First Commute tomorrow!

[Msa]

Well, the commute/hacker/winter bike is now complete. Purchased a steel framed Peugeot from eBay for
£35, stripped it down to the bare frame, installed new bearings in bottom bracket and headset and
rebuilt with all new cables and grease in all the right places. Retrued the wheels and fitted new
tyres and tubes. Test rode the bike last week and made some minor adjustments to the gearing, it now
rides like a new bike, 'almost' comparable to one that cost me a four figure sum. I've fitted a rack
and bag, and just need a set of low clearance mudguards to complete the set up.

Today I took in four shirts, four sets of underwear, 2 pairs of trousers, a pair of shoes, along
with a towel and necessary toiletries.

Tomorrow will be my first commute, and I intend carrying it through for the rest of the week. I've
worked out a route that keeps me off the main drag (A13 for those that know it), and a return
journey will se my clocking up 48 miles. So I'll have just under 200 miles to my name by Friday,
that should mean I won't have to go out in the evenings for any training rides this week!

I'll be setting off in the dark, and returning in the dark, but what the hell, I'm on my bike!
Light, and warm nights will be something to look forward though.

I'll let you know how I get on at the end of the week.

Be lucky everyone.

--
Mark (MSA) This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling of contents may
have occurred during transmission

 

[Simonb]

MSA wrote:
> a return journey will se my clocking up 48 miles. So I'll have just under 200 miles to my name
> by Friday

I used to think I worked about the ideal distance from home (8 miles) for commuting. Now, I'd prefer
to live quite a bit further away. We're looking to buy a new home at the mo, and this is one of the
buying criteria I'm pushing for.

Enjoy your commuting/training! And yes, I'm really looking forward to the longer days now. I have
officially had enough of winter.

Simon

 

[Adrian Boliston]

"Simonb" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> I used to think I worked about the ideal distance from home (8 miles) for commuting. Now, I'd
> prefer to live quite a bit further away. We're looking to buy a new home at the mo, and this is
> one of the buying criteria I'm pushing for.

If you live too close you can always plan in an extra loop to clock up the miles. That's what I
usually do once we get decent daylight at going home time, and I start using my "summer" bike for
the commute.

 

[Elyob]

"MSA" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Today I took in four shirts, four sets of underwear, 2 pairs of trousers, a pair of shoes, along
> with a towel and necessary toiletries.
>

I feel really lazy ... same shirt all week, but it's only four hours a day at the moment, and only
did four days.

I'm not going to admit pants and socks count ...

> Tomorrow will be my first commute, and I intend carrying it through for the rest of the week. I've
> worked out a route that keeps me off the main drag (A13 for those that know it), and a return
> journey will se my clocking up 48 miles. So I'll have just under 200 miles to my name by Friday,
> that should mean I won't have to go out in the evenings for any training rides this week!

I'm 10 miles each way, started last week. It's the best part of my day.That's quite a mileage each
day for a minimum, but I'm sure you are up to it (Otherwise you wouldn't consider it!).

>
> I'll be setting off in the dark, and returning in the dark, but what the hell, I'm on my bike!
> Light, and warm nights will be something to look forward though.

I prefer night times myself, I love my lumicycles.

>
> I'll let you know how I get on at the end of the week.

I look forward to hearing that you sold your car too

 

[Robert McDonald]

> Tomorrow will be my first commute, and I intend carrying it through for the rest of the week.
Good on yer! I've been commuting all winter (aye, for the past 15 years!) and I took the car
yesterday as my wife had been feeling unwell during the night and I might have to get home
sharpish like.

She was fine but it took me 90 minutes to get from the Glasgow to East Kilbride (no special
holdups). It usually is under an hour on the bike every night on exactly the same route.

How do folks in cars do that every night (I usually get asked that my drivers!) and morning. I
almost feel sorry for them, especially as today's bright and sunny.

Is it time to go home yet?

> I'll let you know how I get on at the end of the week.
Looking forward to it, keep it up.

Robert

 

[Msa]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
> training rides this week!
>
> I'm 10 miles each way, started last week. It's the best part of my day.That's quite a mileage each
> day for a minimum, but I'm sure you are up to it (Otherwise you wouldn't consider it!).

I'll let you know in a few weeks!

>
> I look forward to hearing that you sold your car too
>

If I didn't have to travel so far to races in the middle of nowhere I might consider it. Getting to
'Ugley' (yes, that's the right name!) for 7am in the morning is impossible by public transport.

Working for a large motor manufacturer I also need to buy new cars regularly to make sure I keep the
company in profit!

Will report back at end of week.

--
Mark (MSA) This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling of contents may
have occurred during transmission

 

[Msa]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> On Mon, 16 Feb 2004 20:32:52 +0000, MSA wrote:
>
> >
> > Tomorrow will be my first commute, and I intend carrying it through for the rest of the week.
> > I've worked out a route that keeps me off the main drag (A13 for those that know it), and a
> > return journey will se my
>
> See my post in the Stealth Mission thread. Looks like there will be a decent bike path parallel to
> the A13, from the Barking Creek flyover, past Canning Town and on to the Isle of Dogs. The setup
> is the road carriageway, a kerb and verge about a foot wide, a green tarmac bike path wide enough
> for two bikes, a line of raised bricks (pyramid-shaped things - not sure about the technical term)
> then a paved footway. Hopefully pedestrians will keep to the footway, and cyclists will be able to
> get a decent speed up. (ps. this is not a cue for a slagging pedestrians thread. Its flagging up
> what looks like a decent facility on a very busy road).
>

Most of it is already in place. I do my evening training on the IOD's and jump on the green path at
the end of Movers Lane, it takes me nearly on to the Island (?). It's not that long, but a damn
sight safer than trying to keep up with the traffic on the A13.

My commute takes me in the other direction, I work in Basildon. I've got a great route taking me out
through Aveley, Ockendon South and North and through Bulphan into Laindon. It adds a few miles, but
I have a better chance of arriving in one piece! The views are nice too, but there sure are some
funny smells around the part of the countryside!

--
Mark (MSA) This post is packaged by intellectual weight, not volume. Some settling of contents may
have occurred during transmission