Silly commuting racing

Bassjunkieuk

DonDaddyD wrote:

Scantly clad girls dancing to music vibrating off the tall buildings that create a dead spot for wind. Two hopefuls stand at the lights. Old man Greg66 drops his pipe and BAM! They're off!

He'll also need an assistant to pick it up tho ;-)

That scene does remind me of the Chelsea Cruise.........held on a certain Saturday each month on Chelsea Bridge it's a load of American muscle cars and hotrods all collected together for people to admire, most are polished to within an inch of their lives. Whilst no racing actually takes place a few of the attendees do delight in taking the big-block V8's for a short and very fast dash over the bridge and back down before turning around at the roundabout by Battersea Park. I can assure you nothing sounds sweeter then a Dodge Charger revving at 10 ft!

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

itboffin wrote:

My advice would be meet for pre race drinks, I'm pretty confident that after 10+ pints I can still walk and cycle pretty well, such as after the first SCR drinks.

Failing that drug them both, just think Mr T - I ain't getting on no plane fool!.

Alternatively get yourself a personal trainer, give up work and do nothing but cycle from now until the faithful day.

Nutter..................

Why? The theory is sound. To my kowledge most of these guys are not Time Trial specialists. Sure they can ride 100miles quickly, go up and down hills.. but that's endurance and other stuff using different muscles than the fast twitch muscles and Manly Man power used in sprinting...

DDD I don't pretend to be anything other than a rank and somewhat enthusiastic amateur - this could be fun. My fastest documented SCR flat speed is 35mph, but that wasn't really a sprint just a head down sustained rumble along the Embankment :

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12535046&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=drafting&start=15

Clever Pun

jashburnham wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

itboffin wrote:

My advice would be meet for pre race drinks, I'm pretty confident that after 10+ pints I can still walk and cycle pretty well, such as after the first SCR drinks.

Failing that drug them both, just think Mr T - I ain't getting on no plane fool!.

Alternatively get yourself a personal trainer, give up work and do nothing but cycle from now until the faithful day.

Nutter..................

Why? The theory is sound. To my kowledge most of these guys are not Time Trial specialists. Sure they can ride 100miles quickly, go up and down hills.. but that's endurance and other stuff using different muscles than the fast twitch muscles and Manly Man power used in sprinting...

DDD I don't pretend to be anything other than a rank and somewhat enthusiastic amateur - this could be fun. My fastest documented SCR flat speed is 35mph, but that wasn't really a sprint just a head down sustained rumble along the Embankment :

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12535046&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=drafting&start=15

I think I can hear that DDD bowels just dropped

gb155

No Scalps for me this week

Had really really serious man flu all week, Got my 70 miles minimum target in though, However crap avg of just 12 mph Gutted.

Hopefully next week will be better.

lost_in_thought

at lhr now, will proceed directly to pim!

gb155

lost_in_thought wrote:

at lhr now, will proceed directly to pim!

Dave you missed the P off the end of the airport code, Isn't it Pimp where you are going to ?

Jay dubbleU

35?? Jeezz - sure you want this DDD? :roll:

redvee

lost_in_thought wrote:

at lhr now, will proceed directly to pim!

Pub In Morpeth.

DonDaddyD

Jay dubbleU wrote:

35?? Jeezz - sure you want this DDD? :roll:

'if' by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master,
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

:twisted:

DonDaddyD

jashburnham wrote:

DDD I don't pretend to be anything other than a rank and somewhat enthusiastic amateur - this could be fun. My fastest documented SCR flat speed is 35mph, but that wasn't really a sprint just a head down sustained rumble along the Embankment :

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12535046&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=drafting&start=15

Don't worry Jash, I'm only messing and I've never gotten the impression you consider yourself anything more than an enthusiast .

I honestly think if all things were equal you would still be faster than me. :shock: But a straight line race (because lets face that is the most important attribute when claiming a scalp) - a open challenge to all - would be fun!

