London commuters - is this possible?

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A few weeks ago I started commuting from St.Pancras International to Victoria. I asked advice from the sages in this forum and have pretty much settled on the best route for me. My absolute best time is 22 minutes on my Brompton, and that's on early morning clear roads with minimal traffic-light delays. A colleague at work has been bragging how he can do it in 12 minutes and I have held my tongue until this morning when he came in and said he'd done it in 10. I couldn't help myself but retort with the word 'Jackanory'. Even the TfL recommended route gives a time of 24 minutes. My apologies if your name's Bradley Wiggins but I really don't know how my colleague can not only shave a few minutes off my time but do the journey in well under half my best time. What do you think? FYI he rides a Dahon folder and the distance, whichever way you do it, is around 4-4.5 miles.
I hate bullsh*t, can you tell? :wacko:
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
I think it's possible he's related to Walter Mitty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
Yep stretching the truth a bit!!! I've just finished my commute of 11 miles with an average speed of 17mph and I'm feeling very chuffed with myself! And that's on a mainly carbon racer.

(One day I will hit the magic average of 20mph!)
 

TimO

Guru
Location
London
Like others have said, utter bullshit.

Across central London, even if you're lucky with the lights and junctions, you'll probably average something like 16mph, and even that'll require you to hammer it on those bits of the route which you can.

The speeds he appears to be claiming would be difficult on a folder for a world class athlete in a velodrome.
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Knowing that route, I'd say its an exageration of the truth. I can see how you could get beyond mayfair in under 10 mins but getting down to vistoria must take a few more minutes at least.
 

XmisterIS

Purveyor of fine nonsense
I can only assume that he must be riding one of these:

magic-bicycle-spirit-flyer.jpg
 

swee'pea99

Legendary Member
I am a committed RLJ-er, and have been overtaken exactly once in 9 months - and certainly not by a bleedin' folder, doooooo me a favour - and I couldn't do that in that. Your colleague is full of it.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
The slowest part of my commute is when I get to central London. My average speed as I'm leaving can be as low as 10mph.
Video or rubbish
 

Dan B

Disengaged member
On a folder? Ride to Kings Cross undergrund, take Victoria Line. 5 stops, so you might might be able to do it in ten minutes if you run up the escalator at the end
 
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