Author: Cris Bloomfield

That was the noise my bike made this morning. For the first time in months I had a tow in to work in the slipstream of a coach. I was of course paying far more attention to my distance to that back of the bus that where the bike was going and I managed to ride over a pothole I’ve hit before. The Kurdunk of aluminium slipping on aluminium was my bars slipping in the stem so i had an interesting ride into work with the bars at a funky downward angle.

It was warm this morning so shorts, merino t-shirt and a gillet and riding sans socks was not a problem. By lunch time I was walking to the post office around the Captain America set in a jacket with a woolen beanie on. The ride home had better be a fast one. A few hours makes a big difference in this city at this time of year.

The Wattbike was out again for the Student Welcome Fair at The University of Manchester. I swear that thing is like a magnet. I tried to resist it… I didn’t feel great. I had silly shoes on. I couldn’t remember what I had done last time. Joni Purmonen had set the top output – over 1450w. Going to the gym and pushing weights clearly pays off.

Still ten minutes later I’m back on it. I ripped my foot out of the toeclips on the first start, managed to get the power down second time around. Previous attempts have seen me hit 1210w, 1311w & 1381w. I managed 1386w this time. Enough for 3rd place on the board. I wouldn’t mind having a go on one of these now with some proper biking gear and pedals on…

This morning a coleague was late for a meeting, so a deal was done. We’d meet at his office and he’d provide a coffee. My first coffee of the year. I’m not sure exactly what coffee Caffè Nero produced, but I’ve still got a caffiene shake going on almost 12 hours later.

Of course the meeting being delayed by an hour meant that I was able to ride to my office in a downpour of epic proportions, but with my coffee fuelled cloak I was like Miguel Indurain ripping up the tarmac as I big ringed it into work. Yes a deliver driver in a Mercedes Sprinter did think about cutting across me at a junction, but then he saw the 100yard stare in my eyes and thought better of it.

Work time evaporated and the next thing it’s 7.30pm and time to ride home…quickly, because it’s already that time of year where light is fading fast in the evenings. The coundown to needing lights for the commute has begun…

You can say you’re World Champion if your name’s Tracy Moseley. Well earned result that’s been a long time coming…

Photo by Rob Jones.

…best way to describe the weather really. Cold and wintery last week, then a flurry of change ushers in summers death throws and then today saw constant strong winds driving in a big front off the Atlantic. I reckon the leaves on the trees will start to turn soon. It started raining about 6.30pm and hasn’t stopped since. Still it was warm enough for me to ride to work in shorts and a short sleeved Merino top today and only one silly cow in a Golf tried to get me. She jumped the lights and turned across the junction in front of me and a black minicab tried to follow her but I was halfway across the junction by then being followed by two lanes of traffic. It’s not my problems if you’re impatient… sod off!

Riding the Independent Fabriation Cross Bike is such a better experience in comparison to the Roadrat. I don’t miss that now it’s gone. Even with an SLR saddle on it, the bike just feels more comfortable and alive. It wasn’t a weight thing either, there was only half a pound difference between them, which make me sure it was all down to the tubing and design. The other great thing is that you can sit all day in the office and any time look up and see a bike that you had build to your specs and with a paint job that always makes you smile.

..because if you have to make up a ficticious company as part of a Chartered Institute of Marketing piece of coursework, it might as well have a kick ass name.

The weather has gone bad. It’s the third day riding with a long sleeved jacket, merino base layer and waterproof 3/4s. My normally commuter shoes were so wet from Monday that they still hadn’t dried out two days later so I’m riding in carbon soled racing disco slippers. The bike feels different, more alive, more responsive with the direct power transfer. Maybe I should get some new commuting shoes.

It’s depressing that summer is over, we didn’t seem to get much of one and as soon as it started the hose pipeban kicked in and as Nick pointed out it’s rained everyday since. Bloody United Utilities are to blame for that then. Jinxing the best bit of good weather all year with concerns about how we’d run out of water if it carried on. Eejits.

My pedals have decided to self-destruct too. I took the Eggbeaters off, stripped, cleaned and rebuilt them with grease and now three days later one of the end caps has unscrewed itself, fallen off and they feel just as rough as before. I’ve ordered a rebuild kit, but to be honest I’m wondering if the Shimano XTR pedals are a better option.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

Sounds like the front brake pads rubbing on the rim. No, not the rim. The tyre. Better stop and check it out. Nope, can’t see anything wrong. So I fiddle with the brake cantilevers on the front of the ‘cross bike as I’m riding home trying to stop the noise. Partly because it’s irritating and partly because if it is the brakes rubbing on the sidewall of the tyre it’ll be through and the inner tube will have exploded by the time I get home.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

It’s starting to rain. The weather has been unpredictable for weeks, but it’s 7pm on a Friday and having been working late, I just want to get home and start the weekend. With a beer. Withou getting soaked by Manchester’s unwanted precipitation.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

Right, that’s enough. Stop. Get off the bike spin the front wheel around whilst checking the brake blocks in relation to the tyre. No bulges in the tyre and the rims not out of true. Check it’s seated properly in the drop outs and tighten the quick release up a bit anyway. Set off and fiddle with the brakes again, riding slowly because I’m trying to do all this in traffic.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

Sweet Mary and the infants! What is it? Over a pothole. Hmmm. That’s not a good sign. Should have felt that bump. Look down at the slowly softening front tyre. P U N C T U R E.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

First one whilst commuting in over a year. Click down a couple of gears and try and get some speed on. I want to get home. The rain is getting heavier.

Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

It’s too late, the pressure in the tyre’s so low it’s starting to squirm, even in a straight line. I get my weight right back over the back wheel trying to unweight the front. It’s a vain effort, but it probably buys me another 50 metres.

Nothing. No Pffft, Pffft, Pffft.

The tyre runs limply on the rim, so expensive German rubber and a deflated inner tube are the only things saving the delicate aluminimum of the rim from the coarse abrasive asphalt. I can ride on and destroy the tyre and damage the rim or I can admit defeat. I bow my head, I hate giving in. The heavens open.

It’s a long, cold and wet walk home ducking from the shelter of one tree to the next. I’ll put my spare tube, pump and tyre levers back in my back tonight then. That’ll teach me to take them out.

More Photos

As you’ll see it used to have discs, but not any more (although the frame still has helicopter tape on it that was in place to protect against cable rub). Now up for sale as I’m riding another bike more these days,

Upgraded with Thomson Elite seatpost, Race Face Cadence cranks and BB, Chris King Headset and DMR chain tensioners. It’s just had new Aztec cartridge brake pads all around, the original saddle refitted (taken off at purchase) and new grips. Everything is running and spinning smoothly, I take care of my bikes having worked for years in a bike shop and as a mechanic.

Singlespeed setup (50x16t) is geared quite high, but has been ideal for commuting in Manchester. As you can see it’s in good condition, a few light scratches and the odd stone chip, but otherwise in near new condition. Weights in at 21.2lb as pictured. Bike not supplied with pedals.

Looking for £550.

Yesterday the whole world seemed to be out to get me. It’s difficult to cite anyone particular thing at work or on the commute that wound me up, but I did manage to relieve much of the tension by blowing the crap out of lots of baddies on the XBOX360 at home. With imagination they looked a bit like the idiot in the grey Civic and other people who had made it into my bad books.

This morning the world still hated me and this was most vididly manifested in the form of the retarded driver of a black Ford Puma who indicated left, then turned right causing me to haul on the anchors and slide the bike speedway style to a stop to avoid getting t-boned. Dick. Head. Driver.

Tonight on the way home a bunch of three scallies were tailing an 18stone heffalump on an ultralight tricked out mountain bike groaning under his weight. I suspect they were eyeing the bike up and wondering of they had the guts to push him off it into the bushes and then ride off into the sunset on his bike. They were all riding on the pavement, which grated with my ‘why aren’t you riding on the road’ mentality.

Then there were the two scally kids walking along, one having recently liberated a front wheel and the other a saddle and seatpost off a bike. That was pretty blatant, but not unusual for inner city Manchester. The thing that really wound me up though was not that I met all the traffic lights on red, but that some roadie swine tailed me most of the way home, hovering just over my right shoulder. I shook him in the end by taking a bumper hugging right turn across the oncoming traffic in the wake of a fast moving Golf GTI. It was the highlight of my day.