Post your M7 experiences

[Spiza]

Does the Pope ride a Colnago?

I guess you are racing Sunday

[misterpms]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

I tried the M7 ride for the first time this morning (started at Camden Valley Way) and was very impressed with the track until I noticed a shard of glass in my rear tyre near the M4 exit. After a few minutes I was approached by a couple of people riding in the same direction and was offered help. Unfortunately I didn't have the spanner to remove the rear wheel so I had to make the embarrassing call to the g/f who was nice enough to pick me up from Eastern Creek Primary School . Anyway, I'm off to buy some new tyres and tubes and will definitely try the track again.

Thanks to the two people who offered to help! I'm still quite new to cycling (approx. 4 months) and I'm heartened to see that it's enjoyed by a supportive bunch of people. I hope to be able to return the favour some day.

[leximack]

Does the Pope ride a Colnago?

I guess you are racing Sunday

nice one dudes, too wet for me to race i think. I havent been on the bike since last sunday. Been very lazy. Its good to have a rest though and relax a bit. Hopefully will get back into it this week sometime.

Don

[wombatK]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

I tried the M7 ride for the first time this morning (started at Camden Valley Way) and was very impressed with the track until I noticed a shard of glass in my rear tyre near the M4 exit. After a few minutes I was approached by a couple of people riding in the same direction and was offered help. Unfortunately I didn't have the spanner to remove the rear wheel so I had to make the embarrassing call to the g/f who was nice enough to pick me up from Eastern Creek Primary School . Anyway, I'm off to buy some new tyres and tubes and will definitely try the track again.

Thanks to the two people who offered to help! I'm still quite new to cycling (approx. 4 months) and I'm heartened to see that it's enjoyed by a supportive bunch of people. I hope to be able to return the favour some day.

Welcome to the forum misterpms. It's been raining cats and dogs over most of Sydney today, so you're obviously keen getting out on the M7 cycleway today.

Your pretty unlucky to puncture where you did. It's rare to find glass on the cycleway - I've only seen it near exits where you could imagine local teenagers might have drinking parties - and then quite infrequently. AFAIK the area around the M4 isn't a teenage hangout. Was it wet when you punctured ?

Might be worth getting a small toolkit bag so you've got a spanner for next time to. It could be a long wait to find someone with a spanner, as most riders would have quick-release wheels.

[aeroslave]

low life losers from the m7 highway toss beer bottles (and the like) on the cycleway just because they are world class idiots. actually saw one near lighthorse interchange.

[Kev365428]

Man that pisses me off.

For all the ranting and raving that goes on about us being on the roads, and they still f#ck up our dedicated areas.

Kev.

[wombatK]

low life losers from the m7 highway toss beer bottles (and the like) on the cycleway just because they are world class idiots. actually saw one near lighthorse interchange.

Yeah, you've reminded me - sometimes seen this on the short sections where the cycleway and M7 are level and separated by the low concrete fence. In every sense of the word, these types are tossers.

[misterpms]

Hi everyone, first time poster here.

I tried the M7 ride for the first time this morning (started at Camden Valley Way) and was very impressed with the track until I noticed a shard of glass in my rear tyre near the M4 exit. After a few minutes I was approached by a couple of people riding in the same direction and was offered help. Unfortunately I didn't have the spanner to remove the rear wheel so I had to make the embarrassing call to the g/f who was nice enough to pick me up from Eastern Creek Primary School . Anyway, I'm off to buy some new tyres and tubes and will definitely try the track again.

Thanks to the two people who offered to help! I'm still quite new to cycling (approx. 4 months) and I'm heartened to see that it's enjoyed by a supportive bunch of people. I hope to be able to return the favour some day.

Welcome to the forum misterpms. It's been raining cats and dogs over most of Sydney today, so you're obviously keen getting out on the M7 cycleway today.

Your pretty unlucky to puncture where you did. It's rare to find glass on the cycleway - I've only seen it near exits where you could imagine local teenagers might have drinking parties - and then quite infrequently. AFAIK the area around the M4 isn't a teenage hangout. Was it wet when you punctured ?

