CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting

Confessions of a Cycle Commuter

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  1. gembo
    Member

    Just one of your brakes?

    All of mine do that.

    I could well be wrong and I imagine I will be corrected but something to do with not being centred
    Or not being toe-ed

    Posted 4 years ago #
  2. the canuck
    Member

    both squeak when wet, but one refuses to dry.
    one is a bit slow to release at the moment--not sure if it's the wet-squeaky one, so i suspect i'm due a visit to the bike co-op this week.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  3. steveo
    Member

    Put my new, nice warm, waterproof cycling shoes today. Wasn't till I swung my leg over the bike I realised.... I'd not attached the cleats. Luckily pedals have a platform side.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  4. paddyirish
    Member

    Note to self- when you are in a hurry and using a CO2 canister to inflate your tyre, make sure that the valve is closed when you attach the canister to the device.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  5. paddyirish
    Member

    Further bad news when I arrived down in the basement at work last night to find the other tyre was punctured too.

    Think I must have ridden over a broken bottle hidden in the leaves on Maybury road footpath. big chunks of glass which were sufficient to defeat winter spikes.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  6. bill
    Member

    NOT ALL DRIVERS ARE ALL BAD:

    Waiting at the lights in Mid Calder I started tilting my head to some cheery country/folky song the SUV driver right behind me was playing in his car. Once he noticed, he cranked up the volume, I continue to enjoy the song give him thumbs up and we exchange cheery smiles.

    All of that was after he moved the car away from the kerb while queueing behind the traffic turning right. It definitely looked like he moved away so that I could get through.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  7. gembo
    Member

    @bill, is the confession that you tilted your head to achey breaky heart or similar.? Shucks that ain’t even a Hail Mary.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  8. dessert rat
    Member

    Took the Focus to the foam brush washer thing just above Kings Theatre this morning. Best 3 quid I've spent in ages, looks like new.

    Was meant to take all of the bikes in turn, but stopped after one.

    Belt drivetastic.

    @Steve - this glorious future awaits.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  9. CocoShepherd
    Member

    ScotRail appear to be purposefully refusing card payments on the trains tonight (at least on the one I got) when buying tickets. Cash only. This is apparently because trainists should buy a ticket before boarding the train. Begs two questions. 1. Why accept cash only? and 2. Why sell tickets on the train if you're not supposed to buy them on the train?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  10. twinspark
    Member

    Lady opposite me bought one on the train.... was a bit surprised as we'd just left Queen Street and thought buying on the train was only supposed to be if station you got on at didn't have a ticket office?

    Doesn't answer why you'd not take card payment, only cash (Lady used her card) - say you don't have cash?

    <TinFoilHat>Is it so they can fine you?</TinFoilHat>

    Posted 4 years ago #
  11. unhurt
    Member

    I have to confess i actually cycle commuted today. THREE WEEKS of vile lurgy: finally receding (I hope). On Friday I had to stop to catch my breath twice walking half a mile on the flat but today, a (slow) ascent of Bells Brae was just fine. I would dance, but I think I've now used up my still-limited energies for now.

    In related news, I do not regret my recovery-sloth as a colleague has been pushing herself through a similar infection, refusing to admit defeat and has now been diagnosed with full-blown pneumonia...

    Posted 4 years ago #
  12. ejstubbs
    Member

    @CocoShepherD: apparently ... trainists should buy a ticket before boarding the train. Begs two questions. 1. Why accept cash only? and 2. Why sell tickets on the train if you're not supposed to buy them on the train?

    You are indeed supposed to buy a ticket before travelling unless there are no facilities to do so available at the station you depart from e.g. no ticket office/ticket office not manned and no ticket machine/ticket machine broken. IIRC this is in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCOT), which few rail users actually read until they find themselves in dispute with a ToC. (I believe that, strictly speaking, not having a means of payment which a working ticket machine can accept is not a valid reason not to buy a ticket.)

    1. Why accept cash only? Maybe in the instance you cite the guard's card machine was not working or offline? It could just have been a one-off occurrence.

    2. Why sell tickets on the train if you're not supposed to buy them on the train? See above: there can be legitimate reasons why you were unable to buy a ticket before boarding.

    There are many ways that people can fiddle the system - or try to - by boarding without first buying a ticket. Typically these involve claiming to have boarded closer to their destination than they actually did - especially if they know tickets aren't likely to be checked on the train so they can get away with paying a smaller excess fare at their destination. Increasingly sophisticated logging of ticket machine systems means that otherwise legitimate excuses such as "the ticket machine at x station wasn't working" can more often be repudiated.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  13. acsimpson
    Member

    @ejstubbs, I think that if a working ticket machine accepts cards then failure to accept your card is an allowable reason to board without a ticket. Of course if the TOC decides to prosecute and CCTV shows you didn't approach the ticket machine you wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

    In my experience of running to catch trains at un-staffed stations (South Gyle) the conductors are happy to sell you a return ticket even if the NRCOT entitles them to only sell you a single ticket.

