Richmond Park, roundabouts and that f*cking Dynamo

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Comments

  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,252
    twist83 wrote:
    Also people seem to be losing site of that fact that DDD actually bothered to stop and allow them to carry on their way... Perhaps if they had raised a hand or used some sign to show they appreciated him slowing he might not have made this post? Manners cost nothing?
    Whilst tongue in cheek, my comment about subconsciously slowing to leave them room may have a tiny semblance of truth. But you're quite right, manners cost nothing they should have acknowledged him somehow. I hate it when I'm driving and I let someone through and they don't say thankyou. Just plain rude, can't say I've ever rammed anyone for it though*.


    * not yet anyway.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    TGOTB wrote:
    Asprilla wrote:
    Posting here got a response from club members which is more than I've ever got attempting to contact them directly.
    Only time I ever had an issue with one of their members, I sent a constructive and non-inflammatory email to an address on their website, and got a prompt and constructive response. If I hadn't received a response I'd probably have probably assumed the email address was broken and followed it up with one of the members...

    My mails to them were descriptive, informative and sympathetic.

    Since I don't ride in the park at the weekend I have no way of following it up with their members.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    And you can do as many laps as you like round Little Switzerland and up Box (IIRC about 8 miles). As many as I like is about one.
    I like that...Little Switzerland! Is that what it's unofficially referred to as?
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    vermin wrote:
    Asprilla wrote:
    We don't know if any of this happened. Contacting the club would make more sense than whining about it here:

    "Person who takes a vehicle onto the roads annoyed when others do same"

    I dunno. Posting here got a response from club members which is more than I've ever got attempting to contact them directly.

    It wasn't exactly constructive though, was it?

    Sorry. It is what it is.

    My attitude towards LD has been forged by my dealings with them and I make no apology for that.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.
    Which part of the incident was "directly dangerous" to you? As far as I can tell, you stopped and there was no issue. If you hadn't stopped, you'd possibly have had some cyclists wrapped around the side/rear of your car. Pretty dangerous for the cyclists, but you'd have been fine. Unless your car is LHD, you wouldn't even have been close to the point of impact.

    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.


    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?

    This.
  • twist83
    twist83 Posts: 761
    I still feel giddy though defending DDD :lol: It is christmas though
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Paul E wrote:
    I'm disappointed that this thread has descended into criticising spelling, particularly of someone who has previously stated they have dyslexia. Other posters should be aware of the symptoms and effects of dyslexia (poor spelling is a resultant side-effect of the reading problems), namely that dyslexics often find it difficult or slow to read or comprehend text and process information and have difficulty structuring arguments. Please can posters take this into account when replying. It is a genuine disability.
    Everyone is different but most people with dyslexia are likely to have difficulties with some of the following:
    Reading, Spelling, Writing, Speed of processing information, Organisational skills, Short-term memory, Motor co-ordination, Numeracy
    ...
    take longer to complete reading
    fail to notice spelling errors
    find it difficult to structure arguments


    It's news to me for one (I don't read every post in every thread), maybe some more thought might need to be given before starting threads like this then
    You had the opportunity to demostrate that you have some decency and you still manage to fail.

    Fail, oh well that's no sleep for me tonight.
  • Paulie W
    Paulie W Posts: 1,492
    Paul E wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Paul E wrote:
    I'm disappointed that this thread has descended into criticising spelling, particularly of someone who has previously stated they have dyslexia. Other posters should be aware of the symptoms and effects of dyslexia (poor spelling is a resultant side-effect of the reading problems), namely that dyslexics often find it difficult or slow to read or comprehend text and process information and have difficulty structuring arguments. Please can posters take this into account when replying. It is a genuine disability.
    Everyone is different but most people with dyslexia are likely to have difficulties with some of the following:
    Reading, Spelling, Writing, Speed of processing information, Organisational skills, Short-term memory, Motor co-ordination, Numeracy
    ...
    take longer to complete reading
    fail to notice spelling errors
    find it difficult to structure arguments


    It's news to me for one (I don't read every post in every thread), maybe some more thought might need to be given before starting threads like this then
    You had the opportunity to demostrate that you have some decency and you still manage to fail.

    Fail, oh well that's no sleep for me tonight.

    Did you really mean to use a comma after the word fail?
  • cyclingprop
    cyclingprop Posts: 2,426
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    Stuff that tempted me to mock spelling, and made me feel guilty for thinking it.

    Stop the press, life is over.
    What do you mean you think 64cm is a big frame?
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    Asprilla wrote:
    Since I don't ride in the park at the weekend I have no way of following it up with their members.
    You don't have to, there are plenty of them on the forums.

