Delurking

[bamt]

Hi everyone, I've been lurking here for a while and thought it was time to say hello. I've been on two wheels for as long as I can remember - but of the pushbike variety, specialising in fast long distance rides.

A change of job left me with an 85 mile round trip daily commute, which just takes too much time on the bicycle (though I was doing it up to three times a week in the summer, a bit over two hours each way), and miserable in the car with traffic jams, parking problems and generally being sat in a cage. I'd rather be out on a bicycle in the rain and snow than in a car - travelling as part of the world rather than observing it from a bubble, if that makes sense.

I decided to finally get around to getting my bike licence, so did CBT in October and finished off DAS in mid November - just in time to get the best biking weather I'm now riding an XJ900S Diversion, chosen for a reasonably upright position, some protection from the weather, shaft drive, no manic narrow power band, luggage capability and general workhorse-ness. And cheap enough that I won't cry too much if I drop it!

It may not be the most exciting bike in the world, but I've put a couple of thousand miles on it in the last month and it seems to be doing exactly what I wanted, with the bonus of costing a lot less than the car to run (and, being a moderately old fart, only £175 fully comp with £250 excess to insure despite still having the car so having no no-claims to bring over and only being licensed for a few days when I took it out).

I'll re-evaluate the bike when better weather comes along, to see if it's the kind of thing I want to be riding, if I should stick with it, get something newer or something completely different.

So that's me, and having delurked I'll start to join in here.

[Rigga]

Hello there, that's a decent commute by push bike christ! Well done on the DAS, I did the same thing.
Personally though, I would rather be in the nice warm cage in the depths of winter
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[bamt]

Obviously ice and deep snow aren't much fun - and I'll take the car or stay at home in those conditions. I'm not stupid!

But a bit of wind, rain and cold - well, that's what decent clothing is for!

[Rogerborg]

But... what... I...

You appear to have done everything right. Well, that's no fun for us.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Christoffee]

That is hardcore bicycling!!
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Bike: CBF125

[-Matt-]

Is your name Bradley Wiggins by any chance

[bamt]

No

I ride Audax, so typically 600km (370 miles) with a 40 hour time limit. Long rides with a steady pace are easy, as long as you are comfy and eat enough.

[Rigga]

[bamt]

It depends. Doing London-Edinburgh-London earlier this year I rode straight up to Edinburgh with only a 15 minute catnap sitting at a table at Barnard Castle; it was on the return leg before I slept. Having left London at about 7am on Sunday, rode through Sunday night and it was around 10pm on Monday when I got my head down for a few hours, then I slept for a few hours on Tuesday night and finished and was in my own bed at home for Wednesday night.

I like riding through the night; the roads are quiet and it's really peaceful out there. Add modern LED lighting powered by a front wheel dynamo hub and you can see almost as well as you can with car headlights - none of the old school trying to navigate when all you can see is a dim yellow glow two feet in front of your wheel from your Never Ready battery lights

More usually, I'll try to get at least five hours off the bike each night on multi-day rides, with three hours actual sleep (fits in with my REM cycle, if I do four hours I feel really rough, four and a half is fine). On these rides there's usually a village hall or school sports hall with mattresses on the floor to sleep at, though I have been known to just use a sleeping bag in a bivvy bag just off the road. There's no on-the-road support team allowed (you have to carry everything you need), but there are checkpoints, usually with sleeping facilities if they expect riders overnight, every 50-70 miles.

MTBing is fun, road cycling is good in a different way - I like going places, seeing things and the camaraderie on the way.

[Rigga]

That's insane!
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Current bike: Honda CBR 1100xx

[handbasket]

bamt is a lightweight. He rode London Edinburgh London on gears.

My story is similar, my commute wasn't as far but 50 mile round trip meant 1h30 each way cycling. I passed in November and took delivery of my CBF600S on the 6th of December. Insurance is costing me £280 and I've done 2300 miles so far averaging 58mpg. The only thing not to like about it is the epic rain we've had lately, been struggling to see where I'm going.

bamt - when the weather improves, ride out?

[bamt]

[Polarbear]

You are certifiable, at least you were till you got a Divvy 900 which is a cracking bike and has an engine .
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[pinkyfloyd]

I'm exhausted reading this thread!
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.