Silly commuting racing

prj45

Snap.

I had a Great ride along CHS tonight.

About six cyclists at the lights at Chiswick lane junction heading west.

Two skinny legged bloke roadies, lovely lovely girl on a tourer (nice smile at the lights) and a bloke on a tourer, me on my fast hybrid and a guy on knobblies.

We head off and straight away it was obvious this was serious, we all drafted each other in a line for a bit and then when we each thought each other was getting comfortable we all made our move at 23mph+, guy on knobbly dropped back to never be seen again.

We'd caught the traffic at this point, and drafted a bus spread out across the carriageway as we switched places jostling for the outside. Girl leads (she led all the way actually) looking very cool, no effort showing. I kept the outside and bloke roady on my inside had to yeild. all lights were green as we piled through in formation (I saw people actually pause to watch us skim by).

Suddenly it was just two, me and girl with the nice eyes, but she just pulled away along the BSI wind tunnel and I lost her at Chiswick roundabout. Heat was still seeping out of me when I got home.

itboffin

Wrath Rob wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Yes yes I am and just to top it all off as I arrived home a delivery van was just dropping off my new cyclocross frame, guess what i'm going to be doing ALL day tomorrow :P

Watching porn?

Watch it young man, you're treading on thin ice :evil: unless you mean bike porn then yes!

DiggingDeeper

Having muttered about lack of roadie opposition last night, tonight brought one moment to savour. I realise to those cycling past the Wellington monument and other far flung places near Taunton whinging about lack of combatants in central smokesville is not going to past mustard - it's all relative I guess.

Anyway Condor Pista man - not my bag but he seemed to like it. We meet at the Holloway Rd / Archway junction then enter into some slowish traffic filtering to and fro. 500 yards on we pull up at the lights at Hornsey. Rozza in the van next to us completely ignored some herbert hybridist blatantly creeping further into the junction ignoring the red light.

Lights go green, oops too high a gear need to grind it a bit got to show the willowy youth that age and size matters. I tease him, only take it up to 18mph, you know he wants it, 18 is easy for this geeza. 10 seconds later he spins past with his legs going like the blazes. You can see he has no more pace, if he spins any more he'll take off. He's got to change gear or he's meat. He didn't. I did.

Two extra gears and slight increase in leg propulsion and cruise past him (I can feel the silent chunterring of the technologically challenged singletons - I don't want chuffing huge thighs). For a moment you can forget all the bad tasting fat tyre flotsam that my day usually entails.....aaaaaahhh..... Focus again, up the speed slowly, no need to throw this away needlesly. Arrive at the disaster that is Finsbury Park safely in front and it's back to traffic skulking. Dishevelled Condor man slinks off on the wrong side of the road and away off to Highbury - he looked like a proppa cyclist, whats this dangerous nonsense. Snorts with derision.

Not a huge victory but we both knew the score and I thought he should do me here. Nah.........................Somebody posted a comment about Condors being over-rated a few days back. Can't say I noticed

Slumming it on the tube tomorrow - goodbye drinks to the 2nd redundancy tomorrow night. Let's hope there are no more.

Rich158

prj45 wrote:

Suddenly it was just two, me and girl with the nice eyes, but she just pulled away along the BSI wind tunnel and I lost her at Chiswick roundabout. Heat was still seeping out of me when I got home.

Ah the downfall of us old fools, the pretty girl who knows she can drop us at any time :roll:

itboffin

Rich158 wrote:

prj45 wrote:

Suddenly it was just two, me and girl with the nice eyes, but she just pulled away along the BSI wind tunnel and I lost her at Chiswick roundabout. Heat was still seeping out of me when I got home.

Ah the downfall of us old fools, the pretty girl who knows she can drop us at any time :roll:

Careful they can smell fear.

Jen J

itboffin wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

prj45 wrote:

Suddenly it was just two, me and girl with the nice eyes, but she just pulled away along the BSI wind tunnel and I lost her at Chiswick roundabout. Heat was still seeping out of me when I got home.

Ah the downfall of us old fools, the pretty girl who knows she can drop us at any time :roll:

Careful they can smell fear.

*sniffs*

Oh yes.

:twisted:

prj45

itboffin wrote:

Careful they can smell fear.

Such beautiful eyes, such heartless legs.

linsen

I'm broken.

