On the commute today

[mrcharly-YHT]

The little handles screw in - phone carradice, they'll send you replacements FoC.

[alexb]

Had company riding in for most of my route today, so got to have a nice chat for a change. Very pleasant.

[Arno]

The little handles screw in - phone carradice, they'll send you replacements FoC.

In my version they're pressed... there is no thread in the rod.

[mrcharly-YHT]

The little handles screw in - phone carradice, they'll send you replacements FoC.

In my version they're pressed... there is no thread in the rod.

That's wierd - and sounds so wrong. It doesn't sound right at all.

When I phoned, they posted out a set of replacement springs, the rod and the handle, FoC, for both sides. I reassembled with locktite and haven't had any problems since.

[niggle]

Riding in was the easy bit.  NWesterly is pretty much a tailwind and it wasn't raining.  For going home time the wind is supposedly stronger, Westerly and it will be raining

Ditto to all the above. Balmy 11°C temperature does compensate a bit though.

[Arno]

The little handles screw in - phone carradice, they'll send you replacements FoC.

In my version they're pressed... there is no thread in the rod.

That's wierd - and sounds so wrong. It doesn't sound right at all.

When I phoned, they posted out a set of replacement springs, the rod and the handle, FoC, for both sides. I reassembled with locktite and haven't had any problems since.

They might do the same to me... this link http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-035/000.html  mentions changes in 2009 from screwed to press-fit pins.

edit: within 12 minutes of me leaving a message on their website, Margaret had emailed me an offer to send spares FoC!  First class customerservice as mentioned a number of times on this forum.

[mrcharly-YHT]

The little handles screw in - phone carradice, they'll send you replacements FoC.

In my version they're pressed... there is no thread in the rod.

That's wierd - and sounds so wrong. It doesn't sound right at all.

When I phoned, they posted out a set of replacement springs, the rod and the handle, FoC, for both sides. I reassembled with locktite and haven't had any problems since.

They might do the same to me... this link http://pardo.net/bike/pic/fail-035/000.html  mentions changes in 2009 from screwed to press-fit pins.

edit: within 12 minutes of me leaving a message on their website, Margaret had emailed me an offer to send spares FoC!  First class customerservice as mentioned a number of times on this forum.

That change is about the setscrews that hold the support frame in place, not the handles on the QR.

Interesting site, lots of useful info, thanks for the link.

[citoyen]

I rode off, wondering if I had ridden right  through a blip in the time space continuum into an alternative reality.

Had a similarly pleasant surprise encounter with a cabbie this morning. As I turned left off a main road onto a side street, I had to brake to avoid running into a cabbie who was doing a U-turn. No biggie from my point of view, didn't think he'd done anything particularly egregious, so I waved him on... But he leaned out of his window, apologised and insisted I go first! So I smiled, thanked him, and went on my way.

All this courtesy on London's streets... What is the world coming to? 

d.

[Arno]

That change is about the setscrews that hold the support frame in place, not the handles on the QR.

Interesting site, lots of useful info, thanks for the link.

mmm ok.

Here are the instructions I got from Carradice:

I'll get it in the post today Arnout.
‎ 
They just push in - you will probably need to put the clamp in a vice and hold the pin with pliers ‎then knock it in with a hammer.
‎ 
Kind regards
‎ 
Margaret

They must  have changed the design a bit.

[CommuteTooFar]

I thought the 15 miles of headwind was not that bad this morning. Then I arrived at work and realised I was dripping with sweat and was 15 minutes late.  Still should be a fast ride home this evening.

[Wendy]

I rode off, wondering if I had ridden right  through a blip in the time space continuum into an alternative reality.

Had a similarly pleasant surprise encounter with a cabbie this morning. As I turned left off a main road onto a side street, I had to brake to avoid running into a cabbie who was doing a U-turn. No biggie from my point of view, didn't think he'd done anything particularly egregious, so I waved him on... But he leaned out of his window, apologised and insisted I go first! So I smiled, thanked him, and went on my way.

All this courtesy on London's streets... What is the world coming to? 

d.

To be fair, most of my experiences are like this. People are generally very nice, but the problem is that it also doesn't take very long to encounter several thousand drivers on a long London commute, and usually at least one of those will be cockwombles. I reckon all the niceness way more than makes up for the minority.

