Silly commuting racing

linsen

hey G66 how's your back?
My niggle has gone - I kept riding, stopped moaning (and body combat classes) and all is well.

il_principe

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Jash - have you tried tweezers - wives/gfs usually have these as part of the makeup process - line it up with the valve hole and you should be able to move it to the vertical

I haven't, but quite honestly for the money spent on these I shouldn't have to - They're going back so someone else can deal with the problem. I won't need the wheels til the weather improves anyway. May have a quick tweezer tonight, but just lining it up with the valve hole is a massive faff and I'm not the most patient! Cheers though.

greg66_tri_v2.0

linsen wrote:

hey G66 how's your back?
My niggle has gone - I kept riding, stopped moaning (and body combat classes) and all is well.

Getting better, but not better. I rode all week the week before last, which, as the consultant warned me, was a bit too much too soon. Rode two days last week and the discomfort/soreness first thing in the morning was noticeably worse than the train/car days. But the good news is that for the most part I walk like a normal person again. I just don't bend down very well, and I don't lift heavy objects full stop (I must have look odd kneeling up behind the car to get something out of the boot).

Me and my memory foam lumbar roll are now best friends, and I have to punctuate my days with Mackenzie stretches and hamstring stretches. In the long term it should get better, and then it's (just - ha ha) a question of rebuilding core strength and getting and keeping my calves/hamstrings/upper back flexible. Looks like I will be joining the autosexual wannabes in pilates/yoga nirvana.

My top tip now is don't ignore it. My MRI revealed a nice little collection of problems, and by simply ignoring things in the past I'd never given myself the oppo/time to do proper rehab on the damaged areas.

Rich158

There I was thinking this week was going to be a series of gentle warm down rides but ooh no, this SCR business has got the better of me. On arriving at the bottom of the hill in Greenwich Park this evening I spied at least two sets of flashing lights already halfway up the hill. Thinking at least one of them must be my boss I set off like a man posessed, unfortnately neither of them was, but I do have another two scalps to my name

The rest of the ride was at warp speed, god only knows what got into me, I can only put it down to the dirty great plate of noodles at lunchtime

cjcp

Rich158 wrote:

There I was thinking this week was going to be a series of gentle warm down rides but ooh no, this SCR business has got the better of me. On arriving at the bottom of the hill in Greenwich Park this evening I spied at least two sets of flashing lights already halfway up the hill. Thinking at least one of them must be my boss I set off like a man posessed, unfortnately neither of them was, but I do have another two scalps to my name

The rest of the ride was at warp speed, god only knows what got into me, I can only put it down to the dirty great plate of noodles at lunchtime

So much for the Christmas wind-down, eh?


The good lady wife has just given the go ahead to me entering the Tour of Flanders next year. I can barely contain my excitement. Not what I want immediately before the ride home. All I'm doing at the moment is picturing Embankment as some sort of mad charge (safely) across the cobbles!

il_principe

Greg66 wrote:

Jash, can't blow that pic up on the phone. What make/rim depth/weight are those?

FFWD, 58mm rims, quoted weight is 1851g so not that light but it's all about aero these days eh!

Bassjunkieuk

I'd also send them wheels back if I thought there was anything wrong with them, especially something that has obviously come loose internally. After all what ever that fell off is now not so secure and that's not what you expect from a decent set of wheels. I was a bit disappointed to find a few minor blemishes on my new Aksiums - I suspect from the heavy handy low life delivery guy who DROPPED the box outside before bashing on the door :evil:
As it was only some small chips along about 1-2" on the back wheel (unnoticeable without a close-up look and feeling for it) I couldn't be bothered to go through the hassle of arranging a return and waiting for a new set this close to Xmas.

