Silly commuting racing

Jay dubbleU · February 2009

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

I'm a mechanical numpty.

He already had one of those in attendance! He might as well have had a performing chimp come along with tape. All I could say was, "Ooo, yeah, that's bad."

Well, the tape idea might have worked. Now, if it had been duct tape...

:idea: I think I may add duct tape to the list of Bits and Bobs in my backpack.

Duct tape is like the force - it has a dark side and holds the universe together

Like it!

An engineer friend has the following on his wall:

'If you can't fix it with gaffer tape, you aren't using enough.'

I might add a warning to that, should you choose to gaffer tape a colleague entire body - DO NOT I REPEAT DO NOT do the head :shock:

You really need to get back into work, ITB :roll:

You only need two tools

If it moves and it shouldn't = duct tape
If it doesn't move and it should = WD40 8)

Jay dubbleU · February 2009

itboffin wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

And i'm out of the game.
Rear wheel failure this morning. The rim wall on the drive side crumpled as I was approaching Vauxhall X resulting in a blowout. It's game over for that wheel.

Big up to the embankment peloton, though. A lot asked if I was OK when I was assessing damage at the lights, including the incomparable CJ. (The insulation tape bodge didn't work - blowout on inflation - so rode very slowly on the knackered rim, new tyre was needed anyway)

Was that on the old hack?

Would have been a great op for you to practice RIM racing

Now where is that youtube clip when you need it

Aaaarrr that's b*ggered that is (technical term used by us yokels)

itboffin · February 2009

Your telling me

I'm going to an Interview in Bristol tomorrow and hopefully one soon in Dublin then perhaps i'll leave you all alone

lost_in_thought · February 2009

Woohoo! 26.2mph! Well, I think I held it for about 5 seconds, but I'm happy anyway.

I didn't really see any viable prey, but there was a black guy in a tracksuit on a hybrid who was pretty fast - I was ahead of him, obviously

but he caught up at the lights quicker than I thought he would.

Chapeau, hybrid guy!

Actually, how egotistical does that sound... yeah, he managed to catch up at the lights faster than I thought so he must be like well fast because clearly I'm apocalyptically quick. :oops: :roll:

Jay dubbleU · February 2009

Good luck ITB - my last post - I'm off to bonny Scotland the land of no mobile phones - PM me if there are any changes to the plans for Marlborough 8)

DonDaddyD · February 2009

War on the A24.

I picked up not one but TWO black cyclists, a hybrid and a roadie, in Colliers Wood. I dropped the Hybrid as a non-entity and lost the roadie (on a yellow Raleigh tourer) during a bout of filtering - carving a space - then applying a liberal splash of speed. Who would have known this was just the first wave of the battle as these were two of the most outright competitive SCRers I’ve encountered in a long while. This was open warfare.

We line up at the Tooting Broadway junction, the lights go green and I’m powering along as I drop the hybrid yet again (he always pushes to the front). Hitting the slight incline I look over my shoulder and coming up on the right side of traffic is the yellow hybrid. I gun it and onto the Tooting Bec – Balham drag strip.

Red light turns green, we set off! Hybrid is last (the guy has done well) and the roadie (on closer inspection has short dreadlocks) pulls up alongside me, I spin a little more and he’s reaching for his gears, “clack clack” he shifts up! I look at him and he refuses to make eye contact and acknowledge the humour in all this and the inevitable end....

"Warp speed Mr Sulu!"

I spin a little harder and he matches me, I couldn’t help but chuckle aloud! I press down on the ultimate button of doom and in all its vulgarity display the ‘Power of DDD’.

I drop him, hard.

"Oh the humility!"

I slow down to something a little more sustainable– I wish I had my cycle computer – and on my right is the hybrid, his grey tracksuit bottoms a blur as he overtakes me whistling! The outrage! Yes I growled.

I tail this guy until Balham hill, and spun as though I hated life itself. A look over the shoulder confirms I’m at the top of the hill and he is still somewhere near the bottom. I felt like shouting “You alright done there!?

Clapham South – Clapham North drag strip, we pick up several fair-weather cyclists and a Fakenger complete with white rimmed single speed and rolled up jeans.

I drop them all and the hybrid before turning of towards Acre Lane.

