Author Topic: On the commute today  (Read 2519214 times)

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2100 on: 12 August, 2010, 11:01:10 am »
Hangover.  Wet.  Montane featherlite p.o.s.

EOM.

Andyf

  • I would engage you in a battle of wits, but it appears you came unarmed.
  • I love my Specialized, and my Specialized loves me
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2101 on: 12 August, 2010, 11:04:47 am »
Has any one commuted bothways in one day from Mid-essex to London i.e. Witham- london-london-Witham......and if not, have we any contenders for the title!!??
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting: "What a ride!" - Brian Davies

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2102 on: 12 August, 2010, 11:21:09 am »
Hangover.  Wet.  Montane featherlite p.o.s.

EOM.


Not too good sadly.  I just replaced mine with an Endura Equipe Helium.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

jogler

  • mojo operandi
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2103 on: 12 August, 2010, 11:55:56 am »
To the village.
no hangover
Montane Featherlite.mutts nutts
YMMV

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2104 on: 12 August, 2010, 12:04:29 pm »
Rode into the London office today. Saw matthew going the other way on the A30 near Sunningdale, had the excitement of the A30/M25 roundabout (always a joy!), then got held up by the road closure of the A315 in Brentford. There's a burst water main there, which the nice policeman said was possible to wade through but it'd be up to my knees. Deciding to avoid the triathlon training option of swimming through it I took the diversion. Looking back at the closure, there was one car in at least a foot of water (up to the bumper - picture three in the link above).

Still got into the office in 2 hours 10 minutes for 59.8km, so averaged 27.6km/h; not too shabby on the pannier laden audax bike  :)

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2105 on: 12 August, 2010, 01:00:54 pm »
Saw MattH this morning, no other commuter, that I see, is on Tri bars. I was caught in Bagshot by another commuter and then drafted him the whole way to Frimley. I simply can't drive the cadence required to keep that pace (23mph/125rpm) on the front but can spin it when tucked in behind.

MattH, advice from a local: When travelling into London, at the end of the A30 Egham bypass (dual carriageway past the Ferrari garage) take the third exit and go through Staines town centre rather than the A30 bypass. Turning left over staines bridge and later through the pedestrianised bit of town. This saves crossing the 5 lanes of traffic, including those exiting the M25 into the righthand two lanes, to do the right turn onto the A30 at the middle of the Staines Bypass. On the way oout of London the Staines bypass is fine though the drivers will not expect you to be on the 270 deg decending spiral at the Egham end.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2106 on: 12 August, 2010, 01:15:30 pm »
Thanks - that is the way I go in, then after Staines take the slightly longer route through Ashford and Feltham to join the A315 rather than straight back onto the A30 after Staines. Looking at my post I can see that I wasn't clear on the roundabout  :)

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2107 on: 12 August, 2010, 01:47:07 pm »
Has any one commuted bothways in one day from Mid-essex to London i.e. Witham- london-london-Witham......and if not, have we any contenders for the title!!??

I'll be up for that . Only problem would be the 5am start. On holiday for two weeks from next week but might contemplate the first week of September?
Oaky's suggestion of an after work DIY 200km might also be a Friday night option. Detour via Sudbury perhaps?

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2108 on: 12 August, 2010, 02:07:52 pm »
Has any one commuted bothways in one day from Mid-essex to London i.e. Witham- london-london-Witham......and if not, have we any contenders for the title!!??

Many (too many) years ago I used to ride in regularly, at least during the summer, from Leigh on Sea to Soho and back.  I didn't have a computer but I guess it was about 30-35 miles each way.  I imagine Witham is a longer run though and even less fun if you're on the main road.
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2109 on: 12 August, 2010, 03:15:45 pm »

* Oaky scratches head and thinks about a 200km route home with DIY-audax friendly control points...
[/quote]

Obviously busy at work. Using familiar territory the rout could go somewhat like this using ATM/ shop controls in main towns.

Starting at Liverpool St - Epping - Gt Dunmow - Saffron Walden - Newmarket - Bury St Edmunds - Sudbury - Witham.

Might need a little tweaking but using Google Maps comes in at 201km

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2110 on: 12 August, 2010, 03:34:25 pm »
Before anyone asks, I wasn't lurking in the gutter like the chewed remains of a McD meal, I was already in primary position as the gathering of motorized fauna around the taxi office is a given. The rail bridge by the station is shallow and anyone in a truck cab would have excellent visibility of the road ahead.

It is usually quite busy along there, but there was for once a gap ahead from Clockhouse Station to just before the Birkbeck / Beckenham Junction tram/train bridge which I assume the driver was trying to fill (the traffic can be a bit lumpy as most people aren't sure of the speed limit, so some people do 30, others 40, and the rest whatever they can get away with). Most troubling to be honest was that the driver was continuing to accelerate even on the downside of the bridge. He was really flooring it.

