Author Topic: The Good News / Bad News Thread  (Read 389785 times)

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1275 on: 03 February, 2014, 07:31:32 pm »
BN: Punctured, without any tools,money, phone, pump ... 3 miles from home.

GN: Short walk into village, first bloke I saw outside a house managed to find neglected repair kit and pump. Phew! AND he made me a nice cuppa.


Chap turned out to be an ex-Grenadier Guard - stood outside Buck Pal in a furry hat etc - which was a nice conversation to pass the time.

I can't remember the last time I've ridden that far without at least p*ture repair stuff. I was going to just spin round the estate, but thought I'd pop out to the next village ...  :facepalm:
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1276 on: 03 February, 2014, 07:44:27 pm »
BN: Punctured, without any tools,money, phone, pump ... 3 miles from home.

GN: Short walk into village, first bloke I saw outside a house managed to find neglected repair kit and pump. Phew! AND he made me a nice cuppa.


Chap turned out to be an ex-Grenadier Guard - stood outside Buck Pal in a furry hat etc - which was a nice conversation to pass the time.

I can't remember the last time I've ridden that far without at least p*ture repair stuff. I was going to just spin round the estate, but thought I'd pop out to the next village ...  :facepalm:

My tool-free limit was two miles.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1277 on: 03 February, 2014, 07:45:32 pm »
Tool free limit = from dining room to kitchen ;D
Getting there...

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1278 on: 03 February, 2014, 07:50:21 pm »
It did occur to me that "what's your tool-free limit?" might make a thread of its own!

Hadn't really thought about it before - I guess in practice it's been about a mile (unless I've forgotten some foolish excursions in the distant past). The only other deflation I can remember on that bike was when the old tyre was utterly threadbare. Chunky 26" tyres JUST DONT PUNCTURE on roads - or so I thought ...

(To reinforce this belief, I found a thorn sticking completely through the outer - but the inner was unharmed by it!)
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1279 on: 04 February, 2014, 12:54:28 am »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1280 on: 04 February, 2014, 02:25:47 pm »
Agreed.  I make it about a kilometre.  Or zero if I have reason to suspect the cycle is particularly likely to fail (eg. immediately post-fettling).

Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1281 on: 04 February, 2014, 02:35:54 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

(Ride up and down the street to check nothing falls off notwithstanding.)

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1282 on: 04 February, 2014, 02:52:55 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

That too.  I'll do journeys of my 1km no-tools range on foot, except when I want the bike to carry a load.  They're generally better at it than my knee.

Basil

  • Um....err......oh bugger!
  • Help me!
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1283 on: 04 February, 2014, 03:00:15 pm »
They're generally better at it than my knee.

I had a momentary vision of you playing 'Keepie Uppie' with your shopping as you walked back from the supermarket.
Admission.  I'm actually not that fussed about cake.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1284 on: 04 February, 2014, 03:15:00 pm »
Seems reasonable.  I don't think any attempt I've made at playing keepie uppie has been anything other than momentary.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1285 on: 04 February, 2014, 03:24:28 pm »
Even if I'm using the bike as a load trolley, I will take tools.  It's much less fun pushing a bike with a flat tyre (especially as you think of that expensive tyre being damaged with every step, and the rim at risk of damage with every kerb.
Getting there...

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1286 on: 04 February, 2014, 05:34:13 pm »
Will it take longer to walk than to fix a broken bike? In which case take tools. Otherwise don't bother. So to work (1.5 miles) I don't bother. It is quicker to either walk home and grab another bike or walk on to work and fix it later.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1287 on: 04 February, 2014, 05:48:09 pm »
I never take a journey short enough on a bike not to take tools.   I will walk anything upto five miles quite happily, and return.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1288 on: 04 February, 2014, 05:49:15 pm »
Even if I'm using the bike as a load trolley, I will take tools.  It's much less fun pushing a bike with a flat tyre (especially as you think of that expensive tyre being damaged with every step, and the rim at risk of damage with every kerb.

If you're that close to home, you can always leave the bike and walk back to get them, of course.

Ideally I'd have a set of tools permanently associated with each bike, but I swap luggage around too much to make that practical.  I do have appropriate tubes cable-tied to the upwrong and the trailer, as they take unusual[1] flavours, and are used for journeys where I'm most likely to forget to bring the right spares.  A VAR lever and CO2 inflater permanently live with the trike.


