Arm warmers on, knee warmers on & eyes watering on my commute this morning.
Getting grim.
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“Light rain forecast”
Dry when checked what to wear. Step outside drizzle. 1km in - completely soaked (fortunately I’d added a layer!)
20 mins of that - then it eased off and I almost dried out before I got in.
Oddly wasnt too cold.
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Riding home on Friday, noticed back of Brompton felt a bit vague (more than usual) then the tell tale thud over any bumps, flat back tyre.
Put it in the shed and completely forgot until last night when I went in for something else.
Of course it’s always the back wheel, hub gears, chain tensioner etc. to complicate matters, but I had a spare tube and a better tyre I’d kept off the front when I changed both a while back so all’s looking good.
Then you notice the brake blocks are as good as worn out, managed to find a pair of old ones with some meat still on them. Fit those but notice the caliper’s a bit seized and isn’t returning properly on one side, so a complete strip down and grease.
Another 5 min job that turned into and hour.
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6° at 6am for my first ride of the day.
Going to be 20° at 6pm 
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Thursday and Friday mornings were absolutely Baltic on the ride to work. Yesterday morning looked exactly the same out of the window but was actually really mild so I cooked in my winter kit 
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Nearly got taken out 3 times on my ride into work this morning:
- cut off on a roundabout
- cut off on a service road
- one of the nurses opened her Uber door just as I was pulling into work
#1 think was because of low sun.
#2 just bad /distracted driving
#3 could see it coming, so had swung wide anyway… plan for the worst and hope for the best 
How do you go about getting one of them WFH jobs, anyways?
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I managed to almost get hit on Monday and entirely my own fault.
I’m so risk averse - but somehow put myself in danger. Driver was fortunately going slow enough and I stopped and apologised a thousand times - whilst the legs stopped shaking.
Found it far more annoying when I was the one to blame.
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Keep doing that CS50 course and get a cushty coding role 
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The barrier crews were out in force around St James Park and Constitution Hill setting up for a big 10k race on Sunday, so the cycle lane was diverted past the front gates of Buckingham Palace this morning.
Changing of the guard was going on when I went past, which was nice 
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Riding into work last Friday and I approached a crossing; there were already people waiting both sides so I pulled up and waited for the lights to change.
Before the lights changed 2 more bikes came from the other side of the road and rode straight out onto the crossing despite cars still coming. A car from the right had to brake sharply to avoid them and one of them stopped on the crossing and shouted "Use your fcking brakes you fcking black cnt"
While this was happening the lights changed and everyone else started to cross. I looked into the car and it was a black lady driving but it really shocked me, more than I thought it would.
This poor woman, going about her business, done absolutely nothing wrong and gets vile racist abuse hurled at her; and it made me think is this normal, does she get this every time something happens that most us would just brush off as one of those things.
Ps. I recognised the two “cyclists” as a couple of the local tramps/druggies who hang around town and seem to have a different bike every few days, whenever they need one; but the lady in the car wouldn’t know that so probably went home/work and tells everyone how she was abused by two cyclists this morning.
It’s really stayed with me and I’m still angry when I think about it. I nearly went over to the car to apologise and say don’t judge us all by those cnts but she probably would have been scared and I’d have made things worse.
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Anyone any experience of Gates belt drive instead of a chain?
One of our sons is thinking of getting this bike for a city commuter.
My initial feeling is what would be the advantage over a chain? But he says no oil/ dirty trousers and also apparently there is a hub gear so you can change gears while stationary 
it definitely wouldn’t be my choice but his commute is shortish and flat through London parks and bike ways in all weather, and he doesn’t change clothes - so maybe a good choice for him?
If he’s happy with the hub gears then I would say go for it. Used to have a tangential link to the Gates Corporation and when this came out they were singing the praises. Lifetime guarantee for the belt I believe, no stretch, no wear. Only thing that can cause damage is if a stone gets stuck in the belt it could break the carbon fibres, then all bets are off.
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Some of belts are made in my home town
The new value CDN belt will be manufactured in Dumfries, Scotland, where the system has been develped and tested for the past five years.
Today, Gates manufactures its Carbon Drive belts in the US in Elizabethtown, Kentucky; and Siloam Springs, Arkansas; as well as in Europe in Dumfries, Scotland; and Legnica, Poland.
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Keen cyclist at work is just buying a belt-drive to be their new commuter, ride ~20 miles each way to work through the NE winter so they clearly have faith in them, and would know a lot more than me. Think theirs cost ~£800 for different brand. Sounds a lot easier to maintain with minimal maintenance.
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I think there are lots of positives for belts, as already mentioned, my only concern would be the inability to do any sort of roadside or temporary fix if it does break compared to a chain where you can cobble something together with a spare quick link or any bike shop will be able to sort you out.
If that’s not a big deal and he can get an Uber home then sort it out at his leisure then I don’t see much of an issue. In fact I ride a Brompton to work (only 3+ miles each way) and don’t carry any tools, or even a pump, as I’d just walk it or catch the bus if it failed.
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That’s just jogged my memory; bike was still running but there was a loud rattling noise as the loose strands flapped about.
It had been on about 10 years at this point and the replacement one has been on 6 years so it’s done pretty well. That pulley is on the end of the crank so it’s turning at full engine revs to drive the supercharger.
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Blimmin’ Eck. Winters here.
That was a bit of a shock. Nearly full winter kit.
Glorious morning… but very fresh.
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Yeah it was freezing last night here with a completely clear sky too. Brrr
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Yeah, quite a thick layer of frost on the car but quite a bit warmer in town.
It’s here early this year 
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I got up while it was still dark to go to the loo and thought the top of the van looked a bit shiny and sure enough, hard frost here too.
Bit fresh riding in, 3 tops and jeans so body/legs were OK but fingers were a bit nippy by the time I got here, could have been a day for the lobsters but I normally try and save them for when it’s minus.
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