Silly commuting racing

Clever Pun

I completly ran out of energy on the way home and now idea why.. should have wrapped me in a hi-vis vest I was done. I minced/span lightly home reaching the heady speeds of 16 and sometimes nearly 18mph before I got home and ate loads... really don't know what happened

Felt ok this morning, thighs inexplicably were a little sore, but made it in without crippling myself, the roads were really quiet

DonDaddyD

Greg66 wrote:

And what are you training for? The sprint off against DDD?

Why do you propose that as question? Of course he is.! There is no greater challenge!

I don't honestly think I’m in a position to be challenging Jash or anyone on this site, but the idea and banter is nice and fun as long as it remains jovial. At the very least it has made me take riding techniques and my diet (even more) properly and there is a noticeable difference already.

I’ve even gone old school with the training – wrap Clingfilm around the belly and moobs in pitiful desperation to shed weight by the bucket load! I’ve even resorted to removing the cycle computer from my bike (well it doesn’t work) as I don’t want any psychological barriers at this stage, while I build stamina and attempt to ride longer distances. Soon (next week) I’ll start work on the muscles (upper and lower body).

Anyway. wonderful commute! Have to say that the nice bikes are out! When you see a Wilier you know Spring is round the corner.

I scalped all along the way to Balham, kept up with a Pearson but lost out to a Boardman who proceeded to RLJ at the Tooting – Balham drag strip. Perhaps he knew what was coming and decided to get out of the way.

I even saw Bassjunkie this morning along Clapham. Whenever I see him I’m perpetually stuck in cruise mode. He over took me so I showed him what a 'droplet of thunder' looked like as I powered down on my mighty Truativ cranks. Nothing major just a bit of fun. Still, the weather, while cold for me – my skin doesn’t Sunburn easily if at all - is great for cycling where you generate a lot of heat.

lost_in_thought

Yaaaaay! I had a great ride in!

I went all the way in the little ring, 42/18, with a GI of only 61, and it actually wasn't too horrendous. In fact, I quite enjoyed it, because my ankle only started to hurt after about 6.5 miles! I'm going to take the cadence computer and put it on the roadie...

Also the saddle I bought yesterday to replace the one I bought the day before was a vast improvement.

Hurrah!

I'm now debating whether to ride to Wapping and then back to ealing this evening or take teh tube... hmmm...

don_don

jashburnham wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

biondino wrote:

Jash, is there any chance that when you put the power down the frame is flexing in a way that effectively loosens the chain (by shortening the distance between BB and rear axle) or puts it out of alignment? Was it happening specifically when you pushed with your left or with your right foot?

Mmm I'd not considered this. It is an Alu frame and so this could be possible I suppose. Both times it's happened the chain has jammed with the left pedal at 6o'clock. If it is the frame then that's a right bugger, no easy fix and I want to do a fair bit of training on the SS over the next few months.

From what you've said, I'd point the finger at frame flex.

You stand on the left pedal, and the BB area moves to the right. As it does, your chain line comes offset, causing the chain to jump off the rear sprocket the right as you look down on it from behind - ie between the sprocket and the frame.

I used to have a steel Condor which was appallingly flexy around the BB.

Maybe you can adjust your chain line to be slightly off to the left at the front to compensate, although then you run the risk of a right foot push jumping the chain off between the sprocket and the wheel.

You left footed/handed or right?

Right.

The Fcuking thing came off again this evening, just as I was winding up. Really starting to get on my t1ts now. Hoping a deeper toothed cog will help but if it is flex there's nothing I can do really.

IIRC, we're talking about a Pearson Touche here right? I've got one and it certainly isn't flexy.

I'm sure it'll be the sprocket Jash, and maybe a new chain for good measure.

Feltup

itboffin wrote:

MTFU

see pic below?

My 4 yr old daughter rode to school this morning, of course I forced her but then that's what good parenting is all about :P

LOL you know you will turn your daughter in to a younger LiT and we have all seen where that ends up :shock:

I came off in similar conditions riding towards the end of last year whilst riding at constant speed in a straight line and narrowly avoided going under a car; I am not risking that again.