I know I know use the 10% rule to increase mileage but when the commute is a 24 mile round trip how does that work? One mor ecommute a week adds a bit more than 10%!Plus evening class tonight has brought my total since yesterday morning up to 58 miles - plus *a bit* of work in the middle. Now my RHR is 20 above normal :shock:

Anyway, I nearly got a scalp yesterday on the way home - he was going towards the top of a "little" hill and I was a third of the way up. I tried my best, hoping for a red light for him to wait at so I could gain me a little ground a mile or so on. It then occured to me, looking at my watch that it was actually Mr linsen on his way home from work. He got the green light, I got the red and he was gone forever (well till I got home anyway)

Driving tomorrow, else I shall surely fall asleep into my babycham on Friday evening

Stalexcal

Hi Everyone,

New player in town...well Brighton that is!

Firstly, I would like to congratulate everyone on the quality (and quantity) of their posts. Stumbled across this thread and it took a good 6 hours at work on monday to wade my way through the essentials!

So it is The Game is it? I don't know how long I'll be playing if I have another night like tonight.

Background.
Recently retired my slicked Clockwork '93 to a mate who had his bike pilfered and upgraded myself to a FS MTS (Epic)......yeah I know it's an idiots bike for commuting but simply can't store 2. Had a good few offroad rides and then thought...why not ride this steed to work....good for the body, good for the soul!
Did that 22 mile RT last week a couple of times and got a couple of scalps on my nobblies (can't count them and didn't know I'd had them until I read this thread!).

Tonights Problems
Went to change the tyres to the fatboys in the cupboard under the stairs for tommorrow's commute....increases my FCN....but worth it for speed and control.
1. Flat back tyre after weekend ride!
2. Decide to change front first. Spend 20 mins trying to cram tube into tyre only to realise it is a 1.5-2.0 tube and the tyre I'm trying to cram it into is a 1.25
3. Pump then locks on to the valve like a "piranha" and I eventually pull said valve from new front tube. .

General Problems
1. I realise slicks on a FS are stupid but it is all I have got.
2. I hate changing tyres.
3. I asked for advice on MTB forum for potential problems of running 2 sets of wheels, 1 offroad 1 slick re discs rubbing, possible replacement road? cassette and rim spec. Not a lot of use...to say the least.

As soon as I resolve these minor technical problems, my mechanical stupidity and my inability to read simple specifications/instructions......I'm gonna be in and gunning for anyone.

Great hunting down here along the Lewes Road out to the Universities.......all the gear......no F idea .

Keep up the great thread and I hope to be back soon with legendary tales of scalping.

Regards

Stalexcal

itboffin

Welcome Stalexcal i'm sure you're going to love the beautiful game but before you do - GET BACK and read the WHOLE thread damn you!!!

They'll be a quiz at the end

Wrath Rob

Stalexcal wrote:

General Problems
1. I realise slicks on a FS are stupid but it is all I have got.

At least you recognise it. There are a few bikes near where I work that have had nobblied on a FS for the whole of the last year. For the love of your bike have some sympathy!

Oh, and welcome to the forum!

Wrath Rob

lost_in_thought wrote:

The refuge of the vanquished is often to the left.

LiTs, that's a great truism

lost_in_thought

Wrath Rob wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

The refuge of the vanquished is often to the left.

LiTs, that's a great truism

Unless, of course, it's to the right....



PRJ45, what time was this? Maybe this whole drama unfolded behind me... clearly I don't think that's the case - you could NOT have missed the guy with the hi-vis legs.

EDIT: I have just realised that that comes across as really big-headed after reading the interim posts, I only thought ooh I was going that way after work!

prj45

lost_in_thought wrote:

PRJ45, what time was this? Maybe this whole drama unfolded behind me... clearly I don't think that's the case - you could NOT have missed the guy with the hi-vis legs.

The off was at 44:27 into my ride, which started at 17:34:32, so that would've been 18:18:59 (with thanks to time calculator!).

girv73

linsen wrote:

I know I know use the 10% rule to increase mileage

10% rule? Wossat?

No game on the way home last night, but I did re-tackle a hill that had nearly killed me a month ago when I last did it. Just puffing a bit at the top this time

Wrath Rob

Got done this morning. I was napping away from some lights and a slicked MTB whizzed past me. I upped the pace but it was no use, he was gone. In my defence he was wearing a t-shirt and shorts so appeared to be a nutter on wheels, but he got my scalp good and proper :oops:

Must try harder!

lost_in_thought

prj45 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

PRJ45, what time was this? Maybe this whole drama unfolded behind me... clearly I don't think that's the case - you could NOT have missed the guy with the hi-vis legs.

