Try Blazewear heated gloves - top notch if a little bulky. I bought a pair a few years ago and haven't looked back (I get raynauds quite badly). My son got so fed up trying to keep fingers warm before piano recitals that he got a pair too - much to the envy of his peers! Toasty warm fingers even when it's -10.
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Commuting
The "I had a lovely ride today, thankyou" thread
(2697 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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I've been coaxing Madame IWRATS towards cycling for a while now. Trick is to find safe, pleasant places of course, but that's not always easy. I thought she might enjoy pelting down the Inverfarigaig Corkscrew festooned in autumn colours. (It's technically a public road, but actually almost a MTB track in places higher up and has no real traffic.)
Turns out she did enjoy it...sometimes you just can't deny the pleasure in riding a bike.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Due to some adversity in life this year I've not ridden as much to and from work as I would have liked. To cap it all in September I went over my ankle!
Yesterday however I was back on the bike for the first time in ages - boy was it hard going in the morning! However coming home from work I never felt any discomfort.
It was just great to be out in the fresh air. Yes there was one close pass and yes there was the van that blasted past me and through the red light as I waited at the traffic lghts in an ASL but having been a car driver for a bit, you realise that numpties are numpties regardless of your respective modes of transport.
Posted 8 years ago # -
After a certain amount of smugness when I fitted new Gillies Berthoud SS mudguards, I have been riding my Dawes with pleasure intil Sunday when one side of the Aluminium stays on the rear broke.
Then yesterday on the way down Scotland Ssssttttreet cccccobbles the other side went on the rear. So when I got home I set about fixing it. I'd seen that you can buy new stays, but figure in a year I'll be back to square one!
I have half an old set of Zefal gaurds with great stays, which fit the SS guards, and I'm back to full smugness!
I also took the oportunity to change the chain, cassette and clean the wheel, reset the brakes etc..
Only today my front derailiur was misbehaving, until I stopped and adjusted it but there were still two niggles. Gunk clogging the jocky wheels which I thought were cleaned (but apparently not) causing chain suck and something like a leaf stuck in the fron mudguards making an anoying noise, which turned out to be a tie wrap which had turned into the spokes and was the cause of the swish noise.
But all in all dry, and warm-ish. :o)
Posted 8 years ago # -
"stays on the rear broke"
Like this?
Looks like a design problem.
Think you should complain!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Yes. I have now concluded that manufacturers who give plentyful supplies of spares, must know they break and see it as an extra revenue stream. If you manufacture something which last for ever you'll only sell one of each to everyone. If you make something which can break then you can keep selling spares, and those who give up on your products have already bought one so you have made your initial sale.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Something quite satisfying when you re-pass a vehicle that passed you on the Forth Road Bridge in the morning (re-passed on run up the hill to Cramond Brig).
I did also enjoy the mild air today...quite pleasant for this time of year :-)
Posted 8 years ago # -
scrap that...I haven't had a lovely ride today now that I've discovered my yogurt didn't quite make it to work intact. Thankfully the lunchbox has absorbed the full impact and the pannier is saved.
Posted 8 years ago # -
D'oh!
I enjoyed my ride today too. It seemed to be a weird mix of xxxxtreme filtering along rows of stationary vehicles and drivers who were moving, pausing to let me maneuver. And a nice morning too.
Posted 8 years ago # -
We had a chap in a silver sedan with a bike on his roof give us a punishment pass at Bush roundabout this morning about 8 a.m. but this did not deter us from taking that great back road out of penicuick down to west Linton then split at Romano bridge with three off to Peebles and four to Carnwath. Delicious slice of rhubarb slice at the apple pie. Excellent new Tarmac sections at Carnwath on the a70 and again from west Calder turn. (Not sure about the middle as we were on back roads). The a70 closures seem a bit erratic?
About sixty miles. I was under the weather or would have done Peebles as love the granites road back from Innerleithen, if only it ended in Balerno.
Anyway the longer route 77 miles over three local authorities and the shorter route 60 miles over five local authorities.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Excellent new Tarmac sections at Carnwath on the a70 and again from west Calder turn."
