7 DHs from adjacent houses cycling all weekend (again)!

[ballisticcyclistic]

I’m sitting here with ice on my ankle because yesterday I twisted it during a ridiculous situation where I had to take 4 special wheels to the garage for DH’s car and he’d loaded these in my car at 5am. I couldn’t park in the garage forecourt as no space, so I had to park up the road. Then I couldn’t lift the bloody things out of the back of my car, so I just pulled two out and tried to roll them along, but the road was on an incline and the wheels took on a will of their own, like wagon wheels rolling off, One was veering into the road so I had to chase it like a lunatic and I caught the edge of my wedge sandals and twisted my ankle which is still very swollen. So that was yesterday afternoon.

DH complained to the garage that it was unacceptable that nobody they’d helped me, but he has since apologised so I’ll just put behind me, but there are repercussions now for this weekend.

We live on a street where we actually get on with lots of neighbours (rare for London) but this is mainly led by the DHs who are all cycling fanatics. This weekend they are all off to the midlands for some famous ride I’ve never heard of. There are seven of them going.

Now normally I’d be glad of the peace, but today I have -

• Landscape gardeners coming around 8am
• The flooring man coming at 9am
• I need to leave at 9.30am to get DS (14) to his tutor, 20 min drive away, so I won’t be back until 12
• DD (11) needs to be at a party for 1.30pm which a good 40 min drive, but could be more like 2 hours because they’ve closed Hammersmith Bridge and Putney and Chiswick Bridges are rammed. Also, I can’t walk to the tube and this DD has a broken toe as well
• One DS in the midst of GCSEs and will need support / someone to practise French with / test him etc. He is working very hard, but sometimes just needs calming down or distraction. Other DS also has end of year exams starting on Mon and he needs a fair bit if input due to dyslexia.
• 2 new kittens who I have to watch in case they get out due to gardeners leaving doors open
• Plumbers coming at some point in the afternoon

AIBU to be a bit miffed? Of course, I know DH can’t cancel the ride now, but I feel aggravated and it’s only 7am!

Was he upset that you ended up on a lonely towpath due to his BLOODY CAR? I think most of your post sounds like a busy lucky family...then I get to that bit....and I think...hang on, is everything kind of about him!?!? He should sort his own hobby cars, surely!!!!!!!

Marathons do close roads, but usually only for short periods, and I've never heard of this hoo haa being caused by a race.

Road cycling as a sport is intrinsically selfish, great clumps of lycra clad middle aged entitled men holding people up in the countryside every weekend. If they just went for a run or walk it would not be so anti social.

I don’t think taking up cycling changes someone’s innate personality?

Unfortunately not. There are hordes of men on expensive, thin bikes haring through London to work in the City in an apparent psychopathic rage. I imagine they were like that before they got on their bikes, but it does appear to make them worse.

I don’t really see what difference the girth or cost of the bike makes, but yes, awful, angry cyclists are a phenomenon in London. I’d guess there are plenty of similar people driving cars around the city, they just aren’t quite as visible or maybe as stressed about the level of imminent danger the other cars pose (pedestrians can also be idiotic too in this regard). No single group of road users is totally without blame for behaving badly. In a city though, more cycling and less polluting transport should be considered a good thing?

I'm all for cycling as transport but the lycra louts actually put other potential cyclists off. In countries that do a lot of cycling for transport, people don't have expensive bikes and clothing, or even helmets, it's about hopping on and off in your normal clothes. The thinness of wheels was a reference to the cost of the bike.

Yeah florinda its ridiculous that people cycle for fun and to keep fit isnt it?

My OH is a cyclist and the man is a fucking selfless legend.

You just happen to have chosen a dickhead. Cycling does not predispose a man to behaving like an arse, whether you put up with it is up to you.

the lycra louts actually put other potential cyclists off. In countries that do a lot of cycling for transport, people don't have expensive bikes and clothing, or even helmets, it's about hopping on and off in your normal clothes.

ARGH this really gets on my nerves! What cyclists wear or how expensive their bikes are or how thin their wheels are has got fuk all to do with whether some people cycle to the letter of the law or some that ignore all the red lights.

Would you go to the gym and exercise in a flipping suit? No you wouldn't. Similarly those who cycle wear lycra cos it stops chaffing, wicks away sweat, include padding and is better to wear especially if your cycling long distances including their commute.

Equally when you buy your car or an item some people like to buy the best for what they will use it for. Thinner non knobbly tyres are actually better for riding on the road because you have more surface to road grip then knobbly tyres. Also bikes are generally lighter the more you pay for them and quite frankly if anyone had to do my commute which includes a number of hills some at over 5% gradient the last thing I want is a cheaper heavier bike to get up those hills. Weight matters!

Also those countries that do alot of cycling their infrastructure is better and not only that cyclists are priortised on the roads in terms of signal timings for cars and pedestrians. Their roads are designed with cyclists as the primary user whereas here vehicles are still the primary user and other modes an afterthought.