    Now Vermin has outed himself, I'm sure he'd supply you with the email address of a committee member if you asked him nicely. Or just post a topic on here asking for someone to PM you a working Dynorod address...
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • Coach H
    Coach H Posts: 1,092
    TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.


    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?

    This.

    I have just gone through the whole thread and cannot see where you would come to this conclusion.

    All these pages and I still don't know what the point is of doing a 20mph(max) chaingang? :?
    Coach H. (Dont ask me for training advice - 'It's not about the bike')
  • With a large group of riders it can be safer to travel en masse, if I started a thread every time someone failed to yield to my priority I'd have started eleventy million threads. Get over it, or contact the club instead of whining here, sheesh.
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Coach H wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.


    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?

    This.

    I have just gone through the whole thread and cannot see where you would come to this conclusion.

    All these pages and I still don't know what the point is of doing a 20mph(max) chaingang? :?

    Most cyclists on the road in Richmond Park exceed 20mph. They just do. My understanding is that Dynamo have an unwritten agreement with the Park authorities that they will turn a blind eye to the club rides exceeding 20mph as long as they generally behave themselves and act in a safe and courteous manner. On this occasion, they technically should have given way, but unless I've misunderstood it sounds like they delayed DDD by all of about 5 seconds - why he couldn't just cut them some slack is beyond me. If we as cyclists can't do other cyclists a favour on the road then we really are in trouble.

    As for the people above saying that they would have carried on and it would have served the cyclists right if they were knocked down... I'll bite my tongue, like I generally do out on the road.
  • kelsen wrote:
    And you can do as many laps as you like round Little Switzerland and up Box (IIRC about 8 miles). As many as I like is about one.
    I like that...Little Switzerland! Is that what it's unofficially referred to as?

    I've always referred to it as the Giant of Dorking (cf Ventoux). It shares the standalone quality with Ventoux. It's certainly not part of a range of mountains, err, hills.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • Anyhoo.

    Has anyone ever wondered who would win a fight out of King Kong and Jaws?

    Kong:

    kingkong-onaroll.jpg

    Jaws:

    jaws.jpg

    Tough call, I'd say.

    Although I think Kong should wait until Sexy Time is finished before starting the fight. That thing's gonna stop him getting close enough to swing a punch.
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • Paul E
    Paul E Posts: 2,052
    Kong is thinking will Jaws eat me whole?
  • rubertoe
    rubertoe Posts: 3,994
    Jaws wins every time in water, King Kong on land.

    Its a tough call in space though
    "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

    PX Kaffenback 2 = Work Horse
    B-Twin Alur 700 = Sundays and Hills
  • cookdn
    cookdn Posts: 410
    twist83 wrote:
    I still feel giddy though defending DDD :lol: It is christmas though

    I can't believe this thread is into it's ninth page and is essentially discussing how DDD got disgruntled by cyclists during his Saturday AM commute by car. :shock: Does anyone else not see the irony (without spelling it out :)).
    Boardman CX Team
  • rubertoe wrote:
    Jaws wins every time in water, King Kong on land.

    Its a tough call in space though

    You think?

    JAWS.png
    Nobody told me we had a communication problem
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,878
    rubertoe wrote:
    Jaws wins every time in water, King Kong on land.

    Its a tough call in space though
    Give the shark 8 tentacles,then we got a match up
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    BigMat wrote:
    Coach H wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.


    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?

    This.

    I have just gone through the whole thread and cannot see where you would come to this conclusion.

    All these pages and I still don't know what the point is of doing a 20mph(max) chaingang? :?

    Most cyclists on the road in Richmond Park exceed 20mph. They just do. My understanding is that Dynamo have an unwritten agreement with the Park authorities that they will turn a blind eye to the club rides exceeding 20mph as long as they generally behave themselves and act in a safe and courteous manner. On this occasion, they technically should have given way, but unless I've misunderstood it sounds like they delayed DDD by all of about 5 seconds - why he couldn't just cut them some slack is beyond me. If we as cyclists can't do other cyclists a favour on the road then we really are in trouble.

    As for the people above saying that they would have carried on and it would have served the cyclists right if they were knocked down... I'll bite my tongue, like I generally do out on the road.

    It would have served them right wouldn't it. I mean its a road, there are rules. OBEY THEM. As for me being pissed off that I was delayed. I think earlier in the thread I said that I was happy to wait behind them until I was out of the park. I could have overtaken them, but didn't.

