Australian Cycling Forums - Bicycles Network Australia

I love commuting at this time of year, the streets are relatively quiet & all is right with the world

TailWind wrote:Had to duck under at least 5 of these orange plastic construction type fences though.

sounds a bit cheeky.

joined my usual group for a riverloop this morning for a cruisy riverloop. unfortunately, not so cruisy. garmin says I averaged 31.4 - my fastest ever for the 'loop. we got separated towards the end (finding out afterwards that one guy had a flat)

I knew that I'd jinx myself in my last post! Went down to leave for the day and there was a flat tyre waiting for me! Karma

jasonc wrote:

TailWind wrote:Had to duck under at least 5 of these orange plastic construction type fences though.

sounds a bit cheeky.

No more cheeky than Vic Roads failing to put up signage well in advance and confounding commuters on a well used path at 4:30am in the morning .
However, I fear that this tactic will not work going forward, as they seem to have some major things planned - the path will be closed to mid-2013 - checked it out on their website. It's the Dalton Road to Darebin Creek Detour, for those who travel that way. Great.

TailWind wrote:

jasonc wrote:

TailWind wrote:Had to duck under at least 5 of these orange plastic construction type fences though.

sounds a bit cheeky.

No more cheeky than Vic Roads failing to put up signage well in advance and confounding commuters on a well used path at 4:30am in the morning .
However, I fear that this tactic will not work going forward, as they seem to have some major things planned - the path will be closed to mid-2013 - checked it out on their website. It's the Dalton Road to Darebin Creek Detour, for those who travel that way. Great.

big question...going to extend or shorten your commute???

gretaboy wrote: big question...going to extend or shorten your commute???

Extend, of course!
Not by much though, mornings for me are all about being time efficient..

Last night's commute home was a real struggle. Wind was in my face the whole way home. Had the 50mm Carbons on and it's the first time I've felt the wind push my steering about. Even at one point came over a rise into the wind and was slowing as I descended. Just felt like a big sail out there.

This morning was a diffrent story. Great morning for a bit of powering down.

First commute since the Christmas break and I forgot to put my bell back on.

__PG__ wrote:First commute since the Christmas break and I forgot to put my bell back on.

Hi, first post here. I've been lurking around reading lots of old posts.
I used to cycle to work years ago, but in the last few years haven't done anything more than ride about with the kids and ride them up to school when I can.
I changed jobs late last year to somewhere closer to home with a lovely bike track which goes almost door to door - I thought I'd just get settled in then start riding, and then my bike got stolen off my front porch.
New year, brand new bike, and I'm planning to ride twice a week.
This morning was only my third ride to work and half way there my handlebars started heading south. Being new and slow and middle-aged I think I would have been too intimidated to ask for help from any of the lycra wearing male hordes that pass me, but I have to credit reading all your conversations with my new impression that most commuting cyclists are nice friendly regular guys (and a few women) who wouldn't mind being asked! I caught up with the bloke ahead of me and asked if he had a key to fix my handlebars, and he very kindly did so. I was very grateful since I was basically exactly half way. So lesson number 1 for me, make sure I carry some basic tools. I had thought of it last week but hadn't done it yet of course!

First back to back commute today. After a bit over 2 weeks getting a little stronger and definitely faster (in the mornings at least). 800metres from home and first puncture for the year (first repaired in over 23 years).

TigerFilly wrote: I have to credit reading all your conversations with my new impression that most commuting cyclists are nice friendly regular guys (and a few women) who wouldn't mind being asked!

great first post. welcome to commuting and welcome back to cycling. beware, this pedaling thing is addictive.

jasonc wrote:

TigerFilly wrote: I have to credit reading all your conversations with my new impression that most commuting cyclists are nice friendly regular guys (and a few women) who wouldn't mind being asked!

great first post. welcome to commuting and welcome back to cycling. beware, this pedaling thing is addictive.

yes same here...welcome to commuting

What an interesting time I have had in the last two rides.

Yesterday afternoon am travelling up a minor hill...two lanes of traffic and I am sticking to the far left of the left lane, nearly in the gutter...I do this in an effort to try and not hold the traffic up. Most times the cars/trucks are great. Not yesterday. Had a tipper truck, luckily no dog on it, go past me so close at speed that it was scary. Checked the video footage this morning and even with the go pro's wide angle lense it looks very close.

then this mornings ride had a verbal with some fat f..k miner in his mazda bravo dual cab ute....I was in the left lane heading towards some lights, he was in the right....at the lights there is a third folowing lane to turn left. This idiot decides to come from the right hand lane into the flowing left lane...he did indicate I must say, but he pretty much cut me off in doing so.

