CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Confessions of a Cycle Commuter

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  1. fimm
    Member

    Completely lost it with a driving instructor this morning who was pulling the not-particularly-offensive manoeuvre of passing me on my left at low speed while I was stationary about to turn right.

    The thing is, I've tried all sorts of ways to make that turn. If I get too far over people pass me at 45 with no space (you probably wouldn't pass me that close on my right, so why is it OK to do it on my left?). So I try and stay central in the lane so people have to slow. But I must have been just too far right today, so this youth in a van squeezed through, followed by the driving instructor (definitely just the driver in the car) who had her window down a touch so she could have a fag, and who therefore got the full force of my frustration.

    Yes, it would be fine if I was driving a car. But I am not in a car, in case you hadn't noticed. I am on a b-i-c-y-c-l-e. Just give me a bit of space, would you?

    Posted 8 years ago #

  2. Nelly
    Member

    First bike commute this week today...........forgot my towel.

    I can now confirm that merino base layers are not very absorbent.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  3. DaveC
    Member

    First bike commute this week today...........forgot my towel.
    I can now confirm that merino base layers are not very absorbent.

    I have done this twice after taking towels home to be washed. Now I have 2 lovely expensive towels from John Lewis. Since then my employer has bought a washer to go with the dryer, so I never have to take a towel home.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    "Since then my employer has bought a washer"

    Don't think that's been on a list for employers before(?)

    Showers, changing room, lockers, drying facilities, decent undercover bike parking, free breakfasts (sometimes) and?

    @DaveC hope your employer has a certificate from Cycling Scotland -

    http://www.cyclingscotland.org/our-projects/award-schemes/cycle-friendly-employer

    Posted 8 years ago #

  5. DaveC
    Member

    hope your employer has a certificate from Cycling Scotland

    Dunno, but I have registered and informed Cycling Scotland.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  6. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Left my lights on the bike at the supermarket. They cost a good fraction of the resale price of the bike. When I got back....they were still there. Cheers Edinburgh citizenry.

    Posted 8 years ago #

  7. HankChief
    Member

    Descending Murrayfield Rd this morning one of my panniers made a break for freedom and detached itself by the Ellersly Rd junction

    I had to sheepishly turn the big bike around and return to pick it up before it (or I) got squashed - not an easy job.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  8. CJC
    Member

    one of my panniers made a break for freedom and detached itself

    Only had that happen to me once. Going down Leith Walk, right in front of a police car. They stopped and got out. I thought I was going to get a talking to... they were stopping in the bus lane to pick up some coffees :)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  9. biketrain
    Member

    Planned to cycle to work today after dropping mini biketrains at school by erm car. In the car I had put bike, helmet, gloves, lights and pannier. While driving down lane my subconscious was telling me I had forgotten something. So I stopped and checked my bag. Wallet, phone, change of clothes and work pass. All good. Dropped boys off. Parked car. Got all set up to ride and then tried to put pannier on bike. Oops I had forgotten the removable pannier rack that holds pannier onto front of bike. Had to fold bike and then drive to work. Managed to get a cheeky high 15 off Hankchief and the chieflets.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  10. dougal
    Member

    About to leave the house this morning and spotted wire hanging at a funny angle out of the housing of the rear dynamo light. I give it a waggle and it comes loose in my hand. On inspection the spade connector had come off the PCB and left no sign of solder behind. Were they held on by friction before? The other terminal has some small blobs of solder but I'm doubting their long-term effectiveness now.

    Spent the remainder of my time in the house looking for charged lights and a way to attach them to my person/bike. Grumble grumble, why didn't I spot this yesterday??

    Posted 7 years ago #

  11. ARobComp
    Member

    Train to Newcastle for an overnighter. Rode down to the station in my Spd's and overshoes and it was a bit chilly.

    On train getting changed. Realise I've not brought any normal person shoes with me.

    Oh well. Thankfully it's my reasonably comfy MTB/CX SPd shoes rather than big studded race shoes or keo cleats!

    Posted 7 years ago #

  12. kaputnik
    Moderator

    They have now gotten rid of paper hand towels and installed a Dyson Airblade in our cycle changing rooms.

    This is not so much a confession but a future warning to myself not to forget my towel, as drying ones self with an Airblade is a fate worse than paper towels.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  13. ARobComp
    Member

    I guess I can see how it could be used for CERTAIN appendages.... hands for example... elbows...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  14. threefromleith
    Member

    @Kaputnik Keep one of those little travel towels somewhere handy (permanently in a pocket in your bag, or in a locker at work)?

