Your rants here.

rick_chasey

Rhodrich wrote:

So.... I know I say this EVERY year, around this time of year, but it's never been busier in terms of number of cyclists, has it? Normally, as the nights draw in, and we have the first fog and frosts in the morning, the numbers tail off, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this year. The queue at the pedestrian gates in Richmond Park to get in and out after dark are ridiculous. It was only a couple of years ago that you'd barely see anyone else on a winter morning or evening in the park.

I've found the solution is to set off earlier.

asprilla

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

So.... I know I say this EVERY year, around this time of year, but it's never been busier in terms of number of cyclists, has it? Normally, as the nights draw in, and we have the first fog and frosts in the morning, the numbers tail off, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this year. The queue at the pedestrian gates in Richmond Park to get in and out after dark are ridiculous. It was only a couple of years ago that you'd barely see anyone else on a winter morning or evening in the park.

I've found the solution is to set off earlier.

It's a partial. I now get to the office at 7.30 and can park my bike where I want (excluding long term parkers) and hang my kit where I want. Unfortunately, when I come to leave I find my kit got about 30 minutes of airing time before being buried under everyone else. That's provided it's even still on the hanger I put it on.

rhodrich

Eeeh - if we're going back to when t'it were all fields, I first started commuting through Richmond Park when the Dawes Hybrid in my signature below was brand new (bought with paper round money to be used to cycle to/from school). The park had a 30mph limit in those days, there were virtually no cycle lanes anywhere (and no silly one on Priory Lane), bike lights were giant Ever Ready things, and there were about as many people cycling through the park in the daylight as there are now after dark. Cycling after dark in the park was a solitary affair - you'd only see another cyclist once in a blue moon.

I joined the Kingfisher Triathletes (since I was also doing a lot of swimming at the time, plus a bit of running), bought my Condor Road bike (again with paper round money), and everyone at school through I was a right odd-un riding a bike with drop handlebars. Why would I want a road bike, when I could have a mountain bike? With the Kingfishers, used to go out riding on a Sunday, and Box Hill would be empty of other cyclists. No sportives in those days - the nearest equivalent would be 'reliability trials'. (I seem to remember the Weybridge Wheelers one being one of the best in the calendar. Wonder what happened to it/them?)

How times change! On the one hand, it's fantastic that so many people are now getting out on a bike. On the other hand, I do feel nostalgic for the 'good old days', where you'd give a friendly 'hello' to the other road biker coming the other way, since it was such a rare occurrence.

rower63

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

elbowloh

Rick Chasey wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

going on the wrong side of a set of traffic islands.

It has now become an 'acceptable thing' in much the same way that not indicating became an 'acceptable thing' a couple of years ago.

In fairness, I do it on the rare occasion when there's nose-to-tail traffic and some moped has blocked the path on the left-side of an island.

this was a car though!

hopkinb

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Yep, a week of 30mph south westerlies with rain. That blows them off the road and back onto the tube.

slowbike

Rhodrich wrote:

Eeeh - if we're going back to when t'it were all fields, I first started commuting through Richmond Park when the Dawes Hybrid in my signature below was brand new (bought with paper round money to be used to cycle to/from school). The park had a 30mph limit in those days, there were virtually no cycle lanes anywhere (and no silly one on Priory Lane), bike lights were giant Ever Ready things, and there were about as many people cycling through the park in the daylight as there are now after dark. Cycling after dark in the park was a solitary affair - you'd only see another cyclist once in a blue moon.

wouldn't that be because the lights were so cr4p that you couldn't see anything anyway?

Ah - the old whine of the dynamo and the click of the mileometer.

I was riddiculed for having a racing bike - by idiots with BMX's - who then couldn't get any speed to chase after me ... twots!

kingstongraham

Rick Chasey wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

So.... I know I say this EVERY year, around this time of year, but it's never been busier in terms of number of cyclists, has it? Normally, as the nights draw in, and we have the first fog and frosts in the morning, the numbers tail off, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen this year. The queue at the pedestrian gates in Richmond Park to get in and out after dark are ridiculous. It was only a couple of years ago that you'd barely see anyone else on a winter morning or evening in the park.

I've found the solution is to set off earlier.

The obvious solution is to set off later and go through in the light. It's very pretty in the morning.

(That said, maybe I should work more, as I'm still going through both ways when the gates are still open.)

elbowloh

Slowbike wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

Eeeh - if we're going back to when t'it were all fields, I first started commuting through Richmond Park when the Dawes Hybrid in my signature below was brand new (bought with paper round money to be used to cycle to/from school). The park had a 30mph limit in those days, there were virtually no cycle lanes anywhere (and no silly one on Priory Lane), bike lights were giant Ever Ready things, and there were about as many people cycling through the park in the daylight as there are now after dark. Cycling after dark in the park was a solitary affair - you'd only see another cyclist once in a blue moon.

wouldn't that be because the lights were so cr4p that you couldn't see anything anyway?

