Silly commuting racing

AdiMac

OK picked up my Boardman Pro ready to join the racing this week, had little trundle down the shops to check it out and I think it I'll be a week or so until I can even make it in to work let alone racing :oops: :oops:

Has anybody spotted (or got any) any cheap shoes and will all the shoes fit with all the peddles?

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

. I hold and then bam rip the side of his face off with raw spinning power

:shock: 8)

yeah that's how I roll


I think the increased amount of rapha gear I'm now sporting makes me a target.. they try and think yes I got him, all the gear no...sh!t there he goes and he's gone

girv73

Cold this morning in Belfast, with a little bit of wind. The weather was similar.

I've started taking a longer way into work and doing sprint/rest intervals so I guess I'm vulnerable to a surprise pass during the rest periods, but fortunately the biking population is thin along that route. No scalps either way.

I was on the MTB today as I've no lights or muddies (yet?) for the new roadie. Only one target worthy of mention, a punter on a hybrid who I caught up to at some lights. Traffic was too heavy to put a pass on but I was happy enough to be able to stick with him as I've tangled with him before and he's a quick'un.

jonginge

Whoosh. Chapeau to the guy on the BMC.
Was just getting going after stopping for the ped crossing just before the Lambeth Br roundabout and BMC guy zooms past and onto millbank, quickly followed by another scrambling to stay on his wheel (and nearly taking my front wheel in the process). BMC guy tears a streak down millbank with the chaser drafting like it's a team pursuit; I'm barely hanging onto the train. We all stop line astern at vauxhall cross. Lights go green and we're away. Guy in second turns off but BMC is already roaring along DSC. I keep him within 10 metres and he slows down when he realises he's lost his shadow (or maybe he was knackered). Over chelsea bridge and I'm ready to make a move. Maybe he senses this coz he goes primary all the way to the traffic jam at albert bridge, I hang back on the rumble strip...

Anyone know why chelsea embankment was closed off?

Bassjunkieuk

Sounds like he was rather quick JG! I surprised myself today after having a rather reserved ride in (still getting used to the new tyres and it was wet today) I took a diversion to finishing fixing my dad's laptop on the way home. As I was waiting at the lights in town this chap on a folder goes ambling through the first set and wobbles towards the next.

Feeling a bit energetic and knowing that my parent's house is only half a mile or so up the road I followed him round the roundabout and pulled out around him as we come onto the main road towards the station. I put on a burst of acceleration and went swooshing up the road, it felt fantastic :twisted: Yes I know he was well below me in the FCN and it wasn't a scalp but the thrill of the speed, which peaked at around the mid to late 20's made it all the enjoyable!!

On the way back from the parents to my house I managed to get down one of the residential roads (about a mile long) a bit quicker then a couple of cars! Nice easy start and then I actually got held up when a car ahead was trundling along at 14MPH! I then got past one and briefly drafted the bus ahead of us until it turned off. Then thanks to traffic coming the other way and my riding in a safe position they didn't get a chance to get back past :-)

Petromyzon

Just thought I'd poke my head in to this thread to say that Chelsea Embankment was closed for resurfacing, as it was access only I rode along anyway and none of the workmen seemed to mind.
Walked round the bit they were actually resurfacing at the time, the stuff they had already done was gorgeously smooth so any SCR'ers who regularly rip it up that way will have a proper dragstrip to play with:)

I'm new here and I commute King's Road->NKR->Putney Bridge->Upper Richmond road so if anyone sees a skinny tall guy on a large black fixed langster with a black courier bag do say hello.

biondino

That sounds familiar, Petromyzon. Have you noticed a chap in a grey helmet, fluorescent yellow jacket, bib tights and a grey rucksack riding a black Focus? Say hi next time

jonginge

Petromyzon wrote:

Just thought I'd poke my head in to this thread to say that Chelsea Embankment was closed for resurfacing, as it was access only I rode along anyway and none of the workmen seemed to mind.
Walked round the bit they were actually resurfacing at the time, the stuff they had already done was gorgeously smooth so any SCR'ers who regularly rip it up that way will have a proper dragstrip to play with:)

I'm new here and I commute King's Road->NKR->Putney Bridge->Upper Richmond road so if anyone sees a skinny tall guy on a large black fixed langster with a black courier bag do say hello.

