My March Rides (Week 9)

This has been mediocre cycling week. I intended to ride all four days (short week because of Good Friday) but the weather was crap. On Wednesday I had a dodgy tummy and decided that I would enjoy the luxury of train travel. Tuesday's rides were hard work into head winds and on Thursday I set off from the office in a downpour. By the time I reached the end of Waterloo Bridge which absolutely running with water I was soaked. I do not understand that it makes no difference in which direction you are travelling in windy weather there is always a head-wind. Strange that! I have now heard back from Halfords. The patch is the site of the first puncture, on the other tobe if u look closely you can just about make out where I have marked the tube with a black pen in readiness for the next repair.

I have posted the mail exchange below:

My email: Dear Madam/Sir, On Friday 12th March 2010 I had a puncture in my bicycle rear wheel outside Halfords Catford London SE6. Rather than do the repair myself I went in to your store and asked them to do it for which I paid £12.98. The repairman said he could not find any foreign object in the tyre. I retained the old tube which I then brought home and repaired. On Monday 15th March 2010 after about 25 miles of further cycling I had another puncture. On this occasion I was nowhere near your store so had to get the old repair kit out and do it myself. And lo and behold the puncture is on almost exactly the same spot as Friday's one. On Inspection of the tyre I found and removed the offending foreign body which appears to me to be a piece of brown glass. I have attached a word document with pictures of the two tubes, the foreign body and my receipt for the repair. This has caused me considerable inconvenience. Your comments and suggestions of recompense would be appreciated. Yours sincerely. Halfords Response: REF: 313988 Dear Mr Wood, Thank you for your email. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise in the delay of our response. It is always disheartening to hear of situations where our customers experience additional inconvenience and feel let down. I wish to assure you that Halfords endeavours to maintain a good relationship and will always seek to use customer responses as a way of improving our customer service. All concerns relating to our stores are logged onto a central database and the information regarding your experience is made available for the Area Managers to read. As our Store Managers are 100% responsible for the service in their stores, we also make the information available for them to view on our stores intranet system. This method is proven to be very successful in highlighting any shortfalls to the line managers responsible. They are then able to take any action they feel necessary with the individuals concerned. I have also requested that more training is given to those members of staff in order to avoid these incidents in the future. As a gesture of goodwill for the inconvenience, I will be happy to send you the £13 back in gift vouchers. If you could possibly email me your address, I will be more than happy to send this in the post. I appreciate you taking the time to highlight this problem as it is only through feedback from our customers that we are able to identify areas where we are falling short of our customers’ expectations and can redress them. Please accept our apologies once again. Kind Regards, Luke Ebanks Customer Service Advisor My Reply: Dear Mr Ebanks, This is a disappointing response. This repair took me over an hour to sort out in the dark in the back streets of Peckham, South London. A hostile zone in broad daylight. My cycle jacket and the inside of my gloves are covered in dirty oil and will have to be replaced and I have yet to take my bike into a reputable repair shop to get the gears re-set; another cost I am going to incur through the laziness of your staff. I will not be fobbed off with a handful of gift vouchers. I suggest you have a further think and if you can't do any better I'll post the story round the cycling blogs and send it to trading standards. I have nothing to lose. Yours etc. Halfords reply: REF: 313988 Dear Mr Wood, Thank you for contacting Halfords Customer Services. Please accept my apologies for the delay in our response. However, after corresponding with my colleagues regarding this issue, we feel that the £13.00 Halfords Gift Vouchers is an adequate amount to send to you considering that this was the amount you had paid to have the innertube repaired. If you are still having problems with the bike then I would recommend that you return to the store and speak to the store manager regarding the issues as I am confident they can resolve any issues you might have. Please accept my apologies once again for the inconvenience caused. Kind Regards, Luke Ebanks Customer Service Advisor

My March Rides (Week 8)

