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

Eamonnator

Deleted User wrote: »

Dark'O'Clock when i left this morning. Drogheda, Slane, Navan, Kentstown, Duleek, Donore, Drogheda loop. Longest I've gone in a while but a day to do it as I'd say I met 5 cars on the way to Slane on the N51 and only a few more than that I think to Navan. Easiest crossing of the N2 I've ever had aswell.

I've no idea what the young couple shouted at me on the way down flower hill in Navan but they could barely stand

The half festive 500 has given me the "drive" for cycling again. I was riding to work and back and a 30-50km spin at weekends and I'm off now until January 13th. I feel physically knackered but mentally I feel unreal like a massive weight has was lifted off of me that I didn't know was on me.

The spin this morning took nearly 3 hours which seriously slow even for me but I could care less the sheer joy I got from it was enough.

You were out early, they were out late.

mr spuckler

The headwind along the coast from Kilbarrack to Fairview this morning was brutal - Windfinder tells me it's going to strengthen and also turn a little more south westerly for my commute home so something to look forward to

Pinch Flat

Noticed my rear gatorskin was worse for wear on the commuting hacker, so went and got a replacement tube and tyre over the Christmas break. Both were replaced. Did a quick clean and adjustments - brakes, cleaned and oiled the chain - to get it ready for the first day back today. Tyres pumped to 120psi. Lights charged and spare lights ready.

Got on the bike this morning, delighted with the feeling of new tyres (I'd also replaced the front on the run up to Christmas). Got as far as the Phoenix Park - a few Km from my house - heard a hisssss. Rear was flat. Gah. Off the bike, replaced the tube - checked for the usual glass / debris in the tyre - and cycled on. Pumped back up to 100 psi with the mini pump and managed to get as far as the Zoo. Another hissss from the rear. Second flat. Stuck in another tube - did a more thorough inspection of the rim, inner wheel walls etc. Pumped it up and heard it puncture again.

Ended up walking the bike from there to Tara Street. Not a great start to 2020!

Was it a spoke maybe?

Pinch Flat

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Was it a spoke maybe?

Yeah I'll be doing a thorough check later. Plan is to fix it for the commute home

Mercian Pro

Pinch Flat wrote: »

Yeah I'll be doing a thorough check later. Plan is to fix it for the commute home

Pity tubes don't have direction arrows. Assuming you kept the tubes, you'd be able to see if they were all punctured in the same spot! If they were external punctures (on the outsides of the tubes), turning the tyre inside out can help find the culprit.

Been meaning to pack a tweezer for removing thorns as hedge cutting is a real curse this time of the year. Off upstairs now to steal one.

secman

I recently had a run of about 7 or more punctures across 3 different bikes, convinced it was a bad batch of tubes , i bought a batch from someone , they were wiggle own brand tubes.

wheelo01

secman wrote: »

I recently had a run of about 7 or more punctures across 3 different bikes, convinced it was a bad batch of tubes , i bought a batch from someone , they were wiggle own brand tubes.

Oh dear - me, by any chance?

strmin

secman wrote: »

I recently had a run of about 7 or more punctures across 3 different bikes, convinced it was a bad batch of tubes , i bought a batch from someone , they were wiggle own brand tubes.

My gf had 3 punctures last week. All Lifeline tubes from Wiggle. Yesterday I replaced another one and pumped it to 90psi. Half an hour later heard loud bang and whistling sound. A big hole in a tube without even riding. Definitely bad batch.

mr spuckler

Up the Dublin mountains for the first time since just before the baby was born in July for me this morning. Beautiful morning, bit windy but nothing too severe. My legs on the other hand were a mess! Really struggled to get going in general but on the climbs in particular.
Coffee stop in Glencree to warm up after getting a puncture around 500m short of the coffee shop was a highlight! Both of us were starting to shiver as we arrived there...hands around the teapot made things much better.

73km, 1004m elevation
21.6km/h average

smacl

Lunch time spin up to the Hellfire club on the old beater to start working off some Christmas excess. Place was packed so more a chatty meander than anything else. Great weather though and nice to be out. My cheapo Aldi tool bag died on the way down Cruagh though managed to recover most of the contents before they got squashed by oncoming traffic.

secman

wheelo01 wrote: »

Oh dear - me, by any chance?

Yup....but you weren't to know if they were a bad batch. Just ordered 2 No. 6 packs of Continental tubes for €48 .... good value compared to CSS, €10 for one

secman

strmin wrote: »

My gf had 3 punctures last week. All Lifeline tubes from Wiggle. Yesterday I replaced another one and pumped it to 90psi. Half an hour later heard loud bang and whistling sound. A big hole in a tube without even riding. Definitely bad batch.

