Silly commuting racing

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Comments

  • Longshot
    Longshot Posts: 940
    j_mcd said:

    I went down Plough Lane (near Chobam) this morning. It hadn't rained for ages (i.e. 4 hours) and so I thought it might be passable.

    I was wrong, had to one-foot, half-peddle for about 300 metres and the water was almost up to the bottom bracket. Thankfully I had mudguards so didn't get wet.

    I've made that mistake before and got too far into it to bother turning back. It does get quite deep in places down there, as shown below.


    You can fool some of the people all of the time. Concentrate on those people.
  • rower63
    rower63 Posts: 1,991
    j_mcd said:

    ... the water was almost up to the bottom bracket. Thankfully I had mudguards so didn't get wet.

    Check that your rims aren't full of water. Last time I did that, mine were!
    Dolan Titanium ADX 2016
    Ridley Noah FAST 2013
    Bottecchia/Campagnolo 1990
    Carrera Parva Hybrid 2016
    Hoy Sa Calobra 002 2014 [off duty]
    Storck Absolutist 2011 [off duty]
    http://www.slidingseat.net/cycling/cycling.html
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345

    A right load of cyclists out this morning, full marks to the chopper who wobbled into me as we set off into the segregated section by Oval.

    I did spot Simon (Chinese Mike's mate on the black condor) who i've chatted to two days this week but he was chatting away to the full face unit of a guy.

    Chinese Mike?

    Is this like Dai Up, or Irish Steve?
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • rower63
    rower63 Posts: 1,991
    Thank God for that! Roads have been drying out all day, and it was looking distinctly as though we might get a dry ride home. But now I look out of the window I notice that they're all wet again. Phew!

    Not.
    Dolan Titanium ADX 2016
    Ridley Noah FAST 2013
    Bottecchia/Campagnolo 1990
    Carrera Parva Hybrid 2016
    Hoy Sa Calobra 002 2014 [off duty]
    Storck Absolutist 2011 [off duty]
    http://www.slidingseat.net/cycling/cycling.html
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    rower63 said:

    Thank God for that! Roads have been drying out all day, and it was looking distinctly as though we might get a dry ride home. But now I look out of the window I notice that they're all wet again. Phew!

    Not.

    Yep, looks like an old fashioned drenching is on the way. Again. FFS. This belgian tan is starting to become engrained in my skin.
  • cjcp said:

    A right load of cyclists out this morning, full marks to the chopper who wobbled into me as we set off into the segregated section by Oval.

    I did spot Simon (Chinese Mike's mate on the black condor) who i've chatted to two days this week but he was chatting away to the full face unit of a guy.

    Chinese Mike?

    Is this like Dai Up, or Irish Steve?
    I think he may be from Hong Kong but maybe MTB-idle can verify that from when he met him in a office bathroom.

    Else, rain radar shows a break in the weather from about 4:50...
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • First post - just to say thanks to Rower, I think, for the tow from Richmond to Twickenham this evening. Shame about the traffic....
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129
    Dry!! Back to the "riding through soup" feeling though. Weather app tells me the wind was northerly, which would go some way to explaining that. Hope it stays that way as I fried my legs a bit trying to keep the pace up.
  • rower63
    rower63 Posts: 1,991

    First post - just to say thanks to Rower, I think, for the tow from Richmond to Twickenham this evening. Shame about the traffic....

    Ah yes, welcome to the forum! Good pace, I had to work hard to close the gap. Agreed the traffic was awful, those roadworks in Richmond I guess. we parted ways at the oddest cycle lane in London I reckon, right up the middle of the road.
    Dolan Titanium ADX 2016
    Ridley Noah FAST 2013
    Bottecchia/Campagnolo 1990
    Carrera Parva Hybrid 2016
    Hoy Sa Calobra 002 2014 [off duty]
    Storck Absolutist 2011 [off duty]
    http://www.slidingseat.net/cycling/cycling.html
  • anonymousblackfg
    anonymousblackfg Posts: 2,029
    edited November 2019
    Roads seem to finally be drying out, nice chill but I do need sort some out some bike maintenance. Anyone here have clairvoyance enough to know if i've got any spare brake pads in the cupboard before I order some more?
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • monkimark
    monkimark Posts: 1,535
    Unwelcome changes to the Hammersmith bridge cycle lane this morning - looks like they are setting up to start work on the bridge so they've narrowed the available space and are making everyone dismount and push the bike for the section just before and after the bridge. Hopefully it's only temporary while they get set up but I suspect that it is going to be the arrangement for the foreseeable future.

    They're also not allowing motorbikes to be pushed over anymore but they only told the guy in front of me when he was already half way up the narrow space so he then had to try and push it backwards into oncoming cyclists.
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129

    Roads seem to finally be drying out, nice chill but I do need sort some out some bike maintenance. Anyone here have clairvoyance enough to know if i've got any spare brake pads in the cupboard before I order some more?

    You can never have enough brake pads, order more.

