View Full Version : Progress 3: This Time It's Personal
Progress 3: This Time It's Personal
My delivery from Tchibo arrived this morning, so to test
them out, I cycled in to the library in town. Only 2.6
miles or so, but it did involve cycling in heavy traffic
for the first time. (I've been on roads, but only with
light traffic)
Well, I survived. Went around the busy roundabout at the
A470 intersection, cycled through the town centre, hit 18
MPH on the flat for the first time as I tried to keep up
with traffic. Cycling back, I chickened out on the
roundabout (I had to go 3/4 around it, and the traffic was
actually flowing a little faster than it had been) and
pushed the bike around the pavement. Still, next time should
be different - one of the books I borrowed was Cyclecraft :)
As for the Tchibo stuff - well, I bought lycra cycle shorts.
Very nice, I like the padding. I wore them under jogging
bottoms, though, for the benefit of others. I also bought
the fingerless padded gloves, which I thought were excellent
value at £4, and a pair of shades which are ok, especially
for another £4. Can anyone tell me if their £18 waterproof
jacket is any good? I'm tempted. I have a waterproof, but
it's pretty bulky, not really convenient for cycling.
I'm still suffering through cotton t-shirts, though. I
definitely need to get something more suitable. Does anyone
know of anywhere that sells
--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ We have always
been at war with Eurasia
Keith Willoughby wrote:
> As for the Tchibo stuff - well, I bought lycra cycle
> shorts. Very nice, I like the padding. I wore them under
> jogging bottoms, though, for the benefit of others. I also
> bought the fingerless padded gloves, which I thought were
> excellent value at £4, and a pair of shades which are ok,
> especially for another £4. Can anyone tell me if their £18
> waterproof jacket is any good? I'm tempted. I have a
> waterproof, but it's pretty bulky, not really convenient
> for cycling.
My daughter bought one last week and it seems exceptional
value for money and is very well made. It is reputedly
waterproof and breathable, has a good mesh liner and even
has a removeable fleece gilet which can be worn by
itself. I've considered getting one myself. She's only
used it twice, but neither time in the rain, so we cannot
comment on that aspect yet, but it looks as if it will be
up to the job.
John B
<JohnB> wrote:
> Keith Willoughby wrote:
>
>> As for the Tchibo stuff - well, I bought lycra cycle
>> shorts. Very nice, I like the padding. I wore them under
>> jogging bottoms, though, for the benefit of others. I
>> also bought the fingerless padded gloves, which I thought
>> were excellent value at £4, and a pair of shades which
>> are ok, especially for another £4. Can anyone tell me if
>> their £18 waterproof jacket is any good? I'm tempted. I
>> have a waterproof, but it's pretty bulky, not really
>> convenient for cycling.
>
> My daughter bought one last week and it seems exceptional
> value for money and is very well made. It is reputedly
> waterproof and breathable, has a good mesh liner and even
> has a removeable fleece gilet which can be worn by itself.
> I've considered getting one myself. She's only used it
> twice, but neither time in the rain, so we cannot comment
> on that aspect yet, but it looks as if it will be up to
> the job.
Thanks! I think I'll order one, then.
--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ Keep on
keeping on.
>As for the Tchibo stuff - well, I bought lycra cycle
>shorts.
Tchibo stuff is good value, basic (and sometimes not so
basic) stuff. The company also seems to have its
ordering/delivery problems sorted out too, which is all
well and good.
Over the Christmas period, my son went on a ski holiday with
his school, and I kitted him out with skiwear from Tchibo.
The only letdown were the gloves, which were *not*
waterproof as advertised. The salopettes were quite
excellent though, and half the price of what I would have
had to pay for similar quality in local shops. I bought
myself & son some of the Lycra cycling shorts this time
round and they look excellent value. Plus I got son the
waterproof bottoms
- as he'll be cycling to & from sixth form, so they'll
come in handy.
Cheers, helen s
--This is an invalid email address to avoid spam-- to get
correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$
Keith Willoughby wrote:
> My delivery from Tchibo arrived this morning, so to test
> them out, I cycled in to the library in town.
Excellent - giving your body a workout on the way to giving
your mind a workout?
> Cycling back, I chickened out on the roundabout (I had to
> go 3/4 around it, and the traffic was actually flowing a
> little faster than it had been)
There's no shame in that - roundabouts are evil, especially
when they're on busy main roads. You just can't rely on
motorists to help you out - either they do signal and don't
turn, or don't signal and do turn... I find the trick with
turning right at roundabouts is to signal well in advance,
keep glancing back to check what the traffic behind you is
doing and when you get a suitable opportunity, move out into
the middle of the lane so that there isn't space for anyone
to try passing you *on either side*. Of course, it's not as
easy as that makes it sound and I often find myself stopping
before I reach the roundabout and waiting for a gap in the
traffic...
