Silly commuting racing

whatleytom

martinc wrote:

njee20 wrote:

W1 wrote:

Another dilemma - tarty riders with all the gear that can't clip in and, rather than just pedalling off until they can, stop pedalling whilst looking at their feet. Causes mayhem away from the lights because sometimes they almost come to a complete stop.

Hear hear, although their level of gear is irrelevant, it's just as annoying if they're on a crap bike! Guy I ride with is a bit of a nightmare for it, he doesn't stop pedalling to look down until 15 seconds up the road, but by then you're up to speed as his sudden deceleration comes as a very nasty surprise.

cjcp wrote:

The chap with freakishly large calves. Paceline?

He pretty much blitzed everything eastbound this morning, and didn't seem to be trying.

I know the bloke you mean, his calves are immense, not seen him for ages.

Could be my mate Crabby. He has calves the size of my thighs. Rides a Cinelli fixie or a Fireflies Colnago.
Not with Paceline though

Rich Pearce. Pearcy on here I think.

asprilla

PoweredByIdris wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Smokey Bacon wrote:

kingdav wrote:

Get one of these here harpoon guns. Swap flippers for cleats, you'll still look cool.

Thats Asprilla no???? Just add bike.....

Ofcoursh.

Need to drop those wheelsuckers

Enjoying some through and off.

sketchley

AyBee wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Not been here a while, hi everyone.

Coming back with a rant, passing on the left without even a shout out is wrong. Of course responded only way possible, sped up passed held it turned off for the win. Then collapsed and took it very easy the rest of way to the office. Conclusion i'm out of practice.....

Say hi if you see a fat bloke on an Enigma on the embankment on way home later....

If you get passed on the left, you're leaving far too much room on the inside and pushing everyone who's faster than you closer to the traffic, FACT!

I could write a long post about my road position etc, which by the way simply "not in the gutter". But my.point is this, passing on the left without a shout to tell me you are there is wrong regardless of my road position. I'm not expecting you to be there, it could get messy, a simple "on your left" is both courteous and stops me moving across and taking us both out.

sketchley

AyBee wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

AyBee wrote:

Sketchley wrote:

Not been here a while, hi everyone.

Coming back with a rant, passing on the left without even a shout out is wrong. Of course responded only way possible, sped up passed held it turned off for the win. Then collapsed and took it very easy the rest of way to the office. Conclusion i'm out of practice.....

Say hi if you see a fat bloke on an Enigma on the embankment on way home later....

If you get passed on the left, you're leaving far too much room on the inside and pushing everyone who's faster than you closer to the traffic, FACT!

Err, not at all.
you shouldn't be riding in the gutter, it's not safe and also, he could be in in primary position, where you're supposed to be first and foremost (hence the name).

Edit: not sure if joking?

There's a difference between gutter and leaving enough room for a cyclist to pass you on the inside. It's a trait that is far too common on my commute where someone will overtake a slower rider and then be oblivious to the fact that anyone behind them might want to get past them. Most CS routes are wide enough for 2 side-by-side, but as soon as you don't move back left, you're pushing people behind into the traffic. It's like people who drive in the middle lane of a 3-lane motorway!

Bunch of assumptions you are making there. I didn't overtake and not move back in. Nothing like middle lane on a three lane motorway. This was two separate people going through a not very big gap between me and ccrb and passing with not more than few centimetres between handlebars.

AyBee

If people are going for the gap to the left of you a lot, you should probably give your road positioning more thought is all I'm saying. It's highly unlikely that someone will choose to dive under you at the last minute (purely for the reason that, as you say, you might move left again), it's more likely that they've observed your road positioning as they've approached from behind and decided that you're not going to move back left and therefore their only route past is on your left.

sketchley

AyBee wrote:

If people are going for the gap to the left of you a lot, you should probably give your road positioning more thought is all I'm saying. It's highly unlikely that someone will choose to dive under you at the last minute (purely for the reason that, as you say, you might move left again), it's more likely that they've observed your road positioning as they've approached from behind and decided that you're not going to move back left and therefore their only route past is on your left.

