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49 comments
My excuse? The bikes live in a damp, unheated shed. Had the MTB for 6 years and there's lots of rusty bolts etc on it. Only had the road bike a year and don't want it going the same way by riding it in bad weather.
Poor excuse I know! Any tips for keeping the bikes tip top given the damp shed they live in?
thats a nice ride, I work in Devizes and use various parts of that route for testing the bikes and extending my commute home to Westbury.
If you see a roadcc jersey darting through the Devizes traffic be sure to wave
will do stuke
i have to admit,i didn't do the ride that i planned above (got my tarmac sport yesterday).due to the weather/lack of fitness i ended up cycling from melksham cycle centre to lacock,then up bowden hill.turning right to bromham,then going back to rowde (via hawkstreet country lane).then devizes. slightly shorter than i planned
i do plan on doing the above route sometime soon though hopefully friday/or next week if the weather improves.
but i cannot wait to start riding my new bike regularly
'Errr...might be slightly masochistic, but I love it when I turn up at work soaking wet/blue with cold/running sweat etc and my work colleagues hurl abuse at me as a front for their total respect.'
Even better, *I* have dry clothes to change into after my commute. *They* do not.
Win/Win.
[[[[ ROSCO! Bring the poor wee things indoors where they belong.
P.R.
I'd have to say that this year has had the worst weather for cycling.
Three times my current club cancelled the Thursday Time Trial due to bad weather. One time I rode the course with my winter gloves on and a waterproof jacket. I don't recall it ever raining so much in my lifetime.
The current weather isn't much better either.
There's three kinds of weather I avoid riding in - high winds and rain, ice and snow. All of these are like a suicide mission.
As for motivation - I ride to and from work by bike and I save on transport fares.
Give the bike a good clean and wipe down after use. Spray the bolts with a protective film or just replace them every so often, they are not expensive. At a minimum wipe down the chain and relube with a wet lube if out in bad weather. Advise the owner to familiarise himself with the rules and to HTFU.
Have to say I loved my battle into work yesterday morning in the wind and rain....once you get out there it's fine after a couple of minutes:)
+1: same applies.
Also Rule 5
How timely. I work from home one day a week and get out for an hour at lunch. I'm sat here looking at the wind battering the small conifer in the back garden and listening to it howling down the chimney.
However, if I don't go out, I'll regret it.
Your route takes in some of the roads I use on my commute i.e. Melksham to Lacock, if you are getting up Bowden hill without issue you must be pretty fit already. You can always go up Naish hill too for some variety and less traffic.
I go a different way to you from Lacock on to Kington Langley near Chippenham, 20 miles each way.
I ride in all weather conditions.
The roads are cruddy all the time recently, I fell off on Monday turning left a bit too keenly apparently, front wheel slid out from under me, fractured thumb, duffed up shoulder, 2 days off, back on today, bit silly really but I love it no matter the weather.
Used to worry about keeping dry but even with all the rain we have you rarely get soaked and when you do, so what, you dry.
Get some good lights and go out just before dawn. Nothing like seeing the sky brighten up an hearing the birds singing. I leave the house at 5:30 most mornings to do a 30 mile commute to work (direct route would only be 7 miles) by 6:30 it starts getting light and you can hear the birds. On quiet country roads it's a nice thing to see nature waking up. I often see deer as well.
p.s mtb shoes with less holes in rather than road shoes, and overshoes to keep your feet warm and dry help. Not much worse on a ride than wet feet on a cold windy day.
again thanks for all your replies
i got the tarmac on tuesday (fantastic bike it was windy but luckily it wasn't raining much.
i ended up doing a shorter ride for my first ride than what i originally planned (i did just about manage bowden hill on the bike/but felt like my lungs were about to exit my chest at the top
i just returned to devizes via rowde in the end.
i am planning on taking it out for it's first proper ride tomorrow (the route i originally planned).the weather is meant to be a lot better than today (no rain/wind
i did a map of the route on google (no gps/cycle computer). it's going to be over 50 miles with nearly 2000 ft of climbing
quick route guide (from devizes to rowde,then country lane to 3 magpies/melksham cycle centre (to get gears adjusted).
then going to bowden hill from melksham,go towards calne,but cut off by heddington steps.follow country lane until it joins the road that goes up hill to north wilts gof club.
then continue on road (over main beckhampton road) to horton,then pewsey vale.
climb the hill and continue to marlbrough.
stop for a coffee,then back via pewsey vale again to devizes
i cannot wait tbh to start riding the bike properly
will do i ride report tomorrow/pics when i get back
edit here's tomorrow's weather for devizes region to prove it is meant to be nice http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/sn10?day=1
Conditions today were as bad as I can remember on a bike ride. Had to get off and push a few times it was so gusty. Better weather tomorrow though!
I also forgot this video. If you like intellectual musical comedy and don't mind some swearing.
Watch this....Some people have it worse
http://youtu.be/0GCyMtNl8T8
Congrats on the new bike. I spotted the vids too.
I saw your posts on stw and here (I ride mtb as well - do you still have your one?)
It's great to have variety and any cycling is better than none so try and get out as much as you can.
I wish you all the best with winning the battle v depression.
thanks a lot Super Domestique (and to everyone else also
yes i still have my charge duster (skinny steel mtb in fluro kawasaki green it's a lovely bike (but not when it's covered in chalky clay (that wiltshire terrain is renowned for
i went out on the road bike today (for it's first proper ride).i have to admit that i couldn't stump up to the 50 mile ride i had planned (i ended up missing pewsey vale/marlbrough part/it was 27.1 miles according to google maps/no cycle computer atm).i also had to stop near the top of the hill (from calne to north wilts golf club i was knackered
i really love riding the tarmac.it's a fantastic bike.i also was in the big ring this time (for most of the way i had my saddle height too low for my first ride
i plan on going out at least twice a week from now on (do 25-30 mile rides)
allez
I went out with my father in law a couple of months ago and 5 mins into our ride the heavens opened.
It was the worst rain i had seen in years and to compound it all a lorry splashed a massive mud puddle over us waiting at a junction. I was ready to chuck it but we kept on going. We done nearly 50 miles on some of ayrshires best roads and were both in agreement it was one of our best ever rides.
Its a great feeling to finish a ride in shitty weather, a sense of fuck you weather im out on my bike and thats it.
Im not too keen on the wind though, as someone pointed out earlier it can be energy sapping
F*** me Have you seen the forecast for tomorrow (Sat) Where are the car keys.......
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