling's just getting too damned popular!

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Not my utility ride, but someone else's:

No, it's not some third-world country, this occurred in Melbourne, where someone spotted a this lounge suite on the nature strip outside a property. I can't link to the article, as it's behind a paywall, and even private browsing won't get through it.
Actually, I believe it was more of a "utility walk", as he walked this load a fair distance to get it home.

 

[classic33]

Think he's scootering it along, there's a foot on the pedal.

 

[classic33]

Not my utility ride, but someone else's:

No, it's not some third-world country, this occurred in Melbourne, where someone spotted a this lounge suite on the nature strip outside a property. I can't link to the article, as it's behind a paywall, and even private browsing won't get through it.
Actually, I believe it was more of a "utility walk", as he walked this load a fair distance to get it home.

See @Pat "5mph", all you need is a trailer when using a bike!!

 

[Jayaly]

Trip to the library with Smallest Boy on his balance bike and a bag of books to be returned secured in the child seat. He was determined that we should ride, even when I gave him the option of driving due to the rain. I was rather glad, we had a nice ride down the hill and in between using all of the toucan crossings on the big roundabout and the automated check out system in the library there were (almost) enough buttons for even the most enthusiastic of preschool button pressers. We did have to walk up part of the hill on the way back, though, because little legs tired out. They miraculously recovered when we reached the playground at the top, though. Funny that.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

The closest I ever get to a commute! To day was my twice (or thrice) yearly car service! Rather than get a bus or train home, (I swore off public transport five years ago and have been happy ever since). I threw a bike into the boot and headed off to the Mercedes garage.

I then had to collect it. Seven miles each way and I was rained on all the time.

 

[mjr]

Eventful trip to/from market today: got stuck for a bit on the back of a group of cyclists on a cycle track, wrong-side-passed an oncoming cyclist on a bend because the rest of the group did, then there were quite a few police cars driving through one particular junction (not sure why - I'll check the local news later), a lost-looking cyclist on (he wasn't - he was just killing time - presumably he'd arrived earlier than he expected despite the nasty headwind), a dog on a bungee lead almost got me on the way into the park, then I got stuck for a bit on the back of a group of cyclists exiting the park, then some tree cutters outside the exit gate seemed to think that neck-high red tape is an acceptable way to narrow a cycle route and I had a classic I-stay-left-but-the-oncoming-cyclist-picks-the-same-side on the next track, then lots of beeping as I rode past each of two crossroads (why?), got stuck behind a grinding MTB for a bit (I should have asked if the bike was OK but I had chilled fish on board by then), then edged past the PLAT white van shown in https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/rant-the-difference-between-hgv-and-white-van-parking.199257/ and then I think it was finally free-rolling for most of the last 2 miles, but a bus pulled into an obstructive stop so I pulled right a lane to overtake because it was clear for once and finally I even got let out onto the staggered crossroads by home against marked priority by a nice motorist whose exit was blocked (but you'd be surprised how many still won't let me across in that situation).