# God he's fast...



## User (28 Jul 2010)




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## Baggy (28 Jul 2010)

[QUOTE 1144560"]...Thought I'd say hello. Unclipped and started to filter through the short queue of traffic but lights turned, I looked over my shoulder before clipping on again, turned around, and...

...*he was already 50 metres up the road!!!

*Put my feet down to catch up but he'd just disappeared into the distance, through the Tooting Bec lights and somewhere else. 

It's like traffic did not exist!




[/quote]
He must have seen you approaching


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## ianrauk (28 Jul 2010)

Baggy said:


> He must have seen you approaching


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## gaz (28 Jul 2010)

I've seen him a few times. Some people think i'm fast, well he is faster.


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqSDEtwdxNw


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## Origamist (28 Jul 2010)

Another couple of weeks of dodging you and I won't have to shout you to a Masala fish and curry...


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## marcw (28 Jul 2010)

shoot, you must get home 10 minutes before you left work!


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## chris-s (29 Jul 2010)

Slightly off-topic question, what 'gadget/s' are you using to get the video plus overlayed 'dials' ?? Begin new to the cycling fraternity thats something I've not seen before.

Chris


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## BentMikey (29 Jul 2010)

I'm sort of glad he isn't moving to Westerham. The thought of trying to not embarrass myself uphill on the home run...


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## ttcycle (29 Jul 2010)

We should compile all the legends of Origamist posts on here-it would be fun reading - though I've only ridden with O when hung over- so he wasn't onto his usual speedy form.

CoG- you just have to up your game...catch him and get a curry!


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## MacB (29 Jul 2010)

[QUOTE 1144572"]
I'm going to lie in wait tonight. Leave work early. Hide up a side-street en route.
[/quote]

it should be easier than that, to maintain his 'Man Mountain' status he probably stops twice for curry on the way home.


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## Browser (29 Jul 2010)

Were oyu on the flat there? If so, Christ on a bike!!!!!!!! I can manage 33mph. With a tailwind. For a short burst. Before my lungs explode!!
I must also get myself a camera and video my commute, 'cos you'd be bored s***less after about 10 minutes. Once 10 mins away from either my house or workplace, and expecting the stetch on the A47, I hardly see a soul. That commute of yours looks waaaaaay to busy for me


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## magnatom (29 Jul 2010)

I challenge him to a race! 

[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/user/magnatom#p/u/46/uOJo4py0Whs[/media]


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## BentMikey (29 Jul 2010)

That's just not fast enough, I'm afraid. I'd have you, easily, and I'm not sure I'm faster than Origamist on the flat.


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## magnatom (29 Jul 2010)

BentMikey said:


> That's just not fast enough, I'm afraid. I'd have you, easily, and I'm not sure I'm faster than Origamist on the flat.



Ha! I'm a lot fitter now than I was then! I'd have you...no problem! B)


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## gaz (29 Jul 2010)

A think a race is in order!


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## magnatom (29 Jul 2010)

gaz said:


> A think a race is in order!



So will you lads be popping up for the Etape Caledonia next year?


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## bryce (29 Jul 2010)

chris-s said:


> Slightly off-topic question, what 'gadget/s' are you using to get the video plus overlayed 'dials' ?? Begin new to the cycling fraternity thats something I've not seen before.
> 
> Chris



Seconded. Massively appeals to the inner (and outer) geek in me. HRM, cadence, speed, altitude etc. Stat-tastic.


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## gaz (29 Jul 2010)

bryce said:


> Seconded. Massively appeals to the inner (and outer) geek in me. HRM, cadence, speed, altitude etc. Stat-tastic.


Only just saw this. 
Filmed with a contourHD. Data recorded with a garmin 705.
Data placed on with a java application.


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## magnatom (29 Jul 2010)

gaz said:


> Only just saw this.
> Filmed with a contourHD. Data recorded with a garmin 705.
> Data placed on with a java application.



How do you sync it, and what java app is it you use? I don't have a garmin, but I can record tracks etc using my phone.


