Silly commuting racing
Comments
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I think you've got it pretty much sussed there Attica. It is very satisfying indeed to reel em in but I also quite like the drag race from the lights. Going from perfectly composed up to light speed "shock and awe" style.
I can still remember the feeling of blasting through the wind tunnel during the FW, first selecting the big ring up front and then working down towards the smaller ones at the back, all the while increasing in speed and feeling the power being but down as the pedaling got easier........0 -
Nice straight back, sitting bolt upright, hands good and close together on the bars and just the right degree of nonchalance...perhaps a distracted glance out across the Thames at something interesting that's caught your attention whilst you lay down great anger and furious vengeance upon their feeble souls...ahem!Roadie FCN: 3
Fixed FCN: 60 -
Attica wrote: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)
Addicted is an understatement. SCR has given shape, name and substance to something I long believed an unmentioned sport, of which I am one of the stars....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"?
I think your rendition of a perfect scalp is true as well.
See my version adheres to what I'm best at: short absolute bursts of ugly nastiness mixed with the stuff that makes testosterone, the hormone of men.
What I have is no stamina (yes I know I've opened the floor for lewd comments and jokes - so I'll simply say that this does not apply to the bedroom) or very little stamina, I'm a sprinter, middle distance runner I'm not a marathon runner. Lights to lights my fast twitch muscles are king. Lights to endless road and I'll burn up... Point in case I could match speed with Bass, Greg66 that Condor courier guy but over distance I'm just unfit and full of beer fat...
Note:
I suspect that this has a lot to do with my base level fitness and where my strength currently resides, I was never a sprinter when I was younger I always ran the 1500m - but then I was never sprint strong, my body has since changed over the decades. I'm noticing that the more I commute I'm noticing that I can maintain my speed for longer.Food Chain number = 4
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 Game0 -
I'm definately getting fitter - I find that I'm only using my big ring around town these days but I have a major problem - this morning for example - beautiful day - sun shining - birds gently coughing in the trees, think ' Aaah - I'll take it easy today enjoy the sunshine etc - what happens - I'm passed by a roady on the canal section and I'm off - haven't a hope of catching him of course but at least I'll make him work for it - bang goes the gentle commute and I get to work hot and sweaty again! :roll:0
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The great gods of the game must have been looking down on me today as I had a rather fun battle this evening. I was within a mile of home and approaching the lights at the top of Crystal Palace Parade and the one way system. I can see a cyclist in the ASL and my initial reaction is to dismiss them as they are on flat barred bike with cheapish looking lights. Not wanting to be rude I pull up behind and then I spot them, his wheels.........Mavic Aksiums! Hmmm I think, maybe this guy is serious!
Imagine my delight then, as with the lights still read, another cyclist - this time a roadie on a Condor, rolls past both of us and puts himself at the front. An obvious alpha male move......
As the lights change I immediately move round hybrid guy and pull alongside the Condor. The traffic is being kind to us as the 3 of us set about moving across the junction, giving us plenty of room to sort ourselves out. Just as I'm about to make my move on Condor guy the hybrid rider comes flying past! GAME ON BIATCH lets see how you deal with some proper speed :twisted:
I put the hammer down and accelerate away from Condor guy and out pace the hybrid guy on his attack, leaving them both behind to admire my backpack
Traffic ahead is stopped due to the lights and I make a rather fast run up the left to get to the ASL. As I get to the front the lights go green and a ped is trying to cross. His GF sees me and tries to pull him back but he pulls free and ducks across the road. I've already hit the brakes and informed him that he was a "f*cking idiot", which he didn't take to kindly........but I wasn't in a talkative mood so just flipped him the bird without looking back. Not knowing which way my foes where going I kept the juice on along the road until I had to pull over at the end. No one in sight, I assume they followed the one-way system. 0 -
Nice one BJUK...
Interesting how people on Condors are often not as fast as they'd like to think they are....
Anyone else noticed that?0 -
Bleurgh. Just done an hour on the turbo, with another hour still to do. Funnily enough, I didn't scalp anyone, although it was touch and go with the cats...0
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Why the turbo? Why? The whole reason I like cycling so much is that it's outside.....0
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lost_in_thought wrote:Nice one BJUK...
Interesting how people on Condors are often not as fast as they'd like to think they are....
Anyone else noticed that?
