How was your cycle commute?

[The Boy]

Went for a spin to get away from the computer. Lovely weather, not too many dicks on the road - apart from the twat who decided to stop suddenly on a no-left-turn junction then turn left without indicating. Cunt.

 

[Winot]

It's fucking dreadful biking in to the centre from South London at the moment. What with Kingsway being shut, cycle superhighway works and gas works, there's no way through.

Yeuch.

 

[iamwithnail]

I think just generally South to NOrth is horrible at the moment, it's like they've tried to dig a moat to prevent cyclists coming into town from South.

 

[plurker]

I've shifted my commute slightly later, leaving Streatham at 9.15 and it's clear, but during more usual commute hours it's a nightmare.

 

[Virtual Blue]

also in streatham - i shifted mine later as well - to 8:20am today.
fucking big mistake - so many, many shitty cyclists.

i saw a cyclist turning into another at Stockwell/ Union Road Juntion.
And then an undertaking twat that i nearly crashed into.
i love the sun but prefer the rain sometimes - less idiots.

 

[iamwithnail]

Hah, was just having this conversation with the guy in the bike repair place!

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Total gridlock from Burgess Park to north side of Blackfriars bridge - where some guy on a gold BSO tried to ride inside me on the one bike wide bike path thing (=knob). Coming over Blackfriars it was so bad I got off and carried the bike as a ped. Fucking rubbish really.

 

[iamwithnail]

Got stuck again last night, roadworks on Queen Elizabeth Street, Chaucer Drive and Coopers Road, after having reopened the latter two, they're now shut again.

 

[Orang Utan]

My journey is mostly a breeze at the mo - the best bits are going through Dulwich Park and Peckham Rye Common, the worst is in West Dulwich: an ignored 20mph limit road with cars parked either side. I am going to lose my temper soon as people keep trying to pass me, no matter how far I ride out. Also, twats trying to pass me on the road the school is on, with kids everywhere. Hanging's too good for folk like that.

 

[Virtual Blue]

another cycling accident yesterday on the A23 - Natal Road junction, next to Leisure Centre.
i see so many motorbikes and cyclists crashing - am amazed how there's no yellow box junction.
doesn't make sense...

 

[The Boy]

Popped out at ridiculo early (about half seven) to pick up my ma's mail for her. Bit chilly at that time, but lovely day anyway. Loads of cyclists out too - must be summer .

 

[Crispy]

Tonight I have to fit new rear gear cable, new front brake cable, new chain and new cassette. I will have about 2 hours. Wish me luck.

 

[Dogsauce]

Did a short ride up to the shops in Angel, first ride in seven weeks. Knees are still not right, not massively painful but just feel a bit weird, like they're not even with each other.

 

[The Boy]

City centre at rush hour: totally, utterly, horribly grim.

Coming home was nice though. City was very pretty in the mist, and it was nice and chilled.

Got the rub of the lights on the approach to The Hill and was still on the big ring as I came to the road where I turn off and take the coward's way up. Was very, very temple to try and grind straight up the hill but I pussied out.

 

[iamwithnail]

Took my bike in for summer service, it's never been right, the gears on that one. Went in and Paul had lost the rag with back cassette slipping and upgraded it for free (faulty goods for the old one) and it feels like a new bike! Had to argue with him to take money for the service as well. So I just got a full service and new cassette for £35!

 

[plurker]

Yesterday evening was perfect.
Once I'd gone through the Blackfriars hell, and hit the 'open road' at Kennington I got into a bit of a chase situation with another cyclist and a moped. The moped guy was egging us on, saying cyclists couldn't keep up. Both of us cyclists looked at each other and rose to the task accordingly, and we both kept him in check from Oval down to Tooting Broadway, where I turn off.

I got 5 x PBs on Strava segments, and an average speed of 17.7mph over 9 miles - stopping at all reds!

The other cyclist was cleated up and on a carbon roadie. When we got to Tooting he said 'mate how the fuck do you go that fast in trainers?'

So the question is - do cleats make a huge difference to speed? I don't do long rides, so it'd only be for a city commute...

 

[joustmaster]

Yesterday evening was perfect.
Once I'd gone through the Blackfriars hell, and hit the 'open road' at Kennington I got into a bit of a chase situation with another cyclist and a moped. The moped guy was egging us on, saying cyclists couldn't keep up. Both of us cyclists looked at each other and rose to the task accordingly, and we both kept him in check from Oval down to Tooting Broadway, where I turn off.