Bassjunkieuk

YAY! Having done the "alternative" route home I had a blast :-)
I arrived @ 17:37 and lined up with 2 other roadie by Stockwell choob, one on an old non-badged and a Dolan - and they where both heading my way :-) The chances of getting to Acre Lane junction by 17:40 are looking slim, unless I can find a wormhole of some sort :-)

As the lights change the non-badged bike rider makes a quick getaway whilst the Dolan pilot is taking his time. I go after the faster one (of course!) and tuck in at about his 4 o'clock so I'm can't be classed as a DF. We carry on in this formation for the run down to the next lights where I drop in behind to allow a taxi through.

I spot a gap as we move on and make my move and get past and hold him off until the next lights. We exchange position but end up with him back in front and cars around us as we come alongside Clapham Common. As the cars clear another cyclist whips past both of us. I can't ID the bike but I'm fairly certain he was in blue gear and was making very good progress!

I immediately pull out round the guy I'm following and go after my new prey :twisted: He is properly shifting and into a slight headwind. I follow him as he filters round the queuing traffic at the lights ahead but loose ground as I err on the side of caution when the lights change and don't think I can make it in front of the van and traffic island.
He's now got a good 5 to 10 yards on me so I dig deep and turn up the revs to reel him in again. We approach the next set of lights and he nips round the outside again and straight through the red :-(

I've now just past the junction of Acre Lane and Clapham rail staion and it's about 17:50 so I'm well past DDD but know he must me up ahead somewhere...........

I carry on down the road towards Balham and Tooting. No other real scalps to be had but I do get a nice draft of one bus and a small boast of another at some lights. I don't turn off opposite the Waitrose to give myself the maximum chance of finding D3 :-)

Things aren't looking good as Tooting Bec choob and my turn off arrive a lot quicker then I was expecting, but as I approach the red lights I spot a familiar looking white jacket........upon closer inspection I find the rider wearing the white jacket is indeed aboard a Giant..........SCR 3.0..........WITH FULCRUM 7'S!!!! The poor bugger even looked like DDD ;-) The rider reacted very well when I blurted out "Alright mate!"

We managed to exchange brief pleasantries before I realize I'm miles out of position to take my left turn and have to fumble it a bit to avoid cutting up DDD, another cyclist and a moped rider!

I set off down towards Streatham feeling rather pleased with myself but wishing I'd caught up earlier as it would have been cool to ride in a pair! Any other night and I might have extended my commute even further and gone home via Colliers Wood, maybe something to do in the warmer and lighter months

Nothing else much after that, just the usual filtering fun on through Thornton Heath High Street, including some stupid b1tch on her phone trying to run me over pulling out of a side road :evil:

cjcp

DonDaddyD wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

DDD I don't pretend to be anything other than a rank and somewhat enthusiastic amateur - this could be fun. My fastest documented SCR flat speed is 35mph, but that wasn't really a sprint just a head down sustained rumble along the Embankment :

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=12535046&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=drafting&start=15

Don't worry Jash, I'm only messing and I've never gotten the impression you consider yourself anything more than an enthusiast .

I honestly think if all things were equal you would still be faster than me. :shock: But a straight line race (because lets face that is the most important attribute when claiming a scalp) - a open challenge to all - would be fun!

Traffic permitting, one of the better places is the stretch from Robin Hood Gate to Roehampton Gate. Riding from RHG, you sprint from the point at which you can see the bridge (the one before the right turn into the golf club) to the nearest point of the bridge.

DiggingDeeper

cjcp wrote:

I'll sit by the cafe, timing you, and eating cake at the same time.

Ok CJ, sideline competition whilst the warriors do battle - I reckon I can do you on the cake front, ......................anyday........................................................years of practice!

I'll let you do the timing, despite my IT experience I am cack on the bike computer

cjcp

DiggingDeeper wrote:

cjcp wrote:

I'll sit by the cafe, timing you, and eating cake at the same time.

Ok CJ, sideline competition whilst the warriors do battle - I reckon I can do you on the cake front, ......................anyday........................................................years of practice!

