Silly commuting racing

cruff

J_MCD wrote:

Just went to pick up my number, the content at Excel is getting sparser. Hopefully you'll soon just be able to have it all mailed to you.

They'll never do that because they want to check you are who you say you are before they hand your number out

j_mcd

Cruff wrote:

J_MCD wrote:

Just went to pick up my number, the content at Excel is getting sparser. Hopefully you'll soon just be able to have it all mailed to you.

They'll never do that because they want to check you are who you say you are before they hand your number out

In this day and age there must be ways to achieve this. After all, I could easily just give my number to someone else now and no one would know any different.

Actually, the numbers themselves are pretty much identical to last years (I'm only about 50 out from then) so I could just use last years (as could anyone)

elbowloh

When i last did it (2014) you could pay extra for VIP entry, which included them posting you your race number so you didn't have to go to the ExCel.

Cost about £20 extra though. Not sure if they still do that? (i have a charity place this time around).

kingstongraham

Cruff wrote:

J_MCD wrote:

Just went to pick up my number, the content at Excel is getting sparser. Hopefully you'll soon just be able to have it all mailed to you.

They'll never do that because they want to check you are who you say you are before they hand your number out

You can go with the entrant's permission and pick up their number for them if they can't make it. Apparently you can then break the rules and ride with that number as well if they can't make it. Apparently.

kingstonian

Pleasant ride in this morning, but when I was in the groove between from Chelsea Bridge to Parliament the bloody lights kept changing. Did give the bloke valiantly hanging onto my back wheel a chance to catch his breath when we stopped, he was panting like a wrong-un peering through the gates of a school.

smokey_bacon

Riding home minding my business late last night down LRR, had water thrown at me by some drunk idiot. Otherwise plague of flies in RP at the moment, swallowed a few..... always good for the protein count.

Gallywomack

I can go one better than flies - riding along the Col du Millwall on Q1 yesterday evening and a buzzy thing flew into my helmet. Whipped it off in record time but not quick enough to avoid a sting on the scalp. Painful! Has happened to me before, a wasp flew under the brow of my helmet and stung me on the eyebrow - that one caused my face to swell up like the elephant man so was a bit worried about this one, but no adverse effects so far other than the pain. Didn't actually see the culprit this time so could have been a wasp or bee.

elbowloh

Gallywomack wrote:

I can go one better than flies - riding along the Col du Millwall on Q1 yesterday evening and a buzzy thing flew into my helmet. Whipped it off in record time but not quick enough to avoid a sting on the scalp. Painful! Has happened to me before, a wasp flew under the brow of my helmet and stung me on the eyebrow - that one caused my face to swell up like the elephant man so was a bit worried about this one, but no adverse effects so far other than the pain. Didn't actually see the culprit this time so could have been a wasp or bee.

Got stung by a bee/wasp going past Buck House a few years back. Swelled up a bit, went down again, but then got infected and it looked like someone had stuck a lilo to my face. Had to get antibiotics from the doc.

pangolin

Gallywomack wrote:

I can go one better than flies - riding along the Col du Millwall on Q1 yesterday evening and a buzzy thing flew into my helmet. Whipped it off in record time but not quick enough to avoid a sting on the scalp. Painful! Has happened to me before, a wasp flew under the brow of my helmet and stung me on the eyebrow - that one caused my face to swell up like the elephant man so was a bit worried about this one, but no adverse effects so far other than the pain. Didn't actually see the culprit this time so could have been a wasp or bee.

Wasp flew down my t shirt cycling home last night! Was doing 25mph ish downhill so took longer to stop than would be ideal, and it had stung me by the time I managed to remove it. Ouch.

roger_merriman

elbowloh wrote:

roger merriman wrote:

MTB-Idle wrote:

I'm riding it too but giving the levels of chopperdom I have heard about I'm just looking to get around safely and not worry about the time.

Look out for me; I will be in my financial institution cycle club team colours.

Wave and say hi

I’ll be at Cafe Rouge at Esher nr the station from 9am so I shall do my best to wave! It’s where my club normally meets up so will be bunch of folks cheering etc

Not Giro?

No though some are members of both etc! This part of london seems to have a huge number of clubs and some clubs that are frankly over sized really.

itboffin

was attacked by a wasp this morning whilst on the turbo, sweaty towel whip sorted that little bugger out

itboffin

talking of club rides do people ride their bestest best best bikes on the club ride or just a very good / 2nd best bike?

I'm a 2nd best bike kind person, not that i dont trust the club or club rides but we do tend to go like a freight train over some shocking terrain and my best bike wheels really should only be used on glass smooth European tarmac and when I change wheelset the added weight brings the two bikes within 1kg

Pufftmw

New job sees me commuting from Paddington to Lewisham, which entails Westminster Bridge (at least the route I take). Thursday night, bit of traffic in Parliament Square so fought through to the bridge only to find it was shut by police for traffic because of a demonstration. However, bikes and peds were ok. Thought it might be the eco warriors but on closer inspection it was a very joyous and noisy bunch of predominantly Jamaicans (from the flags). Not sure what the issue was (Windrush?) but OMG the smell of weed was intense! If I'd been going any slower, I would have been seriously stoned by the other side of the bridge

roger_merriman

itboffin wrote:

talking of club rides do people ride their bestest best best bikes on the club ride or just a very good / 2nd best bike?