Might be worth getting a small toolkit bag so you've got a spanner for next time to. It could be a long wait to find someone with a spanner, as most riders would have quick-release wheels.

It was hardly raining, more like a light drizzle, when I started and I would've run into about 15 people on the cycle way.

I've got a tool bag on my bike which has everything bar the spanner. My g/f's dad helped me replace the rear tube and it wasn't easy (I have an Avanti Blade 8 with the Nexus Hub), I don't look forward to doing it solo. I'm yet to buy new tires but I think it's a worthwhile investment.

It was wet when I punctured, I guess it's because of the rain softening up the rubber or something like that ...? The shard of glass wasn't that big, it was probably 3mm long, and could've been run-off from the rain.

[zozza]

YAGGGHHH! Wet, Wet, Wet!

[NotFlyingScot]

YAGGGHHH! Wet, Wet, Wet!

Hey Zoz, is that a recent new avatar you've got or have I been asleep for months? It's either a damn good action race shot or someone snapped you in the middle of one of your early clipless "stick stacks"
Sandy

[wombatK]

It was hardly raining, more like a light drizzle, when I started and I would've run into about 15 people on the cycle way.

I've got a tool bag on my bike which has everything bar the spanner. My g/f's dad helped me replace the rear tube and it wasn't easy (I have an Avanti Blade 8 with the Nexus Hub), I don't look forward to doing it solo. I'm yet to buy new tires but I think it's a worthwhile investment.

It was wet when I punctured, I guess it's because of the rain softening up the rubber or something like that ...? The shard of glass wasn't that big, it was probably 3mm long, and could've been run-off from the rain.

Topic done to death here More punctures in the wet thread. Rain makes the glass slip in easier. Should also make it slip out more easily too - so finding the offending piece of glass still in the tyre is a bit unusual. Think your tyres might have some decent tread (i.e. not slicks), so that might help explain it.

If you are mainly riding around town and/or M7 cycleway, you should think about getting slicks - something like Conti Sports Contacts - which have a lower rolling resistance and will help you go faster.

Changing flats is never fun - specially first time on the road, even less in the wet. Might be worth practicising a bit at home (e.g. change a tyre a few times til your confident). Did you have tweezers in your toolkit for grabbing the glass and/or wire from steel belts etc.,. ? Almost essential for the latter.

[misterpms]

Topic done to death here ... More punctures in the wet thread. Rain makes the glass slip in easier. Should also make it slip out more easily too - so finding the offending piece of glass still in the tyre is a bit unusual. Think your tyres might have some decent tread (i.e. not slicks), so that might help explain it.

If you are mainly riding around town and/or M7 cycleway, you should think about getting slicks - something like Conti Sports Contacts - which have a lower rolling resistance and will help you go faster.

Changing flats is never fun - specially first time on the road, even less in the wet. Might be worth practicising a bit at home (e.g. change a tyre a few times til your confident). Did you have tweezers in your toolkit for grabbing the glass and/or wire from steel belts etc.,. ? Almost essential for the latter.

I'm running my stock tyres, Kenda Kwest's I believe. I'm looking into new tyres and have been reading as many reviews and forum threads as possible. Thanks for the recommendation!

My toolkit has neither a spanner or tweezers. Thanks for pointing that out, I wouldn't have thought about them otherwise.

[brendancg]

Re the glass and the tossers

Hopefully they will both reduce in the near future. I have a friend in the police at Mt Druitt and their bike squad is up and running again and I know that they are planning on hitting the cycle track more frequently to get these idiots.

[leximack]

i ride the cycleway end to end alot and have not noticed a problem with glass/bottles on the track, maybe they are on the exits or something and i just dont notice them. Maybe i have been lucky. I guess you will get glass on all roads, its probably one of the best and cleanest out there though, ride on the shoulder of the m7 and you will see what glass is about.

Don

[leximack]

Re the glass and the tossers

Hopefully they will both reduce in the near future. I have a friend in the police at Mt Druitt and their bike squad is up and running again and I know that they are planning on hitting the cycle track more frequently to get these idiots.

cool, maybe they can join the M7 footpath racers ona Tuesday night, and possible bring along there radar gun for some speed tests around Eliz dr

[wombatK]

I'm running my stock tyres, Kenda Kwest's I believe.

