Silly commuting racing

itboffin

Question for the tweed team, are plus fours comfortable to ride in?

jonginge

Wow, had a mahoosive moment along Cheyne walk. I was riding along with not as much care and attention as I should and my front wheel drifts onto the newly painted red lines. Instant front wheel slide followed by rear wheel slide as they go across the lines. Somehow, somehow gather it up with my heart yammering at its highest for the commute. Must have looked funny to the motorists... :oops:

Bassjunkieuk

I would imagine overtaking motorbikes whilst filtering will be counted the same as a bike done whilst filtering - it doesn't count. All scalps must be claimed on open roads where neither rider can be hindered by traffic.

I went for the alternate route in this morning and managed to pick up a London Dynamo rider by Clapham Common, he was fairly quick - maintaining a good 20+ mph pace along the stretch towards Stockwell. I managed to get ahead at one set of lights but as only 2 of the other dozen sets of lights was green on the run in it made it rather difficult to get a decent pace up or find a good chance to pass :-( I'll be pushing myself extra hard this evening as penance for this poor performance.........on the plus side he was pushing his luck with some of the lights, not full blown RLJ but certainly a good way past the stop line and rolling off before the lights went green!

hondafanatic

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I would imagine overtaking motorbikes whilst filtering will be counted the same as a bike done whilst filtering - it doesn't count. All scalps must be claimed on open roads where neither rider can be hindered by traffic.

Damn and blast you and your newfangled logic...boohissboo.

Clever Pun

knackered this morning... nothing of note on the roads excepts rlj'ers grr

don_don

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Interestingly when they did a recreation of the Mallory gear on Everest they found it to be lighter but just as warm as modern kit

Until it got wet...

roger_merriman

JonGinge wrote:

Wow, had a mahoosive moment along Cheyne walk. I was riding along with not as much care and attention as I should and my front wheel drifts onto the newly painted red lines. Instant front wheel slide followed by rear wheel slide as they go across the lines. Somehow, somehow gather it up with my heart yammering at its highest for the commute. Must have looked funny to the motorists... :oops:

ah yes much like the lovely bike paths on the bridge from hampton wick to kingston. too kingston the path rejoins the road putting you on the white lines....

the other way it joins just after a roundabout, with just a drop kerb that is very very easy to miss if your on the road.

Christophe3967

JonGinge wrote:

Wow, had a mahoosive moment along Cheyne walk. I was riding along with not as much care and attention as I should and my front wheel drifts onto the newly painted red lines. Instant front wheel slide followed by rear wheel slide as they go across the lines. Somehow, somehow gather it up with my heart yammering at its highest for the commute. Must have looked funny to the motorists... :oops:

If this is at the Battersea Bridge junction just after the lights, then you're not the only one this morning. Lost my back wheel on something metal, I think one of those little Post Office covers, just caught it, corrected but hit the red lines, and almost dropped it again. All this, whilst some kind person in a BMW is trying to beat a Merc away from the lights, giving me not much very space for wobbling, although I was more concerned for the small group of cyclists behind me who wouldn't have anywhere to go. Subsequent progress along the embankment was more circumspect, wondering whether the MTB might be a better option when its raining. :shock:

Bassjunkieuk

I hate when I get a loss of grip on the bike, not only does it make the heart skip a beat but I also find that the bike doesn't quite feel "right" for about 5 minutes after that :-)
Thankfully I've only had a few butt-clenching moments but that is more then enough, one of the worse being when I stupidly went across a metal drain cover on a mini-roundabout to avoid the encroaching cars!

jonginge

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I hate when I get a loss of grip on the bike, not only does it make the heart skip a beat but I also find that the bike doesn't quite feel "right" for about 5 minutes after that :-)
Thankfully I've only had a few butt-clenching moments but that is more then enough, one of the worse being when I stupidly went across a metal drain cover on a mini-roundabout to avoid the encroaching cars!

Yeah, that happens and it's not nice. You get to know your commute well enough to know where the metalwork/lines are but you sometimes get forced (discretion better part of valour and all that) into a position heading right for those hazards.

This morning, though, I was just being rubbish: no cars or scalps anywhere near :x

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

Wow, had a mahoosive moment along Cheyne walk. I was riding along with not as much care and attention as I should and my front wheel drifts onto the newly painted red lines. Instant front wheel slide followed by rear wheel slide as they go across the lines. Somehow, somehow gather it up with my heart yammering at its highest for the commute. Must have looked funny to the motorists... :oops:

Yep, the lines are all nice and new and fresh looking, and fecking dangerous. :evil: Good skills to stay upright.

Got to sleep just before 3am last night due to work. Had so little energy, I couldn't face Dark Hill and went through the middle of the Park instead. :oops:

ride_whenever

New (second hand inbred arrived today) It is so much lighter than my alloy carrera!

Absolutely stunning bike and a hell of a lot faster, and is running a monstrous ratio of 74.9GI (which is monstrous for a ss that i indend to take off-road!)