> Can anyone tell me if their £18 waterproof jacket is any
> good? I'm tempted. I have a waterproof, but it's pretty
> bulky, not really convenient for cycling.
You'll probably find the Tchibo waterproof is better than
any non-cycling jacket if only for the shape of it - longer
at the back to cover your ****, and shorter at the front so
it doesn't bunch up when you're leaning forwards over your
handlebars. And Tchibo clothing is generally well made and
fit for purpose - designed for the leisure user rather than
the serious sportsman, but who cares about that?
I got myself a Tchibo sleeveless windproof jacket recently
and I've been very pleased with it.
> I'm still suffering through cotton t-shirts, though. I
> definitely need to get something more suitable. Does
> anyone know of anywhere that sells
stretch to fit, plus you won't have to buy a smaller top
when you've worked off the excess pounds through cycling.
Anyway, Tchibo's cycling vests - windproof at the front,
mesh at the back for ventilation and made of high-wicking
fabric. I would think that one of those under even a cotton
T-shirt would at least keep your skin dry and warm.
In any case, keep up the good work - I've only been back in
the saddle with any kind of serious intent since Christmas
and I'm already feeling the benefit, as detailed in my own
recent progress report.
d.
>> I'm still suffering through cotton t-shirts, though. I
>> definitely need to get something more suitable. Does
>> anyone know of anywhere that sells
>
>stretch to fit, plus you won't have to buy a smaller top
>when you've worked off the excess pounds through cycling.
Speaking of the joy of Lycra for we larger types - Lusso is
a good make, reasonably priced, that does large sizes. And
its stuff is made in the UK! Rare these days!
Cheers, helen s
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correct one remove dependency on fame & fortune h*$el*$$e**-
nd***$o$ts***i*$*$m**m$$o*n**s@$*$a$$o**l.c**$*$om$$
<david kenning> wrote:
[...]
>> I'm still suffering through cotton t-shirts, though. I
>> definitely need to get something more suitable. Does
>> anyone know of anywhere that sells
>
> stretch to fit, plus you won't have to buy a smaller top
> when you've worked off the excess pounds through cycling.
Heh. I was trying to avoid the 'badly made sausage' look. :)
Thanks for all the advice!
--
Keith Willoughby http://flat222.org/keith/ Fair and balanced
On 13 Mar 2004 18:30:25 GMT, wafflycathcs@aol.comcomcom
(dirtylitterboxofferingstospammers) wrote:
>... I got son the waterproof bottoms
I thought everyone has a waterproof bottom :-)
I'll get my (waterproof) coat.
--
MatSav
Keith Willoughby <keith@flat222.org>typed
> My delivery from Tchibo arrived this morning, so to test
> them out, I cycled in to the library in town. Only 2.6
> miles or so, but it did involve cycling in heavy traffic
> for the first time. (I've been on roads, but only with
> light traffic)
> Well, I survived. Went around the busy roundabout at the
> A470 intersection, cycled through the town centre, hit 18
> MPH on the flat for the first time as I tried to keep up
> with traffic. Cycling back, I chickened out on the
> roundabout (I had to go 3/4 around it, and the traffic was
> actually flowing a little faster than it had been) and
> pushed the bike around the pavement. Still, next time
> should be different - one of the books I borrowed was
> Cyclecraft :)
> As for the Tchibo stuff - well, I bought lycra cycle
> shorts. Very nice, I like the padding. I wore them under
> jogging bottoms, though, for the benefit of others. I also
> bought the fingerless padded gloves, which I thought were
> excellent value at £4, and a pair of shades which are ok,
> especially for another £4. Can anyone tell me if their £18
> waterproof jacket is any good? I'm tempted. I have a
> waterproof, but it's pretty bulky, not really convenient
> for cycling.
> I'm still suffering through cotton t-shirts, though. I
> definitely need to get something more suitable. Does
> anyone know of anywhere that sells
Last year's jacket seems to have kept my David warm and dry.
The reflective label has fallen off though. The rest seems
fine. There's another cyclist in Camden Cycling Campaign who
has worn his Tchibo jacket more than David. His jacket
seemed fine last Monday.
--
Helen D. Vecht: helenvecht@zetnet.co.uk Edgware.