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## gaz (29 Jul 2010)

You need a tcx or gpx file that has the data on. And the video has to be in .mov format.

Search verymadmart in google and go to his google site for instuctions and download.


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## Origamist (29 Jul 2010)

ttcycle said:


> We should compile all the legends of Origamist posts on here-it would be fun reading - though I've only ridden with O when hung over- so he wasn't onto his usual speedy form.
> 
> CoG- you just have to up your game...catch him and get a curry!



Where have you been Grace - schmoozing in CTC towers?! I liked the pic by the way, very elegant 


[QUOTE 1144572"]
I'm going to lie in wait tonight. Leave work early. Hide up a side-street en route.
[/quote]


I left work late to avoid you. Only eight more days of evasion to go!

I like this guy in blue on the vid (Blue Trek) - always rides hard and pushes himself into the red:

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=1gY2A69JSLk


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## gaz (29 Jul 2010)

Origamist said:


> I like this guy in blue on the vid (Blue Trek) - always rides hard and pushes himself into the red:
> 
> http://www.youtube.c...h?v=1gY2A69JSLk



I love it when you start to see the regulars, and you know which ones do what etc..
I'm not sure i could sustain that speed for that length of time.


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## Origamist (29 Jul 2010)

gaz said:


> I love it when you start to see the regulars, and you know which ones do what etc..
> I'm not sure i could sustain that speed for that length of time.



It's nice when you start to see familiar faces. I prob know about 50 people by sight and talk to approx 20.


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## 4F (29 Jul 2010)

Origamist said:


> It's nice when you start to see familiar faces. I prob know about 50 people by sight and talk to approx 20.




Cracking bit of commuter racing, I don't think I see that many people in 2 weeks let alone a few minutes


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## Sh4rkyBloke (30 Jul 2010)

4F said:


> Cracking bit of commuter racing, I don't think I see that many people in 2 weeks let alone a few minutes


+1 

Looks like it could be fun with that many other cyclists to race/chat to etc. but could also equally be a nightmare depending on their experience/ability/road positioning.


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## ianrauk (30 Jul 2010)

Did Mr Blue go through the red light at then end of the vid Matt?


Origamist said:


> I like this guy in blue on the vid (Blue Trek) - always rides hard and pushes himself into the red:
> 
> http://www.youtube.c...h?v=1gY2A69JSLk


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## Origamist (30 Jul 2010)

Sh4rkyBloke said:


> +1
> 
> Looks like it could be fun with that many other cyclists to race/chat to etc. but could also equally be a nightmare depending on their experience/ability/road positioning.




It's really not a problem - most cyclists ride in the blue lane. If you read the road up ahead you can see when they are going to overtake one another (possibly without shoulder checking). I do occasionally pass people too close though - a bad habit from club riding. 



ianrauk said:


> Did Mr Blue go through the red light at then end of the vid Matt?



I don't think so. He used the right hand filter lane (although he was going straight on) and merged at the front when the lights changed. I prefered my position behind the HGV as it was always going to be slowish off the line and it meant I could stay in the correct lane without having to merge to the right (which is what you have to do in the cycle superhighway lane.)


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## arallsopp (30 Jul 2010)

Bloody hell. That's fast. Damn I wish my bike was more discreet. I so do NOT want to end up in a race on my commute. If you see a little 24" wheel poking out from behind a wheelie bin, tucked down a side alley, that's me. I'm hiding.


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## gaz (30 Jul 2010)

arallsopp said:


> Bloody hell. That's fast. Damn I wish my bike was more discreet. I so do NOT want to end up in a race on my commute. If you see a little 24" wheel poking out from behind a wheelie bin, tucked down a side alley, that's me. I'm hiding.


You are missing out on so much fun!


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## ttcycle (30 Jul 2010)

maybe we should all stand along the tooting broadway with popcorn and watch the commuter races...great stuff!


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## Sh4rkyBloke (30 Jul 2010)

Could have been nasty at about 2.44 if he was on fixed - just seemed to pop out his left foot from the pedal!

So, what sort of speed were you doing then? Commented similar on the vid - looked like a heck of a pace, but then it seemed that many others were doing not much slower... which is not usually the case... so I'm assuming the camera position (closer to the ground) made it look so fast. 

I did like the way you overtook the Blue Trek guy again at the end... just because you could.


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## BrumJim (30 Jul 2010)

No one on my Birmingham commute to make me look so slow. Glad about that. I think........


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## Origamist (30 Jul 2010)

Sh4rkyBloke said:


> Could have been nasty at about 2.44 if he was on fixed - just seemed to pop out his left foot from the pedal!
> 
> So, what sort of speed were you doing then? Commented similar on the vid - looked like a heck of a pace, but then it seemed that many others were doing not much slower... which is not usually the case... so I'm assuming the camera position (closer to the ground) made it look so fast.
> 
> I did like the way you overtook the Blue Trek guy again at the end... just because you could.



I asked if he was OK, but it seems that he had just not clipped in properly. Could have been a gouged shin if was riding fixed (which reminds me, probably time I invested in new cleats).

I guess the speed was in the high 20s - prob 28mph or so. 

Yeah, with Trek guy it's a battle of attrition - he sprints away from the lights and holds a good pace, but it starts to hurt him after 3-4 miles (and me too, mind), but I can usually wear him down. He's a good chap though.


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## PaulG (30 Jul 2010)

That looks so much fun, so many people on bikes to overtake and race. So impressed I had to stop lurking and register. My commute I only see one other guy and he goes the opposite way


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## potsy (30 Jul 2010)

PaulG said:


> That looks so much fun, so many people on bikes to overtake and race. So impressed I had to stop lurking and register. My commute I only see one other guy and he goes the opposite way



It is so different to my commute too,my only scalps are a guy whose bike I can hear squealing for mercy about 1/4 mile before i see him,and a fellow workmate who is called 'slow steve' so not much to gloat about there





Oh and Fossy but he don't count as he has paniers now cause he's getting old


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## Jezston (30 Jul 2010)

Man, really need to move back to London!

I only ever see a handful of cyclists on my route between Nottingham and Derby and they generally come in two types:

1. 'Casual' cyclists - riding the pavements on full sus BSOs or regular folk tootling at 5mph on the granny ring.

2. Speedy McSpeedbastards in full lycra and £1k+ bikes having a quick little ride on a short stretch of my 25 mile route who either tear me to pieces because they've only been doing a few miles or get pissed off with this bloke in cheap gear and a hokey bike beating them and have to cheat through lights to stay ahead!

Never seem to get a nice gentlemanly bit of competition. I even had a ride back with a friend from work and he got in a huff after I overtook him and buggered off!


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## HaloJ (30 Jul 2010)

Love the video origamist. Don't really have a road like that to fly down commuting in from North London. Farringdon is my best stretch and that's plauged by poor road surface, road works and disappearing buslanes into single carriageway pinch points. I haven't as yet tried the A1 down through Holloway though so that could be the road mekka (sp?) I'm looking for.

Abs


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## addictfreak (4 Aug 2010)

Just watched one of the videos, I have never seen so many cyclists in such a short space of time. Wish it was like that up here, always nice to have company.


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## gaz (14 Oct 2010)

[QUOTE 1144602"]
Nice to meet you Gaz.

Well done for recognising me!

Nice orange bike! [/quote]

Ta, nice to meet you as well.


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## karlos_the_jackal (15 Oct 2010)

Orgamist, what time of the morning was the vid taken? I ride in later so not as many targets (commuters) and also easy ride in as not great shower facilities at work. 

The ride back though is fun. I turn off at tooting bec station. 

I'll offer my services as part of a train if anybody wants to take him on.


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## dellzeqq (15 Oct 2010)

I too can vouch for the Speed of O. What's really annoying is that he's never ever out of breath. 

