I tried a few tools to plot my cycle route into work. Bike Hub seemed the best, but the results seemed off-puttingly complicated, so I plumped for cycling the route I would drive.
However, I did find out from the tools that the route was about 7miles, and would take about 45 minutes cycling at 12mph, which is a reasonable commuting speed.
My ride in has settle down to about 32 minutes, which felt rather too fast if the suggested route data was right. So I have looked out a tool to measure my route, and have a much clearer idea of the facts now.
This is my route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com
It is 5.5 miles, which means I am averaging 10.3 miles an hour (calculated with this tool).
So - I am perhaps not so fit as it might have seemed, but the ride will feel less intimidating when I am really tired in the mornings (evening are always easier - I'm heading home!).
I do feel sorry for anyone following the recommended routes however - much longer...
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cycling. Show all posts
Friday, 27 January 2012
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Brompton upgrade
I have had my Brompton for about 18 months, and i love it.
I tried other folders, but nothing matched the build or ride that a Brompton packs into such a tiny package.
I have a raw lacquer finish, rather than an opaque paint - one of the things i love about these bikes is that they are handmade (in London), and the raw finish shows off the brazing beautifully.
I also opted for a hub dynamo to power the lights, which was expensive but brilliant.
However, after last winter's snow i wanted something brighter than the standard front lamp, which was ok, but the dynamo had more power than the lamp could use. So when the bulb blew, i grabbed the chance and bought a new lamp rather than a replacement bulb.
I got a Busch and Muller IQ Cyo - very bright at 60 lux, and it has a feature where it stays on even when i'm not moving. (A problem with standard dynamos is that they are off when you are static, leaving you vulnerable at junctions and traffic lights.)
The front light fitting on a Brompton is just above the wheel - works with the folding and simplifies the cable routing. This means it is very low and underneath my front pannier (a daily commute necessity), which doesn't affect the forward cast of the light, but i feel makes me less visible to cars than a higher mounted light. So, rather than double-up the front light with a removable LED flasher on the bar (which admits the lower light is ineffective), i chose to bar mount the new light.
This works excellently.
The IQ has on / off controls which are usefully to hand, and the beam is perfectly positioned for vision and visibility. Also, the small sized light fits perfectly in the gap between the wheel and front fork when folded, which can cause problems with bar mounted anything on the Brompton.
I had to bodge a mount from bits and pieces, and (as you can see), lots of tape. Also the cable routing took a little trial and error to balance neatness with the necessary looseness required for the fold.
However, the final result is robust - fully tested in a fast black-ice related incident just before Christmas..!
I tried other folders, but nothing matched the build or ride that a Brompton packs into such a tiny package.
I have a raw lacquer finish, rather than an opaque paint - one of the things i love about these bikes is that they are handmade (in London), and the raw finish shows off the brazing beautifully.
I also opted for a hub dynamo to power the lights, which was expensive but brilliant.
However, after last winter's snow i wanted something brighter than the standard front lamp, which was ok, but the dynamo had more power than the lamp could use. So when the bulb blew, i grabbed the chance and bought a new lamp rather than a replacement bulb.
I got a Busch and Muller IQ Cyo - very bright at 60 lux, and it has a feature where it stays on even when i'm not moving. (A problem with standard dynamos is that they are off when you are static, leaving you vulnerable at junctions and traffic lights.)
The front light fitting on a Brompton is just above the wheel - works with the folding and simplifies the cable routing. This means it is very low and underneath my front pannier (a daily commute necessity), which doesn't affect the forward cast of the light, but i feel makes me less visible to cars than a higher mounted light. So, rather than double-up the front light with a removable LED flasher on the bar (which admits the lower light is ineffective), i chose to bar mount the new light.
This works excellently.
The IQ has on / off controls which are usefully to hand, and the beam is perfectly positioned for vision and visibility. Also, the small sized light fits perfectly in the gap between the wheel and front fork when folded, which can cause problems with bar mounted anything on the Brompton.
I had to bodge a mount from bits and pieces, and (as you can see), lots of tape. Also the cable routing took a little trial and error to balance neatness with the necessary looseness required for the fold.
However, the final result is robust - fully tested in a fast black-ice related incident just before Christmas..!
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