Sounds familiar...same thing happened to me.

Kevhog1988

51k with the club this morning. Nice spin with a bit of climbing at the end.

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/ihJcZMk6Y2

Pinch Flat

Update on my own Jan 2nd issue. Replaced the tube in work before I left, used a track pump to get it back up. Checked for the usual debris/ spoke etc before hand. Grand since.

dahat

Over 4hrs on the schedule today but the quote blustery sw wind caught me by surprise. The route & hill for the day meant I was facing a whore of a wind for far too long so changed plans to try keep some energy for the later intervals.
It became apparent early into rep 2 that the body was empty and flat after a 4hr spin yesterday. I struggled through that and called it a halt for the day. I cruised home to a feed and trying to figure out where the day went wrong.

120km @ 29.6 avg with 1200m of elevation.

shaka

92 km today, windy and lumpy and that's just me. Need to get back training hard

Daroxtar

Just a little over the 100 km this morning on the club spin @ a shade over 30kmh.
Longwood - Kinnegad - Tyrrellspass - Croghan - Daingeann - Edenderry - Longwood.
The weather forecast was for mild breeze and patchy drizzle. Well the patch lasted about 3 and a half hours. The breeze managed to swing around so we only got a tail wind for about 10 km total. Roads were covered in all kinds of sh1te and we looked like we'd been out for a bit of cyclo-cross by the time we got home.
Despite that, it was a fairly enjoyable spin, made more enjoyable by having good legs at the end of it. I managed to get out for a few nice and steady spins over the holidays and it definitely stood to me so here's hoping the rest of the year goes as well.

Kevhog1988

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/sC7qn5GT02

Quick 21k with dad this morning on his bday. Sister was heading back to oz so only a short spin. Nice few hills on the route. Starting to get my climbing legs now.

Utter Consternation

Extremely short stretch in the evenings: Confirmed.

There's still a bit of light in the sky out there. Excellent stuff.

Seth Brundle

Utter Consternation wrote: »

Extremely short stretch in the evenings: Confirmed.

There's still a bit of light in the sky out there. Excellent stuff.

looks out window - it's dark

cdaly_

mr spuckler wrote: »

Up the Dublin mountains for the first time since just before the baby was born in July for me this morning. Beautiful morning, bit windy but nothing too severe. My legs on the other hand were a mess! Really struggled to get going in general but on the climbs in particular.
Coffee stop in Glencree to warm up after getting a puncture around 500m short of the coffee shop was a highlight! Both of us were starting to shiver as we arrived there...hands around the teapot made things much better.

You brought the baby?!!

mr spuckler

cdaly_ wrote: »

You brought the baby?!!

Nappy power!

Utter Consternation

Seth Brundle wrote: »

looks out window - it's dark

I had a little window of light in the sky that i deemed to be a 'stretch in the evenings.'


Traffic seemed to be fairly heavy this morning again. For some reason Tuesday seems to always be fairly bad. I do feel sorry for the people sat in their cars. I'd crack up if i had to sit in a car for an hour each way every day.

Seth Brundle

My commute home last night involved travelling from Grange Castle via Peamount & Hazlehatch to Celbridge village to drop off something before heading back to Leixlip via the R405 & R449 (I'm not brave enough to do the R403 in the dark) - 20km in total.
The rural stretch of the spin felt very dark and it was only then that I noticed the battery on my front light heading towards empty but thankfully it held out for the journey.
Althoguh dominating my lane, passing cars all gave me decent space when overtaking and coming towards junctions, those behind didn't have a need to get in front. It was nice for once!

This morning, the headwind on the way to work was a right bitch - no doubt it will change direction this evening and be facing me on my way home

mr spuckler

Seth Brundle wrote: »

This morning, the headwind on the way to work was a right bitch - no doubt it will change direction this evening and be facing me on my way home

Windfinder says otherwise

silverharp

one of those magical days where there was no wind this morning going east to west Dublin but on the way home some had lovely weather warning winds on my back all the way. I think I shaved 10 min off a 50min commute and it left like what an electric assist bike must be like

FouxDaFaFa

It seemed no matter what direction I was going yesterday I was facing into a massive headwind, it defies physics really.

magicbastarder

punctured on the way in to work, was less than halfway in so turned around and went home after swapping the tube. need a new hand pump, i can barely get to 40 or 50psi with the one i have. or else invest in CO2.

cdaly_

Fat tyres and 40-50psi is just grand...