Cycling: issues/noticeboard

[Martin McCabe]

When is the ride?

That will be on Sunday 5th December, 9am at Goose Green Texaco Garage. These rides are held every other Sunday, a full listing can be found under the ECG (E'dulwich Cycle Group) section.

Will the group be honoured with Lady Mucks presents?

[Ladymuck]

Martin McCabe Wrote:

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> Will the group be honoured with Lady Mucks

> presents?

Erm...presents? I mean, I am aware that Christmas is around the corner but...

Either way - non - regrettably, time constraints mean that cycling, for me, is not for pleasure: merely commuting. Though that is not to say that I do not derive pleasure from travelling by bike - if that makes sense? But good luck with the ride - should be good (your rides are certainly popular Mr. McCabe).

[Ladymuck]

Wednesday: paid ?7.20 for a zone 1/2 Travelcard: in morning had to walk from ED to Camberwell in order to catch a bus...froze as stranded for over an hour at London Bridge in evening.

Anyone else miss using their bike to commute?

[malumbu]

Journey times this week into work - Monday 30 minutes, Tuesday 35 minutes, Wednesday 40 minutes, Thursday two hours, Friday 40 minutes. Guess which day I took the bus in? And I was grateful that unlike the trains at least they were running.

And thanks to the twot in the metal box who came up behind me tonight and hooted as I turned right off Forest Hill Road. Yes I really appreciated you doing that whilst I was carefully manoevering over icy roads.

[Moos]

Kudos to the guy cycling home earlier this week wearing a fluorescent orange jacket, a yellow fluorescent cover on his rucksack, lights on his bike and flashing lights on his helmet - it's scary how invisible dark-clad cyclists are on dark evenings. Also, he looked cool, in a don't-give-a-toss kind of way.

[Ladymuck]

Yes, respect to any cyclists cycling this week. I attempted to cycle on Monday - far too slippery - got as far as the top of my road. Had to turn around and push the bike back to my house.

Does anybody on here have bikes fitted with winter tyres or tyre chains? And how do they perform? I have standard tyres (not even mountain bike tyres) and I was skidding all over the place on Monday.

Oh I miss my bike!

[binary_star]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> Oh I miss my bike!

Me too!

[Horsebox]

Wednesday was the only day I didn't cycle in. Found that sticking to the -relatively empty - main roads was manageable, at a reduced speed.

E2A: No snow tyres, LM, just my normal skinny road wheels.

(Do snow chains really exist for bikes?)

[Ladymuck]

> (Do snow chains really exist for bikes?)

Well, I was under the impression that they might. But can I find anywhere that sells them? Nope. Sorry if I put anyone's hopes up.

You can, however, make your own: not sure what Health and Safety would have to say about them though. Alternatively, I read that you can improvise with cable ties...hmmmm can't see them lasting too long and ditto safety concerns...

The nearest thing to snow chains would probably be studded tyres as used in Scandinavia and Canada for example.

I may be going to Finland in January. If so, I'll ask around there and report back.

[Applespider]

I miss mine too although it wasn't just fear of skidding myself that I was worried about. Given some of the v dodgy driving on snow, I didn't really fancy being out there with drivers who couldn't control their vehicles when I was around. I walked to Brixton on Thursday morning following quite a bit of my regular bike route there... and it took me 3 times longer :'(

[anotherrichard]

http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/c2-1059-ice-spiker.html

This would be a link to studded tyres. Useful once in a while I guess!

[felt-tip]

I miss my bike. It's only when she isn't around that I appreciate how special she is. I'm sorry for even thinking about upgrading earlier in the year.

[Ladymuck]

I visited our shed today to retrieve a pumpkin for tomorrow's dinner and was appalled to find cobwebs on my bike! Never has that happened before. Cobwebs!:'(

[Horsebox]

Why aren't you people riding your bikes(?)

[felt-tip]

The icy conditions Horsebox, they make for a perilous ride.

[Ladymuck]

Yes, it's the ice - snow is not a problem (for me anyway).

[tomchance]

Here's another take on a DIY snow/ice fit-out for your bike:

http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/Seattle_Snowpocalypse/

Only works if you have disc brakes, mind.

[Ladymuck]

Boo hoo...my bike has rim brakes...

*sniff*

[Proj London Health]

Happy New Year to all!

The ECG (E'dulwich Cycle Group) starts again next Sunday, 10am meeting at Goose Green Texaco. The first ride will be very easy along the Thames, just a couple of hours to get those joints & muscles back to shape. This group is FREE.

Also, if you are feeling guilty about those extra pounds over Christmas, the Fitness in the Park restarts next Saturday on the Rye, meeting at the Caf? for 10am. Its completly FREE and aimed at powerwalkers, joggers, with some stretching, toning and Chi Gung exercise thrown in too at the end.

See you there on either Sat, Sun or both.

McCabe.

[Ladymuck]

For cyclists perpetually on the look-out for green spaces in London via gadgetry, check out: the London Cycle Routes eBook.

[Fabricio the Guido]

Is there an App for that?

[karter]

Which is the toughest d-lock available to buy please?

[karter]

Steve of this forum answered the above on where to buy a good d-lock, thanks Steve. (He's not still banned is he?). Some bugger tried to steal our bikes by jumping over the fence, fortunately they are secured to a very very long ladder.

[Ladymuck]

You keep a ladder in your garden? A very, very, long ladder? And you are worried about your bikes?

[karter]

400 love.:))

Oh, yes, i do keep a very very long ladder in the garden, that is also chained up, to the fence.