It was quite annoying as I was hoping for a good race with him! He had all the gear as well, clipless, small bag etc....... Thankfully hybrid guy had a decent set of legs and tried to make a very bold overtake, but he just wasn't quick enough for my spurt :-)
Forgot to mention earlier I did a car on the last hill down to my house and spent the rest of the road drafting a little A-Class Merc with a nervous driver, braking for every car coming the other way despite having miles of space!!!0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:Why the turbo? Why? The whole reason I like cycling so much is that it's outside.....
Trying to train for the boredom/mental unpleasantness factor...:(
Just done another hour too...0 -
Jen J wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:Why the turbo? Why? The whole reason I like cycling so much is that it's outside.....
Trying to train for the boredom/mental unpleasantness factor...:(
Just done another hour too...
Tell me are you getting off the bike to post on the forum or posting whilst riding which would be impressive to say the least.
Fact: you're all clearly barking mad and addicted to exercise.Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
itboffin wrote:Jen J wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:Why the turbo? Why? The whole reason I like cycling so much is that it's outside.....
Trying to train for the boredom/mental unpleasantness factor...:(
Just done another hour too...
Tell me are you getting off the bike to post on the forum or posting whilst riding which would be impressive to say the least.
Fact: you're all clearly barking mad and addicted to exercise.
I had a 10 minute break between the two hours. But once I get tri bars, I can rest my laptop on them...;)
We're addicted to exercise? So how's your bean and lettuce leaf diet going then? :twisted:0 -
Jen J wrote:itboffin wrote:Jen J wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:Why the turbo? Why? The whole reason I like cycling so much is that it's outside.....
Trying to train for the boredom/mental unpleasantness factor...:(
Just done another hour too...
Tell me are you getting off the bike to post on the forum or posting whilst riding which would be impressive to say the least.
Fact: you're all clearly barking mad and addicted to exercise.
I had a 10 minute break between the two hours. But once I get tri bars, I can rest my laptop on them...;)
We're addicted to exercise? So how's your bean and lettuce leaf diet going then? :twisted:
I see you missed my earlier post - it was fish finger sandwiches and beer tonight, my reward.
Once upon a time I used to run cross country for the British Army - now i'm just bitter and spend my time mocking others :PRule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Littigator wrote:Nice straight back, sitting bolt upright, hands good and close together on the bars and just the right degree of nonchalance...perhaps a distracted glance out across the Thames at something interesting that's caught your attention whilst you lay down great anger and furious vengeance upon their feeble souls...ahem!
Or you could just go Neerr Neeerrrr Neerrrr Neeerrrrrrrrr Nerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr :0P
But of course that would be admitting the game
Nevermind eh? :twisted:0 -
Had a couple (really, just a couple) of luvly, thick German beers at the Belfast Christmas Market last night, and this morning I felt like death. I can't drink at all now! But that's beside the point.
Got on the bike, actually said out loud to no-one in particular, "Just takin' 'er easy today" and headed off along my shorter route option. But once I'd been spinning for a few minutes and the legs had warmed up, the chilly morning air fairly cleared the beer fug from the head and we're off! Despite my original plan, I sprinted most of the way at some ridiculous speed (for a FCN9 knobbly MTB), holding 20-22mph for most of it (it's downhill).
Feeling good when I got into the city, I felt the urge for song. I think the bus driver, in the lane beside, with the window down, had a good chuckle at that
The traffic was kind and I got into work in 30 minutes elapsed, where it's normally more like 40-45. I laughed out loud when I checked the time in work's car park. Is beer-loading the night before a recognised technique for improving your commute time?
One scalp on the way, a clipless dropbar roadie in tights & hi-vis. I caught up to him as he pulled away from lights, sat behind and allowed him to get to cruising speed, decided it was too slow and made the pass. I held the speed for the rest of the route and didn't see him again. Scalp, large portion, yes. I was gaining rapidly on another too, hybrid looking on 28's, but they turned off before I caught them, darnit.
After this morning I'm chomping at the bit to get a proper road bike now. I feel the need, the need for speed Today is a good day to ride0 -
I scalped a shaved, multi-rapha-ed roadie today! Or did I. Read on...
Crossing SheBu roundabout, a guy all in black on a carbon Look with a Rapha cap pulls alongside. As we go from one light to another, he's taking it easy, but he's got the gear and *doesn't* look like he's all show and no go. So I take it easy away from the lights, so does he, and we come to a place where a bus is blocking the road. As soon as the bus moves, he's off, getting up a decent pace but I am comfortably on his wheel ("comfortably" in this case means yes, I can probably keep this up for a while, but it's top end for me and in honesty I am drafting just a little bit).