O: 'morning Simon'

DZ 'grooh, gerk, uurghh'


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## Origamist (15 Oct 2010)

karlos_the_jackal said:


> Orgamist, what time of the morning was the vid taken? I ride in later so not as many targets (commuters) and also easy ride in as not great shower facilities at work.
> 
> The ride back though is fun. I turn off at tooting bec station.
> 
> I'll offer my services as part of a train if anybody wants to take him on.



I'd guess at around 8.15ish. 

I live in the Heaver Estate at Tooting Bec.

I'm easy to spot - blue Charge plug, Carradice saddle bag, large torch strapped to my stem and a big, bald head.


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## clarion (15 Oct 2010)

dellzeqq said:


> I too can vouch for the Speed of O. What's really annoying is that he's never ever out of breath.
> 
> O: 'morning Simon'
> 
> DZ 'grooh, gerk, uurghh'



Yup.

O: Hi Clarion

C: *wheeze*

What's weird is that sometimes I come up behind him, which doesn't seem plausible. Then he's off. I can stay on his tail from Clapham to Oval, but then my lungs burst, even on the best of days.


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## arallsopp (15 Oct 2010)

[QUOTE 1144608"]
What do you look like Clarion?
[/quote]

Yes he does. Exactly like Clarion. Its uncanny.


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## clarion (15 Oct 2010)

arallsopp said:


> Yes he does. Exactly like Clarion. Its uncanny.



That's precisely it!

I usually wear a yacf or Clarion 1895 jersey. I ride (normally) a Ridgeback Solo fixed with a rack & a Carradice Super C saddlebag. The Solo has a load of stickers on it. Otherwise, I ride a blue Orbit (it's a Silver Medal, but it doesn't say so). It has the Clarion CC logo on the top tube. I ride CS7 from Tooting Broadway to E&C.

What do you look like, CoG?


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## L.E.D. (16 Oct 2010)

Busy commute you have there , lots of fellow bikers




lots of cars



and are those roads smooth ?


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## clarion (16 Oct 2010)

[QUOTE 1144612"]
I do Kingston, Tooting Broadway, then all the way to Kennington, The Cut, Farringdon.

http://www.photoboxg...ndor_id=3022259 (I'm the bloke)

I ride a shiny silver-blueish fixed cooper. 

I'll keep a look out and say hi.
[/quote]

d'Oh!

I saw you yesterday. I was admiring your Cooper, and was thinking of asking you how you were getting on with it.

Nice bike.


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## clarion (16 Oct 2010)

That's me. 

Next time, we may both overcome our inhibition and actually say summat...

btw, who are you on yacf? I'm Clarion pretty much everywhere.


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## clarion (22 Oct 2010)

Hey, CoG, I think I saw you again last night!

Well, I said hi to someone. I hope it was you. I didn't have time to talk, because I needed to get home asap, but it was nice to see you (and your bike) again.


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## Sh4rkyBloke (22 Oct 2010)

Get a room, you two!!


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## JoysOfSight (23 Oct 2010)

Whenever I feel like I can go reasonably quick, I only have to pop on the 'tube and watch some London vids to remind myself that it is quite different being a big fish in a small pond.

I once TT'd 10 miles in just under 25 minutes, on my commute fixie with mudguards. I thought that was an epic win, but now I see half of London can ride in heavy traffic at 5mph faster than that, just on the way to work.

It's enough to make a man sick.


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## MrGrumpy (23 Oct 2010)

cool videos but if i`m honest it looks rather dangerous


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## fimm (23 Oct 2010)

Origamist said:


> I like this guy in blue on the vid (Blue Trek) - always rides hard and pushes himself into the red:
> 
> http://www.youtube.c...h?v=1gY2A69JSLk





A bit off topic, but there's an interesting thing going on about 1:46 in that video. There's a car wanting to turn left, he's slowing and has got his left indicator on, but how on earth is he going to turn left with a steady stream of cyclists coming through on his left?


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## Origamist (24 Oct 2010)

fimm said:


> A bit off topic, but there's an interesting thing going on about 1:46 in that video. There's a car wanting to turn left, he's slowing and has got his left indicator on, but how on earth is he going to turn left with a steady stream of cyclists coming through on his left?