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Wow, had a mahoosive moment along Cheyne walk. I was riding along with not as much care and attention as I should and my front wheel drifts onto the newly painted red lines. Instant front wheel slide followed by rear wheel slide as they go across the lines. Somehow, somehow gather it up with my heart yammering at its highest for the commute. Must have looked funny to the motorists... :oops:

Yep, the lines are all nice and new and fresh looking, and fecking dangerous. :evil: Good skills to stay upright.

Right foot unclipped and waving around and everything

cjcp wrote:

Got to sleep just before 3am last night due to work. Had so little energy, I couldn't face Dark Hill and went through the middle of the Park instead. :oops:

:shock:

cjcp

ride_whenever wrote:

New (second hand inbred arrived today) It is so much lighter than my alloy carrera!

Absolutely stunning bike and a hell of a lot faster, and is running a monstrous ratio of 74.9GI (which is monstrous for a ss that i indend to take off-road!)

Pictures?

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got to sleep just before 3am last night due to work. Had so little energy, I couldn't face Dark Hill and went through the middle of the Park instead. :oops:

:shock:

Yeah, happens very now and again. Needed coffee before I could speak this morning. Fortunately, I was at home, comforted by a 500g bar of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut.

Bassjunkieuk

I love my ever-changing work schedule.........I'm now working up in town for the rest of the week :-) Looks like I might get to re-match "that one that got away" tomorrow with any luck, all I hope for now is some drier weather!

linsen

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got to sleep just before 3am last night due to work. Had so little energy, I couldn't face Dark Hill and went through the middle of the Park instead. :oops:

:shock:

Yeah, happens very now and again. Needed coffee before I could speak this morning. Fortunately, I was at home, comforted by a 500g bar of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut.

hmm just how early does one need to carb load before a big ride?

I've been upping my intake of chocolate orange - certain that the vitamin C will banish my cold.....

il_principe

linsen wrote:

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got to sleep just before 3am last night due to work. Had so little energy, I couldn't face Dark Hill and went through the middle of the Park instead. :oops:

:shock:

Yeah, happens very now and again. Needed coffee before I could speak this morning. Fortunately, I was at home, comforted by a 500g bar of Cadbury's Fruit & Nut.

hmm just how early does one need to carb load before a big ride?

I've been upping my intake of chocolate orange - certain that the vitamin C will banish my cold.....

Depends how big a ride. I started 2 days before the Etape! I'd alt least advocate having a carb heavy dinner the night before.

Bassjunkieuk

@linsen, does a chocolate orange count towards your 5 a day ;-)

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

@linsen, does a chocolate orange count towards your 5 a day ;-)

If that's the case then surely beer counts too

AdiMac

I'm still lonely, haven't seen another bike on the way home all week

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

@linsen, does a chocolate orange count towards your 5 a day ;-)

If that's the case then surely beer counts too

I'm sure we discussed this at the Morpeth once, even arguing that meats count as the animals the meat came from ate fruit/veg when they where alive :-D

I'm OK because cider is made from apples :-)

Citizen Smith

Been a while, so thought I would share a choice double scalping. On my 'Reading (as in town)' days I make my way home from Paddington down to sarf of the river.

I was coming off the back of Albert Bridge so to be fair had built up a fair amount of momentum. Through the green traffic lights onto the lovely straight Albert Bridge Drive - happened upon on two roadies 5 metres apart going a fair lick... it was make or break time....no more gears at my disposal meant that I just had to push harder which I did....managed to take both crucially with an air of not trying (I did glance out the corner of my eye, no head movement, and saw they were both obviously grinding). Kept up the pace until the next cross roads. The lead chap then proceeded to roll right past me and sit in front of me....it appears that I had caused him some consternation.

He then proceeds to put the hammer down on cambridge road and onto Latchmere Rd, I manage to keep up the pace despite having trouble with my right toeclip. I know Lavender Hill is approaching (the only hill that gives me any kind of jip on my commute) and I'm keen to see how he attacks it....what a crying shame that he decides to slow down and stop right before it - he's obviously out of juice...so I proceed to show him how's it done...well at least try to.

Suffice to say, my lungs were working overtime at the top but then Mr Bottler couldn't see this as he was too busy examining his lost pride and empty soul at Lavender Hill base camp.

jimmypippa

Jay dubbleU wrote:

linsen wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

What ho chaps - top hole outfits - credit to SCR - no commute this week as I'm on hols - climbing in Snowdonia tomorrow 8)

Maybe I should follow your example and go for the tweeds and hobnailed boots a la Mallory

Ever since I saw a chap dressed in a tweed suit larking around on Scafell PIke with his grandchildren and an umbrella for a walking pole, I have been dying to start fellwalking in a lovely 19th Century dress or something equally inappropriate.

We have much to learn from the way people used to live - life has got far too technical!

Interestingly when they did a recreation of the Mallory gear on Everest they found it to be lighter but just as warm as modern kit

I was in the lakes in the early 1990's, and my modern "waterproof" was having a hard time so I used this over a weekend of continuous rain. It got very heavy but kept me dry. It also feels amusing to be using something less technical.

Now I use paramo stuff, which is very breathable compared to goretex, but a warm -saying that I have been wearing the overtrousers rolled up and with the vents fully open on my commute in the sleet this winter, and have kept pretty sweat-free and dry.

