Silly commuting racing

Green Brompton

Re detour. Avoid Marsham Street. Traffic was at standstill.

KateF

Looks like another week on PT for me aggravated my injury racing over the weekend. Apart from being stuffy and depressing, I'm finding PT every day is really expensive! Need to recover and get back on the Embankment soon!

okgo

Every day I feel like a rest, its £15. Soon adds up. Which is why people ride scooters I suppose.

Wrath Rob

okgo wrote:

As for diversion, I just chanced it, went up Great college St, then through an archyway into Westminster Abbey Presincts, then out onto Victoria St, its amazing that Square, like its in a rural town, yet in the middle of London, nobody about, cobbled, amazing. Will go Ribbles way tomorrow.

I Wouldn't bother. I went a similar route but the traffic was horrendous, so bad that even us cyclists were stuck. Saw Blonde Cyclist (TCC kit on white/blue Merckx) on waiting for the lights at the bottom of Victoria Street but as we were on other sides of the lights it was a bit hard to say "Hi". Tomorrow I'll be heading south over Lambeth and then back north over Westminster. Got to be better than following that rubbish diversion.

No real SCR to speak of either.

mr_ribble

okgo wrote:

Those Rubinos I bought are dog slow, and when they're at about 60 psi they're even slower. 2 days off the bike for me after riding 100 miles at 20mph + pace on the Saturday, that really did my legs in.

As for diversion, I just chanced it, went up Great college St, then through an archyway into Westminster Abbey Presincts, then out onto Victoria St, its amazing that Square, like its in a rural town, yet in the middle of London, nobody about, cobbled, amazing. Will go Ribbles way tomorrow.

Funny you said that, but because I was daydreaming I took a wrong turn and ended up in this square. It is in fact amazing in there, I felt like Harry Potter. However I would advise on not taking the route as you cant cycle through the arch area really.

The porter was in an irrate debate with a nodder in high viz who had just cycled into a sandwich board that said no cycling.

My weekend was a complete write-off. Woken up 4am Saturday morning and started screaming at the toilet. Spent all of Saturday and Sunday in bed with a cold sweat, and Monday I was coming back to normality. The only positive was that I lost 2kgs in the process.

okgo

Nah I know, a bit naughty of me really, but its incredible.

Will study the map for a better route, don't fancy going south then north, I probably could be smart and go a more direct route given I work up in Kings Cross anyway, but I'm too stupid to work it out and have the balls to try it...

mr_ribble

Well a very simple and easy detour would be at the end of Millbank, turn right and over Lambeth Bridge. At the roundabout just after the end of the bridge take the first left down Lambeth Palace Road and go past St Thomas's. Then at the big roundabout with the building in the middle turn left over Westminster Bridge and then proceed as normal.

I imagine this to be as quick, assuming traffic not to heavy.

iPete

okgo wrote:

Every day I feel like a rest, its £15. Soon adds up. Which is why people ride scooters I suppose.

This is why I haven't used the train in months! To stubborn to pay up, that's perfectly good wiggle money

Origamist

blu3cat wrote:

Ah, lots of SCR and bumping into origamist on an almost daily basis. The one day I do manage to get ahead and get a real sense of achievement, I am utterly deflated with a "good tail wind" comment. Pah.

Took a tumble on the CS7 on Thursday, bedlay hurt my hand - damn it was slippy. Means I will have to bid adieu for a couple of months while my hand heals.

So many thanks to Origamist for making me perpetuslly feel slow, BassJunkie for ocassional "I know you from somwhere" moments, and too many others for lots of breathless scalpings.

See you all in Autumn.

Damn, that's crap mate. Hope the hand heals and I see your flashes of Rapha on CS7 soon.

rjsterry

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Well a very simple and easy detour would be at the end of Millbank, turn right and over Lambeth Bridge. At the roundabout just after the end of the bridge take the first left down Lambeth Palace Road and go past St Thomas's. Then at the big roundabout with the building in the middle turn left over Westminster Bridge and then proceed as normal.

I imagine this to be as quick, assuming traffic not to heavy.

The traffic was heavy, but there is a (narrow) cycle lane - not really enough space to tear along Millbank-style, but otherwise fine. Oh, and the roundabout at the eastern end of Westminster isn't really a roundabout to get to Waterloo, you go anticlockwise.

KateF

iPete wrote:

okgo wrote:

Every day I feel like a rest, its £15. Soon adds up. Which is why people ride scooters I suppose.

This is why I haven't used the train in months! To stubborn to pay up, that's perfectly good wiggle money

Yup, I reckon that over the last three weeks, the cash I've directed into PT is equivalent to approximately 1/2 of a deep section wheel.