Christophe3967

Brilliant ride in this morning - because of footy last night left a little later than normal so it was just about light - first of the year with sunglasses, which was good as I was hungover. Still seems quieter on the roads, or am I imagining it?? Overtook a scooter on the approach to Shepherds Bush and again along the Green, but he jumped the lights at the Holland Park gyratory, so he was clearly in a hurry. I don't think I can claim this though it felt like a moral scalp. Other than that a roadie and I almost got wiped out by a van turning right from the opposite direction on the embankment, a group of us got honked at by a 3663 lorry at Battersea Bridge and a white van man at the Lambeth Bridge roundabout, and the muppet driving the XK8 convertible reg no V60 MAP in Cheyne Walk didn't manage to kill anyone this morning, but it wasn't for lack of trying. I am begiining to wonder if a helmet camera might be a sensible investment...

don_don

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yaaaaay! I had a great ride in!

I went all the way in the little ring, 42/18, with a GI of only 61, and it actually wasn't too horrendous. In fact, I quite enjoyed it, because my ankle only started to hurt after about 6.5 miles! I'm going to take the cadence computer and put it on the roadie...

Also the saddle I bought yesterday to replace the one I bought the day before was a vast improvement.

Hurrah!

I'm now debating whether to ride to Wapping and then back to ealing this evening or take teh tube... hmmm...

Yay! We're porud of you LiT

don_don

proud even.... :oops:

don_don

proud even.... :oops:

don_don

proud even.... :oops:

iain_j

itboffin wrote:

My 4 yr old daughter rode to school this morning, of course I forced her but then that's what good parenting is all about :P

I bet she was crying tears of joy by the end of it

@LiT - learning to spin did wonders for Lance Armstrong!

don_don

Doh... :oops:

girv73

Had a bit of a morning of it yesterday, with my chain snapping and requiring roadside repairs again. This was the third or fourth time a link had gone, so the chain was now comically short



I rode the rest of the way into work pretty much single speed as the chain was too short to reach all the gears and the extra tension, I think, was making shifting highly dodgy. I did manage to pick up a shiny new chain at lunchtime, but, of course, didn't bother to adjust the length properly and had to stay in the top 3 or 4 gears all the way home to prevent the chain from getting too loose and slipping :roll:

Naturally, since I was restricted to high gears, I chose the extra long and hilly route home. I'm my own worst enemy sometimes.

It was also weird cycling in daylight on the way in. What's going on!?

itboffin

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yaaaaay! I had a great ride in!

I went all the way in the little ring, 42/18, with a GI of only 61, and it actually wasn't too horrendous. In fact, I quite enjoyed it, because my ankle only started to hurt after about 6.5 miles! I'm going to take the cadence computer and put it on the roadie...

I too enjoy riding the little ring

Come on someone had too what with GregT being AWOL, ring jokes are few and far between these days.

Bassjunkieuk

Ride in this morning was much more enjoyable, even bumping (not literally) into D3 - I wouldn't have actually recognized him if it wasn't for him shouting at me as I filtered past tho :-) We had another cyclist just behind me and in between us as we tried to chat so I had to try and avoid running into him to get alongside!

I can confirm that he did put down some respectable speed, a definite improvement from the FW!

No notable scalps to speak of this morning, the only one that springs to mind was a SS on VB Road as I was in the outside lane, keeping pace with the scooter and car so I could nip down Rochester Row (I mean get off and cross at the ped crossing as it's not right turn there - I love instanta-ped mode sometimes :-D)

Meeting DDD on the ride in tho did raise an interesting idea tho that I thought I'd throw out to the masses...........where do we stand on meeting and "racing" other known SCRers. Surely by the mere fact that we all post on here is admitting to the fact that we'll happily chase down anything on 2 wheels? Any form of overtaking (such as that between me and DDD) this morning surely can't be counted as scalping as we are both "not trying"?

