moin moin

meurgh…. need more sleep….

Morning

Morning

I thought that this morning when the alarm went off, but a cycle in on slightly icy roads in subzero temperatures woke me up pretty well 😉

morning all!

Greetings beautiful people ☀️

morning

@carr0t this is the time of year when I ask people if they have studded bike tyres

(I loved mine in Pennsylvania)

In Manchester I don't think they're needed 😉

For the 2 weeks a year that I might actually need them (do they even do studded versions of 25c road tyres?) I might as well just take the tram in. Changing the tyres each day depending on if it's just below or just above freezing would be a massive faff, and I'm not paying £500 for a spare set of wheels, disks, cassette etc just to be able to swap them quickly

2x 🚲 ?

I thought most cyclists ended up with about 15 bicycles anyway?

It'd still be another road bike though. I have an MTB, but I wouldn't want to ride it to work. Too slow. And no space in the garage for another

People in the club keep talking about their 'summer bike' and 'winter bike'

I'd rather pool both sets of cash and get one nicer bike that I am still OK with riding in all conditions

My current one's a full carbon with 105 groupset and hybrid hydraulic disks. I wouldn't go much better than that because then I would be worried about riding in winter and not wanting to commute on it and stuff

You very rarely see those over here 😉

On the continent you seem to get 'normal cyclists'. People who just cycle commute and go to the shops on their bike and such, who want something functional for that that doesn't cost the Earth

Over here it seems to be either you are not a cyclist, or you're one of the people (like me) who has all the lycra, a reasonable spec MTB or road bike depending on preference etc. Fewer people in that "I use a bike, but i'm not a 'cyclist'" bracket

yes, for me it is a tool. a transport, definitely not a sport.

coaster brake is where you backpedal or stop pedalling to slow down, instead of having a brake lever?

correct

main downside is when you want to get going again... you can't just put the pedals in a horizontal position again. you have to anticipate that while braking.

@carr0t i have a reasonable spec MTB and aspire to a nicer one, but i reject the lycra (or at least put some baggy shorts over my winter leggings)

That's always been the style though. MTB is lycra bib shorts with baggy overshorts, and looser tops. Road is just the lycra bib shorts, and equally tight tops

I am too fat for road gear to look good, but I do notice the extra drag if I am wearing MTB gear

I resisted bib shorts for ages, but they're just so comfortable

Evening (nearly)

Hi @jasonbell 👋 Congrats on the O'REILLY talk 🎉

Thank you @yogidevbear, that’s very kind.