The off was at 44:27 into my ride, which started at 17:34:32, so that would've been 18:18:59 (with thanks to time calculator!).

Jeepers creepers, you started early this morning!

Hmmm, I'd have been about there at about that time! I wonder... nah, can't have been me, mine's not a tourer, although it does have a pannier.

edhornby

I had some genuine sport this morning - guy on a HT with slicks, unfortunately a fair bit of traffic meant there was filtering and catching but it opened up at the last set of lights so I scalped him good an proper

m0scs

My first scalp?

Me, MTB full suss, slicks and spd peddles. Foe, Flash Road bike, jeans, ruck sack.

I have been a member of SCR since its infancy and look at the posts most days.

Living “in the sticks” (that is outside the North Circular) I don’t see too many other riders and far fewer serious ones.

I’m out 3 or 4 times a week doing a 25 mile ish circuit.

On the return leg last week, about 18 miles into the ride, I encounter another rider!. He’s coming down a hill to join the same road I’m on climbing up the hill.

He has the lead, joining my road at a higher speed and shoots off ahead. Can’t make out the bike, name starts with a C red wheels, road bike. Looks flash. The rider, I’m assuming is on his way home from work, rucksack, converse basketball boots and rolled up jeans. Not a serious rider, me thinks.

So he shoots off ahead and I think to myself well that’s the last I will see of him.

I wind up the speed to try and catch him, he slows at the crest of the hill and coasts down the other side as there are T Lights a short distance ahead. I catch up, stay a reasonable distance behind and roll forward slowly waiting for the lights to change.

Green. Away we go, through the tunnel and turn right onto a flattish section of road, smack into a hideous head wind.

Roadie is ahead of me but a few meters, I see he’s trying to wind up the speed but the wind is a bitch and slowing us down. Suddenly I realise I’m gaining, legs feel good, dare I overtake, only to be scalped 20 yards further down the road?

I pull out, overtake, straight passed. I’m not sure if he’s given up, chasing after me or turned off. I don’t look back, just keep spinning the legs, pushing it into the wind.

Coldplay “Message” comes on the headphones in my ears lifting my spirits. I cant him hear him or dare to look back. Glancing back shows you are A) trying and scared.

Hammer down for the next 2 miles. Eventually, I reach the point I have to look behind, as I’m turning right. Scan the horizon, nothing in sight.

I feel a little deflated, did he turn off, was I wasting me time, I actually contemplated stopping to see if he caught up, how far behind he was, but thought better of it and carried on home.

Getting back home I examine the stats on my cycle computer. Speed along this section of road was only about 15mph. I then check the weather, headwind was 18mph. This makes feel a little better.

biondino

Coldplay coming on my headphones would have me throwing myself in front of the nearest HGV

DonDaddyD

Let me see.... my journey today:

I passed a front suspension mountain bike (Kona) and as I looked behind he turned left (I found out later that he turned left to avoid the traffic I get stuck in every week). I carried on along the main road and right into the heavy traffic I always get stuck in by Colliers Wood underground station (I'm heading towards Clapham).

To my right is another front suspension mountain bike about to join the main road I'm on. He stays on the outside and filters through the traffic. I'm still stuck between a Bus, a Coach and a green Lorry.

Finally out of the traffic I hold 17mph (working on my long distance stamina/cadence/maintain speed was my goal today) until Tootin Broadway where I encounter the two Mountain Bikes at the Broadway complex junction. The lights go green, one of the mountain bikes holds a solid 20mph the other slighty slower. I bimble until Tootin Bec.

Now Tootin Bec underground station to Balham, which I do in the Morning (or visa versa, which I do on the return journey home) is a beautiful drag strip in two stages due to the lights.

We line up. I look them up and down. They look serious. They refuse to make eye contact.

The lights go green. I look down. 15-17-20-23-24-26mph and I maintain that cadence. It's all I need. I look over my right shoulder and the only thing behind me is the lorry that was behind me at the lights and its not gaining.

They're mountain bikes so I don't consider it a scalp. But!

I win!

cjcp

m0scs wrote:

My first scalp?

I'd say scalp.

Whatever the circumstances, if you're on a road bike, you *do not* let a full suss mtb (a) overtake you, or (b) stay ahead, if it does overtake.

