Silly commuting racing

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Comments

  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    As per Rule 42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.

    I apply this to fitness/training as well.
    FCN = 4
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,872
    anonymousblackfg wrote:
    The simple answer is no running.
    A motto I live by.
    Glorious ride in, absolutely no competition other than cars. Usually I'm passing the traffic or easily keeping up, during the school holidays my 20mph isn't enough as drivers want to do about 40 and there really isn't enough room to pass. The result is I'm in primary and turning myself inside out to gain a couple of mph, I know the drivers can't tell the difference but I still do it.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Popped out to do some errands at lunchtime, and nearly expired from heat exhaustion. Hoping one of the potential thunderstorms in the forecast materialises to cool things down a bit, but not looking hopeful...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • mamil314
    mamil314 Posts: 1,103
    Police are looking for witnesses of a white Fiat van driving off in Kingston at 15:40 and leaving a cyclist in critical condition.
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    mamil314 wrote:
    Police are looking for witnesses of a white Fiat van driving off in Kingston at 15:40 and leaving a cyclist in critical condition.


    Eurgh. Hope they catch him/her.

    Whereabouts did the accident happen?
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    Standard post office van driving on the way home last night. First he just swerved across the bike lane to turn left, but was alerted to the presence of a cyclist by her screams, then having had to go so wide on the left turn to not kill the screaming cyclist, realised he wouldn't make it, so reversed, without looking back, into the cycle lane. How no one was hit I have no idea. I gave him several barrels of abuse, but apparently everyone saw what he was doing, and I'm the fcuking idiot. Post office vans are often driven terribly.
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    edited August 2019
    there's also the one who parks next to the post box outside Balham tube station almost every night. Okay so he's collecting the post but he's right on the junction and he narrows the gap from two to one lanes just as you go under the bridge heading south in the evening forcing the cyclists to jostle with the cars as we move out to pass him
    FCN = 4
  • mamil314
    mamil314 Posts: 1,103
    Kingstonian - Queen Elizabeth road, near Hardman road junction
  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    mamil314 wrote:
    Police are looking for witnesses of a white Fiat van driving off in Kingston at 15:40 and leaving a cyclist in critical condition.

    I saw this on the twitters earlier. Mad motorist, do they not realise they've zero chance of being held accountable so little need to drive off. Fingers crossed the cyclist is ok.

    Else a reasonable ride in, yesterday's work medical told me despite two weeks of cutting back, my bold claim of "i'm always in the 80's" was instantly disproved by the scales showing bang on 90kgs (head suit trousers?). Sadly my miraculous 1.5cm increase in height in the past two years could not help my BMI.
    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
    re Kingston - would have thought that area was covered with multiple CCTV
    FCN = 4
  • kingstongraham
    kingstongraham Posts: 28,228
    MTB-Idle wrote:
    re Kingston - would have thought that area was covered with multiple CCTV

    It must be, and there must be dashcams. Apparently the driver stopped, "spoke to" the cyclist and then drove off. Can't even claim not to have been aware of the collision.
  • jacemano
    jacemano Posts: 18
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    ashcams. Apparently the driver stopped, "spoke to" the cyclist and then drove off. Can't even claim not to have been aware of the collision.

    Sickening really. :oops:

    Went down to regents park this morning assuming it would be nice because it was so fekking hot yesterday. Alas it was not, but apparently it was the day to go. Swear there must have been at least a good 50+ doing laps today.
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,872
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    MTB-Idle wrote:
    re Kingston - would have thought that area was covered with multiple CCTV

    It must be, and there must be dashcams. Apparently the driver stopped, "spoke to" the cyclist and then drove off. Can't even claim not to have been aware of the collision.
    I really hope they find him, that’s unforgivable.
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    Veronese68 wrote:
    KingstonGraham wrote:
    MTB-Idle wrote:
    re Kingston - would have thought that area was covered with multiple CCTV

    It must be, and there must be dashcams. Apparently the driver stopped, "spoke to" the cyclist and then drove off. Can't even claim not to have been aware of the collision.
    I really hope they find him, that’s unforgivable.

    It is really bad. Unfortunately as we know just because there are cameras does not mean the police will actively seek out the footage.
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    Smokey Bacon wrote:

    It is really bad. Unfortunately as we know just because there are cameras does not mean the police will actively seek out the footage.

    Unless of course it's a cyclist who has done something really bad like I dunno, knocked over a bottle of milk or something
    FCN = 4
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,662
    Protests possible around Parliament at about home time, for those of you who go that way.
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • Gallywomack
    Gallywomack Posts: 823
    A personal milestone on the way home last night - achieved my first ever foot up commute. Didn't do much for my moving average as by the end I had resorted to rolling outrageously slowly towards red lights to minimise trackstand time. The ride wasn't without a few long holds at reds though, mostly in pretty solid trackstands with one or two embarrassing crapstands. Anyway, no SCR victory could match the surge of triumph and relief I felt when a clear oncoming lane meant I could turn right off the main road and all but secure the successful foot-up. I would have punched the air except I didn't want to risk blowing it all on a freak tumble.

    Avoided any such nonsense this morning by pointedly putting my foot straight down at the first red. Pretty fast commute, no competition just a pretty clear run and decent legs after a week off on holiday.
    Pompino
  • j_mcd
    j_mcd Posts: 473
    Not been on the bike much recently due to laziness but flew in this morning. Must have been a great tailwind cos the fitness is lacking!

