Silly commuting racing

ChrisLS

Greg...people that take a lift and draft uninvited deserve all they get in my book...

el_presidente

he was jealous you spotted the damsel in distress first

Totalnewbie

He shouldn't have been up your @rse if he couldn't deal with the consequences. It's not as though you were riding in some sort of organised group, where you warn others when you are slowing/stopping.

2wheelzgood

ijit. he wants to watch how close he's getting to a fixed.. it's very easy to run into the back as you have little warningalmost ploughed into my mates on my ss t'other night..binning their classic flawless beaties is not a way to make friends!

Bassjunkieuk

I wholly agree Greg, what a tw4t that guy was. Take some comfort in the fact that he had to draft you to keep up and didn't have the cojone's to actually get past you :-)

I had another rather disappointing scalp this morning on my run in. It all started off so well, as I spotted him from about 200 yards off. There was a couple of sets of lights between us but the road is 2 lanes wide (splitting to 3 at some of the light for the left turn) so I started building up speed whilst trying to judge the lights. I caught him at the final set and as I approached I suddenly realized what I'd found - the guy was wearing a king of the mountains TDF jersey :-) Admittedly we where nowhere near any mountains (Malden, heading towards A3......) so I wasn't really in his "domain" but none the less I thought he must have good legs!

As the old saying goes you should never judge a book by it's cover......I timed the approach to the light's to perfection - rolling up just as they changed so I pulled along behind him and allowed the traffic to arrange itself, thankfully they left us in our own lane! I took the opportunity to pull round him. I gradually wound up the revs, popped it in the big ring and kept going. A couple of changes up at the rear and I was flying along at 28mph! I kept it up for as long as I could before needing to brake for the traffic queued ahead. I can only think he turned into the fitness club as I couldn't see him after this brief sprint :-) I was really hoping he'd at least put up a fight, but alas it wasn't to be.

Clever Pun

very devious greg... good skills

as to the drafter.. sounds like a cretin... did you signal at all?
What's your gearing on the singly? (remember it's for winter though isn't it when it's proper windy and sh!tty. Do you have any hills?

I forgot somehow this morning I cruised past a courier easily at 22 it seemed like a hollow victory

Greg T

2wheelzgood wrote:

ijit. he wants to watch how close he's getting to a fixed..

I'm still faking it with my freewheel...

Oh the SHAME.

I'm getting my fixed cog - honest - it's on order.

Along with my 48 ring. That I'm now wondering about after having blubbed on the windy way home the other night.

CP - I'm running stock 42 16 right now - I hear what you say about horses for courses... When the winter bites I may have to have a rethink and down gear again.....

Did I just type that?

To tart or not to tart that is the question.

2wheelzgood

Greg, try running fixed on current gear before upping man. I think you'll find it much more tiring and definitely more difficult to keep big speeds up on flats and downhills fixed.
Mind you, being fixed, you won't want to be getting left for dead at 20mph by a slicked mtb on the flats cos cos you ran out of the ability to spin faster than light!

Clever Pun

Greg T wrote:

2wheelzgood wrote:

ijit. he wants to watch how close he's getting to a fixed..

I'm still faking it with my freewheel...

Oh the SHAME.

I'm getting my fixed cog - honest - it's on order.

Along with my 48 ring. That I'm now wondering about after having blubbed on the windy way home the other night.

CP - I'm running stock 42 16 right now - I hear what you say about horses for courses... When the winter bites I may have to have a rethink and down gear again.....

Did I just type that?

To tart or not to tart that is the question.

that's a little lower than mine will be at 48/18, I've been practicing on 53/19 but it's really hard not to change up and rack the speed up rather than setting my legs on fire... stilll is good for fitness and spinning technique or something

just get a rapha bidon for it... you great big ponce

build your own fixie make from lovely parts... I'm looking at some nitto handlebars for mine and probably campag pista crank and cogs... purdy

Dunston_checks_in

@GregT: a true knight of the road.

I've been working from home for most of this week so have stuggled to play the Game at any serious level. I've still been going out on the bike at lunchtime for a leg stretch, but since I live out in the CUNDRYSOID I rarely see any scalps worthy of the name.

Last night though I had a little run down the Bristol-Bath cycle path for a couple of cheeky pints down the Jolly Sailor (as it were). About 12 miles each way for me which makes for a pleasant run, but I chanced my arm with my Molteni cap and Humvees (rather than helmet and 3/4 lycra bibs as is usual) which made me feel like an utter poser from the minute I left the house - and put the fear of God into me for the whole ride.

