Just for fun, have a guess what my London to Brighton bike ride time will be today. My hope is to be under 4 hours 30. Just a number I have put out there. So feel free to guess away, and lets see who was then closest at the end.
Hopefully you can follow me on Glympse when I finally get going. The feed is a bit dull at the moment as I am at home.
Start is 9am from Clapham.
Will reset the Glympse with a new link when I get started as it seems the updated remaining time doesn’t come through.
Pauline
19 Jun '16
Best of luck today Michael
anon5422159
19 Jun '16
I’m going for 2 hours. Don’t let me down @anon64893700. The whole forum is watching in anticipation!
Best of luck mate.
Pauline
19 Jun '16
Enjoy Chris
Was good to see you yesterday BTW
anon5422159
19 Jun '16
Sorry I didnt stop and chat properly - but @Sugar_Mountain was v busy and I didn’t want to get between any kids and their sweets! Hope to catch up properly soon.
Pauline
19 Jun '16
No worries, we’ll catch up properly soon
anon64893700
19 Jun '16
Lol 2 hours!
Pauline
19 Jun '16
Come on Michael, tell us how you got on today
clausy
19 Jun '16
Err … 3 hours and 53 minutes?
Pauline
19 Jun '16
YAY, well done x
anon64893700
19 Jun '16
Haha cheat @clausy
But yes, there you have it @Pauline
Fun day for sure.
clausy
19 Jun '16
Haha, maybe. Well done. See you for Ride100
anon64893700
19 Jun '16
Oh cool, are you doing it then! That’s brilliant to know. Hopefully see you somewhere along the way.
RachaelDunlop
21 Jun '16
MAMIL - Middle Aged Man in Lycra. Although @anon64893700 is obviously too young to be described as such.
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
I don’t need an excuse, I have a blog all about them haha.
Wait til you tumble, you will see there is no way you do it on purpose, especially in public, on tarmac, in shorts, clipped in !
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
Label me any way you want @RachaelDunlop all names apply when it comes to me. I am not afraid of being pigeon holed.
As for the attire, if it suits the purpose, go for it I say. Took me a long time to get there.
Londondrz
21 Jun '16
Funny, I was going to post and ask you about that. I understand the need for lycra when doing a ride of that sort but was curious why the old giffer in full Team Sky gear would wobble up to me standing at a pedestrian light on his carbon fiber bike and fall gracelessly onto me as his clip ons refused to undo. This was a Tuesday morning in rush hour on Canon Street. Do you need full lycra mode to commute these days. I didnt when I cycled to work. Have the rules changed?
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
Good question.
First up, in general I prefer rides of 20 miles and more. Makes it worth the effort of getting all the gear on in the first place. So can’t comment for 10 mile (or less) commutes. That said, its comfortable to wear when riding, but not so sure I would want to rock up at work in it all.
Now now, don’t be a carbon hater, nothing wrong with a nice carbon bike
Can’t bring myself to wear a complete brand outfit though. Practicality over image for me every time.
The capsizing of the rider I can sympathise with thought, it’s not nice when you just go. lol (but is quite funny)
Londondrz
21 Jun '16
I did feel quite bad for him, lying there like an injured tortoise, little legs not going anywhere and still struggling to unclip. I looked down and asked if he was OK. His response was a classic “I am fine, happens all the time”.
comoed
21 Jun '16
Id say that you dont really - however because its lightweight and breathable and quite comfy, I wear a lycra top and baggy shorts (so I can carry work entry pass, keys etc etc). If I lived in Nunhead, I probably wouldn’t bother - but to the city from Forest Hill is just far enough to work up a sweat, and if you’re going to change clothes anyway, might as well use something that was specifically designed for the purpose.
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
Sounds like me then lol
Londondrz
21 Jun '16
It just looked a bit odd. As an ex motorcyclist it would like me wearing full Rossi gear and a race bike to commute the 6.7 miles to me office. Granted he may have cycled in from Brighton
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
Yeah I must say I wear baggy shorts over my cycling shorts, just for a couple of pockets and a touch of dignity lol.
But that said, as I say, I wouldn’t commute as such, so in general I just wear what I need to for the ride itself.
Slightly different matter when on the MTB
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
I see many many people like that daily, and trying to ride like them too. lol
Londondrz
21 Jun '16
I resisted, it was bad enough that I looked like a black Michelin Man in my leathers without having to go full Rossi. I did have a loud exhaust for iPod users though. And I rode like my granny.
RachaelDunlop
21 Jun '16
The whole MAMIL and female equivalent (MAWIL) thing actually made me a bit cross when it was coined a few years ago. The papers thought it was hilarious. I used to never wear my gym clothes to drop off the kids, too self conscious about people judging me unworthy of sportswear. Now - I couldn’t care less. One of the best things about getting older is caring less and less about what strangers think of me.
anon64893700
21 Jun '16
Ditto… Couldn’t agree more. I go out in a horrendous state some mornings. #CosICan
Londondrz
21 Jun '16
My other half and kids choose to walk behind or in front of me these days, random strangers press money into my hands and wish me well. Scruffy, dont care
Pauline
10 Jul '16
Oh Sunday Funday
It is for me this evening!
Very rarely do I have.a Sunday evening to myself without kids & dog, but I have tonight & it’s my day off tomorrow
So no cooking for me, it’s take away & a lay in tomorrow, catching up on social media stuff, fluffy socks & jammies & housework can wait till tomorrow
anon5422159
10 Jul '16
Sunday Funday for me involved a trip to Fred’s in Crofton Park to meet the owner and discuss an exciting new community project for SE4 (can you guess what it might be…?)
And then a trip to B&Q where I bumped into @Londondrz and his wife. Nice surprise! Got some trellis and fitted it, much to the delight of our resident robin:
