Been in That London for over a week now for the ‘Limpics. I’ve done about 150miles around and about so far, so I’m well into the groove of it.
So I on my way back to Clerkenwell I pull up at some lights (yeah. Actually stopped!) I was the first there do I’m nearish to the kerb. Taxi behind. Lights go green, off I go at a decent pace, straight on. Now the road forks left here too, and, apparently, my speed off the lights was to the distaste of someone cycling on my right who wanted to fork left. I wasn’t trying, just doing my thing, but he couldn’t pass me, so called me a w***er and sliced in behind me. I looked left as he forked off and he was still glaring and mouthing at me. He was on a flashy looking 700c commuter, all the right gear. I’m on my Inbred, shorts, t shirt, sandals.
Sore looser I reckon…. Good job I didn’t really try, I’m a nifty sprinter….

Still giggling about it now, sitting here on a step. 🙂

Wasnt Lance Armsrong were it, he’s in a bit of a bad mood at the mo?

Ohh. Maybe!
I’d like to think I could out sprint him, put it that way. 😉

You are so much better than him, well done. But you lose points for sandals.

But you lose points for sandals.

I think the other dude loses even more points for being beaten off the lights by an errr, ‘robust’ man in sandals. 😛

Hell yes. I rock. 🙂

PeterPoddy – Member

Hell yes. I rock.
You keep telling yourself that 😀

PeterPoddy – Member

Hell yes. I rock.

You do ‘rock’ for a biffer in sandals anyway. 😀

Next instalment: Poddy gets props from da yoof doing doughnuts in his Omega in b&q car park. 😛

You’re lucky it wasn’t me. I would have eaten you alive 😀

OOohh matron!

I was thinking that sounded awful, poor PP isn’t used to Lahndahnahs, foulmouthed balls of resentment that they are.

Then I read

sandals.

and instantly saw why he was miffed…

@PeterPoddy

sorry to hear about your experiences commuting in the ‘big smoke’

unfortunately there are too many dicks riding bikes in London to make the commuting experience pleasurable…never mind the cars, taxis and goods vehicles!

its normally aggressive / arrogant dicks riding bikes I have trouble with on my daily commutes through London

from a fellow cyclist that stops at EVERY red traffic light and pedestrian crossing…

Extra point for the use of “forked off”?

i was in london at the weekend and hired a boris bike (very cool)

some bloke came up next to me with a flashy road bike, Zipp wheels (£££!!), track standing next to me at some lights. thought I ought to at least try and beat him off the mark just for a laugh, and to my surprised managed to quite easily. he wasn’t impressed!

sorry to hear about your experiences commuting in the ‘big smoke’

Don’t be mate, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it! I used to ride from Canning Town to Limehouse every day in 1990 (showing my age now) when I worked on Limehouse Link. Things are waaaaay better now. Loadsa bikes, Boris bikes, signposted routes etc. Going home tomorrow though…

Oh Peter my hero. 🙄

Bet he’s still rattled now. 😈

Nice one – he who has the last laugh…

I hate the ridiculously competitive culture of commuting on a bike into London. I have changed my route deliberately to avoid the cocks on the run up through Balham.

They sit at the lights, reving their metaphorical engines to the redline, then the minute the lights go amber they hit the launch button, put the hammer down and race headlong to the next red light, where they sit, trying not to pant, doing it all over again.

It’s ridiculous!

Hell yes. I rock

maybe, but you can’t **** spell.

Sore looser I reckon.

AARRGGHH! Your’e a loser cos you can’t spell loser you loser!!

Chil dood!

I’m not that fit or particularly skilful, but by fek I can sprint from a standing start if I need to. (although this time I didn’t go hard (fnarr fnarr) at all) I’ll take anyone on over 100m from a standing start.
Two-time Big Bike Bash sprint champion, me. 😀

Like I said, I rock.

They sit at the lights, reving their metaphorical engines to the redline, then the minute the lights go amber they hit the launch button, put the hammer down and race headlong to the next red light, where they sit, trying not to pant, doing it all over again.

Intervals

Like I said, I rock

Yeah Pete, so you said.

Can’t spell loser though can you? 🙄

I imagine if I waited long enough I’d spot you making a spelling mistake too. 😛

i reckon id have you in a sprint 😈

unfortunately there are too many dicks riding bikes in London to make the commuting experience pleasurable…never mind the cars, taxis and goods vehicles!

its normally aggressive / arrogant dicks riding bikes I have trouble with on my daily commutes through London

Must say I’ve never had any actual altercations with other cyclists, although I agree many are dicks!

They sit at the lights, reving their metaphorical engines to the redline, then the minute the lights go amber they hit the launch button, put the hammer down and race headlong to the next red light, where they sit, trying not to pant, doing it all over again.

