Richmond Park, roundabouts and that f*cking Dynamo

anonymousblackfg

How on earth is this on to page 10 since yesterday! Sadly this will come up time and time again as it does, LD do not have an enviable position of trying to keep the behavior of their members in check with that many but sadly it's always a LD thread, not a wheelers, addiscombe, Norwood, Willesden, DP thread though i've seen some poor road use by all. i'm not sure how many members they now haver but DP are knocking on 520 and KW 550.

The fact it keeps happening obviously means something in LD isn't working, having been shouted at when getting swarmed by them, witnessing one of them run every red light I see him at through Kingston each morning or been told of one club mate even get deliberately spat on by one of them it looks like an uphill struggle.

mroli

Ooo - Dulwich Paragon were a bit snotty on this year's Dunwich Dynamo if that helps?!

rick_chasey

anonymousblackfg wrote:

How on earth is this on to page 10 since yesterday! Sadly this will come up time and time again as it does, LD do not have an enviable position of trying to keep the behavior of their members in check with that many but sadly it's always a LD thread, not a wheelers, addiscombe, Norwood, Willesden, DP thread though i've seen some poor road use by all. i'm not sure how many members they now haver but DP are knocking on 520 and KW 550.

The fact it keeps happening obviously means something in LD isn't working, having been shouted at when getting swarmed by them, witnessing one of them run every red light I see him at through Kingston each morning or been told of one club mate even get deliberately spat on by one of them it looks like an uphill struggle.

Let's go properly tribal. Kingston Wheelers FTW.

DonDaddyD

Rick Chasey wrote:

anonymousblackfg wrote:

How on earth is this on to page 10 since yesterday! Sadly this will come up time and time again as it does, LD do not have an enviable position of trying to keep the behavior of their members in check with that many but sadly it's always a LD thread, not a wheelers, addiscombe, Norwood, Willesden, DP thread though i've seen some poor road use by all. i'm not sure how many members they now haver but DP are knocking on 520 and KW 550.

The fact it keeps happening obviously means something in LD isn't working, having been shouted at when getting swarmed by them, witnessing one of them run every red light I see him at through Kingston each morning or been told of one club mate even get deliberately spat on by one of them it looks like an uphill struggle.

Let's go properly tribal. Kingston Wheelers FTW.

DeVer are the nicest and coolest cycling club in London.

I see a DeVer jersey and I think:

"That's a cadence you can set your watch to".

There its been said.

cyclingprop

Sutton is only barely London though... I mean I know if forms part of Greater London, but it is right on the edge.

poweredbyidris

My main problem with LD is I'm in the queue behind them at Roehampton Gate cafe. Guaranteed all the carrot cake will be gone by the time I get to the till.

On a more serious note, I have no doubt that if one or two 'severe' incidents occur (say it hadn't have been DDD driving - would all motorists have the foresight to recognise that cyclists might not stop to give way?), that the authorities will ban group riding in RP and start enforcing the speed limit. They'll do this looooong before they banish cars from the park.

On another point, it's apparent from this thread and others that, fairly or unfairly, LD have used up a lot of their goodwill with other RP cyclists. If you'll excuse the management parlance, they need to be going the 'extra mile' to try and win it back.

okgo

cjcp wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

kelsen wrote:

SteppenHerring 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.

Its known as Juniper Hill on Strava. (going up anyway) http://app.strava.com/rides/19282967#421234422

Clever Pun

I've got about 1/2 through this thread and it's banged home why I don't want post let alone read the snide pettiness that this place reeks of

rubertoe

Clever Pun wrote:

I've got about 1/2 through this thread and it's banged home why I don't want post let alone read the snide pettiness that this place reeks of

You missed out on the bit about King Kong Vs Jaws.

best bit of the thread.

de_sisti

What is it with you Londoners? Can't you just get on with each other, or is the tribalism just the same
as with (London) football clubs?

(I've met members of De Vers and Addiscombe who were very nice though).

SteppenHerring

okgo wrote:

cjcp wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

kelsen wrote:

SteppenHerring 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.