In order to present the stats on a day by day basis I enter them into a spreadsheet which provides the output which I then bring across to the blog. Unfortunately I have not been able to find a way of presenting the content of the spreadsheet as a direct link in the page. If any one out there can tell me how to do this I would be most grateful. In the meantime I am going to keep the stats to myself and just give a weekly summary. I have managed four commutes this week. This is a record and I must admit that as I sit here and type this I can feel it in my legs. But it really has felt good and I think I could keep this up without too much difficulty if I had to – which may be the case if Bob Crowe and his train staff mates carry through their threat of a strike beginning on the Tuesday after Easter. With a General Election probably to be announced on that day I find the conduct of Mr Crowe and his pals absolutely incredible. Apparently Mr Crowe is concerned about safety. He is mad; his members would do themselves a great favour if they sidelined him at a very early stage. Mind you I can’t see any of the current batch of politicians having enough bottle to take them on ‘a la Margaret Thatcher’ so perhaps he can win - God help us. The weather this week has been pleasant for cycling although there has been a strong breeze on most days. On Thursday evening I got a real soaking in a short sharp squall as I came through Catford. Spring is at long last beginning to spring the daffs are out and some of the tree buds are swelling nicely - bliss. I got absolutely carved up by a moron in a Merc on Friday afternoon – he’s named and shamed here. I dropped into Halfords on the way home on Tuesday to enquire about the progess of my complaint about the poor puncture repair. The manager refunded the money but was unwilling to give further compensation. On Wednesday their head-office emailed me with a less than satisfactory offer. I have replied and asked them to have a further think. I will keep you posted. At work, having been asked to remove our bikes from one unauthorised area recently, we have now been discovered using a second unacceptable parking space and bannished to the cycle rack in the courtyard. The cover for this cycle rack has still to be fitted leaving the bikes exposed to all weathers. I have raised it as an issue with building operations so I wait to see the response. On Friday I was late away from work; it was nearly 6 pm before I set off and I was a bit worried I might get caught up in the Critical Mass Mob. In the event although there were a lot of cyclists around, who looked like they would fit into the ride quite well, I didn’t see the ‘Mass’. They were apparently going to visit the scenes of the three recent cycling fatalities in Central London. Personally having followed two of the stories in particular – both close to my commute route – I cannot think of a less fitting tribute to these fallen unfortunates. Stats: Rides = 4, Dist = 99 miles, Total since odo reset = 505

My March Rides (Week 7)

Monday 15/3/2010 - Bike

Lovely and bright day. Lots of cyclists about this morning. Strong head wind hopefully it will be behind me tonight. Computer didn't kick in for the first mile.

Another puncture on the way home - back wheel. Surrey Rd just about the half way point. Not a bike shop within miles so had to fix it there and then. Took me about an hour. Only had the little mini pump with me which was really fiddly. Another cyclist stopped and helped which was really kind. He managed to use the pump much better than me. A householder came out and gave me a big battery flash light which really helped. The puncture was on the same spot as Friday's one so Halfords will be receiving a further visit for a refund of my money. This is the second time I have had a puncture fixed professionally and they have failed to find the offending foreign object. Got home at 19:30. Usual look of disbelief from my wife.

Stats - day 74/365, rides 24 = 10.6 weeks/24 rides = 2.3 per week - in = 00:58:59 (1:20:00 ish total time but stopped to buy tea at Sava Centre) (12.30 mls) out = 1:04:01 (12.68 mls) odo after weekend reset = 381

Tuesday 16/3/2010 - Trained

Stats - day 75/365, rides 24 = 10.7 weeks/24 rides = 2.3 per week - odo after weekend reset = 381

Wednesday 17/3/2010 - Bike to work but trained home

Really good fast ride in this morning door to door about 58 mins.

I was late getting away and decided to leave the bike at the office so I can ride home tomorrow after the annual meeting.

Stats - day 76/365, rides 24.5 = 10.9 weeks/24.5 rides = 2.3 per week - in = 00:54:31 (0:58:00 ish total time) (12.30 mls) odo after weekend reset = 393

Thursday 18/3/2010 - Train to work but bike home

Stats - day 77/365, rides 25 = 11 weeks/25 rides = 2.3 per week - out = 01:16:37 (12.64 mls) odo after weekend reset = 406

Friday 19/3/2010 - Trained due to evening meeting Stats - day 78/365, rides 25 = 11.1 weeks/25 rides = 2.2 per week - odo after weekend reset = 406

My March Rides (week 6)

Monday 8/3/2010 - Bike

Temperature was -2 when I set off this morning. Is it ever going to warm up. The strong wind was in the NE which added a serious chill factor. Lovely and bright though. Seemed to be quite a lot of cyclists about this morning.

Once again a strong cold wind this evening.

Stats - day 67/365, rides 21 = 9.6 weeks/21 rides = 2.2 per week - in = 00:57:56 (1:04:00 ish total time) (12.30 mls) out = 1:04:38 (12.60 mls) odo after weekend reset = 309

Tuesday 9/3/2010 - Trained

Stats - day 68/365, rides 21 = 9.6 weeks/21 rides = 2.2 per week - in = 00:57:56 (1:04:00 ish total time) (12.30 mls) out = 1:04:38 (12.60 mls) odo after weekend reset = 309

Wednesday 10/3/2010 - Bike

Not so frosty this morning. The weather is very still at the moment.

Late ride home after meeting. This was my first full late ride and proved better than I expected. I think I got held at every set of traffic lights. Saw my first rat just past Wickes in Catford, it was eating leftover food on the bench and scurried off.