Lastly did anyone notice traffic was horrendous today? Not sure if it was because I came in about 10 minutes later then normal or what?

il_principe

Well no chain throw this AM, I made a concious effort not to stand up at all. I took Gregs advice and tested the frame for flex, mine certainly does flex a bit but I'm not sure if it's enough to be causing the prob. Still I have an unused chain at home and have ordered a horrifically expensive White Industries 16T so we'll try that. The chain is KMC and not old so really chain wear should not be the issue but needs must.

DonDaddyD

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I can confirm that he did put down some respectable speed, a definite improvement from the FW!

8)

A droplet of thunder!

Meeting DDD on the ride in tho did raise an interesting idea tho that I thought I'd throw out to the masses...........where do we stand on meeting and "racing" other known SCRers. Surely by the mere fact that we all post on here is admitting to the fact that we'll happily chase down anything on 2 wheels? Any form of overtaking (such as that between me and DDD) this morning surely can't be counted as scalping as we are both "not trying"?

I would be all for it but it's all-consuming. In the time that I saw you and put down a little speed, I simultaneously played out a scenario where I followed you through Clapham (to spar) and then took a diverted route into work. Checking my watch I figured that any diversion would result in my being late for work. Despite this I was still subconciously shaping to go straight, which was why I was on the wrong side of the road even when I told you I was turning right.... :shock:

The two turns of speed (first you then me) was fun though despite being brief.

Clever Pun

you can race whoever is there... just make it look like you're not trying

if they're higher up the FC then you can take them down and mock them happily during the day... if you get done by someone lower down expect pain

greg66_tri_v2.0

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Meeting DDD on the ride in tho did raise an interesting idea tho that I thought I'd throw out to the masses...........where do we stand on meeting and "racing" other known SCRers. Surely by the mere fact that we all post on here is admitting to the fact that we'll happily chase down anything on 2 wheels? Any form of overtaking (such as that between me and DDD) this morning surely can't be counted as scalping as we are both "not trying"?

Clever Pun wrote:

you can race whoever is there... just make it look like you're not trying

if they're higher up the FC then you can take them down and mock them happily during the day... if you get done by someone lower down expect pain

Yep. Were I to be pottling along and cjcp suddenly whipped past me, that's a scalp, fair and square. You snooze, you lose. Even to friends.

But if you spot each other, and converse, then SCR'ing is neutralized. Then you're just riding together passing the time of day. Until you both spot something. Then it's on. It's on like Donkey Kong.

lost_in_thought

It still counts, even if you are aware of the other person, until you say hello. In a way which coud be considered rather self-absorbed, i'm going to remind you all of this:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... =#15065191

Thsoe were the days... I'll be back.... just you wait.

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

But if you spot each other, and converse, then SCR'ing is neutralized. Then you're just riding together passing the time of day. Until you both spot something. Then it's on. It's on like Donkey Kong.

Agreed.

sarajoy

I'm seeing myself going through a few stages pre-SCR here.

So far I'm totally out of the running because I've only just hit stage 2! I'm in my 2nd week of cycle commuting and off on holiday for a few days from this weekend - wonder how long it'll take me to get through stages 3 and 4...

Stages:
1) Making it there and back alive! Resting as necessary before/during/after big hills.
2) Not stopping apart from at red lights. Still on incredibly low gears up the hills.
3) Pushing harder and not 'cheating' by dropping a ton of gears for hills - building speed.
4) Actually having enough puff to choose one's speed as opposed to "oh crap, big hill"!
5) Gosh, other cyclists? Who aren't automatically sailing past me? WICKED!

biondino

Girv, fella, replace the chain already

This morning I was a gear lower than normal and really struggling. I hate days like that!

Jay dubbleU

Hmm - lot of bigh hills in Brizzle - bear in mind that the nearest the London lot get to a 'big' hill is Richmond Park - the Marlborough circuit may sort them out !!