Its known as Juniper Hill on Strava. (going up anyway) http://app.strava.com/rides/19282967#421234422

I hate riding down Box. There's the traffic coming up, the hairpins, the speedbumps. Much nicer to ride down Lodgebottom - although watch for gravel turning into it and if a 4x4 comes the other way it can be a bit hairy.

DonDaddyD

Clever Pun wrote:

I've got about 1/2 through this thread and it's banged home why I don't want post let alone read the snide pettiness that this place reeks of

You tell em!!!!

okgo

SteppenHerring wrote:

okgo wrote:

cjcp wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

kelsen wrote:

SteppenHerring 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.

Its known as Juniper Hill on Strava. (going up anyway) http://app.strava.com/rides/19282967#421234422

I hate riding down Box. There's the traffic coming up, the hairpins, the speedbumps. Much nicer to ride down Lodgebottom - although watch for gravel turning into it and if a 4x4 comes the other way it can be a bit hairy.

Yes, I recently did a time trial that started at the top, and it was quite nerve racking having to hammer it down there as fast as you could, I wasn't the fastest down there on the day but still averaged 29mph going down it

tgotb

De Sisti wrote:

What is it with you Londoners? Can't you just get on with each other, or is the tribalism just the same as with (London) football clubs?

(I've met members of De Vers and Addiscombe who were very nice though).

I don't think it's very tribal at all; whenever I turn up at races or meet members of other clubs on the road it feels like one big happy family :-)

Most of this thread (apart from the diversions into grammar and movie monsters) has been a rather colourful debate about one person's outspoken views of a specific club. DDD is as entitled to his views as anyone else, but I wouldn't put them down to tribalism; I've seen no evidence that he is a member of *any* cycling club...

de_sisti

TGOTB wrote:

De Sisti wrote:

What is it with you Londoners? Can't you just get on with each other, or is the tribalism just the same as with (London) football clubs?

(I've met members of De Vers and Addiscombe who were very nice though).

I don't think it's very tribal at all; whenever I turn up at races or meet members of other clubs on the road it feels like one big happy family :-)

Most of this thread (apart from the diversions into grammar and movie monsters) has been a rather colourful debate about one person's outspoken views of a specific club. DDD is as entitled to his views as anyone else, but I wouldn't put them down to tribalism; I've seen no evidence that he is a member of *any* cycling club...

Notice the that I included, to indicate that I wasn't being serious?

SteppenHerring

okgo wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

okgo wrote:

cjcp wrote:

SteppenHerring wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

kelsen wrote:

SteppenHerring 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.

Its known as Juniper Hill on Strava. (going up anyway) http://app.strava.com/rides/19282967#421234422

I hate riding down Box. There's the traffic coming up, the hairpins, the speedbumps. Much nicer to ride down Lodgebottom - although watch for gravel turning into it and if a 4x4 comes the other way it can be a bit hairy.

Yes, I recently did a time trial that started at the top, and it was quite nerve racking having to hammer it down there as fast as you could, I wasn't the fastest down there on the day but still averaged 29mph going down it

When the Ballbuster does that loop I sometimes see people on TT rigs doing the loop. Not sure I'd fancy hammering down there on the aero bars. It's normally a pleasant, quiet road though - no Dynamos.

Clever Pun

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

tailwindhome

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

The response to any OP depends entirely on who the OP is.

You know that.

vermin

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

I think everyone agrees with this. Some of us (I) just felt he might have handled the aftermath with a little more civility, instead of mouthing off with obscenities. Some suggested a private word with the club would have been more appropriate; others suggested he might have just given fellow cyclists some slack. No-one defended the actions of the cyclists - without seeing the incident, how could anyone defend them?

vermin

TailWindHome wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

The response to any OP depends entirely on who the OP is.

You know that.

Not true in my case - I have never had any dealings with him, in either the real or virtual world.

rjsterry

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

I think they had, but it bears repeating. And rather leads on to the point that TWH made about whether the park is a suitable place for chaingangs. That roundabout is only just in from the gate, so travelling anticlockwise, you don't get a huge amount of warning (travelling at 25mph) if you need to give way, especially if there's another vehicle going clockwise, blocking your view. I'm not a club cyclist, so I'll leave others to comment on the practicalities of trying to safely and quickly slow a group of closely spaced cyclists from 25mph+, but I'd say it's a challenge.

