commuting Bonk rant shame!

FAT_ROB

Good evening one and all and let me apologise.

Decided to commute on the bike to work today, I live in Reading and commute to Paddington (London) which is some 40mile away. Did all the things right last night, got the bike ready (decided to use the Thorn Raven Tour coz its easier to cleam with Hub Gears) packed my panniers with all the stuff I needed to wear, put my kit out and set the alarm.

Woke up looked out the window, A fine dusting of snow but clear and bright looking (well ok not bright coz it was 7.am but clear and looked like it was going to be a nice day

SO off I set, 25 mile later It dawned on me that i was nearing the 2hrs mark, Now I normaly get to work in 2.15 on the road bike, ah well I though it is blustery and this is a heavier bike with 26in wheels so of I pootled, legs getting a bit heavier, wind getting stronger, feet now immobile frozen, hands no longer capable of gripping brake leavers.

I hit London on thirty miles a washed up shade of my former self, snot everywhere, waterbottles empty (not that cold orange was gonna do much at this stage coz for some reason I was bonking big time - this route is normaly a doddle - honest)

Alas instead of digging deep gritting my teeth and going for it, I decided to be slightly more verbal in my attempts to administer a kick up the arse to myself,

SO If you were somewhere in West London, and a snotty mud stained Gasping for breath fat lad wheezed past you, It wasnt you I was telling to Feck off or worse.

If you did hear me, especialy the poor bugger on the red fixie who got it both barresl as he over took I didn't mean it I am sorry and It wont happen again

Fat_ROB

(On the train tomorrow!)

The Chingford Skinhead

It's a nightmare when that happens - and then some smug git doing a 5 miler zooms past and thinks its a scalp :roll: . Kudos for giving it a go this morning though - it was blooming freezing.

I'm toying with the idea of cycling to Reading from London (got famalee there you see) so if it isn't a pain would appreciate it if you pm'd me your route (preferably the London :arrow: Reading route rather than trust me to reverse the Reading :arrow: London one. Cheers.

snakehips

A cautionary tale. Well done for giving it a go in the present conditions.
I'm sure the guy on the fixie would understand

FAT_ROB

Indeed I hope he does,

Unfortunatly I can't really describe the route from London to Reading in much detail, I use a Garmin Sat Nav jobbie and as a result don't know the names of all the roads (It sends you through loads of housing estates in west London) In a nutshell however:

Head West out of London, (personally I head through Ealing but there are loads of different routes out) Head for Iver Lane which runs you through Langley towards Slough, Slough to Maidenhead - either on the A4 which is crap or there is a back lane through Burnham Village, from Maidenhead again the A4 is direct but fairly busy or there is again another looping back road which heads out in the direction of windsor. (but goes no where near)

My bike got abandoned in the office, next time im in I will stick the full route on here. Its fairly flat or slightly undulating for the most part.

If its of use, and I haven't done it yet myself there is a way to do it on the canal towpath. The Grand Union canal runs out towards Iver lane, which cuts out all of the London bit of this ride, you turn left on Iver lane and then through Langley to Slough. Not the pretitiest stretch of towpath but completley traffic free!

edhornby

mate, to do a Reading to London commute in this weather is officially HARDCORE so don't feel too bad

and very funny title to the thread, conjures up all kinds of mental images 8)

Rich158

Mega commute dude, Chappeau to you. I've only ever bonked once, and definately wouldn't want to experience it again.