Good news!Posted 8 years ago # -
Lovely day exploring East Lothian's seashore and (almost) unknown paths with one of CCE's resident industrial history experts.
Almost November, warm, almost no wind.
Posted 8 years ago # -
That berthoud mudguard looks suspiciously like the ones fitted to the paper bike (albeit unpainted)
A couple of days ago mine gave way due to rotting away at one of the mounting points under the seat.
Can steel and aluminium rot each other on contact? When the new one comes my plan is nylon nuts and washers if that's a risk
Posted 8 years ago # -
Lovely day cycling across fields and portaging over fences with CCE's resident pathfinder general.
I didn't help matters by trying to navigate us on more than one occasion with a map over 100 years old. Still, got there in the end.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Can steel and aluminium rot each other on contact?
Someone better in the know than I will be along to explain shortly I'm sure, but yes steel and aluminium can set up a galvanic reaction.
Bimetallic corrosion can occur when two dissimilar metals are in 'electrical' contact and are bridged by an electrically conductive liquid.
The conductive liquid is water (+ perhaps a bit of road salt mixed in). The aluminium acts sacrificially towards the more reactive iron in the steel and is the one that corrodes.
I have a set of Velo Orange stays (for defunct mudguards) which I think are copies of the Gilles Bertoud ones, but they are quite shiny so I assumed they were stainless steel. You'd be welcome to try using them as a replacement.
Posted 8 years ago # -
In my case it is unfortunately the mudguard itself that has corroded, badly too, you can see the hairline crack running all the way out to the edge
If it is an alu mudguard (edit: it is) then galvanic reaction (couldn't remember my standard grade chemistry) continues to make sense as an explanation. What's left of the metal is significantly thinned in the surrounding area. Shouldn't be conducting electricity, though, unless the back light is grounding.
Pic here: https://imgur.com/a/b3eaI
Posted 8 years ago # -
I'm pretty sure that manufacturers deliberately use weak aluminium rivets* (for plastic mudguards) so that they fail after 2 or 3 years. Then most people just end up replacing the whole lot.
When the first rivet fails on my mudguards, I normally drill all of them out and replace with a steel bolt and ny-loc nut. The mudguard will then normally last another 5 years or more.
*Those rivets are also in contact with the steel band part of the stay, so will be subject to galvanic corrosion as kaputnik describes.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I think they use fairly weak rivets so that if something becomes lodge the mudguard fails rather than the bike trying to kill you.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Mudguardgate Update!
I found a set of stays from an old (no longer used) Zefal plastic mudguard, as I NEVER through any bike related stuff away EVER!* These did the job fantastically and the guard is restored to full.. err... ...guarding.
I also finished my old Cotic >X< refurb on Friday evening and took it for a fantastic ride along Sustrans Route 7 from the lower end of Loch Lubnic up to Kingshouse (Balquidder) with the better half. It follows a disused trackbaed and is
completely level and flatslightly uphill in parts where lands owners may have not allowed access? Anyway its a nice path and I plan to ride north from Kingshouse when I have a free day (lots of childrens things like cub camps & football getting in the way).Dave C
http://s126.photobucket.com/user/Dave_Crampton/media/IMG_20161028_235849_zpszmpot35s.jpg.html
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p86/Dave_Crampton/IMG_20161028_235849_zpszmpot35s.jpg
And here is Loch Lubnic from the west side.
http://s126.photobucket.com/user/Dave_Crampton/media/Lubnic_Oct_2016_zpsgjgix2xt.jpg.html
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p86/Dave_Crampton/Lubnic_Oct_2016_zpsgjgix2xt.jpg
Posted 8 years ago # -
Photo link at Lubnaig is very nice part of path.
Other bits can be challenging if you're not a cylco-crosser I would say (!)
If you ride 23mm tyres then not viable in several places. 32+mm tyres better.
Good start though and the road is worth missing out on. No doubt you'll be back!
