Silly commuting racing

asprilla

itboffin said:

I haven’t used Zwift since the year it started but it does seem to be the go to platform these days, what I don’t like is the false w/kg and speed everyone posts, they’re never going to address that as it keeps people engaged I.e. paying

There is that. At 68kg and pushing 250w on the climb up to the radio tower I felt like I was going backwards. I don't doubt some of them were real but a lot of them were absolutely flying past me on 14% inclines. I didn't enjoy Zwift last time, but riding with club mates who I trust in terms of their stats might be what I was missing.

kingstongraham

The power number I get from my turbo is way off from my pm, and anything based on zpower is going to be even less trustworthy, so it's clearly not worth worrying about how fast anyone else is going.

As long as you are getting the workout you need, it's all good. And in a race, as long as there's someone you can chase, that's good, whether their numbers are accurate or not. Never make the mistake of thinking it's a race where the absolute result matters though.

parmos

back working at home location (been working away last 2 months) so doing a 4 day week trying to commute for at least 2 of the days roughly 23 mile round trip did the 1st one last week on my cannondale hybrid even though i felt knackered time hasn't changed much since the back end of the last year.

dyrlac

Have been doing 45m morning and evening Zwift commutes since we got kicked out of the office a week and a half ago. Good fun, but I have a pretty elaborate setup, inherited from the days when I took cycling more seriously that was, in restrospect, sensible. From a training/fitness standpoint though, Zwift is way more effective than the usual commute: my weighted power numbers (which I trust) are c. 33% higher than on the road.

silverstreak

Recce’d a road route yesterday to take the place of commuting into London (and then RP after it shut). Teddington to Windsor and back. Nice ride, especially through bits of Windsor Great Park and Runnymede, but windy and probably too long for everyday (roughly 40 miles). Also, hadn’t realised how bad the road surfaces are outside London!

hopkinb

Yeah, out to Windsor is nice - flat as the proverbial. Must be especially good with the lack of any traffic at the moment. Unfortunately the weather seems to have turned a bit grim, so I'm more inclined to do hill repeats on the Wimblebergs, or rely on a morning Joe Wicks session with the kids, and then 45 mins on the expensive elliptical trainer that my wife panic bought last week..

asprilla

Out to Windsor is our default club run. On the short run we go through Windsor towards Bray and then head south towards Winkfield where we turn onto the Drift Road for an out and back and then back into Windsor through the park before heading home the same way we came.

wolfsbane2k

All this talk of Windsor brings back old memories of being a 15 year old kid and finding the backroutes to the great park where i'd spend full days of the summer holidays riding around the park, hexaburner, kettle and pot noodle in the rucksack to stop and have lunch, and knowing where each and every ice cream van/shop was.
If only I had a gps cycle computer in those days - I have absolutely no idea how many miles I rode, only that when I got home I was absolutely ravenous, and absolutely knackered.

silverstreak

Windsor to Bray to Winkfield sounds good - and a stretch ride for me at least. Today’s “commute” was Teddington to Regents Park, one circuit round there, and back. As several people have said, the roads in London are gloriously quiet, especially at 6-7am now. This was more manageable (33 miles) but probably not every day.

asprilla

silverstreak said:

Windsor to Bray to Winkfield sounds good - and a stretch ride for me at least. Today’s “commute” was Teddington to Regents Park, one circuit round there, and back. As several people have said, the roads in London are gloriously quiet, especially at 6-7am now. This was more manageable (33 miles) but probably not every day.

silverstreak

Thanks! That’s next weekend’s early doors sorted...

arsey

Literally got a puncture on zwift last night. Wheel on turbo trainer...too much power obviously.

itboffin

arsey said:

Literally got a puncture on zwift last night. Wheel on turbo trainer...too much power obviously.

Ha I remember years back getting turbo punctures

itboffin

It wasn’t power related alas

cruff

itboffin said:

arsey said:

Literally got a puncture on zwift last night. Wheel on turbo trainer...too much power obviously.

Ha I remember years back getting turbo punctures

At least you wouldn't have to worry about the wind on Zwift

itboffin

Christ today was bad, i picked quite possibly the worst route imaginable, 14 mile headwind avg HR for the whole stretch was 185 bpm, the only saving grace was the rider I think from Wiggle, swapping leads (at a safe distance) then bumping into two friends at the top of Coombe.

It would seem that everyone with a BSO was out today, along with streams of walkers, runners and dog walkers, the later of which clearly ignoring guidelines by driving to the middle of nowhere for walkies.

