Getting back on after...

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Sat Feb 11, 2017 10:33 pm

Hi all.

Used to be a regular contributor, but got hit head on in a hit and run by a van commuting and haven't touched a bike since recovering.

Was a very close call but still here and finally getting myself back to thinking about riding again.

So, 4 years later and considering it again much to the wife's dismay.

Need some help please if I can.

Question 1: Route

Can't find a good route, anyone know how I can commute off road as much as possible, from Brighton le Sands (Botany Bay) to Macquarie Park / North Ryde.

Seems like it's a 2.5hr ride so I'd like to make it around 1 hour, perhaps via a combination of train then ride.

Any thoughts?

Question 2: Electric

Since my Trek Madone 4.5 was smashed, I got a Cell Hybrid a few years after to try and get back into it.

I'm very unfit now after it all so time for change, the commute would be long so considering convertible mine via the Pyrmont guys, it's a good bike. Alternatively I could just get a off the shelf electric model.

Appreciate any feedback on these two.
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

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Bunged Knee
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Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 12:29 pm
Location: Not drowning in Parramatta river yet

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby Bunged Knee » Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:06 am

Is ride to Central station then train to Macquarie Park/North Ryde station ok?

About 38 mins or more depending on traffic signals to station by this route

And google the name of streets of your destination from station to your work place or something.

ps, no experience on ebike.
ID please? What ID? My seat tube ID is 27.2mm or 31.6mm depending on what bikes I ride today.thanks...

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Wed Feb 22, 2017 9:21 pm

Bunged Knee wrote:Is ride to Central station then train to Macquarie Park/North Ryde station ok?

About 38 mins or more depending on traffic signals to station by this route

And google the name of streets of your destination from station to your work place or something.

ps, no experience on ebike.
Hey Bunged Knee thanks for the reply, can't believe I only got one reply on this a bit disappointing to be honest so appreciate the effort.

Yep that sounds like a good option, and if I go a bit further to town hall then I'll upset less people with smelly sweaty bike share as many get off at town hall for the city.

I always enjoyed the town hall to Brighton ride I used to do.
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

cp123
Posts: 1498
Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:50 pm

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby cp123 » Thu Feb 23, 2017 11:02 am

I don't live in Sydney so can't help with a route etc. but good on you for getting back on the horse so to speak. I've heard from a number of people that getting splattered really can mess with your head and many people don't go back.

stay safe brother.

ironhanglider
Posts: 2841
Joined: Fri Apr 17, 2009 9:44 pm
Location: Middle East, Melbourne

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby ironhanglider » Thu Feb 23, 2017 9:58 pm

snowmaan wrote:
Bunged Knee wrote:Is ride to Central station then train to Macquarie Park/North Ryde station ok?

About 38 mins or more depending on traffic signals to station by this route

And google the name of streets of your destination from station to your work place or something.

ps, no experience on ebike.
Hey Bunged Knee thanks for the reply, can't believe I only got one reply on this a bit disappointing to be honest so appreciate the effort.

Yep that sounds like a good option, and if I go a bit further to town hall then I'll upset less people with smelly sweaty bike share as many get off at town hall for the city.

I always enjoyed the town hall to Brighton ride I used to do.
Hi snowmaan,

The commuting sub-forum is not the most trafficked part of the ACF forums. Those that do post here usually only do so on a couple of threads. I know that there are different options for receiving the feed, so it is possible that many people are simply missing it. Others, might feel that they have nothing useful to add.

However good on you for even thinking about getting out there again.

I have little experience of e-bikes, but those I see actually using them happily tell me that they wouldn't be doing the trip by bike at all without it. There are a few contributors around that have used e-bikes as a gateway into regular cycling Comedian comes to mind.

Like anything else I'd expect that an off-the shelf product would work better than a retro-fit. You'd like to think that they have already found and ironed out the bugs. I'd suggest you keep your hybrid for proper recreation.

Cheers,

Cameron

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bychosis
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Joined: Sat Jan 14, 2012 1:10 pm
Location: Lake Macquarie

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby bychosis » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:19 am

Good work on getting back out there. I hope that before too long you wonder why it took so long to climb back in the saddle.

If thinking about an e-bike make sure you check the weight of it if you are going to to a train-bike combo. You might need to man handle it around on and off trains.
bychosis (bahy-koh-sis): A mental disorder of delusions indicating impaired contact with a reality of no bicycles.

westab
Posts: 1703
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 5:05 pm
Location: Blacktown, NSW

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby westab » Fri Feb 24, 2017 5:25 pm

snowmaan wrote:
Bunged Knee wrote:Is ride to Central station then train to Macquarie Park/North Ryde station ok?

