Yeah I broke my record into work!

jonomc4

Sorry about this boast but I needed to shout it somewhere and it is not as if the non cyclists at work will understand.

I have been cycling into work for about two years now it is an 11 mile commute from Bromley to London bridge area through Lewisham and Rotherhide.

On a normal pootle I do it in about 35 minutes and when I push a bit 32 minutes, once I did it in just over 30 minutes. Today I decided to really go for it - I have always wanted to break the 30 minute barrier! As I had no rucksack today - just a bum bag and I was on my proper road bike it seemed like the perfect time to break 30 minutes.

I did it in 27 minutes 30 seconds!!! 23.8 mph average I am so totally chuffed right now. And if it hadn't been for the red lights and heavy traffic near London Bridge I reckon I could have knocked a further minute off it!

I know this is totally pointless post but I just had to tell someone

UndercoverElephant

Good work, that is fast.

CiB

Good stuff. There's nothing like beating your own World Record to work. Congrats.

Daz555

I can get to work in 7 mins so must be the best.

Kieran_Burns

Good God, and I was chuffed to get a 20mph average for my 12 mile commute!

That is properly fast

Green Brompton

My 9 mile commute takes as long (or longer) as your 11 mile 'pootle' sometimes. Good effort. Not sure I've got to work in sub 30 before... I blame it on the TLs at TS and CG... that adds on at 'least' 5 mins ;-)

cyclingprop

How on earth did you average that including the Lewisham/Rotherhithe bit? Traffic is a nightmare and LOADS of lights around there....

jonomc4

I have been doing a bit more higher mileage rides at the weekend (40 to 50 miles) - Last weekend I also did the 65 mile nightride - this I have found has made a massive difference to my cycling - before these rides I could maintain an 18mph cruise - this has been increasing greatly as I have got used to longer rides. Some days I really feel on form. Also I do have the benefit of having a very fast and light carbon road bike with high level equipment.

I found on the nightride that even at 60 miles we were going 24mph on the flat - you kind of get used to it. So now a 24mph cruise and 31mph sprint on the flat are in my armoury. The nicest thing is I no longer feel I have to prove myself or push so hard every day - yesterday on the way home I managed an average of 12 mph and was enjoying the scenery.

jonomc4

cyclingprop wrote:

How on earth did you average that including the Lewisham/Rotherhithe bit? Traffic is a nightmare and LOADS of lights around there....

I left late for work! so less traffic until I got near to London Bridge - also I may have skipped a few lights today (I don't condone this and normally don't do it - but I still stopped at a few.

dhope

That's quick indeed, especially given the number of lights from Bromley into town, seem to spend all the time either spinning up or slowing down around that way. Chapeau.

You on Strava yet? :twisted:

jonomc4

I am not on strava - but I wish I had been today - I used the bike cateye computer for my timings. In Bromley I don't go through the town centre - I am in the back lanes through Sundridge Park etc. and then join the Bromley Road. The first traffic lights I hit are in Downham. Today was real fun I was just overtaking cars on the right or down the bus lane in Lewisham - they seemed properly annoyed that a bike was overtaking them - and they weren't even in heavy traffic.

EKE_38BPM

Here comes the voice of doom:

Tailwind
Down hill
RLJ

I'm off to spread joy and cheer elsewhere now.

cyclingprop

EKE_38BPM wrote:

Here comes the voice of doom:

Tailwind
Down hill
RLJ

I'm off to spread joy and cheer elsewhere now.

jonomc4

The fact - mostly light side winds - except for finish that was ruined by traffic anyway.
The fact - it is not a hilly route pretty flat most of the way - but it is still the same route that I had not broken 30 minutes on before.
The fact - cycling into RLJ - hey I am 46 with 2 kids a private school - I don't get to be unemployed - ain't nobody got time for that

For me it is not about the average speed - these things are relative to the things above I agree - it is about knocking nearly 10% of my best ever time before - that is the most important thing to me.

So you cannot dull my joy and cheer

HamishD

[unlurk] I'm calling bullsh1t on this one.

Even jumping every single red light , of which there are many on that route, and filtering like a madman would require some serious output, at least 370W, for the duration.

Sorry to call you a liar and all that.

[/lurk]

jonny_trousers

Congrats! It's always great to beat that significant number.

apreading

I will let you into a secret of how to break your best commute - just leave your departure until you are running late and have an important meeting with the boss first thing! Works every time...

byke68

jonomc4 wrote:

Sorry about this boast but I needed to shout it somewhere and it is not as if the non cyclists at work will understand.

I have been cycling into work for about two years now it is an 11 mile commute from Bromley to London bridge area through Lewisham and Rotherhide.

