Sounds draughty! :-o
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
Confessions of a Cycle Commuter
(1669 posts)-
Posted 9 years ago #
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Forgot to eat anything from 11.50 to 5.00 today, which is bad anyway since my new commute is twice as long and has about 900 feet more climbing, but especially bad when I was doing two people's jobs, and had the same cold that had sent my opposite number home.
One nice healthy dose of the bonk later, I was sitting staring vacantly into space while concerned staff members fussed around fetching sugary carby things.
That patched me up enough to slouch home via the quietest, flattest route, but I caught my roadcraft being well under par a couple of times. Staying alert enough was harder than the sit'n'spin.
So, I believe I shall look into second lunch as well as second breakfast.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I have never felt more tempted to go through a red than waiting - freezing my lycra off - at one red light for several minutes without any traffic or pedestrians passing, then when the lights finally change going about 100yds to wait again at another red light. No traffic, no pedestrians again. These lights don't consider the plight of the lonely cyclist who spends more time waiting than pedalling.
They say you should be cold when you leave the house because after ten minutes of pedalling you're plenty warm. Find me someone who can legally pedal for ten minutes anywhere in Edinburgh while still making progress.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Might I take a moment to applaud gembo who, despite being severely under-undergarmented, still appears to have taken the time to visit a number of shops to ensure sartorial satisfaction.
Puts my emergency sainsburys trousers to shame...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Grrr.
IMG_20150112_085830834 by wingpig, on FlickrIrritating as I was just about half-way in, so was compelled to carry on despite there being a temporarily stealable if not quite spare crankbolt at home.
Bargh. Left my flask at home, too.
Posted 9 years ago # -
that's wingpig's top trumps awesome power rating gone up again then...
Posted 9 years ago # -
Arrived today to find I had trousers, shirt and socks only, so a little short in the sartorial department. Luckily had a carrier bag in a desk drawer which contained something that would make do, but think I need a full set of clothes as backup...
Posted 9 years ago # -
The mind boggles as to what the bag contained. I have previously fashioned undergarments from two triangular bandages, but careful knot positioning is required for comfort.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Rather painfully (re)learnt and important lesson yesterday: even on the most familiar daily routes, things can change.
Was just a minute or two into my cycle home yesterday, when I turned right at a very familiar junction, taking a look out for traffic. However, having turned, I don't really know what I was looking at or thinking, but it certainly wasn't the road in front of me. When I did finally look ahead, I discovered that someone had constructed a neat little square of orange barriers, just a metre or so in front of me. Slammed on the brakes, only to discover that my recent adjustment to the (disc) pads had been highly effective. In true old school fashion, I sailed over the handle bars into the granite sets.
Fortunately, I suffered one of the lowest damage to incident ratios that I can remember. Somehow I got my forearms in front of my head, and landed on them and on a knee. Rusty old montain bike simply fell to the ground, no worse for wear than before. Given I had a school bell as a deadline, and neither me or my bike was broken, I got back on and cycled off. Few scrapes and bruses apparent later - nothing major.
So, to repeat the lesson, even if you cycle the same way every day, please remember that things can unexpectedly appear and keep an eye out.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@Charlethepar
Glad tehre was nothing more serious. Had one of those on Monday night, but thankfully no fall.
Had just had a scare with my brakes (see rubbish cycling) and thinking about that as I came down the A90 slip road northbound towards the bridge. Verified that there were no cyclists or peds and probably looking too far ahead to see if works vehicles were coming out of the road on the right. Only at the last minute saw that all the orange barriers by the two wooden ramps by the bus stop had blown over and there was no way through. Able to stop in time and spent 5 minutes putting them all up again.
I guess all these little wake up calls are what we call experience...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I wasn't allowed to take my daughter on the bike this morning.
Nothing to do with the weather - it's school photo day and apparently the post balaclava/h****t hair look isn't of the required standard (and I'm not trusted to correct it).
Posted 9 years ago # -
After skidding dramatically with a locked back wheel coming into tollcross. Scaring the driver behind more than me I think. Lesson is check your disk pads. Next lesson is how to do it. Any tips? Starting point seems to be a need for good eyes.
Posted 9 years ago # -
In my rush to collect some newly purchased Brio track for junior acs on my way in this morning I couldn't find the buff I normally wear under the helmet this morning but as it's covered by my helmet I borrowed my mrs acs's pink buff and headed out into the cold.
It was only after I had collected the trainset and made it as far as the bridge that I realised I had forgotten to put my helmet on. I hope no one was too startled by the sight of me in said buff, especially the young kids who met me at the door of their house to give me the track.