When I left home today I was clearly going to be late for work, when I arrived at work I was on time…

DonDaddyD · February 2009

itboffin wrote:

Your telling me

I'm going to an Interview in Bristol tomorrow and hopefully one soon in Dublin then perhaps i'll leave you all alone

Good luck dude, all the best!

nation · February 2009

Ooh, ooh, can I play?

Left behind a guy on a Bianchi singlespeed while filtering through traffic this morning (on my semi-slicked MTB), only for him to leave me for dead as soon as the road opened up.

Got here a lot quicker than usual, though, which I'd imagine is a result of the effort I expended trying to chase him down again.

Oh well.

cjcp · February 2009

nation wrote:

Ooh, ooh, can I play?

Left behind a guy on a Bianchi singlespeed while filtering through traffic this morning (on my semi-slicked MTB), only for him to leave me for dead as soon as the road opened up.

Got here a lot quicker than usual, though, which I'd imagine is a result of the effort I expended trying to chase him down again.

Oh well.

Hola!

What's your commute, Nation?

Clever Pun · February 2009

After two days off sick I was desperate to cycle but not kill myself, luckily there was nothing today in terms of competition until the final street on my commute a celeste bianchi with a cap wearing rider... score me. As I passed him you could see he upped his cadence but he was already losing his hair

Bassjunkieuk · February 2009

@ITB - Good luck with the job hunting! It'll be a shame to not get your regular reports of the epic journeys you take whilst the rest of us are slaving away to give the government more money to keep the banks afloat!

@DDD - Sounds like you had an epic ride! Also goes to show that I made the right call switching my route at the A24 certainly sees a lot more SCR action then the boring old A23 :-D

I've just found out that I'm required to attend a training academy up near White City again on Friday so I'm now toying with the idea of riding in again........I really could do with a blast across town but don't know if I'll be lumbered with any materials to bring back - I shouldn't be as it's just a "catch-up" day..........hmmm it's so tempting and much nicer then the alternative of a 40 minute train ride!!!

shoulder_of_orion · February 2009

Hola!

I loved bikes as a kid. grifter - bmx - mum's really good tourer that dad bought her in an inglorious attempt to get her into his fitness fanaticism - muddy fox - racer. then a long hiatus until after I left Uni.

I became what I suspect most of you regard as absolute scum. I had a succession of cheap MTBs/hybrids (rat-bikes) and was a serial RLJer. Later I actually bought a decent hybrid (I know if there is such a thing...) And I rode that bike 10 milles each way for 6 years or so from South to Central London and slowly understood the (as then) unwritten rules of THE GAME (as well as the very much written rules of the road).

By the end of that era, the bike was totally borked - none of the gears (apart from the highest) or the brakes worked - but at that point I was pretty fit and with a lowly FCN of 10 (11 with backpack & other adjusters) I was scalping higher chainers left, right and centre.

I then started a job where I had to wear a suit everyday and although work had a shower they did not have anywhere to store/dry cheesy clothes and I took my eye off the ball for a while in the misguided assumption that blind career progression was more important than than a scalping morning and night. :twisted:

In January this year I got really excited and finally decided to do the cycle to work scheme and through magic of teh internets found myself here via the bike radar bike reviews. Did initially intend to post about what bike to get etc but soon realised all the info was already there... and quite a bit more, such as the SCR thread of which I read the first 50 pages –

! Mrs Shoulder of Orion said to me after twigging what I was doing "Ah how cute, some little friends for you..."! :oops: - she clearly doesn't get THE GAME – you lot are not friends more like potential scalps! :twisted:

I had the grand to spend but had to get the lock/lights/helmet/jacket/spds/etc so found myself in the £700 bracket and through a combination of the limited range of my LBS and the restrictions of the scheme I now have the Trek 1.5 which I picked up last night.

I would have preferred some exotic and expensive Italian machinery but hey-ho this is a commuter. I did toy with the idea of a decent single speed but my commute is quite long and for now this is my only bike and I think I will want to go for the odd weekend ride.

So now I am a roadie. A base FCN of 5 with adjusters but I haven’t shaved (my face) for a week so I am taking the beard allowance until I get my legs & lungs back.