  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Brake pads.............I just know that when I clean the grime from my bike this weekend I'll see that my brake pads have been ground down to nothing..........

    The cheeky headwind was not what the doctor ordered on a Friday.
  • Train and bacon sarnie for me today. Really really struggling to do more than 3 days a week on the bike at the moment. Not great form to take into train strike season from next week.
  • hopkinb
    hopkinb Posts: 7,129

    Brake pads.............I just know that when I clean the grime from my bike this weekend I'll see that my brake pads have been ground down to nothing..........

    I hesitate to say that the answer to that little conundrum is simply to not clean the grime from your bike this weekend!
    I can always tell mine need replacing as the pistons become so far extended that they don't really retract properly and the pads keep binding on the rotors.
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179



    cjcp said:





    Chinese Mike?

    Is this like Dai Up, or Irish Steve?

    I think he may be from Hong Kong but maybe MTB-idle can verify that from when he met him in a office bathroom.

    LOL, I can't believe you remembered that. I can confirm that:

    a) Mike is from Hong Kong
    b) I did bump into him in my office bathroom even though he doesn't work in my office (he was visiting - the office not the bathroom)
    c) I did not deduce a) from b)

    FCN = 4
  • Incident at London Bridge for those CS7's. Looks like Bridge is closed off. Rumours of a shooting! Keep safe if you go that way
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 72,707
    Probs wanna avoid london bridge!
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    The whole area is under police lockdown at the moment, I'm inside the cordon and no idea when we will be allowed to leave.

    My office overlooks London Bridge, I heard the shots and saw people running off the bridge and a million police cars, boats and helicopters converging on the area. Looks like I may be finding a "South of the River" way home tonight !!!
  • Annoyed they've not shut my office yet...
    If I know you, and I like you, you can borrow my bike box for £30 a week. PM for details.
  • Has Corbyn turned up yet - to lay a wreath?
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Morning All,

    Nice weather this morning and a chat with CJ about him needing to be sectioned along with Greg.

    Forgot to mention another reason why I've gone for Islabikes for the kids over Frog or Hoy; Revoshift. The eldest has had her Frog for three years and has never got on with thumb trigger shifting, she doesn't really bother changing gear. Youngest is moving off a single speed so I reckon a gripshift will help.

    Also, Strava says SS commute but I thought you were on your Canyon and it had gear cables, etc. Does SS just mean 'broken'?
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    asprilla said:

    Morning All,

    Nice weather this morning and a chat with CJ about him needing to be sectioned along with Greg.

    Forgot to mention another reason why I've gone for Islabikes for the kids over Frog or Hoy; Revoshift. The eldest has had her Frog for three years and has never got on with thumb trigger shifting, she doesn't really bother changing gear. Youngest is moving off a single speed so I reckon a gripshift will help.

    Also, Strava says SS commute but I thought you were on your Canyon and it had gear cables, etc. Does SS just mean 'broken'?

    Haha! Not quite, but close: the shifting is all over the shop, so, like your eldest, I can't be bothered to change gears.

    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Still no wiser if I have brake pads but the new ones turned up pronto and I see the rotor arms are wearing down faster than the disc, glad i caught that as disc failure would not have been fun!

    Else, I got mugged by that chopper on the trek who hates being overtaken. He obviously knew he had a target on him so went early, I was too busy gauping at the embarrassment of the guy drafting him to realise that the lights were changing and I was the wrong side of the break.
    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
    No one moaning about the cold, or surprised that the SWT strike hasn't increased the number of cycle commuters?

    Maybe the two are linked. I left relatively late this morning, and there weren't many folk on bikes, and those that were, were wearing improbable amounts of clothing.

    I was pretty snug, full winter kit, except nothing on face yet, mainly because stuff on my face annoys me.
  • Full balaclava, four layers and two pairs of socks from today. And thermal leggings. But I’m a wuss. Still on the road bike and want to stay that way as long as the weather holds...
  • mattsaw
    mattsaw Posts: 907
    edited December 2019
    >>surprised that the SWT strike hasn't increased the number of cycle commuters?

    It seemed a lot busier than usual to me. Especially factoring in it's a cold morning in December.
    Bianchi C2C - Ritte Bosberg - Cervelo R3
    Strava
  • kingstonian
    kingstonian Posts: 2,847
    Plenty of choppers on my route told me that a fair few had decided bike was going to be a better option than train.

    I'll be doing the opposite tomorrow, am going out after work and having to trainw@nker it for the day.
  • Slow puncture on front Gravdal tube overnight made me a little late, but thankfully no ice on way in, a few very small "puddles" of ice on delivery and quite pleasant by home time... Hopefully tomorrow will be a little warmer and not such a silly workload!
    ================
    2020 Voodoo Marasa
    2017 Cube Attain GTC Pro Disc 2016
    2016 Voodoo Wazoo
  • I see the Trump is in the UK for a few days - anyone know of any road closures around London because of this?