Jan and Klodi's Party Bus - part II **off topic discussion**

magicbastarder wrote: »

well, it could be argued that the climate *is* getting wetter - but it's the cyclists who are helping ameliorate this.

I think we are overly paranoid about getting wet, when cycling or not. I share the view that, more often than not, the problem isn’t bad weather but poor choice of clothing. Mind you, it’s easier to hold that view when, in reality, I rarely get wet when commuting - I consider the likelihood of getting wet is hugely exaggerated quite often. Having said that, I appreciate that some parts of the country get hit with more rain than other parts so I might be less casual about it if commuting elsewhere, but it still wouldn’t stop me from commuting by bike.

Besides, I’ve had occasions where I’ve had to commute by car, some of those commutes coinciding with wet weather. As bad as Dublin traffic usually is it just falls apart at the seams in wet weather, I’d sooner be out there in the weather on a bike making progress than sitting in a dry but stationary tin can for maybe twice as long for the same journey.

I’m as susceptible as anyone else to feeling miserable about wet weather, incidentally. If I’m sitting inside a house or a car and looking out at a wet day I don’t feel enthusiastic about heading out in it on a bike. Like many people though I realise that I won’t dissolve if/when I do go out in it so the weather is a hassle on those occasions rather than being a barrier. What I don’t understand are the people for whom wet weather means that cycling simply isn’t an option.

magicbastarder wrote:

i suppose it would be more of an issue for someone who just wants to cycle maybe two or three miles so wouldn't be interested in having a change of clothes specifically for cycling, etc.
if you *were* worried about getting wet (be it from rain or road spray) it's much less a concern if you're going to be changing when you get to work anyway.

I usually change clothes in work after my 11km commute but my choice of clothes for commuting mean that changing is not entirely necessary - hiking trousers dry out fairly quickly if they get wet and a merino upper body layer stays warm when wet (and doesn’t stink either if good quality merino), so I could spend the day in those clothes if I really wanted to. And I’m someone who both sweats a lot, and is also inevitably in a rush too which compounds the sweating, so I challenge the capabilities of any clothing. Not everyone has that choice of dress code in work of course, but I suspect that at least some of those that choose to be put off by rain do have such a choice.

But some days I commute the 20km to a data centre where I spend the day in an artificially cooled room. That kind of miserable environment tests any choice of clothing (and sanity), but the same commute kit works well there, even on wet days. The only difference I make for wet commutes to there is to wear waterproof MTB boots - I wear merino socks which cope well when wet, but it’s no fun having wet feet being pelted by cold air forced up through perforated floor tiles even with good socks.

Again, I have options available to me which not everyone does, and I make choices that not everyone is happy to make, but the often-touted view that Irish weather makes commuting by bicycle impossible wilfully ignores some perfectly reasonable options that are available to some if not many.

tomasrojo wrote:

I found hiking trousers a pretty good option too. Must get some merino-wool tops when I have more money. Never owned any, but I've noticed that wool of any sort dries much faster than cotton.

I had some bad experiences with poor quality merino but good quality stuff has yet to fail me. Generally speaking I’ve got what I paid for, cheap and nasty stuff I abandoned within weeks, the good (and inevitably more pricey) stuff I’ve had on the go for several years now in many cases.

Brands I’ve found good, in chronological order: ChocolateFish (they don’t sell these particular versions any longer unfortunately, I bought the Taranaki and TeMata items from them, but it was all made by Soma so might be available under their brand - ChocolateFish stopped stocking it though because they anticipated a drop in quality with Soma’s plans to move production to China); Rapha; Devold; Vulpine.

Brands I’ve tired but have mixed views about: IceBreaker (not convinced of the quality of the merino wool itself).

Brands I’ve found bad: Planet-X; On-one - in both cases the tops were itchy, didn’t hold their shape, and didn’t fend off smells, suggesting to me that they are poor quality merino (as suggested by the price).

doozerie wrote: »

Brands I’ve found good, in chronological order:

Bookmarked for future reference!

crosstownk wrote: »

Does anyone know why there is always water on the path/cycle lane on Swords Road/Drumcondra Road Upper at Home Farm FC - no matter what the weather? This has bugged me for ages. Every single day it's wet.

https://www.google.ie/maps/@53.3763166,-6.249924,3a,75y,340.67h,76.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sZxm-PUjcbBqX0Lzx7CzkGQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Drainage from the pitches at Home Farm FC?

buffalo wrote: »

Drainage from the pitches at Home Farm FC?

Maybe - seems logical especially if they water the ground regularly.

Another reason not to use that crappy cycle lane.

detones wrote: »

Anyone any pointers on how to prevent black oil occurring on your chain and gears. It was Piss1ng me off before as it's very hard to clean and goes everywhere. I replaced my chain and cassette completely degreased my front chain rings and both derailleurs. I stopped using heavy lubes, use a Teflon spray and the black crap still came back after a few spins. Don't get this build up on cross bike but that gets power washed after every race.

Do you wipe the chain down after you lube it?

Also: you power-wash your bike?

detones wrote: »

Yes and yes ;-) just power wash cx bike. Would never clean it otherwise.Try to avoid Bb and headset directly with high pressure blasts.

Just wipe the chain with a rag after each spin.

In case he reads Boards, just wanted to thank the gent who sailed through red in Rathgar today as I was about to cross on a pedestrian green light with my six week old son. Classy move dude! Well done

doozerie wrote: »

What I don’t understand are the people for whom wet weather means that cycling simply isn’t an option.

I don't think we should fool ourselves. Cycling requires some preparation. You need a routine, a system. Unless you're only 10 minutes from work, you can't just hop on the bike and go. You need to pack a bag, you need to think about what you need when you arrive. You learn to pack contingency arrangements (tubes, lights, etc).
Having changed jobs twice in the last 8 months, it's a recent memory for me about what happens when that system is disrupted - driving becomes the easier option.

I think this is the "I can't cycle when it's raining barrier" more than anything. People want to be able to leave the house ready for work. For many people, getting ready for work is a 60 minute routine that includes showering, fixing hair and applying makeup. Both men and women to be fair. When you can do that and then jump on a bike, great.

If it's raining, that's out the window. Raingear isn't perfect, your hair will get wet and your makeup will be ruined. If you're not prepared for it, you'll be miserable by the time you get to work.

If you're someone who gets ready for work, in work, then rain makes no odds. In fact I love being able to get to work and have a nice shower and get dressed after a wet commute. It's really refreshing.

But the majority of people just aren't there. The idea of getting changed in work is foreign. Some people can't even imagine stepping foot outside the door with hair unkempt and makeup not applied.

Weepsie wrote: »

....Hate that cycle lane, but sometimes you get to see a couple walk 5 or 6 of these guys at once and amaze how they don't seem to trip over it all...

It would help if the markings were redone as they have almost disappeared in places. Some pedestrians assume that we are just cycling on the footpath. I've had mutterings to that effect as I passed/met people on it.

(...and then there are the 'salmoners'! :mad:)

The bus lane next to this awful cycle path is the one I get beeped on by taxis most often... Not to even mention close passes.

buffalo wrote: »

I got a *really* close pass from a bus there once. The Garda behind who witnessed the whole thing told me I should use the footpath or he'd charge me with holding up traffic.

Brilliant. Just brilliant.

/sarcasm