Wgtn - Calling all cyclists of the pedal variety

[Str8 Jacket]

Anyone on here cycle from Lower Hutt to Wgtn city everyday or at least reguarly?

Im wondering how long it takes you and what effort that time involves please? I am not very fit at the moment but I am back at the gym as of 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately I am bikeless for now and only one day back on the train makes me want to take a gun on with me tomorrow and kill someone. I figure it may be a better idea just to look at an alternative type of transport!

[merv]

So is it "Hels Metro, take it easy take the push bike"? Lol

Instead of :2guns: "Tranz Metro, take it easy take the train" and shoot someone huh!!

Just watch out for truckers like flattened that cop at petone won't ya - don't want you getting hurt :no:

[jimbo600]

Piece of piss Hels. Take ya about 30mins if nothing seizes on the bike, which in your case is quite likely.

Its all flat and the only thing you need to watch out for is glass on the side of the road.

[Str8 Jacket]

Piece of piss Hels. Take ya about 30mins if nothing seizes on the bike, which in your case is quite likely.

Its all flat and the only thing you need to watch out for is glass on the side of the road.

:p

Anyway, what could *really* happen... wheel fall off, chain fall off, handle bars fall off? It cant be that dangerous, surely?! (where's the tui emoticon?!)

[skelstar]

Bus service is pretty mint Hels. If you're real near Cuba St (or is it Vicoria?) then you could hop on a bus that heads all the way through to Wgtn.

81, 83, 84 from Gracefield?Eastbourne dir costs about $4 to get into town. I know 91 (The Flyer) goes through Cuba/Vic st but costs more in the $5.20 region.

[Trudes]

Sounds like a good way to kill a few birds with the same stone there Hels, free transport to and from work, no worries with parking and you get fit!!:niceone:

[Swoop]

Just watch out for truckers like flattened that cop at petone won't ya - don't want you getting hurt :no:
The "road awareness" person?
Interesting to note that the chap killed on his bicycle near Whangarei over the weekend, was also a "road awareness/safety" person.

Odd.

[jrandom]

Not sure what the exact distance is from the Hutt to town, but it's flat as a pancake innit?

I commute 17km each way on the pushy from Te Atatu to the Auckland CBD at the moment. Takes 40-45 minutes. And I'm a out-of-breath 100kg pie-eater, so a fit young 'un like yourself should be quicker than me.

;)

[merv]

:p

Anyway, what could *really* happen... wheel fall off, chain fall off, handle bars fall off? It cant be that dangerous, surely?! (where's the tui emoticon?!)

Ah I already mentioned being careful about trucks like flattened the cop.

Trick is get a rearview mirror for your helmet - can you buy those little one eyed jobs in NZ? - the guys had them when I was at Uni in USA - because its not the people in front you gotta worry about its those coming up behind you.

[Str8 Jacket]

......you gotta worry about, its those coming up behind you.

Oh Merv stop. You'll ge me all excited :thud:

[merv]

Oh Merv stop. You'll ge me all excited :thud:

Well mate you gotta enjoy your commute. I also would prefer not to come to your funeral yet :(

[jrandom]

Also note that a proper road bike in good nick will carry you along the flat at 35kph with little effort, whereas an ancient 15kg MTB with knobblies, f'rinstance, will take mondo puffing and straining to hold 22 on the same stretch.

If you're planning on putting in any serious pedal miles it could be worth keeping an eye out for the right machine to do it on.

[Str8 Jacket]

I also would prefer not to come to your funeral yet :(
No worries Merv, just ket me know when's a better time and i'll pencil it in my diary.....


Also note that a proper road bike in good nick will carry you along the flat at 35kph with little effort, whereas an ancient 15kg MTB with knobblies, f'rinstance, will take mondo puffing and straining to hold 22 on the same stretch.

If you're planning on putting in any serious pedal miles it could be worth keeping an eye out for the right machine to do it on.

Bleh, im doing this so I dont have to spend any money. First bike that comes along, wether it be on a passing car or if someone was to just 'fall' off their bike in front of me, im not fussy......

[jrandom]

First bike that comes along, wether it be on a passing car or if someone was to just 'fall' off their bike in front of me, im not fussy......

Just don't be seduced by the Lure of the MTB That Can Jump Kerbs And Maybe Go Out On The Trails Sometime Etc.