I shook my head and in return he gave me the finger. So I gave him a little signal which made him decide to slow right down and as I came up on his side he wound down the window and it was then on until he decides to drive off.

Then a little further on I get another ute, an old bloke, with the ute loaded up with fishing rods, which decides to cross over the solid white line and travel with two tyres in the breakdown/cycle lane for a 100 metres or so...I was so close I was going to bang on the metal sides of the tray but decided against it....he was in another world.

Been a while since something like this has happened.

Welcome TigerFilly, may you have many happy trails

Chose the hilly commute along the MYT up to Greensborough yesterday afternoon, could feel that I hadn't done that route in a while...
This morning I decided to try out an alternative "express" route to bypass the path closure along the Ring Road between Tasman Drive and Dalton Road.
This took me along McKimmies Rd through to Dalton Rd - some on-road bike lane, some narrow, unlit, gravel shoulder sections that aren't all that pleasant. It's about 500m shorter than my usual ride in, and somewhat quicker. Will probably alternate a the express route and scenic route, depending on how early I get away.

gretaboy wrote:What an interesting time I have had in the last two rides.

Yesterday afternoon am travelling up a minor hill...two lanes of traffic and I am sticking to the far left of the left lane, nearly in the gutter...I do this in an effort to try and not hold the traffic up. Most times the cars/trucks are great. Not yesterday. Had a tipper truck, luckily no dog on it, go past me so close at speed that it was scary. Checked the video footage this morning and even with the go pro's wide angle lense it looks very close.

then this mornings ride had a verbal with some fat f..k miner in his mazda bravo dual cab ute....I was in the left lane heading towards some lights, he was in the right....at the lights there is a third folowing lane to turn left. This idiot decides to come from the right hand lane into the flowing left lane...he did indicate I must say, but he pretty much cut me off in doing so.

I shook my head and in return he gave me the finger. So I gave him a little signal which made him decide to slow right down and as I came up on his side he wound down the window and it was then on until he decides to drive off.

Then a little further on I get another ute, an old bloke, with the ute loaded up with fishing rods, which decides to cross over the solid white line and travel with two tyres in the breakdown/cycle lane for a 100 metres or so...I was so close I was going to bang on the metal sides of the tray but decided against it....he was in another world.

Been a while since something like this has happened.

Hmmmm its always a UTE or a tradie, sorry to generalise, but its true!!! I would love to take one of these unhealthy looking 'people' on ride finishing through a city in rush hour, perhaps their opinion and respect might change!

Ride to work was so so, bloody head wind most the way, the new chain and rear cassette made the bike much smoother, missed it was like when it was new

Multi-hop commute back via Eaglemont and past my brother's place to water his veggie garden while he is away on holiday. Pleasant ride, although warmer than expected.
Tested another route to detour around the Ring Road path works, using a section of the Darebin Trail, Settlement Rd into Thomastown and then into the CBD mostly on shared paths as per my normal ride. Quite happy with that route as my "express" route - similar time and distance to the standard ride in, and if I have the time, I'll just keep on going down the Darebin trail for a sligthly longer inbound commute.

Compared to yesterday this mornings ride was like waltzing through the tulips...not a single issue.

Was warm tho, dropped a fair bit of sweat. Still dripping now at my desk.

jasonc wrote:

__PG__ wrote:First commute since the Christmas break and I forgot to put my bell back on.

Hi jasonc,
What a great iron on shirt emblem

outnabike wrote:Hi jasonc,
What a great iron on shirt emblem

actually if you do a bit of googling, it's available on a T.

great ride this morning with a group riverloop.

A bit steamy in Sydney this morning which meant that by the end of my commute sweat was pouring off me! I think there was also a bit of a tailwind blowing as it was a pretty quick ride in even though I'd done an SOP session beforehand (first time in Group 2 - ouch!).

The cagers seemed to be happy and I didn't come across any angry pants pedo's or cyclists. All in all, very pleasant.

Great ride for me this am, bumped into a mate at North Head, rode with him past his house which is on my commute route, then his wife was just leaving to ride into work so rode with her the rest of the way. So a very social commute for me.

5 commutes this week so far. Yesterday managed to average 30.1kmh over the 42kms, including some storming efforts along the Parramatta Cycleway (38-39 on the flat the whole way).

Really need a Garmin to grab some segments, and track the rides better.

Xplora wrote:5 commutes this week so far. Yesterday managed to average 30.1kmh over the 42kms, including some storming efforts along the Parramatta Cycleway (38-39 on the flat the whole way).

Really need a Garmin to grab some segments, and track the rides better.

see someone posted that garmin 500's were going for $269 or such at the moment...a special