Route advice needed for race against Tube

Nimhbus & RPM - stop fighting (or take it somewhere else), you're ruining my jubilant mood.

For what it's worth, the stupid GIF made me chuckle!

Someone asked for more info on the final mile: it wasn't a full blowout, more of a slow puncture that I tried my best to ignore. When I got into the traffic of Epping High Street I looked down at the rear tyre and it was pretty squashed, probably down to below 60psi. I just got up out of the saddle, far over the bars and free-wheeled it as much as possible.

The main worry was the final corner and short uphill stretch; I was really worried that turning left would roll the tyre off the rim, so I drifted it wide, got pointing straight up the hill and then threw caution to the wind. A few seconds of hard pedal strokes and I was there. To be honest, by that point I knew that I could carry the bike the last 300 metres or so.

It was a pretty great feeling.

As for the sweepstake boys: Well done Wayne, what a touch; Jonny, you are far too kind, sir; Hippy, shame on you - I had the advantage of not riding near a canal, so there was no chance of emulating 'le poisson' :-)

hehe, well done mash

Oh, and for those who like such things, some stats:

Total Distance - 22.32 miles

Cycling Time - 1h 11m 57s
ElapsedTime - 1h 14m ??s

Average Speed - 18.6 mph
Max Speed - 28.9 mph

The average is from the computer so is over the cycling time, stoppages not included. But, to have only about 3 mins stopped over the whole distance is pretty damn good, I reckon.

and for the tube...?

Congratulations. That's a good average time for hacking through traffic.

Your puncture reminded me of my first Dunwich Dynamo. I threw a slow puncture in the front five miles from the beach and was too tired to find it so I just pumped up as much as I could and rode leant way back to the end.

Perhaps we should organise a full series of tube line end to end races.

Challange TFL on regulary basis sounds like fun to me.

Mashton I fucking love you. You're a hero.

Awesome work Matt, and nice write up. I actually let out a cheer at the final sentence. Mashton - The cyclists champion!

btw - an average of 18.6mph through central London at 6pm is super quick. Well done.

Yeah 18.6 mph is fast. Well done.

Sorry mashton.. called it like I saw it. Central line is pretty fast if it's working and I thought you'd have far more difficulty in central lundun than you did. (I would've anyway.. maybe it's a west thing? :)).

Well done, Mashton! Glad to hear you won :)

congrats, always nice to see the tfl beaten.

Classic thread that deserves a bump and is worth reading from beginning to end. Thanks to illy for pointing it out to me. And well done both!

Heh, awesome. Thanks for bumping Oliver.

But did he win the poker as well?

This makes me want to ride. Awesome.

quality threading...

We should definitely organise another race like this.

Heh, awesome. Thanks for bumping Oliver.

But did he win the poker as well?

I sure did :-)

We should definitely organise another race like this.

What was great about this was that it just come out of a throwaway comment at work. Not so much organised as organicised!

That was the best thread ever, it was like watching a holliwood production where everyones routing for the underdog. So glad you won it, and hats of to your mate for giving it a go. I'm sitting in the library and now feeling really exited about my ride home. Anyone wnat to race me?

where everyones routing for the underdog.

Nice pun.

Cheers for the bump Oliver that read has brightened up my afternoon

I sure did :-)

Only in your eyes, because it was strip poker, and you like to get naked.

That was a great read ;-)

I've got a very similar race now getting to Velocio's office in 14 minutes time. Me on the bike, Harry the designer on the tube as he left his bike at home. As I did Bethnal Green to Chiswick in 45 minutes this morning I think I will win.

Great thread, great read.