Targets

[clarion]

I'l settle for just being able to ride my bike again

That seems like a good target.  Good luck with it.

[Notsototalnewbie]

There are lots of ladies on my commute, but a fair few of them are dressed beautifully in ‘normal’ clothes on sit-up-and-begs, looking very elegant but not very fast. It’s generally fairly easy to pass someone wearing flip-flops so a bit of a hollow victory…I did try the whole ‘wearing normal clothes’ thing when I first started, but found it too frustrating as you need to go pretty slow for it to work if you are then to wear those same clothes at work all day.

[Snugsy]

Today was very sweaty-Betty. My target was to get to work without drowning in my own bodily fluids, which I accomplished by not hurrying and using one gear lower than usual. I was only 0.5kph slower than last time.

Better Beware of the Skin Leak!   

Hello, Helly XXXXX

Hiya 

Laydeez seldom cycle hereabouts. I was almost the last female cyclist on my street.
I've not been able to ride a bike for over 5 years...

Move back to civilisation aka Central London.

There are about a dozen regular cyclists down my street, many of them females (and some carting hordes of tinies on their mighty Netherlandish steeds).

[her_welshness]

There are lots of ladies on my commute, but a fair few of them are dressed beautifully in ‘normal’ clothes on sit-up-and-begs, looking very elegant but not very fast. It’s generally fairly easy to pass someone wearing flip-flops so a bit of a hollow victory…I did try the whole ‘wearing normal clothes’ thing when I first started, but found it too frustrating as you need to go pretty slow for it to work if you are then to wear those same clothes at work all day.

The normal clothes ladies are mostly wearing lovely clothes, elegant bikes and commute from only 2 miles in so its not a comparison! I can't wear normal clothes, not even in winter as my commute is 8 miles each way, but we do have good cycling facilities at work. Plus going slow is not really building up your fitness which is something that I am keen on doing!

[Regulator]

Spotting as many nice arses as I can on my commute.... 

[hellymedic]

Today was very sweaty-Betty. My target was to get to work without drowning in my own bodily fluids, which I accomplished by not hurrying and using one gear lower than usual. I was only 0.5kph slower than last time.

Better Beware of the Skin Leak!   

Hello, Helly XXXXX

Hiya 

Laydeez seldom cycle hereabouts. I was almost the last female cyclist on my street.
I've not been able to ride a bike for over 5 years...

Move back to civilisation aka Central London.

There are about a dozen regular cyclists down my street, many of them females (and some carting hordes of tinies on their mighty Netherlandish steeds).

I am not made of money! If I could have as much house for the dosh, I would desert Zone 4 for Zone 2 or 3.
Simple economics 

[little miss mac]

Well I'm pleased to say that this morning there were several very lovely fit girls on slim bikes burning up the tarmac. Quite unusual. I was only dropped when I refused to do the dance of death through the traffic, so I was quite pleased.

Although to the one who kept pulling in front of me at the lights then going really slowly for 200 yards trying to find her toeclip: move over, love, and get yourself some goddamn proper pedals. Grrrr.

[clarion]

The woman on the Rockhopper who passed me at the top of Clapham was very impressive - just kept going, and I couldn't possibly keep up.

[Wowbagger]

Well I'm pleased to say that this morning there were several very lovely fit girls on slim bikes burning up the tarmac. Quite unusual. I was only dropped when I refused to do the dance of death through the traffic, so I was quite pleased.

Although to the one who kept pulling in front of me at the lights then going really slowly for 200 yards trying to find her toeclip: move over, love, and get yourself some goddamn proper pedals. Grrrr.

You could have dipped into the "sexist remarks" thread for a suitable epithet...

[Notsototalnewbie]

Well I'm pleased to say that this morning there were several very lovely fit girls on slim bikes burning up the tarmac. Quite unusual. I was only dropped when I refused to do the dance of death through the traffic, so I was quite pleased.

Although to the one who kept pulling in front of me at the lights then going really slowly for 200 yards trying to find her toeclip: move over, love, and get yourself some goddamn proper pedals. Grrrr.

I'm another who won't do the dance of death either. That's why the Albert Embankment is a nice level playing field....

Weird thing today on Sarf Lambeth Rd. Bloke pulled up alongside me on fixie. I thought 'no you don't pal' and went a bit faster, so did he. Then I saw he was deliberately staying alongside me and looking right at me, so I looked at him and he was smiling. I smiled back, not sure what his game was...

So I pulled ahead of him and he laughed to himself, not sure why, I stayed ahead for a while until he shot past me as I slowed for a ped crossing on red. Bit odd.

[little miss mac]

He was just having fun, I reckon. That's nice. I frightened a bloke yesterday by smiling and saying I liked his bike. (It was a really cute little old Raleigh frame which had been fixed. I'd like it myself.)

A couple of roadies have drafted me recently. It's the extra stone and a half, isn't it, providing a nice wind break. 

NSTN, when are you on Albert Embankment? I go along the north bank so we probably pass each other or ride in parallel at some point. Maybe we could set up a semaphore system to wave hi.

[clarion]

NSTN, I reckon he was just checking out your lovely bike

But hey - who wouldn't want to ride alongside you?

[Jacomus]

My target for tonight was to get home smoothly and without drama.

I forgot the way home from where I was in the city after popping in to see MSeries off, so rode back to Clapham to hook up with my normal route. That added another 10miles to my commute, bringing it up to 28miles, which I despatched at a cracking 22mph average spped.

I put it down to significantly thinner traffic density and a favourable lack of wind.

[Notsototalnewbie]

LMM, I only go along Albert Embankment in the evenings, any time between 5.45-6.15 depending on when I finished work. And I go on the south side having crossed Lambeth bridge...

I guess he was just having fun. I can afford to give it all I've got on that stretch because I turn off it into my road, so I can then go inside and lay down and die rather than try to race people all the way down to Balham!  Shame he was an RLJer anyway.

Thank you Clarion 

[Tiger]

It is not about times or stuff - it is about WINNING!

I have to overtake every other cyclist on my route that I see.

Fortunately the ones I can't overtake become invisible immediately.

The best thing is when someone cuts in front of me at lights or on startup - the old 'I am obviously faster than that old git on the silly bike' assumption. I will blow my gaskets to blast past them, and make sure I look really relaxed as I do. Brill. And the frisson of puzzled silence at the next lights as they mull over whether to have another go...so I go a bit slow on the startup to bait them...

Makes my day.

[Snugsy]

Fortunately the ones I can't overtake become invisible immediately.