[Tim Hall]

Rode in on Mrs. Hall's Trek folder. Still a great laugh.

Stuck in a jam a 100 yards from work (a bit of roadworks/traffic light induced local gridlock), a fag end comes flying out of a window from a car stuck in the other direction lane.

Time passes and the traffic inches forward. She's now opposite me, window open.

"Excuse me" I say
She looks at me
"Has your car got an ash tray?"
Blanks me. Stares straight ahead
"Ooh" I say "The funny looking cyclist is talking to me"
Blanks me. Stares ahead more.

And then the lights changed and I went on my way.

[iddu]

"Has your car got an ash tray?""I believe this belongs to you" (flick recovered dog-end thru window, ride on)

FTFY

[GruB]

Rainlegs were put to good use for the torrential ride home.

[Tim Hall]

"Has your car got an ash tray?""I believe this belongs to you" (flick recovered dog-end thru window, ride on)

FTFY

Denizen of urc, and Lewisham cyclist, Tom Crispin once batted one back, in a reflex kind of way.

[niggle]

All that standing water on the way home, I would have been better off paddling rather than pedalling 

[corshamjim]

It was a rough ride home even down here in Wiltshire.  I dread to think what it's been like oop north.

[tonycollinet]

Indeed - in fact I think I actually went backwards* at one point.








*possibly a slight exaggeration.

[CamPhil]

Indeed - in fact I think I actually went backwards* at one point.



*possibly a slight exaggeration.

I did once manage that on short finals to land in a Cessna 152 into a strong headwind.
I don't believe it's possible to do a shorter landing in a fixed wing aircraft than I managed that day - I only needed the brakes to avoid going backwards (again).

[citoyen]

It was extremely blowy and raining heavily when I left the office, so I decided against my usual ride to Bromley. The short hop to Victoria was quite hard enough work - it was bad enough that I felt the need to stick to back streets to avoid mixing with cars in those conditions.

The train got as far as Gillingham (after a lengthy delay at Rochester) before we were all turfed off due to another train having hit a fallen tree on the line ahead. There was supposed to be a replacement bus service but I didn't fancy trying to get my bike on the bus, especially as there were rather a lot of fellow passengers (looked like about six trains worth), mostly not in a good mood, and no sign of the promised buses.

And so I rode the last 30 miles home.

Fortunately, by then, it had at least stopped raining and the wind had calmed a little, but it was still pretty strong. Even more fortunately, it was a southwesterly and I was heading east, so I got the benefit of a strong tailwind.

I didn't realise quite how strong it was until I missed a turning and had to double back for a short way, and was almost blown to a standstill by the now-headwind.

Eventually got home at 11.30, only four and a half hours after leaving work.

d.

[Gandalf]

The wind this morning was not nice, temperature robbing and energy sapping.  Just the sort of bonus you want for Friday legs.

Still, having gained a pound this week I guess I deserve to be punished. 

It also appears that the pre-Christmas moton madness has started in earnest.  I had to use the shine of persuasion a few times to discourage parallel turns of wank (TM).

[vorsprung]

Ride home last night was pretty grim.  Into a strong headwind with rain.  It was more energy sapping and cold and slow than positively dangerous...UNTIL I came off a hill with my right eye so full of water that it hurt.  I then crossed a hump back bridge at a pinch point and the car coming the other way decided to keep on coming.  I wasn't going to stop.  We missed each other by inches and he shouted "wanker"

Gloves/shoes were still too wet to use this morning despite hanging next to the fire all night

[GruB]

Ride in was chilly - as was the ride home.
177 miles this week on the fixed for 8789 calories. 
I am looking forward to no riding on Saturday and Sunday for a change.

[Titan yer Tummy]

Had a similarly pleasant surprise encounter with a cabbie this morning. As I turned left off a main road onto a side street, I had to brake to avoid running into a cabbie who was doing a U-turn. No biggie from my point of view, didn't think he'd done anything particularly egregious, so I waved him on... But he leaned out of his window, apologised and insisted I go first! So I smiled, thanked him, and went on my way.

All this courtesy on London's streets... What is the world coming to? 

d.

Please report this to the police. There can be little doubt that the cab was stolen

[tonycollinet]

Commute home last night - first all week with no headwind. Ironically, the first night of the week where I *didn't* have Friday Legs