He has to wait until the road is clear. In Germany, the Netherlands etc nearly all drivers wait until the road is clear - even if this means being stationary for 30secs+. In this country a significant proportion of drivers try to edge there way over and a few just turn without checking. 

This is a disadvantage of riding in a bus lane with dozens and dozens of side roads and impatient drivers - I've seen lots of left hooks and right hooks.


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## dellzeqq (24 Oct 2010)

indeed - and, to be fair, the sheer number of cyclists on this route has instilled a different attitude in the majority of drivers. By and large they do the right thing. In my experience left and right hooks are now less frequent than they were.


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## Tynan (24 Oct 2010)

perhaps on what appears to be very cycle heavy sarf London arteries

I promise the merely lots of bikes east london veins still ahve a depressing ignorance to the idea of things on the inside of people wanting sudden turnings


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## Roadrunner78 (25 Oct 2010)

Origamist, a Charge Plug single speed going at that speed! I have to ask, is that standard gearing or higher? 42/16 i think most web sites say is standard. Or is it just high cadence?


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## Origamist (25 Oct 2010)

Roadrunner78 said:


> Origamist, a Charge Plug single speed going at that speed! I have to ask, is that standard gearing or higher? 42/16 i think most web sites say is standard. Or is it just high cadence?




In that vid: 44/15, but I gear down for autumn/winter: 44/16.


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## fimm (25 Oct 2010)

Origamist said:


> He has to wait until the road is clear. ...



Oh, OK. I'm not much of a driver and I was trying to work out what I'd do, and also what I'd do if I was cycling and came up behind a car stuck in the middle indicating like that. Of course the stream of cyclists isn't quite contiunous, I suppose, as you [should] get gaps caused by traffic lights changing.

Thank you for the answer.


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## Origamist (25 Oct 2010)

fimm said:


> Oh, OK. I'm not much of a driver and I was trying to work out what I'd do, and also what I'd do if I was cycling and came up behind a car stuck in the middle indicating like that. Of course the stream of cyclists isn't quite contiunous, I suppose, as you [should] get gaps caused by traffic lights changing.
> 
> Thank you for the answer.



If you were cycling in that situation you should be covering the brakes (and depending on the circumstances, slowing), and keeping an eye on the front left wheel of the car. I was going too fast to stop in that situation, but if I can, I sometimes slow/stop and let cars turn across me in that situation or I pull out and overtake the vehicle.


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## Jezston (25 Oct 2010)

Have you often stopped to find a load of cyclists behind you not follow your lead and just pass anyway? I had that last night on quite a narrow residential road. Stopped my bike in the middle of the road as someone was doing a rather awkward looking parking maneuver, and some knob just rode round me and straight past causing the driver to stall. You'd think if you saw someone stopped in the middle of the road you might THINK maybe there's a good reason to stop too? Arse!


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## Origamist (25 Oct 2010)

Jezston said:


> *Have you often stopped to find a load of cyclists behind you not follow your lead and just pass anyway?* I had that last night on quite a narrow residential road. Stopped my bike in the middle of the road as someone was doing a rather awkward looking parking maneuver, and some knob just rode round me and straight past causing the driver to stall. You'd think if you saw someone stopped in the middle of the road you might THINK maybe there's a good reason to stop too? Arse!



Almost daily...


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## clarion (25 Oct 2010)

That happens to me a lot, Jezston. But I also get a lot of jerks just swinging straight across a lane without looking. A month or so back I was a witness in court in the case of a truck driver who had run over a cyclist that way. And there is one turn in particular where left hooks are the rule (S Circular turn at Clapham Common). So I ride it nice & wide.

I expect stupid driving in Tooting. And I'm not generally disappointed.

When I see that kind of thing, I'll make an assessment. If I'm committed or in a large group, I might go through cautiously. I'd prefer to spot it early, find a space, and get right out to overtake properly. Not always possible. But I often do stop.


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