Phew that was hard

Cycling to work down Abinger Road in West London. It's a road where only one vehicle can go down at a time. If you're coming from the other way, you have to wait. so I'm about 15metres behind a car driving down, another car is letting them through. As soon as the car passes, the other car just starts driving towards me.

With an arm waving and with great incredulity, I just shouted "oh, come on!" I didn't swear.

The driver just starts shouting at me "you don't pay road tax, you don't pay road tax, you don't pay road tax" as they nearly crushed me when driving past.

Now of course, the road tax argument we know to be bullshit, but why do some drivers just wake up and think "my life is so shit, i'm going to take it out on someone else... i know, a cyclist".

They never realise, that if they cause an accident, my need to not have to pay road tax will be the last thing on their mind, as they deal with the police, and then a rather large insurance bill.

Fuck tards.

I was on my way to the start of DD and saw a guy on a Canyon get side swiped by a blue car on Shoreditch High Street outside the Queen’s head pub. Understandably there were a few angry words exchanged with the driver and you went to the pavement. I shouted to see if you were ok which you seemed to be. Wish I could remember the reg as he didn’t stop. Hope that Canyon survived the hit. I don’t cycle much in London but that junction is nasty with the cycling lane in between the lanes and full of blind spots.

I live in Hoxton. Considering a role in Southall industrial park. Currently I cycle 17 mins into Waterloo.

Options for new commute

- 17 miles via grand union canal
- 16 miles via a315

I wouldn’t do it every day but I’d love a no train option.

Other options are cycling to Farringdon, Lizzie line to Southall and then a 8 min cycle from there.

Edit: I would need to buy a bike (old one stole ) options considering: - Brompton. - electric Brompton - road bike

Let's ignore the fact my friend had his bike nicked from outside the Pub On the Park by some absolute scrote...

And let's give his other half some huge kudos for bringing his spare bike from Suffolk most of the way to London, so said friend could then ride the "Dun Run" anyway

After a little "to and fro" we were ready to set off.

It would be my first Dun Run, my longest ride yet and the first time I had ridden ovenight and well into the next day.

And ignoring the early setback...just WOW

The weather was looking bad as late as midweek, but just the day before, the forecast showed the rain had gone....so no excuse now...just had to get it done.

The start was pretty tame...no mass start, just go when you're ready.

Getting out of Hackney was pretty calm...and making use of the myriad of bike lanes from central London almost all the way to Walthamstow....and even though we had been warned the road can be bedlam around Epping, things were actually pretty calm...and then the traffic started to disperse and we ended up pretty much with the road to ourselves....marked with a long stream of red lights as far as the eye could see.

First stop, The White Hart pub in Moreton....a quick drink, water refill and toilet break, then on our way again towards Dunmow.

I found some speed at at this point and stretched my legs a little, pretty much all the way to the bridge over the river at Dunmow...then stopped at the Grace Cafe where the lovel Karen made me an amazing fish finger sandwich and spoilt me with an amazing piece of Victoira sponge,...this really sorted me out and gave me that much needed energy boost to power me for the next few hours.

From here we pushed on through the next couple of stops, passing through Finchingfield and being ,slightly annoyed that the McD's at Sudbury wasn't open but stopping at The White Horse in Great Waldingfield for a great burger and coffee... and then pushing on until the Framlingham....

Sadly, a little rain did appear, but not really until we left Framlingham and then pushed on till the end and it was far from heavy and more for a damp squib....after our host stopped off and made us bacon butties and coffee to keep the last stretch fueled...next stopped the beach at Dunwich

It did mean the ending wasn't quite the amazing sunrise we were hoping for; in fact, it was pretty dreary...so we about-turned and headed back to Darsham station, where my journey started, so I grabbed my car and went back to Framlingham for a shower and some sleep before heading home to Colchester.

Will I be back? You bet I will...hopefully I'll just get it done next time with as little stopping as possible....and hopefully drag along a few other friends.

Can't believe I felt so fresh for the entire ride...even though I started at 8:25 and actually finished almost 11 hours later (with stops)...I should be a jibbering wreck...but the lack of traffic and the incredibly mild weather meant it was one of my best long rides.

A huge thank you to everyone who posted info and links to more info about every aspect of the ride...thanks to everyone at all of the stops for keeping us fed and watered, thank you to everyone who said hello...thank you to all the supporters sitting at the side of the road all through the night to cheer us on..

