Silly commuting racing

dekant

veronese68 said:

Had someone drive at me head on this evening, I was riding along a road and they swerved at me. Considering I was going the right way along a one way street I was a little miffed. I almost certainly could have caught them in the traffic on the one way but I thought better of it as I think I would have struggled to remain calm. Reported it for what it’s worth.

Tis the seasons apparently.

Riding at about 40kph and a van decides to pull out from a side road, but rather than stay in gear and get fully out the way they do the thing where they change gear once they're perfectly blocking the lane so in effect pull out very slowly.

Anchors on; move left to pass round the back of the van to avoid a full on emergency stop (it's icy). Not so bad you say.

Then the van following that already piss poor piece of driving decides why the hell not, I'll pull out too. Anchors on again, swerve to the right but still get driven into. Luckily it's reasonably low speed and I stay upright. I should take up cyclocross.

kingstonian

Cold late ride home last night after leaving the office at almost 9pm, had one wheelsucking fairy until I snapped the elastic. At that time of evening I wouldn't mind sharing the workload with someone, but to have them resolutely sticking to my wheel and then at traffic lights hanging back is just a bit rude.

RP was stunning in the frost this morning, but unlike a lot of other cyclists I decided it wasn't SCR style to pull over and take pics.

monkimark

-2 when I left the house this morning in the dark and probably similar in RP i guess (-4.2 degrees garmin).
Might be time to dig out the proper winter jersey this evening.

Hammersmith bridge was looking very sparkly without any cars to clear the frost, could be a bit treacherous when winter hits properly.

hopkinb

Brrrr. At least I found my winter gloves, but I need some toe covers.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Any ice encountered this morning?

Briefly woke at 0400 and local Wunderground station (Sholing SO19) reported -1C, was so glad today was my once a month Tuesday off... Shame that between us we forgot to turn the lounge storage heater on last night, it's freezing in here this morning!

martinc

kingstonian said:

Cold late ride home last night after leaving the office at almost 9pm, had one wheelsucking fairy until I snapped the elastic. At that time of evening I wouldn't mind sharing the workload with someone, but to have them resolutely sticking to my wheel and then at traffic lights hanging back is just a bit rude.

RP was stunning in the frost this morning, but unlike a lot of other cyclists I decided it wasn't SCR style to pull over and take pics.

Guilty.

anonymousblackfg

Nice overly pacey ride with Hopkins last night before another late commute this morning. Messed up kit selection and boiled. I forget my long bibs come up to about my nipples so lessening the need for thick jackets, hence winter long sleeve and gillet were not appropriate!

Else, I had the shocking nerve to kindly asked a lady to turn her engine off at the level crossing. Not impressed and just put her window up. I though the child in her front sheet and the many around her car would have not appreciated me destroying a wing mirror in rage and putting it gently on her front windscreen (would have been super satisfying though).

rower63

Anyone else this morning see the (male) runner in Richmond Park wearing long leggings, trainers, and nothing else? Was -4.5 degrees G, around 0704.

mtb-idle

cjcp said:

Started the new commute to Canary Wharf yesterday.

Initial thoughts are that CS3 ....

Took between 12-15 mins more each way.

yup, that's a pretty consistent timing.

veronese68

cjcp said:

veronese68 said:

Had someone drive at me head on this evening, I was riding along a road and they swerved at me. Considering I was going the right way along a one way street I was a little miffed. I almost certainly could have caught them in the traffic on the one way but I thought better of it as I think I would have struggled to remain calm. Reported it for what it’s worth.

EH?! Where was this?!

Richmond Road end of Canbury Park Road, he was driving towards the back of the station at about 50

cjcp

veronese68 said:

cjcp said:

veronese68 said:

Had someone drive at me head on this evening, I was riding along a road and they swerved at me. Considering I was going the right way along a one way street I was a little miffed. I almost certainly could have caught them in the traffic on the one way but I thought better of it as I think I would have struggled to remain calm. Reported it for what it’s worth.

EH?! Where was this?!

