Silly commuting racing

Clever Pun

Taking my new route home for the first time and the traffic was a little bit mental everywhere damnit.... still I managed to take a couple of roadies. One took me while I was holding back in traffic over tower bridge... he turned towards jamaca road as well where I binned him good and proper whizzed past him.

Later on at the loampit vale a scooter came round it just ahead of me heading towards catford.... I saw he wasn't leaving me for dust so I cranked it and took him a speed...score. It looked like I was trying though I suspect

Wrath Rob

Well, I got the Gatorskins on the bike and no puncture on the ride home. Hurrah! It did feel a little weird though as I could only get about 40PSI in them with the hand pump. Back up to 100 now, ready for tomorrow's Brass Monkies ride

il_principe

I'm ashamed to say that I have utterly failed to MTFU having contracted a particularly virulent strain of man flu. Monday saw me home in bed, tuesday I dragged my ailing body all the way down to Folkestone for a meeting so no bike, and today I'm still feeling really rough so had to face the bus in - thankfully it was almost completely empty. God I hate not being on the bike, but man flu is man flu and must be respected.

Clever Pun

jashburnham wrote:

I'm ashamed to say that I have utterly failed to MTFU having contracted a particularly virulent strain of man flu. Monday saw me home in bed, tuesday I dragged my ailing body all the way down to Folkestone for a meeting so no bike, and today I'm still feeling really rough so had to face the bus in - thankfully it was almost completely empty. God I hate not being on the bike, but man flu is man flu and must be respected.

aww, you afraid of the cold?

Took me a couple of nice scalps today including one that I saw ahead of me in beckenham, he skipped the lights just before they changed allowing me to catch up, he then pushes hard to get through the amber/red lights at the bottom of the hill... I wait and wait eventually I'm off like a whippet and the next set of traffic lights are kind to me and I can see him.. I slowly reel him in and then up it a little more to blast past him (I'm not sure how long I've got left at this speed and if he's been coasting I could be in trouble) I'm off and I'm clear. I stop at traffic lights a mile or so later and he pulls up next to me puffing and panting like a lung is about to pop, I smile nod and then gun it at the lights with very little external looking effort of course. Eventually we get to greenwich at the same time given trafffic and lights and I think he's about to pop.. my breath is slightly raised... heh heh.

during this I passed another roadie but with a silly wide seat, I noticed him again near tower bridge... I feel my route can be a lot shorter as I was a fiar whack faster than him but it took 4-5 miles to catch up again if that makes sense

cjcp

The drafting fairies seem determined to take me out.

After the incident on Monday, a chap on a dark and light blue Ambrosio has to brake and swerve round me as I stopped (he went through) for a red light this morning - the lights on the corner of Embankment and Claverton St, just before you enter Death Star Canyon eastbound. I had overtaken him a couple of hundred yards earlier before you bend round right and he tucked behind me, without letting me know he was there.

Dangerous riding IMHO, particularly given the slippery conditions and that your braking power is reduced.

Feltup

Didn't get scalped but did get chinned where I hit the road like a sack of spuds this morning. Limped home and got in the car. Poor Felt has some war wounds now My bibtights came out of it OK my thigh didn't and my chin is weeping wonderfully. Wore a hole through my Montane Featherlite and new gloves, stuff this MTFU next time it is icy I am sticking with the car!

jedster

Alright, who else did the tube-ride of shame this morning?

After battling with the sleet tlast night and waking up to see snow in our garden I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and got a lift to the station. Given a recent incident with a slippy road kept me off the bike for 4 weeks, it seemed sensible.

Waiting on the platform I saw a couple of well-wrapped up women of a certain age with their folded bromptons.

Clearly they are just reckless and irresponsible and I don't need to MTFU at all...

J

Sewinman

I overtook someone last night and he said 'Booo' as I passed. Any idea why someone would do that?

jedster

Ah, just missed Feltup's post. Look on the bright side FU, you just made me feel a whole lot better - very public spirited of you.

Hope you are not too sore

J

cjcp

Rode in, but took it very easy.

Feltup - heal fast.

Jash - my sympathies, mate. Have you dialled 999?

cjcp

Sewinman wrote:

I overtook someone last night and he said 'Booo' as I passed. Any idea why someone would do that?

Yes. He (I assume you weren't overtaken by a woman ) is a berk.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I overtook someone last night and he said 'Booo' as I passed. Any idea why someone would do that?

Yes. He (I assume you weren't overtaken by a woman ) is a berk.

Sewinman overtook...

I would say the other guy was gutted about being binned but in a jovial way

Feltup

Thanks folks. Bones heal and chicks dig scars it is just the bike I feel sorry for. Might have to give it a clean and tidy tonight to say sorry.

Sewinman

Get well soon Feltup - hardlines...

