Who cycles to work from East Dulwich?

[[email protected]]

mlteenie Wrote:

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> Are they as welcoming as Addiscombe?

If the "they" is Dulwich Paragon, the answer is yes, they are a friendly bunch. They organise everything from 12mph social rides for everything through to 25mph race training. And I agree it's great to wear a Dulwich jersey, rather than someone else's advertising board.

R.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

I agree with the feeling guilty bit when holding up buses, I know how frustrating slow, obstructed buses are as a passenger, it must a total pain for the drivers.

I even pull in and let cars pass me if I'm trugging along uphill with my trailer.

I think the best solution is to design our cycle ways as a seperate bit between the pavement or and the road or pavement sharing like in Holland that allows even novice cyclists to feel confident using a bike around town.

[LostThePlot]

[email protected] Wrote:

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> If the "they" is Dulwich Paragon, the answer is

> yes, they are a friendly bunch. They organise

> everything from 12mph social rides for everything

> through to 25mph race training.

I went on the saturday morning ride with them. An excellent route, and they wait for those of us who quite haven;t mastered the art of climing hills. Well worth trying that out if anyone fancies it. You do have to be able to keep a good pace up though. 15mph ain that tough, but for three hours it wears you down!

I'm wondering if there is scope for a Saturday ride out in the new year? Happy to organise it, but not got a saturday free until January!

E

[PinarelloFan]

LostThePlot Wrote:

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> I went on the saturday morning ride with them. An

> excellent route, and they wait for those of us who

> quite haven;t mastered the art of climing hills.

> Well worth trying that out if anyone fancies it.

> You do have to be able to keep a good pace up

> though. 15mph ain that tough, but for three hours

> it wears you down!

>

> I'm wondering if there is scope for a Saturday

> ride out in the new year? Happy to organise it,

> but not got a saturday free until January!

>

> E

Then you might have seen me out on my bike today. I joined up with the Dulwich Paragon's Saturday morning group at Downe. I think it's pretty important to emphasise that the Paragon, and the Saturday morning ride (the social ride), in particular, are pretty inclusive and we encourage women as well as men to come along to discover the lanes of Kent (and if you try the other rides, Surrey and Sussex too). As LostThePlot says though, two or three hours in the saddle can be pretty arduous, but at least the Saturday morning ride won't abandon you in deepest Kent if you can't keep up the pace.

[Unkle_Paulie]

I ride from ED to Fulham every day regardless of the weather or time of year. It's about 7.5 miles and takes me on average 30mins, 25mins if the traffic lights are green! I usually go herne hill/brixton/clapham common/clapham junction/wandsworth roundabout/fulham or if I fancy a leisurely ride i'll take the cycle network from brixton to clapham junction through the common.

Only ever had one major accident when a car pulled an illegal left as I flew past! Other than that I usually encounter, on a daily basis, stupid drivers who have a complete disregard for cyclists! Only last night I had a driver clip me with his wing mirror whilst driving past me on Village Way at stupid speed. When I caught up with him at the lights and pointed out that he clipped me he threaten to kill me! Nothing like friendly drivers!

[mlteenie]

..... And that was nothing like a friendly driver! Glad you're alright, Unkle.

I would be up for a ride one Sat morning, although I am busy each weekend till sometime after Christmas. Turns out I know a 'guy' in the Paragon bunch.

See you sometime.

[AndrewP]

I cycled from ED to Horseferry Road in SW1 (4.5 miles each way) on a Trek Hybrid for about 8 years. My journey took about 25 mins in the morning (Lyndhurst Way, Southampton Way, Portland Street, back of Elephant & Castle), but 30 mins in the evening as I was tired, but I came back along Camberwell New Road which has a useful bus lane.

I enjoyed the commute and it certainly kept me fit without the need to have to go to a gym (I'm lazy). My main cycling tips are to:

- avoid cycling too fast to reduce the chances of either hitting a car or pot hole;

- get kevlar lined tyres fitted (they do not cost that much extra) to significantly reduce the number of tyre punctures that you will inevitably will get;

- but learn how to mend your own tyre punctures - practice makes perfect;

- use fingerless cycling gloves - they keep your hands and fingers just as warm as normal gloves, but they don't require you to take them off to do other things when you are not cycling.