Maybe I should buy some ventile? That's pretty breathable and old technology.

Jay dubbleU

don_don wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Interestingly when they did a recreation of the Mallory gear on Everest they found it to be lighter but just as warm as modern kit

Until it got wet...

Doesn't rain that much on Everest - personally I think they just fancied the silk underwear :roll:

Oh yes - and chocolate orange counts a fruit in the same way that anything eaten after midnight in a standing position contains no calories

cjcp

AdiMac wrote:

I'm still lonely, haven't seen another bike on the way home all week

My sympathies. I hate that. That is one of the plus points of living in one of the most densely populated sections of western Euope.

girv73

AdiMac wrote:

I'm still lonely, haven't seen another bike on the way home all week

I'm the same mate - I live 10 miles from Belfast city centre, but it's all hills where I am so I think few are man/mad enough to commute from there :roll: I've changed route recently too and it's even more sparsely populated than the previous one.

Having said that, I do get the occasional punter.

There's a part of my journey in that's a bit downhill, on a straight road that's usually fairly light on traffic at the time of the morning that I get there. You can build up a fair lick of speed if you hammer along this bit, touching on 30mph on my slicked commuter MTB.

Normally there's just me and the odd truck, but today I see a little red light in the distance. Is it a scooter? No, too small, too slow. It must be a bike! Battle mode. The light calls to me. Beckons. It wants me to catch up. I know it. I can feel it. It's not that far off. He's giving it beans but I'm gaining. Fast. Can I hold the sprint until I catch it?

BAM!

I awesome it past a surprised looking MTB guy at (looks at newly calibrated computer) 30mph, like he was standing still enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of delicious cake. I maintain speed until I get to the traffic queue further down the road and he's nowhere.

What's that flapping sound? Oh it's the skin off his cheek, stuck to my elbow, ripped off by the hyperspace wake of my passing. SK-AAA-LP!

...

I repaid the karma on the way home though. My back wheel is several interesting shades of bendy and needs to be repaired urgently, so no work cycling until that's fixed. Also my transmission took it unto itself to jam a few times, which was scary. Later inspection revealed a half broken chain link jutting out; clearly it couldn't take the Manly Man Power I'd been putting through it any more.

biondino

Any of you guys riding a MTB with, I think, knobblies through Parsons Green, Fulham and Putney at 7.15-7.30 this evening? Because one of them got on my tail in Parsons Green and followed/drafted me to Lower Richmond Road, where I made what I thought was a decisive break but had to stop at a red and he overtook me as I slowly got back up to speed (he didn't RLJ at any point, good man).

By this point I was knackered and knew that scalping him wasn't going to happen, so I semi-drafted him to the Bolan death bridge and peeled off left with a "cheers". He was going over 20mph and either wasn't trying or has perfected the pretence, so chapeau.

Other than that, nothing of any worth on the commute home. The ride in I was utterly out of shape, in heavy traffic, in the rain, on the Trek, and it really isn't worth remembering.

Bassjunkieuk

Good fun this morning! My change of route didn't bring anything interesting until I got to Clapham North station and had a rather quick guy on a white Genesis SS with bull bars fly past as I was filtering. He got a jump on me away from the lights and I got held up by a black taxi before it finally pulled out of the bus lane to avoid the other cyclist ahead.
I immediately upped the pace and managed to catch up with him near Stockwell but then had to back off due to a red light ahead. Some nice filtering saw us both arrive at the front of the queue for the light change but he didn't go up South Lambeth Road and instead ended up having his own battle with a guy on a SCR 2.0.

It wasn't until I lined up on the norf end of Vauxhall Bridge that I got any proper competition as a Specialized and a Cannondale pulled up alongside me! Unfortunately the Cannondale rider peeled off left to go along Millbank, leaving the Speccy rider to me! First 2 sets of lights where red, but I managed to avoid a complete stop for the second one and managed to hold him off until I got upto Rochester Row. Also claimed a SS scalp who then proceeded to RLJ and do an illegal left turn into Rochester Row - I roll up to the traffic island, dismount and walk across at the ped crossing. I just managed to catch him before he turned off :twisted:

All in the ride in today was very good, had a much better run on lights on the A24 and even managed to get a 16.6mph average!

il_principe

biondino wrote:

Any of you guys riding a MTB with, I think, knobblies through Parsons Green, Fulham and Putney at 7.15-7.30 this evening? Because one of them got on my tail in Parsons Green and followed/drafted me to Lower Richmond Road, where I made what I thought was a decisive break but had to stop at a red and he overtook me as I slowly got back up to speed (he didn't RLJ at any point, good man).

By this point I was knackered and knew that scalping him wasn't going to happen, so I semi-drafted him to the Bolan death bridge and peeled off left with a "cheers". He was going over 20mph and either wasn't trying or has perfected the pretence, so chapeau.

Other than that, nothing of any worth on the commute home. The ride in I was utterly out of shape, in heavy traffic, in the rain, on the Trek, and it really isn't worth remembering.

So basically you were scalped by an MTB with knobblies... oh Biondino, the shame of it. :oops: