Silly commuting racing

greg66_tri_v2.0

Wrath Rob wrote:

Why, what FCN were you tonight? I think my scalp is safe with me.

Did you turn off at Battersea Bridge? I know that you went past pretty quickly but not quickly enough to disappear altogether. I was busy dealing with some idiot on an MTB that confused riding like a dick with riding quickly

There's only two sorts of riders I see. Those Worth Scalping and The Detritus. Take yer pick.

Chelsea Bridge (closest to Battersea Power Stn, unlike Battersea Br, which is closest to Chelsea Harbour. Never have worked that out). I peel off there 99 times out of 100. The extended start ramp after Chelsea Br is beguiling, but there's always a snarl of traffic to pick through at the end with little room to filter, and the poorly resurfaced strip I'd otherwise ride on forces me into the foot wide strip next to the kerb. The road along the south side of the Park with the mansion blocks on it is faster.

Anyway, how do you get to an FCN of 5 on a road bike with 3/4 length lycra-looking leggings?

The Chingford Skinhead

Oh Purleeaassee would the SS?FG dudes moaning about being passed by geared roadies or whatever MTFU! It was suggested that roadies (and I'm not one) are in effect cheating by using two arms when arm wrestling. Wrong wrong wrong. A bad analogy. The SS?FG rider has chosen his/her weapon of choice. Let's take a better analogy. Boxing.

You can be a traditional fighter, both arms punching from a tight defence. The SS/FG is the showboater (yes you are and you know it!) dropping their arms and dodging rather than blocking shots, Windmilling your arm for a punch rather than throwing it from the defensive position. Now, if you can pull the show boating off - like Ali floating like a butterfly - then kudos. You're the Man. You look great, your opponent looks stupid. BUT if you're not actually good enough to show boat and the tradionalist knocks you spark out then it is you, my friend, that looks an even bigger fool. The only way you can look more ridiculous is if you crawl back to your corner and start cying "oh he cheated he used both hands". No no,no Mr Newbury Chap, them's the rules of the game. If choose to use less armoury than is available to you to demonstrate your superiority by playing the cocky "look at me - I don't need both arms or any defence" rules and you get spanked then go back to traditional fighting until you are good enough or take responsibility for your choice and MTFU

cjcp

Bit of a speedy journey home on Friday. Got talking to a chap on a Trek at Parlt Square (this was after posting on Friday afternoon about how I don't tend to talk to people on the commute!) about the morons on scooters using the freshly painted "bike box". He proved to be a bit quick and we just seemed to whizz along until we parted at the Priory Lane turn off.

Wrath Rob

Greg66 wrote:

There's only two sorts of riders I see. Those Worth Scalping and The Detritus. Take yer pick.
.
.
.
Anyway, how do you get to an FCN of 5 on a road bike with 3/4 length lycra-looking leggings?

I'm glad you think I'm worth the effort but next time you'll have to make it your 1/100 :twisted:

As for the FCN, they are 3/4 baggies from my MTB days and I have a rucksack and normally some SKS raceblades. The SPDs push me back up but it works out at 5. The lycra stays at home until it gets below at least 5 degrees!

Newbury chap

Oh Purleeaassee would the SS?FG dudes moaning about being passed by geared roadies or whatever MTFU! It was suggested that roadies (and I'm not one) are in effect cheating by using two arms when arm wrestling. Wrong wrong wrong. A bad analogy. The SS?FG rider has chosen his/her weapon of choice. Let's take a better analogy. Boxing.

I think this is perhaps where I must agree to dissagree with Mr DDD and Chingford Skinhead

I want to share something if you dont mind, afterall, we all love cycling and to be frank i find the trackie vs mountain bike vs roadie vs bmx bla bla bla thing rather dull. In fact its all a bit sily. I have always loved riding geared road racers but got my first fixie about a month ago mostly as a winter trainer to strengthen my legs, pedal proper circles, and just try a new cycling discipline with a view to improving my TT. Also, who wants to take their beloved racer out in the mud and rain and have to strip her down/ re lube her all the time?

