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The cycling thread • Page 203

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  • urban 19 Mar 2013 00:48:39 10,410 posts
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    I've only met a handful of bike messengers so far but the ones that hang around bike shops seem to be the worst. Guy fixed my creaky headset, told me i didn't have to pay then him and his friends proceeded to rattle off everything that was shit/factory standard on my bike.

    Just plain elitist bullshit. I bet I have just as much fun.

    P.S really enjoying my commute into central London. 2 miles down the CS2 from mile end, past Heron tower, st Paul's and arriving at Holborn - 4 miles total in just under 20 minutes feeling fresh and ready to go at the day.

    Caught the tube all last week, far too cold for shorts and hated every minute of it

    Edited by urban at 00:49:28 19-03-2013
  • caligari 19 Mar 2013 01:07:06 16,355 posts
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    urban wrote:
    told me i didn't have to pay then him and his friends proceeded to rattle off everything that was shit/factory standard on my bike.

    Just plain elitist bullshit. I bet I have just as much fun.
    I'd love to hear more about this! What exactly did they say, and more importantly, what did you say in return?

    Unfortunately 'hobbies' of all sorts seems to attract these people - 'Gaming PCs' being a prime example. :)

    Sleep well knowing that they'll never be happy with what they've got - they'll be forking out every few months to make sure that they have the newest/most expensive kit. Probably a case of 'all the gear, no idea' me thinks.

    Edited by caligari at 01:07:41 19-03-2013
  • lukejones 19 Mar 2013 08:39:56 227 posts
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    Yeah there’s a strange attitude to these sorts of people but, like caligari said, that happens in every hobby. Bike shops are horrible places. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been ‘helped out’ by a patronising member of staff.

    Fortunately, Bristol doesn’t have many (if any) bicycle couriers, just lots and lots of fixie riders. The fixie community is quite friendly, with a few asshats.

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  • elstoof 19 Mar 2013 09:17:09 4,438 posts
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    I've been cycling in London for years and I've never once spoken to or had to deal with any messengers, so I'd like to hear some detials about this too. I wouldn't hold much stock in what they had to say anyway, I guess if my career was delivering letters around town while wearing combats I'd try and build it up into something more exclusive too.

    If you want any decent bike shop recommendations there's a few of us here in London who could give you some shops to search out.
  • Salaman 19 Mar 2013 09:38:40 16,598 posts
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    grey_matters wrote:
    Missed all the early drama but caught the end. Great stuff from Ciolek and what a debut for MTN-Qhubeka. Fine race from Stannard too.
    Just watched the last 40k last night.
    Bloody hell, the footage from the bits they skipped was brutal.
    Here's what they looked like when they got on the buses to be shuttled to the next stretch of road that was do-able 50km further along.


    And then once you've somewhat warmed up they send you back out into the cold for a few more hours of pedalling. No wonder there were so many people that gave up.
    Tense final though. All the big boys were in position. Cancellara, Gilbert, Sagan,... looking forward to next few weeks of classics.

    Also ... if you suddenly start seeing funny little saddle-mounted mudguard when you're out riding.
    The RAI focussed on Lotto rider Lars Bak's "ass saver" at some point

    so no doubt lots of Sunday morning riders will be fitting these now. :-)

    Edited by Salaman at 09:39:28 19-03-2013
  • pistol 19 Mar 2013 11:32:34 12,855 posts
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    Those of you who were asking about Threshold sessions, here's one I did today. Numbers are based on a 190 MHR.

    15 min warm up
    4x8 min @ threshold (168-178)
    2 min rest between each set
    warm down

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/286303831
  • lukejones 19 Mar 2013 22:06:32 227 posts
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    Salaman wrote:
    Also ... if you suddenly start seeing funny little saddle-mounted mudguard when you're out riding.
    The RAI focussed on Lotto rider Lars Bak's "ass saver" at some point
    I set up a trip to Newport Velodrome (Ride the Drome) last year and Ass Savers were kind enough to send me a bunch, I swear by mine. It’s fantastic.
    elstoof wrote:
    I've been cycling in London for years and I've never once spoken to or had to deal with any messengers, so I'd like to hear some detials about this too. I wouldn't hold much stock in what they had to say anyway, I guess if my career was delivering letters around town while wearing combats I'd try and build it up into something more exclusive too.

    If you want any decent bike shop recommendations there's a few of us here in London who could give you some shops to search out.
    A lot of messengers got into it through their love of cycling, so they know a lot about bikes. It’s just that other people got into cycling because of their love of trying to look good and act like a pretentious berk too.

