Silly commuting racing

cjcp

Ryan_W wrote:

I'm back on CS8 tomorrow since going into hibernation in June last year... You have been warned.

Will the bike crumple under your weight?

I'll listen out for the heavy breathing.

ryan_w-2

cjcp wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

I'm back on CS8 tomorrow since going into hibernation in June last year... You have been warned.

Will the bike crumple under your weight?

I'll listen out for the heavy breathing.

88kg... I’ll be aiming for you mate

cjcp

Ryan_W wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Ryan_W wrote:

I'm back on CS8 tomorrow since going into hibernation in June last year... You have been warned.

Will the bike crumple under your weight?

I'll listen out for the heavy breathing.

88kg... I’ll be aiming for you mate

Tidy. Don't be too proud to ask for a tow if it gets a bit much

hopkinb

Unadvertised sogginess.

That lightish tailwind that makes you feel like a boss though.

ryan_w-2

Destroyed all.

I'm back.

anonymousblackfg

Did embankment with a little droppable competition,

RCC were on their way home from the park including one of those ridiculous Canyon handlebars, who says they're not a marketer's dream.

veronese68

Ryan_W wrote:

Destroyed all.

Poor choice of wording after CJ's comment.

cjcp wrote:

Will the bike crumple under your weight?

I was worried for your bike.

As usual no competition heading for the boondocks of Hanworth. New form of CX training when I got to work, up a spiral staircase to stash the bike in a cupboard as I'm not happy using the bike shelter after another theft last week.

ryan_w-2

Haha... I do feel sorry for my little Focus, but it's managed me at 100kg+, so 88kg is a walk in the park for it!

What a grim day to come out of hibernation though. However, my 27 minute commute (Fulham to Wapping) is definitely better than being stuck in the car for 45-50 minutes.

kingstonian

Yeah, all looked fine until 5 mins into the ride when a faint mist started. Really bloody annoying.

rower63

Yep me too. forecast was good, was totally dry outside my house, so I brought out the Ridley. GRRRRR utterly grit-blasted and wet by the time I got to work.

daveholla

Absolutely grim this morning - how wrong can the forecast get?! Decided to do some morning laps round Regents Park, which was very wet indeed. Decent peloton mind. Some competition on cs8 on the way back on Chelsea embankment but nothing too much. Anyone here - black Scott with winter ultegra alloys?

hopkinb

Loads of people out on their bikes this morning, in fact strava says I rode in with 7 people this morning. Some seemed keen - young chap on a nice aero canyon with electric gears was around and about - very neat & tidy kit as well. I stayed at the head of the pack though, and got a blinder away from the lights at Oval, stayed on the road rather than the cycle path, got green lights and clear road all the way until traffic slowed me up after Kennington tube station. Got 2nd on the segment from Oval tube to to Kennington tube, 2 seconds off the KOM. Closest I'll ever come to a KOM I reckon, what with being both old and fat.

anonymousblackfg

PT but the brompton is back in the stable so got an outing with its new pimp Ti seatpost. cracking little ride but it seems I need both a better saddle and the clip on top of the post as it's so old the whole things integrated. Anyone got a spare saddle they'll trade for beer money?

smokey_bacon

Lurgy for me so trainw@nkering today. Was a mistake....should have stayed at home.

anonymousblackfg wrote:

PT but the brompton is back in the stable so got an outing with its new pimp Ti seatpost. cracking little ride but it seems I need both a better saddle and the clip on top of the post as it's so old the whole things integrated. Anyone got a spare saddle they'll trade for beer money?

I've got a spare antares hanging around it you want it.

asprilla

Bit lurgeyed and feeling my lack of exercise between mid-Dec and now.

CJ went past me, arms aloft, as I pootled through the park. I continued on my way whilst he set off to do another half lap with a rucksack the size of my eldest child.

WFH tomorrow.

Tashman

Very heavy legged this morning. I guess I need to get used to more regular and longer riding. 35 miles on Sunday was still there for the ride in this morning. A plod all the way with any incline presenting a challenge

elbowloh

First commute for a long time and the cycling gods decided to punish me by sending drivers my way who tried to kill me, within the space of a minute on the same road.

First was turning right, across my lane. Saw me coming, eyeballed me, I actually shout "nooooo" at him as I predict what he's about to do, but then he goes for it at the last possible moment meaning i had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting him. If he just went straight away, it would have been fine.

Second one, come to the end of the road, right turn only at a light-controlled T Junction. I'm at the head of the queue. Light goes green, i go. He decides that it's better to overtake me as we turn, but in order to avoid the queue of traffic at the lights, he has to cut in early and pushes me into the kerb, so have to slam on the brakes again and swerve to avoid being hit.