Based on this morning’s commute I’d say it might take a while. I did the 11.26 miles in 52 mins (‘puter). 40mins is my target and I think that is ambitious but possible. I was quite seriously hung over and it hurt in quite a few places by the time I got to work. A hybrid guy did beat me over Vauxhall bridge (tho he did start in front of me) (he was in lycra and no pack) but I laid down the law on the embankment and took his sorry ass big time. I also took a guy on a focus but to be fair he was just starting up when I did and by the time he got up to full pace he took me back with relative ease – but he didn’t have a pack and so was a higher number anyway so no biggie.

Sore and unfit, but glad to be back in THE GAME…

il_principe · February 2009

Welcome.

Enjoy the Embankment!

nation · February 2009

cjcp wrote:

nation wrote:

Ooh, ooh, can I play?

Left behind a guy on a Bianchi singlespeed while filtering through traffic this morning (on my semi-slicked MTB), only for him to leave me for dead as soon as the road opened up.

Got here a lot quicker than usual, though, which I'd imagine is a result of the effort I expended trying to chase him down again.

Oh well.

Hola!

What's your commute, Nation?

Most of the length of Pershore Road, into Birmingham city centre. Started commuting by bike in earnest at the beginning of January (It's more reliable than the train). Haven't seen that many other cyclists, but they seem to be coming out of the woodwork as the weather improves.

Being a native Scot I of course shrug off the cold and the drizzle, otherwise I wouldn't get in any riding at all back home.

nation · February 2009

cjcp wrote:

nation wrote:

Ooh, ooh, can I play?

Left behind a guy on a Bianchi singlespeed while filtering through traffic this morning (on my semi-slicked MTB), only for him to leave me for dead as soon as the road opened up.

Got here a lot quicker than usual, though, which I'd imagine is a result of the effort I expended trying to chase him down again.

Oh well.

Hola!

What's your commute, Nation?

Most of the length of Pershore Road, into Birmingham city centre. Started commuting by bike in earnest at the beginning of January (It's more reliable than the train). Haven't seen that many other cyclists, but they seem to be coming out of the woodwork as the weather improves.

Being a native Scot I of course shrug off the cold and the drizzle, otherwise I wouldn't get in any riding at all back home.

EDIT: Oops, think I hit "submit" one time too many.

jonginge · February 2009

nation wrote:

cjcp wrote:

nation wrote:

Ooh, ooh, can I play?

Left behind a guy on a Bianchi singlespeed while filtering through traffic this morning (on my semi-slicked MTB), only for him to leave me for dead as soon as the road opened up.

Got here a lot quicker than usual, though, which I'd imagine is a result of the effort I expended trying to chase him down again.

Oh well.

Hola!

What's your commute, Nation?

Most of the length of Pershore Road, into Birmingham city centre. Started commuting by bike in earnest at the beginning of January (It's more reliable than the train). Haven't seen that many other cyclists, but they seem to be coming out of the woodwork as the weather improves.

Being a native Scot I of course shrug off the cold and the drizzle, otherwise I wouldn't get in any riding at all back home.

EDIT: Oops, think I hit "submit" one time too many.

Many potential scalps? Pershore rd is a bit of a dragstrip IIRC. Over fiveways?

nation · February 2009

JonGinge wrote:

Many potential scalps? Pershore rd is a bit of a dragstrip IIRC. Over fiveways?

Not too many. Depressingly, most of the other cyclists I see seem to be using the pavements and pootling along, though given the habit Brum drivers have of occupying the cycle lanes I can't say I'm hugely surprised.

I'm coming from the Kings Norton kind of direction, so Five ways is a bit out of the way from my route (I think, I only moved here recently, haven't got a full grasp of the geography yet).

jonginge · February 2009

nation wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Many potential scalps? Pershore rd is a bit of a dragstrip IIRC. Over fiveways?

Not too many. Depressingly, most of the other cyclists I see seem to be using the pavements and pootling along, though given the habit Brum drivers have of occupying the cycle lanes I can't say I'm hugely surprised.

I'm coming from the Kings Norton kind of direction, so Five ways is a bit out of the way from my route (I think, I only moved here recently, haven't got a full grasp of the geography yet).

Oops. Brum knowledge has gone a bit hazy after ten+ years. I was thinking Hagley rd.

As it happens I lived in Kings Norton for a year (as well as Moseley, Kings Heath, Selly Park and Northfield).

Christophe3967 · February 2009

I was amazed at how few people there cycle when I was up there recently. MTFU Brum.