Poesy aside, I have fallen in love with my fixie. She is just an unadulterated joy ride, and probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on. You are just much "closer" to the bike, its perfectly silent, and forces you to spin like the devil. I like to think her lines are much cleaner without looking like the bike is in intensive care with pipes and cables running everywhere. Again, thats just my opinion.

I had a go on the road racer today and enjoyed the full use of my gears on Walbury Hill (a particularly nasty b"stard). Great fun, and noticeably easier having gained a lot of "pedal power" from the fixie. Try it and see

The Chingford Skinhead

Newbury chap wrote:

Oh Purleeaassee would the SS?FG dudes moaning about being passed by geared roadies or whatever MTFU! It was suggested that roadies (and I'm not one) are in effect cheating by using two arms when arm wrestling. Wrong wrong wrong. A bad analogy. The SS?FG rider has chosen his/her weapon of choice. Let's take a better analogy. Boxing.

I think this is perhaps where I must agree to dissagree with Mr Bass junkie and Chingford Skinhead

I want to share something if you dont mind, afterall, we all love cycling and to be frank i find the trackie vs mountain bike vs roadie vs bmx bla bla bla thing rather dull. In fact its all a bit sily. I have always loved riding geared road racers but got my first fixie about a month ago mostly as a winter trainer to strengthen my legs, pedal proper circles, and just try a new cycling discipline with a view to improving my TT. Also, who wants to take their beloved racer out in the mud and rain and have to strip her down/ re lube her all the time?

Poesy aside, I have fallen in love with my fixie. She is just an unadulterated joy ride, and probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on. You are just much "closer" to the bike, its perfectly silent, and forces you to spin like the devil. I like to think her lines are much cleaner without looking like the bike is in intensive care with pipes and cables running everywhere. Again, thats just my opinion.

I had a go on the road racer today and enjoyed the full use of my gears on Walbury Hill (a particularly nasty b"stard). Great fun, and noticeably easier having gained a lot of "pedal power" from the fixie. Try it and see

I'm only 'avin' a larf Newbury Chap. I agree with you that there is a lot of pointless snobbery around the differernt kinds of bikes etc. I'm sure I'd like it if I tried it but I'm just getting over the guilt of getting a loving a roadie over my trusty hybrid (which compared to the bike I had before was like night and day).

My only thing about SS/FG is some of the arguments put forward for them. Lots about lines and simplicity. Yet as a man I know that I put functionality above beauty anyday. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a work of art but its engineering greatness is what takes the breath away. If it didn't work as a bridge it would have no value. I guess that is why men so rarely think to buy flowers and would be annoyed to get them as a present - they look lovely but what is the point of them!. When Mrs TCS and I had to buy a new fridge she picked out two that "were cute" "looked lovely" blah blah blah. The fact that they wouldn't hold more than a box of eggs and a pint of milk didnt matter - but it did to me! And for me, gears are functinal. They're a gadget. They are therefore essential fun.

Men like gadgets. Men like complexity. Men like things to fix. If you take that away... :shock: That's why I don't get the "low maintenance argument either. We want to maintain things

But you are right. While we will argue for fun over SCR scores etc we all have one core thing in common. The love of two-wheel self propulsion Happy riding matey 8)

Newbury chap

But you are right. While we will argue for fun over SCR scores etc we all have one core thing in common. The love of two-wheel self propulsion Happy riding matey

All good skinhead, we are all brothers and sisters of the cloth. That of course is no reason not to try to skin each other. Game on :twisted:

symo

Ahhhh you two gonna kiss now?

The Chingford Skinhead

symo wrote:

Ahhhh you two gonna kiss now?

That might be how you do things in Devon but we'll settle for a knowing nod at the lights before racing each other to the next red

Newbury chap

Ahhhh you two gonna kiss now?

Actually I here that is a lot of that in Devin Isn't that where they invented fudging?

symo

Wouldn't know. I am from Nottigham. Only here for the money.

daniel_b

itboffin wrote:

On Monday I visited one of your LBS in Newbury this may now become my LBS those guys we're so helpful and stock a massive range of kit, they even called Shimano with my big RING query, as of tomorrow my road bike will become 53/39T and the SS gets a winter make over 50/16T.