As we start up the slope through Holland Park, traffic slows us both down and we pick our way through. I edge ahead, and a bus lets me go. So go I do, fully assuming he's on my wheel, and I try to build up enough speed to hold my own but, if he overtakes me, I should be able to find a couple of extra mph.
As I get to the lights at Notting Hill gate, I've dropped the fella! He's 50 yards behind and not catching up. Result! Although I can't be *sure* he followed me through past the bus, he really should have, and since I *never* encounter shaved roadies I'm very tempted to count it as a scalp. SCR jury, your thoughts?0 -
hhhmmmmm, your inner voice tells you he is better than you and his pace when he pulled you was too quick for you to maintain. Coupled with you might (and I only say might) have been trying a bit too hard to drop him?
No scalpRoadie FCN: 3
Fixed FCN: 60 -
There's a postscript to the story above. As we approached marble Arch, he'd caught back up with me thanks to lights and traffic, and he complimented me on my bike (I was on the Focus, luckily). "Too good for commuting" he said! We had a really good chat - he was a lovely chap and a good rider, stopped at red lights (even one amber which I'd have snuck through), and was very gracious hearing my tales of my charity ride when he's an étape man himself!
So, Paul, who commutes from SheBu to TCR, if by any chance you read this, say hi, and confirm or deny your scalping :twisted:0 -
“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0
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Jay dubbleU wrote:I'm definately getting fitter - I find that I'm only using my big ring around town these days but I have a major problem - this morning for example - beautiful day - sun shining - birds gently coughing in the trees, think ' Aaah - I'll take it easy today enjoy the sunshine etc - what happens - I'm passed by a roady on the canal section and I'm off - haven't a hope of catching him of course but at least I'll make him work for it - bang goes the gentle commute and I get to work hot and sweaty again! :roll:
I take it you were riding the M2.
If you were was there a moment where you felt that you could catch him, that your bike was actually fast enough. Then was there that point of realisation that reality insists that no matter how hard you try the Roadie will always be faster?
Did this bleak truth of fact leave you feeling empty, despondent in knowing this fact before you tried to chase him down and finally were you filled with an insatiable want, a desire, to be on a faster bike?
It did for me when I was on my M2. I got secretly pissed off in knowing that I could go faster, that I could go further but couldn't because of the bike. The above is the resaon my Giant M2 is in a garden and I went roadie.
"A true warrior brings all of his weapons to the battlefield at the ready!"Food Chain number = 4
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 Game0 -
biondino wrote:I scalped a shaved, multi-rapha-ed roadie today! Or did I. Read on...
Crossing SheBu roundabout, a guy all in black on a carbon Look with a Rapha cap pulls alongside. As we go from one light to another, he's taking it easy, but he's got the gear and *doesn't* look like he's all show and no go. So I take it easy away from the lights, so does he, and we come to a place where a bus is blocking the road. As soon as the bus moves, he's off, getting up a decent pace but I am comfortably on his wheel ("comfortably" in this case means yes, I can probably keep this up for a while, but it's top end for me and in honesty I am drafting just a little bit).
As we start up the slope through Holland Park, traffic slows us both down and we pick our way through. I edge ahead, and a bus lets me go. So go I do, fully assuming he's on my wheel, and I try to build up enough speed to hold my own but, if he overtakes me, I should be able to find a couple of extra mph.
As I get to the lights at Notting Hill gate, I've dropped the fella! He's 50 yards behind and not catching up. Result! Although I can't be *sure* he followed me through past the bus, he really should have, and since I *never* encounter shaved roadies I'm very tempted to count it as a scalp. SCR jury, your thoughts?
Hmmmmm, much as I can see where you're coming from, if it was in traffic (and my experience of Holland Park is that it's always in traffic) then it's a no scalp. However you did leave him behind... but maybe he got stuck...
Tricky.
And what were you doing at Shebu? That's an odd way to go from Chiswick...0 -
lost_in_thought wrote:
And what were you doing at Shebu? That's an odd way to go from Chiswick...
He's an odd charater Roadie FCN: 3
Fixed FCN: 60 -
Is it? I work just off Oxford Street, so I go up Goldhawk Road, through SheBu, up Holland Park and along Bayswater Road to Marble Arch, which seems pretty logical to me. More than that, though, I like to vary my route so some days I'll go Hammersmith-Kensington-Soho and other days I'll do like today.
