MTB in Yately Woods (Near Blackbush)

Went cycling over in Yateley woods and am sorry to report that the route known to me as Nine Pint Ride is no more as its buried under branches. The log drop and bomb pits remain though so we had some fun.

Office move to Thames Valley Park.

I’m to move offices from Camberley to Oracle’s offices in Thames
Valley Park, Reading.

My current commute is by bicycle, on an average day I travel approximately 5 miles and do the trip in under 25 minutes. The distance and time very much depend on the weather as I do enjoy my ride in through the woods in the area. But how am I to get to TVP?

It seems I have a few options:

• Bus: Number 72 will take me from Fleet, Reading Road South to
  Reading Station in approx. One hour. Cost £7 return.

• Train: From Fleet station to Reading station via Basingstoke in
  approx one hour.

• Car: Only I currently share a car with the wife. In the interest
  of the environment I would like to car-share.

• Bicycle: Approximately 17 miles door-to-door, I estimate it will
  take 1 hour and 45 mins

• Work From Home:

I’m thinking that I would ideally like to continue to cycle. But I have to confess its been a while since I road that sort of distance and even longer since I rode it on roads.

I imagine the easiest method would be car. Travel time I’d expect to be under an hour, say 40 minutes. Though picking up others for the car share could well add some time to that.

Putting the idea of a car-share on hold for the moment The train seems like a good option, I’d cycle to the Station on the Brompton and then take the train. Each train only takes around quarter-of-an-hour but to that there is a waiting time at the start and middle stations which takes the total travel up to around an hour. Plus the possibility of missing a connection. I shall of course try the train another day.

So today I’m trying the bus. I cycled up to the bus stop on Reading Road South, arrived at 8:05. I brought the bike as I’m undecided on my return route at this time; for a start the bus is rather infrequent and I’m not sure if I’m going to take the Oracle bus from the station or cycle down the river path.

First thoughts – Very friendly bus driver – to the passengers at least, very uncomfortable seat. There is a parcel shelf where I stow the bike so that is at least not under my feet. Towards the end of the journey I’d imagined a bus lane ran through Reading. But the bus takes a detour down side streets (Basingstoke Road) collecting other passengers. At west hill Tobacco smell causes my nose and throat to twinge – Yes it non-smoking but those smells linger.

Noted times:

• 8:14 Bus arrives
• 8:22 Fleet Station
• 8:35 Exit Elvemeheath
• 8:38 Hartley Witney
• 8:43 Pub Shoulder of Mutton?
• 8:48 Wellington Country Park – Riseley. (Erm 30mph???)
• 9:04 M4 Junction
• 9:17 West Hill?
• 9:20 Bridge Street – The Oracle (shopping centre).
• 9:23 Station – drivers says 10 mins late.

As I get off the bus the Thames Valley Park courtesy bus service is there so I jump on. I really shouldn’t have on such a lovely day – but its bus day. Driver tells me the service runs every 8 minutes. Four other passengers also get on. Lots of space for bike in wheelchair spaces and two parcel shelfs – though the shelfs are four feet off the floor. A bus lane is provided for part of this journey along Kings Road. I’m told the service is rather busy in the mornings and afternoon. I intend to cycle up the river path to get back this afternoon.

---

To which I did, it only took around ten minutes along the river path on Sustrans route 4 and 5.. I got the bus as far as Elvetham Heath and cycled the last two miles directly – where as the bus goes around the houses – and thus took ten minutes off the morning journey.

Off-road tricycle wanted

Lunch time off-road cycling has become a regular and joyful retreat for some of us in the office. My friend Isamu whom has Ataxic Cerebral Palsy has informed me that he would like to get a suitable off-road tricycle so that he could have a go to. Having been in the woods on his electric wheel chair he has some idea of what he is letting him self in for…

Thus we’re looking for tricycle recommendations and or a shop or outlet south of London where Isamu would be able to have a try on a tricycle, anyone?

Cycling home with Alice

Tonight I cycled home with my youngest daughter Alice. Emily was off to a dress Rehearsal for the stage show Annie which she is appearing in at the Haymarket theatre in Basingstoke. I suggested to Alice that rather than me working from home she might like to come in to the office and cycle home with me. I was delighted to see Alice’s eyes light up at this prospect.

Alice arrived at 5pm, I collected her and we waved good bye to Mum and Emily. Alice then accompanied we back into the office where she played schools on the white-board and I finished testing the Solaris 9 libc T-patches for my changes.

At 6pm we headed out into the cold. Alice eager to see my route home through the dark wood. Lights a blaze (its amazing how light technology has improved over the last few years) we set off out of the campus. Staying on road for the first mile or so as the direct cross country root brings you out on to the busy A3013. A road which as it runs beside Fleet pond is unlite and has no provision for pedestrians let alone small children on bikes coming out of a dark and hidden public footpath on the wrong side of the pond… A prime candidate for 30mph speed restriction in my opinion.

We entered the woods just outside of Southwood. We went a route which passes under the trees. Its warmer in the trees than in the open and a lot more fun. Alice was astonished by just how dark it was looking back over her shoulder. We stayed in the trees for as long as we could. We’d gone around 2 and half miles and I was feeling the cold. We free-wheeled down the hill and exited the woods, being careful not to turn on the wooden bridge which can be extra slippy at this time of year.

