Today’s commute was a bit of a voyage of discovery.
I’d forgotten that it was the state opening of parliament today. My usual route takes me around Parliament Square, up Bird Cage Walk to Buckingham Palace and then up Constitution Hill to Hyde Park Corner.
Funnily enough, all of those roads were closed and barriered off and there was police everywhere. I had to be a bit creative with the back roads to get around the back of Buckingham Palace and it was complete carnage with gridlocked traffic and lost cyclists
after many years( over 10) of commuting on average 4 days a week in all weathers , i have thrown the towel in this winter a mixture of very poor road surfaces , increased fear for safety & general had enough of being cold & wet. Plan is to try resume end of january .of course will still get trying to get out weekends as long as no ICE.
I got one of those Ass Saver Win Wing things you clip to your back wheel.
Not for any proper cycling but means I can still ride the 10mins along to the pool without getting as wet or having to faff about putting mudguards on and off which stretches my capabilities.
I’m not sure it will hold up during a massive downpour but for a bit of protection from still wet roads and so on seems to have been worth the money.
Risked an easy ride this afternoon, first half was alright then the lanes were a lot wetter than I expected and got caught by a couple of showers that arrived earlier than forecasted
I’ve changed the wheels on the Enigma and the Hope’s that came with it have CX tyres so comfortable but ain’t going anywhere fast. Need to get the mudguards on if there’s a chance I’ll get out again. Or I could stick with Zwift
Dried the bike down and cleaned the chain with GT85.
Any tips for a very damp garage and protecting the bike other than maybe some kind of cover over it, the conditions just rot things like chains and cassettes.
I wouldn’t cover it unless it’s with a proper breathable bike cover as you’ll just trap the moisture in. It’s best not to cover at all and just let the air do its thing.
Surprisingly for a Muc-Off product but their bike protect spray does a decent job. I had to store my bikes in a damp garage for a months over winter once and it worked really well. I still use it now just as a protection spray. Bike Protect - 500ml | Bicycle Protection Spray | Muc-Off UK
Any good, to see with, front lights anyone can recommend?
My eBay special cree with magic shine battery packs seems to be a bit poor this year. Struggling to make out ruts and potholes.
Currently running a separate battery pack, don’t mind that as it generally means the light is smaller.
But the self contained units seem to be a bit higher tech.
They’ve changed the design but I’ve got an older version of this and have found it excellent. Battery is compact and straps on the top tube. Have done overnight, off-road, and it’s lasted dusk to dawn. Good value at normal price but cheap as chips atm!
I used to ride in the pitch black using 2 x Leyzne 500XL micro drives, they’re more than sufficient for the roads you’re doing. Unless you’re coming back a longer, different way?
I’ve got 2, use one as my flasher.
No way I’m picking out ruts and potholes with it tho.
I think the constant wet ground of late has made that more difficult to make them out.
I commute with a Lumenator 20 from MTB Batteries. The fella - Smudge - who sells them has had plenty of good reviews over the years on Singletrack & MTB forums…but this may be similar to the Magicshine one your dissatisfied with.
ha - pretty much. Something always seems to catch me out tho.
Section in Chilwell is SO bad now, 200-300 metre stretch of abysmal road surface. Its lit, but still seems near impossible to navigate.
Cheers @Doonhamer . One for the shortlist.
It’s an ebay special with a magicshine battery pack - tbf its been pretty ace for what it cost (Im sure the light with original battery pack was under £25) but its a number of years old now.