DonDaddyD

For what its worth I tend to stay away from Dynamo's. During my rides around Richmond park I've been overtaken by their chaingang and as they're doing it - going up hill - they swallowed me up and blocked me in. It pissed me off because I had no where to go, couldn't really stop and it f*cked up my pace. Had I been out with a less confident rider I would have switched.

Conversely there is one really safe Dynamo (I think he is a Dynamo), he rides an oldish blue and yellow Specialized Allez on his commute. I tend to see him riding along Clapham - Colliers Wood. Knows what he is doing obeys the road rules and always gives room when passing. He is pretty fast too.

(If its vermin I'm going to eat my shoe)

tailwindhome

rjsterry wrote:

That roundabout is only just in from the gate, so travelling anticlockwise, you don't get a huge amount of warning (travelling at 25mph) .

Is that Cancellara's corner?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

Nope. Nor (unless I missed it in all the excitement) that had the roles been tweaked a bit, such that it had been one of us cycling where DDD's car was, and an Addison Lee cab had pulled across us on the roundabout, then a rant about "F*cking Addison Lee Drivers" would not have precipitated "Ah, come on, you can't say that about *all* AL drivers..."

I have to admit that I find the suggestion that LDs should have special treatment in RP without it at the same time being closed to other traffic, and the speed limit suspended, surprising. To say the least.

keyser__soze

TailWindHome wrote:

Is that Cancellara's corner?

No, Cancellara Corner is at Richmond Gate, this is at Roehampton Gate. Cancellara corner also claimed several scalps during one of the LD TTs this summer.

poweredbyidris

Also known as 'Fabian's Folly'

vermin

DonDaddyD wrote:

For what its worth I tend to stay away from Dynamo's. During my rides around Richmond park I've been overtaken by their chaingang and as they're doing it - going up hill - they swallowed me up and blocked me in. It pissed me off because I had no where to go, couldn't really stop and it f*cked up my pace. Had I been out with a less confident rider I would have switched.

Conversely there is one really safe Dynamo (I think he is a Dynamo), he rides an oldish blue and yellow Specialized Allez on his commute. I tend to see him riding along Clapham - Colliers Wood. Knows what he is doing obeys the road rules and always gives room when passing. He is pretty fast too.

(If its vermin I'm going to eat my shoe)

nom nom

(it's not)

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

For what its worth I tend to stay away from Dynamo's. During my rides around Richmond park I've been overtaken by their chaingang and as they're doing it - going up hill - they swallowed me up and blocked me in. It pissed me off because I had no where to go, couldn't really stop and it f*cked up my pace. Had I been out with a less confident rider I would have switched.

Conversely there is one really safe Dynamo (I think he is a Dynamo), he rides an oldish blue and yellow Specialized Allez on his commute. I tend to see him riding along Clapham - Colliers Wood. Knows what he is doing obeys the road rules and always gives room when passing. He is pretty fast too.

(If its vermin I'm going to eat my shoe)

I know who you mean - he's a proper gent, but I don't think it's vermin.

Clever Pun

vermin wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Has anyone considered that if the driver hadn't been as attentive and forgiving as DDD* was there might have been a rather nastily smashed group of Dynamos all up in that cars grill? that's more the point that being delayed by a little, in a chain gang they would have very little time to react esp at 25mph plus. It's the cyclist at the front who's made the call to be a jerk

Inconsiderate cycling just causes more of an us and them attitude which we should all agree isn't the way to go

*I think I've just been sick in my mouth

I think everyone agrees with this. Some of us (I) just felt he might have handled the aftermath with a little more civility, instead of mouthing off with obscenities. Some suggested a private word with the club would have been more appropriate; others suggested he might have just given fellow cyclists some slack. No-one defended the actions of the cyclists - without seeing the incident, how could anyone defend them?

you could do with being a bit less prissy about the whole thing too

notsoblue

rjsterry wrote:

the point that TWH made about whether the park is a suitable place for chaingangs.

It really isn't a good suitable place for chaingangs, especially not on a Saturday.