Tell us about your new improved government regulations compliant cycle part II

Tell me how

Had registered for Strava Le Col challenge. 150km before end of Oct. Had enough distance already but decided to do it in one go. Headed out yesterday.
Coffee break after 82K. Paused Garmin, had coffee, went to toilet, came back to bike. Garmin had powered off. Said that's the single spin gone anyway so I won't do the full 150 as was v cold at that point anyway.
Finished at 120Km and when I downloaded it had only stored the final ride since the stop.
So, today, the legs feel like they did 120km, the heart is saying it was less than 40.

Felexicon

Just the commute in to work for me but bloody hell I love a bank holiday Monday for effect it has on traffic.


Hands were like blocks of ice as I forgot my gloves and refused to turn back to get them.

pjmn

Tell me how wrote: »

Unless the weather in Galway was 6-8 degrees warmer than that in Clare yesterday I think you're a bit mad (or tough as nails) to have gone out in that attire. I was going to head out at 08:00am but waited until ten in case of slippery surfaces due to low temp.

to be fair I didn't head off until around 2pm, so it was balmy at that stage!

loyatemu

fücking cold tooling around the back roads of Wicklow this morning, but plenty of wildlife about - saw Red Kites, Buzzards and loads of pheasants which are presumably being released for the start of the shooting season.

patrickc

I did 100k this morning, Carlow - athy- ballitore - baltinglass - carlow.

Apart from yet another buckled back wheel it was uneventful. Getting a buckle every 300k or so it's fairly annoying

magicbastarder

are the roads incredibly potholed?
i haven't had a buckle in the last few years. i suspect something is wrong with your wheels.

patrickc

magicbastarder wrote: »

are the roads incredibly potholed?
i haven't had a buckle in the last few years. i suspect something is wrong with your wheels.

No they're not, the guy in the bike shop says they're crap wheels.
They're mavic open elite rims, less than 5 months old, I've had 3 buckles and a broken spoke in that time.. Even for cheap wheels that's not right is it?

Tell me how

patrickc wrote:

No they're not, the guy in the bike shop says they're crap wheels. They're mavic open elite rims, less than 5 months old, I've had 3 buckles and a broken spoke in that time.. Even for cheap wheels that's not right is it?

I'm a north of 100kg. I haven't had buckled wheels in years. And my wheels are v basic.
If you're hitting potholes to that extent, surely you'd be picking up pinch flats as well...

Have you tried ensuring all spokes are correctly tightened? And checking after 50, 100k to see if it's drifting. A spoke tool is small money and fairly easy to use.

patrickc

I've just been leaving it in to the place I bought it, maybe I will buy a spoke tool good idea. I haven't any any punctures touch wood!

Tell me how

patrickc wrote:

I've just been leaving it in to the place I bought it, maybe I will buy a spoke tool good idea. I haven't any any punctures touch wood!

Ask the guys in the shop to show you how to check the wheel and use the tool.

magicbastarder

patrickc wrote: »

Even for cheap wheels that's not right is it?

correct, that's not right. i'd consider choosing a different shop if he hasn't at this point replaced them.

Thinkingaboutit

magicbastarder wrote: »

correct, that's not right. i'd consider choosing a different shop if he hasn't at this point replaced them.

Nothing of note, except cold and builder's gloves are not useful gloves, also front brake cable came out / broke. Will see. More traffic than I thought given the schools.

Alanstrainor

First real cold of the Autumn/Winter this morning. I managed to dress up well enough, winter gloves, shoe covers, shorts and Gabba2. Jaysis the first 10 minutes were freezing, but after that it was quite nice. It was a beautiful morning really, clear sky and little wind. Here I am charging all my lights for my first dark commute home this evening. Fingers crossed.

Ray Bloody Purchase

Alanstrainor wrote: »

First real cold of the Autumn/Winter this morning. I managed to dress up well enough, winter gloves, shoe covers, shorts and Gabba2. Jaysis the first 10 minutes were freezing, but after that it was quite nice. It was a beautiful morning really, clear sky and little wind. Here I am charging all my lights for my first dark commute home this evening. Fingers crossed.

My desk is a sea of cables with lights, garmin and phone getting charged up.

Tell me how

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

My desk is a sea of cables with lights, garmin and phone getting charged up.

Pascal might keep this in mind when looking at BIK next autumn

Mercian Pro

Alanstrainor wrote: »

First real cold of the Autumn/Winter this morning. I managed to dress up well enough, winter gloves, shoe covers, shorts and Gabba2. Jaysis the first 10 minutes were freezing, but after that it was quite nice. It was a beautiful morning really, clear sky and little wind. Here I am charging all my lights for my first dark commute home this evening. Fingers crossed.

