How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

eldavo
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby eldavo » Wed May 08, 2013 5:32 pm

Also bear in mind there is a 10min delay on the radar IIRC.

P.s. I saw alfine 8 hub wheel for 250 mark... Get a clearance shifter and remainder bits and bobs say goodbye to SS ;)

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby uglybob » Wed May 08, 2013 5:55 pm

eldavo wrote:Also bear in mind there is a 10min delay on the radar IIRC.

P.s. I saw alfine 8 hub wheel for 250 mark... Get a clearance shifter and remainder bits and bobs say goodbye to SS ;)
s/s is by choice! i specifically picked out the frame & had it built - for use as winter commuter / second mountain bike.

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby eldavo » Wed May 08, 2013 6:08 pm

uglybob wrote:s/s is by choice! i specifically picked out the frame & had it built - for use as winter commuter / second mountain bike.
Respect.

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby uglybob » Wed May 08, 2013 6:20 pm

its great fun on & off road. passing people (especially roadies haha) with a s/s mountain bike with fat tyres and disc brakes is a good laugh (until i spin out)

and off road, you've got nothing else to concentrate on besides braking pretty much. a hard-tail MTB is a lot of work, and only having one gear makes it even more work - but its great fun. so happy i did it! hills can be a challenge - you've just got to hope no one gets in your way and stops your momentum!

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby AndrewBurns » Wed May 08, 2013 6:44 pm

I've ridden every day for the last 5 now which I'm pretty sure is a record for me. I also plan to ride to work every day this week which will also be a record for me. It's such a short distance now I really need to or at least I have no excuse not to.
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ColinOldnCranky
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby ColinOldnCranky » Wed May 08, 2013 9:04 pm

Perth:

Well, I had what looked like the start of a couple of boils when I got home last night so I took advantage of the weather and took a train much of the way. Still got ride 6km though. ANyway, the boils seem to be a false alarm so I rode home in the crud and sleet. Got my third flat in as many weeks. The wind kept blowing my patches, my glue tube and my oil rag around even in the lee of a bus shelter. Still, got home and actually looking forward to the full ride in again tomorrow morning.

I heard that the cycle path under the Narrows was awash in the morning. Though it happens a few times every year, I have only ever experienced that once in the morning. The weather wasn't that strong this morning so I guess it conspired with the tides.
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Timeonabike
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Timeonabike » Wed May 08, 2013 9:28 pm

Soaked last night, soaked this morning, soaked tonight. Excellent.

Loving the new SKS fenders for keeping the shite outta my gears. Even my failing topeak dry bag is working.

Noticing folks really slow down when they see you in the wet, more out of disbelief than good driving it would appear.

Cheers

Time

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VRE
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby VRE » Thu May 09, 2013 7:16 am

Timeonabike wrote:Soaked last night, soaked this morning, soaked tonight. Excellent.

Loving the new SKS fenders for keeping the shite outta my gears. Even my failing topeak dry bag is working.

Noticing folks really slow down when they see you in the wet, more out of disbelief than good driving it would appear.

Cheers

Time
I guess you're not in Melbourne, then. Here, drivers take more risks in the rain than in dry weather, in complete opposition to common-sense. "Driving to match the conditions"? They don't seem to understand what that means.

I'm wishing Melbourne would get more rain, because it's been a lot dryer than usual, almost as if the drought that ended in early 2010 is returning.

My legs felt good for this week's commutes so far, although they continue to ache, but I think that's most likely due to me doing long commuting distances every single week, so I never really give my legs a long enough break.

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby VRE » Thu May 09, 2013 7:52 am

I scored a win for common-sense yesterday :D . Yesterday while riding west along the Northbank shared path past the Melbourne Aquarium, I was forced (for about the 4th/5th time) to ride onto Kings Way to get past a construction truck parked outside the Kings Way entrance to the Aquarium. So I took a photo of the truck (getting funny looks from the tradesmen near the truck), then later on at home used the Melbourne City Council's online feedback form, to tell them I considered this to be a safety hazard, and recommending they get the contractors to install some kind of temporary barrier just next to where the truck is being parked, so that cyclists and pedestrians can safely pass the truck.

This morning, the truck was parked in the same spot, but slightly closer to the Aquarium building, with bollards joined by reflective tape forming a barrier around the truck with enough room for pedestrians and cyclists to get past the truck, and clearly indicating to oncoming motorists that they had to veer right to get around the barrier. Definitely happy with that outcome.

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TailWind
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby TailWind » Thu May 09, 2013 8:36 am

VRE wrote:I scored a win for common-sense yesterday :D .
Good work! See the bike lanes/paths used only too often for construction vehicles, construction signage etc.