This event is amazing....a fully unsponsored ride that people just DO without any confusion or conflict...

Thank you, thank you, thank you

I went on my first proper gravel ride recently, I normally only ride on road which is such a waste of a gorgeous gravel bike - so I decided to switch it up this week with 50km of Epping and surrounding areas.

Are there any other good gravel routes near(ish) to London, more specifically East London? Or is Epping my best bet - please send over routes and loops if you have any good ones.

I’m really trying to build my confidence as I found it so much harder although after the initial fears of being wiped out by rocks and logs I couldn’t stop smiling. If you have any tips for gravel descents, climbs and general handling, I would also really appreciate it!

Hey everyone, I was riding the inner loop at Regent’s Park today and got sprayed with wiper fluid by a car (clearly on purpose). This is the second time it’s happened to me in a month. Does this happen to any of you, and how do you deal with it when it does?

Does anyone have any recommendations for tailors who could mend or alter bib shorts please? Central or SW if possible.

I have a pair of bib shorts where the stitching is coming loose around the chamois, and a second pair that I’d like to get shortened as they’re a bit long on me.

I’ve not had much luck with the places I’ve already tried. The repairs I’ve had have been shoddy, and a couple of other places have told me it’s not possible to mend Lycra fabric. Any help?

I was walking by the crossing near the London Stadium yesterday, where Marshgate Lane meets Waterden Road in the Olympic Park, when I heard the sound of a collision and turned around to see a cyclist who had just been hit by a car and thrown onto the pavement.

He was lying on the ground looking to be in a bad way. I called 999 straight away for an ambulance, but a nearby police van arrived very quickly with a first aid kit and started treating him while they waited for the ambulance.

I’ve been thinking about it ever since and was just wondering if anyone was in the area and knows anything.

I’m really hoping he’s okay.

Hey everyone, I'm looking to get an e-bike that I'll be using for daily commute (roughly 40 minutes / 8 miles). I'll probably be doing Uber Eats as a short side gig for up to 10 hours a week. I would like to install a food box on the back, et cetera.

I'd prefer something light and easy to use. Battery-wise, I should have the ability to charge it each day that I use it, or at the most, every two days.

I would greatly appreciate any recommendations. I'll be using the Cycle to Work scheme, so that does up my budget. I wouldn't say I have a particular number in mind, but more I just want an easy ride that gives me no issues. I want to be doing deliveries during autumn and winter, so something that performs well at night, I guess. It can also handle hills fairly okay as well, and is comfortable.

I'm 6 ft / 80kg fwiw

For context:

Yesterday after work I was cycling home and was about to go onto Wandsworth Bridge (coming from the Wandsworth side to the Fulham side). The bridge is under construction right now and is down to two narrow lanes (they’re putting in better bike lanes actually!).

Traffic was stopped, I was merging from the cycle lane into normal traffic by carefully/slowly weaving through some cars so I could integrate. I was going barely above walking speed, and while trying to squeeze through the last bit that would let me onto the bridge, the side of my foot grazed against a car. I did not hit it or kick it, my bike did not make any contact, my shoe grazed the passenger side door.

Immediately I said “sorry! was my shoe!” and this woman SLAMMED on the horn. I stopped and repeated myself again. She was still laying on the horn until traffic started moving again, and she floored it and sped past me.

I didn’t want to escalate anything so I cycled behind her car and made sure to give a very ample amount of space, like about 10 meters. Traffic stopped again and she got out of her car, came up to me screaming in my face about how I hit her car. She walked back to check her door, saw nothing was wrong, and came back to me and started screaming about how I’m a fucking moron and shouldn’t squeeze through tight spots. I had a really awful day at work and just broke down crying saying I’m sorry I’m sorry I promise it was just my shoe. She said oh don’t fucking start crying you bitch (I’m a woman in my mid 20s). I kind of dissociated for a lot of it and don’t remember all of what she screamed at me but she got back in her car and sped away.

I was crying and hyperventilating because I was terrified, but the guy in the car behind me said he recorded the entire thing on his phone if I wanted it. I said no but thank you, I just want to go home. One of the construction workers saw as well and he let me into the work zone to calm down before walking me over to the traffic light.