The cheapest place that I found for major servicing the Trek was Dialabike in Strutton Ground, SW1.

However 18 months ago I took up motorcycling and haven't looked back. Although biking (as opposed to cycling) is seen as being more dangerous (and as a Department of Transport civil servant I know all the statistics!), I feel much much less vulnerable on the Suzuki in traffic than on a push bike. When I used to cycle I tended to find myself hemmed into the side of the road in busy traffic and was always concerned that some idiot car or lorry driver would plough into the back of me. On the Suzuki, I can position the bike in the centre of the road and know that no one can get past me, especially given the bike's quick acceleration. It also provides a great means of transport for long journeys.

I am moving jobs to Hammersmith soon (8.5 miles each way) and on the Suzuki it will take about 25 minutes without a sweat, as opposed to around 50 minutes on a push bike and a very large sweat. Taking into account 'recovery time' on the Trek, the Suzuki will save me almost 1 hour per day.

The 10 year old Trek is still going strong. I regularly take it out for a spin at weekends with the kids and find that my enjoyment of cycling is now much stronger as I don't associate it with the daily grind of having to commute.

I guess I feel a slight twinge of regret in no longer cycling each day to work, but this is far outweighed by the benefits of motorcycling.

[mlteenie]

I used to be a motorcyclist and one reason I haven't got one now is that I know I would never ride a bicycle and so get fat.

Motorcycling ain't eco, either (engine size to person ratio). And you can position yourself in the road assertively on a push bike - that is what cycle training is all about.

Getting rammed from behind is a risk with any vehicle, unfortunately - it is probably my worst nightmare, since you can't eliminate drunk/dangerous and bad drivers. So far so good tho'.

[macroban]

> Motorcycling ain't eco, either (engine size to person ratio).

This is the "let's all walk naked" argument.

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

It's a bit nippy out for that innit?

[cathg]

I don't want to get too competitive about journey times, but I've had to go to some meetings in sloane square recently and I've had some fantastically fast stress-free trips there. I cycle to herne hill (which takes 6 minutes), using the live departure boards website before i leave home so i arrive with a minute to buy ticket from machine. take bike on train which takes about 9 minutes to victoria if i can get a non-stop one, then delicious five-minute relaxed cycle to sloane square admirring the belgravia architecture on the way. 20 minutes door-to-door.

though i do travel outside commuter hours and not sure what the deal is taking non-foldable bike on train in rush hour. and if the ticket machine at hh was ever out of order I'd be stuffed...

[mlteenie]

....Er, what?.......

[citizenED]

All this talk of cycling has made me think I should update my bike. I currently ride a Ridgeback Velocity but it's seen better days. I want another Hybrid type but not sure where to start. Any suggestions of what to buy for about ?300?

[Oglandia]

my Velocity is onto its 3rd change of wheels, 3rd or 4th chain, several bearing changes, new cassette etc etc (in 3 years) ... but its still going strong and i wouldnt chuck it. that said, the all aluminium frame is punishing on potholes - a bit of spring or suspension would be lovely, esp. as my back is dodgy

[blinder999]

citizenED Wrote:

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> All this talk of cycling has made me think I

> should update my bike. I currently ride a

> Ridgeback Velocity but it's seen better days. I

> want another Hybrid type but not sure where to

> start. Any suggestions of what to buy for about

> ?300?

I also ride this kind of thing - the Ridgeback Cyclone's been quite good - though I had to scrap the slick tyres as I kept getting punctures despite keeping them well pumped.

There's a good cheap shop in Greenwich - they let me have the Cyclone for the internet price (about ?200, way cheaper than most shops), though I went down to Trafalgar Rd and picked it up:

http://www.luvbikes.com/

[serif]

I cycle from camberwell to tottenham court road every day. I love it. I used to take the 176 but it got slower and slower and meanwhile I was getting bigger and bigger. My husband cycles out to osterley to work. We both agree, it's the best way to travel around London.

