Silly commuting racing

cruff

dekant wrote:

martinc wrote:

Jelly legs. I was scalped by people on mountain bikes. With baskets. And stabilisers.

Happens to the best of us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-eQ2nzURIQ

That's brilliant

hopkinb

dekant wrote:

martinc wrote:

Jelly legs. I was scalped by people on mountain bikes. With baskets. And stabilisers.

Happens to the best of us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-eQ2nzURIQ

Heh heh.

elbowloh

martinc wrote:

Jelly legs. I was scalped by people on mountain bikes. With baskets. And stabilisers.

Had the same issue this morning on the 'racetrack' suddenly seemed to lose all speed, had no power in the legs and felt really hard to turn the pedals.

Started thinking, "had I over cooked it earlier? No. I must be coming down with something". Got overtaken by everyone, Boris bikes, hybrids etc

I pulled over and discovered that the rear wheel had somehow become misaligned in the drop outs mid-ride and was rubbing against the non-drive side chain stay. What was weird was that it didn't make a noise. I thought it would squeak at least.

On another note, almost got right hooked at the bottom of Kentish Town high street. I had a green light, the driver only had a green to go straight on, but not to right right (filter lane with its own light), but she decided to go. I shouted at her and she slammed on the brakes and stopped half a metre from my rear wheel.

veronese68

hopkinb wrote:

Back on the bike. Nasty grinding intermittently coming from the front brake, I think this weekend's application of mud has gummed up a piston.

Still in the car as ferrying the Mrs about again. Took the wheels off to change tyres last night, wound up cleaning more grass and mud out of nooks and crannies before reassembling. Asprilla could be in for a shock if he doesn't look at his Genesis until it's time to replace the bar tape before it's next outing.
How is that tape looking now? Forgot to look on Sunday.

hotspanners

Asprilla wrote:

Kingstonian wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Morning Rhodri. Nice chat.

Morning morning - likewise. I'll try and recognise you next time!

Pretty sure you guys were behind me while waiting at the lights outside the Houses of Parliament. Was going to say hi but the lights changed........

You should say hello. I'm terrible for introducing myself as it just seems weird.

Fun ride home tonight. Was there a tail wind? Left over legs from the weekend and a pulled neck muscle meant it was supposed to be easy but I got talking to a chap about his lovely Mercian frame as we waited at HoP. When the lights changed was off, exposing my poor filtering, and leading the peloton. Didn't really get close again or see him until turning into Priory Ln where he was playing Pied Piper to a group of about six. I cruised up the outside to go for the overtake but some galloping bumblewank decides to pull out of the side road meaning heavy braking. Just before the park gate and a scooter decides to stop dead in the middle of the road so more evasive action. Mercian has about 15m going right but I close the gap (now towing the group) making sure to stay wide as I don't want to be accused taking the draft. Heading up to the Ballet School and I'm happy leaving a gap but one of the tail comes through to fill it on the way down to Pen Ponds so I back off again. Right turn onto the straight and I spin up, cruising past and leaving my remaining tail. The third chap swaps wheels from the Mercian to me and the Mercian latches onto him as we head to Ham Cross (new PB for me). Left down to Kingston and the Mercian briefly comes through again before I come back. We finish level at the gate with waves and thanks while the third wheel and I go right.

Legs cooked so I plan on following the other guy to Hampton Court, but on the way out of Hampton Wick my Garmin ejects and I have to stop, run back and retrieve it from traffic.

Slow run home. Power meter won't connect with the Garmin in my jersey pocket.

Edit; apparently it was Hot Spanners, occasionally of this parish.

That was indeed me. Thanks for the tip about the White Industries hub. You nearly mugged me with that attack on Pen Pond, I was deep in the red when you came past and I didn't have the gears to follow, wouldn't have caught you if it wasn't for the guy chasing you giving me a pull. Classic SCR!

asprilla

hotspanners wrote:

That was indeed me. Thanks for the tip about the White Industries hub. You nearly mugged me with that attack on Pen Pond, I was deep in the red when you came past and I didn't have the gears to follow, wouldn't have caught you if it wasn't for the guy chasing you giving me a pull. Classic SCR!

