This morning's commute and other commuting stories

i had a brake related maintenance fail this morning.
I replaced the rear pads on my disc brakes over the weekend but apparently i didn't recess the pistons enough, resulting in feeling like i was riding up hill all the way to work.
at least there was no squeaking though! :P

I took an impromptu day off and rode to Ware through Lea Valley Park in early August. I just entered Lea Valley at Cheshunt as the heavens opened, so made a dash for the public toilets in the car park to take 15mins shelter as it passed.

I'm stood there and all of a sudden an out-of-view flock of geese is going mental (and getting closer and closer apparently)... then an old boy on a 2000s rigid MTB rolls into view, white-knuckling his brakes. The geese stopped as soon as he did...

I own three 2000s rigid MTB frames.....

For rim brakes, automotive detailing clay is perfect for cleaning the last of the dirt braking surface. Followed by a quick medium grit abrasive block to improve the surface. Mine were goose-free in this morning's rain.

It's shocking the number of people who have the temerity to ride their bikes in the rain when they don't even own automotive detailing clay or a medium grit abrasive block.

Right?

You should never leave home without one of these…

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I ran a rat over on my way home this evening. Little fucker didn't even seem to notice, just scampered off without even slowing down. Hope it's alright! I was talking to a mate about an hour beforehand, proudly telling him that I'd never run anything over on my bike. That'll teach me.

Out gaming last night in Bermondsey… come back to find this. FUCKING CUNTS.

Guess I’m going to have to find some way of securing my brakes now. Ffs.

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that's shit.
also strange that the didn't just undo the stem bolts and take the entire cockpit?
isn't that the usual MO of these pricks?

What's going on here? They only took one grip and one brake? Were they disturbed or is there money to be made off that little stuff?

Odd. I used to go to Bermondsey all the time, and had two saddles and seatposts nicked. Fortunately nothing like brakes, but I used to hear about theft of components a lot there. It totally sucks when this happens.

made use of the repair stand at a co-op this morning to pull a bit of glass out of my tyre.

#reallyneedtotubeless

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@hippy disturbed maybe. Guessing they would have gone for the other given time. Who steals one grip?!?

@bigshape probably but I’ve got torx screws in the stem so I guess that saved me.

Now I’m going to have to find a security solution for all my screw bolts. Ffs. Might have to slap some leccy tape the levels to disguise them too.

isn't that the usual MO of these pricks?

I don't know, but for a long time there was a constant background noise of cockpits going missing in Central London on a regular basis. Not often, just every couple of months or so I'd hear something, first when it happened to a friend of mine in the late 90s. It was always seemingly infrequent enough not to spark any action against it and suggested that there may have been one person specialising in it, but mindful not to overdo it. More recently, there was a concentrated spree, reported in these pages, which lasted a couple of weeks, but seems to have gone quiet again. I don't know if anyone was caught and whether that's why it ended.

Hi, whereabouts is this?
Anyone know the manufacturer/supplier of the Bike Repair Station?

https://www.ibombo.eu/category_product/bike-repair-stations/
think it's one of these, although the pump was missing.
luckily i had my trusty hpx frame pump to hand.

it's in a co-op carpark in a village called rothley, just to the north of leicester.
national cycle network route 6

Hi,
Thanks fo your reply,
and the ibombo details.

I (unfortunately) know a super prolific thief in that area, if I see him in the next couple of days I'll try giving him a shake and see if he rattles

Thank you! That would be ace.

left work a bit early and took the scenic route home.

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Looks to me like a good reason to have left work early.

Did a fucking rad skid into track stand this morning 😎

Fuck it.

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Tried to get a lime bike to work today as going out later and didn’t want to bring kit, plus trains are down

Didn’t realise you can’t cycle into Croydon borough on one so had to ditch it and get a bus the rest of the way

Today I was used as an excuse for why some matey just can't operate his car like a reasonable person 😎