Commutopia

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

I spotted said young Welshman on the way BACK to Croydon at Coulsdon , so I think he'd done more than 1/2 mile

[huw williams]

Early morning training - it's no good for you - don't do it

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

OK coach

[Andrew G]

[quote="mrP(Boonen)VT"]I spotted said [size=150]young Welshman [/size]on the way BACK to Croydon at Coulsdon , so I think he'd done more than 1/2 mile

[huw williams]

It is if you've gone via Box Hill - which doesn't tend to be affected by rush hour strangely enough

[kieran]

what!! croydon - box hill - croydon in the morning prior to work as training!! pity the poor guys you'll be coaching.

[huw williams]

Then there's the lunchtime session after that of course - gotta keep it real if we're going to get an ACC rider on the podium in 2012

[Bo-Gilly]

The last two weeks for the first time in my life, I've been commuting to work (South Croydon to Pimlico) A couple of things surprised me. Firstly I was genuinely shocked by the conditions of the road surfaces - when I lived as a child in inner-London, Britain was still a social democracy, and as a consequence of government funding, roads were maintained to a considerably higher standard than the average for a third world country. I really didn't expect all the challenges associated with off-road cycling

The other thing which shocked and surprised me, was arrogance and complete disregard for other road users, including other cyclists, by a minority of cyclists. On one occasion I had to brake and swerve at a cross junction to avoid another cyclist who jumped the lights - and he did so after making eye contact with me, in the same way as some drivers pull out after they have clearly seen you.

How I wish that I had seen some nicked by the old bill. And how I'm stunned (and pleased) that I didn't see some very nasty accidents.

Amongst other things which I noticed is the fact that I had expected the ride home after spending the day doing heavy manual work on a building site, to be much more tedious than the ride to work.....far from it ! I really enjoyed the admittedly, easy paced ride home

I also found the Vauxhall one way system and surprising, Wellesley Road Croydon, to be the scariest bits of my journey.

[Michelle]

Yeah, chicks rule!

[Snoop Doug]

They sure do Michelle, they sure do.

Anyhoo, today's Commutopia was a game of two halves. Morning, good fun, felt I got held up by more than my fair share of red lights and the kind lady passenger who disembarked from her motor transport on the Elephant & Castle roundabout gave me a bit of a fright, woaaahhh there, easy tiger.

Evening, I can't recall being out in such a swirling wind, it was blowing me all over the place. Computer says 20mph SW - me no like. I took it somewhat easy on the way back - hit every light going on red, grrrrrr. Also - the bike has developed quite a creaky sound in the stem/steering tube area. Is there anything a mechanical eejit like me might attempt to investigate.....?

On the train tomorrow and wfh Friday. Praying that new bike build will be complete for the SCCU 25 - though I think times will be poor if weather forecasts are accurate.

Laters

Snoop

PS - found a place right near work that launders and irons shirts, £2.20 a pop, nae bad eh...?

[Grahame]

Snoops, for the creak try just tweeking the bolts holding the stem onto the steerer and the bars to the stem just a little tighter.

They should be either 5mm or 6mm alen bolts, and if they tighten at all easily, there's the source of your creak.

[Andrew G]

[quote="Grahame"]Snoops, for the creak try just tweeking the bolts holding the stem onto the steerer and the bars to the stem just a little tighter.

They should be either 5mm or 6mm alen bolts, and if they tighten at all easily, there's the source of your creak.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]however the ride back was most agreeable as I managed for three thirds of the mighty col du fontaine to wheelsuck in a manner of which Ajay would be rightly proud the wheel of one of the Agisko Viner's Ladies team Crikey she could shift and it took all I had to bravely hang in there till she tired of the hard and laboured breathing to hit the turbo switch and leave me for dead. At least it helped my get up the col that wee bit faster.
S.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote="Sean Hogan - 何祥"]Well it was nice whilst it lasted.

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

We were in a pace line doing through and off and I was behind her (anyone know her name?) and she went through so hard that I couldn't get past to do my turn