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Things I've learnt from commuting


zeabre

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MY trip is only 10km with 300m climbing. Nice work out.

 

Ouch! Suddenly I feel a lot better about my 300m over 20km...

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Ouch! Suddenly I feel a lot better about my 300m over 20km...

 

Mine 28 and a half with about 230m climbing...one way

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11km, 190m up, first 2km is flatfish, then no break in the up, till right at the office. Home is steep up for 1km, then almost all down...

I have learnt to pace myself going up, And how to be faster going down, need to keep up with the cars otherwise they push you off the tricky bits. So I go fast enough to fit into the traffic.

Edited by MaXiMuM
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I re-learnt an old lesson today: that no matter how visible you are, how far away they saw you, or that you have right of way, don't just make the 'reasonable' assumption that they'll actually give you right of way. Safe cycling means assuming all motorists are blind, unreasonable, in a bad mood, and found their drivers licence in a lucky packet.

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I have a feeling that there is funny weather on its way.

My shoulder is killing me for the past 3 days...

So guess it might be a wet or nasty weather week ahead...

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I live in melville, and work in Bryanston (50 meters from the Spruit ). It's 15km each way, basically all downhill in the mornings and 300m climbing in the afternoon. The only time I'm on the road is going down beyers naude.

 

I think I'm really lucky with my home and work locations. I basically get to mountain bike every day!

 

I

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Wish I lived closer to work. 20km with over 300m climbing is hard work! Traded some training rides for commuting, and getting huge benefits for doing so.

 

38km / 350m.

 

So only go one way per day... :)

 

Drive in, ride back, ride in , drive back. Repeat.

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I live in melville, and work in Bryanston (50 meters from the Spruit ). It's 15km each way, basically all downhill in the mornings and 300m climbing in the afternoon. The only time I'm on the road is going down beyers naude.

 

I think I'm really lucky with my home and work locations. I basically get to mountain bike every day!

 

I

 

Melville hills are great training. I start in Brixton/Crosby. My ride is about 10km's one way with 260m of climbing going home. This week I took a detour past Sentech tower to get a bit extra climbing in.

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38km / 350m.

 

So only go one way per day... :)

 

Drive in, ride back, ride in , drive back. Repeat.

 

39km / 800m one way (From just past home of the chicken pie to Sandton). Do return route about once a week.

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I have to say that fitting in with traffic has forced me to be smooth, choose gears early and to rotate my head 180 degrees without rotating my shoulders. Also found other ways of looking over my shoulder, under my arm pits, under my legs, through trees and 100 other things.

Edited by MaXiMuM
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I simply love commuting, especially in the traffic between Parow and Montague gardens. I just started last week, saves me tons on the fuel bill and I got a colleague to join me too.

 

I have learnt in this short time that motorists are blind and they simply don't seem to give a damn if you have right of way or not. Also, what is up with people jumping traffic via the yellow line, almost got wiped out by a silver polo yesterday eve on my way home doing this. Luckily I am not a violent person, but had I not been alert i would have hit him square on his left fender at roughly 30km/h.

 

Pedestrians are idiots regardless of the area you ride, skate boarders think they are faster and for the life of me I simply cant understand why folk on MTB's are soooo much friendlier than those on Road bikes. Do the roadies think that they are above the rest of us cyclists?

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I simply cant understand why folk on MTB's are soooo much friendlier than those on Road bikes. Do the roadies think that they are above the rest of us cyclists?

 

When i use to ride to my local; trails i had a section of 8km to do on the road to get there. the one day i counted 38 roadies with 2 greeting and 9 mtb'r with 8 greeting. Just the way it is i guess.

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From Blouberg to Obs around 21km one way no ups that is worth mentioning.

 

Biggest surprise factor for me is that it seems that taxis are more considerate and friendly the any other type of driver. Yes commuters are friendly, must invest in booties as i found last winter my open finger gloves are much warmer then my shoes :oops: . Also invested in a carrier, my wife thinks it looks bad but it's functional so i don't really mind what it looks like.

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After the Camps Bay thing, I currently feel that everybody in traffic is giving me the evil eye.

 

Oh ja, I am *** scared of delivery/panel vans at present!

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