Do any of you guys that cycle to work do it on mornings like this morning in SE London?
A month or so ago I would see one or two cyclist on my way to the station at 5:45 but didn't see any this morning either on the way to the station or on my way to work once I got to Cannon St.
This is usually the best time of year to commute - all the nodders and most of the choppers are off the road, so riding is a much more pleasant experience. The rain detracts from it somewhat, but wearing decent clothes and overshoes makes a big difference. If only my knee wasn't a wreck, I'd be riding in today
This is usually the best time of year to commute - all the nodders and most of the choppers are off the road, so riding is a much more pleasant experience. The rain detracts from it somewhat, but wearing decent clothes and overshoes makes a big difference. If only my knee wasn't a wreck, I'd be riding in today
ok cheers mate, I must have just missed them today.
I thought it might have put people off this morning as it was certainly coming down!
Nodders - those riding slower than most people can walk. Often (but not always) riding sit up & beg bikes with baskets on, or something that looks like it might once have been a real bike but has been buried underground for the years
Choppers - those riding fast in short bursts, with no Road skill (no shoulder check, no signals for slowing, weaving in and out of traffic without due care and attention etc). Most annoying habit is getting in front of everyone else at lights then failing to clip in properly or trying to pull away in 53x11 thus holding everyone else up. Carrera, BTwin or Boardman tend to be the weapon of choice
Peak Nod - the first time you get two warm, dry days in a row in the calendar year. Generally occurs around late April/early May - reaching maximum Nod on the evening commute home the second day. A horrendous experience
Choppergeddon - often coincides with Peak Nod, but 'mini' versions occur the first dry day if the new year (Christmas bikes) and the day after Ride London (unsuccessful ballot applicants)
Allen Man - pinky ringed wearing, rugby shirted ponces riding cheap Specialized models and thinking they're Cav because they beat most choppers and nodders on 200 metre sprints. Destroyed on anything longer (witness hordes being left in the wake of real riders halfway up Chelsea Embankment every morning/evening) but still convince themselves their six mile commute back to Barnes is doing them good...
There are other definitions, but they're my favourite - most stolen from BikeRadar forums
Saw squillions of cyclists this morning along the Epping Road 2 and 3 abreast pissing off the drivers going in the same direction Luckily I was heading in the other direction Anyone know what it was , one of the car parks along the way looked like a drinking station
Did a nice ride on Saturday. Brockwell to the south end of Richmond park, then up through the park to a pub near the station to watch the footie. Including the delightful Sawyers Hill!
Felt very good after being off the bike due to a 3 week mega cold. And the weather looks great this week for those of us who like to commute by bike.
Knee injury has ended my season - patellar tendinitis is a bitch. Can't ride more than about 30km without being in agony for three days after. Getting faster and faster as well lately - just like when I had a bad crash at the beginning of the year. Sod's law.
Going to try and rest for eight weeks - God knows how I'll manage being off the bike that long then start winter training for next season. Hoping to race a full season next year and try to get to cat 3 (which would be a decent achievement for a fat old git who'd never ridden a real bike three years ago)
What speeds you need to average to enter a cat 3 race?
I'm only about 5 months in but really got the buzz for cycling. Just a shame I can't get out for the longer rides at weekends due to having a young family. For the last 4 weeks I have been struggling to increase speeds about 17-18mph.
Most races are cat3/4 combined. You need to enter at cat4 with a full race license to score enough points to move up to cat3. I've done 'taster' races without looking to score points - average was around 38-40km/h for 45 minutes or thereabouts. If you can maintain 35km/h on your own for half hour sessions you'll be fine. Most of the races I've done were all about constant accelerations, rather than TT style pace learning to blast out of corners, hammer it up climbs etc.
In the five I've done I've finished nowhere, seventh, nowhere, fifth and tenth - the fifth place was after being in a break from the third lap and was fucking hard work. The seventh was being positioned well in the main bunch coming out of the last bend and winning the sprint. The first race I entered I jumped on a break straight away then literally got swallowed up and spat out like curry through a pisshead with three laps to go.
There's very little difference between cat 4 and 3 - one win and a place is enough to get you up there.
