Silly commuting racing

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  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Probably going to need lights for the first time since March tomorrow morning at 0600ish. :(

    My memory really is awful these days, I don't remember sunrise being 0600ish last year!

    Yeah almost Sept now the daylight hours start rapidly shortening and worst of all huge temp changes especially this year where its been consistently +20C in the days for months and now very low teens, like right now here its 13C and almost dark, i'm in deepest Windshire as well so usually lighter for a bit longer this time of year.

    I HATE WINTER AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO WINTER
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    itboffin wrote:
    Probably going to need lights for the first time since March tomorrow morning at 0600ish. :(

    My memory really is awful these days, I don't remember sunrise being 0600ish last year!

    Yeah almost Sept now the daylight hours start rapidly shortening and worst of all huge temp changes especially this year where its been consistently +20C in the days for months and now very low teens, like right now here its 13C and almost dark, i'm in deepest Windshire as well so usually lighter for a bit longer this time of year.

    I HATE WINTER AND EVERYTHING RELATED TO WINTER
    especially Christmas. Bar Humbug.
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    elbowloh wrote:

    especially Christmas. Bar Humbug.

    That sounds like a new product from Planet X. It's bah! :lol::wink:
    FCN = 4
  • Nice bit of competition with some chap on deep sections proving he should have spent more on the legs that his wheels.

    I got to witness some nice RLJ'ing a London Dynamo (like it was 2006 all over again) before having what I assume was an american step into the road at bank trying to hail a taxi while swinging his wheelie case straight into my path. Expletives were shouted by me and a lot of "Whoas!" from the cyclist behind me.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    Seeing as I temporarily live at the base of the hill up from Wimbledon town to Wimbledon village, I thought I'd head up the hill, along the common, down to putney bridge, then NKR, Chelsea, Parliament, Embankment etc. 3-4 km longer than the more direct route, but I thought I could maintain a higher pace for longer periods. Certainly a "posher" ride in than tooting, stockwell, kennington & elephant.
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    Only my second day back and I'm swimming in cycle commuting buddies. Got dropped by Ray, a work colleague who waved at me as he flew by on the New Kent Road yesterday evening and then spotted Fixie Mike and Simon (who don't know each other) at the Kennington lights and rode home chatting to them.

    I spotted another cycle buddy Tom this morning and rode in with him and his gf.

    Anyone who frequents CS7 will recognise Tom as he always wears pink or orange fluoro shorts and a yellow fluoro top.

    I suggested that he should buy this Goku singlespeed I spotted on the commute home yesterday evening as the spinergy copy wheels would compliment his outfit :lol:
    FCN = 4
  • hopkinb wrote:
    Seeing as I temporarily live at the base of the hill up from Wimbledon town to Wimbledon village, I thought I'd head up the hill, along the common, down to putney bridge, then NKR, Chelsea, Parliament, Embankment etc. 3-4 km longer than the more direct route, but I thought I could maintain a higher pace for longer periods. Certainly a "posher" ride in than tooting, stockwell, kennington & elephant.

    Also, don't forget you can do the gravel ride across the common and under the A3 joining Putney Hill (am not actually sure you are allowed to do this?).
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    hopkinb wrote:
    Seeing as I temporarily live at the base of the hill up from Wimbledon town to Wimbledon village, I thought I'd head up the hill, along the common, down to putney bridge, then NKR, Chelsea, Parliament, Embankment etc. 3-4 km longer than the more direct route, but I thought I could maintain a higher pace for longer periods. Certainly a "posher" ride in than tooting, stockwell, kennington & elephant.

    Also, don't forget you can do the gravel ride across the common and under the A3 joining Putney Hill (am not actually sure you are allowed to do this?).

    I've ridden through the common before, its perfectly legal as long as you stick to the paths that don't expressly forbid cycling. Today I just blatted down parkside and turned right at tibbets corner onto Putney Hill. Fine at 40 kph in bright sunshine outside the morning rush hour, but I'm not sure I'll use this route very often. Much easier to go alexandra road, gap road, plough lane, then up nightingale road to clapham common, then CS7. The reverse of your route home.
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    One of those rare days where it felt like I didn't have a chain on. Even the police cordon for an accident on the embankment racetrack didn't make a difference. Even tho I'm still not sure why they had to cordon it off.
  • One of those rare days where it felt like I didn't have a chain on. Even the police cordon for an accident on the embankment racetrack didn't make a difference. Even tho I'm still not sure why they had to cordon it off.

    I came that way post park lap, the only thing taped off was the bit of cycle lane, note the pier entrance, car or truck. Unless that silver car wasn't a unmarked car?

    Lovely morning, tons of cyclist out in RP.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • j_mcd
    j_mcd Posts: 473
    First time on the bike in a week and the day after hockey training so I though the ride would be a trial but it felt great out there today.

    Someone has nicked my work shoes though which is both odd and annoying.

    Look cleats and chinos, I look like a proper hipster!
    Giant Defy Advanced 0 - Best
    Planet X London Road - Wet
    Montague Fit - Foldy thing that rarely gets used these days
  • J_MCD wrote:
    First time on the bike in a week and the day after hockey training so I though the ride would be a trial but it felt great out there today.

    Someone has nicked my work shoes though which is both odd and annoying.

    Look cleats and chinos, I look like a proper hipster!

    Better than bibshorts with work shoes
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    New routes to work means beaucoup pots.