I'll let you do the timing, despite my IT experience I am cack on the bike computer

As Doc Holliday told Wyatt Earp, this is not a shoot out you can win. You're either quick or hungry in my house. And I'm not slim.

DiggingDeeper

CJ..............

Three Jacobs Cream Crackers in 61 seconds (didn't quite beat the minute)

Are u worried yet

We could always do double and quits with a quarter mile drag afterwards and see who chucks up first (just to keep it on thread focus)

girv73

gtvlusso wrote:

Brakes now fixed on the car and dog is very happy!

What did you fix on the dog?

girv73

Had some trouble at t'bike sheds at work tonight - some scrotebags were trying to nick the bikes :shock: :evil:

After 5pm. I was out at a meeting and so missed the fun. Story goes that one of the guys scared off a couple of ne'er do wells from the street level car park, that had been conveniently left open to the street and ne'er do wells by builders working on the floors above us. They didn't get anything, but wrecked one poor guy's cable lock to the extent he had to walk home (only a couple of miles) and will likely have to cut the lock off next week. Mine was the only other bike in the sheds at that time (I think) and they'd left it alone, more or less - the front mudguard was displaced so they'd had a look I think. Probably my two-lock security put them off.

It was after 6pm when I left the office. The ride home was lovely. Crisp, cold night, no wind and most of the traffic had cleared. One of those nights you feel like you could pedal to the moon.

Only a faint whiff of a scalp though as a lone blinkenlight hove into view far ahead, but he turned off before very long so no fun to be had.

DonDaddyD

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I've now just past the junction of Acre Lane and Clapham rail staion and it's about 17:50 so I'm well past DDD but know he must me up ahead somewhere...........

I carry on down the road towards Balham and Tooting. No other real scalps to be had but I do get a nice draft of one bus and a small boast of another at some lights. I don't turn off opposite the Waitrose to give myself the maximum chance of finding D3 :-)

Things aren't looking good as Tooting Bec choob and my turn off arrive a lot quicker then I was expecting, but as I approach the red lights I spot a familiar looking white jacket........upon closer inspection I find the rider wearing the white jacket is indeed aboard a Giant..........SCR 3.0..........WITH FULCRUM 7'S!!!! The poor bugger even looked like DDD ;-) The rider reacted very well when I blurted out "Alright mate!"

To shed light on how fast you actually were going. I got to the Acre Lane/Clapham Common junction at exactly 17.40. I was 10mins ahead of you and you caught me up within 2miles. You were breathing heavy - - but I think I'll give you that one. :P

We managed to exchange brief pleasantries before I realize I'm miles out of position to take my left turn and have to fumble it a bit to avoid cutting up DDD, another cyclist and a moped rider!

Yeah my bad. I just wasn't with it. I was in two minds, go along Tooting Bec Road with you OR go home because I desperately need a/any dentist ASAP and the pain was too the point that keeping my bike in a (mostly) straight line was near impossible.

More than welcome to join me on that commute again (when tooth is not in pain). Lots of competition, what do you think of it?

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

Traffic permitting, one of the better places is the stretch from Robin Hood Gate to Roehampton Gate. Riding from RHG, you sprint from the point at which you can see the bridge (the one before the right turn into the golf club) to the nearest point of the bridge.

Exactly the spot I had in mind...

Home turf and all that!

lost_in_thought

redvee wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

at lhr now, will proceed directly to pim!

Pub In Morpeth.

Pimlico... good to see you guys for beers!

Bassjunkieuk

@DDD - I'd certainly be interested in trying to meet up for future rides home, I'll have to PM you when I'm up in town and can take that route home :-)

It looks like I'm on my short commute for a fortnight now, not so good for getting miles in but handy as I can take the eldest to school before work - not needing to leave the house until 8:35 does have some nice benefits!

Also glad to hear your bike was safe girv73!

