Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
  • First time cycling in London
  • loddrik
    Free Member

    Rode from Westerham in Kent to Euston in morning rush hour. Most fun I’ve had on a bike in ages. Horrendous traffic, kamikaze drivers and crazy bus drivers. Need to stay hyper alert and know when to zip in and out, stay or go. I’d say it’s up there with a good day out on the mtb for fun. Wasn’t overtaken by another bike once, and yes, some were trying, for a fat man on a brompton cycling with loads of lycra clad drop barred characters, I take a little pleasure from that.

    takisawa2
    Full Member

    Strangely, I am drawn to giving it a go myself, but I bet the novelty wears off pretty quick. 🙂

    gaffney
    Free Member

    Crikey. I think you’re approaching commuting in London with an attitude completely incompatible with longevity. Dicing with buses and racing other riders is going to get you hurt.

    brakes
    Free Member

    today was pretty gnarly round North London and the City. more traffic than usual.

    I bet the novelty wears off pretty quick

    the novelty never wears off 🙂

    bikebouy
    Free Member

    Ohh the Novelty has many sub layers believe me.

    As is, bet you don’t last long doing that commute before you catch the train in.

    HTH’s.

    Glad you arrived safe though 😀

    loddrik
    Free Member

    I’m under no illusions that a brompton could keep up with a road bike on tgd open road btw, just to pre-empt the point before someone else points it out. But for the stop start narrow gap London commute, the brompton is perfect. Possibly made even more perfect with the addition of disc brakes I’d imagine.

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    I couldn’t imagine much worse.

    sboardman
    Full Member

    One of these or these look fun for commuting.

    shermer75
    Free Member

    Yep, those little Brompton wheels wind up to warp speed in no time haha 🙂

    lunge
    Full Member

    Loddrick, I am 100% with you, it’s bloody great fun, I take a real perverse please from cycling in traffic. You can even enjoy yourself on a Boris Bike if you’re prepared to put a bit of effort in.

    mogrim
    Full Member
    loddrik
    Free Member

    Just read that. A man pushing a woman. Disgusting. I wish I’d have encountered him this morning. Thd outcome would have been a little different I’m sure. At least he’s easily identifiable.

    kimbers
    Full Member

    Disc brakes make a lot of sense riding in London, its very stop start and doing 10 miles each way 5 days a week I was getting quite painful finger joints and benefits in the wet are huge.
    It’s important not to get sucked into the London mindset of charge everywhere that you see on all forms of city transport.
    Just chill, look twice before any manouvre and assume every driver wants you dead.
    That said its immense fun, after 10 years I’ve now moved out and I only have a couple of miles cycling a day, I do miss my 100 miles a week of white knuckle interval training
    I now have a folder but its a dahon cadenza with discs, I even managed to squeeze 700c wheels into it

Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

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