The daily "I cycled to work" thread

[Highway Star]

Highway Star said:

Got nicely soaked this morning, but the rain helped me beat my best time for the ride by 3 minutes!

And back home was 3 minutes quicker too. Still peeing it down and on muddy back roads, did a passable impression of a Paris-Roubaix rider by the time I got home. Glad I was on my MTB though.

[Kermit power]

You guys were seriously setting your fastest times in the wet?

I don't like going over around 17-18mph in this weather - my stopping distances just increase too much for me to feel safe on the A3/A24 at anything higher.

[Highway Star]

Kermit power said:

You guys were seriously setting your fastest times in the wet?

Yeah, but my bar is set pretty low!

[stongle]

Kermit power said:

You guys were seriously setting your fastest times in the wet?

I don't like going over around 17-18mph in this weather - my stopping distances just increase too much for me to feel safe on the A3/A24 at anything higher.

This for sure. Not sure whats worse descending at 45+ or riding the breaks down a hill in the wet.

Still, I decided this morning that Rule 5 dictates more hill climbing (Haywards Heath Howler is nearly here), so ended up covering both Rules 5&9 at the same time. Took me an extra 15 mins to get out the house trying to get tose sodding boot socks on.

[Gizmoish]

Highway Star said:

Kermit power said:

You guys were seriously setting your fastest times in the wet?

Yeah, but my bar is set pretty low!

Same here: average just under 25kph. PRs on two long segments, plus a joint first on another when I wasn't trying... Max speed 63.5kph (Plus or minus Strava GPS optimism).
http://app.strava.com/rides/12303886

[SkinnyBoy]

Due to the gruesome weather we have had recently I took the opportunity and break in the conditions to ride in yesterday. On the way home, I was stopped at some traffic lights when I had a chorus of tramps clapping in time whilst singing "Tour de France, Tour de France" at me! They finished off with "caaaaaaaaaahnt" Which was nice!

[wotnot]

Got my first 100 mile sportive on Sunday so am trying to mould myself to the saddle of my new road bike. As a result I have been riding to work every day on it no matter what the weather (breaks my heart to see it in its current state) and have discovered a terrible secret - road bike brakes don't work in the wet.
I had no idea that having charged down a very wet hill (on /23 slicks) that pulling on the brakes would do very little to slow down my not insignificant speed! Luckily, I eventually slowed down enough to allow the lights to change and the rapidly approaching Ford Transit to pull away.
Lesson learned and now much more circumspect on hills.

Be glad when Sunday has passed and I can revert to MTB or ride-to-work hybrid on days like this!

[anonymous-user]

wotnot said:

have discovered a terrible secret - road bike brakes don't work in the wet.

Very true. It's up there with "tyres don't work very well on wet ironworks".

I tend to take it very easy in the wet these days. Age certainly doesn't speed up the healing process.

[Gizmoish]

Brakes on mine seem to work OK. Put it this way, it's tyre grip that's the limiting factor, wet or dry - which is what you want.

Had a very strange occurrence this morning. Stopped at a set of lights in Leytonstone, some random bloke (in his 40s, average build) walks up to me holding some sort of flyer/catalogue with bikes in it. Asked my opinion on which he should buy - a Mekk Poggio carbon roadie for 999 or a Specialized Sirrus Elite for 800. Told me he could get a good discount on either (maybe CTW). Didn't know what to say and the lights were turning so recommended the Sirrus given his non-sporty build. Weird though.

Also, at a different set of lights - seem to have caused great offence to some nork in a Volvo C70 by using the ASZ in front of him. He blazed past, and got stopped at the next set of lights, so I asked him if he was in a hurry... didn't see him again as he got caught by a queue of traffic. Shame that.

[Kermit power]

Greg66 said:

wotnot said:

have discovered a terrible secret - road bike brakes don't work in the wet.

Very true. It's up there with "tyres don't work very well on wet ironworks".

I tend to take it very easy in the wet these days. Age certainly doesn't speed up the healing process.

Along with the nice, shiny, low resistance blue paint they've chosen for CS7! Fortunately they've had the foresight to change the surface before downhill junctions, but you're potentially stuffed if you have to hit the brakes at any other time.

[AyBee]

Kermit power said:

Along with the nice, shiny, low resistance blue paint they've chosen for CS7! Fortunately they've had the foresight to change the surface before downhill junctions, but you're potentially stuffed if you have to hit the brakes at any other time.

I've always wondered about this...smacks perfectly of a cycle lane designed by wannabe cyclists who don't have a clue. I suppose Boris on his fat-tyred bikes doesn't go very quickly.