    My issue was that what they did was dangerous. End of. And there is no excuse for that.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    But to bite, I don't generally get annoyed by other road users using the road. I do get frustrated when their actions are directly dangerous to me - the level of frustration varies depending on the severity of their action. Nice try to take what I said out of context.
    Which part of the incident was "directly dangerous" to you? As far as I can tell, you stopped and there was no issue. If you hadn't stopped, you'd possibly have had some cyclists wrapped around the side/rear of your car. Pretty dangerous for the cyclists, but you'd have been fine. Unless your car is LHD, you wouldn't even have been close to the point of impact.

    Sounds like the real reason you're p*ssed off is because you had to stop when it was your right of way. As a London cyclist, aren't you used to that?
    Any collision is potentially danagerous, whether emotionally or physically, to either party. Just because one party carries the larger portion of the danager/risk does not mean there is none for the other party except for extreme circumstances. I cite a guy who once posted on here about a drunk cyclist who served infront of him and ended up in him flipping his car.

    Quite besides which, the post you quoted was in direct response to MBC was more an account of encounters in general than this specific one. I've been left more frustrated by some of the posts and attitudes displayed in this thread than the actions of the cyclists.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    As I entered Richmond Park (entrance from Roehamptom) there's a rounabout. At the roundabout there is a car at the line on my right and bikes approaching the line on my left. The car goes straight so I've entered the roundabout to go straight and the bikes, who are still approaching, should be slowing to stop.
    I was thinking of this as I rode home; my normal commute takes me through Roehampton Gate and up towards Richmond Gate, which sounds like the route you were taking.

    Now you say, "I've entered the roundabout to go straight". Does this mean you weren't indicating? When you stop at the junction, because of the position and orientation of the various cobbled islands it looks like a right turn towards Richmond (ie you start off pointing towards Robin Hood Gate and are very much going round the roundabout rather than straight across it). Approaching from Robin Hood Gate, conversely, because of the splays, the left turn towards Richmond actually feels straighter than it looks on the map. Straight enough to take flat-out in the aero bars (maybe 27mph) on a TT bike, for sure. I'm probably more banked over at 15mph doing the same right turn as you, than I am doing the left turn at twice the speed.

    Is it possible that you weren't indicating, and that the cyclists (albeit unwisely) assumed you were going to turn left?

    Before anyone asks, I've only been round that bend at ~27mph in a sanctioned race, for which the speed limit has been waived. All the junctions are marshalled for safety. Oh yes, the race is organised by London Dynamo. There are 2-3 every Summer, and they put on a great event, I thoroughly recommend it!
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    TGOTB wrote:
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    As I entered Richmond Park (entrance from Roehamptom) there's a rounabout. At the roundabout there is a car at the line on my right and bikes approaching the line on my left. The car goes straight so I've entered the roundabout to go straight and the bikes, who are still approaching, should be slowing to stop.
    I was thinking of this as I rode home; my normal commute takes me through Roehampton Gate and up towards Richmond Gate, which sounds like the route you were taking.

    Now you say, "I've entered the roundabout to go straight". Does this mean you weren't indicating? When you stop at the junction, because of the position and orientation of the various cobbled islands it looks like a right turn towards Richmond (ie you start off pointing towards Robin Hood Gate and are very much going round the roundabout rather than straight across it). Approaching from Robin Hood Gate, conversely, because of the splays, the left turn towards Richmond actually feels straighter than it looks on the map. Straight enough to take flat-out in the aero bars (maybe 27mph) on a TT bike, for sure. I'm probably more banked over at 15mph doing the same right turn as you, than I am doing the left turn at twice the speed.

    Is it possible that you weren't indicating, and that the cyclists (albeit unwisely) assumed you were going to turn left?

    Before anyone asks, I've only been round that bend at ~27mph in a sanctioned race, for which the speed limit has been waived. All the junctions are marshalled for safety. Oh yes, the race is organised by London Dynamo. There are 2-3 every Summer, and they put on a great event, I thoroughly recommend it!
    You have a point, but I was pretty much beyond the point that would suggest I was going left. I drive a Mazda 6 its a big car, it was clear that I was going straight. They should have been prepared to stop, they weren't so for their safety I did. I think they need to take more care in situations like that.
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • kelsen wrote:
    And you can do as many laps as you like round Little Switzerland and up Box (IIRC about 8 miles). As many as I like is about one.
    I like that...Little Switzerland! Is that what it's unofficially referred to as?