I feel guilty if I slow a bus down and frustrated by women who cycle in high heels - especially when they're wearing an ankle length coat that is open and bellowing in the wind - ooh so dangerous!

[mlteenie]

Might I add that any bike, if ridden regularly will soon have seen better days - the parts wear out! That's when you either buy new parts and fit them (or have them fitted using someone like me!), returning your bike to 'as new' or upgrade significantly and buy a better bike (to which eventually you will have to do the same anyway). More expensive machines have better frames/wheels/components, but when set up properly, basically all perform pretty much the same. The more expensive gear is mainly better made, lighter, shinier and takes longer to wear out (if looked after).

To me, one of the joys of cycling is keeping things sustainable. My 30 year-old Claude Butler road bike was hanging up in a shed, rusting away in Croydon until I rescued it, had it resprayed and rebuilt it. Now it looks brand new, despite being built with fairly old (but quality) components, mainly from eBay.

BTW, lightweight steel frames are much more comfortable and flexible than aluminium frames. Perhaps this is what some of you would prefer for the daily grind. There are always loads available on eBay and Gumtree, etc.

Ramble over...

[Oglandia]

I suspected as much (that steel was better). Ramble some more mlteenie. Do you do E Dulwich based servicing? I got my Ridgeback from the lovely fellow in Herne Hill but he does not service any more.

I have been massively taken to the cleaners by On Your Bike at london Bridge for a ?180 'service' which started out at some manageable sum - ?40 or ?50. They insisted on replacing perfectly OK chain - recently fitted by Edwardes; insisted slightly buckled wheel had to be replaced - no attempt at fixing it; stuck new sprocket cassette on altho the original was fine; then retuned my gears dodgily so that the chain rode up and knackered my rear wheel costing me ?45 later on. I'd enquired innocently about getting the handlebars higher up. Needless to say this meant getting a new ?50 part. I virtually had to wrestle the scrawny Kraut mechanic off the bike before he fitted it. At this stage - approaching ?200 down and with them waving new expenditure at me - I just had to get out before they mugged me any more. Another couple of parts off the shysters and i'd have been better off just chucking the thing and buying new. It only cost ?160 to service our 3.5 ton VW westfalia!

[mlteenie]

Yes, I am am mobile service around ED. Feel free to PM me for more info.

If your chain is not replaced fairly early, it will cause excess wear to the casette and ultimately cause excess wear to the chainrings at the front. The question is whether to run the whole lot into the ground and replace it (can cost from ?150-200)or for better cashflow, to replace each part as it wears.

Sounds like it wasn't a very good customer experience. They should have advised you.

Hope your bike is good now tho'.

[TillieTrotter]

Mlteenie fixed my sons bike recently. Good Guy!

[ChavWivaLawDegree]

Fixed my bike too

[busybee]

Asset and LostThe Plot, thanks for the info about pedal clips. Very interesting. Maybe one day soon I'll pluck up the courage to try them out!

[Caron]

For years I used to ride to Television Centre on Wood Lane and it took an hour to go the 11 miles each way. Luckily the BBC Club has showers. I was doing a bit of running too, and lost two stone in seven weeks. However, I'm now working in Sutton and just cannot face the A23 so I'm driving. It's usually about 45 mins in the morning and longer in the evening (an hour and ten tonight). I'd love to ride if I could find a good route that avoided the A23.

[mlteenie]

Hi Caron,

What road in Sutton do you need? I would like to look the available routes. There is usually a way!

[Oglandia]

has anyone had any bother on the E Surrey canal path? I hit some kind of 'roadblock' set up by 4 or 5 mid teen looking kids (one had his face completely bandanna'ed). I had to slow right down and one of them ran at me from behind and tried to unhook my pannier (which as usual was full of crap but which looked like a laptop pannier). this was 4.30/5ish in daylight over summer. I have heard similar tales - and that stuff has been thrown at cyclists. this is the only grief i've had on this route in 2+ years though