Seems there are a few of us in and around Wiltshire/Hampshire perhaps we could muster enough troops for a "yokel" branch of the SCR Friday drinks.

I'm going to take a wild guess that that was Banjo cycles?

Not very far from my house, and was in there on Saturday and ended up test riding a Langster!

Very enthusiastic staff/owner, the kind of LBS you want to give business too, especially when it is that local to me.

Dan

Newbury chap

I'm going to take a wild guess that that was Banjo cycles?

Not very far from my house, and was in there on Saturday and ended up test riding a Langster!

Very enthusiastic staff/owner, the kind of LBS you want to give business too, especially when it is that local to me.

Dan

Yes, a big shout out to the Banjo boys in the West Masseef Mark and Adam (other local bike suppliers available....)

Bassjunkieuk

The Chingford Skinhead wrote:

Newbury chap wrote:

Oh Purleeaassee would the SS?FG dudes moaning about being passed by geared roadies or whatever MTFU! It was suggested that roadies (and I'm not one) are in effect cheating by using two arms when arm wrestling. Wrong wrong wrong. A bad analogy. The SS?FG rider has chosen his/her weapon of choice. Let's take a better analogy. Boxing.

I think this is perhaps where I must agree to dissagree with Mr Bass junkie and Chingford Skinhead

I want to share something if you dont mind, afterall, we all love cycling and to be frank i find the trackie vs mountain bike vs roadie vs bmx bla bla bla thing rather dull. In fact its all a bit sily. I have always loved riding geared road racers but got my first fixie about a month ago mostly as a winter trainer to strengthen my legs, pedal proper circles, and just try a new cycling discipline with a view to improving my TT. Also, who wants to take their beloved racer out in the mud and rain and have to strip her down/ re lube her all the time?

Poesy aside, I have fallen in love with my fixie. She is just an unadulterated joy ride, and probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on. You are just much "closer" to the bike, its perfectly silent, and forces you to spin like the devil. I like to think her lines are much cleaner without looking like the bike is in intensive care with pipes and cables running everywhere. Again, thats just my opinion.

I had a go on the road racer today and enjoyed the full use of my gears on Walbury Hill (a particularly nasty b"stard). Great fun, and noticeably easier having gained a lot of "pedal power" from the fixie. Try it and see

I'm only 'avin' a larf Newbury Chap. I agree with you that there is a lot of pointless snobbery around the differernt kinds of bikes etc. I'm sure I'd like it if I tried it but I'm just getting over the guilt of getting a loving a roadie over my trusty hybrid (which compared to the bike I had before was like night and day).

My only thing about SS/FG is some of the arguments put forward for them. Lots about lines and simplicity. Yet as a man I know that I put functionality above beauty anyday. The Clifton Suspension Bridge is a work of art but its engineering greatness is what takes the breath away. If it didn't work as a bridge it would have no value. I guess that is why men so rarely think to buy flowers and would be annoyed to get them as a present - they look lovely but what is the point of them!. When Mrs TCS and I had to buy a new fridge she picked out two that "were cute" "looked lovely" blah blah blah. The fact that they wouldn't hold more than a box of eggs and a pint of milk didnt matter - but it did to me! And for me, gears are functinal. They're a gadget. They are therefore essential fun.

Men like gadgets. Men like complexity. Men like things to fix. If you take that away... :shock: That's why I don't get the "low maintenance argument either. We want to maintain things

But you are right. While we will argue for fun over SCR scores etc we all have one core thing in common. The love of two-wheel self propulsion Happy riding matey 8)

I would love to have a SS or fixed just to allow me a different bike to ride on and to have something that can take all the abuse and be simple to repair and keep working through the darker months! I'm also quite interested in the technique and training benefits of such a bike as I'm now getting to a point where I'm beginning to want more from my bike commute. It's just not enough scalping all those ahead of me, I want to do it on a machine that makes me work for it! I think it was an article in the last C+ that I picked up that discussed the various benefits of a SS that really got me sold on the idea!