Two nice scalps though.

a) A shaved roadie in team kit who I passed on the ring road. Dented a bit by the fact that he was an old dude. But an old dude with massive shaved calves so I'm giving myself the points

b) A fast moving roadie on the cycle path itself. Slowly pulled up on him over a mile or so into a medium headwind, then kicked up to 25 and blasted past him, only to feel myself go into the red zone. No room for backing off though - not with the Molteni cap on - so I pushed on, lost him, then spent the next ten minutes trying not to puke my lungs up once I got to the pub.

Seriously, I am never wearing that bloody cap again. Such was the pressure to go fast that I can still feel it in my lungs and legs today.

Greg T

Clever Pun wrote:

just get a rapha bidon for it... you great big ponce

build your own fixie make from lovely parts... I'm looking at some nitto handlebars for mine and probably campag pista crank and cogs... purdy

I am fully aware that I'm on the fringes of a cultish sub genre.

Before I got my hair dyed black and my lips pierced I thought I'd test the waters with the Kona tractor.....

On the freewheel I'm kind of not completely getting it.....

On fixed I'm expecting Angels to Sing or else I'm binning the slow heavy piece of crap for my Lemond Road Bike and lavish a set of campy kit on it for no logical reason than it's Italian and I've been cheating on it with another bike......

I've got to stiffen the gearing as I can't bear living with Hybrids for company. Entry level hairy roadies leave a nasty taste in my mouth - like McDonalds - they are cheap calories......

If I stall and can't gain momentum at the first hill start then I'll have to live with it

Am I a FCN snob?

DCI wrote:

A shaved roadie in team kit who I passed on the ring road. Dented a bit by the fact that he was an old dude. But an old dude with massive shaved calves so I'm giving myself the points

Forget that! Old Dude roadies never ever ever give up. Their mass may decrease but they just become more concentrated. I am always uber aware of old roadies as they are full of cunning and are remorseless....

I'd rather mix it with some 22 year old with lungs like dustbins - they'll give up eventually - an old guy will just toy with you and follow you home pushing you on at 26mph just for a laugh - they know the score and don't need the points.......

Littigator

My first scalp!

Oh that sweet sweet taste. Last night, I approach the top end of Exhibition Road from Hyde Park and observe a figure in front of me, hunched over his drops, pedalling like Billyo, I think 'Damn he must be on an s/s to be pedalling that fast', but No! As I approach I see he's on a geared roadie, a Le Mond at that! And even better those legs are without a wisp of hair...oh this boy is in my crosshairs.

So I drop two cogs and crank it up, I make sure I'm sitting bolt upright and whistling a little ditty as I pass.

At the next two sets of lights I'm straight through on green but get caught at the third, as it turns green he's past me (damn him he timed that right), but again he's got no pace, he's cooked himself catching up with me and is puffing hard, so I breeze past once again at a playful 20mph!

At the next lights I'm employing GregTs patent 'breathing through your skin' technique, showing perfect composure...apart from a drop of sweat off the nose, which is hard to avoid in this weather.

Lights go green and I'm off down to the Kings Road and parked up at the next lights at least 30 seconds before he comes alongside still puffing and blowing like an old accordion. He's still got some game in him and jumps the lights just to tease me. I wait for the green and this time really give it some By Crikey as I barrel past him and over Albert Bridge heading for home. Mr Le Mond not to be seen again.

victor ludorum

2wheelzgood wrote:

Greg, try running fixed on current gear before upping man. I think you'll find it much more tiring and definitely more difficult to keep big speeds up on flats and downhills fixed.

This is an excellent point. Going full fixed is much, much harder than riding an SS freewheel.

The combination of monster chain ring and tiny cog that'll let you lay down awesome by the trowel-load on flat open roads can eat you alive in stop-start traffic (unless you want to develop suicidal alley-catting techniques). Having to use your legs as the main breaking force is another real fatigue inducer that is very hard to legislate for before you have experienced it (especially on downhills).

Not saying you shouldn't man the gears up a little, just that you should sort out going fixed before you make any rash decisions.

Greg T

Littigator wrote:

My first scalp!

Mr Le Mond not to be seen again.

Now let's just make one thing absolutely fecking clear hear OK.

At the time that this alleged scalping occured my Lemond was in the garage and I was at work, or on a different bike, or somewhere else. It doesn't matter, it just wasn't me Lit'r scalped repeatedly.

Glad we cleared this up.

As for fixed gearings it's all black magic to me anyway - I'll pop the big ring on (hopefully this weekend) and see how we go freewheel....

