Author Topic: On the commute today  (Read 2510578 times)

mcshroom

  • Mushroom
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14025 on: 22 August, 2013, 03:46:17 pm »
I had to stop at the top of the steep hill because I was hyperventilating ???

The hill is on the edge of my climbing ability on the singlespeed but I don't normally feel as bad as I did this morning.
Climbs like a sprinter, sprints like a climber!

interzen

  • Venture Altruist
  • Agent Orange
    • interzen.homeunix.org
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14026 on: 22 August, 2013, 03:48:29 pm »
I had to stop at the top of the steep hill because I was hyperventilating ???

The hill is on the edge of my climbing ability on the singlespeed but I don't normally feel as bad as I did this morning.
It's just the universe telling you to go fixed ...

menthel

  • Jim is my real, actual name
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14027 on: 23 August, 2013, 09:28:06 am »
Nice cycle home last night despite my socks and shoes still being wet. Went out after work so cycled home in the dark and got to use my hope vision 1 for the first time. Nice light, especially on full when you get lost in a dark hyde park!

Nice one in on the way in too. Sunny and roads ok. Also got to cycle part of the way with my wife again. Very pleasant!

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14028 on: 23 August, 2013, 10:26:53 am »
Came the A38 way - shorter by 3km, but there is a big 'koff hill in the middle, past Bristol Airport. Still faster overall, and it was more pleasant than the A370, overall.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14029 on: 23 August, 2013, 11:30:04 am »
Strawberry Line to Yatton then over Kenn Moor and LA would be a pleasant route. You would arrive at work just in time to lock up the office.  ;)
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14030 on: 23 August, 2013, 11:59:03 am »
Strawberry Line to Yatton then over Kenn Moor and LA would be a pleasant route. You would arrive at work just in time to lock up the office.  ;)

The Strawberry Line is fine if you aren't in a hurry. Not a proper surface, and dog walkers about a lot of the time. It's faster for me to cycle up the A38 than it is for me to cycle to Yatton, catch the express train to Temple Meads, and cycle from there.

Now I've done CBT, I also have the option of buying a motorbike, but I'm going to get my full licence first, I think.


Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14031 on: 23 August, 2013, 12:27:57 pm »
Train through to FAW or Partway? unless I've misplaced your work. Riding the Strawberry Line in winter would be good practice if you wanted to get into cyclocross!
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14032 on: 23 August, 2013, 12:33:18 pm »
Temple Meads. FAW trains have space for two bikes only. There are only two express trains which stop at Yatton in the morning and only one I'm likely to get up early enough for.

I'm going to try cycling the climb to the airport on the way home without 1500g of lock this evening.

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14033 on: 23 August, 2013, 12:40:39 pm »
Are you riding on fixed? Because I remember that was a great descent from the airport into Hartcliffe... for a freewheel equiped bike.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14034 on: 23 August, 2013, 12:44:41 pm »
Are you riding on fixed? Because I remember that was a great descent from the airport into Hartcliffe... for a freewheel equiped bike.

65" fixed. Max speed this morning was 59.4kph, last night descending Red Hill it recorded 61.8kph. Which I can't do for long on 65".

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14035 on: 23 August, 2013, 12:54:03 pm »
Yeah, that would be approaching patella escape velocity.
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14036 on: 23 August, 2013, 01:30:59 pm »
Or paella escape velocity.  :D
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14037 on: 23 August, 2013, 10:32:46 pm »
Paella escape is more likely going uphill on fixed…  :sick:

Tonight’s ride home was dry. Until I got near the top of Red Hill, at which point it became very wet. Riding in heavy rain in twilight isn’t much fun, in traffic.

menthel

  • Jim is my real, actual name
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14038 on: 27 August, 2013, 11:31:17 am »
There was a little chill in the air first thing in the morning, quickly warmed up though!

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14039 on: 27 August, 2013, 11:34:36 am »
Spoke to a driver this morning. 'you pulled right across in front of me. Did you see me?' 'No' 'Please would you look more carefully in future'

All very *nice*.

And twat of a taxi driver - there was really no need to accellerate to pass me at a point where passing was inadvisable, as you were sat behind a van and I was on your bumper all the way down the hill. Till you turned left and I overtook.

Unnecessarily aggressive.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

menthel

  • Jim is my real, actual name
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14040 on: 27 August, 2013, 05:50:15 pm »
I know it is sad to strava my commutes but it allows me to record my miles and look at my progress over time. What it means is that today I know I beat my goal for one particular segment along cedars road in battersea- going under a minute (57s) and being he sad man I am that makes me rather pleased. Coued with the wonderful weather and sedate roads it was a nice cycle home!

