After the tune-up my ride to work this morning was noticeably quieter, at least. No rattling from the rear rack, and no ominous noises from the wheels. I did a personal best time up the only hill of note on my route, but I can't feel too pleased with myself because half way up another guy on an e-bike blasted past me like I was standing still!

https://strava.app.link/PpGHxaKOxYb

#BikeTooter #Cycling #CycleCommuting #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling #Ebike

Oh, and Crankbrothers Eggbeater pedals!

Nominally they are mountain bike pedals but after trying several different clipless systems for my commuting and recreational road cycling back in the day I decided they are the best for my usage too, and have put them on every bike I've owned since.

The key for me is the ease of clipping in and out, especially the clipping in. Because you can clip in from any of the four sides of the pedal there is no need to fiddle around making sure it's in the right orientation when setting off, you just push down and go. Bonus, they use two hole recessed cleats so you can use MTB or, better still, cycle trekking shoes and actually walk around when you get off the bike. Another bonus, the pedals need no adjustments and (almost) no maintenance.

https://www.crankbrothers.com/collections/eggbeater

#Cycling #CycleCommuting #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling

While I'm on the topic of things that are great...

The Orbea Vibe H10 EQ is, IMO, a great ebike for commuting. The integrated lighting, included mudguards and included pannier rack make it commute-ready out of the box, but it still looks good and not overly ebike-y.

Ortlieb Back-Roller Classic pannier bags are still the best. So quick and easy to get them on and off the bike, no movement or rattling once they're on the bike, and completely waterproof.

Finally something that most people wouldn't give a second thought, my bike bell. It's a Knog Oi Prima, and it's fantastic. Really loud so it doesn't go unnoticed, but it's still a pleasant sound so it doesn't come across as aggressive (unless you hammer away at it). Perfect if you do much cycling on shared used paths, and regularly need to give pedestrians a courtesy ding or two to warn of your approach.

https://www.knog.com/products/oi-prima-bike-bell

#Cycling #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling #CycleCommuting

Some additional context, between about 19 and 12 years ago I was a keen cyclist in pretty good shape. I never got into any kind of racing, but I would cycle to and from work each day and then go for a hilly 80-90 km group ride on the weekend just for fun. Back then a moderately hilly 12 km each way suburban commute was no big deal. OK, I'd regularly have ute drivers almost kill me, but the physical effort required was no problem.

I remember at the time I was sceptical about the utility of ebikes. I accepted that they would be useful for elderly cyclists and other people with mobility issues, but reckoned that for most people the additional weight (and cost) of the e-assist system would outweigh the benefits of having it. To be fair e-assist systems were heavier back then, but I was still wrong.

Then, almost 12 years ago, my son was born, and with a newborn baby I had neither the time nor energy to keep up the cycling. I got out of the habit, and got out of shape and overweight. I have tried several times since then to get back in to the cycle commuting habit, but each time I bounced off it because the hills made the ride just too hard when I wasn't already fit.

If I lived somewhere totally flat and didn't have to mix with motor traffic at all then maybe I could do this by just going slower, but that simply doesn't work when there are unavoidable hills and places where you need to get amongst cars. When you're out of shape those will force you into excessive effort.

Hopefully the combination of the ebike and a somewhat easier commuting route will enable me to stick with it this time, and get back into shape. At which point I wouldn't really need the ebike any more...

#Cycling #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling #Ebike #CycleCommuting

Well, my first cycle commute to the new office went well.

I had to make a small detour from my planned route when I discovered that the Angas Street bridge over Constitution Road in Meadowbank is currently closed, but otherwise no problems. The only part where I struggled a bit was the climb up Melville Street in Ryde, where the gradient briefly exceeds 10% and even with the electric assist that was hard work with all the extra weight on the bike (both in the panniers and around my waist). I coped though, and overall this cycle commute is a lot nicer than the one to the old offices in North Ryde. That route involved several short, sharp climbs like Melville Street which had to be done while mixing in with motor traffic, whereas on the new route there is just the one steep climb and it's on a very quiet street. The majority of the route is a relaxing roll along off road shared use paths on mostly level ground, and during the on road bit in the middle the traffic was generally light and I didn't have any problematic encounters with cars.

These 3D videos that Strava makes now are pretty neat, too: https://strava.app.link/vzFWdmJhWWb

#Cycling #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling

Over-preparing for an attempt at cycle commuting to the new office tomorrow.

I've swapped out the ebike's tyres, lubed the chain, and now have it on the charger. Meanwhile I've got the route planned in RideWithGPS, and am working out what to pack in my pannier.

If I'm being honest the main reason I changed the tyres is aesthetics. I've never loved the look of these Kenda tyres, but I've always liked the Conti Contact range. The Contact Urban is, supposedly, a low rolling resistance tyre too though, and at 37-622 instead of 45-622 they're also narrower. The psychological effect of this will doubtless be larger than any actual speed gain, but I'm OK with that.

#Cycling #UrbanCycling #SydneyCycling