CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Confessions of a Cycle Commuter

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  1. Rosie
    Member

    I go at peak time i.e. at about 8:30. A friend who cycles there at about 8am to Heriot Watt says she has no problems.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  2. gembo
    Member

    realised upon leaving house I had taken entirely wrong bike (I am a bit discombooberated just now due to collywobbles brought on possibly by Weegie food)

    Not a problem on way into work but will be one heavyweight 3 speed contraption on way home

    Posted 5 years ago #
  3. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Got a free tyre off Stephan Mathieson, sometime of this parish. Great guy.

    Fitted it last night, bit ham-fisted. Pinch flat.

    Changed the tube this morning but it was defective. Blew at 70psi with sufficient violence to rip the bead off the brand new ('bomb-proof' hahaha) tyre which is now in the bin. Hurt my ears too.

    Old tyre oot the bin and back on. New tyres ready for collection at Cycle Republic ready for Glenfeshie.

    Head to work after lunch. So it goes.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  4. gembo
    Member

    Yesterday bins not emptied in the morning, threw me, so bringing them in Last night I left helmet on bins. Could not find it this morning so cycled in to Edinburgh and back today just with my nice new cap on my head. It was nice.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  5. dessert rat
    Member

    Oakley glasses nowhere to be found, bought during a rush of blood to the head when living in a tax free desert 4yrs ago. Been hoping they’ll turn up somewhere in the house for a week, multiple fly-in-the-eyes instances on Innocent this week making a replacement pair urgent.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  6. unhurt
    Member

    They're not up Glen Feshie are they?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  7. dessert rat
    Member

    they didn't go to the Glen as I couldnt find them (I dont think). My memory isn't what it used to be.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  8. steveo
    Member

    I'm pretty sure you weren't wearing them when you pitched up on Saturday morning.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  9. gembo
    Member

    @iainmcr this is the very reason I do not own oakleys. I would lose them in four minutes. I also have multiple pairs of Bay Rans for a fiver from shop in Cockburn street.

    Decathlon do a sunglass that does not steam up (holes in the frame etc) for fifteen pounds if it is eyes and flies you are worried about.

    Since I left my helmet on the bins it has been cap only all week (mostly WoL path and towpath then meadows so very few cars except at kings theatre)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  10. Stickman
    Member

    I lost a set of prescription Oakleys which made me *very* annoyed. I was moaning about it in work a few days later when a colleague a few desks down overheard and asked me if they were blue frames in a rounded black case. They were: her neighbour had found them in the street and held on to them. Very lucky.

    They are expensive but the clarity of the lenses is better than any other pair of prescription glasses I've ever had.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  11. steveo
    Member

    You'll remember how I chose to take my MTB to Glen Feshie due to the CDF having a broken spoke, just noticed last night while riding back from work the rear on the MTB looks like a leaf in a silent rave waving to its own beat. Turns out it also has a thrown a spoke...

    Grease Monkey are coming to pick it up this evening and give it the attention I never have time to.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  12. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    a leaf in a silent rave waving to its own beat

    You are the bard of broken spokes.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  13. unhurt
    Member

    Confession: I have never cycled round the Arthur's Seat loop. Will it hurt me?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  14. Snowy
    Member

    I'd wait for daylight...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  15. unhurt
    Member

    Always the voice of reason.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  16. ARobComp
    Member

    The hill climb from Loch to Loch is quite addictive once you've popped around a few times . Hold position, and watch your rear for overly aggressive swan fanciers.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  17. Frenchy
    Member

    Will it hurt me?

    You'll be wishing you had lower gears, but by the time you get round to Pollock Halls you're probably possibly going to fancy going round again.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  18. dessert rat
    Member

    niche problem that i have brought on myself and will likely receive the appropriate amount of sympathy.

    Di2 battery on 29er been ill for a while (and wont take a charge), finally gave up this morning. At least I no longer have to wonder what happens when it happens - defaults into 5th, so I shall be avoiding Dundas on the way home.

    I have also never cycled around Arthur's Seat and I won't be starting today.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  19. ARobComp
    Member

    I had to creep up the stairs thrice this morning before leaving the house at 6am. Creeping was due to need to avoid waking child and wife.
    Repeat visits was because I was lazy and instead of taking my "weekend toolkit" out over the weekend I stripped out my "commuting toolkit" to match my weekend toolkit and went for a jolly. Then forgot.

    I'd apparently left everything everywhere upstairs and had to make multiple trips to recover it all.

    Then realised my helmet was not on it's usual hook. Yep upstairs.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  20. dessert rat
    Member

    bah.

    in addition to the faulty Di2 battery (which I 'fixed' by carrying a mobile phone external battery in the frame bag and having it constantly connected, i got a rear flat whilst in between meetings this afternoon.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  21. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Too much tech for the backwoods, man.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  22. dessert rat
    Member

    yes, too much tech for the mean streets of Edinburgh. When it works its awesome, less awesome at the moment.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  23. steveo
    Member

    Turns out it also has a thrown a spoke...

    Turns out I've split the blooming rim! Haven't a clue when I did that...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  24. Stickman
    Member

    Not me, but far too good not to share:

    Colleague said he got up and discovered his bike had been nicked from his shed. Phoned the insurance company - they told him to get a police incident number. Phoned police, gets the number, phoned back insurance company. Excellent service from them - they settle the claim on the phone and make the payout electronically the next day.

    Couple of days later his mum phoned: "when are you coming to collect your bike?"

    He'd taken two of his bikes over to his parents to do some cleaning/fettling in their garage and had only taken one of them home.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  25. gembo
    Member

    @stickman, can the colleague send the money back to insurers, get his excess payment back and reduce his premium back to the pre claim level?

    I was once denied very cheap insurance I was applying for as I had previously enquired about a broken window which I then did not claim on as was cheaper to fix than pay the excess.

    I now tend to pick insurance with the smallest excess. You have to use some metric. As the story of them just paying out without a fuss is not the dominant narrative (though perhaps it should be? Why would we take out insurance if they argue with you over paying up?)

    Posted 5 years ago #
  26. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    @Stickman

    I'll show your colleague the way to the top of Ben Alder. (S)he can stake themselves out?

    Posted 5 years ago #
  27. HankChief
    Member

    Did some guerrilla pruning of branches overhanging Maybury Road's pavements today...

    On my way home the secateurs (pointing downwards) broke through the bottom of my Ortleib and embedded themthemselves into my spokes causing me to come to a shuddering halt.

    No damage to the spokes but it did rip off part of my rack and made a mess of the bag.

    Let's see how good their 5 year warranty is...

    Posted 5 years ago #
  28. unhurt
    Member

    That's an impressive bit of misadventure related confession. Good luck!

    Posted 5 years ago #
  29. gembo
    Member

    I did get a new pair of ortliebs once. Wear and tear after two years. I made no mention of secateurs. Just pointed out the bold five year warranty. And the numerous small holes and tears.

    Posted 5 years ago #
  30. One of my pedals felt and sounded a bit 'clicky' the last couple of commutes. Stupidly I ignored it the first time!

    Took the pedal off last night and sure enough some bearings have escaped and its a bit gunky in there.

    Its an old metal flat with a toe clip.

    Are these worth servicing or will it just be too fiddly/time consuming?

    Posted 5 years ago #

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