They're a bitch to ride on the road for any proper distance and that's all there is to it.

Get a road bike.

:yes:

[MisterD]

Just don't be seduced by the Lure of the MTB That Can Jump Kerbs And Maybe Go Out On The Trails Sometime Etc.

They're a bitch to ride on the road for any proper distance and that's all there is to it.

Get a road bike.

:yes:

+1. I'd say to check out the "Sub" (Sarah Ulmer) bikes at your local Avanti shop. decent bikes, well priced and with geomomometry better suited to the fairer sux.

[quallman1234]

Its not that bad, but do expect at least an hour and a bit for when u first start out. Ive done it in like 25 minutes tho

[skelstar]

I have a MTB you can use Hels. Hydraullic disks etc. 11kg dry I think, alluminium frame etc. Even have some road tyres for it. You might have to come up and watch me put it together though.

Don't fuggin fall off. Theres enough injured around at the moment.

[bungbung]

From Fairfield to Thorndon (16km) is normally about 30min. It can take over 40min depending on the wind strength.

[Patch]

Not sure what the exact distance is from the Hutt to town, but it's flat as a pancake innit?

I commute 17km each way on the pushy from Te Atatu to the Auckland CBD at the moment. Takes 40-45 minutes. And I'm a out-of-breath 100kg pie-eater, so a fit young 'un like yourself should be quicker than me.

;)
thats cause you're pushing shit uphill ya fat coont. :Pokey:
It ain't all flat an then there is the wind factor.


Just don't be seduced by the Lure of the MTB That Can Jump Kerbs And Maybe Go Out On The Trails Sometime Etc.

They're a bitch to ride on the road for any proper distance and that's all there is to it.

Get a road bike.

:yes:
MTB are alot more user friendly on the road, more comfort, less punctures etc etc.
Close ya gob :bleh: when riding an you'll go faster.
Get a roady if ya gonna race.

[jrandom]

MTB are alot more user friendly on the road, more comfort, less punctures etc etc.

I find road bikes plenty comfortable to ride, even being a fatarse and all. The brakes will never be as good in the wet etc as MTB disc brakes, of course. Just gotta keep that in mind when riding.

And I dunno about less punctures. Depends on the tyres dunnit. I run Conti GP4000s and/or Specialized Armadillos on the road bike. Three years of daily pedal commuting all up, and only two punctures that I recall.

MTB road slicks I'd say might be more likely to puncture a tube, since they're wider and tend to roll over sharp things rather than push them out of the way.


Close ya gob :bleh: when riding an you'll go faster.

And here's me thinking that a new wheelset would do the trick.

:pinch:

[Patch]

And I dunno about less punctures. Depends on the tyres dunnit.
yes an no.

generally thicker tread an less psi in/on a MTB. 35-50psi vs. a roady at over 90psi some @120psi

[bungbung]

+1 for road bikes over a mtb with slicks.

Why put in the extra effort?

[Patch]

why bother at all??

The view is much better from a spin bike :blip:

[Str8 Jacket]

I have a MTB you can use Hels. Hydraullic disks etc. 11kg dry I think, alluminium frame etc. Even have some road tyres for it. You might have to come up and watch me put it together though.

Don't fuggin fall off. Theres enough injured around at the moment.

Cheers mister! May have to come around on Sunday........ I shall text ya.


And ladies, please settle. The reason I am thinking about riding is because I blew up my RG and have sold all my other bikes to pay for its repairs so I do not have any $$ to spend on a push bike!! So whatever I can lay my hands on first is sweet. Thanks Skelly bum bums :niceone:

[jrandom]

yes an no.

generally thicker tread an less psi in/on a MTB.

True, but I don't think it's the rubber that counts - the tyres I spoke of have multiple kevlar layers under the rubber to protect the tube from punctures.

Edit: Conti GP4000s - a flathead screwdriver under 35kg of pressure takes over 3 minutes to push through one to the tube, if I recall the advertising correctly.

I've never seen any MTB slicks in the same league; they all seem to be $40 wire-bead things that I'd expect a sharp bit of glass to just work straight through.

And I still gotta say, for > 100km/week on the road the slowness of an MTB would just drive me nuts. All that extra effort to pedal the fucker and it takes way longer to get anywhere. Those 15 minute differences to every trip do add up.