Pelican crossing this morning, lights are red, a steady stream of pedestrians crossing. A guy on a hybrid with flat pedals I'd passed a while back rolls up beside me. I assume he's stopping but he attempts to trackstand. He's wearing trainers and wobbling around precariously. Try not to smirk, the lights flash orange but there's still several people crossing. Unable to contain himself any longer, our hero lurches forward involuntarily, just missing an attractive woman wearing glasses. Without saying anything, she swings her arm round and wacks him on the backside as he passed. I heard the noise clearly above my MP3 player. I'm all for punishing those who transgress, but where's the justice in that???

jamesco · February 2009

lost_in_thought wrote:

Woohoo! 26.2mph! Well, I think I held it for about 5 seconds, but I'm happy anyway.

I didn't really see any viable prey, but there was a black guy in a tracksuit on a hybrid who was pretty fast - I was ahead of him, obviously but he caught up at the lights quicker than I thought he would.

Chapeau, hybrid guy!

Actually, how egotistical does that sound... yeah, he managed to catch up at the lights faster than I thought so he must be like well fast because clearly I'm apocalyptically quick. :oops: :roll:

LiT, were you riding east on Uxbridge Rd. at around 9 this morning, on a single-speed? If it was you then you are indeed quick - I (white guy on a boring hybrid, wearing black) spent a lot of time riding behind pondering whether or not to pass, but you looked like you were faster freewheeling that I was pedalling..

lost_in_thought · February 2009

jamesco wrote:

LiT, were you riding east on Uxbridge Rd. at around 9 this morning, on a single-speed? If it was you then you are indeed quick - I (white guy on a boring hybrid, wearing black) spent a lot of time riding behind pondering whether or not to pass, but you looked like you were faster freewheeling that I was pedalling..

Yeah, that sounds like it could have been me - black SS, one pannier, black boots, black shorts, black top with white bits around the shoulders. I'm often there a bit before 9 - and almost always late for work!

Bassjunkieuk · February 2009

Welcome Shoulder of Orion, that's an epic first post :-D
Sounds like you've been bitten by THE GAME bug fairly badly there, unfortunately there is only one known cure...........it involves taking the scalps of all those that dare ride ahead of you every morning and evening and leaving them wondering what hit them as you churn their a$$es to butter!

So you heading up into town from the South - Whereabouts you start from and head to, our paths might cross!

jamesco · February 2009

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yeah, that sounds like it could have been me - black SS, one pannier, black boots, black shorts, black top with white bits around the shoulders. I'm often there a bit before 9 - and almost always late for work!

Yep, that was you - very racy looking!

Ealing->Shoreditch was easy this morning with the breeze, didn't get scalped at all (not many roadies about) and passed everyone in front, excepting you..

lost_in_thought · February 2009

jamesco wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yeah, that sounds like it could have been me - black SS, one pannier, black boots, black shorts, black top with white bits around the shoulders. I'm often there a bit before 9 - and almost always late for work!

Yep, that was you - very racy looking!

Ealing->Shoreditch was easy this morning with the breeze, didn't get scalped at all (not many roadies about) and passed everyone in front, excepting you..

Just wait until my achilles is all grown back and I'm on my normal gear...

And say hi next time!

don_don · February 2009

Christophe3967 wrote:

I was amazed at how few people there cycle when I was up there recently. MTFU Brum.

Pelican crossing this morning, lights are red, a steady stream of pedestrians crossing. A guy on a hybrid with flat pedals I'd passed a while back rolls up beside me. I assume he's stopping but he attempts to trackstand. He's wearing trainers and wobbling around precariously. Try not to smirk, the lights flash orange but there's still several people crossing. Unable to contain himself any longer, our hero lurches forward involuntarily, just missing an attractive woman wearing glasses. Without saying anything, she swings her arm round and wacks him on the backside as he passed. I heard the noise clearly above my MP3 player. I'm all for punishing those who transgress, but where's the justice in that???

I'm sure if you'd asked politely, she'd have smacked your ass as well. Sounds like a game girl to me

jamesco · February 2009

lost_in_thought wrote:

Just wait until my achilles is all grown back and I'm on my normal gear...

And say hi next time!