Welcome to SCR Petromyzon
Resurfacing eh? Excellent. Now if only they'd do mortlake high street...

Anyone else notice that the recent work on millbank is already breaking up?

redvee

JonGinge wrote:

Anyone else notice that the recent work on millbank is already breaking up?

Can't cope with the thin tyres us SCR'ers use on the tarmac, only good for the 5" wide tyres of the buses, cabs etc.

Petromyzon

Grey helmet does ring a bell Biondino, but I will need to look for the bike for a positive ID:)

If anyone comes back from Putney bridge towards Sheen/Richmond, is it quicker to turn off on to the lower Richmond road and then join queen's ride and URR later? I am slowly getting the idea that that is the way everyone goes after I try and burn people off over the bridge only to find that they aren't in fact chasing me but have slowed to go right!

My problem is that I am *really* risk averse and the peak times when there are scalps to be had are also the times when I tend to throttle back because I don't like riding three bikes abreast in fast traffic :?

biondino

Yeah, I'd say Lower Richmond Road is quicker - you don't have the gridlock of Putney High Street, and it's slightly shorter (think a pythagorean hypotenuse rather than, uh, the other two sides). I turn off Queen's Ride on the Bolan Death Bridge as I live just round the corner but it makes sense I reckon.

Were you riding today, Petromyzon? I definitely saw a tall chap on a black non-geared bike on King's Road - I would have been there about 7.15 I guess?

Petromyzon

Yes, I was, but I went from KR inwards to pub in waterloo at about 630 and then came back out past richmond at 8.30 so I'd guess not me. In the spirit of SCR I'm tempted to suggest you'll recognise me by the vapour trail but the realist in me suggests that this will have to wait until I have a ding-dong with one of you guys 8) 8)

Clever Pun

Last night

As I set off from the lights and roadie zipped past me in some sort of team kit… Hello what do we have here… I got up to speed and spun hard and dropped him as I came past he did a double take how dare I indeed. He stayed on my six for a bit then blasted past me (I noticed he’d dropped down 3 cogs) just as we’re getting to a roundabout where he turns off…booo still he’d would have done me like a kipper but rules is rules
Took another couple of oradies later but no resistance.

This morning a fast hybrid went past me on a downhill pedalling like crazy after I'd done him earlier I stayed with him knowing there was a bump coming up he slowed and I nipped right past him and he was gone. Later on I noticed a spinner on a specialised I think I’ve seen him before he’s putting in a good pace 22ish on a slight incline I slowly catch up and bide my time for a good spot to drop him and whoosh I take him! a little while later traffic lights which he goes through.. fo shame, still means I can take him again. I did but only in traffic which got pretty hefty and every sodding traffic light on the commute hit me…

I’d started off with a great average and I thought I’ve be able to break the 40 minute barrier but no, my great time turned into a respectable 17.6 avg… slightly irritating but was the first ride of the year on the squadra and it felt very good.

Feltup

My saddle took a beating this morning as my arse cheeks tried to grip on to the bike which was trying its best to squirm out from under me. Slippy! The A4 was fine but then Pinkneys green area and it all went sketch city. Stand up to accelerate and then sit down rapidly as the back wheel spins up. Change gear to lighten up and not put in any power spikes and tap away searching out any bits of rougher tarmac for some grip. I reckon a nobbly mtn bike could have scalped me at times this morning but as normal not a soul in sight.

Av speed down by 2 mph.

Jay dubbleU

Quiet commute this morning apart from a moron in a white van reversing down the cycle track - he said ' I saw you in the mirror but thought you could get past' - track is about a foot wider than the van at this point with a hedge on one side and a wall on the other - passed on my opinion of his driving during which the words 'moron' and 't*sser' came up. So hacked off that I passed two scalps so fast that the doppler effect blew them both off their bikes (not really) grrrrrrrrrrr :x

don_don

Well, it looks like Cheltenham might be developing its own SCR at last. I pulled up at the first set of lights on my commute this morning and there were fourcyclists where normally there’d be none, or one at the most.