[jrandom]

The reason I am thinking about riding... I do not have any $$ to spend on a push bike!!

That's what they all say.

At first.

And you thought motorcycling was an addictive moneypit...

[bungbung]

I've never seen any MTB slicks in the same league

You can get 26" armadillos

[jrandom]

You can get 26" armadillos

True. Forgot about that.

Gawd, talk about pedalling through molasses!

[skelstar]

Cheers mister! May have to come around on Sunday........ I shall text ya.
Argh pants, I realised that the bike has clip-in pedals at the moment... so unless you are about a size 9 (don't have to answer that online) you/we might have to find some normal pedals and change them over. To be honest clip-in pedals, whilst seemingly daunting, are miles more 'economic' anyway... but I'm sure this will be debated ad nauseum also.

[jrandom]

... clip-in pedals, whilst seemingly daunting, are miles more 'economic' anyway... but I'm sure this will be debated ad nauseum also.

I don't think anyone's going to argue with that.

I wish I could be there to watch Str8 Jacket's clipless pedal learning curve, though.

:D

(Don't worry, SJ - after a few years, getting your feet out of them before you overbalance and land on your arse becomes second nature.)

[skelstar]

I've never fallen off as a result of being clipped in. It's only a problem if you think it is.

[jrandom]

I've never fallen off as a result of being clipped in.

Does that include MTBing on clipless pedals or just roadriding?

[skelstar]

Does that include MTBing on clipless pedals or just roadriding?
Both. Done a LOT of mtb-ing.

[jrandom]

Both. Done a LOT of mtb-ing.

This one time, at Woodhill, after failing to clip out quickly enough, I did a slow-motion slide on my arse backwards down a muddy bank into a very large puddle, bike still attached.

The applause from onlookers made it worse.

[Str8 Jacket]

I don't think anyone's going to argue with that.

I wish I could be there to watch Str8 Jacket's clipless pedal learning curve, though.

:D

(Don't worry, SJ - after a few years, getting your feet out of them before you overbalance and land on your arse becomes second nature.)

Im not even gonna go there BUT we all know what A S S U M E did, dont we?!......



Argh pants, I realised that the bike has clip-in pedals at the moment... so unless you are about a size 9 (don't have to answer that online) you/we might have to find some normal pedals and change them over. To be honest clip-in pedals, whilst seemingly daunting, are miles more 'economic' anyway... but I'm sure this will be debated ad nauseum also.

No stress mr Bums. Thanks for ya offer though! It would appear that my man has a bike just hanging about (quite literally) in his olds garage.....

[phantom]

I usually commute on my road bike, unless I know I will need to go into town then I take the old MTB. I definitely get fewer punctures on the road bike but with clipless pedals meaning I need to take shoes with me or look like a prat hobbling around in cycle shoes, and the fact that the road bike is worth more than our car means the old MTB has its uses

[Patch]

And I still gotta say, for > 100km/week on the road the slowness of an MTB would just drive me nuts. All that extra effort to pedal the fucker and it takes way longer to get anywhere. Those 15 minute differences to every trip do add up.
probably more of unfit, fat, to many pies etc etc - rather than the MTB



hit a stone/small rock @70kph on ya roady an see what happens - not hard to do given our shit roads.

[jrandom]

probably more of unfit, fat, to many pies etc etc - rather than the MTB

I presume that you and an MTB will be demonstrating that fact to me at Round Taupo (http://www.cyclechallenge.com/) this year, then?

:rockon:

[merv]

Hey Hels here's another option - what about taking the bike on the train now that bikes travel free - do you reckon they'd let you sit on it in the dog-box making all the right noises? Then you could stay warm, not expend much energy, but make the train commute more interesting :lol:

[jrandom]

that the road bike is worth more than our car...

Mmm, yes, one is not a Proper Cyclist unless that is the case.

[Patch]

I presume that you and an MTB will be demonstrating that fact to me at Round Taupo (http://www.cyclechallenge.com/) this year, then?

:rockon:
5hr 17mins smart arse, go beat that - if you can


that was when the 4hr 30min hadn't been broken.

[jrandom]

5hr 17mins smart arse, go beat that - if you can

Not this year, that's for sure. Respect! What'd you do it on?