Once I had to abort on Priory Lane due ot late pull out / scooter idiocy / Royal Parks car parked on the wrong side of the road carnage when entering the park I knew I was going to wait until Pen Ponds. Your position in the middle of the road was making it clear that anyone on your wheel was making a deliberate choice and you didn't want them there so I stuck to the left and took it easy up to the Ballet School.

What GI are you pushing?

anonymousblackfg

An unforeseen cost of CX that I never rode was that in putting my guards back on i'd not used enough lok tite on the screw at the bottom which is now somewhere between the City and Surbiton. Of course it's a size I don't really recognise so lets see if Spesh can help!

tgotb

anonymousblackfg wrote:

An unforeseen cost of CX that I never rode was that in putting my guards back on i'd not used enough lok tite on the screw at the bottom which is now somewhere between the City and Surbiton. Of course it's a size I don't really recognise so lets see if Spesh can help!

Why don't you just keep a good lookout on the way back in tomorrow?

elbowloh

TGOTB wrote:

anonymousblackfg wrote:

An unforeseen cost of CX that I never rode was that in putting my guards back on i'd not used enough lok tite on the screw at the bottom which is now somewhere between the City and Surbiton. Of course it's a size I don't really recognise so lets see if Spesh can help!

Why don't you just keep a good lookout on the way back in tomorrow?

It'll probably be the cause of someone other poor cyclist's puncture.

hopkinb

A little bit of fun with a bloke on a black and white Pearson, wearing an orange rapha jacket. Only towards the end of the commute, but it got the heart rate up on an otherwise dull and grey morning.

Traffic seems to be getting sh!ttier. Drivers seem to be making more stupid decisions. I guess it's because it's getting dark, so it's just more dangerous, as the inattentive or incompetent driver's field of view becomes full of lots of competing & confusing lights - other cars, street lights, steady bike lights, flashing bike lights, billion lumen blinding bike lights. I suppose it's time to more or less bin the SCR until the natural light returns. Defensive and steady gets home alive.

rhodrich

hopkinb wrote:

A little bit of fun with a bloke on a black and white Pearson, wearing an orange rapha jacket. Only towards the end of the commute, but it got the heart rate up on an otherwise dull and grey morning.

Traffic seems to be getting sh!ttier. Drivers seem to be making more stupid decisions. I guess it's because it's getting dark, so it's just more dangerous, as the inattentive or incompetent driver's field of view becomes full of lots of competing & confusing lights - other cars, street lights, steady bike lights, flashing bike lights, billion lumen blinding bike lights. I suppose it's time to more or less bin the SCR until the natural light returns. Defensive and steady gets home alive.

I was thinking the same on my journey home last night, whilst wondering why my average speed goes down so much when the evenings draw in. It's not just other drivers/cyclists though. I've had 2 'incidents' in Richmond Park over the last few years, one involving a badger, the other involving a strategically placed fence in the middle of the road that I wasn't aware of. The deer were all over the road last night, and even with a decent front light, it's difficult to see them and other obstacles at this time of year, especially when you're being blinded by cyclists coming the other way.

Stay safe out there......

rower63

Rhodrich wrote:

... I've had 2 'incidents' in Richmond Park over the last few years, ... the other involving a strategically placed fence in the middle of the road that I wasn't aware of ...

otherwise and more commonly known as a GATE

hopkinb

rower63 wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

... I've had 2 'incidents' in Richmond Park over the last few years, ... the other involving a strategically placed fence in the middle of the road that I wasn't aware of ...

otherwise and more commonly known as a GATE

Is that the gate they sometimes put across the road by Richmond gate? I've had a close call with that before. It looms out of the darkness a bit.

rhodrich

hopkinb wrote:

rower63 wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

... I've had 2 'incidents' in Richmond Park over the last few years, ... the other involving a strategically placed fence in the middle of the road that I wasn't aware of ...

otherwise and more commonly known as a GATE

Is that the gate they sometimes put across the road by Richmond gate? I've had a close call with that before. It looms out of the darkness a bit.

