It's cold, dark, windy and raining: never mind !!

[Straylight]

There are front lights to be seen by, and those to see by. I use both a hub dynamo lamp to see by and a cateye EL500 (now superseded) that has a very tight spot to be seen by - I get cars dipping their lights several hundred yards away.

I'm hoping Santa' going to bring me one of these to replace my shimano dynamo lamp

On the rear I use a Cateye TL-LD 1100 (rack mounted), which is very versatile as it's effectively 2 lights in one unit. If I get my Christmass wish though, I'll be suplementing this with an LED rear light piggybacked off the edelux, mounted on the mudguard.

 

[daniel.weck]

Those PowerGrips are great !!
Much less waste of human energy, I can definitely feel the increase in efficiency. Hopefully this will translate into optimal battery consumption

Although it makes starting from a standstill more difficult (left foot first is ok, but right foot struggle to find the angle into the strap), I did not slip off the pedal this time, despite the slippery weather. Makes my ride more secure as far as I can tell.

 

[daniel.weck]

I used my recently-acquired Merino wool buff in windy zero C-degrees weather conditions: I'm really, really impressed ! It's expensive at 20 GBP, but worth every penny ! It's light and thin (although longer than normal buffs), and yet so warm and strong (and it stays cleaner than synthetic buffs despite all the huffing and puffing when riding with the nose+mouth covered). Amazing stuff. I'd recommend it to anyone braving the bitter winter chill !

Not me, I've got a black one:

 

[daniel.weck]

The beginning of a little snow fall, nothing serious. Those Seal Skinz gloves really kept my fingers warm ! (I noticed the difference when I took the photos with bare hands, the finger tips were freezing in pain !)

 

[daniel.weck]

Silly looks, but tremendously efficient !

 

[rustic]

Silly looks, but tremendously efficient !

I really wouldn't worry about looking silly, I went off on a 5 mile jaunt at just the wrong moment today - after a mile or so down came some really sharp snow pellets almost horizontal (Very slight exaggeration!!) in the direction of my face, it reminded me of accupuncture sessions & made visibility really difficult. I can't wait til my Seal Skinz gloves arrive, I was reliant on my running gloves today & my hands were frozen after a couple of miles. It really is worth investing in some decent kit - my ride today was purely for 'pleasure', but it's a completely different scenario if I had been dependent on making that journey for work or other appointment.

 

[eddieo]

I got caught in this mixture of snow and hail today on my way back from Croydon. It was not a very pleasant experience. Plus I had near enough a flat battery as doing the last (thank goodness!) "conditioning" cycle on the new bike.

I must say the Lidl £4.99 gloves do very well, and thank God I wear glasses as I doubt if I could have continued without something over my eyes......

 

[daniel.weck]

The Power Grips can be seen in action in this video:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/4825-diy-stage-8-continuous-improvements-12.html#post65799

 

[Alex728]

which type were the Seal Skinz gloves? there seem to be many different kinds of them...

 

[daniel.weck]

which type were the Seal Skinz gloves? there seem to be many different kinds of them...

I've got the Moutain Bike ones, with padded palm inserts.

thank God I wear glasses as I doubt if I could have continued without something over my eyes......

Talking about glasses, this is good value for money:

Tifosi Envy Gloss Yellow Triple Lense Cycling Glasses ONLY £22.50 instead of £42.99 [ TifosiEnvyYe ] - Discount Cycles Direct - Best Prices, Great Service

(if you can live with the glossy color )

...although I would go the extra mile with the full Endura Stingray set (well, I did actually ):

Endura Stingray Glasses with 4 lens

I'm using the polarized lenses at the moment, works great even in low-lighting conditions.

 

[daniel.weck]

Merino wool bargain

LOL, just came across this thread again, all 3 pages with photos and videos I had forgotten about

Anyway, this is an opportunity to talk about my latest Merino wool base layer purchases !

I've been so happy with my Merino "Buff" (seamless neck gaiter) that I've finally decided to invest in base layers. I bought a long-sleeved, zipped-neck top for 20 GBP (with thumb holes to ensure tight fitting). I also bought a short-sleeved top (well, a T-shirt) for 15 GBP. They didn't have the long-sleeved V-neck model in stocks, unfortunately (20 GBP too). By the way, they have the "Buff" equivalent a little cheaper than the actual "Buff" brand (15 GBP).

Follow the link below (TrekMates demonstrated great sales service, very happy purchase with fast delivery and free shipping):

You searched for merino (17 results) - Page 1 - Trekmates

Cheers, Dan

 

[onmebike]

I've got the Moutain Bike ones, with padded palm inserts.



Talking about glasses, this is good value for money:

Tifosi Envy Gloss Yellow Triple Lense Cycling Glasses ONLY £22.50 instead of £42.99 [ TifosiEnvyYe ] - Discount Cycles Direct - Best Prices, Great Service

(if you can live with the glossy color )

...although I would go the extra mile with the full Endura Stingray set (well, I did actually ):

Endura Stingray Glasses with 4 lens

I'm using the polarized lenses at the moment, works great even in low-lighting conditions.

Here's another option which also has a model[Innovation Plus] for spectacle wearers.



Model Glasses :: Products & Spares

 

[daniel.weck]

I've just added this photo to demonstrate how PowerGrips keep the feet tight on the pedals:

See here for the original post:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/5132-its-cold-dark-windy-raining-never-mind-3.html#post65782

 

[John L]

Thats a very neat idea. Much better than traditional straps. if I hadn't just ordered shimano A530 combination pedals I'd be very tempted

I enjoy reading all your previous posts - always very informative. Cheers.

John

 

[Old Timer]

Not as hi-tech as Daniel

I wear M&S climate control long thermal underwear approx £40

Then a few thin layers and a decent quality fleece

Regatta Action 2 Trousers. cheap and comfortable shower proof but not rain proof £12?

Regatta breathable (allegedly) waterproof. this is not bad, hood goes over helmet and only about £25

cheap lidl gloves under £5 but warm and comfortable. not sure how waterproof but have been caught out a few times and they have been OK

I just wear 2 pairs of normal socks and waterproof shoes, will get some waterproof socks eventually.

and a 2.99 builders Hi Vi from Ebay (under waterproof as I got caught out)

I`ll be digging out my M&S thermal gear soon

 

[onmebike]

I`ll be digging out my M&S thermal gear soon

All those sheds and you still bury your thermals?

 

[jerrysimon]

Definately cooling down in the mornings on my daily commute.

Put on my thin gloves on this morning.

Regards

Jerry

 

[z0mb13e]

Longevity of water proofing?

I was going to start a new thread but this seems the perfect place to ask (following a soaking yesterday), what would people suggest for waterproofs that remain waterproof?

Perhaps its my fault for buying cheap, but I have two pairs of 'waterproof' over trousers from different manufacturers and both are useless in the wet now. The first few times I used them they were fine but now they let the rain in all over.

I also have one of the Lydl cycling jackets from a few months back and now that is getting leaky.

Should I expect more or just re-waterproof them? Anyone have any experience with the Wash in waterproofer?

 

[overlander]

I think we should start a new thread as the time is nearing us that we need the winter gear dusted off. Especially up North i am starting to notice the light fading at my night time commute, about 7.30.

 

[daniel.weck]

Yeah, start a new thread for "waterproofs" !