Silly commuting racing

elbowloh

Looks like i won't be buying a bike.

Just found out that my buyers for my flat that i'm selling have pulled out today, after being fine on Saturday when the estate agents spoke to them again.

Wife doesn't know yet, but when she does she'll hit the roof. It will be my fault of course.

kingstonian

CJ and I did a great Pied Piper job this eve, dragging untold fairies along into the headwind.

martinc

Ditto. I had one all the way through RP. And I was on knobblies. Proper fairy.

tgotb

The only way I seem to be able to shake them (given that my legs have a limited number of full-out attacks in them) is to slow down. Thing is, if you slow down you just pick up different (slower) fairies). I seem to have to go all the way to 12mph to shake them all, and I don't really have time to ride all the way to work and back at 12mph.

Gallywomack

Doesn't seem to be as much of an issue going SE. I suppose we don't really get true headwinds very often, and numbers of riders are much lower which means that there are very few in the 'right' bracket of fast enough to hold a wheel, but weak/shameless enough to need/want to draft. The odd bit of drafting doesn't bother me much, sometimes I'll flick an elbow if I feel cooperative vibes but in general my route is so stop-start that it never feels too burdensome to have a fairy along for the ride.

rower63

My tactic, usually effective, is, when approaching a group ahead, slowing slightly and sitting around 20m behind. The fairies will inevitably jump from your wheel to theirs, like fleas onto a juicier target. Once they've attached to the other group and still have that effort in their legs, I gently accelerate so that I'm back up to my own speed when passing without it having had to be a full-on attack. I also make the pass a wide one if possible.

kingdav

I've been lucky enough recently to enjoy a fair few commutes with friends. Either people I've met at the lights and got chatting to over time or clubmates I arrange to meet on the way home. Yesterday I bumped into someone on the way in and we rode back together by arrangement, this morning I found someone else I know then we both came upon this other guy who rode the TCR last year. Tonight I'm meeting someone who works in the next office. Great to pass the time with some chat and share the wind, spur each other on. Once in a while I see Dekant and Smokeybacon once saw one of our little trains come by, if you do, hop on!

hopkinb

Fairies aren't often an issue on CS7. The last time I was in any sort of train was when dekant and I were drafting a chipped e-bike. Most folk can be dropped with a hard effort, the problem is the sheer quantity of traffic lights means that they need to be dropped again and again.

okgo

rower63 wrote:

My tactic, usually effective, is, when approaching a group ahead, slowing slightly and sitting around 20m behind. The fairies will inevitably jump from your wheel to theirs, like fleas onto a juicier target. Once they've attached to the other group and still have that effort in their legs, I gently accelerate so that I'm back up to my own speed when passing without it having had to be a full-on attack. I also make the pass a wide one if possible.

A classic.

I have passed people in Richmond Park in the opposite gutter before. Means if they want that wheel they have to be prepared to look like a total twat to have it.

ugo.santalucia

... or get a Brompton... nobody wants to be seen drafting small wheels...

hopkinb

ugo.santalucia wrote:

... or get a Brompton... nobody wants to be seen drafting small wheels...

I've seen it happen!

njee20

Weirdly the last 2 commutes I've done have been people on Bromptons mixing it up with everyone else. I'm putting it down to me being woefully unfit and thus riding more slowly and being aware of them. Both have had reasonable pace though to be fair.

anonymousblackfg

Boris Bike SCR for me this morning, nailed it around the Imax roundabout slicing through Boris'ers and small wheeled folk like a pro. Though I couldn't shake one guy on a blue and white Brompton who then nailed me once up to speed, a cheeky outside filter by me either worked exceptionally or he just turned off.

To rebut Hopkins statement, I did have a guy on my arse last week I was struggling to shake, if you're the lead, keeping yourself safe from the drivers means the guys trailing nearly always have an advantage in my view by being able to read your moves.

njee20

Nah, anyone behind is far more at risk IMO - less view of what's ahead, and the situation will change by the time they get there. That closing gap between two vehicles may no longer be there at all once the second rider gets there!

I'd definitely rather be in front, if people want to sit on my wheel sobeit! Another annoying thing about having got fat(ter) and unfit(ter) is that I seem to be mixing with people who are a total liability! There's a special place in hell for those who virtually stop 10m before any lights and then trickle up at 0.1mph so as to avoid having to unclip, whilst causing a massive queue for everyone behind.

anonymousblackfg

njee20 wrote:

Nah, anyone behind is far more at risk IMO - less view of what's ahead, and the situation will change by the time they get there. That closing gap between two vehicles may no longer be there at all once the second rider gets there!

I'd definitely rather be in front,

I am with you 100%, the comments were on dropping the drafters/staying with a lead, if I am leading i'd probably not take the closing gap between the two vehicles so the rear rider is back on you again. Given the quality of driving and riding I see daily you'd need be pretty mad to accept a tow from anyone you din't know/trust.

njee20

And yet there are dozens of them on the Embankment every day, nearly causing total carnage. And now it's getting lighter, so noddergeddon can return, worse than ever!

