Your Anti-Rants here

HamishD

clarkey cat wrote:

just gently cruised in this morning with a moderate hangover and just enjoyed my surroundings whilst listening to Super Discount on my headphones. Beautiful.

Top album 8)

clarkey cat

The yellow one too - not the pink one. Sweet.

veronese68

Holiday apartment in Tuscany has just been upgraded. Can't wait.

the_fuggler

Brilliant album. Bought it the same day as Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks. Both still getting regular rotation. Marvellous.

bails87

I wasn't wiped out last night.

(See this)

clarkey cat

Brilliant album. Bought it the same day as Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks. Both still getting regular rotation. Marvellous.

Ah beautiful album also - much better than K&D sessions IMO.

CiB

Realised just a little too late at 4 miles in this morning that the headwind was more of a crosswind, so went for it. It's not so easy to pootle after watching the TdF fellahs slogging up three mountains in a day. Blitzed the commute, almost broke the hour clocking in at 1:01:28, 19.92 avg. That's quite satisfying and still leaves the sub-hour commute on before summer ends (or starts come to that).

Kieran_Burns

Two nights in a row...

The 11 miles from work to my village (where there are a set of temporary lights for bridge work) = 33 minutes

Average = 20 mph

I am one happy chappy 8)

the_fuggler

20mph average is great work. Quite how you guys do it, I've no idea. I'm happy to get north of 16 over 10 miles!

Anyway, been back in the saddle for the last 10 days after several years away and what a difference it's making. I'm sleeping so much better. I have more energy and I'm less grumpy. Happy, happy days.

Kieran_Burns

The Fuggler wrote:

20mph average is great work. Quite how you guys do it, I've no idea. I'm happy to get north of 16 over 10 miles!

Anyway, been back in the saddle for the last 10 days after several years away and what a difference it's making. I'm sleeping so much better. I have more energy and I'm less grumpy. Happy, happy days.

In my case, it's because I'm riding my Madone 4.5 at the moment, which makes it WAY easier to hold higher averages - plus the usual headwind is absent at the moment, so the same effort gives greater gains.

Usually, the full 12 miles comes in at about 17.5 mph avg. (on the Tricross)

CiB

The Fuggler wrote:

20mph average is great work. Quite how you guys do it, I've no idea. I'm happy to get north of 16 over 10 miles!

Break your commute into sections; the easy bits, the downhill blasts, the climbs, the long flats etc. And then improve on each bit, and have targets for each like always hitting min 30 on any descent, or keeping it above 20 for as long as possible on the steady climb until your legs burn and then don't drop below 16mph for the rest of it. Hills that I used to drop down into the 39 / 23 or even 25 and poll up at 10-11mph now are seen off in the 53 / 20 or whatever in mid to high teens. If Cadel or the boy Schleck can ride up a hill in a big gear I'm damn sure I can have a go.

And on the long straight flats instead of cruising at 17 / 18, get it to 22+ and hold it there for as long as you can, and for longer than you did last time; on the final run in (for me it's a 1½ mile straight) push till your lungs hurt and your legs can't push any more. You pitch up at work like a dead man sometimes, but it's worth it when the speedo shows 0:59:56 or the Avg Speed is anything higher than 19.

The old truism was never more apposite - it doesn't get easier, you just get faster.

MonkeyMonster

clarkey cat wrote:

Brilliant album. Bought it the same day as Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks. Both still getting regular rotation. Marvellous.

Ah beautiful album also - much better than K&D sessions IMO.

Controversial... K&D sessions is in top 5 albums.

the_fuggler

MonkeyMonster wrote:

clarkey cat wrote:

Brilliant album. Bought it the same day as Kruder & Dorfmeister's DJ Kicks. Both still getting regular rotation. Marvellous.

Ah beautiful album also - much better than K&D sessions IMO.

Controversial... K&D sessions is in top 5 albums.

I prefer the DJ Kicks to the Sessions (I should have bought Sessions on vinyl though - worth comfortably north of 100 quid these days) - although nothing is getting the latest Thievery LP off the stereo at the moment.

Appreciate the advice on the pacing. My current commute is only 8 miles, so if anything I have trouble getting warm, particularly as it's uphill from the word go and for the first 5 miles. The descent is pretty good though! I figure I have a little more in the locker, as I'm still riding on flats at the moment. Shoes arriving shortly...

jds_1981

Almost hit 35 mph on my fixie on the commute home. Discovered the lovely piece of tarmac on the euston road underpass.

CiB

See above for backstory.

Came in this morning at a decent pace with a bit of a tailwind in places but not really pushing to beat the hour; rolled up to the car park to see the clock stopped at 1:00:11 - just 11 seconds over, equating to 20.3 avg. That means I get to give it another go next week then.

notsoblue

Confession: While turning onto Putney Bridge from NKR last night I overtook another cyclist just as the car that was just behind me at the ligths was going for an overtake. He beeped his horn. I gave him the finger. We had a brief verbal altercation which I thought was him just swearing but was actually him saying that I surprised him and he almost hit me. He seemed genuinely concerned at the accident that almost happened and disappointed that I reacted with that gesture. He was quicker up the Bridge than I was. I gave chase and went round to the passenger window and apologised for giving the finger. Its my default response to being honked at by a car

He was a big guy too, and I immediately assumed he was just being an aggressive c*ck when it wasn't really the case. After I apologised, he did the same and I think we both went on our way feeling happier than if we had just left it at a rude gesture and a honk.

suzyb

Just fixed an annoying problem with the CMS we've been using. I am now a happy developer.

