2013-06-08 London Nocturne

Were fast riders not allowed to enter the Track Bike Crit then? Wish I could have made this, I'd like to know how I'd get on in that sort of thing.

It's pretty much an open invitation, so next year, get involved!

I took part in the urban cyclocross on my purple cross check with cream fat franks

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HfpukrbgoE4/UaS0C1wddkI/AAAAAAAAPuQ/KjQUVFLZKnc/w1521-h1018-no/DSC_2568.JPG

would love it if anyone got any photos of me, was wearing green t-shirt and jeans and white helmet. Won't get my hopes up though as it was first event and there weren't loads of people around.

There were some great people involved, that penguin was pretty fast, by all accounts the people who won were semi pros or retired triathletes, which wasn't really in the spirit of the race, they apparently completed the 10 laps while everyone else did 7. I got a flat in the 3rd lap but it was still fun. I have a mystery hole in my jeans and a graze on my heel, probably self inflicted.

Might inspire me to do a bit of cyclocross though, not sure if I've got the energy though.

Thanks for the support everyone. It was an amazing experience to be racing at such an event.

Did anyone see the penny crash? Everyone walked away, though there as some blood and a big wheel died - Penny farthing crash at the 2013 London nocturne, rear facing on bike camera. - YouTube

Saw it? I just missed it by a inch (that's me in the red Rapha jersey)! The guy in front of me rode straight-over the downed penny. The chap who crashed needed a few stiches - and a new wheel:

thanks Erik!

cheers!
always nice with an opportunity to shoot something else than essex lanes

Dam, that looks like an expensive wheel re-build

anyone any photos of me in the urban cyclocross? See above message

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2013/jun/10/penny-farthings-making-comeback

Might inspire me to do a bit of cyclocross though, not sure if I've got the energy though.

Do it! >>>>> http://www.summerseries.co.uk/

...... by all accounts the people who won were semi pros or retired triathletes, which wasn't really in the spirit of the race, they apparently completed the 10 laps while everyone else did 7. .

I did that race, too. Came 3rd, which was a massive shock to me. I can reassure you that I am in no way semi-pro and have never done any tri. I remember your bike - pretty nice. Mine was my normal SS commuter 'modified' by taking off the bracket for the child seat.

The guy who came second was a medical student. The winner was a german guy from a bike shop in Berlin.

The race was shortened to 9 laps I think. It certainly finished earlier than I was expecting.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/bike-blog/2013/jun/10/penny-farthings-making-comeback

"Penny farthings are the original fixies, you can't easily stop pedalling."

Really?

As long as the wheel is turning you have to keep going :-) but "fixies"? There's no drive.

I took part in the urban cyclocross on my purple cross check with cream fat franks

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HfpukrbgoE4/UaS0C1wddkI/AAAAAAAAPuQ/KjQUVFLZKnc/w1521-h1018-no/DSC_2568.JPG

I tried to enter when I realised what that race was about, and there was a lot of other amateur's on ropey bikes entering too. But they wouldn't let me, need to pre register or something. Looked Like I would have placed ahead of at least 3 people, which for me would have been glorious. Wonder if it will be more competitive next year?

ah, some of the more bitter losers must have been spreading false rumours about their fellow competitors in the urban cyclocross. Still it was a laugh

Those shoes... Irregular Choice?

Yes indeed. I wasn't wearing them for the race though. The men's shoe is Jeffrey West.

Thanks for all the support during to cross race. I'm pretty sure I got DASed a couple of times during the race. Nocturne is always a great day out!

I thought the traffic lights were nonsense, completely against the spirit of cyclocross to force someone to stop during a race. Needed more tequila shortcut and mud.

I noticed someone in the cross race who has placed top 20 in the nationals, definitely more than a rumour

Yeah the cross race was a bit of a farce - too much Lycra, not enough obstacles, tequila or fun. Embarrassed for the guy in the team kit who won it - obviously didn't get the message.

Anyway next year, should they want to run it again, maybe they could

Do a 'proper' UCX race - get some pros in and make it a 'race' rather than the one-thing-nor-the-other that it was
Go completely the other way and make it fancy dress with more obstacles and more fun, or
Make it a kids race - plenty of under 16s race cross - it would be great to give them a slot and I think the crowd would really get it.

I noticed someone in the cross race who has placed top 20 in the nationals, definitely more than a rumour

does that merit disqualification - as the Urban Cyclocross was supposed to be for people without a racing licence!

as for those jumps - hmmmm, i get about (urban) town perfectly fine with straps on - without having to get off my bicycle every quarter of a mile to jump over a mini wall!

was hoping for obstacles more commonly encountered in the urbanscape,

• youths throwing eggs perhaps (as has happened on Queensbridge Road, by Haggerston Park once or twice), could have been fluffy ones for the Nocturne!

• a gaggle of youths on BMX / slack-chained mountain bikes (often seen about Hackney - requires slowing at the very least)

• speed bumps of various sorts (the worst being the square sort - seen far too many of these on the London Cycle Network route from London Fields to Angel) - could have taken the form of mini wooden ramps

• cars turning (or stopping to park) without first indicating that they're going to do so! (particularly annoying - often occurring on quiet residential roads) - could have used a mini-car electric vehicle style thingie with cushioning strapped to the back!

sure there are others..

Pedestrians with prams a la battleship Potemkin?

Go completely the other way and make it fancy dress with more obstacles and more fun

gets my vote!

More taxis doing U turns and suicidal peds.

Random fluoro nodders swerving randomly around the course?

I'd volunteer to do that.

Everyday London commute obstacles gets my vote:

UFOs and submarines playing chess in the middle of the course with unicorn jousting on the back straight?

Dinosaurs!!!!

And I don't mean those poor souls afflicted with T Rex Syndrome!

Embarrassed for the guy in the team kit who won it - obviously didn't get the message.

Boy was taking that shit way too serious. When he inevitably lapped me he was shouting at me to get out of his way. I'm in fancy dress riding a 15kg bike with hub gears. How fast do you think I can move?

Go completely the other way and make it fancy dress with more obstacles and more fun

I reckon this will be the plan.

Basically needs to be more like Total Wipeout.

^ agreed.

The traffic light thing was an error. Needs more amusing obstacles and handicapping system accounting for apparent seriouness of entrant.

You turn up dressed as penguin - go right ahead, sir.
You turn up on BMX - 30 seconds penalty.
You turn up in team lycra - sorry sir, please wait here at the start for 10 minutes.

And a juniors race.