Not a single horse rider which is very unusual.

Heading homewards i.e. W / SW straight into another headwind, i think the narrow lanes funnel the wind.

silverstreak

Yeh. Breezy out there. And opted to run instead. Slightly too many out today (me included) but for the most part behaving. Didn’t see any (non-family) groups on Thames Path or in Bushy Park. Nice flat run out to Windsor again on the bike yesterday. That’s a fixture now. Might try an early am White Hill and Box Hill ride next week before work, time permitting.

roger_merriman

Lovely tailwind today plus very little traffic though a touch more folks than normal on the Heath, but not by much. But on the whole a lovely commute!

wolfsbane2k

Great bit of back and forth SCR this morning on the way to work.
Took it a bit too fast around a corner, and went out sideways, just managed to kept it right way up, and re-gained my lead through the next one as we approached the crest and then headed downhill.
Got piped to the post though as someone pulled out in front of me, causing a tumble.

Best race from bed to the kitchen table to confirm who'd get the best seat, and the dog ended up getting bowled over. Still, no harm done.

parmos

bloody puncture today 4 mile into a 11 mile commute was on my MTB as well as going for a longer trail ride home tonight.

As i was changing the tube a gentleman came over from a house across the road and asked if i needed a hand and that i had everything (which i have) but i asked him if he had a good pump to make it easier to get away so he came over with a track pump so made my life lots easier.

so there is some humanity out there.

silverstreak

Disappointingly little SCR on the roads from SW London to Windsor yesterday, though did manage a Strava “all-time” top 10 through the (deserted) streets of Windsor and an average 22 mph for an hour and 45 minutes - which doesn’t happen very often on the commute into London! Early am cycling conditions are amazing right now. May need a flying helmet, goggles, and TT bars if it carries on like this.

cjcp

silverstreak said:

Disappointingly little SCR on the roads from SW London to Windsor yesterday, though did manage a Strava “all-time” top 10 through the (deserted) streets of Windsor and an average 22 mph for an hour and 45 minutes - which doesn’t happen very often on the commute into London! Early am cycling conditions are amazing right now. May need a flying helmet, goggles, and TT bars if it carries on like this.

Good speed. That's my preferred time of day too for a ride out that way from Kingston.

SCR for me now consists of riding on RGT. Been out once on the bike since the lockdown on a non-shopping ride.

cjcp

rick_chasey said:

Lads, I am back commuting on the bike!

My own shoebox of a house is unbearable to work in with a 16 month old as she cannot understand why I don't want to play with her so just tantrums constantly.

As a result, I am cycling to the other side of Cambridge to sit in a basically quarantined room at my parents', who have the space.

I am less fit than when CJ first encountered me in RP all those years ago (though at least I am pushing 79 inches, not 70), but the main priority is not to arrive breathing heavily over everything.

All in all about 15 minutes but woah, gotta say, I do miss it....

That feels like a looooooonnnnnnnggg time ago

silverstreak

Today’s “commute” was Regents Park for a few laps. Started to get busy on the way home: cyclists, runners, traffic. Was nearly taken out by a runner on the left turn at the lights after Richmond Bridge, heading into East Twickenham. He ran across the road without looking (lights were green for traffic, but I should have dinged the bell/hollered) and I had to swerve into the traffic light island to avoid him. Hit the kerb hard, missed the traffic light and managed to stay on, but impact puncture ended the ride.

mtb-idle

hi all,

I'm on my sabbatical at the moment so no SCR taking place but I did find a new MTB trail that was pretty rad

https://youtu.be/ZePmxnCi26o

parmos

cassette has come loose today on my commute in can't use all the small cogs there goes my long trial ride home tonight

pinno

Sorry to interrupt your fun.
Please support the elephants:

https://www.ifaw.org/international

veronese68

Commute fail this morning, exiting the temporary cycle lane on Kingston bridge the car to my right cut in front of me and hit the brakes. At least I'm in better condition than my bike. I asked wtf he was doing and if he'd seen me and he said he saw me in his mirror when I hit him. Not impressed, luckily only bruises and a sprain.

roger_merriman

veronese68 said:

Commute fail this morning, exiting the temporary cycle lane on Kingston bridge the car to my right cut in front of me and hit the brakes. At least I'm in better condition than my bike. I asked wtf he was doing and if he'd seen me and he said he saw me in his mirror when I hit him. Not impressed, luckily only bruises and a sprain.

Feck hope the bike is okay? And your injuries remain minor?

veronese68

Unfortunately pretty bike not so pretty