Silly commuting racing

attica

And referenced in Bill and Ted of course.

British film making at it's best.

Feltup

Classic, one of those films I love to watch when laid out by injury or worse manflu.


Back on SCR, for once I actually saw someone with a similar FCN to me unfortunately he was going in the opposite direction. One of these days there will be someone to race. Secretly glad it wasn't today as I have onset manflu I fear and the power levels were low.

Jen J

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Also JJ, it wasn't man flu you caught, if a women EVER had man flu it would kill you.

Seriously. It's man flu. I'm special.

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

Thoroughly recommend this. Did the 126m route this year - damn near broke me, but that's what you get for doing it on the strength of your commute only. Can't do it next year as I'm on holiday. To those who do it, about 10 miles in, watch out for the descent with the nasty left hander at the end of it - there's a near vertical incline after the turn, so select your gears in good time.

There's one of those on the Dragon Ride, nearly caught me out certainly caught a lot out. Vertical incline on 50/11 does not compute...

Bassjunkieuk

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Thoroughly recommend this. Did the 126m route this year - damn near broke me, but that's what you get for doing it on the strength of your commute only. Can't do it next year as I'm on holiday. To those who do it, about 10 miles in, watch out for the descent with the nasty left hander at the end of it - there's a near vertical incline after the turn, so select your gears in good time.

There's one of those on the Dragon Ride, nearly caught me out certainly caught a lot out. Vertical incline on 50/11 does not compute...

I bet it's times like that your glad that the fancy Campag groupset on the Prince can change under huge load :-)

girv73

Clothes/towel swap-out day today so I was in "heavy cargo" mode and taking it easy on the way in, not that there's much GAME on my route anyway.

Then I get into the city and a guy on a fast hybrid that I've tangled with before zips past me as I pootle along. I know he's fast on that thing but I've managed to stick with him before (just, for a little while) so I flip the emergency MTFU Boost to MAX (it only has one setting) ... but instead of the explosion of speed I was hoping for I get an explosion of pain from the leg I hurt a few weeks ago. AGGH! I nearly have to get off and walk, but manage to extract enough MTFU-ium from the reactors to limp along into work. Needless to say, hybrid guy got away ... today.

Not looking forward to the ride home much as I'm heavy cargo again thanks to Mrs. G's M&S.com habit. Hope I don't see any little girls on trikes with baskets and tassles, I think they'd have me today.

Oh I also forgot my socks.

Littigator

girv73 wrote:

Not looking forward to the ride home much as I'm heavy cargo again thanks to Mrs. G's M&S.com habit. Hope I don't see any little girls on trikes with baskets and tassles, I think they'd have me today.

Oh I also forgot my socks.

Ahhhh I see your wife suffers from the same delerium that mine does! I feel your pain Brother!

Watch out for them wee girls, they can be terrifying when they pass you at speed

Re. socks - at least it wasn't your pants eh!

girv73

Littigator, absence of socks is obvious, no-one knows I'm not wearing pants. Or knew, rather. Oops.

Littigator

girv73 wrote:

Littigator, absence of socks is obvious, no-one knows I'm not wearing pants. Or knew, rather. Oops.

Get yourself over to the ladytights thread that's been all about what to wear not to wear under and over cycling clothing all flippin day.

Poor Don Don has had go for a lie down and two cold baths already!

lost_in_thought

Hmmmm, I have drinks in mayfair this evening then home - I really hope the stupid p!ssy misty rain has stopped - I was rather warm this morning so headed out with no jacket.

Brrrrrrrr.

itboffin

For those of you who use Nokia sports tracker and are sad enough to record every ride I've created an SCR group on the Nokia website.

http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts

Oh right it's just me then :oops:

gb155

Only had one scalp, Passed him, looked back and he had jumped on the pavement, He wasnt when I passed him, nor was he even close to it, Did he feel shamed by being passed by a fat boy on a MTB maybe ?

2tired2ride

gb155 wrote:

Only had one scalp, Passed him, looked back and he had jumped on the pavement, He wasnt when I passed him, nor was he even close to it, Did he feel shamed by being passed by a fat boy on a MTB maybe ?

nice

Jay dubbleU

itboffin wrote:

For those of you who use Nokia sports tracker and are sad enough to record every ride I've created an SCR group on the Nokia website.

http://sportstracker.nokia.com/nts

Oh right it's just me then :oops:

Yep - you need to get out more

Well and truly scalped today by a roady complete with tights who caught me on the Old Canal track - I put the boot down but he had 30 years on me and was about 100 metres ahead by the time he hit the lights - good run though 8)

attica

gb155 wrote:

Did he feel shamed by being passed by a fat boy on a MTB maybe ?

