Your Anti-Rants here

Cafewanda

Fantastic ride in this morning. Bright sun, few road users about and a 24 minute ride. Best time ever......... My legs are shot though


And to think I'd seriously thought about selling Babygirl. I apologise :oops:

Aidy

It's been an awesome summer.

The succession of short breaks has made it feel like a proper long summer holiday.

Other things seem to be coming together. Life is good.

FeynmanC

I went out for a quick 25 miles this afternoon to clear the cobwebs.

It had been a sticky, overcast day but the air felt cooler as I rode through it and explored a few of the country lanes that i'd not been down before. Bliss.

Then, as I was on my way back I saw my home town disappear into a wall of water with the sky flashing above it, so put the hammer down to try and beat the worst of it home.

The light rain was perfect to cool me down as I was riding hard and I made it in through the front door just as the heavens opened, the sky was split by lightning and the roads outside started to flood.

I love watching storms

Valy

marchant wrote:

There was something similar, but it died of malnutrition

I lol'd.

soundninjauk

I would just like to say a massive thank you to the guy walking past at 22:30 last night when I got a pinch flat on the way down to Shepherds Bush roundabout. Me and my mate were on the path when you came past, and offered us the use of any spare bits and pieces that we'd need as you lived about 5 seconds away. We gratefully took the use of a track pump and were on our way again in 5/10 minutes or so.

The world needs more people like you, and fewer people like the person who told us to move while we were fixing things.

Matt the Tester

el_presidente wrote:

hello to the foxy brunette in the 911 Carrera westbound on Embankment the other night. Your overtaking was exemplary, you drove your powerful car skillfully (unlike most of the porsche-drving cityboy to$$ers on that stretch) and the open sunroof provided a great view of your excellent legs.

pics would of been nice yano ?

jonny_trousers

Just completed my first cycle commute after about two weeks off. The first week I was moving house and couldn't handle the bike ride on top of the aches and pains caused by heavy lifting, and the second week I was pretty ill. It chucked it down just before I was due to leave and I very nearly changed my plans, but then I thought, sod it, and headed off in fairly light rain. I only pootled as I am still not 100%, but soon the rain stopped and the sun came out and everything felt fantastic. Only thing that spoilt it was a toss-pot bus driver literally forcing me out of the lane I was in with an arrogant grin. At the end of the day, however, I'm not the one who has to drive a bus for a living so all is good.

Kieran_Burns

Well, that was funky Getting away from the fact that I didn't eat last night so was running on reserves the whole way in today (and really not getting any speed up!) I came round a bend to find an arctic waiting to pull out of a junction on the right.
Knowing that I would simply hold him up for a 1/2 mile or so I backed off and waved him out (clear behind and in front, I checked). I got a very grateful thank you wave from the driver and he pulled out.

Now here's where it got funky - I'd lost what little speed I'd gained from letting him out (lesser of two evils I figured) but tucked in tight behind and got the mother of all tows as he accelerated away 8) I chickened out at 30, well that and the fact that I had zero energy meant I couldn't maintain this, even 2 foot off his bumper.

Got all the time lost back (and some!) got some positive karma and a daft thrill from doing something a little risky while cycling in

DCowling

Holiday tommorow 8)

CiB

1) Apologising to a bloke from round the corner for blocking him on my WR attempt home last night (see Stats) and having him not only accept it gracefully but also show concern that he might have held me up.

2) Seeing an oncoming big green van (City Link maybe) ¼ of a mile ahead on a single track back lane and just as I as moving to the very left of the road he took to the wide grass verge to let me through.

3) Doing a bit of a detour through some of the most ridiculously attractive back lanes & vilages on the way in today. Is this country of ours at its aesthetic peak at this time of year? I almost stopped to admire the view.

4) Failing to beat the commute home in under 1 hour, by 2 seconds.

5) Enjoying being on the bike again after a few weeks of it becoming just a bit mundane.

SimonAH

Dressed for the run into the office this morning, overtrousers, huge hi viz roadbuilders foul weather jacket, neoprene overshoes all still damp from last night.

Went out of the front door into the continuing sheeting rain and hauled my protesting Thursday carcass onto the saddle.

And absolutely freaking well flew! Tore up the tamac! Scythed through traffic and pedal kissed round roundabouts - astoundingly beat my PB by almost a minute. Where the hell did that come from???

suzyb

Did a long run today for the first time in ages, 34.5 miles in a cycling time of 2 hr 46 which is no doubt nothing to most on here but a lot to me.

And I think I may have ended up on the wall of a primary class in the process. As I'm cycling through a small town I see a bunch of primary kids on a field trip. As I'm passing them I see a couple have cameras pointed in my general direction. I don't know if they did take my picture but if so the kids of Breich will be having nightmares of the scary red faced cyclist for a while

Not only that but I got my pack in for Pedal for Scotland

northstar

To the white van driver who pulled out on me on Teddington High St, the quick hand up to apologise for not seeing me was greatly appreciated (how you didn't see my flashing light anyway but these things happen).

Rare to see a driver look totally petrified after a close shave, you're collision avoidance skills are up to scratch anyhow.

marchant

I'd be impressed if he reads this, but respect to the teen on a racing bike who managed to stop when my son decided to walk across the cycle lane without looking. I don't think anyone could've anchored up that fast, but you did and if you are reading this he's fine.

CiB

Why we shouldn't always assume the worst...

