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The whole of Brewer St was one big oh shit moment when I rode down it today around 2oclock. Stupid peds, 5 separate incidents of literally millimetric near-misses, dunno how I made it through. I fear for the future of the human race.

Nice cessenger/courier chap at Westminster stood next to a yellow 853 Islabikes brakeless track lo-pro. Used to be my bike so I stopped for a chat!!!

Offered to buy it back from him (is way too big for him!) but the guy who'd had it off me in between had really put the price up when he sold it on and now I can't justify it. le sigh. At least it is being ridden like a bosss every day.

\coolstarrybra

Yo dude that was me. It aint too big for me, I dont stretch as I ride it, put it that way! The seat post was seized when George rode it and me n him are the same height. When I first rode it it fit me like a snug glove. Good to meet ya dude, and to get a bit more history of my bike. Told George and he remembered you!

Regarding price, as the whole world knows everything has gone up, except my fuckin wages (theres a cliched courier reply!). Book more cash jobs people!!

I'll probably sell it for £500 to a nex man when my knees give up.

Nice to meet you again dude.

Regarding spotted, I've seen the same gorgeous white brunette girl riding a purple-wheeled (rear spoke carded out) fixie down picadilly around 1pm (east-west direction) - your hot as hell and ride super fast. You were in white top and shorts yeasterday and jeans today. I hope I get sent to the Dilly again tomorrow at 1pm just to make it 3 in a row. Dont ask me to race you though, you'de kick my ass. I'd rather sit and have a beer with ya!!

Heres an hour of a live session I recorded in Dalston last month, enjoy:

http://www.talawa.fr/media/baba-jonah-open-the-gate-oct-2011-zoBjr

Plenty more sessions, mixes, and recordings from soundstytems, producers and singers on Talawa respect to Victa and Samira for all their hard work.

Amen to that, and the combination of a mobile phone-using driver meeting a cyclist without lights at a dark T junction could go almost anywhere, guaranteed horribly wrong usually

edit - THAN a cyclist without lights (Jesus I just reread that above and it cracked me up)

@ wvm too fuckin right mate I carry spares of everything including batteries, tubes, and 'pick me ups'.

Fair point about the feds and hoodies and wives in cars.

My point is I'm bitter about the overwhelming slant in street cops targeting cyclists when really a crack dealer is far more dangerous a threat overall to society to a cyclist without lights.

A tricky argument I know but I've saids me piece and I wont bother yous any more lol

note to the above - hippys are cool and often can provide you with those 'funny cigarettes' you hear so much about, although the ones in the Square at time of writing would probably also provide you with information telling you what you already know about the fucked state of affairs this countries banks have put us all in.

Another cherished memory:

Cycling westbound from Finsbury Sq (before it was full of hippies camping out. . .) along Chiswell St I left the crossroads alongside three cabs. The two in front pulled ahead but the third stayed alongside me to my right, and as we drew level with Finsbury St he suddenly swung left forcing me to jump onto the pavement. He had clearly thought this attempted murder through as his exit was clear. I remember eye contact with an emotionless scary set of brown eyes as he accelerated away into the end of the street turning back towards Moorgate crossroads.

I was shaking with fear and anger, and was left screaming after him something about 'If I had a gun' which freaked out all the office workers walking around at the time - I think they had to be in my shoes to appreciate my venomous outburst.

Anyway, I'm very mindful now to not be alongside any vehicles where there is a left turn, and if I am to make sure I know what the vehicle's occupants are likely to do - a sad state of affairs but one that can potentially save my life every time.

Some signs suggest that the cost of removing and disposal of the bicycle will be borne by the owner! Cant remember where I saw that friendly sign but it was either Mayfair or the City

oh and in case your wondering why I'm on a forum in the middle of my 'working day', I'm still sick with man-flu - trust me I'd rather be out working I'm trying to un-bore myself here

since the development of the fakenger some years ago they've become split into two groups pretty much like any other fragment of society - some are really cool people who dig the style invented by people who wanted to individualise their bike to stop it getting nicked, to the downright complete wanker.

