Search results for:

Yeah it's interesting, I don't really know what's going on with them atm. It would be a shame if doping was involved, I already think they're kinda cheating by doing so much training and not turning up hungover to races.

I'm no huge RPR fanboy but I've seen the way they train and race for the last few years (coincidentally I was at one of Arlen's first cat 4 races - he was ludicrously strong). The intensity at which they ride is perfectly suited to making large gains very quickly provided you can keep up the workload. Tom Percival's blog is a good insight into just how much work some of those guys are doing.

I think he may still have the fastest known Regent's solo lap, something like 5.35.

Edit: Bit of fact-checking reveals RPR riders have gone faster than this since then, impressive!

Sorry nothing personal, I just don't need the low gears to get my short-ass legs up the hills

Yeah maybe I should just bite the bullet, I've already got it on another bike and £470 is still value on a really good groupset. I'm worried that if I hold out too long for the bargain I'll end up with 175mm cranks, 32 cassette and a giant rear mech.

Ultegra 6800 is currently going for £470 online. Does anyone have a feeling that it's going to get any cheaper or is this as low as it goes until stock clears?

.

There's been a few of these on BBC recently, I wonder if it's some misguided style guide that attempts to not blame the driver before a verdict. This one really stuck in my throat as the driver is only mentioned as if the car somehow got them too:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-42645601

FWIW I reconned the Hardriders course this afternoon. As @skinny says there's no rain forecast but the first half is currently pretty damp and there's standing water at the bottom of Newgate St, all down Cucumber lane and a few bits elsewhere. It was fine today but fingers crossed it doesn't freeze Saturday night. Aside from the water watch out for the turning off White Stubbs lane to Pembridge lane: the road is an absolute state, gravel and potholes all over the place.

Nah, last night (Monday) unfortunately. Thanks for the tip though.

Glad the general consensus isn't "man up"! It's the unpredictability of the forecast that's annoying. If it was definitely icey then I wouldn't ride. Problem is: what if there's only a few patches of frost or icey puddles? I could take the winter bike with clip ons and 28s inflated to 60psi just to go round relatively safely or commit to full TT setup. Probably best to wait until Saturday night before making a decision in any case.

What's the recommended bike/tyre choice for a 0°C TT? I'm off at 8.42 and I'm not particularly keen on writing off the TT bike on ice.

A mate has just had his BMC GF01 stolen near London Fields (in the last hour). Looks like an opportunity job so please have a look out for an abandoned one in that area or being ridden by some ne'er do well.

Didn't have the panniers on but the bright red seatpost clamp is fairly distinctive. It’s got a mixed bag of components as well: Sram red shifters and front mech, apex rear mech, 105 cranks and stages pm.

The Las Machucos stage he struggled on in the Vuelta was 180.5km and Denifl won it at an average speed of 37.5 kilometres per hour. Even motorpacing, it would've been a tough ride.

Apparently he hasn't done a test yet but now this:

Just listening to last week's Cycling Podcast where a reader's letter sets out precisely this theory. Can't believe I didn't even think of it, seems very plausible.

Good use of the Bayeux tapestry app by CheapPanini on twitter

I found the whole Rumšas section a bit uncomfortable. Aside from the bizarre comparison with Varnish, he and his wife seemed to be portrayed as lovable rogues from an Ealing comedy. The recent fate of his two sons (who he coached) would suggest otherwise.

This is presumably based on the reasoning that cyclists slow down drivers (by menacing them?) and their cars become less efficient, producing higher emissions as a result.

It's revealing that those who are causing the pollution have at least moved on from denial to anger, maybe they'll eventually reach acceptance.

Genuine lol.

By my (very limited) calculations, at that speed you are effectively a tomahawk cruise missile. You hit the car killing a few people, cause moderate property damage and disrupt traffic in the area for a couple of weeks.

Pop quiz - a 4x4 stops at a zebra crossing in front of you, do you:

a) Wait behind them. Although you can't see any peds past the oversized vehicle, there's bound to be one and nobody is waiting to cross so it's only gonna be a couple of seconds.
b) You were scanning the road hundreds of metres ahead waiting for your opportunity to pass the car. Having seen the pedestrian step out you see your chance. Computing their trajectory enables you to filter past on the correct side of the car at speed.
c) You are travelling at 15kmph - already on the limit of your fitness, handling abilities and the stopping distance of your poorly maintained bike. No way are you slowing down like the stupid car in front, what possible reason could they have for doing that anyway? You pick a side of the car at random, flop your bike in that direction without looking over your shoulder and hope for the best.

How did you fare:
a) Well done, you win a commuter medal and live to ride home.
b) Congratulations, you are a road warrior, mamils in hi-viz want to be you.
c) Commiserations, you are every nodder on my commute.

Might have to start avoiding "CS"1, so many commuter lemmings this morning, spent most of my time wincing at near misses. Too many cars on the school run as well of course.

I believe Britten's War Requiem was premiered in the new cathedral, is that cultural enough?

FWIW I got a BT Openreach guy told off after I contacted BT about how badly he was driving up Barnsbury Rd. What really annoys me is that whenever a driver overtakes you dangerously at the south end you always catch them at the chicane.

Hadn't had any problems with ebikes until I almost got collected this evening by some wannabe derny rider trying to shoot a non-existent gap between me and a bus. Seemed like the behaviour of a promuter but done at the speed of a motorcyclist.

New fangled contraptions/10