Did that all the way home. I'm not that far out, sure you can force your way through if your a donut. I'm mainly 2ft maybe 2.5ft from the curb. I'd still maintain you should let the person your passing on the left know you are there.

mamil314

Ambulance attending someone at the bottom of Broomfield at around 1900 ish, hope they OK. Can be a bit gusty today

Pearcy

whatleytom wrote:

martinc wrote:

njee20 wrote:

W1 wrote:

Another dilemma - tarty riders with all the gear that can't clip in and, rather than just pedalling off until they can, stop pedalling whilst looking at their feet. Causes mayhem away from the lights because sometimes they almost come to a complete stop.

Hear hear, although their level of gear is irrelevant, it's just as annoying if they're on a crap bike! Guy I ride with is a bit of a nightmare for it, he doesn't stop pedalling to look down until 15 seconds up the road, but by then you're up to speed as his sudden deceleration comes as a very nasty surprise.

cjcp wrote:

The chap with freakishly large calves. Paceline?

He pretty much blitzed everything eastbound this morning, and didn't seem to be trying.

I know the bloke you mean, his calves are immense, not seen him for ages.

Could be my mate Crabby. He has calves the size of my thighs. Rides a Cinelli fixie or a Fireflies Colnago.
Not with Paceline though

Rich Pearce. Pearcy on here I think.

Yeah had to make the most of the relatively light traffic and lucky run of lights this morning. Wasn’t in the mood for any limpets today.

elbowloh

New one for me , almost got taken out by an ironing board on the way home this evening.

Chap comes out of Tooting Broadway station carrying an ironing board and decides to try to walk between a phone box and the road, where his board is sticking out into the cycle lane, so gave him a little shout.

Also got bothered more than I should by a shoaler on a hybrid. Over took him before going down col du Balham and at every single red light to colliers Wood, he got off and walked his bike across and every time I had to overtake again .

sgt.pepper

KingstonGraham wrote:

Sgt.Pepper wrote:

Everyone alright? I don't understand how you guys are so chill.

NZ is so safe/dull that someone building a fence that blocked a view was front page news, multiple times.

By lunchtime yesterday, this was down to third place on the news behind the Italy bridge collapse and Ben Stokes.

I'm sorry but I find that appalling. The basic responsibility of the state is to keeps its citizens safe, and it's failing. It shouldn't be normalised or accepted, just as the lunacy of crawling rush hours and smog covered cities shouldn't be normalised. I feel like I've taken crazy pills.

In other news, three separate things fell off the Raleigh this morning, I suspect from the severe shaking it got testing its off road abilities on the weekend.

cjcp

Not wishing to normalise this in any way, but London's been subject to attacks for years.

Before I started working in a London over 20 years ago, I remember having a conversation along the following lines with a friend whose brother already worked up here:

- If you're late for work, just say there was a bomb scare on the tube. They'll say, "yeah, no problem".
- You what?
- Yeah, that's normal.
- What?!

EDIT: that was also around the time they removed bins from the City, I think. I once had to chase one of the mobile bin men down a street near Ludgate Circus so I could put my Maccy D's milkshake in a bin before I could go in for an interview.

mattsaw

Was that anyone here on a Propel though the park this morning?

That was the last thing I needed on a Thursday

tgotb

Added to which, this wasn't exactly the World's most competent terrorist attack. I reckon I could do a "better" job on my bike if I set my mind to it. Hell, if I did it in a 4th cat race at Hillingdon I'd probably get away without so much as a telling off, and the race would be passed off as uneventful.

asprilla

Quiet out there this morning, no?

No Strava PBs but I reckon I did my quickest door-to-door on this commute. Only slight bit of interest moment was at one of the junctions on the CS somewhere around temple. I'm heading east and overtaking a guy on a hybrid who is shoulder checking and knows I'm there. Only one bike coming the other way, MTB with a masked rider. Fine, plenty of room. MTB chap decides he's going to turn right at the junction we've just passed, so he rides straight at us. Not a care in the world. Hybrid chap has to move right and so do I with much swearing. MTB chap doesn't have a care in the world.

