Your Anti-Rants here

Kieran_Burns

My cycling mate was suffering on the way back today (poss low blood sugar) so we decided to just pootle the whole trip back.

I deliberately sat in my low cruising gear and just bimbled along.

My God. It's like a whole new world cycling at about 50% effort. You can take in everything around you, breathe normally, have a natter and it doesn't really take a whole lot longer to get back!

Oh yeah and we missed the biblical downpour by minutes and cycled home in beautifully fresh air and blazing sunshine!

graham.

Kieran_Burns wrote:

My God. It's like a whole new world cycling at about 50% effort. You can take in everything around you, breathe normally, have a natter and it doesn't really take a whole lot longer to get back!

Yes, I can relate to that.
Sometimes it's nice to be able to say to yourself "Oh, look at that!" rather than "Oh, did you see that!".
Graham.

bails87

Kieran_Burns wrote:

My cycling mate was suffering on the way back today (poss low blood sugar) so we decided to just pootle the whole trip back.

I think this happened to me too, my hopes for an easy ride were dashed!

My God. It's like a whole new world cycling at about 50% effort. You can take in everything around you, breathe normally, have a natter and it doesn't really take a whole lot longer to get back!

I found this when I cycled in with a 'tourer' type one day. It was slow, but only a few minutes slower than when I ride in alone, but it felt like nowhere near the same amount of effort.

Oh yeah and we missed the biblical downpour by minutes and cycled home in beautifully fresh air and blazing sunshine!

Me too

jomoj

just clearing the anti-rant backlog from the past few weeks:

- waiting at lights, black cab pulls alongside, driver window winds down "here we go" I think. "Nice day for a ride isnt it mate?" he says "wish I was out on my bike not stuck in this bloody cab. Have a good one pal, be safe" And off he goes.

- HGV follows me up a hill for about half a mile until the road was clear for him to overtake with loads of room to spare.

- A BMW driver stopped to let me out of a dodgy junction

redvee

jomoj wrote:

- A BMW driver stopped to let me out of a dodgy junction

Liar

sheep_go_baa

I want to say thank you to the Shell petrol tanker who hung back while I was pootling along at 30 mph, down a long hill with a national speed limit,

And SORRY for scaring the blue Vauxhall Astra minicab driver who was continuing round the roundabout and I assumed he was taking the exit before my entrance!! I stopped before the white lines with a fantastic (though there is a time and a place) sideways sliding stop.

Polkascott

Well done the police pulling over RLJ'ers at ECR/KHS this morning for pulling over a RLJ'ing Addison Lee taxi.

SmellTheGlove

Half day at work Friday so two fellow regular pedallers and me head south in the sun down the A5, bit of slash and burn in the Kilburn traffic, on to Regents Park Inner Circle - three or four laps at about 9mph before splitting up. Priceless.

kurako

Coming round the big Wandsworth one way system just before the hangar straight section. I'd just come from Putney Bridge Road so was on the left of 4 lanes. Wanted to make it over to the right of 4 to make it up Garratt Lane. Checking for traffic, let a van go past then into lane 2. Check again, there's a hatchback thingy behind and in lane 3. I was gonna wait for to go past butt the driver slowed for me. Quick thumbs up and quickly over to lane 4 with another wave.

Next thing the lights change. Oh bollocks I think. That dude did me a favour and now missed the slights. So we pull up at the lights and I gave a sheepish 'sorry mate' kind of look. 2 young lads, window comes down...

'It's alright mate. I ride one myself'.

'I would have tucked in behind you but thanks for waiting.'

'Looks like a nice bike'

'Thanks'

'Probably quicker than driving'

'Ha ha. yeah but this winds a bit of a killer'

Lights change. See ya mates all round. Made my day

richVSrich

Had some very thoughtful motor vehicles this morning...when i was signalling to move out of the cycle lane to either go road things, or change lanes for turning right most vehicles held back for me..had a big white van, a HGV, and a couple of other cars do that and let me through with no pressure...instead of zooming round and forcing their way on...i did signal my thanks! cheers drivers!

Redmog

There were some temporary traffic lights on the steepest climb of my commute on Monday, and the chap saw me puffing up the hill so he kept the light on green till I was through.

Thanks Mate!

W1

It is such an indescriable joy to cycle in this morning with no wind at all. It really does make it so much easier - the tailwind is never as strong as the return headwind!

CiB

Hit the ring road on the final run in and tucked in behind a big artic, the sort that gradually build up speed over a couple of hundred yards. Stayed with him topping out at 44mph before the elastic started to stretch, as Phil L would say. Exhilarating. And got a nice smile (I think) off the woman in the car behind as she passed after I let him go.

redvee

CiB wrote:

Hit the ring road on the final run in and tucked in behind a big artic, the sort that gradually build up speed over a couple of hundred yards. Stayed with him topping out at 44mph before the elastic started to stretch, as Phil L would say. Exhilarating. And got a nice smile (I think) off the woman in the car behind as she passed after I let him go.

Artics are good for this, slow enough accelerating to keep up with and make a big enough hole in the air to pull you along at 30+mph.

jonny_trousers

Thank God for the bike!