On a normal pootle I do it in about 35 minutes and when I push a bit 32 minutes, once I did it in just over 30 minutes. Today I decided to really go for it - I have always wanted to break the 30 minute barrier! As I had no rucksack today - just a bum bag and I was on my proper road bike it seemed like the perfect time to break 30 minutes.

I did it in 27 minutes 30 seconds!!! 23.8 mph average I am so totally chuffed right now. And if it hadn't been for the red lights and heavy traffic near London Bridge I reckon I could have knocked a further minute off it!

I know this is totally pointless post but I just had to tell someone

Now, try a time trial!

king_jeffers

jonomc4 wrote:

As I had no rucksack today - just a bum bag

This cancels out your man points & incurs a 5 minute penalty

Topaxci

Congrats, it's always feel good when you can smash your own times.

Must have been a day for it, as I managed to finally beat the 12 min barrier on my 4.5mile commute.
Very pleased to see 11:39 on Strava when it finally uploaded.

Now you have new challenge - think you can beat 27 mins?

jonomc4

HamishD wrote:

[unlurk] I'm calling bullsh1t on this one.

Even jumping every single red light , of which there are many on that route, and filtering like a madman would require some serious output, at least 370W, for the duration.

Sorry to call you a liar and all that.

[/lurk]

Hey no problem - I did what it said on the Bike Computer - I am not worried about being called a liar - I know what I did - I am surprised with what I did tbh - but it is what it is.

jonomc4

King Jeffers wrote:

jonomc4 wrote:

As I had no rucksack today - just a bum bag

This cancels out your man points & incurs a 5 minute penalty

To be fair - I am diabetic so I need to carry a fair amount of fast working carbs just in case and I had dumped the lucozade water bottle to lighten up the bike for today, with that and a few things I needed for work - it was just too much for the back pockets.

So whilst I do agree with the 5 minute penalty but I call mitigating circumstance on this one

okgo

Is this moving average? What computer did you record it with?

It does sound very high for any inner london commute at ANY time of day, let alone morning! I've only ever managed to average 20 mph once I think, over 17 miles, and lots of them are in Richmond Park!

EKE_38BPM

jonomc4 wrote:

The fact - cycling into RLJ - hey I am 46 with 2 kids a private school - I don't get to be unemployed - ain't nobody got time for that

What does your age and where you're kids go to school got to do with RLJing?

I once had an ingrowing toenail. Can I now ride on the pavement?

jonomc4

Sorry - I thought RLJ meant Real Life Job I must be David Cameron in disguise. (BTW I never ride on pavements)

To answer the above about stopping - no it does not include time stopped but you average is affected by stopping and starting again. I would guess my stopped time would be about 1 minute between the 3 times I stopped.

The computer is a Cateye (can remember model) - but it is the one that does cadence and speed (current, max and average).

okgo

Well, you should get yourself to a time trial, as I doubt I'd ever manage that and I'm doing ok in racing.

cyclingprop

jonomc4 wrote:

Sorry - I thought RLJ meant Real Life Job I must be David Cameron in disguise. (BTW I never ride on pavements)

To answer the above about stopping - no it does not include time stopped but you average is affected by stopping and starting again. I would guess my stopped time would be about 1 minute between the 3 times I stopped.

The computer is a Cateye (can remember model) - but it is the one that does cadence and speed (current, max and average).

RLJ: Red Light Jump.

You'd be surprised how long you sit at lights for. Although, as you admit... you don't.

Gizmo_

I broke my record home last night. Wasn't even trying...

I think the earth is shrinking.

Kieran_Burns

I tried the cycle computer method (cateye / whatever) and it was never massively accurate. As evidenced by my conviction that I was able to complete 14 miles in 45 minutes which included 3 stops to negotiate pairs of bridlegates and cutting through the middle of Derby on my Tricross

I've barely been able to match that with a complete non-stop 12 mile run on the Madone. The only logical conclusion is that I got the time wrong on the 14 mile one and I was simply not as quick as I thought I was

I've decided that any method except using Endomondo or the equivalent is never going to give you an accurate figure.

(this is not to detract from your effort, as clearly you are going faster but I would politely suggest using a rolling average and negate the foibles of red lights (or junction in my case as I have NO traffic lights on my commute) as best as possible rather than jump them.

jonomc4

Well anyway - lets just say I improved my fastest time by 10% - now after all this I am wishing I hadn't mentioned a time and average speed - all I can go from is what the cycle cpu told me - now it may be out by a little or a lot - but at least it gives me a speed relative to my other runs. As a kid I was the 200m fastest sprinter in England at under 15 and Under 16 - so I guess I do have some reasonable genes?

Green Brompton

Get ye to a TT.