No. It was the one here:
https://goo.gl/maps/HwgEsJqtnQs

I'd never gone that way before in that direction, and wasn't expecting the road width to halve, with a fence (not a gate) in just the place where I was positioned. At that time, there were fewer reflectors on it, and I was blinded by cyclists coming the other way. By the time I saw it, it was too late......

veronese68

Rhodrich wrote:

The deer were all over the road last night, and even with a decent front light, it's difficult to see them...

Deer are made out of some sort of magic light absorbing material. I'm not really a big fan of head mounted lights for general use but I have taken to using one because of the deer in Bushy Park, I ride the path perpendicular to the road and I find being able to turn and look to the side a little helps with spotting them.
I started with an Exposure Joystick on my lid but I don't think the solid mount is a good idea in the unlikely event of hitting the top of my head. I now use one of those Lezyne lights with the subscription giveaway from a couple of years ago, Velcro strap doesn't seem quite as bad an idea.
Managed to wobble in today for the first time since Sunday, thankfully checking the bike over and lubing stuff meant no issues. Absolutely no competition, didn't see any other cyclists heading my way.

mr_ribble

rower63 wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

... I've had 2 'incidents' in Richmond Park over the last few years, ... the other involving a strategically placed fence in the middle of the road that I wasn't aware of ...

otherwise and more commonly known as a GATE

He may take a fence to that joke...

smokey_bacon

hopkinb wrote:

Traffic seems to be getting sh!ttier. Drivers seem to be making more stupid decisions. I guess it's because it's getting dark, so it's just more dangerous, as the inattentive or incompetent driver's field of view becomes full of lots of competing & confusing lights - other cars, street lights, steady bike lights, flashing bike lights, billion lumen blinding bike lights. I suppose it's time to more or less bin the SCR until the natural light returns. Defensive and steady gets home alive.

This! plus the fact that alot of drivers only clear the square inch or so of the windscreen in front of their faces before setting off.

Rest day for me so training it in. No rogue gates/fences/badgers noted plus I got a seat with minimum interaction with zombie peds.

dekant

rower63 wrote:

otherwise and more commonly known as a GATE

There was one year where they decided to set up for a duathlon (I think) the next day. Brain dead organisers placed steel barriers across the road just after the Broomfield descent which were basically invisible in the dark even with a decent light. Definitely a scary moment.

In SCR news, I had a great battle with a chipped ebike rider from Thornton Heath all the way to Oval. They were DQ'd of course, but quite pleased that they never managed to properly get away from me over that distance (though I admit I was helped a lot by traffic bottlenecks and being able to go much faster than them down the hill into Brixton.

I do worry for those people though. They probably had a 500W+ motor which means they're basically cruising at 30mph but don't know how to handle a bike. They're also properly screwed should they be involved in any incident even if the GoPro they were wearing shows it wasn't their fault.

kingstonian

Agreed, sooner or later there'll be a messy accident and the e-bike rider will be hauled up in front of the courts.

The other category of numbskulls that are going to either end up beneath the wheels of a truck or smashing into a ped are electric skateboarders, there are a couple who are doing 23-25mph along the Embankment

anonymousblackfg

I got PT this morning, I think I'd have rather hit a gate at full chop than endured that! At least i'll have been drinking prior to the trip home.

I really need get some "too lazy or too stupid to cycle to zone 1?" stickers made up to plaster all over the carriages.

kingdav

dekant wrote:

In SCR news, I had a great battle with a chipped ebike rider from Thornton Heath all the way to Oval. They were DQ'd of course, but quite pleased that they never managed to properly get away from me over that distance (though I admit I was helped a lot by traffic bottlenecks and being able to go much faster than them down the hill into Brixton.

I do worry for those people though. They probably had a 500W+ motor which means they're basically cruising at 30mph but don't know how to handle a bike. They're also properly screwed should they be involved in any incident even if the GoPro they were wearing shows it wasn't their fault.

Was it one of the following? :-
- electronic guy, has his mobile on the bars with a picture of a girl on the screen, many, many flashing lights and gadgets everywhere (I'm thinking not because he's quite slow).
- suitcase guy, massive ebike battery like a suitcase filling the entire main triangle of the frame on his home made beat-up old halfords mtb - he is very quick.
- BMW ebike guy who wears a blue jacket and an aero-ish helmet a bit like a kask bambino. I think his bike has had the speed sensor doctored so it typically shows he's doing 2mph and the limiter doesn't kick in.