I could see that Alice was tiring, we still had a mile and a half to go. I encouraged her along, we went under the road by the canal, then up past her School and on to the last mile. With 400 yards to go I placed the challenge… 30 seconds head start for the race to the door… Alice beat me by a wheel length, I’ll catch her next time 😉

The ride took just over an hour, three times longer than it would me on that route. I was very cold, the pace to slow to warm me. Thankfully Alice was not cold and was pleased with herself. I’m very proud of her, for her accomplishment and for wanting to cycle.

The Cycling Experiment – update

My cycling Experiment has gone extremely well. Rather then dispose of the car immediately I simply parked it in the staff car park where it sat unused for two months. After that I took the car home in preparation to sell it. Well I never got around to selling it as I didn’t think it was worth a great deal (Nissan Micra 1Litre H reg) and thought my niece would like it (seems I was wrong on that account too, but that’s another story).

Its now ten months later and I have cycled every day to the office…
Yes, I do work from home occasionally but not that often and then I
find I’m itching to go out for a cycle during the day.

Today it rained while cycling in, which is only the third time in ten
months. Its a strange phenomenon but around 18:00 the rain seems to
brake for a while, just long enough for me to get home.
Equally phenomenal is the fact that it seems to
start to rain when its time to collect the children from school!

Its time I was going home… And alas I forgot to hang up my cycle top
which is now still very damp! I’ll just cycle home in my day shirt.

One last thing, thanks to everyone who gave me encouragement to see
the experiment through.

Stace

Tag: topic:[rain] topic:[commuting] topic:[cycling]

Cycling wigs

BBC reports: research from Bath university suggests that my cycle helmet attracts vehicles while a wig might repel them.

Give Cyclists Room

Following on from
Chris’
post I must agree that www.givecyclistsroom.co.uk is an
excellent idea and is provided for in the
highway code. Specifically, “
139: Overtake only when it is
safe to do so” and “give motorcyclists, cyclists and horse riders at least as much room as
you would a car when overtaking”.

On the subject of the highway code I’d like remind fellow motorists
that at road junctions
“pedestrians crossing a road
into which you are turning. If they have started to cross they have
priority, so give way.” If you are in doubt that motorists ignore this directive, go and cross roads that intersect
round-abouts and see how often cars stop. I’d do it on a dry day,
because on wet days you’ll just get very wet!

One final word, specially for folks traveling north to Scotland,
If another driver flashes his
headlights never assume that it is a signal to go.. Down here in
the south a flash is often used as a means of saying “you go”, while
in Scotland the flash is used, and one might argue correctly, to say
I’m coming through.

Stace

Cycle Promotions @ Guildford

Cycle Promotions are at
Guildford this Sunday the 9th October.

Basingstoke Canal footpath closures

It’s officially winter going by the complete lack of encounters with
dog walkers this morning.

The Basingstoke canal footpath is closed between
Farnborough-Bridges
and Eelmoor-Bridge
the minor detour took me onto a road which runs through the Army Golf
Course.

By the looks of the path which goes past Eelmoor Flash it appears that
the authorities are clearing the paths. Alas the
http://www.basingstoke-canal.co.uk/ official web site has no details.

Stace

Tag: Basingstoke-Canal

Noisy bottom bracket fixed

For the past week I have been driven insane by a creak coming from what sounded like the bottom bracket. The noise only seemed to occur as I pushed down on the left side at first. The lunch time MTB gang offered various advice and tools on Tuesday. On the ride home that night the noise came from both left and right pushes and really started to make me crazy. It got so bad I didn’t need the bell to warn fellow tow path users of my approach.

I have had this symptom before, then I found the problem was actually with the seat post. Alas this time the seat post was not the cause.

Tuesday night the bike was on the stand. I couldn’t feel any movement in the bottom bracket. And as I don’t have the tools to remove it I decided that removing that would be my last resort. Besides, the pedals had plenty of play in them. So Tuesday night I stripped the pedals, re-greased them and put them back on.

Alas, the creak was still there and drove the lads mad again on Wednesday as they let me creak past, I’m sure they just wanted some peace and quiet.

Wednesday night the bike was back on stand and following advice from my friend Mark I took the chain rings off and set about cleaning greasing and refitting them. I also took the time to clean the chain and rear sprockets and jockey wheels. Put it all back together, using White Lightning on the chain.

Todays lunch time ride was sound! That is to say sound-less from the bottom braket at least.

I’m looking forward to a nice cycle in to work tomorrow, without the constant creak, creak, creak.

Top 6 ‘bottom bracket’ creak suspects
1. Seat rails, where your seat meets the seat post.
2. Seat post clamp, where your seat post meets the bike.
3. Loose shoe cleats (seems I missed this off my original post!)
4. Pedals
5. Front chain rings
6. Bottom Bracket

Having gotten so close to the chain set I must admit to needing a whole new one… Cycling to work certainly isn’t as cheap as I had first thought. But it is much, much more fun 🙂