[1] 40-406 presta is the standard tube size in this household.

mattc

  • n.b. have grown beard since photo taken
    • Didcot Audaxes
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1289 on: 04 February, 2014, 07:48:47 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

(Ride up and down the street to check nothing falls off notwithstanding.)
That's sensible enough, but it ignores the rides done purely for the sake of a ride (which is how I ended up in the situation described yesterday).
Has never ridden RAAM
---------
No.11  Because of the great host of those who dislike the least appearance of "swank " when they travel the roads and lanes. - From Kuklos' 39 Articles

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1290 on: 04 February, 2014, 08:13:21 pm »
Even if I'm using the bike as a load trolley, I will take tools.  It's much less fun pushing a bike with a flat tyre (especially as you think of that expensive tyre being damaged with every step, and the rim at risk of damage with every kerb.

If you're that close to home, you can always leave the bike and walk back to get them, of course.
If it's a load I can't ride with, I'm not going to want to leave it lying on the street.

Quote
Ideally I'd have a set of tools permanently associated with each bike, but I swap luggage around too much to make that practical.

The joy of a Bagman qr  :thumbsup: :D
Getting there...

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1291 on: 04 February, 2014, 08:26:30 pm »
Ideally I'd have a set of tools permanently associated with each bike, but I swap luggage around too much to make that practical.

The joy of a Bagman qr  :thumbsup: :D

That just makes it easier to swap a subset of luggage between bikes.  It doesn't solve the problem of having to move tools and spares around every time you select the right combination of bike and luggage for a given trip.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1292 on: 04 February, 2014, 09:39:46 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

(Ride up and down the street to check nothing falls off notwithstanding.)

I don't see it as unPC.
I gave up cycling to work when I moved into a house 1km away from the workplace. A 12 minute walk made more sense than 5 minutes on the bike and seven minutes locking up and changing clothes.

I didn't bother with tools when I rode two miles to work but never had a visitation either.

Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1293 on: 04 February, 2014, 10:35:46 pm »
I have just one set of tools to take with me.  I need the same tools regardless of the bike I am riding.   There is a spares difference, i.e. tubes, cables and spokes, but I keep those together and just throw what I need in the bag.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1294 on: 04 February, 2014, 10:45:10 pm »
Ideally I'd have a set of tools permanently associated with each bike, but I swap luggage around too much to make that practical.

The joy of a Bagman qr  :thumbsup: :D

That just makes it easier to swap a subset of luggage between bikes.  It doesn't solve the problem of having to move tools and spares around every time you select the right combination of bike and luggage for a given trip.

Certainly does!  All my relevant tools are kept in my saddlebag, though I do swap the spare inner tube occasionally if riding one of the 'other' bikes.
Getting there...

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1295 on: 05 February, 2014, 09:35:03 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

(Ride up and down the street to check nothing falls off notwithstanding.)

I don't see it as unPC.
I gave up cycling to work when I moved into a house 1km away from the workplace. A 12 minute walk made more sense than 5 minutes on the bike and seven minutes locking up and changing clothes.

I didn't bother with tools when I rode two miles to work but never had a visitation either.
Surely for a five minute ride you could cycle in whatever you would walk in?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1296 on: 05 February, 2014, 10:01:22 pm »
The sensible tool-free limit must be the distance you're prepared to wheel a failed bike.

This might not be PC round here, but if I'm prepared to wheel it I'll probably just walk.

(Ride up and down the street to check nothing falls off notwithstanding.)

I don't see it as unPC.
I gave up cycling to work when I moved into a house 1km away from the workplace. A 12 minute walk made more sense than 5 minutes on the bike and seven minutes locking up and changing clothes.

I didn't bother with tools when I rode two miles to work but never had a visitation either.
Surely for a five minute ride you could cycle in whatever you would walk in?

Not if your trousers could get caught in the chain...
At the very least you'll need cycle clips or to tuck your trousers into your socks.

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1297 on: 05 February, 2014, 10:23:06 pm »
A 12 minute walk involves changing clothes in most weather, too.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1298 on: 05 February, 2014, 10:42:02 pm »
Bad News: I didn't get a place on the Prudential Ride London.
Good News: I don't have to fret about gettign fit enough to enjoy the Ride Londin with a dodgy back
Even Gooder News: The insewerants weasels for the opposition following my attempts at remodelling a Nissan Micra last March have made a most satisfactory offer of restitution that I have no hesitation in taking the advice of my team of sleek attack weasels (the ones with the British Cycling logos on) to accept on my behalf. Not enough for N+1 but definitely a satisfactory recompense for the damage, injury, time and trouble.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: The Good News / Bad News Thread
« Reply #1299 on: 06 February, 2014, 12:40:18 pm »
Good news: I have a lunchtime meeting today I can cycle to

Bad news: A couple of key staff are off sick, and I have to stay here. :(

Good News: At least it prompted me to get a Dahon out in order to do a train/bike commute instead of a train/walk

Bad News: I won't get so many chances to take photos :(

Good News: I might get a chance to catch up with editing the ones I've already taken
Getting there...