[okgo]

I set my record in April it would seem, don't think I've done one near that speed for quite some time - http://app.strava.com/rides/7017143#

I do get tired of the commuting doing that journey each day, 4 days a week, it saves me a fortune but its wearing and I do enjoy getting the train when I do.

[Kermit power]

AyBee said:

Kermit power said:

Along with the nice, shiny, low resistance blue paint they've chosen for CS7! Fortunately they've had the foresight to change the surface before downhill junctions, but you're potentially stuffed if you have to hit the brakes at any other time.

I've always wondered about this...smacks perfectly of a cycle lane designed by wannabe cyclists who don't have a clue. I suppose Boris on his fat-tyred bikes doesn't go very quickly.

I think it's more a case of being designed by a fair weather cyclist!

When it is nice and dry, I do find I can crack along at a noticeably faster rate on the smooth stuff as the drag is significantly lower. In the areas where you're most likely to need to brake, you get the draggier surface. All good until the rain starts!

[Rolls]

Have been riding a lot recently in prep for going to the alps in a week, and today rode home via my folks.. Had a guy sitting on my wheel up one of the hills, and for a good couple of miles into the wind after.. Was absolutely shocked to have the guy say thanks for the tow!! (and expected him to come past at some point, but evidently the riding is working)

[Jimbo.]

I have the bike and the panniers, but Jesus H. Christ will this friggin' rain stop?! I'm well versed in Rule 9, but the last thing I want to be doing right now is turning up to work piss wet through. Not for the first few days, anyway.

[fromage]

Best commute: http://app.strava.com/rides/2630163

Had about 10-15 commutes averaging over 20mph but none in the last 6 months. I tend to find saving myself for chain gangs/training rides and racing now and lucky if I average 18mph and have too started to find the commute pretty boring compared to 6-12months ago.

[Gargamel]

Well, thought I would take advantage of a dry morning for a blast into work, No glory to be had though, 1.04mins – which is pretty much where I am stuck, I was really pushing though so was a bit disappointed, I will put it down to the wind, which was reasonably strong.

Also had a bit of an incident, at one point on my ride there is a fast A road, where I am usually up and around 20mph, but the road has quite a narrow 90 degree left turn, A fairly nervous driver got up alongside my rear wheel, clearly couldn’t decide whether to overtake or not, just as I am heading into the corner they come past.

It’s a blind 90 degree corner, with double whites, funnily enough there is traffic the other way so she takes the racing line across the corner , clips the hedge on the inside…right where I would have been if I hadn’t stuffed the brakes on very hard…. dear lord where do this people learn to drive….

Hey, I survive to try again another day.

[AyBee]

Gargamel said:

Well, thought I would take advantage of a dry morning for a blast into work, No glory to be had though, 1.04mins – which is pretty much where I am stuck, I was really pushing though so was a bit disappointed, I will put it down to the wind, which was reasonably strong.

Also had a bit of an incident, at one point on my ride there is a fast A road, where I am usually up and around 20mph, but the road has quite a narrow 90 degree left turn, A fairly nervous driver got up alongside my rear wheel, clearly couldn’t decide whether to overtake or not, just as I am heading into the corner they come past.

It’s a blind 90 degree corner, with double whites, funnily enough there is traffic the other way so she takes the racing line across the corner , clips the hedge on the inside…right where I would have been if I hadn’t stuffed the brakes on very hard…. dear lord where do this people learn to drive….

Hey, I survive to try again another day.

A strategic wobble works when someone undecisive is on your rear wheel Nothing worse than someone who can't decide what they want to do.

[JQ]

I go over a railway bridge on my commute which is short, steep and hump backed. It's double white lines all the way with no pavement just hefty trees to the side of the road. There's not enough room for a legal overtake and the overtaking car can't see over the bridge so it would be a totally blind overtake. Without fail, if I sit to the left of the carriage 70% of cars will try an overtake, and on 25% of those occassions there will be a car coming the other way. I now sit across to the right of the carriageway to discourage an overtake, although it's only a distance of 25m so no great hardship for the car drivers to wait. I've still had a couple of people go for the overtake fully on the wrong side of the road, completely over the double white lines approaching a blind hump.

[Eddh]

I cycled in today. Almost caused an accident too

My water bottle fell out of its holder and onto the floor. Without thinking I jammed my brakes on and stopped... there were around 3-4 people coming up behind me and almost crashed into me (cyclists).

Stupid on my part but it was early and I had a bit of a thick head!