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What do you reckon would be this acceptable average speed for a forum ride? I am letting my fear of not being able to keep up put me off attempting to join in. At some point. In the future.

The thing I did like about this was that one of the riders, Mat I think, looked plumper, older and more obviously middle class than the kind of men who usually make these weird speeded-up things. It was quite sweet really.

Apparently his daughter has said no. Which I think is right, mostly. I would like to read more and more but the fear of it being awful overwhelms.

Me too. Just before he died I re-read the whole series and the two new ones I hadn't read. Amazing. I thought the Shepherd's Crown was a fitting end in many ways, but gutted to think that's it.

h

Good crystal ball you've got there, MM. Stiff as anything this morning. On the tube (swings) reading The Shepherd's Crown (roundabouts).

I fell off! I'm fine! Just about to start going up the Pave de MacKenzie Road, I arrive at the first cobbled speed bump and can't take up as much of the lane as I would like due to a white van up my arse. I hit the Dread Pothole, bounce out, slip on the slick road and slide off very, very gracefully, ending up seated on the wet pavement (win!), some way down the road, next to bike like I'm having a picnic (weather correct!).

This resulted in my first ever skid because I panicked and locked the wheels. I estimate it at 20-25 metres. At least. Due to low speed of landing I am totally unscathed. Even pride not that injured.

9.5/10 (extra points for exciting, sudden downpour and my elegance in a crisis).

Flushed and ecstatic from first ever trackstand longer than about 2.476 seconds, I come to next set of lights, which I now think are on a bit of an incline, and someone's trackstanding on a Brompton. A Brompton!

I want one.

Hardly anyone anywhere and then BLAMMO! a man dressed head to toe in neon yellow appears like the hippy crack Mr Ben.

Attempted to take pix but he had gone by the time my eyes had adjusted to the relative darkness of daylight.

^ this, a million times. You didn't make a mistake, Ed.

Man, that's terrible. Sounds like you handled the siutation superbly though. Heal up real quick.

Rode up the Lea to Hertford. Nice. Very bumpy in places. Did judder. Glad of accidental 28mm tyre.

10/10

Me too! It must be Them.

I feel better now, knowing I am not alone.

Ride in ruined by lunatic strikylists. Also, all those men in their early thirties with little bald patches - why are they all, all I tell you, riding no handed on the big main roads ths morning? It was unnerving. After the third one I thought I was having a hallucination.

Then to put a proper cherry on it all I get to the charity where I am working today and there's a porsche in the car park. Not sure if I can shit on the bonnet?

2/10 bollocks to it.

Hear hear hear!

The RB4! I must thank you. You have just saved me attempting to cycle through the Rotherhithe tunnel. My lungs are beyond grateful.

Mischevious crosswind, that. And there were hardly any cars in Stamford Hill or on Lordship Park. Was like that episode of The New Avengers were they put London to sleep.

9.7/10

Dat headwind!

Tracer Bullet is one of Calvin's alter egos. He's a film noir private detective. :)

'Bout 5.30pm on Friday, lights between MacKenzie Road to Gillespie Road, across Holloway Road. Dude on a lovely yellow BMW. He had a camo cap and shoes. A tattoo of a lady atop a big number three on his right calf. More tatts. Curly hair. Shorts. Nice black backpack thing. Very nice saddle. LU roundel sticker on the back of the seat tube.

Didn't DAS you because you was concentrating on track standing. Also, I too shy.

Maybe too 'on here' to be on here. First spot so would be typical.

I'm not sure why the weather is like this. I brought all the right gear with me this morning, I've even got fully charged lights. Should have guaranteed tropical sunshine.

Thank you. I might try the lower end of what I was thinking rather than higher. I think my legs being in charge rather than momentum would feel good-est.

Thanks for this Ed - this insight makes me feel better. I think what was enraging me most was that I was feeling like I should have just let them go instead of being seen as displaying aggressive and challenging behaviour by "racing". I was worrying about my reaction being wrong. I suspect this is my subconscious doing what it's been raised to do too.

I'm riding 44/16 at the moment, fixed with a front brake. It's all good with the speed and the climbing but I'm finding it virtually impossible to come to even a vague stop in good time without using the brake which feels wrong. I'm wondering if this is because I'm too light. Also, I can't skid. I live in fear of being DAS'd.

So, I'm thinking of changing to 47/18. Will this be easier to stop/skid/spin or do I need to drop down more GI? This is going from 72.5 to 69.1. Should I try to gwt it down to 67? Maybe 48/19? I don't feel experienced enough at riding fixed yet to make a decision totally alone so any advice would be great.

Aw, Haas and JC riding up together now. Gutsy rides from them would be my all important verdict. They'll be pleased to know that I'm sure.