On the way home this guy on a Bianchi overtook me at the top of Brixton hill (presumably after getting a lift all the way up), only to then promptly slow down and hold me up. I overtook him again on the slight climb in Streatham and he then took me on the downhill ( I was freewheeling). I then got a bit annoyed and dropped him like a stone on the flat bit, only for him to overtake me whilst I waited for the lights. :evil:

I hate him.

Can you scalp someone who does not know they are going to be scalped? For instance i got done by a fixie the other day whilst pootling along and day dreaming. Does this count?

Finally - my knee made a rather weird crunchy sound as i pulled away in too high a gear this morn...!? :shock:

cjcp

Clever Pun wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Sewinman wrote:

I overtook someone last night and he said 'Booo' as I passed. Any idea why someone would do that?

Yes. He (I assume you weren't overtaken by a woman ) is a berk.

Sewinman overtook...

I would say the other guy was gutted about being binned but in a jovial way

Good point. I take it back. I'm the berk. :roll:

biondino

Morning all,

In a wonderful piece of serendipity I noticed that the col de Putney Bridge lived up to its name this morning - the only snow/ice I saw on my whole journey was on the very crest of the bridge

So, none of you were grey Condor fixie dude, then? Shame, I would have chapeaud you.

biondino

Sewinman wrote:

Can you scalp someone who does not know they are going to be scalped? For instance i got done by a fixie the other day whilst pootling along and day dreaming. Does this count?

It counts if you don't immediately MTFU and catch and pass him. Last night, after my battle with grey Condor man, I was on Queen's Ride about 500 yards from home and pootling with the "okay, this counts as a warm-down" justification, and some dude overtakes me approaching the roundabout before the Death Bridge.

I hadn't even noticed him before then, so no idea where he'd come from or how fast, but I wasn't taking that, so as soon as the hill started I powered past him, slightly surprising myself with my speed (guess I'd been conserving energy "warming down" ahem), only to brake sharply and turn left down Gipsy Lane. Luckily I was several bike lengths ahead of him by then - man, I wish I'd given him the Armstrong look - and although it was a bit of a arsey thing to do, my self-respect needed it I think.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Fcuk me, the bell ends were out in force this morning.

First: waiting at the lights where Lupus Street joins the Embankment. Woman with a pushchair is crossing the road and some tw@t on a white road bike sweeps from outside lane 2 across the front of the car waiting at the head of lane two, *right* behind the woman's trailing foot and straight through the red.

I wait for the green, power up and skin him.

I get an OK run of lights from there to Millbank where the traffic is (as usual) backed up. Ease up to Lambeth Br roundabout and over it. Roll towards the zebra - someone's crossing it right to left and there are a couple of cars queuing; bus up ahead on the left so I sit in the traffic lane and roll.

And who should then appear, down the middle of the road, wrong way round the island in the middle of the zebra, with an oncoming car about 3 feet from head on contact, but white roadie! Yeh! Go white roadie brain donor @rsehole fcuktard!

Thing is, he doesn't even have the nice pedalling action of someone who's used to riding fixed and is used to going that. It's all high gear low cadence heel down mashing. He is truly an abomination.

So I set off again after him. We're approaching the first pelican xing just before the grass on the left and he goes through in the empty left lane at full pelt on the stroke that the amber starts to flash, about 40 metres ahead of me. There's a car waiting at the crossing in the right lane - they sometimes do while the driver finishes his text.

I approach with now solid green lights, chasing, and a ped steps from the cover of the car on the right heading for the pavement. Right into my path, and more annoyingly not remotely looking for oncoming traffic. I shout & brake, he wavers for a split second (which doesn't help) and I just manage to flick past his heels. It's as close to a hit as I've come in a while.

PS. Managed to catch white roadie at the entrance to Pt Sq and although not a proper scalp, ground him up with good lane choices round the square.

il_principe

Clever Pun wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

I'm ashamed to say that I have utterly failed to MTFU having contracted a particularly virulent strain of man flu. Monday saw me home in bed, tuesday I dragged my ailing body all the way down to Folkestone for a meeting so no bike, and today I'm still feeling really rough so had to face the bus in - thankfully it was almost completely empty. God I hate not being on the bike, but man flu is man flu and must be respected.

aww, you afraid of the cold?

Nah I embrace the cold; when you travel at my sort of speeds over heating can become a serious issue. This sort of weather keep the old engine running at optimal... apart from when it's been clobbered by the man-flu. I'd love to be on the bike but I'm as weak as a kitten and full of snot (lovely), at least I have MTFU'd enough to come to work. Everyone else has had or is having this bug so no risk of infecting colleagues!

cjcp wrote:

Jash - my sympathies, mate. Have you dialled 999?

