Took advantage of fewer cars on the road to have a relatively fuss-free hack on the road bike…

All of you – back to joke school!

There are some short sharp hills en route – through the North Downs round Biggin Hill.
I’m ok to do 30-40 miles on my own btw 16.5-18mph

Dr P – time to go back to joke school!

Dr P – time to go back to joke school!

It does work.
1. Sometimes it works because it’s honest
2. Sometimes it works because it understands our needs better than we do ourselves. Which I don’t think is deceptive but we perceive it as being so because we don’t understand ourselves fully
3. Sometimes it works because, frankly, we’re happy to be taken in by dishonesty… think about how McD’s routinely avoids the facts that their food is nutritiously absent and it bad for you…

The mistake a lot of people make when judging marketing is that because a lot of it is 3, they think none of it is 1…

Even tho I defend marketing from criticism, after 15 years in the industry I’m trying to get out because as an industry it tolerates levels of dishonesty and mediocrity I don’t want to be involved with any more…

Nice. Maybe the vocals a little higher in the mix?
I’m guessing you like Mother Love Bone?

IME experience very few of the people who criticise marketing have ever studied it, or been a practitioner…
They think that because they’re consumers of marketing that they understand how it’s produced. Given that most people in the industry don’t really understand it, there’s not much chance of the average consumer doing so…

Marketing as an industry might be cynical/not really care about anything except selling stuff but it’s not half as sophisticated or in possession of ‘secret, nefarious techniques’ as detractors think it is…

Marketing is simply about finding a way to sell stuff. It mainly does this by appealing to our motivations.
The fact is that many of us are not as aware of our motivations and personal psychological makeup as we like to think we are. Equally we don’t like to really admit to being vain, selfish, in need of status etc etc.

So we claim ‘marketing is in the wrong’ to protect ourselves from our own needs, the ones we’d rather not admit to.

People also confuse product development with branding, with marketing communications, with sales etc.

At the end of the day we live in a capitalist society and we want to buy stuff. Therefore marketing exists… how do you think you’d get your weekly supermarket shop done if everything in the store was in the same size brown box, unlabelled, unpriced??

IME when marketing’s done well ie: a good product, sold honestly, which works and has good customer service, people enjoy the whole experience and are very positive about it. Think about CRC back in 2005/6 and what we used to say about it on here…
When it’s done badly or dishonestly, however, it fails. So saying ALL marketing is bad because some is manipulative or dishonest is a bit like saying cycling’s cr&p because my Halfords BSO fell apart ragging it down Snowdon…

Cheers for the info.
Dulwich Paragon (south London are my club – I’ve had a look and there’s loads of info on there – we have a closed circuit round Crystal Palace Park so I’ll start there and see where it goes.
They also do track racing at Herne Hill which could be fun 🙂

Topeak Turbo Mountain Morph is your friend. And will make you the friend of anyone else you ride with when they get a puncture. It’s a mini track pump

Smashing. Huge effort. Chapeau!

Sitting having al fresco sandwich earlier this week outside work. Loads of people out doing the same. Girl in her 20’s I guess sitting with her friends, gust of wind takes away her paper bag – only a few meters. She sits and watches it fly away and does nothing.
A pause, then, to her friends ‘shall I go and get it?’
Luckily her friends said yes. Saved me coming out with something offensive.
I mean what’s going on with your moral compass when you have to ask whether or not you should pick up your own litter??

Then again a BMW X6 driver on a gravel track forced me and my parents into the grass last weekend (parents both in mid-70’s). He sees me gesturing for him to ease off. ‘What;s your problem? ‘ me: ‘it would be nice to have some courtesy’ ‘it’s a road mate, get off it!’ and off he drives, my parents standing in the nettles so they don’t get run over.
No doubt he thinks I’m a prick… 😥

It’s very scary that the debate about being overweight has managed to get so complex, when the answer is very, very, very simple.

Eat healthily
Do exercise
Don’t be sedentary, avoid cars and a desk job as much as you can

I’m 40 next year and I’m one of the very few of my friends from childhood or uni who’s not overweight – and we’re talking intelligent and reasonably well-off people here – and they’re not really doing much about it… they all think I’m a bit mad for doing as much exercise as I do. It’s quite scary how even intelligent people are neglecting their health… it’s going to be a major cost on the NHS (Taxpayer dollar) and productivity which won’t exactly help us maintain our national wealth…

It’s the reality of corporate life… especially at the moment as so many people feel insecure about the future. And don’t forget it;s the people who feel insecure tend to play the games…

IME, small companies have a lot less of this stuff, much harder to play games and hide from doing real work, more of a family feel (and no all-day meetings!)