I had to use the train to start my commute today because I'm out for a pint tonight and didn't want to leave my car lying about. I started at Woldingham station and cruised down to the A23 to Kenley, then went off-road up over Riddlesdown, then the usual route from Purley up to Streatham Hill but then decided to bypass the Brixton road works and divert up the B221 to Clapham North and in up the CS7. Nice to do a slightly chunkier commute as I'll be wheeling the bike home via the train.

shamrock134

I see this guy not infrequently around Kennington Road riding his 80kph/5200W Stealth e-bike. After this shot he zoomed away from the lights dropping all the other motor traffic.

dekant

The one that did the same route as me is either suitcase guy or BMW guy. He definitely had a mahoosive battery filling the entire main triangle and it was a rear wheel hub motor on an old MTB style bike. I think he had a blue jacket and the helmet was like a ski helmet with a gopro on top.

I actually picked up two chipped ebikers initially - I think they came out of a side road together and were definitely chatting at a set of lights but parted pretty much immediately after I caught up to them.

If I can be bothered later I might go back through the footage to get a screengrab.

elbowloh

shamrock134 wrote:

I see this guy not infrequently around Kennington Road riding his 80kph/5200W Stealth e-bike. After this shot he zoomed away from the lights dropping all the other motor traffic.

That even looks like a motorbike. He'll be picked up by the police soon shirley?

elbowloh

Veronese68 wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

The deer were all over the road last night, and even with a decent front light, it's difficult to see them...

Deer are made out of some sort of magic light absorbing material. I'm not really a big fan of head mounted lights for general use but I have taken to using one because of the deer in Bushy Park, I ride the path perpendicular to the road and I find being able to turn and look to the side a little helps with spotting them.
I started with an Exposure Joystick on my lid but I don't think the solid mount is a good idea in the unlikely event of hitting the top of my head. I now use one of those Lezyne lights with the subscription giveaway from a couple of years ago, Velcro strap doesn't seem quite as bad an idea.
Managed to wobble in today for the first time since Sunday, thankfully checking the bike over and lubing stuff meant no issues. Absolutely no competition, didn't see any other cyclists heading my way.

Grrrr, i never got mine and it still grates.

kingstonian

Veronese68 wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

The deer were all over the road last night, and even with a decent front light, it's difficult to see them...

I started with an Exposure Joystick on my lid but I don't think the solid mount is a good idea in the unlikely event of hitting the top of my head. I now use one of those Lezyne lights with the subscription giveaway from a couple of years ago, Velcro strap doesn't seem quite as bad an idea.
Managed to wobble in today for the first time since Sunday, thankfully checking the bike over and lubing stuff meant no issues. Absolutely no competition, didn't see any other cyclists heading my way.

Rumour has it that a certain ex Formula 1 driver suffered his catastrophic brain injuries from the mount of a helmet-mounted camera penetrating his head, which is good enough reason for me to not do it

tgotb

Kingstonian wrote:

Rumour has it that a certain ex Formula 1 driver suffered his catastrophic brain injuries from the mount of a helmet-mounted camera penetrating his head, which is good enough reason for me to not do it

That, and the fact it makes you look like a Tellytubby.

veronese68

Kingstonian wrote:

Rumour has it that a certain ex Formula 1 driver suffered his catastrophic brain injuries from the mount of a helmet-mounted camera penetrating his head, which is good enough reason for me to not do it

Indeed. The Exposure mount is solid and that put me right off the idea. The velcro strap arrangement is soft and the light would come out quite easily in any impact so wouldn't be as dangerous, I hope.

martinc

Aye. I thought everyone knew that to be the case. But I guess not based on the amount of motorbike and bike riders I still see with go pros bolted on their helmets.
Just looked it up and 250kw is the legal limit for e-bikes. So that Stealth is just a tad over then?!!

asprilla

Stopped using my exposure helmet mount after that German chap had his skiing accident. Might see if I can make a Velcro strap work.