Posted 8 years ago # -
Ettrickbridge to Tushielaw then the B711 toward Roberton and back via Ashkirk. Around 30 miles practically traffic-free. Mostly good-to-great surfaces esp the B711. Strong headwind going out but nice and sunny and it was The Borders. I've not been getting out much over the Summer so it's great to be keeping some level of fitness going although that might not be happening if it weren't for the Sportives that I've signed up for - one coming up on Sunday at Grasmere.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Had two nice half days cycling 35+ miles up from Dundee. Was very glad of SON (s/h) front headlight on my recycled 20" front wheel. only thing that I did think about was fitting ice tyres but was too late to fit.
in practice roads were ok away from edges.
Next day I came back down by Bridge of Cally which was a real cold spot. Still got a wee shop / post office at bridge but the steady march of Tesco vans threatens.- • On the climb out of there I was joined by a red deer hind running along in same direction. I guessed correctly that it was about to jump.
Was a real potential of a very near miss as it went by ten yards away. Ran up the embankment and sprang over the fence from a few feet below.
• Next bit of excitement was in Dundee. Using the bus lane up from Lochee roundabout I came up behind a car using it to undertake a big line of traffic. Guy then turned left suddenly without indicating.
• Back at Dundee station I had to persuade a Virgin guard to let me on the London train. He did 'just' allow it but warned me that he thought recumbents were banned. Quite common rumour although I've never seen them named and shamed. in theory Virgin HSTs can take tandems but in reality the bike storage uses hanging racks. Electric units are ok.
Strathardle - towards Bridge of Cally by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
View from Tay Bridge towards Perth by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr
Posted 8 years ago # -
Nice enough ride in today, only spoiled by someone heading towards me on the A90 path.
Me: B&M dymano light angled down so not to dazzle, peaked cap so I can block out bright lights.
Him: Disco Strobe which would be a danger to someone who suffers from epilepsy. No peak cap, no Helmet - with possibility to attach visor (own personal choice I know)
Him, cycles towards me and puts hand up to block out my light.
Me, expletive (silently)
Posted 7 years ago # -
Took a day off work and had a nice ride round the borders. Stow - Heriot - Innerleithen - Tushielaw - Selkirk - Clovenfords and back to Stow. Pushing the limits of how far I am currently able to cycle, I'm fair puggled now. The route from Traquair over the hills to Tushielaw is beautiful.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Good route nobrakes. Some decent hills for your recliner but the payback should be worth it!
Posted 7 years ago # -
The run down to the Gordon Arms is a good one!
Posted 7 years ago # -
Sun rising over glad house reservoir this morning, worth braving the demon drivers of Midlothian. Usual mayhem on run up to gowkley moss roundabout.
Roads heavily gritted in Midlothian but not so much in Edinburgh or east of glad house.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I had a nice ride to Prestonpans, then back via Elphinstone and Dalkeith today. Would have been lovely, but for:
1. A puncture, which meant that
2. It was darker than I'd've liked on the way back.
3. A very close pass in Prestonpans.The road from Tranent to Carberry estate was really nice though, I'll need to go back when it's daylight some time.
Posted 7 years ago # -
I had quite a nice ride today, out to West Linton for lunch, via Penicuik and Leadburn:
and back along Auchencorth Moss road to Penicuik:
I extended my ride a bit by going through Roslin and taking the cycle path to Lasswade Road. Bizarrely I missed the right-hand jink at the cottage and ended up on the farm track that descends and passes under the cycle path. As the path got narrower and less tarmacked I resorted to comedy offroading and I glumly acknowledged that I was on the wrong route. I then found a path back to civilization. It is quite incredibly difficult pushing up a muddy leaf mulch slope in slick bike shoes, and lifting 80lbs of torpedo two feet up to the tarmac path.
I blasted into town from Lasswade Road, then ambled through the Meadows and winched my way home with nothing left in my legs. 40 miles and a 16.1mph average according to Strava.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Lovely wee ride today in the winter sun. I love this time of year when the sun's out. Felt positively sluggish after several days doing as little as possible!
Posted 7 years ago #
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