things I learnt today....

[X-wing]

I like riding in the rain, when I have the right gear on.

(Okay, I learnt this 4 days ago, but it's still something I didn't know 5 days ago)

[casual_cyclist]

In Perth, the Kwinana Freeway extension and Forrest Highway have opened, but these roads do not appear on:
Bing maps,
Google Maps, or
Whereis

Surprisingly they also not appear on the Landgate official Western Australian Atlas

https://www2.landgate.wa.gov.au/mapview ... 4991371806

However, they do appear on openstreetmap.org Yay! for open source

[gorilla monsoon]

Thing I learned today? Getting back on the bike after a break of one month and one day (but who's counting?) bites! Dragged myself out of a warm Sunday sleep-in and got back on the track. An hour damn near killed me.

The hill at the end of my ride, the one to my gate, was at least twice as long and steep as it was last time I rode.

At least I get to spend the day on my bum in front of the telly watching the Bathurst 1000. It's my favourite weekend of the year.

[sb81]

What did I learn today?

I learned (the hard way) that you need to concerntrate more on the operation of the boom gate than on the very nice Porche 911 that was driving through it. In my foolish and clearly not thought about attemept to follow said Porche through the boom gate I was tagged directly across the top of my helmet by the closing boom gate. By the time I had that (oh $hit) moment, all I could do was shrug and brace for the clunk. Fortuantly it got the back section of the top of the helmet and didn't do any real damage (other than to my ego). I could see the Porche driver having a chuckle to himself, I was not so amused.

[robbie d]

I learned yesterday that slick tyres and damp rough roads lead to a progressive change in direction under firm braking. Not sure if I locked it up with the brakes or just lost grip. No harm done, though I dont know what the truckie coming the other way thought I was doing.

[Scuba23]

I learnt today that it is alot! cheaper to carry out repairs on your own bike than take it to the LBS... My laziness is costing me a fortune

[casual_cyclist]

I learned on Saturday that when you grab knicks for a 200km ride, make sure they clean ones

Or you will get very badly chafed

[jules21]

i learnt yesterday to check the handlebar mounting bolts for tightness every now and then

[soc]

I learnt today that the magpie that I thought was being nice to me 'cause it hasn't swooped me yet this season (even though I know it's been on the attack from other people) is actually a real bastard and was saving up my attacks to give them all to me at once.

[Low Racer]

I learnt on Sunday that I should use my brakes more. I overtaken a 4wd towing a boat on the Pacific Hwy on a downhill run going into Coffs after Big Banana. Very stupid of me !!

[Max]

I learnt today that the magpie that I thought was being nice to me 'cause it hasn't swooped me yet this season (even though I know it's been on the attack from other people) is actually a real bastard and was saving up my attacks to give them all to me at once.

LMAO! Soc, I know I shouldn't laugh, but that really made me chuckle. Where is this magpie (perhaps you should post its location in the Magpie thread)?

Max

[Thoglette]

...that a humid day, an old, black Brooks saddle and camel coloured cotton trousers is an unhappy combination.

[Scuba23]

I now seem to have an avid attraction to climbing hills... I ride to an intersection knowing their is a nasty big climb to the left and a flat run home to the right! Head says right, legs say left!

[munga]

Tubulars are for awesome manly men. Triathletes mostly don't use tubulars because if they do and then they get a flat they will be late for their jogging. I do not jog, because jogging is pretty gay. I used to jog, but that was because a girl I liked was into jogging. She turned out to be a catholic and not interested in having a big manly cyclist defile her, so I went back to bike riding. Cyclists know that (a) you don't get punctures nearly as often on a tubbie and that training tubbies with a few drops of sealant in them can even be ridden down to the wire. (b) tubbies corner like heaven on clouds. (c) fixing and glueing tubbies is not as hard as triathletes make it out to be. And (d) if you do happen to puncture a tubbie, it is no big deal, ride home drink a triple ristretto and bonk the nearest italian supermodel. She will oblige with the gift of her sanctity when she sees the glue on your hands and your tyres. She will know that you are not a triathlete and that your post ride excercise consists of more riding, as opposed to jogging, swimming and defiling small animals.

[ColinOldnCranky]

Anything over 10kph is way to long - the undercarriage loses all feeling and the fine motor skills are not what they should be

With regards to the above, stopping for ten or fifteen minutes of workout off the bike is just about enough to be where I was when I started some 10km ago.

I don't mind the cold mornings and drizzle anything like I used to.

[Baalzamon]

That my Masi 9 speed 6kg heavier than my Cannondale was faster to commute to work today.

[Sweeper59]

You should check the deck of old timber bridges to see which way the slats run.

[Scuba23]

A brand new set of schmicko bright yellow race tyres are guaranteed to be destroyed (clean slash through the side wall) by a hidden piece of metal lurking on the other side of a speed hump with in 2 days of installing said tyres.

Sharp piece of evil Metal - 1
Schmicko yellow tyres - 0

[twizzle]

... don't ride home drunk. Well... maybe not legally drunk, but alcohol affects me badly. Damn you, red wine!

[Sumichino]

+1 to riding home drunk(also inlcudes riding from home to mcdonalds drunk). Also today I learnt that even though you average >40km/h on an 18km descent, the climb at 12km/h has much more effect on total average speed.

[elantra]

The other day i learnt that it is not good idea to eat big slice of carrot cake with thick creamy icing and walnut on top DURING a big bike ride. ( Byron Bay[Mooball] to Currumbin, 96 hilly km)

[AverageSpeed]

Hitting one of those metal plates that the council has so nicely placed on the road - particularly when there is a pothole just before it WILL put a flat spot in the nice wheel I just built for my "down to the shops" bike.

[elantra]

It is better to put the bicycle in the tea room at work than outside chained up in the open all day.
Because i jumped on the bicycle to ride home and discovered that a bird had s..t on it (the saddle)

[Dags]

Actually there three things i learnt today or maybe i am just a slow learner. On my normal ride there is a new peace of new road i think it is about 8ks long and pretty flat and this morning cruising along at around 30kph i learnt that i love the sound my tyres make on the smooth pavement. Then at the end of that there is a very big hill and after getting to the top in one gear higher than normal gasping for breath i learnt that hills are no longer to be seen as a negative. And the third and best thing i learnt today after getting home after 50ks siting down to take my shoes off is that i love riding my bike.
Darryl

[greyhoundtom]

To NEVER again take a pair of pliers to a front derailleur thinking you can straighten the bend bit out again because they do break very easily.

But there again I now have a reason to upgrade