One BIG advantage is that the extra robust wheels let me bunny hop onto the little bit of pavement that get's in the way as you turn onto the Limehouse tunnel overpass bridge..

Before the wailing starts, it's the only pavement I bunny hop onto and yes they should all be birched etc etc etc...

Given that I'm now doing "tricks" I'm getting a skateboard helmet and aviator shades - peace out.



Hang on - "Tricks" in this case means bike tricks, bunny hops, hamster pops, that kind of thing not "tricks" as in doing sailors for a tenner.

James_London

Greg T wrote:

What's the view of the players?

95% of the time the rider behind will fall so don't sweat it... :twisted:

When they've fallen off a few times they will learn. If you're drafting you're stupid not to let the person you're following know you're there. If they look incompetent, don't draft them.

Bassjunkieuk

Greg T wrote:

One BIG advantage is that the extra robust wheels let me bunny hop onto the little bit of pavement that get's in the way as you turn onto the Limehouse tunnel overpass bridge..

Before the wailing starts, it's the only pavement I bunny hop onto and yes they should all be birched etc etc etc...

Given that I'm now doing "tricks" I'm getting a skateboard helmet and aviator shades - peace out.



Hang on - "Tricks" in this case means bike tricks, bunny hops, hamster pops, that kind of thing not "tricks" as in doing sailors for a tenner.

I have been through that mess a few times myself when I've been working over in Westferry Circus - that end of Cable Street is a right mess for navigating on the bike, not to mentioned the Frogger style tactics you need to employ to cross that dual carriageway!

As for that last comment, I have vision's of Cartman from South Park now - $10 SUCKY SUCKY - I love you long time........

Clever Pun

I'm in deep cr@pola for the journey home

1 minute alternate leg squat thrusts
1 minute 10kilo weighted lunges
1 minute bunny hops along the room and back
1 minute knees at 90 degrees front raises
1 minute clean and jerk style lifts with 25kilos
1 minute leg raises

and repeat...twice

there were two other exercises as well but they had nothing to do with my ailing legs... I can barley walk, I'm in real danger... still, I'm not cycling tomorrow so it's a balls out sprint until my legs fall off.

greg66_tri_v2.0

The Game has played me for the last time for a while.

I have had little real fruit this week. I have been working late, and prey has been scarce. The odd scooter, the dawdling coach, a few roadies. I thought this evening I had found a worthy adversary: a smooth roadie in a team kit. But he used his gears too much, like a woman, and seemed to get lost at Lambeth Bridge roundabout. We too different lines in, and I never saw him again. I arrived home unsated.

So tomorrow I leave this place for another; a more mountainous terrain where the way of the warrior's slaughter must yield to the guile and tenacity of the climber. It is a different, but no less noble challenge that I must face again.

Greg T, you will realise soon, I think, that a single speed is like a broken watch. It is of use twice a day, and no more. If you wish to experience the endurance of a single gear, you may do so by choosing one of your twenty, and never changing from it.

VL, you are truly a philosopher king. I shall miss your words while I am away. Even if they did inspire a bout of writing of poetry.Like a bunch of women chatting about the bath. I can only pray that no one inscribed their pencil case with words of admiration for another player.

CP, WHAT THE F*CK do you think you are doing playing NETBALL? Are you a pre-op transexual? Do you have to cut your fingernails to a prescribed length? For God's sake, rid yourself of this diabolical affliction.

Littigator, your tales of sweeping through traffic were truly uplifting. Only if you and your opponents had been riding no-handed and firing arrows at each expertly could it have been better. But remember, the truest test of the player is on the open road, where there is nowhere to hide, and where the only destination is victory.

Dunston, I expect to hear on my return about how your new frame has won you a collection of still-beating hearts so bountiful that you have nowhere to store them and are pissed off by their incessant beating in your office.

To everyone else: remember this. There is no respite from The Game. From the moment you push the first pedal stroke, you pride, your heart, your scalp and your very soul is the stake you gamble. Let no rider take it from you. Skin the opposition alive. Roll them in salt. And rip their spines and skulls from their bodies.

I shall return. Count on it.

victor ludorum

Greg66 wrote:

The Game has played me for the last time for a while...

...VL, you are truly a philosopher king. I shall miss your words while I am away. Even if they did inspire a bout of writing of poetry.Like a bunch of women chatting about the bath. I can only pray that no one inscribed their pencil case with words of admiration for another player...

...I shall return. Count on it.

Who was that masked man?

Enjoy yourself, and bag me a Col, or a Mont, or a Montana, or a Munroe... depending on where you're off to... the game will be waiting when you get back.