MonkeyMonster

I'm still praying to the moving gods that a new work place will mean I can get back on the racetrack. Very meagre takings on the short bit of HSK I do.

mr_ribble

So watching the Giro I leant that Denmark say that 50-60% of their people cycle to work and that 9 our of 10 people own a bike.

How many ppl take a tube journey every day in London. Something like 3.5mio? So that would be 1.75mio cyclists in London, when what is it now, 300k. Assuming ppl spend on average £6 a day on transport, that would be 8.7mio GBP in lost revenue a day for the tubes.

rick_chasey

Mr_Ribble wrote:

So watching the Giro I leant that Denmark say that 50-60% of their people cycle to work and that 9 our of 10 people own a bike.

How many ppl take a tube journey every day in London. Something like 3.5mio? So that would be 1.75mio cyclists in London, when what is it now, 300k. Assuming ppl spend on average £6 a day on transport, that would be 8.7mio GBP in lost revenue a day for the tubes.

In Borgen the leader of the party (who's about to become PM) cycles into work .

rick_chasey

Mr_Ribble wrote:

So watching the Giro I leant that Denmark say that 50-60% of their people cycle to work and that 9 our of 10 people own a bike.

How many ppl take a tube journey every day in London. Something like 3.5mio? So that would be 1.75mio cyclists in London, when what is it now, 300k. Assuming ppl spend on average £6 a day on transport, that would be 8.7mio GBP in lost revenue a day for the tubes.

Since the tube is state run, they won't/shouldn't mind the loss of revenues - I'd imagine the reduction in people using it would reduce the cost of maintenance etc by a reasonably similar amount.

Either way they'd get less state cash if they provide services for less people.

okgo

I wouldn't want to ride on our roads with 10X as many people riding bikes on them.

Some old bloke came the wrong way round the roundabout in the park earlier and nearly collided with me, I don't care how old you are, you still get the same 4 letter peppering for that kind of riding.

mr_ribble

okgo wrote:

I wouldn't want to ride on our roads with 10X as many people riding bikes on them.

Some old bloke came the wrong way round the roundabout in the park earlier and nearly collided with me, I don't care how old you are, you still get the same 4 letter peppering for that kind of riding.

Roberto Ferrari now hiding in Richmond Park???

rjsterry

Rick Chasey wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

So watching the Giro I leant that Denmark say that 50-60% of their people cycle to work and that 9 our of 10 people own a bike.

How many ppl take a tube journey every day in London. Something like 3.5mio? So that would be 1.75mio cyclists in London, when what is it now, 300k. Assuming ppl spend on average £6 a day on transport, that would be 8.7mio GBP in lost revenue a day for the tubes.

Since the tube is state run, they won't/shouldn't mind the loss of revenues - I'd imagine the reduction in people using it would reduce the cost of maintenance etc by a reasonably similar amount.

Either way they'd get less state cash if they provide services for less people.

It's an interesting 'what if?' The mantra of continuing investment in rail (under & overground) infrastructure, which has formed quite a significant part of the recent mayoral election manifestos, would be rather turned on it's head if a large chunk of the tube-monkeys decided to switch to pedal power. It's always assumed that it'll be motorists switching to bikes, but I reckon the number of people driving in private cars (as opposed to vans and other goods vehicles, buses, coaches and taxis) is relatively small. The idea of 1.5-2million cyclists on London roads is, erm, daunting.

rick_chasey

rjsterry wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

So watching the Giro I leant that Denmark say that 50-60% of their people cycle to work and that 9 our of 10 people own a bike.

How many ppl take a tube journey every day in London. Something like 3.5mio? So that would be 1.75mio cyclists in London, when what is it now, 300k. Assuming ppl spend on average £6 a day on transport, that would be 8.7mio GBP in lost revenue a day for the tubes.

Since the tube is state run, they won't/shouldn't mind the loss of revenues - I'd imagine the reduction in people using it would reduce the cost of maintenance etc by a reasonably similar amount.

Either way they'd get less state cash if they provide services for less people.

It's an interesting 'what if?' The mantra of continuing investment in rail (under & overground) infrastructure, which has formed quite a significant part of the recent mayoral election manifestos, would be rather turned on it's head if a large chunk of the tube-monkeys decided to switch to pedal power. It's always assumed that it'll be motorists switching to bikes, but I reckon the number of people driving in private cars (as opposed to vans and other goods vehicles, buses, coaches and taxis) is relatively small. The idea of 1.5-2million cyclists on London roads is, erm, daunting.

It'd be great.

