CityCyclingEdinburgh was launched on the 27th of October 2009 as "an experiment".
IT’S TRUE!
CCE is 15years old!
Well done to ALL posters
It soon became useful and entertaining. There are regular posters, people who add useful info occasionally and plenty more who drop by to watch. That's fine. If you want to add news/comments it's easy to register and become a member.
RULES No personal insults. No swearing.
On buying a new helmet and lights, and training (as best as this old git can) to hopefully be able to do the cycle commute again, Mrs Baldcyclist asked "Does your work still do the cycle to work scheme, maybe you should get a new bike for going back...".
A few years ago +1 would have been ordered by now...
Better wait and see if we actually do get back into it, maybe next year eh?
Sensible restraint.
Presume you’ve made sure the bike is in optimum condition - brakes and gears working well, tyres in good condition etc.
Presume you will have some options to not cycle if the weather is expected to be bad?
Take it sensibly - no need to go for PBs!
Should be pretty road worthy after a service, bought new calipers/discs/pads/shifter's/cassette/chain/curly handle bars a couple years ago.
Could do with a new big ring, if memory serves that might be a bit worn, and my rear wheel could do with a new rim, as I dented it in a crash 7 years ago. Not built a wheel in a while, might take a few attempts.
I've been training on my spin bike for months, an hour 3 times a week. On news of return increased that to an hour twice a day, twice a week on days I'll commute. Resting HR back in 50s, got 3 weeks more of bursting myself before I need to cycle.
Don't expect PB's, reckon 2 hours each way to start, hopefully reducing to 90 mins when fitter. I'll go in earlier than rest of team and start 1 day a week on bike, may even do a one way dry run on a weekend.
Don't really see an alternative, I really don't want to get on a train and that seems like only other option.
All good advice though. :)
Is park and ride an option? Drive somewhere near the bridge and cycle from there.
Could be an option some days, bike won't attach to my midlife crisis, but wife's car is a big Volvo. However she has a disability and has difficulty driving my car, could do for a short drive, but not if she was going to parents or needing to run boy about.
Did think about train/ride. I could get train to/from Dalgety Bay which is where it starts to get busy, so could avoid most of the people and start with a 15 rather than 22 mile commute. That will be my option if I blow up on the dry run.
Though past experience of training up on the spin bike, generally when I get to an hour I'm just about ready to start on the bike, never trained up to 2 rides a day before so maybe? More prepared this time.
Although I haven't done the big weekly miles for 7 years, 2 years ago I was managing a one way full commute from time to time with less prep than I've done this time
For fun, I did have a look at some framesets last night, things have gotten expensive in the last few years.
Was looking at a Croix de Fer frameset, was £425 couple of years ago, now arround £600.
I probably wouldn't buy a complete new bike, and opt for a frameset (if I did make a questionable choice). I see my current bike as being a bit like Triggers brush (Only Fools and horses reference), in that most of it is basically new, really except for the spider and frame, everything has been changed multiple times.
So even with a new frameset it would still be the 'same' bike with just another new component... ;)
Remarkable display of restraint - I'd have taken that conversation as approval in principle!
Of course, one could always bank that until "normality" resumes...
Robert
Framesets seem to be like fence slats these days. Can't get them anywhere (unless they're > £1000)
@CocoShepherd Spa Cycles is worth a look if you like their style of frames. https://www.spacycles.co.uk/m11b0s0p0/Frames
Even a titanium one for £650 (main benefit of titanium is ease of cleaning!)
The ti audax frame is quite interesting actually. Room for 28 mm tyres and mudguards is exactly what I need. Thanks!
650 would be cheap for titanium
(The spa cycles Ti Audax is down to 750 from 825 in That linkee?)
Porton Down make weapons grade Titanium now in a four stage process used to be 12 stages so Where is the reduction Jerrry?
Impressed at the restraint! The University recently (in the last year) upped the limit on their cycle scheme of 3K (woo!) but changed provider to Halfords Cycle2work (boo!) primarily to bring e-bikes into the schemes budget
@mcairney, check the 3000 has no mpact on pension. Is a lot of money but should be fine, as off top line but check anyway?
Our supplier of bike to work scheme tried to cut a deal with the lovely people at Shand when I was quite explicit I would be topping up the £3k and was explicitly wanting to buy a bike made in balerno and Livingston.
They still tried to cut a deal, shand told them to fupp off. I don’t blame them. No slinky malinky for the Gembo
Yes it was difficult to reign myself in, as I had taken the initial conversation as an instruction, rather than a suggestion.