No but I think I should. People would miss me if this particular strain of man flu proved deadly.

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Jash - my sympathies, mate. Have you dialled 999?

No but I think I should. People would miss me if this particular strain of man flu proved deadly.

Dial quickly. They're overrun with falling leaf injuries at this time of year.

snooks

jedster wrote:

Alright, who else did the tube-ride of shame this morning?

I'm out for a beer after work tonight, so the bike into work wasn't an option

BUT it didn't stop going out and doing an off road lap of Richmond park this morning

I was half expecting to see snow out of the window, but when I saw it was sunny I just had to go for a ride...Great morning for a bike ride.

But after 45 mins my toes were freeeezing...Didn't know whether to ride like hell with the my-toes-are-being-crushed-in-a-vice like pain to get home quicker or go slow and keep the I've-got-a-fat-bloke-standing-on-my-toes feeling pain for longer...in the end I decided worse pain for a shorter time was the way forward....I had to let my toes warm up before getting into the shower, and I'm not sure it was the right decision

il_principe

Greg I'm still smiling to myself thinking about that bloke in the pub on friday who not happy with pushing you bike over, then tried to glass it. The look on your face was priceless, although to be fair if that had been my bike I think I would've glassed him. :shock:

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

Greg I'm still smiling to myself thinking about that bloke in the pub on friday who not happy with pushing you bike over, then tried to glass it. The look on your face was priceless, although to be fair if that had been my bike I think I would've glassed him. :shock:

:shock: What?! Did he go for a swim in Thames shortly after?

lost_in_thought

Anyone who took public transport into work today must be kicking themselves - it's gorgeous out there!

I had an interesting ride home in the b@stard hail, everyone was being very cautious including me, it seems like the car drivers have their already limited awareness of bikes reduced still further by heavy rain, and pedestrians seem to run around under umbrellas and hoods not looking around them.

Spidey senses were on full tingle I can tell you. A camper van nearly took out a fellow cyclist right in front of me - I'd seen the indicator go on and pulled back, he hadn't.

And this morning there was some nitwit woman on a roadie of some kind shooting through all the reds using the pedestrians as a slalom course. FFS. No wonder people dislike cyclists.

Jash - I hope you manage to pull through, fighting for your life against the man flu. I'll pray for your salvation... :roll:

In other news, my bib tights are here! Hurrah for warm legs!

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Jash - my sympathies, mate. Have you dialled 999?

No but I think I should. People would miss me if this particular strain of man flu proved deadly.

Dial quickly. They're overrun with falling leaf injuries at this time of year.

The risk of injury is increasing too: the leaves absorb the rain and are that much heavier.

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

Greg I'm still smiling to myself thinking about that bloke in the pub on friday who not happy with pushing you bike over, then tried to glass it. The look on your face was priceless, although to be fair if that had been my bike I think I would've glassed him. :shock:

Don't forget the pouring of red wine into my helmet and all over my bag.

He was an irksome tool, I agree. Had it been the R3SL that got knocked over, I would have been a considerably less happy bunny. Although the plastic glasses would have made a glassing rather difficult and time consuming, I fear.

However, as I always like to tell myself: I wouldn't beat a retarded person over the head for having done that, so why should I treat someone who acts that way any differently?

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Greg I'm still smiling to myself thinking about that bloke in the pub on friday who not happy with pushing you bike over, then tried to glass it. The look on your face was priceless, although to be fair if that had been my bike I think I would've glassed him. :shock:

Don't forget the pouring of red wine into my helmet and all over my bag.

He was an irksome tool, I agree. Had it been the R3SL that got knocked over, I would have been a considerably less happy bunny. Although the plastic glasses would have made a glassing rather difficult and time consuming, I fear.

However, as I always like to tell myself: I wouldn't beat a retarded person over the head for having done that, so why should I treat someone who acts that way any differently?

That was mildly hilarious.. He really had it in for your bike/helmet/gear in general! He did apologise, I suppose.

And yes, smashy smashy stabby stabby a lot more tricky with the bendy plastic pints.

You could have used your exceptionally effeminate half-pint.

Moral of the story - if you're going to glass someone in the Morpeth, drink half-pints.

Feltup

Please tell me it wasn't a half pint of shandy. Southerners get enough stick as it is about our drinking without putting this on the web. Ladies drinks should be for ladies ;-)

greg66_tri_v2.0

lost_in_thought wrote:

You could have used your exceptionally effeminate half-pint.

Oi! You cheeky burd! I heard that!

I'm not deaf, y'know!

So, looks like it's the funnel and the hose for you at the Xmas Party :twisted:

Sewinman

Was it a scalping revenge hit!? I mean, its not like it would be hard to find you on a friday night. I think you guys need to change patterns of behaviour for your own safety - its classic counter-terrorism.