Agreed, I can’t be doing with it, but happen to be reasonably quick off the line, which seems to be an open invitation to some, I also don’t like following randomers particularly, so I’d rather be in front which again seems to anger some who’ve ridden 1/10 the distance! A bloke last night sat on my wheel all the way from Elephant & Castle to Tooting, then sprinted past and through a red light to get away. I hope it made his day!

They sit at the lights, reving their metaphorical engines to the redline, then the minute the lights go amber they hit the launch button, put the hammer down and race headlong to the next red light, where they sit, trying not to pant, doing it all over again.

Apart from the breathing in of fumes that the extra panting causes, I think these little bursts are worthwhile – especially if you will be sitting down in the office for the rest of the day.

I partake in the daily rush home southwards up southwark bridge, which is quite fun. I mentioned it to my wife when we were up there walking and we stood at the side of the road next the cycle lane whilst a fair rush of air went past as all the cyclists raced up the bridge.

I raced some roadie to the next lights one night on my Birdy with Big Apple tyres. When we stopped, he looked my bike over and commented “nice training wheels”, which was somewhat amusing.

I also miss my tactical racing to work against some bloke in fatigues on a brompton – maybe he changed route after our last epic where I got lucky with the gaps in the traffic and whipped out through the gap in the concrete lane markers and left him trapped by the lorry that blocked the lane at the end 🙂

its things like these are what makes cycling so much better than taking the tube, and can make the daily grind bearable, especially if you are having to put in long hours.

little things please little minds, and all that…

i’ve been to the Olympics and Paralympics over the last few weeks and one thing that has amazed me is how bad drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are on the roads in London. London already feels like a different country to me but my experience on the roads makes it even worse.

I barely remember cyclists stopping at a red lights. Some did and then others seem to and then carry on anyway. I think about 80% of bikes didn’t have any lights at night, most of the ones that did were Boris bikes and pedestrians just saunter out into the road.

When the lights go to amber and I consider myself ‘just got through okay’ I look in the mirror and see about 5 cars come through after me. Beware of battered cars – the drivers just change lane randomly and also beware of fast cars, especially BMWs and Porsches it would seem as the drivers just constantly try to overtake everyone. Oh and bus lanes don’t seem to matter, unless they are actually ones that due to the time of day you are allowed to go in and then no-one does.

Road signs and layouts – complete madness. Maybe the Games have resulted in some odd restrictions but something really isn’t right. Especially when all of a sudden a 2 lane road turns into a 3 lane one with the lane markings just appearing in the middle of the 2 lanes…then all of a sudden the 3 lanes turns back into 2 – again with the lane markings exactly in the middle of the lanes and no merge. Bizarre.

Oh and another thing, i had to go up to Essex from London last month and the main road would branch out into 3 lanes at lights. Then the middle lane would merge left into the left lane just after. That seemed really odd.

Glad to be back in the countryside were stuff makes sense.

Intervals

Yeah that’s a good point actually, it is really good exercise. I was carping more because I nigh on crucified myself the other day trying to keep up the with two guys (one of whom might well have been you Njee!) who clearly knew what they were doing.

Njee where did you say you parked up for the ride in again? I’ve been loving the ride in from Leatherhead but would be OK with making it a bit of a longer ride from time to time.

I used to ride about 8 miles around the South Circular to get to work twice a day. I just rode normally, things were fine. Then one week I decided to try putting the hammers the whole way, just for the hell of it (not to compete with anyone). My fitness shot up pretty quickly.

When I was in Canary Wharf earlier in the year, I rode from Paddington on my pannier-laden hybrid absolutely as hard as I could. Good training, but I wonder if anyone thought I was being a dick?

cool story bro

who needs sandals when you have the flip flops of invincibility

my cycle commute to work in London is probably my favourite part of the day, especially when the weather’s like this.
sometimes I’m all Zen and ignore the actions of others – other times I like to get in a rage and just overtake everyone when there’s a decent stretch, I just can’t help it – it’s nothing personal and I wouldn’t call someone names unless they did something stupid like be in the wrong lane at the lights 😉 it’s fun and that’s what life’s about in my opinion, isn’t it? even raging at other cyclist for their indiscretions is fun.

it wasn’t me by the way PeterPoddy, though if it was a day earlier it might have been as I rode through that way to Condor, but then you wouldn’t beat me off the lights as I would have engaged my flying elbows.

I would like to be do the same cross-London trip on my road bike one day and put up a proper fight for king of the.. er.. road, just for the hell of it 🙂

Njee where did you say you parked up for the ride in again? I’ve been loving the ride in from Leatherhead but would be OK with making it a bit of a longer ride from time to time.

I park in Bookham, here. Only adds a couple of miles from Leatherhead. If times work maybe we should lift share/ride together or sommat on occasion!

njee – if you parked a little to the west you could say that you have ridden in from the Isle of Wight:

bing

I park in Bookham, here. Only adds a couple of miles from Leatherhead. If times work maybe we should lift share/ride together or sommat on occasion!

Mate that’s a great idea probably only marred by the embarrassing difference in fitness and speed there will be between us 😳