Silly commuting racing

attica

Jen J wrote:

Off topic, but look what I've just found :twisted:

nice little race?

Christ Jen, I thought the DIUK was bad enough, have you ever considered either of these?

http://www.enduroman.com/archtoarc.html
http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/

Back off/on topic, I got a nice "High Road" jersey in the post this morning, this years strip yet it was already out of date by July! Then again that means they're selling them off cheap on Probikekit, it's cheaper than a Cervelo but keeps the target writ large on my back.

I had what I thought was a great scalp this morning, but as I nonchalantly passed the shaven roadie, to my horror I found him wearing a "Vader mask", down a single track lane in the middle of the ar$e end of nowhere. "Morning" I said
"Shhhhh cfffff Good morning young Skywalker shhhh cfffff" came the reply.
"Have your scalp back" I replied "your asthmatic wheeze machine makes the taking of it null and void"
"Shhh cfffff The force is strong in this one cough splutter gasp" came the rapidly receding retort.

It's been months now since I scalped anyone good and proper, not because I'm slow, just because there's nobody on my route.

I'm so ronry.....

Jen J

Attica wrote:

Jen J wrote:

Off topic, but look what I've just found :twisted:

nice little race?

Christ Jen, I thought the DIUK was bad enough, have you ever considered either of these?

http://www.enduroman.com/archtoarc.html
http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/

I entered MdS 2011 the very minute that entries opened in August, but by the time I got to the payment screen (7 minutes) it had sold out..:(

Arch to Arc is booked up for the next few years, as there are only 2 suitable tides a month from June-September...:(

Any other events I can't do that you want to tease me with? :twisted:

attica

Ooh, that's bad luck, have you considered The Race Across America or there's always Mark Beaumont's record that you could have a pop at. (not strictly speaking a race but....)

Sorry to hear about your trouble getting into those races though.

jonginge

Attica wrote:

Ooh, that's bad luck, have you considered The Race Across America or there's always Mark Beaumont's record that you could have a pop at. (not strictly speaking a race but....)

Sorry to hear about your trouble getting into those races though.

We could do an SCR team RAAM. Volunteers take one step forward. <BackwardStep/>

cjcp

Norseman? What? Too short you say? Hmm. Let's see.

What about the Arctic Marathon? No? I see; dodging polar bears not enough of a challenge. Ok. What else?

What about UltraMan Canada? I think Ian Mayhew of gearsandtears.com completed it, and went on to compete in UltraMan Hawaii.



Incidentally, are you completely out of your skull? :shock:

tailwindhome

Jen J wrote:

Attica wrote:

Jen J wrote:

Off topic, but look what I've just found :twisted:

nice little race?

Christ Jen, I thought the DIUK was bad enough, have you ever considered either of these?

http://www.enduroman.com/archtoarc.html
http://www.saharamarathon.co.uk/

I entered MdS 2011 the very minute that entries opened in August, but by the time I got to the payment screen (7 minutes) it had sold out..:(

Arch to Arc is booked up for the next few years, as there are only 2 suitable tides a month from June-September...:(

Any other events I can't do that you want to tease me with? :twisted:

Jen

Seriously

I've done the CIMA exams

I know studying is boring

I've been there

But could you not just have a wee cup of tea and a chocolate hob nob as a break?

Even a bit of Loose Women or Jeremy Vile?

Running to Dover, Swimming the Channel and cycling to Paris seems a bit much.

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

Norseman? What? Too short you say? Hmm. Let's see.

What about the Arctic Marathon? No? I see; dodging polar bears not enough of a challenge. Ok. What else?

What about UltraMan Canada? I think Ian Mayhew of gearsandtears.com completed it, and went on to compete in UltraMan Hawaii.



Incidentally, are you completely out of your skull? :shock:

I'm beginning to wonder that myself....

OK, here's an idea, let's race from Scotland to Fiji, alternating between cycling and running every time we have to swim. Yeah? :shock:

Also: currently in Sweden. Miss my bike. No cycling this week....

cjcp

Belted it home tonight to make my first club training ride. That was a mistake. Ran out of steam and spat out the back somewhere round Weybridge during a 25 mile route behind a human motorbike. 55 miles clocked up today.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Belted it home tonight to make my first club training ride. That was a mistake. Ran out of steam and spat out the back somewhere round Weybridge during a 25 mile route behind a human motorbike. 55 miles clocked up today.

good phrase... unlucky though

cjcp

Clever Pun wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Belted it home tonight to make my first club training ride. That was a mistake. Ran out of steam and spat out the back somewhere round Weybridge during a 25 mile route behind a human motorbike. 55 miles clocked up today.

good phrase... unlucky though

Yeah, the guy leading the group is an Elite RR. I have never been that fast in a group when not racing. In fact, racing at Hillingdon was easier. I made the classic mistake though of not taking a back wheel; I rode to the side a little - I just didn't fancy following wheels directly at night.

Bassjunkieuk

Had some fun on the way in today and my first encounter in a long while in someone who was appeared to be actually playing "The Game"
I picked up this chap on a hybrid in Camberwell in the High Street area, I kept ahead of him down until the lights just before the first E&C roundabout where he promptly went and quasi RLJ'd and stopped hanging onto the railings just before the side road. Another cyclist did the same and by the time the lights went green there where 3 of them there!

I put the hammer down when the lights changed and reeled the first 2 in easily enough and set about catching the last one. We are now fast approaching the roundabout and I'm sizing up my options. A bus has just entered from the right but I'm sure I'm carrying enough speed to beat him. A bit more power and I'm on the roundabout easily before the bus and still on the tail of fast hybrid guy (he's been upgraded as I heard the sneaky bugger clip in as I we pulled off from the lights, he was running the flat/spd pedal combo with Nike shoes - proper stealth!)

We are side by side heading towards the next roundabout and arrive just as the road clears. I keep right (wanting the exit for London Bridge) and cut a lovely line round with him still following! A brief stop at the lights by the choob station and I spot another victim on a Langster doing a trackie! Again as light's go green I'm nearly boxed in by the high vis crew but a quick shoulder check confirms I have a gap and I take the outside line and pickup some decent speed!

I manage to hold him off up the road despite a few poorly timed lights, until he goes and RLJ's to take a left by the choob station on Borough Road (I think!)

All in it was good fun and he was almost alongside me at one point so far play to him, a valiant effort, but even with his quasi RLJ antics I'm affraid he's the one arriving at wok sans scalp toady!

edhornby

Attica wrote:

I'm so ronry.....

brirriant !!! LOL

itboffin

Has someone created a game from "The Game"

According to Civia Cycle's Scott Thayer, GreenLightRide.com is a an online application that allows people to track their own rides, compete against others in fantasy football-style leagues, and talk about the league and other cycling related things in a forum.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/social-networking-bicycle-commuter-style-19378

Littigator

itboffin wrote:

Has someone created a game from "The Game"

According to Civia Cycle's Scott Thayer, GreenLightRide.com is a an online application that allows people to track their own rides, compete against others in fantasy football-style leagues, and talk about the league and other cycling related things in a forum.

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/social-networking-bicycle-commuter-style-19378

I can't believe BikeRadar wrote that article and didn't make ANY reference to any of their own Commuter threads...

HaaaLLLLLLOOOOooooooo.....we're over here...I said OVER HERE..oh forget it

In other news, if we do have a huge influx of new posters after today...that means we'll have even more pages to keep up with.

I think I need to brief my secretary on filing SCR posts :shock:

snooks

Checked the London Paper Website, nout yet, except a story about a load of sex toys being nicked! :shock:

There you go Litts, nothing to worry about

Bassjunkieuk

snooks wrote:

Check the London Paper Website, nout yet, except a story about a load of sex toys being nicked! :shock:

There you go Litts, nothing to worry about

Nothing to worry about? I'm assuming they haven't got CCTV of him nicking them then :-P

Jay dubbleU

Jen - stop it - you are frightening people - I can just about cope with walking the West Highland way - have you tried the Cape Wrath trail ?

Littigator

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

snooks wrote:

Check the London Paper Website, nout yet, except a story about a load of sex toys being nicked! :shock:

There you go Litts, nothing to worry about

Nothing to worry about? I'm assuming they haven't got CCTV of him nicking them then :-P

ThatwasntmeIdidntdoityoucantproveanything!!! :shock:

Wrath Rob

I had a great ride this morning, with a nice little 3 way action along the Embankment. It started with a roadie with tarty red'n'black'n'yellow tyres turning right just after Wandsworth bridge. Following him up the road he was easily me equal in terms of speed, if anything slightly faster. However, his weakness was his technique. He seemed to freewheel whenever there was doubt in his mind. Bumps in the road, gentle corners, m'bikes coming past were all freewheel occasions. I got onto his back wheel and trailed him down Lotts road and over to the Embankment. An unluck lane choice on his part had me in front onto the main drag opposite Battersea park. He didn't come back past me and by the time we got to Battersea bridge I thought I had a slight lead. However, all was to change. On the run to Vauxhal we both got done by another roadie. My foe followed our nemesis past me, leaving me to pick up the lantern rouge at the back of the 3 man peleton.

Vauxhal was very busy, not helped by some mupped in an old 3 series doing 15 mph past Millbank and slowing everyone up. I took the primary and managed to get past Foe and Nemesis, though it wasn't a scalp as we were all fitlering. We went separate ways at Lambeth, battle undecided. My appetite unsated. On a decent stretch of road Foe would have been faster and Nemesis would have left us both. Must get faster :evil:

Once again, change happens and coming through Lambeth I caught a roadie in black and we exchanged positions along The Cut, lining up at Soutwark Bridge. Now, we all know what happens here. There's about 500m to the top of the bridge and its an all out drag race to the top. As the lights change, some Brompton put in an early show before both the roadie and I swallow him up, the roadie in the lead. The pain generators ramp up, but well below peak threshholds as I start to real him back in. Suddenly, tradegy! A fixie on something white comes past and is targetting my man! He's past him so I realign my sites and on the fixie, pain generators to maximum and push. Hard.

As the slope ramps up I'm gaining, as we're approaching the bridge proper I'm a length away. I see my chance, a flapping MTB in the kurbed of cycle lane. If I follow the fixie into the lane it will all be over as there's not enough space and time to get past him before we both take the MTB. So, I hold my line onto the road and pass the fixie just as the cycle lane starts. From there its a simple matter of hold it to the crest and then relax on the way down, breathing through my skin (epic fail on my part as I discover I can't do it) , and then a quiet look around at the competition. My victory completed.

Tonight will be another matter. My appetite grows as I wait...

biondino

That moment when you realise you HAVE to take huge soggy gulps of air is a demoralising one UNLESS you're far enough ahead that they won't be able to tell...

biondino

I just bought 5 old-school cycling jerseys, and while there are no pro tour shirts or world champ jerseys among them, there is this one:



Can I get an FCN judgement from the panel?

attica

I'd say that would definitely have a reducing effect on your FCN, just by having the Dura Ace logo on there you're kind of saying <brummy accent> My bike is considerably better specced than yowers <brummy accent>

Definitely not a stealth top that one, wear it with pride and bury yourself trying to justify it!

Have you actually got any DA components on your bike?

biondino

I have DA shifters and rear mech on my Focus but none on my Trek.

Bassjunkieuk

biondino wrote:

I have DA shifters and rear mech on my Focus but none on my Trek.

No shifters or mech on the Trek :shock: SS I assume

Littigator

biondino wrote:

I just bought 5 old-school cycling jerseys, and while there are no pro tour shirts or world champ jerseys among them, there is this one:



Can I get an FCN judgement from the panel?

And the survey says...

DonDaddyD

Ok so I retired a while back. It snowed, I passed my driving test (because a car was thrust upon me), drove to work once, moved home, had my seat post and saddle stolen. Its been an eventful winter! Though it still gets dark, given the glaring sun each morning during my commute I'm convinced winter is over and we are now in fact entering spring... (hell I even wore shorts yesterday).

Anyway, with it now clearly being spring I'm back and eager to go.

I moved to Wimbledon ready for the supposed large number of cyclist I use to see heading that way back when I lived in Norbury. My conclusion so far on my new stomping ground?

Wimbledon is rubbish!

I've scalped everyone I've encoutered in Wimbledon leading towards Tooting, and Balham. Going home is slightly different damn bearded monk on the 1.5 version of my bike, though that's more to do with balls and experience of the road/traffic and where to filter than it has to do with outright speed.

Anyway... Today it was a Decathlon Hybrid, proper.

I was in pr*ck mode frustrated with the lack of competition so while stopped at the lights I pulled up next to him, looked his bike up and down and made eye contact.

You know what happens next right

Green!

I'm pulling around 20mph comfortably, I once clocked Bassjunkie (back at freewheel) doing this speed almost indefinately. At the time I couldn't, I'm finding that these days 20 is becoming a far more sustainable and comfortable speed.

I look behind me and there is the hybrid drafting me as if it doesn't matter.

BAM!

I open the taps of the antichrist to allow for a 23mph slight surge of power, my thumb covers "the button of ultimate doom" just incase I have to bring forth the apocalypse. I look behind hybrid man visibly backs off.

Is that all he had!? Utter Rubbish. I left Norbury, Streatham and Norwood for this!!??

I had dreams of open battles and long drawn out warfare. I had visions of epic stories retelling the details of my glorious exploits. I hoped for a time where children would sing songs in the streets to pay homage to my greatness! <<American accent>> Man, the cyclists in Wimbledon are pu**ies! <<American accent>>

JenJ have I scalped you yet?

Bassjunkieuk

D3, I know it's not quite in keeping with the ethos of "The Game" but have you considered an "extended" commute to try and find some better prey?
Unfortunately this is the price that us higher-end players have to pay, worthy foes are few and far between.
This can be seen as character building tho as you are constantly striving to find your next foe whilst also fully aware that you yourself are being hunted, hence even when we are "not trying" we can never really "not try". Also this rarity of foes makes each scalp all that more sweeter :-)

itboffin

The perfect lead in many thanks BJ...

Whilst out this morning on my imaginary commute I decided to take an unknown route which clearly was going to be hilly, so off I set at a steady to easy pace no rush after all this isn't my actual commute, anyway no sooner than 10mins in and what do I spot! - could it be? - all the way out here! surely not? it is it's another cyclist and clearly a roadie, wearing shorts I might add (fool) this being as rare for me on my home turf as a solar eclipse I quickly increase the RPM's (SS no gears) to moderately trying and before you know it I'm on the blighter, but this sudden increase in speed and my rapid change into attack mode has not gone unnoticed by said "victim" - what does the bugger go and do, you guessed it the very second I reach him he pulls off down a side track all the while looking back.

The story doesn't quite end there, as I disappeared into the distance I take a look back and he's only gone and doubled back and is now behind me in the distance.

So whoever you are, the stranger in shorts late morning today around the Hungerford area - shame on you :roll:

Your scalp is mine, I used it to clean my bike when I got home. :twisted:

DonDaddyD

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

D3, I know it's not quite in keeping with the ethos of "The Game" but have you considered an "extended" commute to try and find some better prey?
Unfortunately this is the price that us higher-end players have to pay, worthy foes are few and far between.
This can be seen as character building tho as you are constantly striving to find your next foe whilst also fully aware that you yourself are being hunted, hence even when we are "not trying" we can never really "not try". Also this rarity of foes makes each scalp all that more sweeter :-)

You see this is "The Game playing you" Territory I know so well.

When I first strated commuting I used to cut through Streatham straight into Norwood and onto Herne Hill. Its the quickest route to get to Camberwell. I found that in later months I would ride along Streatham highroad and then along Christ Church road.

My commutes home were much the same route. Then one day I found myself going along Coldharbour Lane, Acre Lane and the through Clapham, Balham, Tooting, Streatham and then home - a route I really had no business doing. I was convinced this was purely because I wanted a longer journey - to get fitter.

It was only unti one dayl I found myself waiting at the side of the road in Clapham for a group of cyclist to pass me so I could scalp them that I finally admitted that I was being played by the game. Funny thing is probably everyone else does the same thing...

I guess you're right, I could extend or simply change my route to increase my encounter rate - jeez that sounds like I'm playing Final Fantasy and I'm taking the long way round to 'level up' to level 50.

attica

DonDaddyD wrote:

A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights as you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game

3D you're addicted admit it. PM me and I'll send you some leaflets on SCRA (yet another AA sister organisation)

Meanwhile I have to take issue with your definition of a true scalp.

For me a true scalping is done without traffic lights, seeing your prey half a mile in front, reeling him in and riding straight over the top without pause but for a cheery "hello", your prey has the opportunity to jump on your back wheel, draft and counter scalp but they don't manage it, you see them try, out of the saddle as soon as you pass but they're completely powerless in the face of your awesome and fall away like Luke Skywalker and his freshly severed hand. (Is my geek showing?)

Critical phrase there is "for me", everyone's perfect scalp is different.

So I put it to the floor, what would be your "true scalp"?