Beautiful conditions yesterday for our club spin to Oldbridge. Opted for the full Galibier winter kit (Mistral leggings and jacket over a base layer plus winter gloves). Perfect for the outward legs when the Garmin was showing 1-3 degrees but a bit on the warm side later when the temperature crept up to 8 degrees.

Ray Bloody Purchase

Mercian Pro wrote: »

Beautiful conditions yesterday for our club spin to Oldbridge. Opted for the full Galibier winter kit (Mistral leggings and jacket over a base layer plus winter gloves). Perfect for the outward legs when the Garmin was showing 1-3 degrees but a bit on the warm side later when the temperature crept up to 8 degrees.

Yesterday showed just how schizo the weather could be here. It was freezing on my commute in the morning and then i was too warm on the cycle home in the evening.

It's hard get it right.

mr spuckler

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

Yesterday showed just how schizo the weather could be here. It was freezing on my commute in the morning and then i was too warm on the cycle home in the evening.

It's hard get it right.

yep, it's also hard for me to remember how I layered last winter at different temperature ranges so will probably take a few days of unpleasant overheating / coldness while I figure it out again!

magicbastarder

Ray Bloody Purchase wrote: »

Yesterday showed just how schizo the weather could be here. It was freezing on my commute in the morning and then i was too warm on the cycle home in the evening.

It's hard get it right.

that's one of the beauties of arm warmers.
though it wasn't too cold this morning, 6C when i was leaving the house.

Ray Bloody Purchase

mr spuckler wrote: »

yep, it's also hard for me to remember how I layered last winter at different temperature ranges so will probably take a few days of unpleasant overheating / coldness while I figure it out again!

True enough, i'm beginning to see that the rare bit of coldness is not the problem. It's when i'm out on the bike with mild weather wrapped up like the feckin' Michelin Man, that's when the issue arises.

mloc123

50km mostly along the royal canal, felt good... but pitch dark for 5.30 now

magicbastarder

First time up the hills in wicklow in years. Jaysus, that put manners on me. 71km with 1100m climbing.

magicbastarder

actually, nearly 1200m.
that climb out of bohernabreena - col du tourmalet on strava - is fun. but it did drain the tank a little on me, i did it a little less than one third of the way through.
and the cold wind coming down off the sally gap certainly had bite.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1939872764#48904372705

rollingscone

magicbastarder wrote: »

actually, nearly 1200m.
that climb out of bohernabreena - col du tourmalet on strava - is fun. but it did drain the tank a little on me, i did it a little less than one third of the way through.
and the cold wind coming down off the sally gap certainly had bite.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1939872764#48904372705

Strava?

Wishbone Ash

magicbastarder wrote: »

...that climb out of bohernabreena - col du tourmalet on strava -

That's the climb out of Glenasmole, not Bohernabreena. It's known as 'Cunard'.

Bohernabreena is further north where the St Anne's Church and cemetery are.

triggermortis

Had the kids this morning due to half term so missed my usual Thursday morning spin, so made up a little by heading to work an hour earlier and doing a loop of the airport on the way in.
35km instead of the usual 19.5 and was flying at the end for some reason.

https://www.strava.com/activities/1939919638

secman

A night spin up embankment and down lisheen to Manor Kilbride and a loop around small lake back to Lisheen and home. 45 km . Avg 25.6 kph. New Leyzene 1100 Light worked a treat in the pitch dark, had it on reduced power of 650 lumen , 2 hours and switch still on green ! Baltic though , at one stage Garmin was saying -3 °....

The Noble Nudge

Passed my first SDCC gritter last night.....
Complete spin in minus degrees...
Garmin battery died due to minus degrees...
Only passed two other hardy souls in two hours (mind you they stayed on the main drags LIGHTWEIGHTS )
I think winter has finally arrived....

secman

The Noble Nudge wrote: »

Passed my first SDCC gritter last night.....
Complete spin in minus degrees...
Garmin battery died due to minus degrees...
Only passed two other hardy souls in two hours (mind you they stayed on the main drags LIGHTWEIGHTS )
I think winter has finally arrived....

We turned left at Lisheen after we saw you at
Brittas.... did loop Manor Kilbride to Manor Kilbride around small lake, we made sure our Garmins were fully charged though... Some amateurs didn't was Baltic though

The Noble Nudge

secman wrote: »

We turned left at Lisheen after we saw you at
Brittas.... did loop Manor Kilbride to Manor Kilbride around small lake, we made sure our Garmins were fully charged though... Some amateurs didn't was Baltic though

:D I was going that fast my Garmin froze....and somehow went back to normal power I usually ride in battery save mode:P
Sure was Baltic I may have to ditch the shorts next week! might give youse a shout be good to have company.