    Of course my preference would be that the train I want to catch at Edinburgh Gateway doesn't get cancelled and I can always by my ticket from the friendly staff in the station.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  14. fimm
    Member

    If anyone found a pannier containing Edinburgh Triathletes branded stuff somewhere between Musselburgh and the Commie this morning, my clubmate would be glad to have it back.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  15. CocoShepherd
    Member

    @ejstubbs

    Thanks for the info. During that journey I was issued with a paper fine/form type thing which I was required to pay at a manned station. Which I did. Explained the situation to the member of staff who told me that, in their opinion, the train guard likely just didn't have a card machine and was telling porkies to make sure I coughed up the cash. My tinfoil hat has been removed and carefully put back in my tinfoil wardrobe, ready for next time.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  16. urchaidh
    Member

    Colleague failed to notice this bloody great sign and ploughed right into it. No lasting damage to him, bike not so good.


    (bigger)

    On the plus side, good to see East Lothian Council or their contractor putting traffic management signs on the road rather than the pavement.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  17. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Reckon you could straighten that wheel @urchaidh?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  18. urchaidh
    Member

    Yeah, it'll totally buff out.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  19. CocoShepherd
    Member

    @urchaidh

    Possibly one to rival your colleague's experience of signs in cycle lanes:

    Last year in Feb

    Posted 4 years ago #
  20. acsimpson
    Member

    I had a driver pull out of their parking space in front of me while I was going about 25 downhill. They then pulled in quarter of a mile later at the shops so I stopped for a chat.

    Keeping my cool they said they didn't see me to which I asked that next time they look before pulling out. I then made a cheap and unnecessary remark about how unnecessary it was for them to be driving such a short way anyway. I have no idea who they are or what their personal circumstances are and living up a hill perhaps there really was a reason they have to drive to the shops. I'll revist my diversity training and try and avoid such comments when in the heat of the moment.

    [/Confession]

    Posted 4 years ago #
  21. HankChief
    Member

    I'll put this here as it is more lighthearted than the CV thread...

    When I moved jobs internally last summer, I lost access to our work's BUG for complicated reasons.

    One obscure plus point of Covid19 is the restriction has now been lifted and I can rejoin the BUG :-)

    Posted 4 years ago #
  22. Greenroofer
    Member

    @HC I'm sure your colleagues will be pleased.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  23. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    When I moved jobs internally last summer

    You still doing that 08h30 conference call Roman senator style?

    Posted 4 years ago #
  24. wingpig
    Member

    I only spent about ten seconds wondering where the hooks were on my double pannier yesterday after emerging from the shop before I realised it was backwards.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  25. bill
    Member

    Taking advantage of quiet roads, I try different routes on my way in and back from Livingston. In the past week I saw more Livingston than have in the past 3 years.

    I stopped worrying about Livingston roads suddenly changing directions, navigate without a map and follow road directions. Signs saying 'Mid Calder' are my favourite ones because then I know how to get home.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  26. gembo
    Member

    Livi tricky to navigate

    Roads busier today on my essential trip to oxgangs taking bike scooter and helmets to barnardos for their mini hub resource.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  27. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    Went to lock the SUNLIT Uplander up after a lovely ride and the lock jammed. Don't know how come but the key was filthy with soil that stopped the cylinder turning.

    Flushed it all out with WD40 and percussive persuasion, but it took a while.

    Posted 4 years ago #
  28. gembo
    Member

    My profile on work laptop disappeared last week so have been going to work via WiFi. IT help desk saying I need to go into work to restore full functionality.

    But this morning I could not get even the WiFi to work, wrong profile etc.

    So I ironed a shirt, shav3d, packed my lunch and headed in for first time in 12 weeks

    Some cars, few cyclists and Malcolm has reopened Gannet and Guga sandwich shop I. Recommend for first time today.

    Alas as I rolled into car park I was phoned by Mrs Garto wondering where he4 compute4 was. You see they are identical and the loss of profile became a top down override for th3 bottom up info that tells me which is which.

    So I circled the. Car park and headed home

    Posted 4 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

    So, 2 commutes in one day??

    Posted 4 years ago #
  30. bill
    Member

    @gembo or maybe you were trying to login to Mrs Garto computer all along?

    Posted 4 years ago #

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