    Has anyone ever seen one of these badboys in the flesh? It looks amazing. Ish.

    https://www.triuk.com/Triathlon-Frames/ ... ack/301331
    Giant Defy Advanced 0 - Best
    Planet X London Road - Wet
    Montague Fit - Foldy thing that rarely gets used these days
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Looks similar to the Cervelo P3X and P5X, except it also looks like it has a front mudguard and is the offspring of those yellow Mobo bike things.

    About 10-15 years ago, there was a tri frame set which had no seat tube. Blessed if I can remember the name though.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Oh my goodness, that's fugly.

    No mention of actual wind tunnel testing.

    One issue that not everyone gets is that TT bikes actually need to be aerodynamic at a range of yaw angles, because the wind they experience is a vector sum of the apparent wind created by the bike's speed, and the actual wind across the road. Because triantelopes tend to go more slowly than time triallists, they need to deal with a wider range of yaw angles. An additional factor is that, even on a straight road, your front wheel isn't always in line with the frame (because steering). This means that hiding bits of frame behind the front wheel isn't quite as aerodynamic as you might think; for instance the Cervelo P5 is thought to have suffered a bit from this.

    This contraption looks seriously draggy from the side; unless it's been tested in a wind tunnel at a decent range of yaw angles, and at non-zero steering angles, I'm very sceptical. On the flip side, it looks like there's plenty of space in the frame to store your sandwiches...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    What looked to be a crash involving three or four vehicles on the approach up to Chelsea Bridge this morning. Long tailback to Battersea Bridge.

    Us cyclists are an absolute menace though, eh, causing all that congestion...

    Last night: heart rate was over 170 into that headwind past the Physic Gardens. JonGinge eases past, gives an "'ow do?" wave and nod of the head.

    Merciful gods.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    haha, glad it wasn't just me that felt the headwind yesterday eve.
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    Please can someone explain to me the madness which is the single-file bollards on Westminster Bridge? It's bad enough that arrogant "fools" think that everyone queuing to get through the lights are just waiting for them to ride past and push-in - but the same "fools" then barge into the follow-on queue waiting to get through the bollards too.

    What was wrong with having an access as least as wide as the bike lane?

    And not to mention the bossy people directing traffic at the parliament square end getting in the way, then failing to notice the lights changing and causing even more congestion by not blocking the herd of peds crossing against the red light....

    Has anyone adopted an alternative route heading west to avoid this stupidity?
  • W1
    W1 Posts: 2,636
    cjcp wrote:
    What looked to be a crash involving three or four vehicles on the approach up to Chelsea Bridge this morning. Long tailback to Battersea Bridge.

    Us cyclists are an absolute menace though, eh, causing all that congestion...

    Last night: heart rate was over 170 into that headwind past the Physic Gardens. JonGinge eases past, gives an "'ow do?" wave and nod of the head.

    Merciful gods.
    Didn't look like there were any injuries, but the rear-most car must have been going quite some pace to cause that much damage. Luckily there weren't any bikes in the traffic.

    Of course they couldn't just move the cars out of the way but instead had to stand around scratching their rears.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    W1 wrote:
    Please can someone explain to me the madness which is the single-file bollards on Westminster Bridge? It's bad enough that arrogant "fools" think that everyone queuing to get through the lights are just waiting for them to ride past and push-in - but the same "fools" then barge into the follow-on queue waiting to get through the bollards too.

    What was wrong with having an access as least as wide as the bike lane?

    And not to mention the bossy people directing traffic at the parliament square end getting in the way, then failing to notice the lights changing and causing even more congestion by not blocking the herd of peds crossing against the red light....

    Has anyone adopted an alternative route heading west to avoid this stupidity?

    What are they doing there? It's a shambles.

    I've been ducking down Whitehall in the morning, then getting on Embankment again just by Horse Guards. Might try the same route in reverse tonight, subject to protests, otherwise I'll head south at Southwark perhaps and switch back north at Lambeth.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    On the way into town tomorrow morning I'll also try the "via Horseguards" route, but generally can't be @rsed in the evenings so will just put up with the bollards mayhem.

    The real question to ask is why the hell does the road need to be dug up again when it was dug up only a few months ago ???
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Kingstonian wrote:
    On the way into town tomorrow morning I'll also try the "via Horseguards" route, but generally can't be @rsed in the evenings so will just put up with the bollards mayhem.

    The real question to ask is why the hell does the road need to be dug up again when it was dug up only a few months ago ???

    The CBA argument is a compelling one. I'll probably just switch off, get to Westminster, and think "Bugger! Missed the turning!"
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    cjcp wrote:
    otherwise I'll head south at Southwark perhaps and switch back north at Lambeth.

    Stay south, you know you want to. Wooooo, it's the ghost of the better and quicker route home. Wooooo. :lol::wink:
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    hopkinb wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    otherwise I'll head south at Southwark perhaps and switch back north at Lambeth.

    Stay south, you know you want to. Wooooo, it's the ghost of the better and quicker route home. Wooooo. :lol::wink:

    I'll never turn to the Dark Side by going south.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    hopkinb wrote:
    cjcp wrote:
    otherwise I'll head south at Southwark perhaps and switch back north at Lambeth.

    Stay south, you know you want to. Wooooo, it's the ghost of the better and quicker route home. Wooooo. :lol::wink:

    Sounds like Hopkins is spoiling for a fight. I've now learnt to stay away from Embankment on the way home, the idea of it is always better than the reality of it.

    Lovely bit of 'get the nose of the car infront, indicate and turn' action in South Wimbledon this morning prior to some chap at the foot of the Col du Balham hanging half way across the road from the side road on the left, so I move out to get passed, cue him just pulling out anyway with me now in the worst position for it :evil: .
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.

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