P.S. Excellent choice of music.

gtvlusso

biondino wrote:

Coldplay coming on my headphones would have me throwing myself in front of the nearest HGV

+1. Coldplay: bland, mindless, beige music for spotty teens.

Feltup

Valentino Rossi eat your heart out! Powerslides! I had the back wheel hung out so far I felt like a speedway star. Thank god I caught it. In reality it was more of a heart attack situation than showboating but it got the attention of a car further up the road; not sure whose eyes were wider!

19.5mph average this morning and still no one to try and scalp. Come on recession you are supposed to be converting people to cycling, where is everyone?

Nice scalping stories btw, makes me jealous.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

m0scs wrote:

My first scalp?

I'd say scalp.

Whatever the circumstances, if you're on a road bike, you *do not* let a full suss mtb (a) overtake you, or (b) stay ahead, if it does overtake.

P.S. Excellent choice of music.

This might help ease the pain, I just got back from the school run and on the way back took a fully geared MTB'r I was on the shopper (with basket) and daughter on the trailer, she (daughter) even offered a cheery hello as we passed.

Sweet

Citizen Smith

DDD, Jen, other Wimbledon/Tooting, A24 commuters - did you have any trouble with the freshly painted and wet red lines between Broadway & Bec?

Coz I did....nearly stacked it but managed to self-correct in comedy fashion.

Stayed well to the right of them after that.

Possibly more dangerous those pesky wet leaves which also did me the other week. Luckliy I was braking at the time so escaped with only cuts and bruises.

DonDaddyD

SiHughes wrote:

DDD, Jen, other Wimbledon/Tooting, A24 commuters - did you have any trouble with the freshly painted and wet red lines between Broadway & Bec?

Coz I did....nearly stacked it but managed to self-correct in comedy fashion.

Stayed well to the right of them after that.

Possibly more dangerous those pesky wet leaves which also did me the other week. Luckliy I was braking at the time so escaped with only cuts and bruises.

I thought I was the only one! They're raised and incredibly slippery, I could feel my back wheel loose grip/traction. I'd advise caution during the Colliers Wood - Tooting Bec run.

Also, have you been scalped by a black man on a red road bike yet?

That gust of wind, that sounded like the word Scalp... yeah, er, that was me speeding straight past you and shouting at "scalp" at the same time... :roll:

m0scs

Seems to be a few differences of opinion re Coldplay. :?

I would have to say though that for some really "slash your wrist " depressing music Radiohead gets my vote.

I have a lot of Radiohead too, not sure what that says about me. :shock:

ITB: that is seriously taking the P, scalping on a shopper! I like your style although

I suspect your daughter was putting in most of the effort

Citizen Smith

DonDaddyD wrote:

Also, have you been scalped by a black man on a red road bike yet?

That gust of wind, that sounded like the word Scalp... yeah, er, that was me speeding straight past you and shouting at "scalp" at the same time... :roll:

:shock:

Unfortunately not sunshine! I have not been passed in a long while.

Also, even if you were to pass me, technically it would not be a scalp according to the FCN though I'm sure my soul would have harsh words with me.

DonDaddyD

You guys need to MTFU! Big time!

If you are going to listen to music during a scalp-fest, battle or outright war then the Mamsy-Pansy-sit-down-and-think-about-it drone of Coldplay, Moby or Radiohead is just flamming wrong.

There is nothing wong with this type of Music (you can throw Winehouse and Melua into this category) if your with a glass of red wine making sophisticated socials with friends. But FOR F8CK SAKE Moby when riding a bike, when SCRing, the thought is just disgusting!

Rage against the Machines specifically 'Killing in the name of' or 'Know your enemy' is the way forward...

Nirvana, Guns and Roses, Faith no More are also good choices. I prefer older school rock/grunge if my musical tastes are heading that way.

Seriously! Moby, Coldplay, Radiohead... when SCRing :shock: I'm disgusted. MTFU

And to add, if you want something a little more 'ethnic' Tupac, Wu Tang Clan, Nas, Eminem, Dre, Notorious BIG or any of the other decent rappers should get the blood pumping and the mindset into 'war mode'...

Also

Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Elephant Man, Cappleton and other ragga stars are great if to your liking.

If your still in 'ethnic' mode but are looking for a peaceful cruise, no SCR the:

Morgan Heritage, Mr B Marley, Luciano, Sanchez and the entire Burning Spear album....

Or more to the point - my i-tunes.