Ah - the old whine of the dynamo and the click of the mileometer.

I was riddiculed for having a racing bike - by idiots with BMX's - who then couldn't get any speed to chase after me ... twots!

My older brother had a 5 speed falcon (bought from Woolworth's I seem to remember), which I inherited when I was about 10 (I previously had a Raleigh Burner BMX). it was known as the bike of doom as everyone who ever rode it had an accident. On one of my first rides, descending ,fairly slowly, a steep hill in the rain, the front wheel went from under me and I head-butted the only lamp post on the hill. Was found by a couple of old ladies who walked me and the bike home. The neighbour was in the St John's ambulance and he took me to a paramedic who lived nearby who gave me butterfly stitches. I switched to riding a MTB soon after!

MrSweary

elbowloh wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

going on the wrong side of a set of traffic islands.

It has now become an 'acceptable thing' in much the same way that not indicating became an 'acceptable thing' a couple of years ago.

In fairness, I do it on the rare occasion when there's nose-to-tail traffic and some moped has blocked the path on the left-side of an island.

this was a car though!

Indeed, I was of course referring to cars on both counts. Sketchy driving is now just driving. Worries me.

MrSweary

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Not gonna happen. I just completed a 4 season commuter with full guards and disc brakes after two months of faffing and faulty parts. Therefore it is extremely unlikely to rain for quite some time.

adambruntlett

hopkinb wrote:

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Yep, a week of 30mph south westerlies with rain. That blows them off the road and back onto the tube.

Was thinking this the other day. I finally invested in a 'winter/commuter' (Ribble Sportive) with full guards, and it's barely seen a drop of rain since coming into service in August.

adambruntlett

My rant from yesterday is to the gormless prick on Lea Bridge Road who decided to turn left across me in the bus lane. Luckily I saw the indicator come on and slammed the anchors on/swerved round him, but having decided to have a word about his lack of observation, I found him to be completely nonplussed. Said he didn't see me (wasn't particularly dark, I have a good light on the front flashing away). When he told me he had indicated, I politely explained that this didn;t give him the right to just cut people up. Completely useless. Couldn't see that he'd done anything wrong.

rower63

MrSweary wrote:

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Not gonna happen. I just completed a 4 season commuter with full guards and disc brakes after two months of faffing and faulty parts. Therefore it is extremely unlikely to rain for quite some time.

I fear you may be right. By the same reasoning, this time last year the BB shell on my titanium bike exploded when I got off the saddle (too much powah, you understand), and I was forced to commute, until I got a replacement wet-weather bike, on my extremely flashy Ridley. At that moment, the heavens opened for 4 weeks

itboffin

MrSweary wrote:

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Not gonna happen. I just completed a 4 season commuter with full guards and disc brakes after two months of faffing and faulty parts. Therefore it is extremely unlikely to rain for quite some time.

That would be the royal London we then because we've had plenty and regularly down sarf

asprilla

3cm crack in the carbon seat post on the Equilibrium. That's annoying, but better that I noticed it now rather than later.

redvee

Asprilla wrote:

Unfortunately, when I come to leave I find my kit got about 30 minutes of airing time before being buried under everyone else. That's provided it's even still on the hanger I put it on.

I'm lucky in that there are only 5 of us on our shift who cycle and directly behind my locker are the shower cubicles and I use one of them to hang my cycle kit up to air during working hours, there is only one hook but I've supplemented it with a couple of sucker mounted hooks and have couple more in my locker for wet rain kit and use the other side of the shower cubicle.

jds_1981

adambruntlett wrote:

My rant from yesterday is to the gormless prick on Lea Bridge Road who decided to turn left across me in the bus lane. Luckily I saw the indicator come on and slammed the anchors on/swerved round him, but having decided to have a word about his lack of observation, I found him to be completely nonplussed. Said he didn't see me (wasn't particularly dark, I have a good light on the front flashing away). When he told me he had indicated, I politely explained that this didn;t give him the right to just cut people up. Completely useless. Couldn't see that he'd done anything wrong.

I started running a magicshine specifically on lea bridge road because it was so dodgy - what makes it worse is all the queuing traffic with lights on makes it even harder for others to see you.

MrSweary

rower63 wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Not gonna happen. I just completed a 4 season commuter with full guards and disc brakes after two months of faffing and faulty parts. Therefore it is extremely unlikely to rain for quite some time.

I fear you may be right. By the same reasoning, this time last year the BB shell on my titanium bike exploded when I got off the saddle (too much powah, you understand), and I was forced to commute, until I got a replacement wet-weather bike, on my extremely flashy Ridley. At that moment, the heavens opened for 4 weeks

Well, I was wrong. However it didn't seem to do too much to impede the hordes. More and heavier rain needed I think.

wolfsbane2k

Double tap pf visitation this morning while already running late.
Cue a perfect opportunity to bed the spiked snow tires in - damn they be heavy!

adambruntlett

MrSweary wrote:

rower63 wrote:

MrSweary wrote:

rower63 wrote:

we've had no serious sustained rain yet, that's when the numbers will start to thin out

Not gonna happen. I just completed a 4 season commuter with full guards and disc brakes after two months of faffing and faulty parts. Therefore it is extremely unlikely to rain for quite some time.