Hopefully as I pick up more upgrades for the Giant I'll have more bits I can "donate" to the old Raleigh to revive it as a nippy lil' SS :-)

Greg T

Listen in....

My LBS in Richmond - the aptly named Bicycle are shortly to stock these filthy beasts...





Storck bikes....

http://www.storck-bicycle.de/mdb/img/bike_28.jpg

They are apparently gorgeous..... and having quickly had a shuffle of the images I have to agree....

It was a good job I popped on a smaller cog this morning as I picked up an aggressive klingon going into the Blackfriars roller coaster who was still nosing me intrusively at the top of Tower Hill - he was on the cusp of having a pop but didn't have the crystals.....

Also it was ambush warm this morning.

Bassjunkieuk

GT, cheers for that lurvly pic - that bike looks rather tasty :-)
However I feel this one takes the exclusivity cake tho, best not let JA know about this one........



Apparently limited to 100 a year........I was also a sucker for things with a limited run :-P

Also the aero TT bike looks rather nice, very subtle branding!

il_principe

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

GT, cheers for that lurvly pic - that bike looks rather tasty :-)
However I feel this one takes the exclusivity cake tho, best not let JA know about this one........



Apparently limited to 100 a year........I was also a sucker for things with a limited run :-P

Also the aero TT bike looks rather nice, very subtle branding!

Oh I know all about Storck. They are as light as a feather and very very expensive.

snooks

jashburnham wrote:

Oh I know all about Storck. They are as light as a feather and very very expensive.

So have you got one on order already Jash??

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

GT, cheers for that lurvly pic - that bike looks rather tasty :-)
However I feel this one takes the exclusivity cake tho, best not let JA know about this one........



Apparently limited to 100 a year........I was also a sucker for things with a limited run :-P

Also the aero TT bike looks rather nice, very subtle branding!

Oh I know all about Storck. They are as light as a feather and very very expensive.

Ah, Jash, I was thinking about you on Sat. In GBCycles helping a mate choose a bike, and evidently a bit of chat had been made, which led to them wheeling out a tricked out £8k Prince. All black (matt) with shiny black decals you had to squint to read. Super Record 11 throughout (and the rear mech oozes cool on SR11) plus Lightweight Standards Gen III. Page 24 of the 09 catalogue. Really nice. And in my size too. :P

greg66_tri_v2.0

Greg T wrote:

Storck bikes....

They are apparently gorgeous..... and having quickly had a shuffle of the images I have to agree....

They are also stiff as ... well, a very very stiff thing that's been given a stiff drink. Might want to ride one for a while before parting with the cash...

Greg T

My current bike expense line is "thin" to say the least....

Baby Bianchi is absorbing cash at the rapid rate and I am "broke"

My summer project bike plan has been redrafted to basically swap bits of the Paddy Wagon around.

Oh - here's a cool thing. On Friday as I was Putney side of the Col De Putney bridge waiting to go right when a moped (twos up) pulled alongside.

Green go the lights and as he's twos up Moped doesn't drop me....

So I'm now side by side giving it rooty toot with Moped guy....

We are still level and I'm squeezing on at high cadence in a way I've not managed before, as we pass the Duke's Head.

Standing traffic is coming on, Moped guy gives me a cheer, thumbs up and a wave and filters off....

The spinning pushing on thing was v gratifying.

Newbury chap

Oh I know all about Storck. They are as light as a feather and very very expensive.

How much for that puppy in the window?

Greg T

Newbury chap wrote:

How much for that puppy in the window?

Don't know but this fella is the guts of 4K

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/road/product/cd-10-road-10360

itboffin

Newbury chap wrote:

I'm going to take a wild guess that that was Banjo cycles?

Not very far from my house, and was in there on Saturday and ended up test riding a Langster!

Very enthusiastic staff/owner, the kind of LBS you want to give business too, especially when it is that local to me.

Dan

Yes, a big shout out to the Banjo boys in the West Masseef Mark and Adam (other local bike suppliers available....)