On a positive, i did get 4 PRs along the racetrack. Not sure how that happened as a) i wasn't really trying and b) i put on a few pounds whilst not commuting.

tgotb

elbowloh wrote:

On a positive, i did get 4 PRs along the racetrack. Not sure how that happened as a) i wasn't really trying and b) i put on a few pounds whilst not commuting.

There's been a permanent morning mega-tailwind installed while you were away; even when it's light it's strong.

Enjoy your ride home :-)

kingstonian

Asprilla wrote:

Bit lurgeyed and feeling my lack of exercise between mid-Dec and now.

CJ went past me, arms aloft, as I pootled through the park. I continued on my way whilst he set off to do another half lap with a rucksack the size of my eldest child.

WFH tomorrow.

The rucksack needs to be that big to carry his lunch, it takes a lot of fuel to keep a man of his size going

mtb-idle

A gentle pootle for me today, well at least until the last section.

A friend, neighbour and work colleague who I did a lot of commuting with at the end of last year finally got his sh*t together and joined me back on the cycle commute after a month or two off so I didn't have to push too hard most of the way in.

Now it was nice and mild after a chilly Monday and a wet Tuesday but I saw this chap in Balham who I thought was a bit brave to go full Summer mode in the middle of March. But each to their own. I always wonder what they do in July/August; I mean if it's too warm for him now what's he gonna do in 30 degrees?

And then we were riding along Narrow Street that takes you towards Canary Wharf and another colleague 'Big' Dave B, ex-GBR rower powers past me. I set about after him but only caught him at the lights for a quick chat before we were off again. I managed to jump in his draft up the drag towards Westferry Circus to record my 3rd fastest time ever up there. Not bad on a singlespeed in March considering I must have ridden it a couple of thousand times on a geared bike.

That got the blood pumping.

anonymousblackfg

Smokey Bacon wrote:

I've got a spare antares hanging around it you want it.

Bingo, i'll take that, PM incoming.

asprilla

Pootle home. Think I saw Rower going the wrong way in Kingston. Took me a moment as I'm not used to seeing him head on.

rower63

Asprilla wrote:

Pootle home. Think I saw Rower going the wrong way in Kingston. Took me a moment as I'm not used to seeing him head on.

must've been an orange-helmet doppelganger, I had no unusual diversions. But I did cross paths with okgo, who was heading away from Richmond Park

kingstonian

Thanks to Rhodrich for the entertainment, Rower and I most enjoyed hearing him berate a van driver at the bottom of Priory Lane.

rhodrich

Kingstonian wrote:

Thanks to Rhodrich for the entertainment, Rower and I most enjoyed hearing him berate a van driver at the bottom of Priory Lane.

Lol - I just felt an urge to get stuck in, as soon as I heard him saying how 'pro cycling' he was, as long as cyclists were in the cycle lane (allowing him to speed past at over 30mph in a 20mph limit). All jolly good fun.

You and Rower had good pace this morning. Not easy to keep up, (especially given my current limited lung capacity.)

kingstonian

I don't fully understand why, but a commute on my good bike is always much quicker than my usual commuting bike. I averaged about 19.5mph from home to London Bridge which is pretty decent bearing in mind traffic lights, nodders getting in the way, and Parliament Square etc all scrub your average down pretty quickly, and I wasn't giving it full beans.

kingstongraham

Kingstonian wrote:

I don't fully understand why, but a commute on my good bike is always much quicker than my usual commuting bike. I averaged about 19.5mph from home to London Bridge which is pretty decent bearing in mind traffic lights, nodders getting in the way, and Parliament Square etc all scrub your average down pretty quickly, and I wasn't giving it full beans.

Is it because you only ride it in good conditions?

kingstongraham

Nice ride through the middle of the park tonight at about half six. Someone was on my tail and came through for a couple of turns - think it's the same person who followed me around the park on Tuesday night. I was giving it a bit of an effort and could only draw. Anyone from here?

ryan_w-2

Who’s on the fixie pretending to be Magnus with an orange POC helmet?!

Had some good pace but lacked top end due to gearing.

Good bit of SCR on the way home tonight. Aero helmets, deep section wheels, the lot!

kingstonian

KingstonGraham wrote:

Kingstonian wrote:

I don't fully understand why, but a commute on my good bike is always much quicker than my usual commuting bike. I averaged about 19.5mph from home to London Bridge which is pretty decent bearing in mind traffic lights, nodders getting in the way, and Parliament Square etc all scrub your average down pretty quickly, and I wasn't giving it full beans.

Is it because you only ride it in good conditions?

Was thinking about it on the way home.....it is true I only ride it on the commute when the roads are bone dry, but the bike runs better, is more aero and my position is better too. So a combo of things I guess......