The good weather in Melbourne really brought them out again yesterday afternoon. A couple of really close passes, and a cement truck that was determined to get past me and beat the lights on Heidelberg Rd to turn left into Grange Rd. Heard him roaring up behind me but I braked hard on the yellow light (I was going straight across), while he kept on going and hurled the truck around the corner. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd been a little faster and decided to floor it through the yellow.
I did check it out on the video, but it doesn't look as impressive with the video mode set as it is...all looks a bit further away.

Warm for the commute into the Melbourne CBD this morning - 16C when I left at 4:20am, but there was a noticeable cold pocket of air at Alphington - the digital clock/thermometer at the Fort Knox Self Storage depot on Heidelberg Rd showed 11C.
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby clackers » Thu May 09, 2013 8:58 am

Riding back from work yesterday arvo on the wife's e-bike conversion I saw a tandem coming the other way, so I wasn't the only freak out and about. :)

A driver spotted that one of my improvised straps on the battery had come loose, and delaying traffic behind her bothered to wind down her window and tell me about it.

Later on there was a guy sitting on a park bench, bike beside him, running up and down scales on his saxophone. Wasn't sure if it was protocol to hurl a $2 coin at him while moving.

Darkness fell and I pulled over to do some phone browsing, waiting for my wife to join me for an evening ride to Fairfield Boathouse, scouting out alternative paths for a social ride she's organized for Friday.

Along the Main Yarra Trail and the dirt tracks around it, we stumbled about one option after another and ran into various commuters and secretive mountain bikers with lots of lights - all of them super friendly and super helpful.

Feeling pretty good about Humanity afterwards. :D

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby gretaboy » Thu May 09, 2013 9:08 am

Same old this morning....pea soup fog then clear skies.

Got woken up at 3am for a work issue last night and nearly slept in as a result. Forced myself out the door and onto the bike. Body is tired, I am tired, so wasnt going to be a speed demon on the ride...I thought. Stopped to have a chat with a neighbour when I saw him pull into a servo. Getting back onto the road I came across another cyclist who travels my distance. He has been doing it much longer than me and is an absolute machine. Well whenever we come across each other we always seem to push each other.

The other rider had just done the Port Macquarie Ironman last weekend. Just prior to us going our own ways I thanked him for pushing me faster than I would have done myself...he replied with thanks, I was supposed to be on a recovery ride myself, you pushed me two and half times harder than I had planned

Nice to have another person share the trip tho
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Summernight
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Summernight » Thu May 09, 2013 9:35 am

Overdressed this morning. Whoops! Should have known better.

Who got the weather system coding wrong and incorrectly informed Mother Nature that it is now spring time in Melbourne? I need winter as I haven't shaved my legs and don't want to get the pins out hairy... :lol: (TMI? :P )

I did my duty this morning - informed a cyclist that his knicks were 'going seethrough' (actually they were completely seethrough in the crack area and had a seethrough patch of about 10cms x 10cm wide with saggy lycra but I decided not to hit him too harshly in the middle of his ride). Luckily for me and everyone else (and I guess him) he had on a lovely pair of patriotic red, white and blue vertical striped underpants so his crack was saved. He knew I was speaking the truth as I told him you could see his lovely striped underpants. :twisted:

After I told him at the lights he then sprinted away - clearly a seasoned rider and very fast and not going to stick around to continue the embarrassment.

Please re-check your knicks people!

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby AndrewBurns » Thu May 09, 2013 9:42 am

Strange that a seasoned rider would wear underwear under the knicks, unless he knew they were going see-through.

Typical good ride in this morning, just getting cold enough to warrent the shoe covers (tips of the toes went numb during the ride).
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Summernight » Thu May 09, 2013 10:49 am

AndrewBurns wrote:Strange that a seasoned rider would wear underwear under the knicks, unless he knew they were going see-through.
Mmm, that's what I thought. Which is why I started my approach with "You probably already know this anyway but... your knicks are going seethrough." :wink:

He was fast and fit (and a bit older). He disappeared into the distance pretty quickly after the light turned green, even with the hill.

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Lizzy » Thu May 09, 2013 11:20 am

Summernight wrote:Please re-check your knicks people!
Thank you for that crucial public service announcement Summernight. Character-building ride home yesterday, miraculously dodged most of the rain again but twice I was blown clear across the path, no joke; fortunately there was a lot less oncoming traffic than usual :shock:

[excuses thread]Train/bus today; oh hello again, overcrowded public transport in winter, I remember why I hate you so much! Nothing but sniff, cough, hack, squelch, snort, all the dang way ... gads people are foul. Seriously, guy next to me didn't go five seconds without making beautiful music with his sinus cavity, if there'd been enough space for me to get a good wind-up I'd have socked him in the ear. Bleh. [/excuses thread]
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Rex
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Rex » Thu May 09, 2013 11:34 am

Insane 50km/hr westerly thismorning with large puddles, branches and everything else covering the PSP from Jandakot to the CBD.
I counted 3 other cyclist the whole way.