Whilst where on the subject of new wheels did you get a chance to fit the Halo's yet James or are you waiting for better weather? I'd assume the latter white rims + London road cr4p probably won't be the best mix

Jay dubbleU

jash - you're right of course - they shouldn't have sent you the wheels in that condition - surprised they didn't notice the rattle when they were being packed - its really of p*ssing when that happens

itboffin

cjcp don't you have to be a pro to enter that race, either way wow!!!

il_principe

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Whilst where on the subject of new wheels did you get a chance to fit the Halo's yet James or are you waiting for better weather? I'd assume the latter white rims + London road cr4p probably won't be the best mix

Halos are fitted! Had to clean them again tonight, white and winter don't mix but I love them!

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

cjcp don't you have to be a pro to enter that race, either way wow!!!

Nah, it's the sportif version, and I only plan on doing the 140km route. Go on...

R34PER

So there i am, cycling back from a christmas shopping trip (around 35ish miles on my mtb) with the heaviest ruck sack known to man (knew i should have put the panniers on). The route is 98% roads with a little bit of fire track through a forest and as i hadn't really eaten enough i was really struggling. Running on empty as i exited the woodland when i notice my first proper target in weeks :twisted: and here comes the second wind. I rapid fire my way swiftly into warp drive and begin to give chase on a down hill road when i manage to identify the other bike as a tourer with panniers. i have on my ruck sack and a couple of things bunjeed to my pannier rack. i'm rapidly closing the gap when i pass the mid 20's in mph when he turns off so with a minor route adjustment i continue my battle. As i really get upon him we round another corner when i realise he is only sat at around 17ish mph although he hasnt noticed me yet so i make my move and ramp it upto 26 and hold it there to make it stick. I have a quick glance over the shoulder as i pass a parked car and the gap is far smaller than i expected so over the next quater i kept it nailed and when i got to my exit he was nowhere to be seen. At that point i still felt pretty good and most of my remaining route had a very slight downhill so i kept to the low twentys. Then as i rounded a bend i take every day, its only slight, all of a sudden my front wheel lost traction and i lowsided at 19mph :shock: Luckily i had pretty thick jeans on and full finger mtb gloves so my touchdown points didnt get any injury No damage to the bike either :P I dont really mind coming off as today i had a good scalp that wasnt a tractor or a moped :P

biondino

As you may remember, I decided a few weeks ago that anyone of my FCN counted as a scalp. And I actually pwned someone today! I was coming to the end of Kings Road about 7.10pm and a dude on a (carbon?) Spesh pulls out just ahead of me from Hurlingham Road and starts up Putney Bridge a couple of lengths ahead. I ease level, and realise the guy is pushing quite hard, and there's no way he's not aware of me. So, not trying at all, honest, I gradually gradually edge ahead and by the crest I'm 2 or 3 lengths ahead.

Pleasingly he follows me down Lower Richmond Road and I pull out a 15 yard lead fairly quickly which, by Queens Ride, must be about 100 yards. I was time-trialling a bit by this point, but I kept the hammer down and by the death bridge I had a quick peek but could no longer see him.

So, the obvious question - was it any of you?

Rich158

cjcp wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

There I was thinking this week was going to be a series of gentle warm down rides but ooh no, this SCR business has got the better of me. On arriving at the bottom of the hill in Greenwich Park this evening I spied at least two sets of flashing lights already halfway up the hill. Thinking at least one of them must be my boss I set off like a man posessed, unfortnately neither of them was, but I do have another two scalps to my name

The rest of the ride was at warp speed, god only knows what got into me, I can only put it down to the dirty great plate of noodles at lunchtime

So much for the Christmas wind-down, eh?


The good lady wife has just given the go ahead to me entering the Tour of Flanders next year. I can barely contain my excitement. Not what I want immediately before the ride home. All I'm doing at the moment is picturing Embankment as some sort of mad charge (safely) across the cobbles!

Good luck, I've been given the go-ahead for a week in Morzine with the lads on the MTB next summer I almost got permission for the Etappe Du Tour, but baulked at the package costs. I might see if I can persuade her to let me do the Dave Lloyd training camp, and then the two mega challenges instead.