On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 08:35:42 +0000 (UTC), "david kenning"
<david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote:
>> Cycling back, I chickened out on the roundabout (I had to
>> go 3/4 around it, and the traffic was actually flowing a
>> little faster than it had been)
>
>There's no shame in that - roundabouts are evil, especially
>when they're on busy main roads. You just can't rely on
>motorists to help you out - either they do signal and don't
>turn, or don't signal and do turn... I find the trick with
>turning right at roundabouts is to signal well in advance,
>keep glancing back to check what the traffic behind you is
>doing and when you get a suitable opportunity, move out
>into the middle of the lane so that there isn't space for
>anyone to try passing you *on either side*.
Hi David
I had a close one yesterday when riding through a local
roundabout. The roundabout has three entrances/exits spaced
roughly 120 degrees apart. It's neither a mini-roundabout
nor is it a large one; it's a medium sized beast.
My intention was to take the second exit.
When I was just about to pass the first exit a red Ford
Escort approaching from that entrance either failed to see
or, more likely, assumed was going to turn left. The car
entered the roundabout and slammed on its brakes. I was
already slowing as I had a thought that the car was not
going to stop.
The driver accused me of not signalling, which was not true.
My right arm was out to indicate my intention to turn right.
I realized after the fact that the driver probably was
not able to see my right side as the rest of my body was
in the way.
There was no other traffic in the area so I was able to
avoid her car and she was able to brake reasonably safely.
James
James Hodson wrote:
> I had a close one yesterday when riding through a local
> roundabout.
That could have been nasty. I had another fairly typical
roundabout experience today: another medium-sized
roundabout, this one with four exits (let's number them 1-4
clockwise for convenience). Plonker in Escort (what is it
about Escort drivers?) enters roundabout at exit 1,
*signalling right* - so I assume that he's intending to get
off at exit 4. I'm waiting my turn at exit 2, also intending
to take exit 4. So I slip out, aiming to tuck in behind
Escortman - only for him to veer off down exit 3, almost
taking my front wheel off!
I don't know if he was still signalling right at that point
- obviously I don't know, because his right indicators were
on the far side of the car by that point - but I can say
with my hand on my heart that he certainly wasn't
signalling left.
> The driver accused me of not signalling, which was
> not true.
I suppose it's possible that he didn't see your signal - but
I suspect he probably wasn't really looking. It's incredible
the number of car drivers who seem to think they don't have
to wait at junctions (roundabouts, T-junctions, whatever)
for bikes, even when those bikes have right of way and are
approaching downhill at car-like speed... OK, so maybe
banging on her window and waving a fist as I passed was
aggressive behaviour, but she started it!
d.
On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 20:50:39 +0000 (UTC), "david kenning"
<david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote:
>> I had a close one yesterday when riding through a local
>> roundabout.
>
>That could have been nasty.
And a few moments later I had a puncture so I had to carry
the bike the rest of the way home. Actually, it was more of
an explosive decompression than a puncture.
James
On Sun, 14 Mar 2004 20:50:39 +0000 (UTC), "david kenning"
<david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote:
>That could have been nasty. I had another fairly typical
>roundabout experience today: another medium-sized
>roundabout, this one with four exits (let's number them 1-4
>clockwise for convenience). Plonker in Escort (what is it
>about Escort drivers?) enters roundabout at exit 1,
>*signalling right* - so I assume that he's intending to get
>off at exit 4. I'm waiting my turn at exit 2, also
>intending to take exit 4. So I slip out, aiming to tuck in
>behind Escortman - only for him to veer off down exit 3,
>almost taking my front wheel off!
If I understand you correctly, the driver intention was
to carry straight on at the roundabout but signalled
right to indicate he was not turning left at the first
available exit.
Annoying.
James
"david kenning" <david.nospam.kenning@which.nospam.net> wrote in message
news:c32giv$mnk$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> James Hodson wrote:
> > I had a close one yesterday when riding through a local
> > roundabout.
>
> That could have been nasty. I had another fairly typical
> roundabout experience today: another medium-sized
> roundabout, this one with four
exits
> (let's number them 1-4 clockwise for convenience). Plonker
> in Escort (what is it about Escort drivers?) enters
> roundabout at exit 1, *signalling right* - so I assume
> that he's intending to get off at exit 4. I'm waiting my
> turn at exit 2, also intending to take exit 4. So I slip
> out, aiming to tuck in behind Escortman - only for him to
> veer off down exit 3, almost taking my front wheel off!
A surprising number of people think this is a sensible way
to signal at roundabouts - people have defended the practice
on other ngs.
It's obviously stupid, for the reasons you point out, but it
is worth remembering that it happens.
cheers, clive
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