Next time our paths cross I shall politely wave you through (am usually too tired from grinding away to speak.. :oops: )

shoulder_of_orion · February 2009

@Bassjunkieuk & jashburnham - thanks for the welcomes.

Once I found this forum I read it fairly obssesively... I had wanted to post in this thread and others on this forum but felt like too much of an interloper until the actual bike turned up. The mamouth first post I guess is the result of me biting my tongue for a month or so.

I live in Ladywell SE13 and work near Earls Court, am normally at the office by 0845 and leave at about 1800: http://bit.ly/NvLYf (not my exact route but close enough)

Anyone else do a similar route?

cjcp · February 2009

Ha! I suspect we pass each other on Embankment.

iain_j · February 2009

Crikey, I miss the forum for a couple of days and everything happens!

@ all the newcomers - Welcome!

@ ITB - good luck with the job hunt 8)

@ the four cyclists I met on the way home tonight, none of whom (me included) were racing of course - same time tomorrow? :twisted:

Never had a bout of SCR like it. It's usually one or two isolated riders. But tonight it was almost a full-on peloton.

Waiting at the lights at the top of the hill on Upper Parliament St and glancing round, waiting for the lights to change, I glimpse a cyclist behind me. At the same moment another one in a yellow hi-vis jacket and flashing rear light (it's broad daylight BTW) zips past on my left. Looks like he's going to RLJ but he stops just past the line.

The lights go green, Hi-Vis turns right into Princes Road, so do I, and as I'm weighing up his speed and considering scalpage, the guy who was behind at the lights overtakes us both on his Focus and powers away. However, Hi-Vis is accelerating too and so am I, so he doesn't get too much advantage.

Bad timing #1 for me. Just as I'm about to overtake Hi-Vis, a line of cars come up behind at the point the road narrows and does a sharp left-right, so I ease back. Dual carriageway coming up, I'll get him easy. No chance, too much traffic.

All the way down there was no space to get past Hi-Vis. Focus is still just a short way ahead too. We reel in a fourth cyclist, wearing blue jacket and shorts. We start weighing up the overtake. A fifth one appears out of a side street looks like he's going to join the ever-growing peloton, but he waits til we've gone past and we don't see him again. Right at the end of the dual carriageway the road widens and we grab our chance and overtake Shorts. Think of the GB squad overtaking the Danes in the Team Pursuit Olympic final :twisted:

Bad timing #2. Another opportunity comes to overtake Hi-Vis. Just as the gap's closing, a taxi driver in the outside lane sticks his left indicator on and pushes into the gap, slows and turns left. I curse, accelerate and catch Hi-Vis again. Bad timing #3. A car in the outside lane swerves left towards me, sees me in the way, we both brake, car goes back to the outside lane. I curse again, accelerate again and catch Hi-Vis again. Up ahead, Focus turns right onto the Sefton Park road (where, incidentally, I did an impromptu training session last night - 3 laps - and compared to last week's slow, grovelling 2 laps, I felt like I could have done more but wanted to go home and cook pancakes). The peloton's down to 2 now. Me and Hi-Vis.

At this point the road dips downhill - now's my chance to light the afterburners. So that's what I do. Bad timing #4. Blue lights and sirens appear ahead, police car comes flying up the wrong side of the road, Hi-Vis bumps up the low kerb to get out of it's way, then straight off again to carry on. I have high kerbs and a lamp-post in the way. The road goes back uphill, and I stomp on the pedals and bust a gut to catch him again, realising somewhere near the top as the lactic acid wells up I'm still in my downhill "afterburners" gear. Owwwwwwwww.

And finally, one more chance to pass him - he leaps away from a set of traffic lights, but doesn't build up a whole load of speed, so I could easily get him. But it's my turn-off for home. Bad timing #5.

It was not to be.

Bo!!ocks.

iain_j · February 2009

iain_j wrote:

Waiting at the lights at the top of the hill on Upper Parliament St and glancing round, waiting for the lights to change, I glimpse a cyclist behind me. At the same moment another one in a yellow hi-vis jacket and flashing rear light (it's broad daylight BTW) zips past on my left. Looks like he's going to RLJ but he stops just past the line.

:idea:

Actually...

Although he stopped, Hi-Vis still RLJ'd to overtake me, so his advantage for the whole journey was null and void.

Victory is mine! :P

Silly commuting racing

Comments

Categories