Wind down for Christmas???? This morning was faster still :shock: , and I got to the office and didn't want to stop. I don't know what's got into me, but whatever it is, I want some more

il_principe

Rich158 wrote:

Good luck, I've been given the go-ahead for a week in Morzine with the lads on the MTB next summer I almost got permission for the Etappe Du Tour, but baulked at the package costs. I might see if I can persuade her to let me do the Dave Lloyd training camp, and then the two mega challenges instead.

I'm in no hurry to do the Etqape again - it was a great experience but there are so many other Euro Sportives and many of them are far far cheaper. (eg: http://www.quebrantahuesos.com/ ) I though the Etape was ludicrously overpriced.

Quiet on the roads this am, 3 other cyclists, none worthy of a scalp.

cjcp

Rich158 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

There I was thinking this week was going to be a series of gentle warm down rides but ooh no, this SCR business has got the better of me. On arriving at the bottom of the hill in Greenwich Park this evening I spied at least two sets of flashing lights already halfway up the hill. Thinking at least one of them must be my boss I set off like a man posessed, unfortnately neither of them was, but I do have another two scalps to my name

The rest of the ride was at warp speed, god only knows what got into me, I can only put it down to the dirty great plate of noodles at lunchtime

So much for the Christmas wind-down, eh?


The good lady wife has just given the go ahead to me entering the Tour of Flanders next year. I can barely contain my excitement. Not what I want immediately before the ride home. All I'm doing at the moment is picturing Embankment as some sort of mad charge (safely) across the cobbles!

Good luck, I've been given the go-ahead for a week in Morzine with the lads on the MTB next summer I almost got permission for the Etappe Du Tour, but baulked at the package costs. I might see if I can persuade her to let me do the Dave Lloyd training camp, and then the two mega challenges instead.

Wind down for Christmas???? This morning was faster still :shock: , and I got to the office and didn't want to stop. I don't know what's got into me, but whatever it is, I want some more

Morzine? Nice. Very nice. 8)

As Jash says though, there are much better value, much more accessible sportives than the Etape. The Ardechoise, the Marmotte, that one in Spain with the funny name Jash mentioned. Flanders is another one (although perhaps not strictly a sportive, I don't know) and the best bit about that one: you don't need to get out on the weekend to train in the hills. Thus, "the training footprint", when viewed from the good lady's standpoint, is significanly reduced.

As for this morning, got involved in some proper SCR with a SS and a roadie with tri bars. The games began at Battersea Bridge when Tri Bars drafted SS and I stayed back about 10 yards, holding a nice pace. The pace hotted up after Albert Bridge when Tri Bars took the lead and SS drafted him. Past Chelsea Bridge and I was still within 10 yards of them and contemplated going for the pass, but didn't think I oculd make it stick.

The pace subsided naturally through Parlt Square, and into the lights at Horseguards/Embankment, SS wasn't there. Shame, I thought. But he popped up again just as the lights went green and this seemed to stir Tri Bars, who upped the pace again.

They were getting away from me at the lights, but I was having to put in a big effort to reel them in thereafter and, by Temple, it was beginning to tell. I was blowing quite a bit and barely holding them. I had ditched the "skin breathing" long ago...

SS turned off after the underpass and put in a final burst to gain some ground on Tri Bars through the tunnel, but I was knackered (and very thankful) when I finally turned. The upside of this MTB business is that I weigh a good few pounds less than I did this time last week.

iain_j

Back on the bike today (had to use the bus yesterday) - the roads were deserted, it was bliss

My commute has a stretch of dual carriageway, about a mile long, dead straight. It's usually jammed with cars. As i turned onto it this morning, i could see way into the distance, about 3 cars down its length, and what's that... a little spot in the distance, a yellow jacket and a flashing red light... ah hah!