Loved it.
Last edited by Rex on Thu May 09, 2013 11:56 am, edited 2 times in total.

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clackers
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby clackers » Thu May 09, 2013 11:52 am

Summernight wrote:
Mmm, that's what I thought. Which is why I started my approach with "You probably already know this anyway but... your knicks are going seethrough." :wink:
He may not have been an athletic rider, SN, but ensuing shame caused him to break Strava records ...

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Summernight
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Summernight » Thu May 09, 2013 11:58 am

Lizzy wrote:
Summernight wrote:Please re-check your knicks people!
Thank you for that crucial public service announcement Summernight. <snip>
I try my humble best to serve this country. :P

But I notice no-one is clamouring for photos this time as opposed to my mention of the seethrough knicks on a female cyclist... And this time I have footage. Where's the equality??? :lol:

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby find_bruce » Thu May 09, 2013 12:23 pm

Summernight wrote:
Lizzy wrote:
Summernight wrote:Please re-check your knicks people!
Thank you for that crucial public service announcement Summernight. <snip>
I try my humble best to serve this country. :P

But I notice no-one is clamouring for photos this time as opposed to my mention of the seethrough knicks on a female cyclist... And this time I have footage. Where's the equality??? :lol:
Well I was going to castigate you for being overdressed, but I will slink back under my rock now :D
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby gretaboy » Thu May 09, 2013 12:31 pm

Summernight wrote: I try my humble best to serve this country. :P

But I notice no-one is clamouring for photos this time as opposed to my mention of the seethrough knicks on a female cyclist... And this time I have footage. Where's the equality??? :lol:

But see...you already know where we stand.....us mere males dont like repeating ourselves :mrgreen:

PS: we are still waiting for pics of the female..to be fair and equal
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Summernight
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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Summernight » Thu May 09, 2013 1:03 pm

gretaboy wrote:
Summernight wrote: I try my humble best to serve this country. :P

But I notice no-one is clamouring for photos this time as opposed to my mention of the seethrough knicks on a female cyclist... And this time I have footage. Where's the equality??? :lol:

But see...you already know where we stand.....us mere males dont like repeating ourselves :mrgreen:

PS: we are still waiting for pics of the female..to be fair and equal
To be fair and equal to all, the poor man will not have his derriere and stripy underpants posted on the interwebs for all eternity, even if you had completely changed your stripes ( :wink: ) and asked for photos. :lol:

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Walst » Thu May 09, 2013 1:34 pm

Rex wrote:Insane 50km/hr westerly thismorning with large puddles, branches and everything else covering the PSP from Jandakot to the CBD.
I counted 3 other cyclist the whole way.

Loved it.
Yep I passed a solitary cyclist at about 3.30pm - 4pm on the Narrows to Canning Bridge stretch. Saw him get absolutely soaked by the waves crashing into the river wall and then give me a slightly insane laugh as we passed. :lol:

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby eldavo » Thu May 09, 2013 1:38 pm

Rex wrote:Insane 50km/hr westerly thismorning with large puddles, branches and everything else covering the PSP from Jandakot to the CBD.
I counted 3 other cyclist the whole way.Loved it.
I saw a few more on the north side, one regular middle age asian rider with glasses in opposite direction, and several hazards that vindicated me choosing a daylight start instead of the pre-dawn departure time when I was awake.

This one was the worst on the already terrible blind corkscrew Powis Street overpass on/off ramp that bad people downhill westbound at speed blind cut across path of riders/peds going up the ramp without slowing to check to give way to any path traffic. So many times it's just pure luck of time and space nobody comes off... into the immediate off path 60kph traffic with an at speed left hand bend.

The large post-flower gumnuts about size of child fists were like a minefield, after you dodge the oncoming riders in wrong lane, you get the water puddle, piled sand runoff, steel grate and mine field of fallen flora. All good fun if you keep shiny side up =D

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PS: tail wind of last night's westerly vector head wind gave 20% difference average trip speed against versus with.

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Re: How was your commute ... today, yesterday, last week ...

Postby Rex » Thu May 09, 2013 3:15 pm

Yep that looks familiar going south.

I'm definitely buying some new overshoes, I don't mind a damp top-half but I must have dry feet.

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