(Pure speculation, but there was another cyclist some way behind me, and I do wonder if the driver had been 'held up' behind them - the road from the Beckenham roundabout is quite narrow and doesn't open up until just before the bridge, and I was the victim of the driver's consequent frustration.)

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2111 on: 12 August, 2010, 04:44:33 pm »
Rode into the London office today. Saw matthew going the other way on the A30 near Sunningdale, had the excitement of the A30/M25 roundabout (always a joy!), then got held up by the road closure of the A315 in Brentford. There's a burst water main there, which the nice policeman said was possible to wade through but it'd be up to my knees. Deciding to avoid the triathlon training option of swimming through it I took the diversion. Looking back at the closure, there was one car in at least a foot of water (up to the bumper - picture three in the link above).

Still got into the office in 2 hours 10 minutes for 59.8km, so averaged 27.6km/h; not too shabby on the pannier laden audax bike  :)

This would explain why the mains water pressure was a bit low this morning. By sheer chance I seem to have avoided the flood on the way to Brentford by taking a route through Old Isleworth, then through Syon Park and along the canal tow path.
The old Legion hand told the recruit, "When things are bad, bleu, try not to make them worse, because it is very likely that they are bad enough already." -- Robert Ruark

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2112 on: 16 August, 2010, 09:54:51 am »
Ah, a headwind. Just what you need of a Monday morning...

Hope the bugger doesn't turn around!

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2113 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:02:39 am »
Ah, a headwind. Just what you need of a Monday morning...

Hope the bugger doesn't turn around!

I need all the training I can get!
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2114 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:03:03 am »
According to MetOffice I should have had a cross-wind.  Well, the wind may well have been cross — it spent most of the time blowing in my face and gusting from unexpected directions.  Yet somehow I managed to set a pb for the ride in.  ???

I've decided to give up on checking the wind strength and direction as forecasts and reality often have nothing in common.
 
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2115 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:03:58 am »
I was fortunate enough to have it as a vicious crosswind.

However, when you go home, NSTN, you will have a tailwind.  I will have a vicious crosswind ;D
Getting there...

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2116 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:13:29 am »
Stiff headwind all the way for me, with some very strong gusts. About 20% slower than my PB. Enjoyed it, though.  :thumbsup:

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2117 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:16:40 am »
A sad first this morning.  Grey Heron road kill at Ampney St. Peter
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2118 on: 16 August, 2010, 10:35:05 am »
It was pretty much a headwind for me, so I'm surprised that it was a headwind for NSTN, I would have thought that it was more of a crosswind for her.  Looking at the current weather for LGW and LHR, they both have between 10 and 15mph NNW winds.  It will, of course, swap around by going home time.

A headwind didn't help my cycling in after taking a few weeks off.  I wanted to rest up my knee which has been twinging since the last FNRttC.  It's amazing how a couple of weeks off of commuting can ruin your form. :-\
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

simonp

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2119 on: 16 August, 2010, 11:03:31 am »
Ah, a headwind. Just what you need of a Monday morning...

Hope the bugger doesn't turn around!

+1

Especially after riding 232km yesterday in the same wind.  :hand:

itsbruce

  • Lavender Bike Menace
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2120 on: 16 August, 2010, 11:15:05 am »
Succession of friendly and helpful motorists on the way in, which compensated for the unusual number of cyclists moving at an unvarying snail's pace and never pausing for a single red light (I find them even more annoying than the regular RLJers, for some reason).

Didn't like the headwind but was suprised to discover it only added a couple of minutes to my time in.
I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness, starving hysterical naked: Allen Ginsberg
The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads: Jeff Hammerbacher

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2121 on: 16 August, 2010, 01:08:38 pm »
A headwind may only add a couple of minutes to a half hour commute; shame each minute feels like half an hour...

citoyen

  • Occasionally rides a bike
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2122 on: 16 August, 2010, 01:11:07 pm »
Didn't like the headwind but was suprised to discover it only added a couple of minutes to my time in.

You were riding fixed, I presume? With a headwind, I find it easier to maintain a steady pace on fixed. With multiple gears, it's too tempting just to select a lower gear and twiddle. Better not to give yourself that option, I find.

d.
"The future's all yours, you lousy bicycles."

Redlight

  • Enjoying life in the slow lane
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2123 on: 16 August, 2010, 01:22:22 pm »
Ground my way in, into the wind for some of it.  Seemed to be fewer bikes around than usual, maybe because it was such a grey morning.  Encountered a couple of exampkles of very thoughtful and considerate driving, one from a blue transit - Masher Builders or similar - the other from a pick-up truck that held back at a small roundabout so that I could go straight across. That kind of thing just makes for a more pleasant ride in.  :)
Why should anybody steal a watch when they can steal a bicycle?

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #2124 on: 16 August, 2010, 02:03:54 pm »
No headwind for me this morning....  :thumbsup:





I drove in as I have a meeting later :-[
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor