"You can set your watch by this f***ing rain!"
Although I often enjoy cycling, even my commute to work most days, today wasn’t one of the good ones.
It didn’t help that today was yet another day of pissing rain. I woke up tired after a restless night (mulling both some work issues and indigestion from the curry of the previous evening) so it was unwelcome to hear that it was raining.
I started late but resolved to ride in rather than get the train - when finally kitted up, with pannier packed, I noticed a wee problem - the previous night on the way home (in the aforementioned seemingly ever-present pissing rain) I had noticed some scraping noises from the front brake - I assumed it was some grit caught on the brake pad.
Nope. On inspection this morning it proved to be the brake pads having worn so thin that I was scraping metal on metal when braking - I haven’t done something like that for years - I usually check brake pad wear regularly but have somehow had a blind spot with my commuting bike. Noting that all the pads were excessively thin I replaced the lot (I usually err too far on the side of caution and replace them far too soon). I had to do so by changing them over fully from another bike as it’s going to be difficult to get the very thin pads out of the cartridges and I couldn’t be bothered this morning (I also couldn’t find the spare pads).
One of the front wheel rims is now decidedly worn so I changed that over too. Richmond Park being puncture central at the moment, I also pumped up both tyres fully with the track pump.
Off I set for work (in the rain).
About ten minutes later I had a puncture. I stopped, replaced the inner tube and pumped it up - being so close to home and already ridiculously late I went back pumped up the offending tyre with the track pump again (as this theoretically minimises risk of punctures). I also cleaned and oiled my chain since it was getting a little squeaky.
So I set off again, incredibly late for work - the only bit of good news was that the rain had dropped off to just an occasional smattering so I didn’t get too wet.
It didn’t help that today was yet another day of pissing rain. I woke up tired after a restless night (mulling both some work issues and indigestion from the curry of the previous evening) so it was unwelcome to hear that it was raining.
I started late but resolved to ride in rather than get the train - when finally kitted up, with pannier packed, I noticed a wee problem - the previous night on the way home (in the aforementioned seemingly ever-present pissing rain) I had noticed some scraping noises from the front brake - I assumed it was some grit caught on the brake pad.
Nope. On inspection this morning it proved to be the brake pads having worn so thin that I was scraping metal on metal when braking - I haven’t done something like that for years - I usually check brake pad wear regularly but have somehow had a blind spot with my commuting bike. Noting that all the pads were excessively thin I replaced the lot (I usually err too far on the side of caution and replace them far too soon). I had to do so by changing them over fully from another bike as it’s going to be difficult to get the very thin pads out of the cartridges and I couldn’t be bothered this morning (I also couldn’t find the spare pads).
One of the front wheel rims is now decidedly worn so I changed that over too. Richmond Park being puncture central at the moment, I also pumped up both tyres fully with the track pump.
Off I set for work (in the rain).
About ten minutes later I had a puncture. I stopped, replaced the inner tube and pumped it up - being so close to home and already ridiculously late I went back pumped up the offending tyre with the track pump again (as this theoretically minimises risk of punctures). I also cleaned and oiled my chain since it was getting a little squeaky.
So I set off again, incredibly late for work - the only bit of good news was that the rain had dropped off to just an occasional smattering so I didn’t get too wet.