Olympic tickets, I has them

My one involvement with the Olypmics, aside from work, is going to see the womens' team archery event. 

As my sweetie double-booked himself this weekend, I'm going with thorngrove who was cleverly on hand when we determined the double booking error.

I'm currently reviewing my travel options, given the repeated warnings of travel delays through anywhere in London.

Oddly, the travel planner on the Olympics site and the TfL travel planner give me two quite different cycle routes to the same location. You'd think they'd use the same algorithm. OTOH, I've gotten different routes out of the one planner, entering the same data. Guess it's a complex mapping tool.

I have distant hopes of seeing the Canadian coach, who is a friend from Ealdormere - Ricard of Sable Tree - but this will only happen if he shows up to watch. There's no Cdn women in the event.

Otherwise I'm keeping close to home, and my scribing slope.

Week of cycling and mapping mysteries

First full week of cycling halfway to work done (well, when I get home).

Yesterday, taking my previous route to work to avoid the torch relay palaver, it took 49 mins to reach Chalk Farm stn. This is 5-10 mins longer than it took to ride a couple of years ago on my regular bike. Unimpressed Genevieve was unimpressed.

Today I took my 25 yr old 10 speed, instead of the folding bike - the folding bike developed a worrying creaky noise in the left pedal (I can feel squeaking and protesting through my foot), and I don't want to make it worse. I locked up at the Tube station. 

On the new route and on the regular bike - 29 mins to Chalk Farm.

Pros of new folding bike:
- can take it on the Tube, and store at work, on a secure site
- upright posture for riding - feels like sit-up-and-beg

Cons
- heavy, unwieldy when folded
- slower than regular bike
- stupid seat still sliding (more slowly but still doing it)

Pros of old reg bike:
- light, smooth ride, 
- speedy

Cons
- hunched posture, and felt like I was going headfirst over the handlebars - I know this generates backache long-term
- left at Chalk Farm through the day

I've been very fortunate so far, and my bike has not been targeted, but bike theft is endemic in London, and Chalk Farm is close to Camden Town, a very busy trendy market. Leaving it there daily, I suspect it would just be a matter of time.

I'm intrigued that I haven't changed locations, but 2 years ago I got a completely different mapped route from home to this station using the TfL journey planner.

Since then they've extended their cycle journey planner options significantly - you can get a dedicated cycle route, leave bike at a station, use boris bikes options. I don't know if it's better algorithms, or change in road facilities, or what that has prompted the difference. 

Happily: I'm not as tired, sore or generally worn out as I'd feared I'd be, significantly increasing my activity on a daily basis. It's been sweaty this week in the heat, but otherwise...result!