CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Confessions of a Cycle Commuter

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  1. Snowy
    Member

    My dept is soon to move to a different building. While negotiating for lockers with our property people, my boss described me as 'our token cyclist'.

    We've come a long way, but there's a long way to go...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. newtoit
    Member

    What facilities do you folks have for stowage of your wet gear?

    We have lockers but I still don't like putting my wet towel in there after a shower to fester all day!

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    There's any old thread people might like to look at/add to -

    "Facilities for commuters - how does your employer treat you?"

    http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=152

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. Stickman
    Member

    Not a confession by me (so a denunciation? Dunno), but just saw someone walking gingerly through the office in their road shoes

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. dougal
    Member

    No lunch.

    No cash.

    No wallet.

    Morons on the road.

    Morons running the trains.

    I should just turn around and go back home.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. chdot
    Admin

    Or is that just "I don't like Mondays"...?

    It might get better.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. dougal
    Member

    Mondays are not normally this bad. I blame the reappearance of Bob Geldof on the scene.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. newtoit
    Member

    @Dougal

    I feel your pain, I too have forgotten my wallet and don't have any lunch... Second Monday running as well!

    Now to rely on the generosity of my colleagues.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. acsimpson
    Member

    Having forgotten mine a few times I now have an emergency cash supply in my emergency repair kit.

    I like to think of it as being similar to The Owl and The Pussycat.

    "...wrapped up in a five pound note..."

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    I was a bit late in today. Just found out that in the post-shower rush I put my pants on back to front. Gah.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Doing well today. No pants, socks or cufflinks.

    So I've got my white Thor-Los on Michael Jackson style, my Lycra short liners on as support pants and my sleeves rolled up. Quite the professional.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. chdot
    Admin

    No cufflinks -

    You working in a paperclipless office??

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. Darkerside
    Member

    Treasury tags also serve as good substitutes.

    On a related note, a few months back I arrived at a black tie thing with a studded shirt. And no studs.

    There was a slightly stressful hour whilst the relative merits of five cufflinks, stitching myself in, tape, or small cable-ties were discussed. Almost disappointingly, it turned out my host had a spare set.

    And that may well be the most middle-class thing I've written for a long time.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "You working in a paperclipless office??"

    No, I'm a road mender.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. Charlethepar
    Member

    This morning, I managed to leave my home, arrive at work, lock up my bike, key into the building, walk to the changing rooms/ showers before I realised that I have left my heavy rucksack with all my clothes, money, phone etc in sitting alone in my kitchen.

    After quickly logging in to check there was nothing urgent, I spent 50 minutes back out in the sunshine cycling back home and back to work again. So, a silver lining there.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. Darkerside
    Member

    Nicely done. Even I haven't managed to leave without my pannier attached...

    Although I do have an idiot-proof checklist on the back of the bike-cupboard door. Which I force myself to read through before leaving each morning.

    Highly recommended.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. SRD
    Moderator

    argh. got in to work cold and wet. told everyone who commented 'oh i've got a hot shower waiting'. all the showers have flooded through the ceiling. thought it best not to try and actually use them.

    brr.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. Darkerside
    Member

    I was electrocuted twice by a shower in China (pro tip: if electrocuted once, the smart monkey does not immediately test to see if it happens again.)

    I'd still probably have risked it this morning.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Charlethepar
    Member

    Was temporarily excited by the prospect of cycling in the heavy snow in Bruntsfield as I left home at a rather leisurely time of 9:45ish. So I put on my new acrylic knit Santa hat, complete with massive bobble, to keep my head warm on the way. Not sure that this was a stylistic triumph.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. SRD
    Moderator

    i seem to have managed to leave home with *all* of our functioning b ike lights, leaving Mr SRD, and Mini and Micro SRds somewhat stranded...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. wingpig
    Member

    My sparebike's intermittent clacking noise (only occurring at high speeds on the three smallest sprockets) that I didn't discover the cause of when I replaced the wheel bearings last week (upon rediscovering the packet I ordered a couple of years ago after nowhere on town had them in the right size) has turned into a freewheel which spins freely (without any ratcheting sounds) and waggles from side to side, which fortunately manifested itself going through Ravelston rather than on the road somewhere.

    As it's probably the original hub from the early 1990s it's fair enough that it's decided to die but it's irritating that it happened: shortly after installing the winter tyre; in the winter (when it is more likely to be needed, so that I might not have time to faff about modernising it to cassettism); on a Monday, when the Bike Station is shut.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. wingpig
    Member

    I remembered to take off both my locks before wheeling the properbike to the Cycle Service at the weekend, but then forgot to reattach either before I left this morning, so no bicycle-aided shopping at lunchtime for me.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. earthowned
    Member

    Today I found out that a 100% cotton jumper makes an excellent emergency towel. Much better than a polyester base layer anyway. I suspect a merino wool top would be even better at absorbing moisture.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. Darkerside
    Member

    Submitted on behalf of a colleague.

    Last night, they were delighted to discover a pair of trousers in the changing room they thought they'd lost. In celebration, they hung them neatly in the communual trouser locker, and took their usual pair home for a wash.

    On arrival this morning closer investigation revealed said trousers were not, in fact, the long lost pair (the button fly was apparently the giveaway).

    The hero of our tale is having a very edgey morning, waiting to see if someone bursts in to demand their trousers back.

    I'll let you know if someone ends the day with bare knees.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. Darkerside
    Member

    Woke up to a squishy rear tyre. Thought rather than banging about the flat at 6am changing the tube (The MetaBike is always reluctant to let go of its rear wheel...) I'd just sneak some air in and change the tyre on the train.

    Gently up to 70PSI.

    BANG.

    Damn.

    Woke up the flat opposite, both flats above, probably through the wall in the other direction, and certainly Ms and Mini DarkerSide. None of whom were happy campers, I can tell you.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. earthowned
    Member

    @Darkerside - But did anyone have bare knees yesterday??

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. Darkerside
    Member

    Ah, sadly not! I considered bribing one of our trainees to pretend they were his, but chickened out in the end

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. Uberuce
    Member

    Yesterday, found myself 8 minutes out with an absence of staff top, and returned home to collect it. We'd just got new staff T-shirts for the play leaders(including me) that I don't like much but the boss is terribly keen on, and we were expected to be flying the new flags on the first day of term.

    I noted that my first thought on deciding I had to go back for it was 'ah well, at least I'm not far from home' when previously I'd be over halfway to the office and would have been far from gruntled.

    When I'd completed my backtrack and almost finished retreading my previous...treads...it started tipping down with rain. Now, the merest glance at the maths of a ~16 minute addon to a 45 minute journey mean I was always going to be sodden, but early morning grumpiness is in no mood for your smartypants logic mumbojumbo, so I was cursing my useless memory, the sky and the world in general.

    Then, in the office, the boss phones to say the lettering is wrong on them all and I'm not to wear it so that it can be returned, hence me being Spotted by Arellcat in just the one T-shirt.

    Mutter and indeed muss.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. MeepMeep
    Member

    I managed to remember to pack all items of clothing for work on my first two days back in the office which surprised me. This morning after my shower at work however I discovered I was one very significant item... well, er... short. I suppose if I was more clever I'd be able crack a military joke.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. gembo
    Member

    I was also commando today and also sockless. Now have some very fine Bjorn Borg underpants from jenners sale and a pair of Jon snow type stripey socks from charles tyrwhitt sale.

    Posted 9 years ago #

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