Search results for:

An excellent thread - thanks Nhatt!

I've not been to an opera for a while; I got seriously into it when I was working in Vienna, as one of the people I coached there was the son of people who worked in the Staatsoper administration and, as well as paying me in cash, they showered me with tickets for the opera. Usually in the first few rows of the stalls, but often in a box. Me and my flatmates used to feel a bit weird turning up in our impoverished scruffy gear, sometimes with carrier bags of damp swimming kit, but it was all good stuff.

I've been to many shows at the Coliseum over the years, particularly enjoying Richard Jones productions. One of the most memorable shows was "Gadaffi", featuring Asian Dub Foundation. It was truly awful in many respects but refreshingly different, but the best part was that I emerged from the Coliseum to see the two tallbikes that had just that day finished their tour of the British coastline (can't remember the names of the chaps who rode them) locked up outside. Had they pedalled round Britain and then decided, "Hey, let's go and see a semi-operatic show that attempts to overwrite some of the vile slanders against our mate Muammar"? Anyway, after taking a photo of the tallbikes I then set off on an overnight bike ride to Brighton, one of the earlier FNrTTCs.

Anyway, do keep flagging up interesting shows!

I was daydreaming (of what, I cannot remember) in the ASL at Waterloo Place this morning when a distinguished (I didn't actually say grey-haired, did I?) gent on a Felt rolled up next to me and greeted me. Very copacetic to see you again Jonny.

I use a bagman (non-QR version) that is permanently attached to an SQR bracket - it may look like a lot of ironmongery for just one saddlebag but the SQR system is so convenient. I've got SQR blocks on two of my bikes and it takes 2-3 seconds to fit or remove the saddlebag and the bagman holds it well clear of the rear wheel and stops it from swinging from side to side.

The QR bagman is a very neat device (I was inspecting one yesterday afternoon) but it's slightly more fiddly than the SQR, and the think I like about the SQR is that when you've taken the bag off, there's only a little block attached to the seatpost, no great big metal frame sticking out at the back like some sort of cold war radar device.

Did my soul some good by riding in a group of 7 from Oxford to Acton, starting at midnight. Gorgeous weather, a bit of a headwind but stars all over the place and very little traffic once we were out of Oxford and heading through Wheatley and Thame. A nice testing climb up Chinnor Hill was closely followed by a painful grind up a 24% (apparently) Smalldean Lane, at the top of which we had freshly brewed tea (titanium stove brought by the heroic rogerzilla sometimes of this parish). Then a rather faster roll through High Wycombe, Loudwater (stopping at the all night Tesco for some Reggae Reggae nuts), Beaconsfield, Harefield, Greenford, Ealing and Sunny Acton where we had a fried breakfast. I then rolled slowly back to Forest Hill.

Oh, forgot to mention: I had a 21" gear and I used it.

Spotted a black-haired green-polo-pompino rider this mornng heading into town through New Cross. As I was coming up to the junction to veer right up the New Cross Rd, I heard what I thought was something caught in my back tyre, going "thwip thwip thwip thwip thwip". But then I spied the shadow of a polo mallet on the road alongside me and sure enough I was overtaken by a front wheel with a loose bit of disc thwipping in the forks. The rest of the rider span merrily past, just sneaking through the lights.

I was on a lurid yellow/teal/pink 1980s rockhopper comp - total disguise, nobody will ever spot me ever!

I know that coathook location - and I have a camera on my desk and I'm less than a mile from the location. But I am chained to my desk and anyway it's a film camera.

56cm Ciocc for only £70: I'd have bought it if it was just a wee bit smaller.
http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?9,638003

If it's the Lamb I might drop by and say hello. Fed up with work, have to be down in SW1 for about 7.15 so there's time for a pint.

Is that Noakesy on the right? Looking suspiciously like Lee Ranaldo...

dual compound kool stop calliper brake pad inserts, shimano fit please!

Wayne, happy to offer help informally. I do this stuff for a living, having served several years at the Charity Commission before defecting to the legal profession. Most of the charities I set up are companies limited by guarantee - I've got one on my desk at the mo that I'm about to send off for incorporation. I guess the big question might be whether a social enterprise/CIC model might give you more flexibility for attracting investment. PM me if you'd like to talk this over.