Christophe3967

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Hmm - lot of bigh hills in Brizzle - bear in mind that the nearest the London lot get to a 'big' hill is Richmond Park - the Marlborough circuit may sort them out !!

Ahem, don't forget we have the Surrey Hills to play in...

greg66_tri_v2.0

sarajoy wrote:

Stages:
1) Making it there and back alive! Resting as necessary before/during/after big hills.
2) Not stopping apart from at red lights. Still on incredibly low gears up the hills.
3) Pushing harder and not 'cheating' by dropping a ton of gears for hills - building speed.
4) Actually having enough puff to choose one's speed as opposed to "oh crap, big hill"!
5) Gosh, other cyclists? Who aren't automatically sailing past me? WICKED!

Ok, here's a thing. Stage 3. Don't think of dropping to an easier gear on a hill as cheating. It's not.

If you ride up a big in a hard gear, out of the saddle, low cadence, huffing and puffing all the way, you're training your muscles to deal with large loads at low frequency reps. They will tire out. Just like a car going uphill in fourth. The engine will get slower, and slower, and slower, until it stalls.

Pick a cadence for riding on the flat - say 80 rpm. When you hit a hill, change to an easier gear as soon as you hit 77. Try to keep your cadence above 75 all the way, using the gears. You can stay seated, you can stand up. Just make sure you keep you legs moving fast. It's really not cheating.

From there, try this. Dance up the hill in easier gears at 80 rpm. Find two fixed points by the side of the road. When you get to the first one, sprint to the second one. You will find this *infinitely* easier than if you're hitting the first one grinding out a massive gear at 48rpm when you try it. At the second one, back off and resume 80 rpm.

Do this, and you'll train your legs to deal with light loads and higher frequency reps. You'll find long rides a lot easier then.

sarajoy

Greg66 wrote:

Pick a cadence for riding on the flat - say 80 rpm. When you hit a hill, change to an easier gear as soon as you hit 77. Try to keep your cadence above 75 all the way, using the gears. You can stay seated, you can stand up. Just make sure you keep you legs moving fast. It's really not cheating.

OK, fair enough!

Let me rephrase what I said to "regardless of gears, getting up a hill at a good speed instead of trundling"

Also, to be so in tune with my cadence, I'm going to need a wee computer, aren't I?

commuterconvert

Don't have time to post on here too often but always enjoy the stories and always indulge in a bit of SCR on my way home, although I'm just not a fan of racing in the rain so have been cooling it a bit of late.

But the sun came out yesterday and I had one of my favourite scalps so far on vauxhall bridge in the morning.
In the bus lane heading north, what looked to me like a serious rider, all the gear, no helmet, roadbike, drop handles (all happened too quickly to spot the make/model) came flying out from the bus station filter making chase to someone further toward the top of the "hill". I came round the turn from the main road and obviously made chase.

The shadows were long and pointing straight ahead. As I drew closer, he could clearly see my shadow closing in his and got out the saddle to repel borders. By this time I was committed and just kept on hammering and managed to pass him while still sitting "nonchalently" at which point he seemed to give up and I just flew on toward the first guy, taking him just at the crest, touching 39 kph on my computer . Not bad for a MTB with slicks & a rackpack going uphill.

Great start to the day, it's funny, I almost always leave the house or work thinking I'll take it easy then somethink happens on the way and the SCR bug kicks in.

Also noted the traffic was nuts this morning, don't know what was going on.

greg66_tri_v2.0

sarajoy wrote:

Also, to be so in tune with my cadence, I'm going to need a wee computer, aren't I?

Oh yes.

[Another wiggle backhander on the way to me. Ker-ching! :twisted: ]

iain_j

Something that works for me too is, as you're spinning up a hill, pick an odd number and count your pedal strokes. When you hit that number give the pedal an extra shove and start counting again. one two THREE one two THREE etc. If it tires you out pick a higher number so the bigger efforts are fewer and far between. Being an odd number it'll alternate between your feet, and you'll be concentrating on the counting so it'll take your mind off the effort.