As long as your the former rather than the latter we can have a beer any day of the week lol.

But please dont pretend to call your imaginary controller just to look cool. . .I've seen this happen in Brick Lane ON A SUNDAY and it cracked me up, and made me feel strangely smug!!

Classic streets where I've seen signs like this are:

107 Leadenhall St EC3

all over Mayfair, Dover St, Albermarle, Berkeley Sq, Curzon (the Church of Christ, Scientist at no. 7 always cracks me up with their militant signage I just lock it up outside the shop next door)

The thing is, I've yet to see any action being taken by the owners of the signs, anyone got any juicy stories they wanna share? I wanna hear one about a Mike Vallely style security-with-bolt-cutters- versus angry cyclist brawl or just a happy ending where the security guard lets you off and you both have a fag and a chat before going separate ways that would be nice.

I know its sensible to have lights, but does EVERYTHING we do wrong have to have a £30 fine?

What if its a case of you took your lights out with you in the morning but they switched themselves on all day in your bag (a feature of Knog's) so when you came to put 'em on your bike the batteries are dead and your bank card got cloned so you cant get money out for new batteries without id which you didnt bring with you as you didn't know your card got cloned, as happened to me two weeks ago?

Bad luck eh?

Fuck police fines for cyclists, catch some murderers and rapists or crack dealers and leave me the fuck alone, I gotta deal with escaping death by shit drivers every day you mugs, I could go on but its all been said a billion times already on forums, in pubs, in the street, at home and is getting so boring I'm gonna digress.

It really angers me how Londons cops are happy to catch us lot out at every opportunity.

...awaits barrage of self-righteous replies

Having to cycle when I dont feel like it kinda takes the fun out of it

Cycling with a cold / flu

Cycling related injuries that arnt actually visible so people just think your moaning

Low wages (someone else mentioned that so I'll plus one it)

People who arn't couriers who clearly don't cycle very much having all the best gear when it would really help me to have an expensive line of clothing or comfy waterproof shoes in December instead of beat up old skate shoes

All the bitchiness and politics

Cars, buses and bikes in my way

Not enough friendly hot girls riding bikes - the ones I've met on my travels are all up their own arse or maybe my standards are way too high or maybe I should wash more which is very hard when your a courier and an hour into your day you get covered in shit from riding through The Mall.

Police horse shit every where - clean up after your horse, cops.

Good gear costing too much

Buying new stuff only to have it break

Getting stuff nicked

fuck that should do sorry guys and gals didnt mean to rant on and on

Again, I didnt read the whole thread and apols if ABP but:

Try a lower gear ratio if you ride fixed. I went from 48:16 to 46:18 and all my knee issues disappeared.

Obviously this aint the solution for everyone as we're all different builds and sizes but it worked for me on both my rides, ones with a front brake and a heavier frame, and ones brakeless with a nice lightweight steel frame (the yellow lo pro in my avatar). On brakeless fixies a lower ratio for me is essential to preserve knee longevity.

Fuckin hell! Low flying bread definatley to be avoided you got lucky. . .

Reminds me of a couple more:

Coming up Tabernacle St flying round past the memorial into Paul St a pigeon flew directly into my face hitting my glasses into my left eye. I saw stars, was temporarily blinded for a few seconds and managed against all odds to stay on. Luckily the errant bird hit me chest on, I imagine at worst if the beak or feet were involved I'd have definatley lost my eye. The fucker just fluttered away, its always so eerie how they never squawk or make any 'real' bird noises innit? It felt like I'd taken a feathery football to the face.

The other, definatley more of an oh shit moment was before I was a courier and was heading from City Rd up to Angel to meet my then girlfriend for a beer. I'd rounded the southern half of City Rd roundabout and found myself on the inside lane overtaking slow traffic taking the entry into the northern seciton of City Rd. The 'no mans land' triangular-shaped area of loose debris on every junction was suddenly beneath my wheels and as I was cornering fast at a steep angle I felt my front start to slide out, then the back went too. For a few seconds I was a t the mercy of the gravel, glass, and litter and looked ahead - there was a bus heading south and I was headed directly under it unless the skid / slip could be controlled.