Give it a go - You'll love it. A word of warning though - don't take your Sunday best. I've seen two crashes, including a pretty horrendous one where three bikes looked like write-off (never mind the injuries )
Been common knowledge for weeks now, but Cavendish signed on with mtn qhubeka/dimension today - and is taking his old highroad train with with (Renshaw as leadout with Bernie Eisel in there too). Be interesting to see how a man who can start an argument in an empty room will deal with being on the same team as Ciolek (no end of rows in the past when they were at HTC together) and Farrar (who is a complete prick of a rider and has had run-in with him in the past)
Still going strong with the commuting. Hadn't expected to last this long. Told weather about to turn for worst so need to invest in some decent waterproofs this week. Is anyone able to recommend some decent and not too expensive?
Still going strong with the commuting. Hadn't expected to last this long. Told weather about to turn for worst so need to invest in some decent waterproofs this week. Is anyone able to recommend some decent and not too expensive?
Wife bought me this jacket for my birthday and am very happy with it.
Most races are cat3/4 combined. You need to enter at cat4 with a full race license to score enough points to move up to cat3. I've done 'taster' races without looking to score points - average was around 38-40km/h for 45 minutes or thereabouts. If you can maintain 35km/h on your own for half hour sessions you'll be fine. Most of the races I've done were all about constant accelerations, rather than TT style pace learning to blast out of corners, hammer it up climbs etc.
In the five I've done I've finished nowhere, seventh, nowhere, fifth and tenth - the fifth place was after being in a break from the third lap and was fucking hard work. The seventh was being positioned well in the main bunch coming out of the last bend and winning the sprint. The first race I entered I jumped on a break straight away then literally got swallowed up and spat out like curry through a pisshead with three laps to go.
There's very little difference between cat 4 and 3 - one win and a place is enough to get you up there.
Give it a go - You'll love it. A word of warning though - don't take your Sunday best. I've seen two crashes, including a pretty horrendous one where three bikes looked like write-off (never mind the injuries )
Sounds like you're placing really well - there are some strong guys on my club runs who never seem to place well in cat 4.
Salt Ayre (near Lancaster) and Ashton (near Manchester). These are only taster sessions, so the quality of the field isn't as good as in a league race - no day license holders sandbagging it, or cat3s in all but name hiding out at cat4 - but the average speed is about the same, and there's just as much bumping and chirping in the bunch.
The main thing that makes a big difference is that there aren't any local clubs entering riders. The one race this did happen in, there were four or five blokes from Manchester Wheelers in there, and they weren't riding with an experienced club member (two of them weren't even in kit) - they were riding to get the experience to ride for the club. Not having teams to compete against means you're not likely to get monstered out of a race
I loved it so much that I'm putting all my focus on it next year. I'm sick of riding long rides, and I don't think it's doing ny knee much good. With racing I can be done in an hour - and training for them doesn't take up 15 hours a week
Also want to do TTs - have got within two seconds of a sub 24 on the Holmwood course, and have almost done under an hour on a 40km (though not on an official course). Just need to justify purchasing a TT bike and all the kit
All this is predicated on my knee at some point stopping feeling like I'm constantly kneeling on a screw, of course.
Two punctures in one day last wednesday... I only carry one spare tube...
One puncture in the morning as I'd left my pump at work queue a 1.5 mile walk with bike on shoulder
One puncture en-route home, cue a half mile walk home with bike on shoulder.
Not the greatest day of cycling.
the first was thanks to a car forcing me over a drain and pinching the tyre, the second was a far less annoying tried to dodge glass rode over a thumb tack... now I want to switch to full rubbers!
Two punctures in one day last wednesday... I only carry one spare tube...
One puncture in the morning as I'd left my pump at work queue a 1.5 mile walk with bike on shoulder
One puncture en-route home, cue a half mile walk home with bike on shoulder.
Not the greatest day of cycling.
the first was thanks to a car forcing me over a drain and pinching the tyre, the second was a far less annoying tried to dodge glass rode over a thumb tack... now I want to switch to full rubbers!
Just signed up to complete the London to Paris next year really looking forward to it, just not looking forward to the months of the cold, wet and dark winter months
Comments
http://pubpedals.com/
Ideal for casual outings (to the pub) when you just want to wear your normal shoes.
Unfortunately my knee is being a bastard ever since London to Paris so I'm on an enforces layoff. Not happy.
A month or so ago I would see one or two cyclist on my way to the station at 5:45 but didn't see any this morning either on the way to the station or on my way to work once I got to Cannon St.
