I ended up logging a very short trip (~15k each way). I think maybe I’ve lost my bottle when it comes to riding in fast moving traffic but the A40 during the day isn’t at all pleasant. I moved to a cycle track next to the A40 but this ran out somewhere near Uxbridge. Stopping to take a photo (below) I noticed Dan was finally alive, which meant I could deliver his air matress. So I headed home after 1hr:15min.<\/p>\n
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Like I said in an earlier post, I prefer riding the fix to the roadie through London city. It’s crazy nimble, it doesn’t wear out brake pads and I don’t care so much about damaging it with my fat arse and a bag stuffed full of inflatable bed and pump! <\/p>\n
Lowlights of the ride to Dan’s new place in Hackney (Google Maps: ~22k each way) other than the spinal damage from carrying the bed include the cnutbtichwhroe in the black new Mini that decided I don’t exist and she can drive through me to turn left off Marylebone. You’re lucky I was too busy avoiding you to take your plates cnutwhroe. Almost doored in Islington which is odd because near-doorings are much less common here than in Melbourne. Of course the roads are much wider in Melbourne which helps reduce the risk. 1hr:18min<\/p>\n
On the way back I had one the coolest things happen. I rolled passed a taxi at a red and stopped behind a bus. The taxi beeped so I turned around, expecting to be lectured about something. I walked the bike back as the taxi driver gestured. <\/p>\n
“Is that a fixed gear you’re riding?”<\/p>\n
“Yeah”<\/p>\n
“What sort of gear ratio do you use?”<\/p>\n
“Um.. 46.. err.. 46-16”<\/p>\n
“Is that okay for around London?”<\/p>\n
“Ahh.. I’d probably drop it down a bit from that”, I say, thinking about my knees and the stop\/start nature of riding London. <\/p>\n
Green light and we separate. That conversation cheered me up no end! Thanks Mr. Taxi Driver! 1hr:06min missing Essex Road for the second time.<\/p>\n
I’m only able to give times, no speeds as I managed to lose my speedo. Process: Fit new sensor kit to Raleigh, realise there’s no magnet so use old one, accidentally reset speedo by using wrong button combo so 19,000k+ becomes 0k, ride to Subway, never see speedo again.. <\/p>\n
If anyone finds a Cateye Enduro 2 in Ealing, I’d love to have it back, thanks!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today’s weather was brilliant (for London in October). It warranted a ride. Not that any other day didn’t but I’ve been filling my time for the last year with things other than bikes (mostly). Headed west on the Ribble, passing … Continue reading