Face facts GB, you're not as fat as you used to be!

chapeau

biondino

LiT, I got a brand new DHB jacket through the post today - if you pop round to my office in the next half hour you can borrow it

(You have PM, BTW)

2tired2ride

No one on a decent bike ever races me

It's all kids on MTB's ( which I leave in my dust, it would be abarassing otherwise)

I caught up with a racer in tights yesterday but he wimped out after he saw the speed I was coming up to him, then at the lights he actually told me he was changing his route!

gb155

Attica wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Did he feel shamed by being passed by a fat boy on a MTB maybe ?

Face facts GB, you're not as fat as you used to be!

chapeau

Lol true, but im still bigger than any other commuter I have ever seen, hopfully in another 12 months that wont be the case

Bassjunkieuk

Had a rather exciting commute on the way home today!

It all started out in Surbiton where I had a classic ped not looking who steps out. I was anticipating him walking out as after all he can't hear and cars and certainly hadn't tried looking down the road! When he realized I was coming he froze about 2ft from the kerb.
Now for some reason that I just can't fathom (except maybe just to show off) I decided the best thing to do was to go BEHIND him, i.e between him and kerb. I made it through safely and I think gave him quite a surprise! I was slowing anyway as it was just before a mini-roundabout by the station and a very slight upwards hill. I was rather impressed that I made it through!

Rest of the ride was pretty boring until I hit Mitcham Common. After spotting some kid with no bl00dy lights on (he turned off before I could offer some "advice") I saw up ahead 2 glimmering red lights :-) GAME ON!! I up the speed and set about pursuing these blinken lights. First one is caught with relative ease but the one further ahead (I'd saw at least 75-100 yards) didn't seem to be getting much closer as a decent rate. I was gaining on him but I think I must have only been doing about 2 or 3 mph faster then him! I went straight past one of my usual turn-offs on the excuse that I erm, wanted a different route home and that I hadn't quite got him yet! Anyhow we are now both heading towards a fairly large and busy roundabout and I catch up with him as we filter down the side of traffic. Unfortunately he took a different exit to me. In all honesty I could have followed him as I can still get home that way to but it would have added another mile of so and isn't really in keeping with the "commute" aspect of the game as it would have turned into a leisure ride!

All in it was a good ride home, I was also quite proud as I did the whole thing using my big ring and only changing at the rear :-) Really felt it on the hills as I normally spin up them and using the bigger chainring, along with not wanting to put my chain at a nasty angle, meant I was grinding up for a change :-) Still it was good to work on my pedalling technique as I'm still not riding as efficiently as I could considering i'm clipless!

linsen

I'd like to have seen the look on the ped's face!

Bassjunkieuk

linsen wrote:

I'd like to have seen the look on the ped's face!

He was a proper ninja ped, black clothes an all :-) As I said it was really odd as I just instinctively went behind.........I swear if my handlebars had been a few inches wider it would have gone all wrong :?

Also I've got another question, are other "players" on here finding they can identify certain riders from their riding style? A couple of times over the last week I've spotted someone ahead and knew they where going to be a good challenge as they seemed to have a really smooth pedalling technique? The guy I chased down earlier had a good one and the singlie I missed (due to him riding like a twat) towards Streatham did last week........of course it might just mean I really do need to find another hobby :-)

linsen

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

linsen wrote:

I'd like to have seen the look on the ped's face!

He was a proper ninja ped, black clothes an all :-) As I said it was really odd as I just instinctively went behind.........I swear if my handlebars had been a few inches wider it would have gone all wrong :?

Also I've got another question, are other "players" on here finding they can identify certain riders from their riding style? A couple of times over the last week I've spotted someone ahead and knew they where going to be a good challenge as they seemed to have a really smooth pedalling technique? The guy I chased down earlier had a good one and the singlie I missed (due to him riding like a fool) towards Streatham did last week........of course it might just mean I really do need to find another hobby :-)

I know I will take anyone on an MTB, regardless of what I'm on, but I am still irritatingly slow on the dream machine - Have around 1000 miles in my legs in last 6 months and legs of iron (well, compared to most mums in the playground anyway!), but I can't get the speeds up.....