Correct, very cool shop - in fact I'm going there right now

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

Then why on Earth you have a £5000 bike. Jaysus, some dudes are just born lucky!

:P

You'll not see many amateurs racing on v expensive bikes -it can be rather costly with all the crashes. I have it because - well I wanted it! I don't own a car and commute by bike so actually the money spent on the Prince (and it wasn't as much as £5000) can be fairly easily justified. What do people spend on car ownership in a year - including tax and fuel I wonder? Add that to commuting costs and suddenly the bike doesn't look that bad vfm. Of course I don't need it, I'm hardly Sastre/Valverde but's that's not really the point. I love riding that bike and as long as I remain childless I fully intend on chucking what disposable income I have at cycling; it keeps me fit and makes me happy and I can't ask for more than that.

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

Of course I don't need it, I'm hardly Sastre/Valverde but's that's not really the point. I love riding that bike and as long as I remain childless I fully intend on chucking what disposable income I have at cycling; it keeps me fit and makes me happy and I can't ask for more than that.

That's a mindset that won't go away once kids come along. Trust me on this.

Bassjunkieuk

Greg66 wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Of course I don't need it, I'm hardly Sastre/Valverde but's that's not really the point. I love riding that bike and as long as I remain childless I fully intend on chucking what disposable income I have at cycling; it keeps me fit and makes me happy and I can't ask for more than that.

That's a mindset that won't go away once kids come along. Trust me on this.

I'd second, third, forth and fifth that from my experience!

I also fully agree with JA, with the money some people consider spending on high end cars (Ferrari, Lambo, Maybach, Rolls Royce et all) you could quite easily buy a bl00dy house! I personally think those people are mad, I mean where in the UK (bar a track day) are you going to be able to use a car like that to it's full potential legally? At least if I blow 5K on a nice bike (road or MTB) I only have to head over to Richmond Park or down to the Surrey Hills to fully appreciate what I have paid for!

Having never ridden a properly expensive bike I have no comparison to what an improvement it would be over my humble little Giant. From what I have heard and read though the best is still to come if and when I choose to trade up :-) I can still remember how much better the Giant felt over the old Raleigh it replaced. Even on the first ride I had on it (having ordered it online I didn't have the luxury of a test ride) I noticed a big difference in hill climbing, having taken it up one of the steeper roads near my house, and now tackle roads that I wouldn't have dreamed up going up on the old one!

il_principe

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I'd second, third, forth and fifth that from my experience!

I also fully agree with JA, with the money some people consider spending on high end cars (Ferrari, Lambo, Maybach, Rolls Royce et all) you could quite easily buy a bl00dy house! I personally think those people are mad, I mean where in the UK (bar a track day) are you going to be able to use a car like that to it's full potential legally? At least if I blow 5K on a nice bike (road or MTB) I only have to head over to Richmond Park or down to the Surrey Hills to fully appreciate what I have paid for!

Having never ridden a properly expensive bike I have no comparison to what an improvement it would be over my humble little Giant. From what I have heard and read though the best is still to come if and when I choose to trade up :-)

Well the law of diminishing returns kicks in pretty early, so it's not say £2-3K better but it is still a fricking rocketship!

Greg T

jashburnham wrote:

Well the law of diminishing returns kicks in pretty early, so it's not say £2-3K better but it is still a fricking rocketship!

I have a thesis....

That the law of diminishing returns actually starts to kick in £1 above the price you paid for your last "nice" bike.

We all buy our bikes just at the tipping point above which we are wasting cash and below which you aren't getting maximum return - it's amazing!

We should call it the "ideal bike price point" IBPP.

Clever Pun

Greg66 wrote:

Ah, Jash, I was thinking about you on Sat. In GBCycles helping a mate choose a bike, and evidently a bit of chat had been made, which led to them wheeling out a tricked out £8k Prince. All black (matt) with shiny black decals you had to squint to read. Super Record 11 throughout (and the rear mech oozes cool on SR11) plus Lightweight Standards Gen III. Page 24 of the 09 catalogue. Really nice. And in my size too. :P

Croydon? what you doing over there chap? you local?