Hahaha
I am actually thinking of off-loading some bikes as the garage is hard to walk around in. But I can't help feeling I will need a folder and a old mtb converted to a snow bike when/if I go back to the office. It is particularly painful striking one's head on studded tyres.
@gembo one of the reasons I ended up "slumming it" with a Leveret! I noticed that Shand do cycle to work schemes but appear to support every one apart from the one we're now using!
@mcairney the leveret had good deals. Taiwanese is still good.
Shand have had bad experiences with bike to work, costs them and they are small, though perhaps the parent company now Is somewhat larger?
@amir yes, can confirm you need a folder
Thanks @mediumDave has the bike shed been shrunk?
Could happen any time. Best to be prepared. Plus they will demolish the sheds at some point
It only took 10 minutes and 74 attempts to remember the pin code for the bike store this morning.
Also the last 6 months spin bike training has not prepared me for any sort of incline, the wee hill over to the train station this morning was a rude awakening
I'm not sure I can get all the way home, may require the recovery service. Only 5 hours sleep last night probably not helping. We'll see how we get on.
Yesterday was interesting, and as painful as I suspected. I'm definately in no shape to be cycling 42 miles twice a week!
I got an early train in as I had a lot of kit to take back to work, though that was buisier than I would like, it wasn't really busy.
I managed to cycle as far as Ferrytoll on the way home, and called for rescue. I actually thought that wasn't bad given I've not cycled amything other than a spin bike in 2 years.
I probably cycled a week too early as I'm still heavily congested after a cold last week, and the wee hills between Cramond and Dalmeny finished me as I was struggling for breath with rattly airways over them (though the cycle has probably helped clear some of that quicker).
I also didn't realise the normal path over the bridge was closed so had another hill under the bridge as I had to go round to the other side. Anyway once you get to the top of the bridge the last mile to Ferrytoll is free so that was nice.
Also only had 5 hours sleep which didn't help either.
I also found the weight of the bike with laptop and clothes in pannier really heavy and the bike unbalanced, I'll need to find a better solution to that, or just leave the laptop at work and use my own machine at home.
Next week, hopefully more post cold I'll try and get to Dalgety bay, which I think will be realistic.
Also ambitions tempered, will do one way this side of Xmas, gradually getting closer to home, then start to do two ways in the new year.
I'm certainly not less fit than when I started cycling from Fife 11 years ago, but I am definately much less fit than when I stopped when the boy was born.
I was a bit dissapointed not to get further, but certainly not disheartened given the circumstances, I gave myself a pat in the back last night.
My calves are broken today. :D
Well done. It sounds like you have a sensible plan to build up the distance. I hope your recovery is swift and you feel fitter every day.
5 weeks in now, and managing one way home twice a week as far as Dalgety Bay.
Today I didn't feel wrecked when I got there for the first time, and only felt nauseous once on exertion going uphill.
The Garmin watch I bought 2 years ago is finally giving the geekery I bought it for.
2 Watts extra today.
Would have been 3 minutes quicker too if the Bridge path hadn't changed since last week as I had to go under to other side which was mildly annoying, balanced a little with not having to cross at the lights half way down to Ferrytoll.
1630 Calories burned.
179 Max hr, 158 Average.
Zone 5 for 51 minutes (hopefully zone 5 will move to zone 4 to zone 3, and hr numbers will get better over time?).
My thighs and calves have new lumps.
Considering strategy going forward, continue 1 way till I get home, or do 2 ways from Dlagety Bay for a while.
I'll probably go with the latter in a couple weeks to reduce train buisiness exposure.
Still managing to fast till lunch, then eat a lot at lunch in prep for cycle, given I'm burning 4400 Calories on a cycle day I must be quite in deficit, which must be good. Not sure I'll manage a ride in fasted, but I'll try once.
I've realised I realy didn't miss Sunday bike fettling.
I may be starting to enjoy being back on a bike...
@baldcyclist - you're doing ok getting going at all these days. Many I suspect can't be bothered with dreich weather and short days.
(Audaxers excepted!)
ScotRail strikes may increase need although roads will be busy?
ScotRail strikes may be over before COP.
@Baldycyclist.
Well done putting a plan into action. With the nights now drawing in i'm struggling to motivate myself for an evening ride. By the time spring comes you'll be back to riding everyday.
"riding everyday"
Don't intend being in the office more than 2 days a week ever again. They'll need to drag me in kicking and screaming if they want more office time (tbf I can do 100% of my job at home but we must all try the new hybrid...)
That said I'd certainly add in a longer weekend ride on the light bike when I get my fitness back. :)
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