The Velotard Thread.

[machin05]

Had a day out over Snowdonia way yesterday. Some great climbs, exhilarating descents (where the motor traffic was actually holding us up!) and stunning scenery.

https://www.relive.cc/view/2512691153

Got saddle sores like you wouldn't believe today. In all the cycling I've done over the last couple of years, I've never had them before - not even a hint. Red raw today tho

 

[lemonjelly]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/bike-blog/2019/jul/08/channel-5s-nonsense-will-make-me-and-other-cyclists-less-safe

 

[Kenny]

"At 9.15pm on Tuesday, a reasonably sizeable number of people"...."Channel 5"




So 6 people, including 2 who have lost the remote and don't know how to change the channel without it but don't want to sit in silence

 

[machin05]

This is worthy of the Annoyed thread, but it's pretty specific, so I'll pop it here.

Decided to do a 30 mile commute home, including nearly 2000ft of elevation over Clent and Kinver way. Last of the summer sunshine, barely any wind, conditions just about perfect. Got the green light to be late home from the missus. All good.

Copied the route to my Garmin, fired it up and started the navigation. Had it on the map screen all the way home which only shows current speed and distance to destination. About one mile from home I swiped it onto the data screen to see what my average speed had been and how close I was to my 5:15pm ETA. Garmin was telling me I'd travelled 85ft at an average speed of 8.5mph....

WTF?!?! Hopefully it was just a readout issue on my Garmin and the actual ride data was sitting happily in the background for when I finished the ride.

Got home, pressed the Start/Stop button and it started a new activity. The fucking thing hadn't started recording an activity when it started navigating. I'm still fuming nearly an hour later :icon_lol:

I've managed to add the distance and times to Strava as a manual activity but you can't add the route you've taken or get segment times etc.

Ugh. Need beer.

 

[machin05]

The route, if anyone gives a shit - https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=31100107&sampleGraph=true

 

[Johnny75]

Good route that Machin. Some tough hills and you even had to navigate the 6 fingered Wombournites driving their tractors.

 

[machin05]

Good route that Machin. Some tough hills and you even had to navigate the 6 fingered Wombournites driving their tractors.

:icon_lol:

Yeah, once I'd gotten out of Mucklow/Halesowen, the route was lush. Certainly better than the Bham New Road. Funnily enough the only driver I had an "encounter" with was about half a mile outside Wombourne. Just pulled out right in front of me causing me to swerve out in the middle of the road. Ended up right next to her window so told exactly what I thought of her with some Italian style hand gestures for good measure!

 

[Pablowolf]

The route, if anyone gives a shit - https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=31100107&sampleGraph=true

So you live near the Lidl then. Does the sound of people going over those stupidly severe bumps in the road annoy you?

 

[Pablowolf]

Good route that Machin. Some tough hills and you even had to navigate the 6 fingered Wombournites driving their tractors.

You're just salty because your application to live here was rejected.

 

[Langers]

You're just salty because your application to live here was rejected.

Too few digits?

 

[machin05]

So you live near the Lidl then. Does the sound of people going over those stupidly severe bumps in the road annoy you?

Not really. Better than them speeding down at 40mph

I've always lived on a busy road so traffic noise doesn't really bother me.

 

[Pablowolf]

Too few digits?

Only in terms of IQ.

 

[lemonjelly]

This happened just down the road from where I work. Amazing how frequently cars will overtake a cyclist, then cut in to the kerb. Sometimes it is because a car is coming the other way, but not always. Have had to slam brakes on a few times as a result:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-49817284

Guess & Stir also seems to have a related story. Scarily, seems the cyclist tried to behave safely, ad still got hit by a car:
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2019/09/25/speeding-driver-put-cyclist-in-hospital-for-15-days-after-jumping-lights-in-walsall/

This week there's been a massive upturn in car volumes on the road. Combination of schools back, and also rain - it's really noticeable how many extra cars there are when it rains! As a result, trying to dodge massive queues whilst on the bike can be a bit dodgy.

 

[machin05]

This happened just down the road from where I work. Amazing how frequently cars will overtake a cyclist, then cut in to the kerb.

I have this happen at least once everytime I commute to work. I'm sure part of it is to show me how close they are able to drive to the kerb as a sort of "don't dare undertake me" warning. Macho bullshit.

I also get multiple cases of "MUST GET IN FRONT AT ALL COSTS" on approach to a traffic jam or junction. They'll start to overtake, not actually have enough room to get past before the queuing traffice ahead and have to pull in beside me effectively boxing me in and not giving me me room to overtake on the outside. I've started adopting the primary road position way earlier than I used to in order to prevent this from happening, but this just then pisses drivers off as they don't realise why I'm doing it.

You can't win!

 

[lemonjelly]

I do similar. I also signal to indicate I am NOT GOING DOWN filter lanes, as apparently most drivers seem to think no indicator is needed and they can cut across you. I've seen too many cars go down the filter lanes being too close for comfort.

I really don't understand car drivers being angry when a cyclist goes past them. FFS you're in a powerful mechanically propelled vehicle, you will catch me and overtake me soon enough, with little/no effort compared with my pedalling! And it will only take you a matter of seconds!

The only time I'm going to get away from you, is when there's ridiculous traffic everywhere.

 

[Keef]

It's a slight on their masculinity,theyre paying £500 a month to drive that low spec BMW 1 series/Mercedes A class so they're damned if they're going to be passed by a bloke on a shitty bike,who if he worked harder could be stuck in traffic and paying a fortune for the privilege like they are.
I pass the same cars in the traffic most nights on my commute home,and they all come blasting past a bit too close a mile or so down the road when the traffics cleared

 

[machin05]

New ride, and it's an absolute stonker.

Boardman 9.6 SLR. Fully carbon, Di2, 7.4kg.

 

[Johnny75]

Nice wheels.

 

[machin05]

Nice wheels.

And frame, and groupset ??? :icon_lol:

 

[Wombat del combate]

GTFO. I just bought the same one!