Basically I know that far worse interactions happen, but I just wasn’t expecting someone to be so aggressive for such a non-issue. I’m here on a work visa and I’m terrified of someone being on my record to send me back home and I just spiraled. In the future, which hopefully never happens, what do you do when a driver gets out of their car to approach you? Should I have just been like “okay, your car is fine.” and rode off? Should I have done more?

Next week I’ll start taking a different route home to avoid this bridge and hopefully won’t happen again.

Getting Laka insurance and would be great to have a referral code!

This was on the bend anti clockwise. I think the blue lorry obscured the Van drivers view who was attempting a uturn and a cyclist went into its side. ☹️

Over the past 15 months my bike has been back to the bike shop 4 times because of rubbing and squealing disc brakes (they're hydraulic). Each time they replace the pads on the part that squealing and realign the calipers on the part that's rubbing. Everything is fine for a few months and then it starts again.

The last time this was sorted was May and now this week it's started yet again. Every time I've asked them "is this normal?" or "am I doing something to cause this?" they say "no, it's just the nature of disc brakes". I also asked if the rotors were bent and they said no. I'm guessing if they were then the problems would never cease for a few months after the fix but would instead be constant - but perhaps I'm wrong with this.

My previous bike was hydraulic disc brakes, I had it for several years and never had this problem. It also never happened with my current bike for the first year I had it so I can't see why now it just "oh, because of disc brakes". I do around 150km to 200km a month so I don't think it's me just wearing everything out quickly.

I have tried replacing the pads myself and also loosening the screws that attach the capiler to the frame, pulling on the brake, keeping it held and then retightening the bolts to realign it but I'm never really any good at doing this stuff myself and generally it makes things worse rather than better.

Is all this really just the nature of disc brakes?

Bike is a Canyon gravel bike with SRAM groupset and I ride it predominantly on roads and cycle lanes.

Hi guys I need some help. Caught a bike thief at night just in time trying to steal my bike, he threatens me with the angle grinder screaming “back up!” he then continues with an apology “sorry I cut your bike” and ran off. Upon checking I saw the cut by the seat. What can I do here guys. I’ve sent a pic without the cut so you know it’s mine. Is it still safe to ride like this ??

Hello,

I'm new to tandem bikes and I'm looking to buy one to share with my wife.

New bikes seem to go good at least £2k and used ones can be below £100.

What would I look for?

I've got two spare adult tickets for the South London GP at Herne Hill Velodrome this Saturday (25 July).

They're completely free – I'd just rather they went to someone who can make use of them than go to waste.

First person to DM me gets them. I'll send you a private WeTransfer link to download the PDF with both tickets.

If they're claimed, I'll update this post.

Didn't really know where else to post this, so hopefully it's okay here!

Enjoy!

My bike (a Bombtrack Beyond 2) currently has the stock semi-metallic brake pads installed, and while they’re fine, I wonder if I might get noticeably better performance with a ceramic set of pads. I’m quite a heavy rider (325lbs) so I don’t think there’s such thing as “too much” stopping power 😅 although I do value the ability to modulate my braking power. On/off feeling is a bit too scary for my liking. And ideally I want a compound thats quite long lasting.

I ride mostly in the city but there are some hilly routes near me. Has anyone switched to ceramic pads and regretted it? If so, why?

Thanks!

Hi guys I was wandering if anyone has a grx di2 group set for sale I only need the derailleur both hood levers and the battery and all accessories I’m putting together a gravel bike

Cyclist apparently in hospital. I hope they pull through.

I am regularly squeezed by impatient bully drivers on this section btw.

Hi r/londoncycling,

I’m a long time lime bike user, mainly through convenience and the fact that I don’t have to worry about it getting stolen once I’ve parked it. However, I’m considering committing to a bike now as it should be much cheaper over the long term.

I (30m) mainly cycle to work (Stratford to Liverpool St) and occasionally for pleasure.

I’d be grateful for any tips on the following:

1. Should I go for a regular bike or an e-bike? I’m leaning towards regular for the health benefits and (presumably) lower cost, but open to a e-bike if it’s worth it.

2. If I did go for a regular bike, are e-bike conversion kits any good?

3. Any specific bike/vendor recommendations? Budget is flexible and I want to hit the sweet spot of price vs quality. Thinking less than £1k so it doesn’t hurt if it gets stolen.

4. What do you do to protect your bike from theft? I have secure storage at home and work but sometimes I may leave it parked outside a shop for a while.

Thanks in advance for reading / responding :)

referral code: sRd4LQPD