There was an old fella on a shopper bike, who frankly looked a bit scared. I gave him plenty of room as the lights went green, which left me a little way behind a chap on an old road-bike (I guess a point or two lower on the FC than me) and a woman on a hybrid.

Road-bike guy was going for a poor quality scalp but the hybrid lady turned off to the right almost immediately. I could see him skin breathing and trying subtly not to look back as he accelerated hard. So, that just left the two of us.

This left me in a bit of a quandary, since he was apparently in top and running a gear a good bit bigger than mine. He was mashing a bit, so I set myself up with a fairly high cadence and started to gain ground on him.

To his shame, he made a dodgy manoeuvre to stay ahead at a couple of junctions. I maintained the moral high ground, but this prevented me from roasting him. Unfortunately, I had to pull into work before we got to the big straight, otherwise I’d have had him as his oxygen levels went the way of RBS shares.

I’m not sure if he deserves the scalp, since he never actually overtook me, but then I didn’t pass him either. Perhaps the SCR assessment team can adjudicate? There’ll be little mercy if I see him again..

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

Whoosh. Chapeau to the guy on the BMC.
Was just getting going after stopping for the ped crossing just before the Lambeth Br roundabout and BMC guy zooms past and onto millbank, quickly followed by another scrambling to stay on his wheel (and nearly taking my front wheel in the process). BMC guy tears a streak down millbank with the chaser drafting like it's a team pursuit; I'm barely hanging onto the train. We all stop line astern at vauxhall cross. Lights go green and we're away. Guy in second turns off but BMC is already roaring along DSC. I keep him within 10 metres and he slows down when he realises he's lost his shadow (or maybe he was knackered). Over chelsea bridge and I'm ready to make a move. Maybe he senses this coz he goes primary all the way to the traffic jam at albert bridge, I hang back on the rumble strip...

Anyone know why chelsea embankment was closed off?

Yep, I've seen a guy on a BMC. Was it blue and black?

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment. My little chicken legs can't really handle big gears, so I wondered how it would go. Took a while to wind up, but once I got going, it was fast, particulalry along Grosvenor Road/DSC and Millbank. No chance of doing that on the way home, into the headwind though.

In other news, there was a fair bit of SCR action this morning too along Embankment. And some quality RLJing from one chap who was absolutely determined to stay out in front. He was quick, but he was visibly burying himself and, despite the RLJing, he turned off only 10 yards ahead of me. Don't see why people do it. :?

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Yep, I've seen a guy on a BMC. Was it blue and black?

Yep. blue/black/white. He was plenty rapid but calmed down a bit after his race along millbank was over. Didn't have mudguards so I claim moral victory

cjcp wrote:

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment. My little chicken legs can't really handle big gears, so I wondered how it would go. Took a while to wind up, but once I got going, it was fast, particulalry along Grosvenor Road/DSC and Millbank. No chance of doing that on the way home, into the headwind though.

I may need to MTFU too: the 16T sprocket on my hack is missing a tooth and others are a bit deformed. Time for a new cassette (will it never end?)

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

I may need to MTFU too: the 16T sprocket on my hack is missing a tooth and others are a bit deformed. Time for a new cassette (will it never end?)

I've got a spare Shimano 8 speed I'm not going to use if you're interested. I used it briefly last winter. May be got 300 miles on it, but it's in good nick if you're interested.

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment. My little chicken legs can't really handle big gears, so I wondered how it would go. Took a while to wind up, but once I got going, it was fast, particulalry along Grosvenor Road/DSC and Millbank. No chance of doing that on the way home, into the headwind though.

Holy Moly, that is a huuuuge gear! 102.2 according to the table I generally use... keep an eye on your tendons... :shock:

But yes, once you get them going big gears are mighty speedy...

cjcp

lost_in_thought wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment. My little chicken legs can't really handle big gears, so I wondered how it would go. Took a while to wind up, but once I got going, it was fast, particulalry along Grosvenor Road/DSC and Millbank. No chance of doing that on the way home, into the headwind though.