Stats - day 69/365, rides 22 = 9.9 weeks/22 rides = 2.2 per week - in = 00:58:32 (12.29 mls) out = 1:06:09 (12.60 mls) odo after weekend reset = 330 (note computer did not kick for fiirst 3 miles of journey home so time and distances are guesstimates)

Thursday 11/3/2010 - Trained

Stats - day 70/365, rides 22 = 10 weeks/22 rides = 2.2 per week

Friday 12/3/2010 - Bike

There was a bit of rain in the air on the way in today. Still cold at about 2 degrees but no frost.

There was a lot of bikes this evening. Particularly at the top end of the route. Rear wheel puncture at Ladywell Fields. Had it fixed in Halfords cost £12.98p which included a new tube. Probably delayed me no more than 20 minutes. Repairman told me to get my rear cogs cleaned out.

Stats - day 71/365, rides 23 = 10.3 weeks/23 rides = 2.3 per week - in = 00:58:10 (About 01:03:?? actual time)(12.39 mls) out = 1:06:08 (12.68 mls) odo after weekend reset = 356

My March Rides (week 5)

Monday 1/3/2010 - Bike I have done only 5 odd miles over the weekend but these are added to the odo reading.

What a lovely ride to work today. It was fully daylight when I stepped out through the front door and to top it all it was a beautiful clear day. Almost spring like. It was very cold there was a thick frost on the cars.

I wore my lightweight cycle track suit bottoms they are not really thick enough for the low temperatures we are experiencing. But my winter ones are in the laundry.

I was amazed to see that the Ravensbourne was almost back to normal after the raging torrent that was Friday evening. That notwithstanding that we have had a weekend of heavy rain. Where the water had been lapping the path on Friday it had dropped by about 12-14” I was really surprised.

Riding up through the park behind Prendergast School there was a thick coat of ice where the water had runoff over the path. I suddenly found the front wheel travelling in one direction whilst pointing to another I had to dismount for a 100 yards.

Also discovered that I can do a right out of Sevenoaks Rd into to Brockley Rd and then a left into Eddystone Rd and straight up to the footbridge towards the cemetery.

Stats - day 60/365, rides 17.5 = 8.6 weeks/17.5 rides = 2 per week - in=00:57:?? (12.30 mls) out 1:05:24 (12.66) travelling times 17:41 - 18:57 odo after weekend reset = 219

Tuesday 2/3/2010 - Trained

Stats - day 61/365, rides 17.5 = 8.7 weeks/17.5 rides = 2 per week - odo after weekend reset = 219

Wednesday 3/3/2010 - Bike in but trained home I had a meeting after work so didn't set off home until very late and decided it was too late to ride. Got on a very crowded train at Charing X. It was just leaving, I was the last person in with my bike. Was I Mr Popular. I went into Cycle Surgery at lunch time they had a beautiful Giant bike reduced to £449 from £600 I must say it is terribly tempting.

Stats - day 62/365, rides 18 = 8.6 weeks/18 rides = 2 per week - in=00:57:12 (but about 01:04:)(12.05 mls computer didn't kick in immediately) odo after weekend reset = 232

Thursday 4/3/2010 - Bike

Strong Head wind this morning made the ride really heavy going. Picked up a puncture just before I arrived at work, found that the spanner I bought the other day doesn't actually fit the the front wheel nuts. Fortunately Ben had a spanner that fitted so soon had the front wheel off and new tube in. Patched the old one and put it away as my spare for the next time.

Parakeet flew across my path down the path towards Lower Sydenham. I thought it was a green woodpecker to start with. Lovely flash of green.

Stats - day 63/365, rides 19 = 8.6 weeks/19 rides = 2.1 per week - in = 01:03:12 (12.30 mls) out = 1:07:19 (12.48 mls) odo after weekend reset = 259

Friday 5/3/2010 - Bike

Very cold and frosty. Thick frost on cars. Bright sunny. Bridge at back of Sava center is 1/4 way mark. Bike still feels a bit odd like its got a wiggle on the rear wheel. Strong head wind could only get up to 12 mph in burgess park when I can usually get up to 18.5 mph +. I wore two pairs of trousers.

The journey home was wonderful today - very cold and despite the forecast being for no wind this was not the case. It was in the East and the chill factor was high. Got about 1/2 way home in daylight. It was like the late evening on a summers day except for the temperature.

I have done 3.5 rides this week. I certainly would not want to do more than this in a week.

Stats - day 64/365, rides 20 = 9.1 weeks/20 rides = 2.2 per week - in = 01:01:25 (1:06:00 ish total time) (12.29 mls) out = 1:09:06 (12.61 mls) odo after weekend reset = 284