    I've always referred to it as the Giant of Dorking (cf Ventoux). It shares the standalone quality with Ventoux. It's certainly not part of a range of mountains, err, hills.
    I think you're thinking of Ranmore - which is one of those gittish climbs that you start off full bore because it's flattish but it gets steeper and steeper until at the left hairpin you are out the saddle no matter what gear you ride.

    Little Switzerland is (checks map) Lodgebottom Road - a rather pleasant gradual descent through a valley. It's the loop used by the Ballbuster. Imagine if you've come up Box, you ride along through the village, past Cycles Dauphin then at the junction turn left towards Headley. Past the cricket club, bear left then you have an interesting descent. Just before the bottom there's a left turn and that's Lodgebottom Road. Follow that down to the bottom, turn left over a little hump and you find yourself at the bottom of the Zig Zag road.

    If you really want to see the climbs of that area then do the Cheam and Morden CTC Hilly 50 which is normally at the beginning of March. Bring strong wheels and winter tyres. 1,400 metres of climbing in 50km. Hard but my 12 year old son has done it.
  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    rubertoe wrote:
    Jaws wins every time in water, King Kong on land.

    Its a tough call in space though
    Give the shark 8 tentacles,then we got a match up

    Sharktopus vs Kong would be interesting.
    340x_sharktopus2.jpg
    Vs
    E71278c0c8a132c3fc7ca5243b6b6699976404d0.jpg
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
    FCN 4: Planet X Schmaffenschmack 2- workhorse
    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 27,487
    kelsen wrote:
    And you can do as many laps as you like round Little Switzerland and up Box (IIRC about 8 miles). As many as I like is about one.
    I like that...Little Switzerland! Is that what it's unofficially referred to as?

    I've always referred to it as the Giant of Dorking (cf Ventoux). It shares the standalone quality with Ventoux. It's certainly not part of a range of mountains, err, hills.
    I think you're thinking of Ranmore - which is one of those gittish climbs that you start off full bore because it's flattish but it gets steeper and steeper until at the left hairpin you are out the saddle no matter what gear you ride.

    Little Switzerland is (checks map) Lodgebottom Road - a rather pleasant gradual descent through a valley. It's the loop used by the Ballbuster. Imagine if you've come up Box, you ride along through the village, past Cycles Dauphin then at the junction turn left towards Headley. Past the cricket club, bear left then you have an interesting descent. Just before the bottom there's a left turn and that's Lodgebottom Road. Follow that down to the bottom, turn left over a little hump and you find yourself at the bottom of the Zig Zag road.

    If you really want to see the climbs of that area then do the Cheam and Morden CTC Hilly 50 which is normally at the beginning of March. Bring strong wheels and winter tyres. 1,400 metres of climbing in 50km. Hard but my 12 year old son has done it.

    Tempting, but the chances of anything beyond the weekly commute between now and then is remote. I wonder if there's some sort of Tour of the North Downs monster Farnham to Dover route that zigzags up and down the escarpment.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • cyclingprop
    cyclingprop Posts: 2,426
    Those mazda6 drivers eh? Always the same with them, it's just Zoom Zoom.
    What do you mean you think 64cm is a big frame?
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    kelsen wrote:
    And you can do as many laps as you like round Little Switzerland and up Box (IIRC about 8 miles). As many as I like is about one.
    I like that...Little Switzerland! Is that what it's unofficially referred to as?

    I've always referred to it as the Giant of Dorking (cf Ventoux). It shares the standalone quality with Ventoux. It's certainly not part of a range of mountains, err, hills.
    I think you're thinking of Ranmore - which is one of those gittish climbs that you start off full bore because it's flattish but it gets steeper and steeper until at the left hairpin you are out the saddle no matter what gear you ride.

    Little Switzerland is (checks map) Lodgebottom Road - a rather pleasant gradual descent through a valley. It's the loop used by the Ballbuster. Imagine if you've come up Box, you ride along through the village, past Cycles Dauphin then at the junction turn left towards Headley. Past the cricket club, bear left then you have an interesting descent. Just before the bottom there's a left turn and that's Lodgebottom Road. Follow that down to the bottom, turn left over a little hump and you find yourself at the bottom of the Zig Zag road.

    If you really want to see the climbs of that area then do the Cheam and Morden CTC Hilly 50 which is normally at the beginning of March. Bring strong wheels and winter tyres. 1,400 metres of climbing in 50km. Hard but my 12 year old son has done it.

    Not a fan of that Lodgebottom bit. I much prefer heading back down Box, back up Ranmore, then right at the junction with Critten Lane (?) so you head back to Effingham.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."