And Littigator - I think your arguments are actually wrong.
hhhmmmmm, your inner voice tells you he is better than you and his pace when he pulled you was too quick for you to maintain. Coupled with you might (and I only say might) have been trying a bit too hard to drop him?
My inner voice told me he was capable, but isn't that the point, to beat strong riders? And his pace wasn't too quick for me - indeed he was clearly trying so perhaps he was shooting his bolt to get away from me, and my scalping him was because he'd run out of puff? Sounds a textbook scalp to me. And of course I was trying hard, but definitively in a "not trying" way. So actually, I am slightly more convinced it should count as a scalp. Go me!0 -
was feeling it in the legs this morning and the wind was damn near crippling me. I noticed an orange something on my 6... either a wheel suck or someone who wants to show me who's boss... at the first opportunity he showed me alright and went past me nicely... feck I'd been done good and proper I gave chase as much as I could this went on for a little while the the distance going the wrong way... he then goes through a ped crossing on red... I get my clean sheet back but my pride is off into the distance.
Made mincemeat out of a courier later.... didn't make me feel any better thoughPurveyor of sonic doom
Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
Fixed Pista- FCN 5
Beared Bromptonite - FCN 140 -
biondino wrote:Is it? I work just off Oxford Street, so I go up Goldhawk Road, through SheBu, up Holland Park and along Bayswater Road to Marble Arch, which seems pretty logical to me. More than that, though, I like to vary my route so some days I'll go Hammersmith-Kensington-Soho and other days I'll do like today.
And Littigator - I think your arguments are actually wrong.
hhhmmmmm, your inner voice tells you he is better than you and his pace when he pulled you was too quick for you to maintain. Coupled with you might (and I only say might) have been trying a bit too hard to drop him?
My inner voice told me he was capable, but isn't that the point, to beat strong riders? And his pace wasn't too quick for me - indeed he was clearly trying so perhaps he was shooting his bolt to get away from me, and my scalping him was because he'd run out of puff? Sounds a textbook scalp to me. And of course I was trying hard, but definitively in a "not trying" way. So actually, I am slightly more convinced it should count as a scalp. Go me!
Meh, I suppose not then!! In my mind (in my lamborghini in my mind) I'd always had you pegged as working further south than that. For no good reason.
The only problem with your scalp, it seems, would be the volume of traffic - I guess as you travel later in the morning than me it's possible that Holland Park was actually pretty quiet... was it?0 -
CP, isn't it strange how it all feels a bit better when you've been scalped and they go and RLJ :-)
Nought for me this morning as I'm back on the short sprint to town, and highly suspect I'll be doing the same next week which could mean good fun next week come party time........needing to cycle 10 miles INTO town! Still I'll be able to pop home first and pickup the smaller bag as I'll only really need my lock, phone and wallet!0 -
I had the weirdest ride in this morning, between pulling on to the Embankment at Battersea Bridge and leaving it to turn up Northumberland Avenue I only passed 1 other cyclist! :shock:
Ok I left a few at the lights on the Battersea Bridge, but that is weird eh, and the only one I did pass was one I caught up to at the lights at Vauxhall Bridge...it was like something out of 28 Days Later...but with a lot more cars.....errr, I'll get me coat!Roadie FCN: 3
Fixed FCN: 60 -
lost_in_thought wrote:The only problem with your scalp, it seems, would be the volume of traffic - I guess as you travel later in the morning than me it's possible that Holland Park was actually pretty quiet... was it?
The key thing is, IF he followed me when the bus let me through (and god knows why he wouldn't), then there was maybe a minute of uphill effort without any traffic in which I took my provisional scalping. When I came to a halt after that minute at the next set of lights, he was a good 50 yards behind, and there was no traffic between us.
So it's a scalping without any doubt if he followed me through, and not a scalping if he was held up. Glad we've got that sorted 0 -
biondino wrote:lost_in_thought wrote:The only problem with your scalp, it seems, would be the volume of traffic - I guess as you travel later in the morning than me it's possible that Holland Park was actually pretty quiet... was it?
The key thing is, IF he followed me when the bus let me through (and god knows why he wouldn't), then there was maybe a minute of uphill effort without any traffic in which I took my provisional scalping. When I came to a halt after that minute at the next set of lights, he was a good 50 yards behind, and there was no traffic between us.
So it's a scalping without any doubt if he followed me through, and not a scalping if he was held up. Glad we've got that sorted
So potentially a scalp... if you see him again you should ask if the bus let him through!! Enjoy explaining it when he asks why.... 0 -
