There doesn’t seem to be a thread for commuting stories, so I thought I’d start one with mine this morning.
Currently doing a short commute of 6km - about 20 mins riding. It was wet this morning, but I got off between showers and expected a more or less dry run. I was even a little early… for a change.
Then the front tyre went flat.
And the rain started.
So I got to work both late AND wet.
It’s okay, the rain stopped and we had a good day…until knock off time… when it started raining again.
That’s why I have to get back into the habit of commuting every day - I’se waaaayyyy too cuddly now. My excuse is that I have to ride up Flagstaff Hill to get home… or up the Expressway which is longer but slightly less horrid. At the moment, it kills me on my geared bike with it’s 30x32 granny gear - and to think I used to do it on the fixed gear.
Currently, I’m driving to the bottom of the hill and riding to work from there. It’s a cheat but I’m trying to build some strength and fitness while establishing the habit before reintroducing the big climb. In recent times, after I stopped commuting and developed a Garfield like physique, I’ve jumped into riding that damned hill and, predictably, stopped soon after.
I can’t believe I used to do this everyday, on a fixed gear shakes head and walks away muttering
a Guy I know in melbs was riding his sweet fixie to work!
A guy in a range rover pulled out and wedged him between another car.
The guy on the sweet fixie hit his side mirror out of anger, and ripped it off.
The guy in the range rover tried to chase him.
The guy on the bike got to work really fast that day, man if he had strava back then he would of got some PR’s thats for sure.
THE END
I just approach commuting like a comedy show and its great.
People riding on flat tyres, racks about to fall off, wheels that are so out of true they hit both brake pads each rotation, middle aged dudes absolutely destroying themselves on 20 year old MTBs that have never been serviced.
If I commute the most direct way to work (straight up Botany Road for those playing in Sydney) I usually pick a car around the Mascot area and see if i can beat it to redfern. I have done it a few times, depending on lights & traffic, and once or twice can even get to redfern station, which is up the only hill I have to ride, before my ‘victim’ does. Other times however I just left in the dust.
Also everytime I ride i deliberately try to fuck taxis off…usually they speed past me to a red light then go on the inside lane to “beat” the traffic. I go in front of them, then find it really difficult to clip in or something and go really slowly. It is so much fun. Sydney cabbies are so highly strung.
I got accused of wheelsucking today. The story was that I was heading home down Gardiner’s Creek, I was following these guys who were fanging it but I couldn’t quite keep up. They overtake a slower guy on a flat bar. By this stage I’m stuffed and it’s only about 800 metres to my turn off, most of it twists and turns and blind corners. So I slow down and sit behind the flat bar. We were only doing about 15-20k/h. Did I mention the head wind? I’m about 1 - 2 metres behind him when we go through the tunnel under Burke Road, around the bushes then he turns and asks why I’m trailing him. Really? what’s the big deal? This is one of the busiest paths in Melbourne, there’s almost always somebody either just behind or just ahead, especially at peak hour. Maybe the thrumming of the cyclo-cross tyres was putting him off. So he slows right down, I overtake and immediately turn off.
So there you go. I’m one of those wheelsucker bastards.
They promised rain today. Pity I’d taken my big light off at the start of daylight saving, and with all the wiring and separate battery, I didn’t think it was worth putting back on, so I thought I’d refit my battery light.
Found the base right off.
Reckon I could find the light itself? After some searching, I sat down for a grump and a think.
Got up again for another look.
No luck. Considered going out to the shed to dig in some boxes.
Brainstorm - found light tucked away in a bag of bike polo stuff (huh?).
Turned it on - didn’t work. Not surprised, batteries probably flat from just sitting around.
Twisted the front off to change the batteries - innards wouldn’t drop out.
Much cursing and banging and poking and prodding. Finally worked out it was a plate in the system that had shifted and was jamming things. Used a screwdriver to dig it out.
Fixed plate. Fitted new batteries. Put it back together.
Didn’t work.
Oh look, it does if you hold it nose down and shake it.
Twist off the front again - there are two small contacts. Lift these up a bit with a screwdriver. Refit front of light.
Press button.
Nothing happens.
Press again. Light works - it seems you have to hold your tongue at the right angle.
Try to fit base to bike. The clamp’s too big. Got some packing, it’s only twice the width of the clamp but it does the job.
Fit light.
Everything works.
Today’s commute.
We got rain alright… in the middle of the day! Dry trip there, dry trip back again.