Just been accidentally sent an insurance renewal letter for a car I wrote-off last October. 1600 quid!!! I didn't bother replacing the car as I saw no need. There's my girlfriend's Micra for the rare occasions when I need it, but not only am I saving a fortune by not owning my own car (well, I will when I stop spending money on bike bits), but I do not miss driving in the slightest. On the contrary, when I really do need to take the car along my normal commute route, I flipping hate it.

Kieran_Burns

I am buzzing this morning

Perfectly normal ride in with my mate until we turned left in East Leake and then the speed just started ramping up. Cruised through to Bunny and the main A road stretch, legs were getting a bit tired so I don't know what happened next but we just started getting faster and faster...

The cranks were spinning 'round really easily and we shot up the hill (link in the favourite stretch thread). It really felt effortless - I actually checked to see if my mate was keeping up at this point as I knew we were going up the stretch faster than we had before.

Through Bradmore and onto work, the last hill was barely felt - looked down to see >20mph and with the cars starting to slow down we were soon undertaking a line of traffic that ALL got out of the way

That was just glorious.

CiB

Just opened a drawer in my office and discovered a nearly full packet of dark chocolate digestive biscuits from a week or so ago. That's a lottery win in terms of unexpected joy & pleasure.

bails87

I saw another cyclist (as opposed to a person on a bike!) on my ride in today!

On a Voodoo (I think) road bike, I passed her near home as she slowed to go up a hill, then a mile or two away from work there she was again :?

Turns out she goes the direct route, wheras I go the scenic/quiet route, still surprised she managed to get in front of me, even if it is an extra mile or so. But I rode along with her for a bit, it seems we do practically the same commute. Finally, someone to scalp! :twisted:

Good drivers this morning too, as well as a chat to a fellow cyclist

rjsterry

bails87 wrote:

I saw another cyclist (as opposed to a person on a bike!) on my ride in today!

On a Voodoo (I think) road bike, I passed her near home as she slowed to go up a hill, then a mile or two away from work there she was again :?

Turns out she goes the direct route, wheras I go the scenic/quiet route, still surprised she managed to get in front of me, even if it is an extra mile or so. But I rode along with her for a bit, it seems we do practically the same commute. Finally, someone to scalp! :twisted:

Good drivers this morning too, as well as a chat to a fellow cyclist

Compare and contrast with DDD's post about the lady on the Giant mini-bike.

bails87

rjsterry wrote:

bails87 wrote:

I saw another cyclist (as opposed to a person on a bike!) on my ride in today!

On a Voodoo (I think) road bike, I passed her near home as she slowed to go up a hill, then a mile or two away from work there she was again :?

Turns out she goes the direct route, wheras I go the scenic/quiet route, still surprised she managed to get in front of me, even if it is an extra mile or so. But I rode along with her for a bit, it seems we do practically the same commute. Finally, someone to scalp! :twisted:

Good drivers this morning too, as well as a chat to a fellow cyclist

Compare and contrast with DDD's post about the lady on the Giant mini-bike.

I can assure you that I wasn't beaten by a girl on a clown bike!
In fact, I've never been passed by another cyclist. I think scarcity has as much to do with that as any awesomeness I may or may not have.

suzyb

I forgot to anti rant about this last week and it deserves an anti-rant.

Thanks to the HGV driver who waved me onto the main road when he had to stop for lights and then held a good distance back until he had plenty of room to overtake. You had no name on your lorry so I can't name you, but very good driving

ariba

Thank you to the driver (silver audi,.or VW, sorry didn't clock the marque) who slowed a bit in traffic & yelled across to me to let me know my rucksack had come open & I'd left a towel & tie on the bus lane in Deptford church St.

Thank you for that, it was much appreciated. Nothing lost, but I'd have lost the lot if you hadn't let me know.

deptfordmarmoset

I just totted up my mileage for the last month's commuting - over 500 miles! I don't think I've ever done that much before. And much of that saddle-time has been spent reflecting on the flexibility and fluidity of cycling compared to driving.

And I only got mildly damp twice, and that was on the same ride.

Kieran_Burns

I last filled my tank up on the 28th April.

I still have over a 1/4 of a tank left and it's the 1st June

optimisticbiker

deptfordmarmoset wrote:

I just totted up my mileage for the last month's commuting - over 500 miles! I don't think I've ever done that much before. And much of that saddle-time has been spent reflecting on the flexibility and fluidity of cycling compared to driving.

And I only got mildly damp twice, and that was on the same ride.

Congrats and ditto - 521! Thats the most I've ever done in a month (over 1200 for the year) and well chuffed

mudcow007

Amazing weather out there today, not even the sniff of a breeze and really warm (currently 27C in my office with 2 air con units and extractor fans!)

hopefully it will stay like that for the ride home

suzyb

Big up for the Royal Mail whose efficent delivery to (to this area at least) has meant I've recived my new PS3 game a day early

UnfortubnSadly, going out to a meeting soon so wont be able to play it until this evening

Kieran_Burns

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I last filled my tank up on the 28th April.

I still have over a 1/4 of a tank left and it's the 1st June

Still not put any fuel in....

MonkeyMonster

CiB wrote:

Just opened a drawer in my office and discovered a nearly full packet of dark chocolate digestive biscuits from a week or so ago. That's a lottery win in terms of unexpected joy & pleasure.

Loving this

MonkeyMonster

it's only 15 minutes until I am on bike!

edit: WHOOP!