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  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 10:27:58 49,221 posts
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    Today I find myself looking at lightweight backpacking gear...

    http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/
    http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/home.html

    I'm definitely interested in giving it a blast, though I suspect I'd go heavier than most people so as to increase comfort. There are tents there lighter than the amount of water I carry on an average outing, so that should be fine for me. :)

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  • elstoof 21 Mar 2013 10:40:58 4,438 posts
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    So it's ok for a messenger to take the piss out of urban's bike because he has "a love of cycling" then luke?
  • lukejones 21 Mar 2013 11:44:05 227 posts
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    @elstoof Huh? No. It’s never okay to take the piss out of anyone. I think my point didn’t come across well. I was just saying that some bike messengers actually know what they’re talking about and will treat you with respect. Others are just assholes.

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  • urban 21 Mar 2013 12:12:55 10,410 posts
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    Did I mention the 6'3" Tranny who seems to hang around the shop all day too?

    Weird place (Full City bikes on Leather Lane btw)

    I'm not complaining because it was free!
  • lukejones 21 Mar 2013 12:14:26 227 posts
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    I just snagged myself a GoPro Hero 2 from SportPursuit for £192. Was going to grab the Hero 3 Silver but it’s the same camera and would be £280 new without any mounts or SD card.

    You guys should join SportPursuit anyway, they always have random stuff (forks, cycling glasses, frames, saddles etc): http://www.sportpursuit.com/join/me_b9f6d0

    That IS a shameless referral URL, by the way.

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  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 12:30:01 4,019 posts
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    Psychotext wrote:
    Today I find myself looking at lightweight backpacking gear...

    http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/
    http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/home.html

    I'm definitely interested in giving it a blast, though I suspect I'd go heavier than most people so as to increase comfort. There are tents there lighter than the amount of water I carry on an average outing, so that should be fine for me. :)
    Nice one, I started with an ex army goretex bivvy bag (ebay) and a sports direct £30 summer down bag.
    That's a 2 season sleep system for 60 quid. Taking a lightweight tarp is a nice little luxury also.
    Coke can meths stove and a Ti cook pot.
    I learned a lot from lurking on bearbones, then just a case of getting out there.
    You learn with every trip about kit, what works, what to leave behind.
  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 13:26:59 49,221 posts
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    I can't think of anything less appealing than bivvy bagging it. I did that a couple of times in the scouts / DofE. fuck ever doing it again.

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  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 13:59:34 4,019 posts
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    RAB Ridge Raider is what I have now. That and a Alpkit Rig 7 tarp. Luxury I tell you :D
  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 14:07:54 49,221 posts
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    That's quite nice, virtually a tent.

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  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 14:40:46 4,019 posts
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    Bivvy bags have come some way from the traditional orange survival bags we used back in the day.

    If you're buying Dry bags, best quality and value are Airlok Xtra from Alpkit, in fact all their stuff is good.
  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 14:46:24 49,221 posts
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    I just saw a £500 sleeping back. Good god!

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  • MikeP 21 Mar 2013 15:09:25 1,240 posts
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    Psychotext wrote:
    I just saw a £500 sleeping back. Good god!
    Vulpine, Rapha, or Assos? Joking.
  • MikeP 21 Mar 2013 15:10:32 1,240 posts
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    @Trafford How much of this stuff have you done? You sound like you've had a fair bit of experience with figuring out kit etc.
  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 15:24:02 4,019 posts
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    @MikeP
    I did 5 one night trips last year. I've been idle since October what with separating from the Mrs.
    Living near the Peak District is handy.
    Doing my first trip of the year coming up next week, in the Lakes solo.
  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 15:37:31 4,019 posts
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    MikeP wrote:
    Psychotext wrote:
    I just saw a £500 sleeping back. Good god!
    Vulpine, Rapha, or Assos? Joking.
    I use a Pipe Dream 600 from Alpkit. 3 season . Full down , cost £180 and will take most of the coldest UK weather.
    I did DoE and a lot of wild camping in my youth.
    Starting again after 20 years was the best thing I've ever done.
  • Utopia 21 Mar 2013 16:49:51 2 posts
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    :-)Specialized Sirrus Expert Hybrid - Commute

    Klein Attitude Comp '98 MTB Blue - Hill munching fun bike.
    'There's gold in dem der hills!' And with the right MTB Attitude I will find those golden nuggets!