I got 5 x PBs on Strava segments, and an average speed of 17.7mph over 9 miles - stopping at all reds!

The other cyclist was cleated up and on a carbon roadie. When we got to Tooting he said 'mate how the fuck do you go that fast in trainers?'

So the question is - do cleats make a huge difference to speed? I don't do long rides, so it'd only be for a city commute...

Aparently cleats are less efficient than trainers.

 

[joustmaster]

so say these lycra'd up folk with a treadmill and pipe based headgear.

 

[Dogsauce]

I'd question the sample size in that test, it's not exactly good science!

 

[Dogsauce]

Fwiw sometimes I unclip on hills because I find it easier, tending to ride more on the back of my feet. This might partly be down to my seized seat post being about 2cm too low for me. I have the mountain bike style spds which are pretty loose. I have had some of my best rankings in shoes and jeans, but that's more down to advantageous weather and lights on those occasions.

 

[sleaterkinney]

There was a traction engine going through Brixton this evening, raising money for charity and taking about 10 years life expectancy off everyone stuck behind it.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Clipless you use more muscles so as a whole they get tired less quickly so it's more efficient.

 

[Orang Utan]

I'm clipless but only on the right. Feels weird without cleats.

 

[Dogsauce]

Did a lot of London cycling today, being the last day of six and a half weeks holiday from work. Tightened up the almost non-existent brakes for a short trip up to Dalston this morning, a ride down to Catford in the afternoon then popped along for most of the critical mass ride this evening (I peeled off at Euston). Some notes:

1. London smells really bad. I wish they'd hurry up and invent an electric car or some thing to solve this.
2. I'd forgotten about how dickish mopeds are here.
3. I need to remember there are other bikes on the road here and position myself accordingly at the lights.
4. People hoot angrily at you for just existing (this isn't just a London thing). I also earned a punishment pass from a taxi at Old Street for the same offence.
5. A motorbike crept past me at some lights near Peckham, then went straight through a red, sat in the middle of the road with the pillion passenger looking backwards until the busy traffic going across was clear then sped off. About twenty seconds later a police car came racing up in pursuit.
6. On my return from Catford I managed to keep up with some guy in full Rapha kit on a speedy looking bike for a couple of miles on OKR. I have a feeling they weren't really trying. I was.
7. Out of the several hundred bikes on CM I was on easily the shittest bike there. At the beginning a dog walked up and started pissing on my front wheel, possibly in recognition of this fact.
8. The crossest motorists encountered on the CM ride were around Kensington & Regents Park. Something about entitlement there.
9. The seat on this bike (my spare-spare-spare bike) is fucking horrible after about thirty miles riding.
10. I will get really horrible cramp tonight. Six weeks out of the saddle is too long.

 

[joustmaster]

I'm clipless but only on the right. Feels weird without cleats.

So you have a normal pedal in the left, and a clipless on the right?
Do you wear one trainer and one spd shoe?

 

[Dogsauce]

Shitty wind, had to take the lower longer route home (less hills, more chance of having a brick thrown at you).

Taking this way I noticed that they've stuck a fucking A-frame at the start of a cycle path section, which is part way into one of only two strava segments out of the original 12 on my old commute route that I haven't picked up yet. Only a second off it, but this barrier means the war is lost. Anyone able to lend me a petrol fuelled angle grinder?

 

[tommers]

Got knocked off this morning. My own fault really, there was a van parked up on a narrow road with its emergency lights on. I thought I saw the driver off to the left so went down the right hand side. Turns out the driver was picking up some scrap on the other side of the road and his mate stepped out from behind the van just as I went past. I bounced off him and ended up on the pavement but no harm done. I've got a bit of a scrape on my knee and there's a small tear in my leggings but that's it.

He picked me up off the floor, gave me a hug and helped me put my chain back on. We wished each other all the best and I cycled off.

 

[The Boy]

Shit, man. Hope you're OK tommers .

 

[Virtual Blue]

sounds like you're okay tommers, not even shaken!

cycled on the Whyte this morning and surprised that I rode faster than usual. suppose my cycling technique is getting better...

 

[iamwithnail]

Ah, that's nice! Eta: The hug, not coming off.

My bloody gear lever disintegrated yesterday, just fell to bits, so bike's in the shop again. Sealed unit/captive nut so non-repairable. Annoying, and means I can't commute on the bike. God it was awful going on the tube yesterday.