They look like a high pressure (100 psi) semi-slick design - probably not too bad in the rolling resistance department. But something with less center tread might be a little better. Deep tread tends to have a grabbing action (particularly at the MTB end of tread profile spectrum), and more rolling resistance - and I suspect greater ability to grab onto glass and other bad stuff.

[aeroslave]

Re the glass and the tossers

Hopefully they will both reduce in the near future. I have a friend in the police at Mt Druitt and their bike squad is up and running again and I know that they are planning on hitting the cycle track more frequently to get these idiots.

brendancg, I am looking forward to seeing police officers riding on the m7 cycleway. afternoon rides will not disappoint them especially on fridays. Either the graffiti kids or the "teenage mutant bottle hurdlers" will keep em' entertained. Sad but these peeps are slowly trashing our playground.

[brendancg]

Keep an eye out for the Mt Druitt Police on cycles. They will be there on afternoons and weekends and even mornings from what I have heard. Unfortunately they will not be able to be there exclusively as Mt Druitt is a very busy place, but I know they are really keen to attack the M7 problems so it safer for all.

[NotFlyingScot]

Passed a couple of police on bikes today on the M7 footpath. About the only other souls I came across!
NFS

[Boognoss]

I'm running my stock tyres, Kenda Kwest's I believe.

They look like a high pressure (100 psi) semi-slick design - probably not too bad in the rolling resistance department. But something with less center tread might be a little better. Deep tread tends to have a grabbing action (particularly at the MTB end of tread profile spectrum), and more rolling resistance - and I suspect greater ability to grab onto glass and other bad stuff.

Kenda Kwests aren't totally bad but they are a very low cost (OEM a lot from what I've seen), heavy and puncture-prone tyre. My $550 Avanti Balde came with and after 2000km and over 15 punctures I swapped to something with protection. OK, so they are bad IMO .

Just my experience (and a lot of those km were on the M7 cycleway) .

[Kev365428]

Passed a couple of police on bikes today on the M7 footpath. About the only other souls I came across!
NFS

Be a good piece of inspiration for the TNFR crowd. Ride on past a make a comment about why they aren't out catching REAL crooks, then light 'em up and see if you can stay in front.

Kev.

[wombatK]

[
Kenda Kwests aren't totally bad but they are a very low cost (OEM a lot from what I've seen), heavy and puncture-prone tyre. My $550 Avanti Balde came with and after 2000km and over 15 punctures I swapped to something with protection. OK, so they are bad IMO .
.

Fair comment Simon. Cheap tyres aren't at all cheap when you factor in the time and effort to fix punctures.

[brendancg]

Be a good piece of inspiration for the TNFR crowd. Ride on past a make a comment about why they aren't out catching REAL crooks, then light 'em up and see if you can stay in front.

Be prepared I am aware that two of the four riders on the bikes are quite competent B grade riders from Penrith Panthers and I am sure they would be happy to meet the challenge.

[misterpms]

Not an M7 cycleway experience per se: I copped my first bit of abuse from a driver this morning. I was riding down Camden Valley Way in the left most lane just after the turn-off onto the M7 and M5 motorways and before Ash rd when a bogan in a 4WD overtook me and screamed out "Get your own f*cking lane!". I contemplated giving him the finger but an angry bogan behind a big car is something I'm not looking to aggravate, not unless someone can invent a really dense, yet lightweight pump .

He would have lost what, 10-15 seconds max. ?

[Boognoss]

Not an M7 cycleway experience per se: I copped my first bit of abuse from a driver this morning. I was riding down Camden Valley Way in the left most lane just after the turn-off onto the M7 and M5 motorways and before Ash rd when a bogan in a 4WD overtook me and screamed out "Get your own f*cking lane!". I contemplated giving him the finger but an angry bogan behind a big car is something I'm not looking to aggravate, not unless someone can invent a really dense, yet lightweight pump .

He would have lost what, 10-15 seconds max. ?

On a Sunday morning too. Must have been running late for church . What a !! BAN ME NOW FOR SWEARING !!.....