I'm a 2nd best bike kind person, not that i dont trust the club or club rides but we do tend to go like a freight train over some shocking terrain and my best bike wheels really should only be used on glass smooth European tarmac and when I change wheelset the added weight brings the two bikes within 1kg

My best bike has 60+mm tyres suspension 120mm travel etc so would be over kill!

Seems to be a range from fairly high end stuff to old faithful etc, personally I’m happy with the Gravel bike doing all roadie stuff. 35mm tyres roll well enough and cope with potholes and what not.

Personally it seems as fast (for me) as any road bike I’ve had/used.

itboffin

well i went for bike 2 as the pace was meant to be easy, avg just over 20 mph for 62 miles :shock:

But not a lot of climbing for a change, which was nice :?

Gallywomack

Got woken up on Brookmill Rd this morning by a fast roadie whizzing by, gave chase (albeit relatively calmly, not eyeballs popping an inch from his back wheel stylee) from there along most of Q1 and picked up a couple of cups for my efforts. Not sure Q1 segments are the most keenly contested but hey I'll take it.

j_mcd

No cycling for me today as I thought I'd give the legs a rest after yesterdays Ride 100.

Managed it in under 5 hours which I'm very chuffed with. Didn't see any dangerous riding either, all very civilized. Annoyed to get stuck behind a van on Box Hill though, I mean, come on!

asprilla

Finally beat the 32kph average this morning. Well happy with that. No PRs or especially quick segments, just a solid TT effort.

Left a little early so actually bumped into some competition for a change. All dispatched.

Will have to start taking the main road through Kingston instead of via Skern Road. I keep overtaking folks between Hampton and Kingston only to overtake them again Around Robin Hood gate. There didn't used to be much difference between them but there must have been a lights change.

asprilla

J_MCD wrote:

No cycling for me today as I thought I'd give the legs a rest after yesterdays Ride 100.

Managed it in under 5 hours which I'm very chuffed with. Didn't see any dangerous riding either, all very civilized. Annoyed to get stuck behind a van on Box Hill though, I mean, come on!

Saw your time, good effort.

WTH was a van doing on Box Hill? Saw okgo came in at around 3:50.

mattsaw

Didn't feel quick today.

Was :P

j_mcd

Asprilla wrote:

J_MCD wrote:

No cycling for me today as I thought I'd give the legs a rest after yesterdays Ride 100.

Managed it in under 5 hours which I'm very chuffed with. Didn't see any dangerous riding either, all very civilized. Annoyed to get stuck behind a van on Box Hill though, I mean, come on!

Saw your time, good effort.

WTH was a van doing on Box Hill? Saw okgo came in at around 3:50.

Bloody hell that's quick.

The van was a organizers vehicle but obviously it couldn't get up the road past the cyclists cos of the narrowness. That, combined with a scaffolding lorry blocking the way out of Richmond Park and a rolling roadblock through Putney definitely added a bit to my time.

asprilla

J_MCD wrote:

scaffolding lorry blocking the way out of Richmond Park

WTAF?

I remember when I did it the first year a car came out of a side road in Putney and sped of down the hill. Some folks just can't read signs.....

mtb-idle

I didn't have a target time, I just wanted to get around safely. Official time was 05:33:20 and I was happy with that

elbowloh

Actually, my official time is 15 seconds quicker...

asprilla

This morning should have been one for setting new commute records, but a loose seat clamp bolt put a stop to that. Had to stop a couple of times to find what was rattling and then fix it. Saddle is still at a funny angle. Need to threadlock it tonight.

smokey_bacon

Spotted a Team Ineos rider in RP this morning doing laps who I think was Owain Doull amongst the three Rapha CC chaingangs going around. Otherwise I was just pootling and enjoying the weather.

j_mcd

Asprilla wrote:

This morning should have been one for setting new commute records, but a loose seat clamp bolt put a stop to that. Had to stop a couple of times to find what was rattling and then fix it. Saddle is still at a funny angle. Need to threadlock it tonight.

Should have been for me as well, apart from the lack of cycling due to a small girl child keeping me awake all bloody night.

Public transport is better in the summer holidays though.

wolfsbane2k

Man that headwind was strong today. One of my slowest rides in this year, which felt very weird.

hopkinb

Nearly 3 weeks of indolence & gluttony, plus a 20 mile walk yesterday, meant my return to cycle commuting was a little painful. Let's see how long it takes to return to a reasonable level of fitness.

asprilla

Should be tapering for my last Olympic distance of the season on Sunday, but this tail wind is too tempting. Not helped when someone pulled up next to me at the junction with the main road. Thought I would set a tempo pace and see if he came past. He didn't, he sat on my wheel until Bushy Park. Turns out it was a guy who lives round the corner from me who rides for Sigma and has an FTP substantially bigger than mine. He could have roasted me if if he wanted to.