This is usually the best time of year to commute - all the nodders and most of the choppers are off the road, so riding is a much more pleasant experience. The rain detracts from it somewhat, but wearing decent clothes and overshoes makes a big difference. If only my knee wasn't a wreck, I'd be riding in today
I thought it might have put people off this morning as it was certainly coming down!
Choppers - those riding fast in short bursts, with no Road skill (no shoulder check, no signals for slowing, weaving in and out of traffic without due care and attention etc). Most annoying habit is getting in front of everyone else at lights then failing to clip in properly or trying to pull away in 53x11 thus holding everyone else up. Carrera, BTwin or Boardman tend to be the weapon of choice
Peak Nod - the first time you get two warm, dry days in a row in the calendar year. Generally occurs around late April/early May - reaching maximum Nod on the evening commute home the second day. A horrendous experience
Choppergeddon - often coincides with Peak Nod, but 'mini' versions occur the first dry day if the new year (Christmas bikes) and the day after Ride London (unsuccessful ballot applicants)
Allen Man - pinky ringed wearing, rugby shirted ponces riding cheap Specialized models and thinking they're Cav because they beat most choppers and nodders on 200 metre sprints. Destroyed on anything longer (witness hordes being left in the wake of real riders halfway up Chelsea Embankment every morning/evening) but still convince themselves their six mile commute back to Barnes is doing them good...
There are other definitions, but they're my favourite - most stolen from BikeRadar forums
Luckily I was heading in the other direction
Anyone know what it was , one of the car parks along the way looked like a drinking station
Felt very good after being off the bike due to a 3 week mega cold. And the weather looks great this week for those of us who like to commute by bike.
Can't wait to rock my Charlton jersey next week!
http://humanrace.co.uk/events/cycling/letape-london
Going to try and rest for eight weeks - God knows how I'll manage being off the bike that long then start winter training for next season. Hoping to race a full season next year and try to get to cat 3 (which would be a decent achievement for a fat old git who'd never ridden a real bike three years ago)
I'm only about 5 months in but really got the buzz for cycling. Just a shame I can't get out for the longer rides at weekends due to having a young family. For the last 4 weeks I have been struggling to increase speeds about 17-18mph.
In the five I've done I've finished nowhere, seventh, nowhere, fifth and tenth - the fifth place was after being in a break from the third lap and was fucking hard work. The seventh was being positioned well in the main bunch coming out of the last bend and winning the sprint. The first race I entered I jumped on a break straight away then literally got swallowed up and spat out like curry through a pisshead with three laps to go.
There's very little difference between cat 4 and 3 - one win and a place is enough to get you up there.
Give it a go - You'll love it. A word of warning though - don't take your Sunday best. I've seen two crashes, including a pretty horrendous one where three bikes looked like write-off (never mind the injuries
http://www.tredz.co.uk/.Altura-Night-Vision-Evo-Waterproof-Cycling-Jacket-2014_64198.htm?sku=188711&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=AdwordsProductAds&utm_campaign=Adwords&gclid=CL_I74vjqcgCFWkOwwodXxkNAw#
Where are you racing?
The main thing that makes a big difference is that there aren't any local clubs entering riders. The one race this did happen in, there were four or five blokes from Manchester Wheelers in there, and they weren't riding with an experienced club member (two of them weren't even in kit) - they were riding to get the experience to ride for the club. Not having teams to compete against means you're not likely to get monstered out of a race
I loved it so much that I'm putting all my focus on it next year. I'm sick of riding long rides, and I don't think it's doing ny knee much good. With racing I can be done in an hour - and training for them doesn't take up 15 hours a week
Also want to do TTs - have got within two seconds of a sub 24 on the Holmwood course, and have almost done under an hour on a 40km (though not on an official course). Just need to justify purchasing a TT bike and all the kit
All this is predicated on my knee at some point stopping feeling like I'm constantly kneeling on a screw, of course.
One puncture in the morning as I'd left my pump at work queue a 1.5 mile walk with bike on shoulder
One puncture en-route home, cue a half mile walk home with bike on shoulder.
Not the greatest day of cycling.
the first was thanks to a car forcing me over a drain and pinching the tyre, the second was a far less annoying tried to dodge glass rode over a thumb tack... now I want to switch to full rubbers!
Never, ever invoke the puncture fairy