I fear you may be right. By the same reasoning, this time last year the BB shell on my titanium bike exploded when I got off the saddle (too much powah, you understand), and I was forced to commute, until I got a replacement wet-weather bike, on my extremely flashy Ridley. At that moment, the heavens opened for 4 weeks

Well, I was wrong. However it didn't seem to do too much to impede the hordes. More and heavier rain needed I think.

Indeed. i was especially late leaving this morning and there were hordes and hordes around Blackfriars and a steady stream of hi-viz along the Embankment. Impressive numbers, and a big two fingers up to the cabbies who claim no-one uses the cycle lanes. I'd argue that all the empty black cabs indicate no-one uses them.

Gromson

Today:
1. Silly young girl in a diarrhoea coloured Fiat500 texting, smoking, brushing her hair WHILST overtaking an inch from my elbow - CHECK
2. White van man shooting straight through a mini-roundabout from the left just as I'm committing to going straight over - CHECK.
3. Miserable old shit with thick specs in a beige Honda Jazz overtaking at a speed of at least 1mph more than me over about a mile - CHECK
4. Fat lass at a pedestrian crossing, with a baby in a buggy, pushing the damned thing straight into the oncoming traffic (and nearly me) - CHECK
5. Scholars in a gaggle absorbed in their iPhones wandering out into the street without looking - CHECK.
6. Self-important BMW driver squeezing in with me past a fat island* - CHECK
7. Hyundai Scrotum or Nissan Hernia, or something similar with the engine of a sewing machine, but with a fat noisy exhaust. Contains chavs who shout "fucking bell end" or "gay c***" as they roar past - CHECK

Just another normal morning on the bike then.

*Fat islands being those raised things in the middle of a road where the obese can pause to eat another pie before waddling across the other half of the road, and hopefully under the wheels of something robust.

rick_chasey

Gromson wrote:

Today:
1. Silly young girl in a diarrhoea coloured Fiat500 texting, smoking, brushing her hair WHILST overtaking an inch from my elbow - CHECK
2. White van man shooting straight through a mini-roundabout from the left just as I'm committing to going straight over - CHECK.
3. Miserable old shoot with thick specs in a beige Honda Jazz overtaking at a speed of at least 1mph more than me over about a mile - CHECK
4. Fat lass at a pedestrian crossing, with a baby in a buggy, pushing the damned thing straight into the oncoming traffic (and nearly me) - CHECK
5. Scholars in a gaggle absorbed in their iPhones wandering out into the street without looking - CHECK.
6. Self-important BMW driver squeezing in with me past a fat island* - CHECK
7. Hyundai Scrotum or Nissan Hernia, or something similar with the engine of a sewing machine, but with a fat noisy exhaust. Contains chavs who shout "******* bell end" or "gay c***" as they roar past - CHECK

Just another normal morning on the bike then.

*Fat islands being those raised things in the middle of a road where the obese can pause to eat another pie before waddling across the other half of the road, and hopefully under the wheels of something robust.

Move house.

Gromson

Rick Chasey wrote:

Move house.

I did, but the eejit breeding programme is already out of control.

It's like it's a national epidemic.

Maybe it's a viral infection.

wolfsbane2k

Gromson wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Move house.

I did, but the eejit breeding programme is already out of control.

It's like it's a national epidemic.

Maybe it's a viral infection.

Maybe their just following you.

DrLex

Gromson wrote:

[...]
Hyundai Scrotum or Nissan Hernia
[...]

Nicely done; after the Mazda Bongo Friendee, anything is believable.

(Non-cycling rant: failed to juggle mobile successfully, so yet another screen required.)

dinyull

Just popped to the LBS. £16.50 for 3 no brand inner tubes.

£16.50. That's £5.50 each.

I can get 5 of wiggles own lifeline inner tubes for £7 with platinum discount.

rick_chasey

Dinyull wrote:

Just popped to the LBS. £16.50 for 3 no brand inner tubes.

£16.50. That's £5.50 each.

I can get 5 of wiggles own lifeline inner tubes for £7 with platinum discount.

Brexit innit.


.

wolfsbane2k

Rant at self. When booting a tyre, if the boot doesnt' fit, and you cut it to size, dont' forget to trim the edges. Sharp corners mean yet more punctures...

redvee

Snapped my debit card on Sunday so ordered a new one straight away, just ordered a few bits from Amazon and payment failed cause of I'm guessing new CVC number. It better come in the morning as I'm down to my last £5.