Did my first bike commute this morning

[beeb1506]

Tucked the jeans into the socks, ignored the drizzle and made it in 10 mins vs the normal 35 minute walk - very happy. Only problem was I had rather more adrenalin in my system than when I normally arrive at work!

[ni78ck]

great stuff! the jeans in the sock is aa worry though

[hartleymartin]

You can get various straps and things to go around the bottom of your pants. Otherwise you can just roll up the right leg a little. Better still, get a bicycle with a chain-guard.

[beeb1506]

great stuff! the jeans in the sock is aa worry though

It's a bit old-school I admit but it works, besides I can't be bothered changing into road shorts for a 10 minute ride.

You can get various straps and things to go around the bottom of your pants. Otherwise you can just roll up the right leg a little. Better still, get a bicycle with a chain-guard.

They used to be called trouser clips I think, I might well invest in some. Having just bought a new bike for commuting on, buying another with a chain-guard might be a bit of a stretch!!! It does have a chainring guard already so there's some protection there.

[Kalgrm]

Well done Beeb. Don't worry about the sock thing* - just enjoy yourself.

Cheers,
Graeme

(I do it when I'm riding with my kid to his school. It's not like I'm trying to pick-up or anything ... I'm just riding my bike. )

[casual_cyclist]

They used to be called trouser clips I think, I might well invest in some.

I used to use those. I found them very convenient.

[hartleymartin]

A rather rusty steel trouser clip was found on the frame of a certain green bicycle I am fixing up. Someone from my bicycle club offered to give me some chromed steel ones that he still had. I said YES PLEASE! Just looking forward to the day they arrive!

[Aushiker]

G'day

Well done. Care to share more details of the ride? I assume you rode home too?

Regards
Andrew

[wombatK]

They used to be called trouser clips I think, I might well invest in some.

I used to use those. I found them very convenient.

They don't work nearly as well as double-sided tape - the clips are metal springs that don't conform very well to most leg profiles.

Bunnings have a product by Zone hardware called Cord Tape, Magic Self-Attaching Tape that's about $6 for a 2.5 m x 12.5 mm roll (in electrical section, near cable ties/accessories, makers product code CC 0479 on top left of packaging). Marketed for bundling your electrical cables together, but works like magic on trouser legs, overboots etc.,.

Cheers

[beeb1506]

G'day

Well done. Care to share more details of the ride? I assume you rode home too?

Regards
Andrew

Yes, I made it home as well! The ride is very short, just St Leonards to N. Sydney although I try to avoid the Pac Hwy as much as possible so that adds a k or 2. We'll be moving in the next few months so I reckon the new commute will be more like 12k each way from the inner-west, I thought I'd get the bike now to get a bit more used to it and also because it was a great excuse to buy a second bike!

They used to be called trouser clips I think, I might well invest in some.

I used to use those. I found them very convenient.

They don't work nearly as well as double-sided tape - the clips are metal springs that don't conform very well to most leg profiles.

Bunnings have a product by Zone hardware called Cord Tape, Magic Self-Attaching Tape that's about $6 for a 2.5 m x 12.5 mm roll (in electrical section, near cable ties/accessories, makers product code CC 0479 on top left of packaging). Marketed for bundling your electrical cables together, but works like magic on trouser legs, overboots etc.,.

Cheers

You've confused me with this one, isn't all tape 'self-attaching' i.e. it's sticky I must be missing something!

[wombatK]

You've confused me with this one, isn't all tape 'self-attaching' i.e. it's sticky I must be missing something!

It's not sticky to touch. Only sticky in the sense that velcro fasteners stick together.

It's a tape which has velcro-like hooks on the in-side, and velcro-like catch fabric on the other outer side. When you wrap it around cables (or your ankles) and overlap the tape, the hooks on the overlapping inner side mate with the catches on the outer. The hooks are finer than standard velcro.

Here it is wound around my leg before I cut it to size...

This is the finished result (could be tidier - I've deliberately skewed the overlap to make it clearer to see against the black trousers).

[mikesbytes]

I prefer to roll up the trouser leg, rather than tuck it into the sock.

What route did you ride beep ?

[beeb1506]

Ah, now I understand - thanks for the informative pics. Looks useful for lots of purposes - I'll pick myself up some.

The route I take varies but for instance this morning I went up Atchinson, right on Alexander, left on Holterman, right on Sophia (it's a little back alley although it's one-way the other way - I just keep an eye out), left for all of 10 mtrs on Falcon then right onto West St, left onto Carlow and then straight into the park, over to Walker for a swoop down into N Syd. It's quite choppy but I know the area well so don't have to think about it and it's a damn sight more relaxing than the Pac Hwy, especially as I'm not riding at traffic speed.

On the way home I come out on the Hwy next to the Union Hotel then take a left at the Mater and the next right that takes me all the way back to St Leonards.

[msn]

Looks useful for lots of purposes

Cord tape - Use #2
On the odd occasion when you need to take your bike on the train. Squeeze the rear brake on and wrap the lever and bar together, makes a great handbrake. Stops your bike moving when the train rocks.

Not my original idea, credit is due to another commuter who showed me this.

[Mulger bill]

Looks useful for lots of purposes

Cord tape - Use #2
On the odd occasion when you need to take your bike on the train. Squeeze the rear brake on and wrap the lever and bar together, makes a great handbrake. Stops your bike moving when the train rocks.

Not my original idea, credit is due to another commuter who showed me this.

A 25mm length of old MTB tube works as well and keeps the inner MacGyver happy.

Shaun

[tinhorn]

In these cold mornings the need for pants has driven me to use standard electrical tape - wasteful to a degree but i only use like 15cm or so each trip.

[gavinr]

In these cold mornings the need for pants has driven me to use standard electrical tape - wasteful to a degree but i only use like 15cm or so each trip.

I don't think I could make myself anything with measureable warmth out of 15cm of electrical tape

[HappyHumber]

In these cold mornings the need for pants has driven me to use standard electrical tape - wasteful to a degree but i only use like 15cm or so each trip.

I don't think I could make myself anything with measureable warmth out of 15cm of electrical tape

C'mon on where's your ingenuity; 10-12mm lengths of that should cover some of the particularly sensitive extremeties like, tip of nose, ear lobes, nipples...