Personally I would get out, the company culture is clearly one which doesn’t match your values and you don’t want to behave in a way which the organisation defines as appropriate ie: play games.

I did a course on organisational savvy at my current place where we were told that doing your job forms only 10% of the factors that get you promoted. The other 90% was your image and your reputation (based on research at IBM apparently). I still can;t believe my own employer told me to play games for 90% of my time and do my job for the remaining 10%… go figure!

Having only recently gone into large corporate and lost my job over not understanding the political game, I would recommend these two books:

Dirty Tricks in the workplace

Power

Be aware of the games, stay out of them and remember life’s too short to waste it in the company of adults behaving like children…*

* unless we’re talking about grown men messing around on bikes with their mates at the weekend, that’s perfectly acceptable 🙂

Skydiving and BASE/wingsuit are really pushing the boundaries of what man is capable of right now. Wingsuits were only starting to be jumped around 10 years ago and already they have the knowledge and ability to do this. Be interesting to see what they’ve achieved in 10 years time…
I can’t think of another sport which is so progressive. Or takes quite such balls…

Dunno about prescription but Oakleys are top notch shades.
Most importantly their service is excellent and you may never need to buy another pair…
I had some Fives for 7 years and accidentally snapped one of the arms, asked for a replacement, they had none as they were an old model and gave me a 50% voucher for a new pair of Minutes… if they last for another 7 years I’ll have spent about £100 on top quality shades over 14 years

usually the centre of the lane.

I agree.
But it seems to annoy the drivers. and angry drivers aren’t safe drivers…

for me, being in primary means that it is impossible for the car to overtake without driving through you. If people are managing to do so, either you aren’t far enough out or you shouldn’t be in primary at that point

This is the nub of the issue – you’re right and it’s what we’re recommended to do. But drivers don’t know we’re doing it for our own (and their safety) – they think we’re ‘in the way’, being a PITA for the sake of it and it antagonises them (or at least they choose to let it antagonise them). So as soon as there’s any space to get past they do so, dangerously… IMO they drive too close to make a point…

because cars are so safe for the occupants that they don’t realise the danger they;re putting themselves in
+ general stupidity…

On my regular route there’s some straight-ish but twisty country roads which, being on a bike and higher I can see approaching cars round the other side of the bend. Cars behind don’t want to wait behind me and overtake on a blind bend. I wave to get them to hold back because I know there’s a car approaching on the other side of the bend. Makes no difference.

If they were a) not stupid, they wouldn’t overtake on a blind bend. If they b) felt any sensation of risk, they wouldn’t overtake on a blind bend.

Anyone who climbs knows you’re far more bold when you top rope or boulder with a big mat beneath you than you do if you’re leading. Same in a car – far more bold when you’re insulated from the risk.

One reason on my road bike downhill I don;t fully let the bike go is that the consequences of an off are horrible to contemplate but in a car I’d happily go 40+ mph. Brakes, seatbelt, airbags, big metal box etc make me feel safer

But few drivers have this self-awareness and therefore drive like fools… I wish they wouldn’t, it spoils the riding…

clubber knows what he’s talking about

Lots of time to ride your bike and do all the fun things you’ve been wanting to do for ages 🙂

Download in a few weeks.
Metallica Saturday night, Sabbath on Sunday 🙂

If you’re new to long road rides then your body and certain muscle groups are going to need to develop a bit.
I would recommend:
1. Core and flexibility work – yoga or get a personal trainer or physio to give you a routine. Core will support your upper body and also help your power
2. Get a bike fit session – make sure it’s all set up ok

So what’s wrong with running my tyres at 140psi then – I get the message – why is it worse than 120 or 100?

As a few say above, be aware of ANYTHING a driver might do and ride accordingly and make yourself as visible as possible, with as much margin for manoeuvre as you can…

I prefer to ride on the outside of a queue of traffic as I’m more likely to be spotted by the driver. But always take it easy so I can stop quickly

My BB30 on my Time carbon road frame is fine. Was loose for a while but the LBS fixed it. No probs over 2 years. Waaaay stiff 🙂

That Press Officer ought to be sacked for coming to entirely the wrong conclusion to a set of figures and releasing an inaccurate and irresponsible press release.

One of the things I like most about the internet is when idiots like her, James Martin, Addison Lee boss etc come out with ignorant and inflammatory guff, Carlton Reid, BC, CTC, Sustrans etc come at them publicly with sensible facts and figures and show them up for the manipulative ignoramuses they are.