PS: Perhaps haiku are a little delicate for soul-stealing, heart-tearing players of the game. What about Homeric odes in dactylic hexameter, or Norse sagas...?

ChrisLS

...Greg66, you old mountain man you...I too am off to the hills of the Northern lands to go walking, which is like cycle touring but without a bike. My playing of the game is very limited as I ride a constant lone break mostly until the last mile when I toy with a few local yokels, which really aren't worth scoring.

as the original poster on this thread may I ask; could you mighty instigators and masters of the game...

...allow a time trial be included in the Game for players with very few opponents? :?:

Totalnewbie

Greg66 wrote:

But he used his gears too much, like a woman, and seemed to get lost at Lambeth Bridge roundabout. We too different lines in,

Ahem, this woman doesn't change gears any more than she has to, DT shifters ensure this!

Although the bloody things did decide to change themselves up a gear all on their own as I pulled away at Lambeth roundabout last night, giving me a bit of a surprise. Steel frame flex, apparently.

victor ludorum

ChrisLS wrote:

...Greg66, you old mountain man you...I too am off to the hills of the Northern lands to go walking, which is like cycle touring but without a bike. My playing of the game is very limited as I ride a constant lone break mostly until the last mile when I toy with a few local yokels, which really aren't worth scoring.

as the original poster on this thread may I ask; could you mighty instigators and masters of the game...

...allow a time trial be included in the Game for players with very few opponents? :?:

This is implicit in the discipline of Game.
Obviously, the aim of the game is to best other people, but Father Time can do the job
in extremis. Be aware though, he is a strong competitor.

As a wise man once said:

Victor Ludorum wrote:

'The mighty racer does not decry the lack of opposition, he beats the wind itself.'

Clever Pun

Greg66 wrote:

The Game has played me for the last time for a while.

CP, WHAT THE F*CK do you think you are doing playing NETBALL? Are you a pre-op transexual? Do you have to cut your fingernails to a prescribed length? For God's sake, rid yourself of this diabolical affliction.

I shall return. Count on it.

Bet you've never played... it's good exercise tough and it's a laugh. It's mixed by the way, there certainly are some fine ladies ready to play... I do even it up with kickboxing though.

Are you off the bike?

Last night as I was setting off feeling sorry for myself but having eaten well after the gym I was off... I dawdled a little and as some traffic lights went green I started off and a tourer whizzed past me before I was clipped in, I took this as a personal affront and the game was back on the pain forgotten just the burning desire to leave this oik in my wake... racked up and speed and bam he was gone, I was flying now and easily binned a proper fixie and a faux one in short succession. them coming under the west ferry roundabout I notice something behind me a hybrid possibly? I push on but he's still there when I lifesaver glance before maneuvering, I push on a little more he's still with me, not drafting but ready to pounce... I'm starting to get worried, phew soem temporary traffic lights ahead, I slow and stop he zipps past me, then up on the pavement as the cars go through the single lane of traffic. What a prize @ss but he's a roadie and a legit scalp. I wait patiently for the lights with a burning desire to rip him up but the distance is short until the tunnel so the lights are green and I'm sprinting hard 27...28..29 30 the gear is low and I'm off the seat pushing it really hard I can see him just in time for him to turn up the road to the tunnel...fu<k didn't get him... I lost him then as I suspect he rode through it worried for the impeding put down I was about to give him...

I got 2 more scalps on the A21 first one was spinning happily away and his legs looked ripped but he was going way too slow, I whizzed by him without time to be cocky... a little further on another roadie appears on the horizon looking like he's carriing frankly a massive rucksac at least 60litres, he's too waited down to mount any sort of challenge

A good day when nothing was expected...

victor ludorum

Totalnewbie wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

But he used his gears too much, like a woman, and seemed to get lost at Lambeth Bridge roundabout. We too different lines in,

Ahem, this woman doesn't change gears any more than she has to, DT shifters ensure this!

Although the bloody things did decide to change themselves up a gear all on their own as I pulled away at Lambeth roundabout last night, giving me a bit of a surprise. Steel frame flex, apparently.

Old skool... respect is due.

pst88

Woke up this morning feeling like crap, wanted to be sick, call in work and tell them I wasn't coming. But I thought no, maybe I'll drag myself in on the bus. Once I was out of bed and decided I was coming in I realised I couldn't do it... demeaning myself on a bus like that. I had to suck it up and ride in.