Halfway home last night pootling through a village, there was a line of oncoming traffic being held up by an old boy in his little car. As he passed me I got a sharp blast of the hooter from him. Normally you'd ignore it but it puzzled me a bit so I spun round and retraced the last 200 yards, and by chance he was just gettting out of his car round the corner. I smiled and asked him why the hooter, thinking that maybe he's one of these people that habitually hoots at cyclists, or maybe somethign drastic had happened that I'd missed.

His reason? He'd turned round to tick his dog off for something and caught his elbow on the horn push. That was all; no malice, no beligerence on either side. Big smiles, new friend for the duration, apologies all round. What a decent chap he was too.

suzyb

A decent chap who doesn't mind turning around to tick his dog off whilst driving, actually whilst overtaking a cyclists by the sounds of what you said.

Glad I wasn't that cyclist.

CiB

suzyb wrote:

A decent chap who doesn't mind turning around to tick his dog off whilst driving, actually whilst overtaking a cyclists by the sounds of what you said.

Glad I wasn't that cyclist.

Oncoming traffic, being held up... He was dawdling through a village at about 20 on the other side of the road. Marvellous chap, I won't have a word said against him.

suzyb

CiB wrote:

suzyb wrote:

A decent chap who doesn't mind turning around to tick his dog off whilst driving, actually whilst overtaking a cyclists by the sounds of what you said.

Glad I wasn't that cyclist.

Oncoming traffic, being held up... He was dawdling through a village at about 20 on the other side of the road. Marvellous chap, I won't have a word said against him.

So he turned around whilst driving and was only going at 20mph :roll:

Glad I wasn't one of the cars stuck behind him.

CiB

Oh chill Suzy chill.

He was entering a village so should be doing less than 30 anyway [I said about 20, who knows what speed it actually was]. The previous village is about ½ a mile up the road with a short 40 stretch between. Where he hooted me is between a duck pond & a farm gate [closed] - there weren't hordes of children playing street football, the road narrows a bit further up so he might have been slowing more to let traffic round the parked car that I'd just passed. Despite what we're told, driving a car doesn't have to involve wide-eyed starey concentration every yard of the way. Nudging the hooter whilst doing a quick human / dog interface action is no different from doing a quick shoulder check when overtaking, to check that here's nothing in the mirror's blind spot. And he was a nice bloke, so he can do what he likes. If he wants to hold up half of that end of Buckinghamshire, he can. What's the rush?

Shall we move this to Rants?

suzyb

I have to commute during rush hour now. It is upsetting me

nich

Went into a noodle bar that I haven't been into since I started commuting by bike.

Guy that I used to know who runs it pointed at my belly. "Crikey you've lost a lot of weight"


Woohoo pedal power 8)

W1

Continuing lack of wind - utter joy on the commute.

SmellTheGlove

Took a detour home tonight which took me uphill a bit steeper than I'd foreseen - I haven't changed gear for months on the old BSO commuter but the rear mech worked fine when I shifted down a couple - flew up it! I could get used to this gear changing mullarkey.

And Streetcar have just installed a new car just yards from my place - that's another nail in my old car's coffin I think, which would mean spare cash for a new two-wheel commuter and some upgrades to the MTB.

Good day.

notsoblue

W1 wrote:

Continuing lack of wind - utter joy on the commute.

It really makes such a difference to the enjoyment doesnt it? Saw a beautiful sunset in Richmond Park as I did a circuit of it on the way home.

soundninjauk

notsoblue wrote:

W1 wrote:

Continuing lack of wind - utter joy on the commute.

It really makes such a difference to the enjoyment doesnt it? Saw a beautiful sunset in Richmond Park as I did a circuit of it on the way home.

It really does. The total absence of breeze (combined with other fortuitous circumstances) led to me hitting a personal best on the ride home yesterday, shaved near 30 seconds off the 6 miles (and would have been more if I hadn't messed around at the start putting bag on/gloves away etc.).

jds_1981

Thanks to the guy who lent me his pump on the way home. Thought I could make it all the way home when I noticed the pressure low at the office but half way back decided it a bit risky to continue.

rjsterry

Gorgeous sunset as I crossed Chelsea Bridge last night. Gorgeous sunny morning. Littl'un slept through (well 5am is near enough for me). Repaired back wheel doesn't creak any more, and neither do new pedals. S'all good.

Norky

CiB wrote:

2) Seeing an oncoming big green van (City Link maybe) ¼ of a mile ahead on a single track back lane and just as I as moving to the very left of the road he took to the wide grass verge to let me through.

I had that too, a car rather than a van, I gave him a big wave and a smile and a shout of thanks as I came past.

3) Doing a bit of a detour through some of the most ridiculously attractive back lanes & vilages on the way in today. Is this country of ours at its aesthetic peak at this time of year? I almost stopped to admire the view.

Plus one to that. Yesterday's ride back (watch out, sportstracker website is annoyingly flash-heavy) was utterly sublime. Really. I described it to someone as "soul-enriching". The weather was perfect and it was unusually quiet. I encountered approximately 8 cars (going past or going the other way), 2 other riders (no competition, sadly) and one bloke out for a a run. The vast majority of the time it was me alone with my thoughts having a very relaxed bimble through some beautiful countryside.

SickAsAParrot

3/4 hour to go to home time and still no sign of the torrents of rain promised for this afternoon ... cross fingers.

Also, wind assisted 17.1 mph average this morning. Wheeee....

Kieran_Burns

SickAsAParrot wrote:

3/4 hour to go to home time and still no sign of the torrents of rain promised for this afternoon ... cross fingers.

Also, wind assisted 17.1 mph average this morning. Wheeee....

The skies have opened here... wish you luck!