Because of the traffic i never get the chance to put the hammer down on this road, but this morning it was empty. I thought, can i catch him before the traffic lights at the end of the dual carriageway? I put my head down and rattled my way over the potholes, sunken grids and ridges in the tarmac, hoping the ped crossing lights along the way stayed green. I looked up and i'd halved the gap, but the end of the road was getting closer so i gritted my teeth, upped a gear and pushed on. I was trying to time it so i didn't have to dive past him and then hit the brakes for the traffic lights, but then they went green so i put the afterburners on and passed him at what i reckon was somewhere round 30mph

I like empty roads.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

As for this morning, got involved in some proper SCR with a SS and a roadie with tri bars. The games began at Battersea Bridge when Tri Bars drafted SS and I stayed back about 10 yards, holding a nice pace. The pace hotted up after Albert Bridge when Tri Bars took the lead and SS drafted him. Past Chelsea Bridge and I was still within 10 yards of them and contemplated going for the pass, but didn't think I oculd make it stick.

The pace subsided naturally through Parlt Square, and into the lights at Horseguards/Embankment, SS wasn't there. Shame, I thought. But he popped up again just as the lights went green and this seemed to stir Tri Bars, who upped the pace again.

They were getting away from me at the lights, but I was having to put in a big effort to reel them in thereafter and, by Temple, it was beginning to tell. I was blowing quite a bit and barely holding them. I had ditched the "skin breathing" long ago...

SS turned off after the underpass and put in a final burst to gain some ground on Tri Bars through the tunnel, but I was knackered (and very thankful) when I finally turned. The upside of this MTB business is that I weigh a good few pounds less than I did this time last week.

Do you remember earlier in the year the reports of fast MTB man? could that somehow be you? perhaps some kind of future echo... :shock:

What socks were you wearing?
Have you been travelling in time?

itboffin

jashburnham wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

Good luck, I've been given the go-ahead for a week in Morzine with the lads on the MTB next summer I almost got permission for the Etappe Du Tour, but baulked at the package costs. I might see if I can persuade her to let me do the Dave Lloyd training camp, and then the two mega challenges instead.

I'm in no hurry to do the Etqape again - it was a great experience but there are so many other Euro Sportives and many of them are far far cheaper. (eg: http://www.quebrantahuesos.com/ ) I though the Etape was ludicrously overpriced.

Quiet on the roads this am, 3 other cyclists, none worthy of a scalp.

Perhaps they were alerted to your presence by the rattling noise, sort of like a cat with a bell around it's neck :twisted:

greg66_tri_v2.0

Minor battle this morning. Some time after 9 the mobile (which was on its charger) started ringing. I tried to ignore it, but the lure was too great. Hauled myself up and limped over to it, just in time for the caller to ring off. @rse.

Turned to limp back towards bed and the landline started ringing. Spied the handset immediately and chased it down in nothing flat. Easy scalp.

Then went back to bed :twisted:

Clever Pun

no brompton scalps today... came in early for champagne breakfast... which is officially a bad idea after a night of cocktails

in other news foxes ate my chickens last night paxo, peri peri and tikka all gone and they didn't even get to lay eggs the feckers. I didn't shut them in early enough and in the 10 minutes I took to do this they all were gone

il_principe

Fcukin foxes.

Get yourself a gun or a large dog and sort the feckers out.

Clever Pun

jashburnham wrote:

Fcukin foxes.

Get yourself a gun or a large dog and sort the feckers out.

I saw one of them eating something in next doors garden

The missus left me alone for a couple of days and this happens... feckity feck

greg66_tri_v2.0

Clever Pun wrote:

no brompton scalps today... came in early for champagne breakfast... which is officially a bad idea after a night of cocktails

in other news foxes ate my chickens last night paxo, peri peri and tikka all gone and they didn't even get to lay eggs the feckers. I didn't shut them in early enough and in the 10 minutes I took to do this they all were gone

Sorry to hear about your chickens. Mrs G66 is pretty keen to get some, and the kids keep banging on about having eggs for breakfast. Hmm, I wonder. Who is going to have to go out into the garden and collect the eggs. That would be.... me. Sod that.

Forgive me, CP, but the image of you sipping cocktails all evening is one I'm having trouble with.