Bassjunkieuk

linsen wrote:

I know I will take anyone on an MTB, regardless of what I'm on, but I am still irritatingly slow on the dream machine - Have around 1000 miles in my legs in last 6 months and legs of iron (well, compared to most mums in the playground anyway!), but I can't get the speeds up.....

:shock: I honestly can say that on the few times I've picked the kids up from school I've NEVER seen other mums comparing legs

Think it's time to get the kids a transfer

Of course having said this I *think* I had the best legs of all the guys lined up at the father's day race this year, but if seems these years of cycling have taken something away from my straight line running speed as I got piped to the line by a younger guy. I would have said he didn't look old enough to be a dad but then this is a Croydon school :-D

linsen

Oh don't get me wrong, we don't compare legs - I just know none of them do any exercise!

Jay dubbleU

Think my legs are getting stronger - came home tonight using big ring only - I was on the middle ring for the first couple of weeks - mind you difficult to tell - I have legs like spaghetti

DiggingDeeper

Bassjunkieuk

are other "players" on here finding they can identify certain riders from their riding style? A couple of times over the last week I've spotted someone ahead and knew they where going to be a good challenge as they seemed to have a really smooth pedalling technique?

It's a tough one:

There were 2 contrasting roadies this morning around Holloway

[1] shaven type early thirties type : had a miserable demeanour I find typical in pro types (which is odd cos they are doing what they love : cycling)
[2] Mid twenties youth on a 15 year old tatty racer wearing skinny jeans, convers pumps, leather jacket and courier bag and flat pedals.

Ok so far format rather than technique, I'll get to that, but both were very fast, I couldn't touch the shaver on any slope but could keep up with the jean wearer on flat - he seemed to keep ahead of me without trying too hard on way up Holloway hill.

The shaver probably rode in a style I would recognise from the telly watching TDF etc and the jeans geezer rode tidily enought but never really over doing it.

I guess my initial thought as to whether you have a target and then whether you can take him (haven't had a tussle with a her yet) is based on what they ride and what they are wearing. Using this as a basis for this morning was very wrong.

Some of the hardest moves I have made have been against what I would consider to be very ordinary riders but were actually extremely fit and just made up for any technique issues by simply cranking it out.

The only real technique I notice regularly is pedalling and only if they are spinning at a high cadence. That seems to suggest a degree of knowledge but then a lot of spinners just do that and really do not want to belt it out - optimisation of energy, not speed.

So probably not in answer to your question.

Side note to self : pay more attention to left turning vehicles even when they don't signal, crashing into them and forward rolling over the handle bars will probably hurt next time. I got lucky yesterday with minor scratches to my bag.

Jen J

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Think my legs are getting stronger - came home tonight using big ring only - I was on the middle ring for the first couple of weeks - mind you difficult to tell - I have legs like spaghetti

Middle ring? I don't understand, what's a middle ring?

linsen

I've got one of those

jonginge

Bit of an eventful journey home. I was enjoying a relatively traffic-free run along victoria embankment when I heard a clunk just behind me. Did a sneaky look through the gap between arm and body for drafting fairies. No fairies, hobbits or any sort of fantastical creature. Also, no rear light :shock:
I slowed and stopped (when it was safe to do so); a minicab driver gave me a toot and pointed to where the light had come to rest
I retrieved the light and found the bracket had exploded so I put it in the mesh pocket on my backpack. I checked it was still visible and coz I also had a knog secondary light I wasn't worried.
Had a brief SCR tussle along chelsea embankment with a couple of roadies. I got stopped at the lights at Albert bridge and when one of the roadies pulled along side he affably told me both lights weren't that visible/were obscured. Doh!
I moved the knog and used an overshoe to stop the main light moving in the mesh. I made it home without, I hope, incurring too much additional wrath from my fellow road users. Now off to wiggle to get light accessories...

Jay dubbleU

Jen J wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Think my legs are getting stronger - came home tonight using big ring only - I was on the middle ring for the first couple of weeks - mind you difficult to tell - I have legs like spaghetti

Middle ring? I don't understand, what's a middle ring?

Alas Jen, as an SS type you will never know the joy of a middle ring :oops:

I've got a tiny ring as well