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14041 on: 27 August, 2013, 06:53:13 pm »
Had to detour north towards Bethnal Green on the way home tonight to put up a site notice. Ended up using some big nasty junction; just as I got to the lights they'd been amber for a couple of seconds and I'm blowed if I was going to amber-gamble of a dirty great junction where I don't even know the light sequences. So I stopped. None of the traffic was going very fast, because it was in a jam.

Evidently the car behind me *did* want to amber-gamble as they stopped about two inches from my back wheel in the ASL and hooted me furiously. I turned around and they were yelling and gesticulating furiously. I yelled back 'It's a red light!', also furious that they expected me to risk myself on the junction just so they could hoon across it. I was pretty mad by this point and was quite tempted to say a few more choice words, but remembering that there are nutters like the one who shoved Clarion off his bike I controlled my temper and contented myself with repeating 'It's. A. Red. Light' to which they said nothing and stopped gesticulating and just glared at me. I thought I might get a punishment pass as I continued up to Cambridge Heath road, but I didn't.

Of course no sooner had we passed the junction anyway they got stuck in another jam and I continued on my way. Fucking losers. I wouldn't want their blood pressure

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14042 on: 27 August, 2013, 06:54:15 pm »
I know it is sad to strava my commutes but it allows me to record my miles and look at my progress over time. What it means is that today I know I beat my goal for one particular segment along cedars road in battersea- going under a minute (57s) and being he sad man I am that makes me rather pleased. Coued with the wonderful weather and sedate roads it was a nice cycle home!

No it's not. I've started doing mine, because it saves me having to faff with a bike computer, which I constantly seem to lose. I'm not in competition with anyone but it's nice to track progress.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14043 on: 27 August, 2013, 07:39:39 pm »
A nice ride in and a rather painful ride home. My legs hurt, I wasn't particularly slow, it didn't seem like hard work and the headwind wasn't particularly strong. But they hurt, mostly the left one down the outside of the thigh  ???

Oh well. Big dinner and an early night methinks.
Miles cycled 2014 = 3551.5 (Target 7300 :()
Miles cycled 2013 = 6141.4
Miles cycled 2012 = 4038.1

Feanor

  • It's mostly downhill from here.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14044 on: 27 August, 2013, 07:41:43 pm »
First commute in a few weeks, and it felt like it!
Got a soaking in the last half hour too.

interzen

  • Venture Altruist
  • Agent Orange
    • interzen.homeunix.org
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14045 on: 28 August, 2013, 09:50:55 am »
Very slow, even by my standards.

70-odd miles of COR yesterday might have something to do with it.

fuzzy

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14046 on: 28 August, 2013, 10:04:51 am »
Yesterday arvos' ride home was the first commute for almost 3 weeks. Nothing too taxing and nice to get back at it.

This mornings ride in however was the first ascent of Quarry Wood Road for nearly 3 weeks. 'kinell! That got the lungs heaving :o I got caught on the climb by a fellow commuter on a 2 speed Brommie. Nice to have some company for a short while and someone to gasp with till we summited ;D

Gandalf

  • Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14047 on: 28 August, 2013, 04:49:38 pm »
Good stuff.  But isn't Sutton Council responsible for the pathetic lane?

A bit of post Necromancy.  Here's the reply I received to my FOI request about the farcility in question.

Thank you for your email which we received on 29 July 2013 asking for information about a cycle safety audit.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm we hold some of the information you require. You asked for:

Information about the on-road cycle lane in Morden, on the A24 northbound between lower Morden Lane and the Harvester Public House and Restaurant.

Specifically, I would like a copy of the Cycle safety audit on the basis of a Freedom of Information request.

The cycle lane was installed approximately seven years ago and in accordance with the contemporary standards. Those standards have changed in the last few years and this section of the road is currently being reviewed with a view to improving conditions for cyclists.

Unfortunately, we are unable to trace the safety audit for this advisory cycle lane. We have searched our database, which covers all safety audits carried out within TfL. However, it does not include those carried out by consultants, who have done many of these audits for us in the past. 

Furthermore, we have searched our archived files but were unable to locate the safety audit from within our archive facility.

I am sorry we are unable to assist you further on this occasion.

Please feel free to email us in near future if you would like an update on the review of the location in question.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14048 on: 28 August, 2013, 06:17:02 pm »
Well thanks to some brain dead Oik in Bracknell I get to cycle home.

They pushed a shopping trolly onto te tracks such that it got jammed under a train and has had to be cut free.

Rail service is therefore in chaos.

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #14049 on: 28 August, 2013, 06:33:15 pm »
Well, that's a useful response, isn't it, Gandalf? ::-)

Did the dog eat their homework?
Getting there...