    Smashing weather. I've also had 3 people in 2 days compliment my bike. It's nearly 4 years old, and gets a bit of a battering in all weathers, with only minimal TLC. Shows how well ti holds up.
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    J_MCD wrote:
    First time on the bike in a week and the day after hockey training so I though the ride would be a trial but it felt great out there today.

    Someone has nicked my work shoes though which is both odd and annoying.

    Look cleats and chinos, I look like a proper hipster!

    Better than bibshorts with work shoes
    :D:D
  • hopkinb wrote:
    New routes to work means beaucoup pots.

    More pots coming the park route for me but looking at Strava I went through 550 odd segments!
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • jacemano
    jacemano Posts: 18
    Hi guys.

    I didn't realise I've been playing this game since I got on my bike in April.

    Likely find me on CS8, CS7, CS1 and lapping regents park in evening (because I don't have the discipline to get up at 6am)
  • DrLex
    DrLex Posts: 2,142
    hopkinb wrote:
    [...]Shows how well ti holds up.
    Unless one makes a credit card out of it.
    Location: ciderspace
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    jacemano wrote:
    Hi guys.

    I didn't realise I've been playing this game since I got on my bike in April.

    Likely find me on CS8, CS7, CS1 and lapping regents park in evening (because I don't have the discipline to get up at 6am)

    welcome, I;m a CS7 & 8 guy too.
    FCN = 4
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    MTB-Idle wrote:
    jacemano wrote:
    Hi guys.

    I didn't realise I've been playing this game since I got on my bike in April.

    Likely find me on CS8, CS7, CS1 and lapping regents park in evening (because I don't have the discipline to get up at 6am)

    welcome, I;m a CS7 & 8 guy too.

    Same here, though mainly CS7.
  • martinc
    martinc Posts: 422
    Lovely empty roads this morn. PRs from Putney to Sloane Square even with a hangover.
    Always in stealth mode
  • KOM bagging last night and salad dinner meant nothing in the tank for this morning. Happily amused myself watching a baggy shorts/flat pedal guy try and stay with Spinny Guy instead.

    Bring on the long weekend.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • jacemano
    jacemano Posts: 18
    Late to work this morning... bagged a PR from this, which really surprised me because I didn't get any chance to do some drafting and all my previous commute PR's have involved being toed a little bit (okay a lot in some cases).

    Really I wish though that now my commute was longer (12km from GFs, 6KM from my place). Think I'm going to start adding 5 battersea park laps if I'm not late each morning.
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    KOM bagging last night and salad dinner meant nothing in the tank for this morning. Happily amused myself watching a baggy shorts/flat pedal guy try and stay with Spinny Guy instead.

    Bring on the long weekend.

    Saw your strava, nice work. I've not looked but has someone really started a segment at the back of the car park on the cycle path, sounds abit mad???
  • KOM bagging last night and salad dinner meant nothing in the tank for this morning. Happily amused myself watching a baggy shorts/flat pedal guy try and stay with Spinny Guy instead.

    Bring on the long weekend.

    Saw your strava, nice work. I've not looked but has someone really started a segment at the back of the car park on the cycle path, sounds abit mad???

    To be fair, you do have to ride through the car park to get onto the cycle path but it seems pretty illogical when there is a clear start to things.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    jacemano wrote:
    Late to work this morning... bagged a PR from this, which really surprised me because I didn't get any chance to do some drafting and all my previous commute PR's have involved being toed a little bit (okay a lot in some cases).

    It could just a Friday in August Bank holiday weekend traffic (or the lack of it). A clean run though town beats drafting any day of the week (pun intended).
    jacemano wrote:
    Really I wish though that now my commute was longer (12km from GFs, 6KM from my place). Think I'm going to start adding 5 battersea park laps if I'm not late each morning.

    That's the spirit. A mate of mine lives in Greenwich and if he uses GFT can get to work in Canary Wharf in about 6km. However he regularly heads West in a big loop towards Putney and then back along Embankment to make a 40km commute.

    He will do it morning and evening all year around.
    FCN = 4
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,873
    What a beautiful morning, might have to take the long way home and stop at a pub.
    Went for a ride with a few colleagues after work and for a pint at the Roebuck, then went for another ride to a pub Wednesday evening.
    Talking of which, where's the drinks thread?
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639

    To be fair, you do have to ride through the car park to get onto the cycle path but it seems pretty illogical when there is a clear start to things.

    Maybe that's the point. They know SCRers will take the racing line through the chicane so keep their KOM. Pretty cynical if true.
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    First ride in 3 weeks, have been on hols with the faaaaamily on the west coast of the US. Legs felt pleasantly fresh despite me going for a run for the first time in 6 years on Sunday morning, which has left me in a bit of muscle pain when walking down the stairs. Odd how the legs are fine cycling but shot to pieces when running.......
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    Legs were very heavy this morning after a very hot 140km+ ride in Surrey and Kent yesterday but no way was I gonna do PT in this weather so I dragged myself onto the bike for what turned out to be a very pleasant ride in. No records were set...
    FCN = 4
  • Nice ride, lots of riders, seemed a few had ambitions of putting the hammer down but no one really did.

    Having just looked at Strava it seems everyone has been out clocking up the mileage over a sunny weekend except me! maybe I should tackle the park again tomorrow morning.

    As for the comment with running, I have similar if daft enough to try similar, I've always assumed you use slightly different muscles and have a good cardio base so you don't really notice yourself damaging the running ones. The simple answer is no running.
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.