(at least until my boss next emails me)

Gussio

Only 3h25m until I am back on the bike, heading home on a lovely warm evening. Tick tock tick tock.....

richVSrich

went to earls court beer fest last night... good times!

woke up this morning really early coz i was boiling...realised i was slightly hung over...left early in the rain and it was sooooo nice...i loved it! is something wrong with me?

i didnt have my speedo on me, but im pretty sure that was close to a pb too!

king_jeffers

richVSrich wrote:

went to earls court beer fest last night... good times!

woke up this morning really early coz i was boiling...realised i was slightly hung over...left early in the rain and it was sooooo nice...i loved it! is something wrong with me?

i didnt have my speedo on me, but im pretty sure that was close to a pb too!

Man points awarded for biking + hangover + rain, good times 8)

Forecast for rain on my way home tonight, bring it on! + bike could do with a clean!

richVSrich

King Jeffers wrote:

richVSrich wrote:

went to earls court beer fest last night... good times!

woke up this morning really early coz i was boiling...realised i was slightly hung over...left early in the rain and it was sooooo nice...i loved it! is something wrong with me?

i didnt have my speedo on me, but im pretty sure that was close to a pb too!

Man points awarded for biking + hangover + rain, good times 8)

Forecast for rain on my way home tonight, bring it on! + bike could do with a clean!

haha cheers jeffers! i even couldnt resist shouting a jolly mornin'! to my scalpees (well some of them... :P )

Kieran_Burns

I cycled on my Madone in the wet for the 1st time yesterday... I checked this morning and the CF hasn't melted.

I'm a happy man

bails87

I called into Halfords on my way home to pick up a socket set.

They're locked away in the glass cabinet, so I asked one of the guys (behind the car parts/tools counter) to open it for me. As he started walking towards me I saw him look down at the bike, not just glance, but actually look at it.

"Uh oh" I think "I'm about to be told off for bringing my bike in".

But no, he opens the display case, gets the socket set I wanted, hands it over and as I've said thanks and am walking away he gives me a "nice bike"

I thought that was the end of it, but I got to the tills, and there was no-one on, then I realise the guy has followed me to the front of the store and is now telling a more junior member of staff to get on the till to serve me, meaning he's free to perve over my bike

I was there paying for my Haynes manual and socket set, and he's going "full carbon eh? And it's got all 105 on it too, nice...how much does it weigh?". So Halfords do employ 'bike fanatics' as he called himself, they just put them on the car spares desk

garnett

Went to the Rapha sale last weekend and wasn't sure what to expect - they'd hired a space just off Brick Lane, spiritual home of the Hoxton trendies. I thought I'd get some looks turning up on my decidedly mainstream Trek, wearing VFM cycling clobber, readying myself to go bargain hunting through their exclusive clothing.

Couldn't have been more wrong. Everyone was really friendly and helpful - even rooting around for my size in random boxes. They've earnt themselves another fan (even if I can only afford to buy one or two things full price).

redvee

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I cycled on my Madone in the wet for the 1st time yesterday... I checked this morning and the CF hasn't melted.

I'm a happy man

It's a slow burner. Not like butter at room temp on a hot day. More like an Alpine glacier, it could take hundreds of years

deptfordmarmoset

Lovely evening for a ride: not hot, not cold. Not windy but a slight breeze. And a coach driver beeped me, not as harassment, but to get me to look while he waved thanks for my clear signalling when a bus pulled out on us.

As I was nearby, I stopped at my daughter's and in exchange for a coffee, I blew bubbles for my granddaughter so they could have their dinner in peace. Downhill nearly all the way home

MonkeyMonster

Victoria lights - I had already had a good few roadie scalps but there were a couple of ripe looking (i'm going to front and in a big gear because i'm cool, i've not totally forgotten I can't accelerate for shit) scalps. And we're off. First day back so beans all firmly ready to be cooked. Nasty headwind but i'm up to 27 by the time we pass the Morpeth and it's clear all the way around. Normally I get re-taken by those who can (ruddy Wrath ) about 50 m before lambeth roundabout but not today lady, oh no. That headwind must have taken its toll and so all 8+ roadie scalps and untold hybrids are firmly in the bag.

suzyb

awww I thought the anti part would be news of the RLJers getting run down

MonkeyMonster

suzyb wrote:

awww I thought the anti part would be news of the RLJers getting run down

If only...

mudcow007

One of the gals i work with was driving behind me this morning (unbeknown to me)

when i got in she pulls up along side me an says...."you cant half shift on that thing, cant you" i think imust have been doing about 23 - 25mph

ahh its nice to start the day being complimented