Richmond Road end of Canbury Park Road, he was driving towards the back of the station at about 50

Yowzers! Must be on one of those many cameras.

Same people are insane.

hopkinb

It's that time of year when however hard you push on the pedals, it never feels like you are getting anywhere quickly, despite what the bike computer says. Like trying to ride through cold soup.

asprilla

Must have hit every red light between Roehampton and London Wall this morning, including many of the cycle ones on CS8.

Repeatedly hauled in and scalped everyone who sprinted away from the lights each time.

smokey_bacon

Same, all the lights were against me this morning aswell, including all the temp ones! Did see the ghost of Rick Chasey tho, small guy, quicki and on a green SS Kona along embankment to PS.

mtb-idle

smokey_bacon said:

Same, all the lights were against me this morning aswell, including all the temp ones! Did see the ghost of Rick Chasey tho, small guy, quicki and on a green SS Kona along embankment to PS.

Red trousers?

kingstonian

hopkinb said:

It's that time of year when however hard you push on the pedals, it never feels like you are getting anywhere quickly, despite what the bike computer says. Like trying to ride through cold soup.

Glad someone else feels like this and that it isn't just me

mtb-idle

it's proven that cold air is thicker and more difficult to push through than warm air.

It also never helps that cold air is well, cold (which makes it uncomfortable to ride in) and it's very often accompanied by dark and wet conditions too.

These are the times when I watch the videos I edited of my alpine experiences in the summer and plan my 2020 excursions.

mtb-idle

in other news, I trialed a new route into work this morning. Over the last few weeks I've refined and honed a route home that although it's a couple of km longer takes me off the main roads into quiet back streets for the last 10km.

This morning I reversed it and it was luvverly. Took me from Ewell to the start of CS7 at Colliers Wood with very little traffic.

Gallywomack870

On the theme of being driven at, last night on the residential streets that come at the end of my route home, had three people in the space of 5 minutes blithely driving right up the middle of the road towards me - no deviation, and apparently not the slightest thought of moving over slightly or, heaven forfend, giving way to the more vulnerable road user. Maybe I was being a bit sensitive, but by the third occurrence was feeling quite victimised and shouted a loud expletive, no doubt to the surprise of the driver.

At the risk of being a contrarian, I felt very fast in the cold, but then I did have most of last week off so the legs were nicely rested. Mind you, regardless of how it felt, the clock shows that speeds are gradually going down.

asprilla

Nothing says SCR like a road bike with aerospoke wheels, disc brakes and kickstand. Monster.

smokey_bacon

Pair of eventful commutes. Last night nearly got doored by some guy in a Van as I was riding down the bike lane on NKR towards Putney bridge. Lucky my spidey senses and reactions were up to scratch. If the van had been half a foot more to the left I wouldn't like to think what would have happened. Then this morning came across a guy at the bottom of Villers Avenue who had decked it. Couple of us helped him out and put his bike back together he seemed alright in the end and I went on my way. Hope he's not too banged up. Then got ridden into by some absolute chopper on an mtb at PS who was trying to squeeze into a gap that wasn't there. His handlebars hit my arm but kept it upright. He clearly thought it was my fault given the tutting that ensued afterwards but he couldn't give me answer when I asked what his problem was! Otherwise, a cold hard slog in hoping for a tailwind home.

monkimark

Interesting, would you mind sharing it - I feel like my alternate route home during the RP deer cull needs a bit of refinement, especially after I was nearly taken out by some twonk in a Hilux who took great offence at my presence just after nonsuch park and close passed me while leaning on the horn before immediately turning into the petrol station.

I suspect that there's a route through nonsuch park but I need to find a way to get myself back on track avoiding the dual carriageway bit of the Ewell bypass.

https://www.strava.com/activities/2848741457

mtb-idle said:

in other news, I trialed a new route into work this morning. Over the last few weeks I've refined and honed a route home that although it's a couple of km longer takes me off the main roads into quiet back streets for the last 10km.