Funnily enough once I got going on the bike it was great. I don't know if it was that cup of coffee I had before leaving or the cereal bar but I was flying. Not much opposition out there but left 3 mountain bikes quivering in my wake. One even said "sorry" as I blazed past. Sorry for being so slow... sorry for having such a rubbish bike. Clearly he knew when he'd been beaten by an obviously superior opponent (and who said roadies/SS are arrogant ).

No other bikes apart from them, but I did scalp a transit van from the lights (surely this on the level of a scooter if not better?). I was at the front of the queue, he was behind me, revving like a maniac. I wasn't gonna take this sitting down, he clearly wanted a race. When the lights changed I was off. Done him on a quarter mile stretch of open road till the next lights.

FCN 4 or 6... depending on whether my singlespeed is tarty and I'm a real man... or if I'm just a fakenger. How do you decide between fcn 3 (proper rapid single speed) and fcn 5 (faux single speed)? I'd like to claim 5 as my starting point just so I have more targets.

biondino

To be honest I am getting a lot more pleasure out of thwarting people who want to slay me than slaying others. And of course my favourite - seeing some poor sod absolutely hammering away, on a hill or on the flat, and knowing that I just have to get past them whatever happens (NB if it's a shaved like a girl roadie doing 30mph I don't feel the need to get past but anyone else, yes please).

Still never been overtaken on Putney Bridge, either.

Greg T

So then.....

I've just about had it with my micro gearing on the tractor......

42 16 had me and another faux singlie bobbing like Pammy Anderson's holiday videos on fast forward trying to chase down a guy on a hybrid through the Blackfriars tunnel this morning.

You just can't get the wheel speed up. I don't care if my step change in gearing has me exploding my calves on a 1 in 10 slope, unless I can chase down a guy in baggy shorts on a hybrid I'm just not interested.....

So where's Greg66 gone then? Some long term sojourn to Wales or somehere else wild and hilly? best place for him, let's hope he's off the net as well. He's funny and fast and makes me look bad.

I was going to keep "netball gate" in the pain locker for when it was absolutely needed but since it's been outed what's going on round here, VLs outed himself as a Mooney or something and CP plays netball..

Now I'm as tolerant as the next man, well actually I find myself growling at work when a guy's in the lift and he's wearing brown shoes with a dark suit, or a his jacket has a box back rather than douoble vents, also I get a bit spikey if I open a door for someone and they don't look at me when they say thanks - don't ask me about what happens if they don't say thanks.

I appear to be highly intolerant - what's with the Sun worship and female sports!

Actually don't bother - I'm still so consumed with self loathing and impotent rage after being unable to spin fast enough to get that hybrid this morning that I just don't care.

I think I need to regain my center and have another go at today - perhaps after lunch.

guinea

As I slowed down for lights last night I was overtaken by a lycra clad singlespeed rider.

He was making progress so I caught his back wheel. Unfortunately for me he RLJ'd through a gap I didn't want to risk so he was off. THe lights took a long time to change. Given that he was shifting and now 150 metres ahead I thought there was no chance of getting him.

But I tried. I gave it everything and he slowly came larger. I got to within 20 metres when my junction arrived, but there was no way I was turning off. With a last lung bursting effort I screammed past him.

So, I managed to get my most satisfying overtake so far, but at the cost of an extra half mile on my journey. It was worth it.

Greg T

pst88 wrote:

FCN 4 or 6... depending on whether my singlespeed is tarty and I'm a real man... or if I'm just a fakenger. How do you decide between fcn 3 (proper rapid single speed) and fcn 5 (faux single speed)? I'd like to claim 5 as my starting point just so I have more targets.

Moral Dilema!

Post the following

Tyre colour
Number of brakes
Type of brakes
Type of handlebar
Gearing

We'll consider your outline "shape" carefully and then label you a tart and 3.....

So what's the score?

woodford2barbican

guinea wrote:

As I slowed down for lights last night I was overtaken by a lycra clad singlespeed rider.

He was making progress so I caught his back wheel. Unfortunately for me he RLJ'd through a gap I didn't want to risk so he was off. THe lights took a long time to change. Given that he was shifting and now 150 metres ahead I thought there was no chance of getting him.

But I tried. I gave it everything and he slowly came larger. I got to within 20 metres when my junction arrived, but there was no way I was turning off. With a last lung bursting effort I screammed past him.

So, I managed to get my most satisfying overtake so far, but at the cost of an extra half mile on my journey. It was worth it.

I thought it was cheating to extend your journey to gain a scalp?

Surely once you pass your turn off you are no longer a commuter - but are now out for a training ride and thus no longer a participant in 'Silly Commuter Racing'.

Do we need a ruling on this?