The Richmond Park 3-Lap Challenge

Yes they (plus whoever is in the park) can see the cyclists with a strong front light from safe distance.

Even in the trees and curves of broomfield hill? (The one between Kingston and Robin Hood)

But whatever, I've ridden through the park with no lights and my glasses fogged up and more recently so drunk my only recollection is falling over near ham gate, so I'm not the best person to take safety advice from :)

But I would recommend others have lights just I case they cross my path :)

All I am saying is once its dark and when they close gates for traffic; both lights should be in steady mode with rear one on the least power mode as possible; if the light doesn't have power modes the strong front steady light will make you visible for cyclists or anyone else approaching from rear.

Blinking high power rear lights are the worst for visibility for other cyclists.

In pitch black I use Exposure Diablo in mid power mode and tracer in lowest power mode; both steady.

I never think to change my rear light to steady in Richmond Park, but I tend to arrive at about 8pm so there aren't so many people around anyway.
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Blinking high power rear lights are the worst for visibility for other cyclists.

Only when they are sitting on your wheel...

I was first time in Richmond Park last month, did an anticlockwise circle on my single speed bike in about 21 minutes. Here is some video
http://youtu.be/lr4psKI50RI

Not sure if it's a good or a bad result but could do 2-3 minutes faster if there were no cars

Some fucking shocking cycling at 3.30. Jesus Christ.

Fenton?

Oh my.

@JB

Same guy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Apt9Klll82U

3.41!

😐

Well you can't blame him there. That was the van.
2 way road, slow traffic. Filter up is standard. The van just didn't look or indicate until already moving out.

But the roundabout undertake into car at 3:35 in original video is terrible.

Unnecessary overtaking of a van with little room to spare, what could go wrong?

That's one of the reasons why I stopped doing RP laps. If you're trying to go fast then the incentive is to overtake cars or vans when it's a bit tight or there isn't enough space, just so you can say that you did a 'fast' lap or laps. That's fucking dumb.

^ Same here. I just go and do laps. If a car or scooter has the temerity to "drive so slow" (probably somewhere at or near the proscribed limit maybe, quelle horreur) then I just have to live with it, trying to blast my way through will eventually only end up badly for me.

If you want to do fast RP laps then you've two options:
a) Wait until summer and sunrise is before 5am and get in there early, far less traffic at those times
b) Fit some good lights and use the park after dark when there are no cars (mind the joggers and the wildlife though).

Video shows so quite a few examples of poor decisions:

• Close overtakes of other cyclists (not everyone is used to group riding and close overtakes) 1:08 for example
  
• Undertaking cars (although on the approach to some of the car parks this is sometimes the least worst option, but not at those speeds)
  
• The Kingston Gate roundabout approach. Luckily Kingston Hospital is only a few hundred yards away.
  
• The Robin Hood Gate roundabout approach. Undertaking between a car and a pony at the side of the road. Nice work. All you need to do is startle that pony and a small child gets thrown to the ground (Won't someone think of the children!). Give animals more space than that when passing them.
  

You guys do laps with traffic? noobs ..

I do some training laps in richmond park and I LOVE it when traffic interrupts otherwise its just too easy ..

3 laps challenge is spring/summer after work stuff .. esp early spring when the park shuts for traffic

That video...euuugh sort your riding out. Please.

Many thanks for your advices. I'll do my best not to do the same mistakes again

that's embarrassing, why would you upload that?

But please don't tell me that you never undertake slow moving cars, or never overtake a cyclist a bit close because another cyclist overtakes you at the same time and you try to keep distance from both of them, or never ride between two sided traffic when there is so much room that a third car could drive through, or never undertake or overtake a car at roundabout which over hasitates, or never filter a stationary traffic on the right side when the cue is so long you have to wait at list 3 green lights...
please, if I was thinking what if this, what if that I would probably never get out of home again

Navar hasitate, navar sarrendar

The situation with pony. Yes I admit you can startle it very easy but it's mostly the man who bought the pony so close to the side of the road with lots of cars and bicyclists should think about it not only me. Yes, there's my fault as well. So what if pony got starteled from the car in front of me, turn around snd hit me? I would be under the wheels of the car behind me. Road is a dangerous place so you can't prevent everything. So tell me dear @Greenbank how many mistakes and accidants have you had in your experience?

So you do it because everyone else did it?

And yes and no.
Yes, because all of us do, most of that what I've done in the videos above, when we think it is safe to do so.
No, because there are some things you dont need to try to understand that it's not safe to do.
And sometimes we do mistakes, we think it is safe but it's actually not.