I need a lance.

smokey_bacon

I think its unrealistic to expect the government to stop 100% of attacks 100% of the time because you can never account for lunatics like this guy the other day. Its not for everyone, i know people who have left because they dont feel safe but I dont feel like that at all. I dont feel any less safe now than when I grew up and every parked van could be a potential IRA vehicle for instance.

Anyway back on topic. Had one of those rides where everything came together...tailwind, clear roads, green lights, good legs so smashed my Surbo to work pb. Treating myself to a croissant as a result.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

Quiet out there this morning, no?

No Strava PBs but I reckon I did my quickest door-to-door on this commute. Only slight bit of interest moment was at one of the junctions on the CS somewhere around temple. I'm heading east and overtaking a guy on a hybrid who is shoulder checking and knows I'm there. Only one bike coming the other way, MTB with a masked rider. Fine, plenty of room. MTB chap decides he's going to turn right at the junction we've just passed, so he rides straight at us. Not a care in the world. Hybrid chap has to move right and so do I with much swearing. MTB chap doesn't have a care in the world.

I need a lance.

Very quiet. It's bliss.

anonymousblackfg

Quiet, tailwind, early start all utterly failed by salad for dinner and replacing floorboards and painting till 11 o'clock last night.

cjcp

Tut tut. Salad is something you have *with* dinner.

tgotb

cjcp wrote:

Tut tut. Salad is something you have *with* dinner.

You're not supposed to eat it, it's for decoration :roll:

veronese68

Sgt.Pepper wrote:

The basic responsibility of the state is to keeps its citizens safe, and it's failing. It shouldn't be normalised or accepted, just as the lunacy of crawling rush hours and smog covered cities shouldn't be normalised. I feel like I've taken crazy pills.

I know what you mean, but whilst I'd quite like to get rid of cars from the town centre a lot of people wouldn't. And the crazies would find a different way to attack so I don't blame governments for it. As said above Londoners are used to it, we had to deal with the IRA for years.
Far worse is the bridge collapse in Italy, similar to the Grenfell tower fire here supposedly people have been saying it's dangerous for some time. Apparently the current government said it was nonsense and were talking about shelving plans to repair it as they said previous governments were guilty of wasting billions on infrastructure projects like that. Funnily enough they've deleted that bit from their website.

Anyway, back on topic. Slow ride in for me today, felt like it was a bit blowy and I'm knackered. Saw a couple of people going the opposite way over Kingston Bridge, but no orange POC or wetsuit so they weren't Asprilla or Rower. I need big obvious clues like that as focussing over that distance is getting tricky at my age.

veronese68

TGOTB wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Tut tut. Salad is something you have *with* dinner.

You're not supposed to eat it, it's for decoration :roll:

Have to agree with TGOTB here.

poweredbyidris

anonymousblackfg wrote:

Quiet, tailwind, early start all utterly failed by salad for dinner and replacing floorboards and painting till 11 o'clock last night.

kingstonian

cjcp wrote:

Not wishing to normalise this in any way, but London's been subject to attacks for years

EDIT: that was also around the time they removed bins from the City, I think. I once had to chase one of the mobile bin men down a street near Ludgate Circus so I could put my Maccy D's milkshake in a bin before I could go in for an interview.

I have a wonderful image in my mind of you going for an interview at McDonalds !!!!!

fenix

Veronese68 wrote:

supposedly people have been saying it's dangerous for some time. Apparently the current government said it was nonsense and were talking about shelving plans to repair it as they said previous governments were guilty of wasting billions on infrastructure projects like that. Funnily enough they've deleted that bit from their website.

I've not heard experts saying this - I did hear a lil old lady on R4 saying the same thing but I think she just doesn't like bridges and heights. She had no other reason for worrying about the bridge.

Incredible that Italian Politicians have tried to blame the collapse of the bridge on the EU...

elbowloh

Veronese68 wrote:

Sgt.Pepper wrote:

The basic responsibility of the state is to keeps its citizens safe, and it's failing. It shouldn't be normalised or accepted, just as the lunacy of crawling rush hours and smog covered cities shouldn't be normalised. I feel like I've taken crazy pills.

I know what you mean, but whilst I'd quite like to get rid of cars from the town centre a lot of people wouldn't. And the crazies would find a different way to attack so I don't blame governments for it. As said above Londoners are used to it, we had to deal with the IRA for years.
Far worse is the bridge collapse in Italy, similar to the Grenfell tower fire here supposedly people have been saying it's dangerous for some time. Apparently the current government said it was nonsense and were talking about shelving plans to repair it as they said previous governments were guilty of wasting billions on infrastructure projects like that. Funnily enough they've deleted that bit from their website.

Anyway, back on topic. Slow ride in for me today, felt like it was a bit blowy and I'm knackered. Saw a couple of people going the opposite way over Kingston Bridge, but no orange POC or wetsuit so they weren't Asprilla or Rower. I need big obvious clues like that as focussing over that distance is getting tricky at my age.

There was a spokesman from 5 Star (System Addict) on The Today programme this morning, he tried to claim that anyone can post on their website and that particular post came from someone not in the party. Obviously BS.

arsey

Swapped the bike for running shoes this morning, 16km run to work in preparation for Weymouth half ironman. Took less than double the time it does on my bike which is interesting. Sounds like we need to start a silly commuter triathlete thread.

Pearcy

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Quiet out there this morning, no?

No Strava PBs but I reckon I did my quickest door-to-door on this commute. Only slight bit of interest moment was at one of the junctions on the CS somewhere around temple. I'm heading east and overtaking a guy on a hybrid who is shoulder checking and knows I'm there. Only one bike coming the other way, MTB with a masked rider. Fine, plenty of room. MTB chap decides he's going to turn right at the junction we've just passed, so he rides straight at us. Not a care in the world. Hybrid chap has to move right and so do I with much swearing. MTB chap doesn't have a care in the world.

I need a lance.

Very quiet. It's bliss.

Taking advantage of the clear roads and tailwind again...two +30kmh commutes in a row is some miracle.

martinc

elbowloh wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Sgt.Pepper wrote:

The basic responsibility of the state is to keeps its citizens safe, and it's failing. It shouldn't be normalised or accepted, just as the lunacy of crawling rush hours and smog covered cities shouldn't be normalised. I feel like I've taken crazy pills.

I know what you mean, but whilst I'd quite like to get rid of cars from the town centre a lot of people wouldn't. And the crazies would find a different way to attack so I don't blame governments for it. As said above Londoners are used to it, we had to deal with the IRA for years.
Far worse is the bridge collapse in Italy, similar to the Grenfell tower fire here supposedly people have been saying it's dangerous for some time. Apparently the current government said it was nonsense and were talking about shelving plans to repair it as they said previous governments were guilty of wasting billions on infrastructure projects like that. Funnily enough they've deleted that bit from their website.

Anyway, back on topic. Slow ride in for me today, felt like it was a bit blowy and I'm knackered. Saw a couple of people going the opposite way over Kingston Bridge, but no orange POC or wetsuit so they weren't Asprilla or Rower. I need big obvious clues like that as focussing over that distance is getting tricky at my age.

There was a spokesman from 5 Star (System Addict) on The Today programme this morning, he tried to claim that anyone can post on their website and that particular post came from someone not in the party. Obviously BS.

5 Star (System Addict) I'm old and uncool enough to get this.

elbowloh

martinc wrote:

elbowloh wrote:

There was a spokesman from 5 Star (System Addict) on The Today programme this morning, he tried to claim that anyone can post on their website and that particular post came from someone not in the party. Obviously BS.

5 Star (System Addict) I'm old and uncool enough to get this.

What do you mean uncool? 8)

veronese68

Fenix wrote:

Veronese68 wrote:

Italian bridge dangerous claims

I've not heard experts saying this - I did hear a lil old lady on R4 saying the same thing but I think she just doesn't like bridges and heights. She had no other reason for worrying about the bridge.
Incredible that Italian Politicians have tried to blame the collapse of the bridge on the EU...

Leader of the regional government had said it was dangerous, can't remember which others. Documented and before the event, not just hindsight.
Some in their current government there will blame anything on the EU, regardless of facts. Much like some over here.