    When I was a squatter in London - Stoke Newington - I commuted to The City (Speed Couriers)
    Got evicted and moved to Amsterdam for 2 years and was in commuter cycling nirvana.
    Got a job as a cook for a TV crew and was living the dream cycling to work on my dutch bike.

    A car cut me up once in Amsterdam and I thought nothing of it. However, all the cyclists behind me went into a mental rage, they whizzed past me in hot pursuit of the car. The car stopped at the lights and proceeded to have its outer shell kicked in by the dutch cycling mafia.
    I sauntered up to the melee as the car screeched off and the mafiosi checked to see if I was ok. ( I'm sure one of them had a horses head in their backpack)
    I hadn't quite fully grasped the dutch language at this point but I'm certain a few choice compound swear words were spat out.

    Clearly in Amsterdam any cutting up of cyclists by cars is collectively dealt with. It was the only time in 2 years that I was cut up about it. :-)
  • lukejones 21 Mar 2013 16:56:20 227 posts
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    @Utopia I tried to rouse a similar thing on my commute to work. It ended up as just me chasing a BMW M3 down Park St. That guy was an ass.

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  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 16:58:19 49,221 posts
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    Nearly had a crash yesterday thanks to some wanker overtaking a group of cyclists on a blind corner. Luckily I broke and swerved in time or I wouldn't have been surprised if there had been a fatality.

    Trafford wrote:
    I use a Pipe Dream 600 from Alpkit. 3 season . Full down , cost £180 and will take most of the coldest UK weather.
    I'm not having a great deal of luck with the bags, everything seems to be crazy expensive. I'm mostly interested in how well this sort of stuff crushes down rather than weight. Just found a good pad which is around the same size as a tin of beans and the tent will easily fit on my down tube.

    I reckon I'd stick the bag near my handlebars, assuming one could fit easily enough (I'm not dealing with panniers or any of that madness).

    Edited by Psychotext at 16:58:33 21-03-2013

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  • Utopia 21 Mar 2013 17:39:44 2 posts
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    @lukejones It's like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under.
    While cycling I employ the same attitude as I do when I'm driving. If I see some crazy behaviour I just don't react. Maybe it's all the years I've spent meditating that has conditioned me to be a non responder.

    Take last year for instance when I was cycling at full pelt along a dual carriageway when a black renault clio whizzed passed me and the passenger in the front seat leaned out the window and tried to knock me off my bike. Fortunately they didn't connect fully and only managed to punch my hand. Crazy batshit hey!

    I remained impassive and never flinched. I'd instantly worked out that I was lucky not to have been seriously injured and never dwelt on it. My thoughts were that I bet they were really pissed off that I didn't crash and burn as they looked through their rear view mirror.

    Their expected moment of sick pleasure was denied. 1-0
  • lukejones 21 Mar 2013 17:55:18 227 posts
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    @Utopia It really is a jungle. Bristol is lovely to cycle in, so when people are assholes they’re HUGE assholes. I got rammed off my bike by a car because he wanted to overtake me but couldn’t safely.

    I was too shaken to take his details so I’m having to spend a couple of hundred quid on my bike to get it fixed. This is 80% why I bought a GoPro today.

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  • Trafford 21 Mar 2013 18:11:43 4,019 posts
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    @Psychotext
    Tesco do a cheap down bag, 2 seasons , you can always layer up or stick a thermal liner in it.
    I sold my PS3 to buy the Pipe dream, worth it.

    The Alpkit dry bags have side loops to thread straps through. You can lash a 15L one to your bars looping the straps under the arch of the fork. This is very similar to the custom harnesses that Wildcat gear make. www.wildcatgear.co.uk
    They also make a holder for the seatpost. But again, nothing you can't lash together yourself.
    The trick is finding decent luggage straps, I started with elasticated ones, never again.
    Surly Junk Straps are good. 10 quid a pair I think.
    My mate uses the front and rear Wildcat set, makes it very stable, but he always over packs.

    Edited by Trafford at 18:18:43 21-03-2013
  • elstoof 21 Mar 2013 19:32:03 4,438 posts
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    MikeP wrote:
    Psychotext wrote:
    I just saw a £500 sleeping back. Good god!
    Vulpine, Rapha, or Assos? Joking.
    You'd be lucky to get a commuting satchel for that sort if money.
  • Psychotext 21 Mar 2013 20:18:16 49,221 posts
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    Hmm. Pipedream 400 might do the job. Not seen those before.

    I'll be in a two skin tent and on a 4 tog mat so I doubt the cold should be too much of a problem (sure as hell not going out in winter either.

    Edited by Psychotext at 20:19:30 21-03-2013

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