About 38 mins or more depending on traffic signals to station by this route

And google the name of streets of your destination from station to your work place or something.

ps, no experience on ebike.
Hey Bunged Knee thanks for the reply, can't believe I only got one reply on this a bit disappointing to be honest so appreciate the effort.

Yep that sounds like a good option, and if I go a bit further to town hall then I'll upset less people with smelly sweaty bike share as many get off at town hall for the city.

I always enjoyed the town hall to Brighton ride I used to do.
Snowman - well done getting back on the bike. I too would like to help with route and ebike suggestions but I have simply no knowledge on either.

One thing I have found helpful is having tow panniers on my bike - it makes me appear wider and in the last five years I feel that the "regular" drivers give me more space. (like usual the fools still think its funny fools).

Sorry I can't help more.
Not fast, no style, but still get there.

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:57 pm

cp123 wrote:I don't live in Sydney so can't help with a route etc. but good on you for getting back on the horse so to speak. I've heard from a number of people that getting splattered really can mess with your head and many people don't go back.

stay safe brother.
Thanks mate :)
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:57 pm

ironhanglider wrote:
snowmaan wrote:
Bunged Knee wrote:Is ride to Central station then train to Macquarie Park/North Ryde station ok?

About 38 mins or more depending on traffic signals to station by this route

And google the name of streets of your destination from station to your work place or something.

ps, no experience on ebike.
Hey Bunged Knee thanks for the reply, can't believe I only got one reply on this a bit disappointing to be honest so appreciate the effort.

Yep that sounds like a good option, and if I go a bit further to town hall then I'll upset less people with smelly sweaty bike share as many get off at town hall for the city.

I always enjoyed the town hall to Brighton ride I used to do.
Hi snowmaan,

The commuting sub-forum is not the most trafficked part of the ACF forums. Those that do post here usually only do so on a couple of threads. I know that there are different options for receiving the feed, so it is possible that many people are simply missing it. Others, might feel that they have nothing useful to add.

However good on you for even thinking about getting out there again.

I have little experience of e-bikes, but those I see actually using them happily tell me that they wouldn't be doing the trip by bike at all without it. There are a few contributors around that have used e-bikes as a gateway into regular cycling Comedian comes to mind.

Like anything else I'd expect that an off-the shelf product would work better than a retro-fit. You'd like to think that they have already found and ironed out the bugs. I'd suggest you keep your hybrid for proper recreation.

Cheers,

Cameron
Thanks mate :)

I'll look into these further
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Tue Feb 28, 2017 7:58 pm

bychosis wrote:Good work on getting back out there. I hope that before too long you wonder why it took so long to climb back in the saddle.

If thinking about an e-bike make sure you check the weight of it if you are going to to a train-bike combo. You might need to man handle it around on and off trains.
Thanks mate :)
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

snowmaan
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2011 10:00 pm
Location: Brighton Le Sands Sydney

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby snowmaan » Tue Feb 28, 2017 8:07 pm

Thanks guys for responding.

I will kick it off next Monday. Got my route kind of worked out, clothes and towel and toiletries ready in the office.

To:
Route will be for now, ride to north sydney.
North sydney train to Macquarie park.

Home:
The reverse I think

I can see bike lane along lane cove road when I drive in but not sure how connected it is to the city.
I just can't seem to figure out what the best route is.

Options are here if I take the north sydney return route which I'd prefer for variety as I did 3 years of the Brighton to Town Hall one.

Image

Get off, ride
CellSS200 hybrid, had a Trek Madone 4.5 but had an altercation with a courier van. Looking for a nice ride soon

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Mububban
Posts: 3036
Joined: Wed Feb 20, 2008 12:19 pm

Re: Getting back on after...

Postby Mububban » Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:21 am

snowmaan wrote:Thanks guys for responding.

I will kick it off next Monday. Got my route kind of worked out, clothes and towel and toiletries ready in the office.
What did you end up choosing as your bike?

I bought my first road bike after converting my old mountain bike to electric throttle assist. It transformed the old beast from hardly used to always having your own personal tailwind. Brilliant. The motor would scale down in assistance above ~25kph and would totally be useless above 30kph which wasn't always easy to maintain on 2 inch tyres.
Having electric didn't make me go easier on myself (although that is an advantageous option if you wish) - I would just flog myself harder to go as fast as possible, on a 20kg bike. So they can definitely still be used for good exercise without totally killing yourself.

Eventually the battery started to lose range, and I wanted to go faster, so I bought a road bike and am loving it. But if fitness is a concern, converting a hybrid would absolutely fly along.

Stay safe.
When you are driving your car, you are not stuck IN traffic - you ARE the traffic!!!

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