(For the record I often leave my helmet at home in the warmer and brighter months but not when it's dark and icy).
Posted 9 years ago # -
Sometime during parking the sparebike outside the back door, bringing it into the kitchen when childs were asleep, taking it back outside before breakfast and reattaching panniers, I managed to break the metal strip thing which attaches the porteur rack to the fork crown, though I only noticed when I tried to re-bungee my D-lock to it and observed excessive waggling. Hopefully the Bike Station's Drawer of Random Brackets will provide, again.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I had a nice suit stored away at home for the odd occasions when I might need a suit. Those odd occasions don't seem to have materialised so I thought I would get it out and wear it. It turns out that it has been even longer since I wore it than I thought, as the skirt is too tight to cycle in comfortably...
The suit will be going back in the cupboard.
Posted 9 years ago # -
"the skirt is too tight to cycle in comfortably"
Are you saying that all your cycling has given you extra muscles?
Posted 9 years ago # -
No, I'm saying that the last time I wore it I wasn't cycling to work. It is just a long skirt & slightly narrow around the thighs - walking in it is fine (I don't buy skirts I can't walk in).
I do have more muscles than I had the last time I wore that skirt, but they aren't the problem.
Posted 9 years ago # -
I post this merely because it appeared in a Google search -
Posted 9 years ago # -
Oh, the right skirt is great for cycling (there's a photo of me cycling in a skirt at last year's POP). This one just doesn't have quite enough space for my legs to move.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Changed normal routine today, cycled to wester Hailes already dressed for the meeting. Then went to seek help from the very nice Digital Learning Team then was chumming two of them to car park when slowly dawned on me that I did not have the key for the lock. Was bracing myself to seek bolt cutters off the janny. But the more straightforward explanation emerged when bike in view as key still in bike lock. Now it was 11a.m. So did not put row of wee lights back on bike. (But where did I put them because I do not know). Cue late exit from office and can only find the big light that recharges the two skullies and the two USB ones nowhere to be seen. Back up stairs from basement, all bags emptied nada. Both panniers all contents out, nothing. Picked up emergency front light, also rear that works but won't switch off so batteries have to come out. Combined with the one big light I could find and the wee one on my helmet quite visible. Not sure why had two very close passes that sixth sense told me about. Given snow tomorrow not feeling very confident in my emergency lights. Was overtaken after gillespie's by chap who maybe had not anticipated how windy it was. Took tow then when I went to front dropped him was embarrassed, could hear him trying to catch up as very rattle mudguard. Spotted just bike repairs still open at late hour. Bought two Moon USb lights, the lights go straight into the USB no wee cable. They are tiny and might put them on my helmet
Still cannot figure where the four wee lights went. I had the big one so either I left them on the bike and they were stripped, unlikely as bike still there despite key left in lock, I dropped them as I carried them about? I tipped them out of my helmet but not into my panniers?
Tomorrow will wear usual gear and change, though snow may change everything?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Will the snow change everything by swirling around you, twisting and tightening before coalescing into a hub dynamo and a pair of nice Busch und Mullers?
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig, that seems unlikely. Just wearing a tweed jacket messed everything up today so the heavy snow may cause a tear in the space time continuum.
Posted 9 years ago # -
@wingpig
Have various bits of metal that could be bent, drilled etc if the Bike Station turns up nothing. Tell TFP dimensions.Posted 9 years ago # -
Ta. Found a spare rear-rack seat-stay-tether which was just long enough.
Posted 9 years ago # -
Took train in to centre for chiropractor appointment and realsied once on that I'd forgotten both overshoes and bike lock.
Improvised a "lock" with my belt and spent 20 mins in the appointment hoping it would still be there when I got out.
Then cycled along the canal and couldn't feel my toes when I got to work. Still thawing out now...
Posted 9 years ago # -
I had a similar issue once when going to Craiglockhart Sports Centre. Got there, realised my lock was still at home, pleaded with reception to let me park bike behind squash court. They bettered that by putting it in a locked staff cupboard!
Posted 9 years ago # -
I'm currently sporting a dark suit, white shirt and plain blue tie combo with some garish brown weekend shoes.... wonder if anyone will notice?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Clarification, please: how has brown been made garish? What is a weekend shoe?
Posted 9 years ago # -
Does this provide the clarity required?
Fashion faux pas? by HankChief, on FlickrPosted 9 years ago # -
You'd be okay in the right environment
Posted 9 years ago #
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