    I used to marvel at a guy at work who only used a 30x30 travel towel to dry himself every day after having a shower. (Turned out that he had a skin condition and using normal towels aggravated it).

    Posted 7 years ago #

  15. fimm
    Member

    This might be the wrong thread for this but: went to take my helmet off this morning and discovered I was not wearing it. This is a pain as the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying lights, garmin, gloves, etc from the bike to my desk.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  16. amir
    Member

    "This is a pain as the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying lights, garmin, gloves, etc from the bike to my desk. "
    +1

    Posted 7 years ago #

  17. paddyirish
    Member

    "This is a pain as the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying lights, garmin, gloves, etc from the bike to my desk. "
    +2

    Posted 7 years ago #

  18. condor2378
    Member

    "This is a pain as the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying lights, garmin, gloves, etc from the bike to my desk. "
    +3

    Posted 7 years ago #

  19. chdot
    Admin

    "the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying"

    Were you shocked when you found out it hadn't been carrying out its other function?

    Posted 7 years ago #

  20. SRD
    Moderator

    @fimm i agree that's what threw me most when i stopped wearing one regularly!

    (I guess that makes me +4)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  21. spytfyre
    Member

    "This is a pain as the helmet makes an excellent device for carrying lights, garmin, gloves, etc from the bike to my desk. "
    -1

    I leave mine hanging on the handlebars with my gloves etc in and chuck the jacket on top like icing on the cake

    Posted 7 years ago #

  22. fimm
    Member

    @chdot "Were you shocked when you found out it hadn't been carrying out its other function?"
    Do you mean, was I shocked when I realised that I'd cycled to work without my helmet? No. I don't wear one all the time on the bike anyway. This is probably the point to adjourn to the other thread... ;-)

    (I'd been wearing a buff over my head and ears, which is why I hadn't noticed that I'd forgotten my helmet. The buff had to do lights etc carrying duties.)

    Posted 7 years ago #

  23. chdot
    Admin

    Thanks.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  24. biketrain
    Member

    Having cycled to work I realised I had forgotten to bring my work pants, running pants and running shirt. No spare pants in my locker. Looks like I will be wearing some items of cycling clothes in the office and when running a lunch time.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  25. Arellcat
    Moderator

    One of the problems when you live at the top of the hill and work at the bottom of the hill is getting a third of the way there and realising you've forgotten something, like your security pass to get into your work.

    A further problem is when this happens the day after a fitness training day when your legs are already tired out.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  26. acsimpson
    Member

    I managed to leave the house on Tuesday without my front light. Not having an option to return before sunset I am now in a position to review one of Poundland's £1 lights.

    Pros:
    Great value for money even once batteries have doubled it's costs.
    Keeps you visible (see cons).
    150hrs run time (untested)

    Cons:
    Doesn't fit oversize bars, some rubber bands fixed this.
    Is prone to sliding off it's mounting bracket, some more rubber bands fixed this.
    Feels like it will break if dropped, some more rubber bands ensured this didn't happen.
    Has a mid body illumination ring which shines light in every direction. This means drivers can see you as well as your light but once you are outside streetlight zones means you can see your light rather than drivers.
    Quite tricky to change batteries as the switch doesn't always line up correctly when shut.
    Outside the centre spot lighting is very poor with almost no peripheral lighting and what is there looks more like a disco ball than a bike light.

    Over all it wasn't an experience I would choose to repeat but it did get me home safely and will probably live in my draw to ensure I don't forget the normal lights again.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  27. Frenchy
    Member

    One of the problems when you live at the top of the hill and work at the bottom of the hill is getting a third of the way there and realising you've forgotten something, like your security pass to get into your work.

    At least you're clever enough to realise before you get to your office door...

    Posted 7 years ago #

  28. HankChief
    Member

    Having been to the pub last night and passing the office tonight, I tried to ride both bikes home.

    A clash of handlebars saw 2 bikes and me hit the deck in an unglamorous manner. Slightly more scrapes in the tarmac than me but it was close run thing.

    Posted 7 years ago #

  29. amir
    Member

    Ouch

    Posted 7 years ago #

  30. Frenchy
    Member

    Traffic nose to tail all the way up Gilmerton Road (incident on the bypass, maybe?). Had great fun filtering past literally hundreds of cars, but still had what is probably my slowest journey home ever.

    Posted 7 years ago #

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