Although it feels a bit like open season on cyclists sometimes, it does feel like we’re beginning to make some headway against the ignorance.

And when I drive in London Village, when I brake to stop at an amber I check my mirrors first, to make sure the driver behind me isn’t trying to get through the lights…

I had some Panaracer Rampage on 717s. Definitely come up with a narrower footprint compared to running them on 321s, and a little taller as a result.
Bike flipped out from underneath me once and I had my first ever ride in an ambulance with a broken scapula (shoulder blade)

Now I’m not going to blame the tyres for my own incompetence but the wheels did go out very fast and very suddenly which I’ve never experienced before or since (now running the same tyres on rims rated for 2.35s)…

and there is no increased danger at all.

Not to you maybe…

And as above, it engenders disrespect for cyclists in general. which means it increases the chances of the rest of us getting killed.
Thanks for that…

And don’t forget that should the worst happen and you cause an accident, then because you’ve just broken the law you’re likely to be found liable for the consequences and get sued for damages or sent to prison. Or have to live with someone dying or getting injured for the sake of your own convenience.
Your choice.

This is EXACTLY the kind of entitled attitude amongst drivers that’s killing cylists. I don’t see that behaving that way on a bike is an anyway more morally acceptable because of your choice of transport…

£26 not loads but it’s doable if you’re sensible and realistic.
London’s a great city and IME more chance of a job here than anywhere else in the UK right now.
A £750 in rent is loads. I have a whole 2 bed flat in Sydenham for £1000, and if I bought it the mortgage would be £800.
You can easily get a room in a shared house zone 3 or 4 for 5-600. won’t be a yuppie flat but will keep you out of debt. look at the less fashionable parts of SE london like Camberwell, Peckham, Denmark Hill, West Dulwich, Crystal Palace etc. Perfectly nice places if you get the right street but a lot cheaper than the trendy places cos you’re not paying the trendy/popularity premium that Clapham, Wimbledon generate…

If you jump red lights you’re increasing your chances of get killed.
Your choice I suppose.
And as above, it engenders disrespect for cyclists in general. which means it increases the chances of the rest of us getting killed.
Thanks for that… 😯

They’re pretty piss poor RLJers then

Exactly, the lights people jump tend to be when the road ahead is clear, which only happens some of the time.
Which is why they don’t actually make much better progress.
So, risk dying for what benefit exactly?

I see now’t wrong with it.

You should read Woppit’s other thread where he explains how he nearly died today jumping a red light. You may reconsider your view
Oh and technically there’s a lot wrong with it – it’s illegal

Maybe it’s worth thinking about how your friends and family will feel standing around at your funeral?

at least you’re man enough to admit your riding skills/judgement were poor and you’ve learnt something from the experience
Pity all the other RLJers don’t see your post.
What amuses me with the RLJers in London is I almost always catch up with them – there’s so many lights that you have to stop every 3 minutes anyway…

prices also stayed pretty level for most of the noughties so kind of just catching up

back in the day when I bought my first bike, steel rockhopper with rigid forks, cantis and cheese for chainrings was £400. You get way better than that for £400 now

but yes, top end prices seem to have gone silly. Which is fine, let the MAMILs overpay for top end kit while we get the mid-range at more sensible prices

never used one but if you need someone to talk to about your specific fitness goals and to give you a routine that works for what you want to achieve, and a motivation to do it regularly, I reckon it’s worth a go.

I reckon paying for it means you’re more likely to look after yourself re diet and beer too.

Get them to work on your core strength too – works wonders on your general wellbeing and hill-climbing/power on the bike

Depends where you live but Dulwich Paragon are very friendly and accessible.
Saturdays 8:45 from Herne Hill track

Fair play to him. And he’s actually pretty funny 🙂
Like anyone who’s prepared to stand by what he believes in (which takes more courage than most in his Establishment, future-king position) he’s been given a hard time. And he’s proven himself to be ahead of the curve on a lot of it too.
This is a great piece of PR cos he comes across as pretty down to earth tbh

Combination of:
Routes I already know
Signs
o/s maps chopped up so they fit nicely in a jersey pocket
Stopping to locate myself is a nice way to get a quick rest and enjoy the scenery
or, find a local club, they’ll know the best roads for riding

I don’t pour over the map tho, that would blur the ink

My Cotic Soul has done all of those things except the Alps.
I chose my Soul over the Five for Surrey Hills most days
PA is closest of those 2 to the Soul.
Maybe just hire a full suss when you go to the Alps?