#1
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
After moving near to Leicester and working in Kettering I figured ou
that there had to be a better way than taking the carto the station. desperately wanted to cycle to the station but couldn't work out how t do it with clothing etc and bike etc. So having "bit the bullet" decided that I was going to go for it, I have "invested" in a very chea tourer type bike. I went into City Bikesin Melton Road Leicester an although I was right at the bottom of the market Dave was quite prepare to make sure that I got the right bike for my budget (and delivered i to home at no extra cost) I was impressed The bike is a "sit up and beg" type but I figured that it would be les atttractive to nick. (which, touch wood, has been the case until now) I also gives a great view of traffic. However, the cycle lanes o Leicester are anything but - but I am imoresssed generally with m route. I find the 4x4 and bus drivers the worst Anyway I have done the trip about 10 times and I am still trying to ge the layering right (does anyone have any ideas about the righ combination of base layers and fleeces etc at the moment? I am really enjoying it - even if it does increase the journey by abou a third. I am hooked. There's no turning back now. I'm hooke Stev - |
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#2
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
"clarky44" wrote in message .com... Anyway I have done the trip about 10 times and I am still trying to get the layering right (does anyone have any ideas about the right combination of base layers and fleeces etc at the moment?) I think the quality is as important as the number of layers. On Sunday I was mostly wearing an Altura base layer, ancient Giordana brushed (not fleece) mid layer and a Goretex waterproof top layer despite it not raining nor forecast to do so. This proved a good compromise for ride that involved sheltered, long, slow, hard climbs off-road that made me sweat and exposed high level road sections in temps of 2 to 4 degs and I think would have been perfect for a road only ride. The Goretex kept out every vestige of the cold wind and yet allowed the sweat to evaporate. In years gone by with a less efficient shell any sweat developed during the ride would remain with me throughout so by the rides end I felt cold, wet and uncomfortable. Pete |
#3
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 00:13:42 GMT, clarky44
wrote: After moving near to Leicester and working in Kettering I figured out that there had to be a better way than taking the carto the station. I desperately wanted to cycle to the station but couldn't work out how to do it with clothing etc and bike etc. So having "bit the bullet" I decided that I was going to go for it, I have "invested" in a very cheap tourer type bike. I went into City Bikesin Melton Road Leicester and although I was right at the bottom of the market Dave was quite prepared to make sure that I got the right bike for my budget (and delivered it to home at no extra cost) I was impressed. The bike is a "sit up and beg" type but I figured that it would be less atttractive to nick. (which, touch wood, has been the case until now) It also gives a great view of traffic. However, the cycle lanes of Leicester are anything but - but I am imoresssed generally with my route. I find the 4x4 and bus drivers the worst. Anyway I have done the trip about 10 times and I am still trying to get the layering right (does anyone have any ideas about the right combination of base layers and fleeces etc at the moment?) all depends on what sort of trip it is and how you regard it. for short [5 miles], flat commutes i adopt the 'utility' mode and ride with whatever i am wearing. if it is likely to rain [and this doesn't happen as often as you may think] i just add goretex jacket, overtrousers and overshoes. if it feels a bit chilly i just pedal harder for two minutes and wear a hat. if you treat your commute as a sport and change into cycling specific clothes i'd take the 'wear as little as possible' approach; cycling shorts + a jersey. wet legs are easier to dry than sodden longs. I am really enjoying it - even if it does increase the journey by about a third. I am hooked. There's no turning back now. I'm hooked good man. |
#4
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
On Wed, 24 Dec 2003 00:13:42 GMT, clarky44
wrote: I went into City Bikesin Melton Road Leicester and although I was right at the bottom of the market Dave was quite prepared to make sure that I got the right bike for my budget Hurrah for Proper Bike Shops! Guy === May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting. http://chapmancentral.demon.co.uk |
#5
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
clarky44 writes:
After moving near to Leicester and working in Kettering I figured out that there had to be a better way than taking the carto the station. I desperately wanted to cycle to the station but couldn't work out how to do it with clothing etc and bike etc. So having "bit the bullet" I decided that I was going to go for it, I have "invested" in a very cheap tourer type bike. I went into City Bikesin Melton Road Leicester and although I was right at the bottom of the market Dave was quite prepared to make sure that I got the right bike for my budget (and delivered it to home at no extra cost) I was impressed. The bike is a "sit up and beg" type but I figured that it would be less atttractive to nick. (which, touch wood, has been the case until now) It also gives a great view of traffic. However, the cycle lanes of Leicester are anything but - but I am imoresssed generally with my route. I find the 4x4 and bus drivers the worst. Anyway I have done the trip about 10 times and I am still trying to get the layering right (does anyone have any ideas about the right combination of base layers and fleeces etc at the moment?) I think one can get way too obsessed with clothing for cycling. In the years when I did the sort of cycling you're doing now (i.e. a regular commute to work over about six to twelve miles) I wore just whatever I would be wearing for work anyway, and took a change of t-shirt (it's only your underneath most layer that gets sweaty unless you're going a long way). I used to keep a change of shoes in my locker at work, because if you're going to cycle, proper cycling shoes are worth it (and the ones I used in those days you *definitely* couldn't walk in). In the days when I was commuting 21 miles each way I wore cycling clothes for the commute and kept a complete change of clothes at work - that meant driving in once a week. These days I work from home so don't commute, and when I go cycling I usually wear, summer or winter, a silk vest and a thin woolen jersey. In winter I wear bib longs, in summer shorts. If it's raining I wear a thin waterproof. -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/ -- mens vacua in medio vacuo -- |
#6
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At Last!!!!!!!!!!!
Simon Brooke wrote:
[ I think one can get way too obsessed with clothing for cycling. In the years when I did the sort of cycling you're doing now (i.e. a regular commute to work over about six to twelve miles) I wore just whatever I would be wearing for work anyway, and took a change of t-shirt (it's only your underneath most layer that gets sweaty unless you're going a long way). I used to keep a change of shoes in my locker at work, because if you're going to cycle, proper cycling shoes are worth it (and the ones I used in those days you *definitely* couldn't walk in). -- (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/htt...org.uk/~simon/ -- mens vacua in medio vacuo -- Thanks for the help. When I go back to work in the New Year I'll try t wear just normal gear and leave some spare clothes etc at work. You right - I think you can get too obsessed Went on on my usual mountain bike today to burn off the turkey an pudding and found it like a dream to ride. Mind you I have become use to the comfort of the saddle on the commuter Thanks again Stev - |
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