Holy Moly, that is a huuuuge gear! 102.2 according to the table I generally use... keep an eye on your tendons... :shock:

But yes, once you get them going big gears are mighty speedy...

Yep, it was a bit big, but I was feel a bit more Olympic today than yesterday. (yeah, right, in my dreams)

DonDaddyD

*Montage* With Rock Theme Tune

There is a guy on green Mountain bike (no suspension) that I overtake every day. I feel sorry for him...

I took a girl today in Wimbledon, then some guy on another green bike in Tooting. Then a guy on a red hybrid with a Marin stem in Balham. Then another women on a bike that was squeeking and the wheels were warped - overtaking her was a matter of saftey her bike could have collapsed at any moment! :shock:

Then I spun my way up Balham Hill at 21.5mph. Shouting at myself hold it Laurence (I refer to myself as many things but never DonDaddyD), HOLD IT! and when I got to the top across from the Burger King I punched the air and then rode off as people were looking at me as though I was mad.... COME ON!!!!

Got to the Clapham Common drag strip lined up by four cyclists couple hybrids, couple roadies and at the lights, rode off and stayed ahead keeping my scalp in place!

*Montage* With Rocky Theme Tune

Richmond Park on Sunday (I think), I going the F up that hill even if it kills me!

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

I may need to MTFU too: the 16T sprocket on my hack is missing a tooth and others are a bit deformed. Time for a new cassette (will it never end?)

I've got a spare Shimano 8 speed I'm not going to use if you're interested. I used it briefly last winter. May be got 300 miles on it, but it's in good nick if you're interested.

You interest me strangely. What are the ratios? Hang on, why am I asking that, there'll still be 15 unused gears (better than the current 17)

il_principe

Sitting at Antalya airport (which sucks by the way). I miss SCR, back to work tomorrow but I have a 10:30 meeting in Margate then a 15:30 on Wigmore St, so no cycling tomorrow. Just as well probably as I've eaten rather a lot this week. Training starts in earnest this weekend!

lost_in_thought

It does suck... I was there earlier this year. Not that you'd eat it, but you can amuse yourself by figuring out just how massively they overcharge for the food... hope the holiday was better than the airport! I did some MTB-ing in Beldibi near there...

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment.

Could you please stop this experiment right now? And stop egging jonginge on to go ever faster while you're at it?

If ever I return to the roar of the SCR arena, I'll be mightily p1ssed off if I find that my patented WMD - perpetual 53x16-drive - has been copied and surpassed by all and sundry!

Yours

Outraged (formerly) of Tunbridge Wells
:evil: :x :evil: :x :evil:

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Rode a lot of the way in 53x14 this morning as an experiment.

Could you please stop this experiment right now? And stop egging jonginge on to go ever faster while you're at it?

If ever I return to the roar of the SCR arena, I'll be mightily p1ssed off if I find that my patented WMD - perpetual 53x16-drive - has been copied and surpassed by all and sundry!

Yours

Outraged (formerly) of Tunbridge Wells
:evil: :x :evil: :x :evil:

Only 53x16? Oh my.

:twisted:

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

I may need to MTFU too: the 16T sprocket on my hack is missing a tooth and others are a bit deformed. Time for a new cassette (will it never end?)

I've got a spare Shimano 8 speed I'm not going to use if you're interested. I used it briefly last winter. May be got 300 miles on it, but it's in good nick if you're interested.

You interest me strangely. What are the ratios? Hang on, why am I asking that, there'll still be 15 unused gears (better than the current 17)

I've no idea. There are 8 sprockets, with a varying number of teeth on them.

Clever Pun

jashburnham wrote:

Sitting at Antalya airport (which sucks by the way). I miss SCR, back to work tomorrow but I have a 10:30 meeting in Margate then a 15:30 on Wigmore St, so no cycling tomorrow. Just as well probably as I've eaten rather a lot this week. Training starts in earnest this weekend!

come and do the tweed run on saturday it'll be a few gentle miles and beers... you strike me as a chap who would have some tweed

attica

biondino wrote:

7.15 I guess?

Blondie are you ill? I thought you didn't get out of bed before 10am....

...or was it a very late night.