This morning I reversed it and it was luvverly. Took me from Ewell to the start of CS7 at Colliers Wood with very little traffic.

mtb-idle

@monkimark yeah of course, see link.

mtb-idle

I live the other side of Nonsuch park so cross that every day already.

If you are further out towards Epsom then you can cut across the park as per my route (although it is of course very dark there in the evening*) and then head down Nonsuch Court Avenue to the Toby Carvery and cross straight over into the new housing estate on the old Nescot/farm area which you can use to come out to the roundabout at the bottom of Reigate Road.

*trial it in the morning when it's light then you will at least have some idea of where you are aiming for in the dark.

Caution, the narrow path that goes from Castlemaine Avenue into the park is full of wet leaf detritus and can be very slippery.

njee20

Could almost tempt me back south of the river that - the bit through Cheam etc was always awful!

Saw a guy this morning on through RP/Priory Lane head to toe in Wiggins/Le Col kit, who I'm guessing had a prosthetic leg, judging by the skinny calf and very unnatural angle of the foot in the shoe, he had good pace though! I certainly wasn't competing in my vastly unfit and overweight state!

mtb-idle

what happened to you man, you used to be a racing snake?

(I think we rode MTB together in an STW group once many years ago in the Surrey hills)

anonymousblackfg

smokey_bacon said:

Pair of eventful commutes. Last night nearly got doored by some guy in a Van as I was riding down the bike lane on NKR towards Putney bridge. Lucky my spidey senses and reactions were up to scratch. If the van had been half a foot more to the left I wouldn't like to think what would have happened. Then this morning came across a guy at the bottom of Villers Avenue who had decked it. Couple of us helped him out and put his bike back together he seemed alright in the end and I went on my way. Hope he's not too banged up. Then got ridden into by some absolute chopper on an mtb at PS who was trying to squeeze into a gap that wasn't there. His handlebars hit my arm but kept it upright. He clearly thought it was my fault given the tutting that ensued afterwards but he couldn't give me answer when I asked what his problem was! Otherwise, a cold hard slog in hoping for a tailwind home.

Was this at the traffic light T junction, I came off there a year or two ago on slippery gritted roads, horrible junction, bike just went from under me.

Else, I misread the weather and it was fcking cold. Just the day for having my new heating at home commissioned, I don't hold out much hope for a warm house tonight...

asprilla

So, I've spoken to Kingston Go Cycle about Horse Fair. Apparently TFL demanded the changes at the last minute as they felt the design that let cyclists back into the carriageway was unsafe. Go Cycle actually agree with me that the original design was better and safer but as TFL are the project sponsor it's their decision.

Anyway, Go Cycle are going back to TFL with counter arguments but it's going to be January at the earliest before that can happen.

Maybe I should start a post in the Campaigns section rather than boring people here.....

rower63

asprilla said:

So, I've spoken to Kingston Go Cycle about Horse Fair. Apparently TFL demanded the changes at the last minute as they felt the design that let cyclists back into the carriageway was unsafe. Go Cycle actually agree with me that the original design was better and safer but as TFL are the project sponsor it's their decision.

Anyway, Go Cycle are going back to TFL with counter arguments but it's going to be January at the earliest before that can happen.

I can see someone getting killed with the current design. You just need someone to not notice it's changed, try using that little exit way not clocking the new low-contrast kerb, and they'll simply flip over into the traffic...

mtb-idle

smokey_bacon said:

Pair of eventful commutes. Last night nearly got doored by some guy in a Van as I was riding down the bike lane on NKR towards Putney bridge. Lucky my spidey senses and reactions were up to scratch. If the van had been half a foot more to the left I wouldn't like to think what would have happened.
snip...

sorry to hear that mate. I always use the alternative route to NKR for that very reason.

Turn off Embankment earlier just after that zebra crossing and then head down towards Lots road and then left through Chelsea Harbour. Check out my Strava for last night (Wednesday) for the route. I can ping you a GPX if it helps.

Brings you out by that cafe under the bridge where me, you, Cas & Greg had a coffee back in sunnier times.