Tashman

Riding home alongside the A27 last Friday on the return leg of my first commute of the year, an older lady was pootling happily and obliviously along ahead of me right in the middle of the frequently narrow cycle lane. As I approached her I called out to say I was passing on her right. She obviously heard nothing and maintained her position. I moved to the right hand edge to pass jsut as she started to drift right! I kept the speed on and swerved onto the narrow grass verge between her and the traffic. 23mm tyres don't like wet grass very much it appears and I proceeded to skid past her causing a high pitched yelp from her as she wasn't expecting anyone to come blasting past. Fortunately traction was restored quickly and I carried on my merry way. Heart was definitely pounding at that point though as I thought I was about to slip into the dual carriageway. Maybe I should shout louder next time or perhaps slow until I'm sure they've acknowledged I'm passing.

smokey_bacon

Why oh why does Kingston hill need bus platforms with bike ramps and rubbish bits of random cycle lane?? First time I've been up and over there in a few weeks and its a mess! No SCR this morning for me as I've got one eye on the weather forecast this evening and keeping something in reserve. Did see some guy with a death wish nearly get squashed by a bus after he RLJ'd the entry to Parliament Square, got away with it by cm's id guess.

rhodrich

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Why oh why does Kingston hill need bus platforms with bike ramps and rubbish bits of random cycle lane?? First time I've been up and over there in a few weeks and its a mess!

Agreed. I fail to see how extending bus stops full of pedestrians out into cycle lanes makes things safer, either for the cyclists, or the pedestrians.

As for Kingston HIll, I think this is just the beginning. The whole plan is to get us cyclists off the road, onto the pavement where we 'belong', just like on the Portsmouth Road, as that's apparently how they do things in the Netherlands. Woe betide anyone who continues to use the road once this 'infrastructure' has been put in place.........

anonymousblackfg

Kingston Hill is an utter mess and I have been quite vocal with the council, a real fudge which benefits no one. A 1.5m painted bike lane (or with a curb) on the already decent tarmac with bus stop bypasses at grade would have been such a better solution for cyclists and tax payers. Instead you're left with something which bounces you up and down given the number of dropped curbs.

Else, am grumpy after third day on the bounce trainw4nkering, roll on tomorrow.

pangolin

Tashman wrote:

Riding home alongside the A27 last Friday on the return leg of my first commute of the year, an older lady was pootling happily and obliviously along ahead of me right in the middle of the frequently narrow cycle lane. As I approached her I called out to say I was passing on her right. She obviously heard nothing and maintained her position. I moved to the right hand edge to pass jsut as she started to drift right! I kept the speed on and swerved onto the narrow grass verge between her and the traffic. 23mm tyres don't like wet grass very much it appears and I proceeded to skid past her causing a high pitched yelp from her as she wasn't expecting anyone to come blasting past. Fortunately traction was restored quickly and I carried on my merry way. Heart was definitely pounding at that point though as I thought I was about to slip into the dual carriageway.

I completely get the desire not to have to slow down and speed up again, but if a driver was telling a similar story about almost hitting you because they had to overtake I'm sure you'd be pretty annoyed with them.

Tashman wrote:

Maybe I should shout louder next time or perhaps slow until I'm sure they've acknowledged I'm passing.

Yeah probably the second one.

smokey_bacon

Rhodrich wrote:

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Why oh why does Kingston hill need bus platforms with bike ramps and rubbish bits of random cycle lane?? First time I've been up and over there in a few weeks and its a mess!

As for Kingston HIll, I think this is just the beginning. The whole plan is to get us cyclists off the road, onto the pavement where we 'belong', just like on the Portsmouth Road, as that's apparently how they do things in the Netherlands. Woe betide anyone who continues to use the road once this 'infrastructure' has been put in place.........

You are right. There's already foundations for a segregated lane in parts. It just all seems out of context. As ABFlg says abit of paint and a some decent tarmac would be the ideal solution but that does not use enough of the budget I presume.

itboffin

TGOTB wrote:

The only way I seem to be able to shake them (given that my legs have a limited number of full-out attacks in them) is to slow down. Thing is, if you slow down you just pick up different (slower) fairies). I seem to have to go all the way to 12mph to shake them all, and I don't really have time to ride all the way to work and back at 12mph.

Convert to KPH it'll look faster

tgotb

itboffin wrote:

Convert to KPH it'll look faster

Yeah, but it'll also make my commute 60% further...

kingstongraham

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Rhodrich wrote:

Smokey Bacon wrote:

Why oh why does Kingston hill need bus platforms with bike ramps and rubbish bits of random cycle lane?? First time I've been up and over there in a few weeks and its a mess!

As for Kingston HIll, I think this is just the beginning. The whole plan is to get us cyclists off the road, onto the pavement where we 'belong', just like on the Portsmouth Road, as that's apparently how they do things in the Netherlands. Woe betide anyone who continues to use the road once this 'infrastructure' has been put in place.........

You are right. There's already foundations for a segregated lane in parts. It just all seems out of context. As ABFlg says abit of paint and a some decent tarmac would be the ideal solution but that does not use enough of the budget I presume.

Some places that makes sense - from Cambridge Road lights to Manorgate Road roundabout it's not great for cycling. Other places, where the road is wide, keep the road wide and put a cycle path that looks like a bit of road in.

Trouble with all these plans is they treat cyclists like faster pedestrians, who should share the footpath, rather than slower vehicles who should share the road. Wherever there is a problem with width, they make the footpath shared use.

kingstonian

Bloody headwind was ridiculous when I rode home this evening, can we please have a calm day for once

Gallywomack

Yeah not fun heading home last night, nothing like big drops of rain being whipped at you by 30mph gusts.

Struggled a bit with the wind this morning too, seemed to shift around a bit and sometimes felt like a full-on headwind. I dominated all-comers, natch...raawrrrwghh *beats chest*

mattsaw

That was fun...

Not looking forward to going home so much

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Mattsaw wrote:

That was fun...

Not looking forward to going home so much

Ian Brown doesn't look to have aged well and his bike looks far less bling too!

njee20

Yeah I rode up Kingston Hill on Tuesday night and couldn't work out what the hell they were trying to achieve. The surface was reasonable, but the constant curbs were a pain, and it definitely exposes you when you have to try and get back into the traffic, not helped by all the construction signs blocking the entrances.