Silly commuting racing

Sewinman

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

MonkeyMonster

Hitting pot holes at speed with carbon forks is one of the many reasons I will never buy them. I'd guess its something like that...

itboffin

Have any of you seen the new pot hole / meteorite crater outside Kings cross tube :shock:

cjcp

Sewinman wrote:

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

Blimey! Where was this? And what he riding?

rjsterry

Picked up the bike from Pearson's this morning, and all is running nice and smoothly with all those little niggly things that you just out up with fixed.. They've even sorted out the over-long cable outers, which used to flap around somewhat. Just hoping that the rain holds off this evening as my overshoes have started leaking.

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense? I spotted IP contemplating it last night.

tgotb

rjsterry wrote:

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense?

Went that way in the c*r on Monday, and it was even worse than Embankment...

itboffin

OK London peeps look out for a tanned dude riding a red SS from KX to Waterloo in the next 10 mins, i'll be wearing jeans and the biggest winter jacket you've ever seen

rjsterry

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense?

Went that way in the c*r on Monday, and it was even worse than Embankment...

Maybe it's just me finishing work later than most: officially 9 till 6, but more likely 7.

Sewinman

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

Blimey! Where was this? And what he riding?

It was on the Embankment, nr Parliament Square. Riding some kind of roadie - the forks had come apart from the frame and the handle bars were hanging off.

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

OK London peeps look out for a tanned dude riding a red SS from KX to Waterloo in the next 10 mins, i'll be wearing jeans and the biggest winter jacket you've ever seen

WTH are your working hours? You must, quite literally, pop into work.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

OK London peeps look out for a tanned dude riding a red SS from KX to Waterloo in the next 10 mins, i'll be wearing jeans and the biggest winter jacket you've ever seen

WTH are your working hours? You must, quite literally, pop into work.

he's drunk when he gets there too

W1

rjsterry wrote:

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense? I spotted IP contemplating it last night.

It was OK last night and the night before, though I was coming through at around 7:30/8ish. Maybe they've learnt that sitting in traffic for two hours is a bit dull?

jonginge

Sewinman wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

Blimey! Where was this? And what he riding?

It was on the Embankment, nr Parliament Square. Riding some kind of roadie - the forks had come apart from the frame and the handle bars were hanging off.

Like this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hqUJIwpRc (about 30secs in)

Bassjunkieuk

JonGinge wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

Blimey! Where was this? And what he riding?

It was on the Embankment, nr Parliament Square. Riding some kind of roadie - the forks had come apart from the frame and the handle bars were hanging off.

Like this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hqUJIwpRc (about 30secs in)

Ouchie! Glad my recent handlebar failure wasn't that spectacular!!

The Running Man

Some (most) mornings my legs work fine. This morning even though I managed to average just over 17mph it felt like I was riding on velcro. I was stiff, muscle sore and just felt at odds with the world.

Couldn't even be arsed to chase down a roadie along the London Road.

Think I'm going to have a very gentle spin home tonight .......

itboffin

Clever Pun wrote:

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

OK London peeps look out for a tanned dude riding a red SS from KX to Waterloo in the next 10 mins, i'll be wearing jeans and the biggest winter jacket you've ever seen

WTH are your working hours? You must, quite literally, pop into work.

he's drunk when he gets there too

it's not my fault if the morning train buffet has spirts

interested ride across town, for one it's light It was easy as well even with all these clothes on, seems a rest has help, I was getting a touch tender and tired.

Clever Pun

nipped out to condor at lunch and didn't spend a thing

they replaced my locknut there and then... better yet they think they mightbe able to save my front wheels rim

few extra miles notched too... good lunchtime all in all.

Traffic was rank, another ride scalpless

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

OK London peeps look out for a tanned dude riding a red SS from KX to Waterloo in the next 10 mins, i'll be wearing jeans and the biggest winter jacket you've ever seen

WTH are your working hours? You must, quite literally, pop into work.

up at 2am this morning working by 4, several thousand emails later here I am on the sw train + bike + 4 x large cans of wife beater

I'm sad to report that from march until end aug I will be tee total, this is always a bad time in the boffin house, but needs must I hav weight to lose and fitness to gain. Therefore I plan on loading up as much and quite literally.

Hic!

Sewinman

JonGinge wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I saw a guy have an off last night - rolled up to see if he was ok and the entire front of his bike seemed to have disintegrated. I asked him if he was ok and he said 'yeh, but that is the end of my carbon forks'. WTF!? :shock:

Blimey! Where was this? And what he riding?

It was on the Embankment, nr Parliament Square. Riding some kind of roadie - the forks had come apart from the frame and the handle bars were hanging off.

Like this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9hqUJIwpRc (about 30secs in)

Like that but with the forks falling out of the frame aswell. My guy did not fall quite so gracefully either.

Bikequin

Looks like its going to be another very wet ride home for anyone in London.

il_principe

rjsterry wrote:

Picked up the bike from Pearson's this morning, and all is running nice and smoothly with all those little niggly things that you just out up with fixed.. They've even sorted out the over-long cable outers, which used to flap around somewhat. Just hoping that the rain holds off this evening as my overshoes have started leaking.

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense? I spotted IP contemplating it last night.

#

I went South last night, it was mainly cr@p but OMFG the road surface on Nine Elms lane is beautiful! Smooth fresh perfectly laid tarmac, I nearly rode it twice, what a pleasure to feel a decent surface under the wheels for once!

redvee

Got brake tested by a bus after he passed me too close and I showed my appreciation of the manoeuvre

Oddjob62

Back in the office... big blowout doing laps round Regents Park (luckily only 20mins walk back, and didn't lose control of bike so no real damage done). Tyre has a huge rip, so looks like i'm getting the tube home . Gonna have to find a goat on the way to sacrifice to the P-fairy, i've obviously offended her.

cjcp

God bless tailwinds. Helped ease the misery of the rain.

Anyone on here ride a Spesh in the St Margaret's direction, carrying a TriUK or Ironman backpack? You have good speed, fella.

Bikequin

Dreadful cycle home - got a puncture near Battersea Park - decided to walk the bike up to Clapham to find somewhere dry to switch the tube- finally switched the tube and then 2 mins later the back wheel is deflated again. I checked the tyre before I switched the tube but obviously not well enough as the second was in exactly the same place. When I checked the tyre for the second time still couldn't find what caused it slow I'm a bit miffed, especially as both were slow punctures. I think I've taken over ITBs role as thats now 5 punctures in 2 weeks after not having any for at least 3 months!!

rjsterry

Il Principe wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Picked up the bike from Pearson's this morning, and all is running nice and smoothly with all those little niggly things that you just out up with fixed.. They've even sorted out the over-long cable outers, which used to flap around somewhat. Just hoping that the rain holds off this evening as my overshoes have started leaking.

Anyone else tempted to come south to avoid the Albert Bridge nonsense? I spotted IP contemplating it last night.

#

I went South last night, it was mainly cr@p but OMFG the road surface on Nine Elms lane is beautiful! Smooth fresh perfectly laid tarmac, I nearly rode it twice, what a pleasure to feel a decent surface under the wheels for once!

Hmmmm, I like the sound of that. Might pop over there to cop a feel as it were. Most of the South London SCR is over Clapham Common and down into Balham, but that's a bit out of your way, but decent competition is a bit thin on the ground.

Almost chased down a scooter on the Common tonight. He undertook me at the lights coming on to the Common, and as we headed up the rise, I started to gain on him. Unfortunately, I didn't quite have the legs i thought I did, and as we levelled off, I faded badly. Next time.

Rest of the ride waqs pretty rubbish as the rain really started coming down. If I'd ridden down the Thames, then turned up the Wandle and climbed out at Carshalton Ponds I think I wouldn't have been any wetter. Plus my bottom bracket started grinding rather worryingly - maybe all the grit that it was getting bathed in. Pulled over in Balham for a quick check, but couldn't see or feel anything. Hope I haven't worn the BB out already, it's only about a year old.

Oh and one other thing: why do bikeshops fiddle with the positioning of your brake levers when they service a bike? I'm very happy with all the adjusting and general fettling elsewhere on the bike, but leave the hoods alone :evil: . They'd tweaked mine out (I have them slightly pointed inwards), which shifted my grip out as well, meaning I had to really grip to avoid my hands slipping. Of course they were all done up nice and tight, so no chance of pushing them back on route. They don't start messing around with the saddle position or bar height, so why do they feel the need to 'correct" the position of the hoods. I've had this at several different bike shops now.

Bassjunkieuk

Another fun ride this evening, started pretty early with a brief sprint down Whitehall towards Parlit Sq. Waited for a gap and then put the hammer down. Think one of the roadies jumped on my wheel as we arrived at the lights practically at the same time.
Kept my scalp from there to VB where I crossed the river and found myself once again lined up with some tasty looking SS bikes outside Stockwell, one un-badged and a Pearson Touche.

Both shot off fairly quickly, well quickly compared to me as I was winding up a big gear ready for the scalping :twisted: Like yesterday evening my sacrificing of "out of the gates" speed paid off as I took both their scalps but the Pearson rider certainly made me work for it! We both held back behind a bus at one of the sets of lights and then drafted it, pretty much level, up the small incline towards Clapham North.

Had a rather lucky near miss on the way home, at the same junction that someone took me out at 2 years ago I think. I was coming down the road and could see a car wanting to turn across the queueing traffic. I hit the brakes but they started moving - I tried to steer closer to the kerb and managed to find my way into a mother-fecker of a pothole!
I somehow managed to stay upright and carry on down the road but it was a nasty jolt!

rjsterry

Has the PF got a brother? The Pothole Pixie?

Paddy O Dawes

Doesn't anyone round here run north of the river? It seems to be nothing but Balham or Battersea...don't think I've seen anyone talk about anything far north of the embankment. Must be someone riding up Islington way....? (Couple of likely lads this am -one on Green Lanes on something Italian and red, who kicked in pretty smartly after I passed him, but our ways parted before we could really get acquainted...)

cjcp

Think there's a few who ride north of Embankment. You do see a lot more of these Tooting and Clapham types nowadays, though