Luckily I found solid ground and the bus and me passed with a gnats pube's width of air between us.

I cant remember, but I must have nearly shit my pants at that point.

Another lesson learned, less haste keeps you alive.

LOL the tags at the bottom of this thread cracked me up!

Companies vary, but the one that treats its rider with respect and dignity gets my vote. . .and in this economic climate respect and dignity are, I'm afraid, way down the list of any business struggling to survive in the most expensive city in the UK whether they are a courier company or something else.

Change is coming people. . .its time to consider humanity before profits.

I'll stay off the pavement when pedestrians decide that crossing the road looking into the screen of their phone or iPod is a bad idea.

Stupid cunts.

Bet his radio still worked better than mine does, and his controller let him finish early so he could continue annexing poland

Jesus, re-reading this I feel like I'm in some sort of confession box. . .how embarrasing

Last year in August on Essex Rd, around 6pm after a busy day and I'm riding homewhen I lived in Norf Landan after calling clear in Angel.

Nice amount of speed, lots of traffic going my way so I'm on the middle white lines tucked in behind a bus moving out and in as I try to gage when to overtake the beast.

The road bending slightly as we all cross New North Rd and Northampton St on the left.

I'm right in behind the bus, its slowing for its stop at Northchurch Rd

Go to pull out bearing in mind I couldnt see what was coming, another bus is right there coming towards me about a foot away

Shit pants, pull in, crash into the now stopping bus

Passing bus blows horn as it draws level with my ear

Outcome, sore wrists, near heart attack, have to get off bike and sit down for a bit with beer and THANK GOD I@M STILL ALIVE

No journey is that important I'll ever be so stupid again. . .looking back now I feel like punching myself in the face at my own stupidness - what the fuck was I doing?

Thankfully I've not done this sort of thing since, it was one of those heat of the moment automatic 'I'm a twat' movements we've all done at some stage of our cycling lives.

Wheres my prison-snitch hat gone? Ah there it is.

Right, I'm gonna call out NO ONE - if you get away with it fair fuckin' play!

Got fined 30 quid last Friday. RLJ'd ped crossing west of the Chancery LAne T jct with Hi Ho.

My fault, I was too much of a jackass.

I hope they spend the money on some shiny new guns to continue enforcing pointless laws.

I know theres a broad spectrum of people reading this forum so this is aimed at the City Police:

Why not, if a junction is clear, waive fines for cyclists who are harming no one, saving overstretched police resources for crushing more serious crimes. . .?

Obviously I do not RLJ if doing so puts others or myself in danger. I may err on the side of depressive at times, but I'm not suicidal I enjoy riding my bike far too much. Something tells me this roads been travelled before though (its been a few years since this forums been online - I never claimed to be an original thinker) but hey, fuck it, I'll mention it again.

I dont post on here much, but couldnt resist adding me two cents even after reading the first two pages of stuff written in March. . .

Racing to work is ingrained in some people - the human urge to compete in everything comes out in all sorts of ways and cycling to work is another way for the dayglo hordes to have a chance at being king.

I've seen some fast commuters, the best was the guy who swept through the Stockwell station crossroads into all the traffic singing at the top of his voice clad in spandex and a baggy shirt, clearly cracked out of his mind yet clearly intent on going somewhere fast to the disdain of the more sporty down to earth racing commuters.

Also, to all you racers going home thinking your king (or queen) by zipping past me on Brixton road at 6 pm, giving a smirky look back and carying on until I catch you at the next light - I've already done ten hours riding all day and the fact I can keep you in my sights still, means that you gotta a lot to learn about stamina. Nothing counts on the way home, remember that.

And in the morning, I'm too hungover to seriously race you.

Why am I typing all this bollox now? I'm sick, at home, with a lot of time to kill and a boredom factor of over a hundred, without the energy to leave my house. Enjoy finding a new route home when the student protest fucks London Wall and the City at 5pm.

Respect to the forum, lot of good people on here (despite my ramblings above!!).

Cheers, thats one sick wheel. Big up MrX good seller.