mentman Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hi guys, Tomorow morning at around 5.30am will be setting out on my first cycling commute to work. Its 8 miles one way, fairly quite roads. Im really looking forward to it! Done a fair bit of cycling in parks ect, but not much on roads. Im prety road aware but any cyclists got any tips? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixelfill Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 take a spare inner tube ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Make sure you are wearing a bright yellow fluorescent jacket, lights on the bike are a must, flashing is best! Make sure you have a decent helmet, this is a must dude as stupid as you think it might look! Your hands will feel numb, make sure you got decent gloves. Just keep fully alert, treat drivers as dumbo's and expect the unexpected. Don't wobble too much, and keep a nice line when cycling on the road. Other than that, enjoy the ride, don't get yourself killed and enjoy the boggie dribbling into your mouth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I'd wear full leathers and a full face helmet if I were to cycle on the roads. Seen a few near misses to want to try it. I'm sure you'll be reet and hey, you won't use any fuel and it's good for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil-NA Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 As above, just enjoy it mate and stay alert. Good to see more people using bikes to get to work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Havard Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Good luck with that..!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supra Gaz Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 Wear gloves, damn its cold at the minute! i ride a few miles to the train station. Commuting sucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I used to love cycling into work in London I live about 8 miles so takes about 25 minutes, then have a lovely hot shower when you get into the office & fully alert for work! It was an adrenaline rush as you can imagine with the London City traffic. I am pretty law abiding so one of these cyclist you see waiting at the lights, though once they change, that's it I am off (normally trying to catch up with the cars). Though as I have said stay alert & don't expect anything, I had a dude drive out onto a roundabout whilst I was right in front of him! I got some flight seconds & landed a few feet away, luckily no cars were behind so I had a good lay in the road to catch my breath! - So be alert & focused & as said, enjoy it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 After my hands I always found my ears got painful with the cold so I wore a headband type thing that covered them.... Watch out for junctions on your left, the few memorable 'moments' i've had have been cars that have overtaken or part ovetaken you and then cut across for the turning thinking they are past you.........it's a mixture of impatience and blatant misjudgement of the relative speeds and distances involved by the drivers.........the flip of this is as a cyclist you need to be very careful undertaking things in queues or positioning yourself inside of cars, basically make sure people have seen you.. these days around my way and at this time of the year I would say watch out potholes! infact given that you will almost certainly have to ride in the semi dark for one of the trips i'd have tried to memorise the problem spots when driving............I doubled flatted (luckily near home) one time on a rain filled monster pothole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branners Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 My advice (and I use this when on the Boris Bikes in London) is that everybody else on the road is a knob and will try to kill you. Pedestrians will walk out in front of you, cabbies wait in side roads wondering if they can nip out, lorries know they can squash past you and will do at every opportunity and finally expect drivers to race past you then pull a sharp left in to a side road. But apart from that its great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 All the above. Do not plug yourself upto your MP3 player/iPod. If your using cycle paths then beware of pedestrians especially little kids and people walking dogs. Remember there is no law that says you have to use a cycle path. If you're going at a fair rate of knots and collide with pedestrian you could easily kill them. I use the roads when I'm doing 15 mph+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soop Dogg Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 As others have said, stay alert and treat other road users as idiots. Think that everyone else is out to get you - this means wearing bright stuff and getting the best lights and helmet you can for a reasonable cost. I ride a similar distance to work as you every day now - started last year when I got a new bike on the cycle to work scheme. I've lost weight and feel so much more healthy these days - not to mention feeling really awake after getting into work and having a good shower. Enjoy yourself and be safe mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCK10 Posted January 27, 2011 Share Posted January 27, 2011 I reckon it best i don't give you any advice, as i do pretty much the opposite of what everyone has said so far lol...All of the above is sound advice for road cycling though! Hell, my bike doesn't even have brakes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentman Posted January 28, 2011 Author Share Posted January 28, 2011 Thanks for the tips guys. Just got into work now, and it went well but its cold out there! Warming up now. Thing is, it friday, I finnish a bit earlyer today, and ive got to do it all over again to get home! YAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil-NA Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 I reckon it best i don't give you any advice, as i do pretty much the opposite of what everyone has said so far lol...All of the above is sound advice for road cycling though! Hell, my bike doesn't even have brakes That's because you ride a kids bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbourner Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 These!! Awesome lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCK10 Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 That's because you ride a kids bike Very true sir. Very true! ... I used to have a mtb a few years back when i rode trails, but then turned to the dark side! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil-NA Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Very true sir. Very true! ... I used to have a mtb a few years back when i rode trails, but then turned to the dark side! LOL i have done a mix of everything but after selling my old macneil i never got back into the bmx side, just feel way too bulky these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crouch Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 Make sure you are wearing a bright yellow fluorescent jacket, lights on the bike are a must, flashing is best! I've seen loads of people with these but if i remember correctly these are illegal are they not! It was said that they create to much distraction for drivers when it's flashing away. it was a cop who told me some time ago that the rules changed but he/i could be wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewie Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The flashing LED lights were 'illegal' because the when they came out 20 yrs ago, the Highway Code said that bike lights had to project a constant beam. LEDs don't as such send out a beam, they're just a very bright light source. Some jobsworth stuck to last letter of the word even though LEDs are a zillion times brighter. These days PC Plod has woken upto commonsense. When I'm on my treader it's like a Crimbo tree on two wheels. The other hazard are cyclists who don't have any lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted January 28, 2011 Share Posted January 28, 2011 The flashing LED lights were 'illegal' because the when they came out 20 yrs ago, the Highway Code said that bike lights had to project a constant beam. LEDs don't as such send out a beam, they're just a very bright light source. Some jobsworth stuck to last letter of the word even though LEDs are a zillion times brighter. These days PC Plod has woken upto commonsense. When I'm on my treader it's like a Crimbo tree on two wheels. The other hazard are cyclists who don't have any lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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