Clever Pun

Greg66 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

no brompton scalps today... came in early for champagne breakfast... which is officially a bad idea after a night of cocktails

in other news foxes ate my chickens last night paxo, peri peri and tikka all gone and they didn't even get to lay eggs the feckers. I didn't shut them in early enough and in the 10 minutes I took to do this they all were gone

Sorry to hear about your chickens. Mrs G66 is pretty keen to get some, and the kids keep banging on about having eggs for breakfast. Hmm, I wonder. Who is going to have to go out into the garden and collect the eggs. That would be.... me. Sod that.

Forgive me, CP, but the image of you sipping cocktails all evening is one I'm having trouble with.

quite alright... +venture bar in clapham jct.. 2 for 1 all night = many drinks indeed.

look into an eglu for the chcikens they are perfectly safe inside the run
http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/homepage.php

need to get some more chickens

Rich158

There's very few scalps to be had at the moment, although I hardly pass anyone worthy of scalping anyway.

the only scalp of note this morning was coming down through Greenwich Park. Approaching the roundabout at the top of the hill I was alerted by a yellow flash, and looked up to see a roadie with a courier bag. I'll have him I thought, so set off down the hill like a bat out of hell, flew past him halfway down, only to see him trying to draft me down towards the one way system. A quick spurt of speed through the gates, onto the one-way system, and the lights were all green I'm now in sprinter mode, taking up primary position on the road no feckers going to come past me. Trusting the tyres to grip I took the centre of Greenwich like a chicane, and coming out the other side heading towards central London at warp speed 9 Mr Courier was nowhere to be seen Then remember I have to turn off for the office just before Deptford Creek and curse my rotten luck for having to end the fun early :evil:

He could have taken another route of course, but I prefer to believe +1 to me.

c12345

its not a scalp, but it is an unusual confluence of events: This morning, comming down the A4 in a section where I'm usualy faster than traffic (Jams), but schools off and things are moving nicely. I give up filtering, and slot in behind a small lorry, not too close, but well within the draft. Anyway, he winds up smoothly, and I'm sitting behind popping through the gears, then *tick*: hmmm, run out of gears on the flat, thats odd? look down at the speedo and its sitting at 42mph!!! on the flat!!!

I do a shoulder check, enough to see several looks of disbelief in a fully populated car following me, then put my head down, and try keep the speed - I just sitt there being dragged along in the wake of the lorry, 40mph+ for a good 2 miles, Minimal effort. Such a great feeling, also managed to pass a cyclist who was on the cycle path to the side like ha was standing still.

I wish that happened every day.

Average commute speed today 21.7 mph over 21 miles.

hondafanatic

c12345 wrote:

its not a scalp, but it is an unusual confluence of events: This morning, comming down the A4 in a section where I'm usualy faster than traffic (Jams), but schools off and things are moving nicely. I give up filtering, and slot in behind a small lorry, not too close, but well within the draft. Anyway, he winds up smoothly, and I'm sitting behind popping through the gears, then *tick*: hmmm, run out of gears on the flat, thats odd? look down at the speedo and its sitting at 42mph!!! on the flat!!!

I do a shoulder check, enough to see several looks of disbelief in a fully populated car following me, then put my head down, and try keep the speed - I just sitt there being dragged along in the wake of the lorry, 40mph+ for a good 2 miles, Minimal effort. Such a great feeling, also managed to pass a cyclist who was on the cycle path to the side like ha was standing still.

I wish that happened every day.

Average commute speed today 21.7 mph over 21 miles.

That's a brilliant image....well done that man.

alfablue

fantastic C1! You show 'em! :P

girv73

Nice job c12345!

My commute-in route features a very long, downhill bus lane so I try a bit of that drafting buses every now and again. It's not 40mph, more in the high 20s (on a MTB), but it sure is fun blasting along at "high" speed, and even more so when the bus overtakes a cyclist in the bus lane and I warp past as well

Not so much fun when the bus decides to stop though