Citizen Smith

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

@DDD - I'd certainly be interested in trying to meet up for future rides home, I'll have to PM you when I'm up in town and can take that route home :-)

BJK, D3 - that's my territory as well, so watch out for a swift hybrid with a ridiculous amount of baggage (deux fully laden panniers). I am perturbed that I am yet to spot D3 but I'm sure it's only a matter of time....

cjcp

DiggingDeeper wrote:

CJ..............

Three Jacobs Cream Crackers in 61 seconds (didn't quite beat the minute)

Are u worried yet

We could always do double and quits with a quarter mile drag afterwards and see who chucks up first (just to keep it on thread focus)

Only three? Were you buttering them as well?...

Bassjunkieuk

SiHughes wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

@DDD - I'd certainly be interested in trying to meet up for future rides home, I'll have to PM you when I'm up in town and can take that route home :-)

BJK, D3 - that's my territory as well, so watch out for a swift hybrid with a ridiculous amount of baggage (deux fully laden panniers). I am perturbed that I am yet to spot D3 but I'm sure it's only a matter of time....

:-D It'll be a cold day in hell when anything with flat bars and more then 1 gear passes me :twisted:

I will keep an eye out tho! What times do you head along there and from which points?
As I established the other day I should be able to hit Stockwell choob station aroung 17:40 ish depending on how quick I make an exit from work and will then follow the A24 until Tooting Bec choob before turning towards Streatham.

DiggingDeeper

cjcp wrote:

DiggingDeeper wrote:

CJ..............

Three Jacobs Cream Crackers in 61 seconds (didn't quite beat the minute)

Are u worried yet

We could always do double and quits with a quarter mile drag afterwards and see who chucks up first (just to keep it on thread focus)

Only three? Were you buttering them as well?...

Ok, I'm worried now :shock:

itboffin

Oh wise, bitter and twisted commuters I have a question.

Is commuter cycling actually more effective training than normal training rides?

Consider this...

normal weekly commute 15+ hilly miles each way riding heavy laden no road bike with reasonably heavy rucksack etc etc. followed by a day in the office then rinse and repeat 5 days a week, all weather all year.

unemployed virtual commute on avg 25 miles 3-4 days a week with a big ride 50+ sometimes 2 at the weekend, weather permitting - no rucksack and on a road bike.

---
Commuters are well 'ard!!! :twisted:

DiggingDeeper

itboffin wrote:

Is commuter cycling actually more effective training than normal training rides?

Commuter cycling is fantastic training for ...............commuting


Your extra curricula training will stand you in good stead for the HOTA (the reading of the other thread left me thinking skiing was a good idea - I'll be thinking of you)

Did a 30.5 miler yesterday in what Essex has for hill in this region and it sure felt harder than the old commute. However, I aint knocking the commute cos it sure gives you the base mileage.

Lose another stone, be able to do a 50 in a day without it crippling me, then back to Hog Hill and give those Cat 4 boys some stick.

Ah you can dream.

Mr IT et al, give the HOTA hell...hope the weather stays good

UnworthyPapaLazaru

First fixed commute this morning. Nice and icy too just to add to the excitement!

I was passed, yes, i was passed by a gent who told me I needed some lights as he could hardly see me. I had two lights on the back but had neglected to put them on :roll: . So cheers to that guy. In my defence for getting passed i will reiterate that it was my first fixed commute and it was icy! It wont happen again.

Im quite happy with my gear ratio and am looking forward to trying some hills on the way home.

il_principe

I just wanted to post this rather splendid pic of Littigator from Saturday's Tweed Run:



Great day.

mapless

Having had man flu weekend before last and riding all week like a fairy, it was nice to feel better this morning and do some proper commuting. In respect of commuting or training one thing I have noticed doing regularly commuting in London is that my sprinting has improved no end as a result of the flat out intervals between traffic lights. GIven I'm normally a bit of "Rouleur" this may bode well for the forthcoming racing season.

Did a group ride at the weekend 50 miles ish in the cold. Had to nurse a guy home with a headache who'd gone over on the ice. He didn't have a helmet on! Ironically there were only two guys in a group of 30+ who went down, the only two without helmets.

"Proper hard are the commuters riding in shorts and no gloves"