I've said it before, so won't rehash too much, but as this thread suggests, we're the boy-racers of the cycling world! :P

Green Brompton

Friendliest bunch of commuters as well.

mr_ribble

Maybe someone has done a study, but 1.5mio extra people cycling to work is surely going to have an impact on food consuption. Lets say on average they cyle 12 miles a day and on average burn 700 extra calories. Then assume that they have no significant fat depositis and so to maintain their weight they need to increase food consuption by the same amount.

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

iPete

Mr_Ribble wrote:

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

I'm sure it would be calories neutral; how much do you burn fighting for a space on a sweaty tube train?

rjsterry

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Maybe someone has done a study, but 1.5mio extra people cycling to work is surely going to have an impact on food consuption. Lets say on average they cyle 12 miles a day and on average burn 700 extra calories. Then assume that they have no significant fat depositis and so to maintain their weight they need to increase food consuption by the same amount.

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

Hmmmm. Not sure about that assumption. Pretty sure mankind managed to do a lot more hard work on a lot less for most of its existence, so I think the Great Soreen Shortage is a way off yet.

rick_chasey

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Maybe someone has done a study, but 1.5mio extra people cycling to work is surely going to have an impact on food consuption. Lets say on average they cyle 12 miles a day and on average burn 700 extra calories. Then assume that they have no significant fat depositis and so to maintain their weight they need to increase food consuption by the same amount.

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

You're assuming everyone eats the correct amount of calories to begin with. Most people eat enough to be healthy if they were cycling despite not!

I'd say the calories remain the same(ish), but we'd get a spike in demand for cotton as everyone has to buy new clothes since they're skinny now, but that will reduce and actually be lower than normal due to everyone needing smaller sizes .

MonkeyMonster

They'll want to eat less to look better in lycra... Like all of us do...

msmancunia

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Maybe someone has done a study, but 1.5mio extra people cycling to work is surely going to have an impact on food consuption. Lets say on average they cyle 12 miles a day and on average burn 700 extra calories. Then assume that they have no significant fat depositis and so to maintain their weight they need to increase food consuption by the same amount.

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

I think most people have "significant fat deposits" - including me! But just think how much the NHS would save - decreases in diabetes, knee and hip replacements, gastric band ops, high blood pressure, heart problems etc as well as the smokers who think now's the time to give up smoking.

notsoblue

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Maybe someone has done a study, but 1.5mio extra people cycling to work is surely going to have an impact on food consuption. Lets say on average they cyle 12 miles a day and on average burn 700 extra calories. Then assume that they have no significant fat depositis and so to maintain their weight they need to increase food consuption by the same amount.

That means that an extra 1.05 billion calories of food extra are being consumed in the capital every day. In real terms, thats about an extra 10.5mio slices of bread

This is assuming that all these people currently only eat as much as their level of exercise requires them to. I doubt many of them would have to change their diet if they started cycling. What your calculation shows is probably a measure of overconsumption!

mr_ribble

True, but like the oild fields on which we so rely, a man's fat deposit is a limited supply. Someone packing 20lbs of excess adipose, equates to 70,000 cal, which is just 100 days of cummiting assuming the same 700 cals daily usage riding in.

So increasing the numbers of cycling commuters, your just shift the problem away from petrol and onto krispy kreme donuts. Which then get taxed at 80% by the government, and donut rich nations become wealthy. A donut cartel is formed and the National Union of Donut Delivery Boys threaten to go on strike, which in turn causes panic buying. Cycling is no longer considered green.

MonkeyMonster

Mr_Ribble wrote:

True, but like the oild fields on which we so rely, a man's fat deposit is a limited supply. Someone packing 20lbs of excess adipose, equates to 70,000 cal, which is just 100 days of cummiting assuming the same 700 cals daily usage riding in.

So increasing the numbers of cycling commuters, your just shift the problem away from petrol and onto krispy kreme donuts. Which then get taxed at 80% by the government, and donut rich nations become wealthy. A donut cartel is formed and the National Union of Donut Delivery Boys threaten to go on strike, which in turn causes panic buying. Cycling is no longer considered green.

and an upsurge in donut delivery couriers... what a vicious circle

notsoblue

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

True, but like the oild fields on which we so rely, a man's fat deposit is a limited supply. Someone packing 20lbs of excess adipose, equates to 70,000 cal, which is just 100 days of cummiting assuming the same 700 cals daily usage riding in.

So increasing the numbers of cycling commuters, your just shift the problem away from petrol and onto krispy kreme donuts. Which then get taxed at 80% by the government, and donut rich nations become wealthy. A donut cartel is formed and the National Union of Donut Delivery Boys threaten to go on strike, which in turn causes panic buying. Cycling is no longer considered green.

and an upsurge in donut delivery couriers... what a vicious circle

More of a torus really.