Ooops, I've just recently chopped mine up because I couldn't afford to go out any buy some of that lovely tough black plastic casing to make a Bakhtinov focus mask. Sorry about that, otherwise I'd have had one to give away.

I spied a dan_b heading eastwards along bloomsbury at lunchtime on a red bike - at least I think I recognised you from FNRttC years back

i was off to companies house with some papers

Sorry, I'm hanging on to this for now. If it does become available again, I'll try to remember to contact those who have expressed an interest. Thanks for your patience all!

Guy on an MTB going through New Cross Gate, heading townwards. Had a three foot section of really heavy duty 8" diameter poly pipe strapped to his top tube and was riding John Wayne-style. I asked him if he was making a giant polo mallet. No, his mate had called and asked if he had a bit of 6" pipe he could have, and 8" was all he had. Odd.

Bike is still unsold. Rack bag, pedals and bar ends are all included (I can include the original black risers and the original pedals as well). The rack bag is the smaller one, not the tall one.

"Not fixed yet" simply means that it's still running its original ten gears with freehub, and hasn't suffered the fate of most of my bikes that end up with just one gear and no freewheel. So kind of a joke, but perhaps not terribly funny. It all works absolutely fine, and nothing is broken or damaged on it!

I've still got this bike, still not being used as much as it should be, and I'm needing funds! I'd consider reasonable offers for it. Viewing possible either in SE23 or in Holborn area, with some advance notice.

I had the wind on my back for half the ride in today, so made it up to town in almost record time. The upright riding position wins. not so keen on battling the headwind tonight.

Morning. It was bloody windy out there today.

Spotted a great big bushy beard of ginger at Elephant at 9am today - sweeping round on a Fuji track pro or something of that sort.

The SNT have got back to me already, saying they'll be doing some high visibility patrols in the area between 6pm and 8pm. Not sure how much difference that'll make but at least they're trying. Much better response than when I was assaulted by a driver up in town, apparently just for being in the bike advance stop area...

Aha, took me a moment to work out what SNT was. I'll look them up.

Edit: now reported to the Crofton Park SNT.

When I got in on Friday MrsR asked me if was going to report it to anyone. Tbh I doubt the polis would be remotely interested, and I can't really face the prospect of having to fill in forms or visit the local nick but i suppose I'd feel bad if they get another cyclist because I've not alerted the authorities. Any thoughts?

Yep, my spidey senses told me to speed up - at first I wasn't sure if I was going to go for the "ride straight at the bastards yelling like a lunatic" option or the "dodge past them and pretend they don't exist" option. V happy to have taken the latter.

I've been aware of some danger spots on some of my commuting routes. I tend to steer clear of the Pool River, as I've heard accounts of cyclists being attacked along there. Same with the old canal route from Peckham Library up to Burgess Park. I now have another to add to the list: the junction of Herschell Road and Bovill Road in SE23, outside the General Napier (now there's an unspoilt pub for you...).

I'm not altogether surprised, as it's a corner that has, over the years, featured giant cannabis farms, a huge topiary rabbit and a chimney that is deliberately built wonky. Oh, and a trumpet teacher, a cabinet-maker and some lovely restored VW camper vans. In summertime there are usually a number of drinkers outside the Napier and that will presumably help keep the place safe. But on Friday evening at about 7 I was pootling home and decided to take the quieter back streets as I got closer to home. As I approached the junction I became aware of a group of seven or eight youths standing in the entrance to Herschell Road; as I approached (initially intending to turn into that road) they fanned out across the road towards me and I greeted with a sneering "nice bike". I gave the pedals a bit of welly and slipped past them along Bovill Road before they reached me.

Just thought this might be useful for others in the are to know.

Did I spy a hellomiles on a black IRO with a child seat on the top tube, at about 9.20am coming up from Elephant to Waterloo? I nearly caught you outside the ambulance station but you skipped through a red, leaving me standing. I was on my sit-up-and-beg blue paddywagon with giant carradice, enjoying its fourth birthday.