Silly commuting racing

nation

Another roadie I haven't seen before blasted past me like I was standing still on the way home.

In my defence, I was getting worrying noises and vibration from the the front brake at the time, so I was a little distracted (turned out to be a bit of road crap that lodged in the rim wear indicator line, the pad looks like someone's set about it with a stanley knife).

Despite my difficulties, I managed to stay within striking distance for quite a while before I lost him as he filtered through traffic at a junction faster than I was willing to.

I think I may be destined to be an eternal scalpee rather than scalper.

itboffin

Thanks all and welcome new BLOOD :twisted:

Bristol is indeed an interesting place, today was my first proper visit the city centre, I have to say I liked what I saw apart from all the traffic lights that is.

I had a little look around the back streets taking note of the numbers and types of cyclists for potential future engagements, I'll be back next week for more interviews and hopefully I'll wangle a Friday, it would be good to meet more of the yokel chapter of the SCR :twisted: :roll:

I did notice that there are plenty of cobbled sections in Bristol centre perfect for my cross bike. Should I be lucky enough to bag a new job in the city it would mean a 100mile round trip door to door commute, mmmmm :shock:

cjcp

nation wrote:

I think I may be destined to be an eternal scalpee rather than scalper.

Chin up, ol' boy. You'll get stronger, and best take it easy whe filtering (there's a moratorium on racing then anyway - thems the rules).

roger_merriman

itboffin wrote:

Thanks all and welcome new BLOOD :twisted:

Bristol is indeed an interesting place, today was my first proper visit the city centre, I have to say I liked what I saw apart from all the traffic lights that is.

I had a little look around the back streets taking note of the numbers and types of cyclists for potential future engagements, I'll be back next week for more interviews and hopefully I'll wangle a Friday, it would be good to meet more of the yokel chapter of the SCR :twisted: :roll:

I did notice that there are plenty of cobbled sections in Bristol centre perfect for my cross bike. Should I be lucky enough to bag a new job in the city it would mean a 100mile round trip door to door commute, mmmmm :shock:

and as cities go has hills, steep ones at that, i used to go to bristol a fair bit to see friends though they are all londonish now

lost_in_thought

Well after a night out in soho last night and a pootle home, I was feeling distinctly un-clever at 7:30 this morning, but had to get to Lidl before the masses bought all the bike hoists.

Off I went after several coffees, and was the only person there. Curses.

So I got a load of stuff, went home and pootled slowly into work, feeling rough. Scalped the same guy on a red roadie again, but was overtaken by a guy on a hybrid as I pulled away from the lights! AAAaaaaaagh! I reeled him back in, and overtook, don't know how fast but for my hungover corpse it was quite hard work.

I held him off for a few miles, but every time I slowed to filter, he was back, and then he overtook me as I went into SheBu roundabout! Aaaaaaagh! No possibility to rescalp as I'm turning off!

Stupid hangover. I'm blaming that.

Clever Pun

A little adjudication if you please

I'm on the roadie and I see a fast SS'er ahead of me I manage to pass him at 26, he seems comfortable at this speed... later on I slow a little and he goes back past me... we continue along for a while, I pick a better line filtering and I pass him then the road opens up and I can see his shadow looming and he's about to overtake me... I put the hammers into play and lose his shadow... phew

now.. given he's higher up the scale than me is that a scalp or honours even? I'm inclined to think the latter but I did rebuff him on his 2nd attempt

page23

my commute is 13 miles each way, mainly rural and i see virtually no cyclists. it's not fair. where are they all?

i've taken to chasing down engine powered commuters these days just so i can play. not doing too well though...

cjcp

I'd say you win.

If I try to overtake and the intended overtakee shoots away, pull over immediately, sit down at the table that's set up for you and eat the freshly baked Humble Pie before setting off on your way again.

[Tim]

Page23 wrote:

my commute is 13 miles each way, mainly rural and i see virtually no cyclists. it's not fair. where are they all?

i've taken to chasing down engine powered commuters these days just so i can play. not doing too well though...

I know that feeling, country lanes make for an enjoyable commute compared to the frantic city centre but other cyclists are few and far between.

page23

will3 wrote:

Greg T wrote:

Guys!

This has been discussed elsewhere - the first rule of Secret Commute Bike Race Club is that you don't talk about it! Well OK then.

This is the food chain......

Scooters
Single speed fixed hub
Single Speed
Roadies
Roadies with hairy legs
"Fast Hybrids"
MTBs on Skinnies
MTBs on Nobbies
Bromptons / collapsing bikes
MTB full sus on Nobbies
Shoppers
Shoppers wicker baskets
Electric bikes

Dropping / Pulling anyone higher in the food chain makes you stronger and more attractive to burds. Getting dropped / trying to keep up with anyone lower means your soul hires a kudos remover to lower your self worth.

This is the way it is brothers.

Don't try and deny it.

but the key is that you should show no outward signs of putting any effort in. This is the same as admitting you're racing.

note the last couple of lines. is this a rule and if so did you do this without displaying outward signs of effort?

cjcp

Page23 wrote:

note the last couple of lines. is this a rule and if so did you do this without displaying outward signs of effort?

Even breathing at all times, no yelping when the muscles cramp up or whimpering when the lactic acid becomes unbearable

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

Page23 wrote:

note the last couple of lines. is this a rule and if so did you do this without displaying outward signs of effort?

Even breathing at all times, no yelping when the muscles cramp up or whimpering when the lactic acid becomes unbearable

Easier to hide the breathing now it's warmer and your breath doesn't fog up.

page23

lost_in_thought wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Page23 wrote:

note the last couple of lines. is this a rule and if so did you do this without displaying outward signs of effort?

Even breathing at all times, no yelping when the muscles cramp up or whimpering when the lactic acid becomes unbearable

Easier to hide the breathing now it's warmer and your breath doesn't fog up.

tis true, but as the temperature increases other outward signs of effort will become clear, i.e. copious sweating.

i'm thinking of having a sympathectomy to all my major sweat glands. oh, and i'll be commuting in nothing but pants to minimise this obvious outward sign until it's done.

always thinking...

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

no yelping

or growling. Except sarf of the river obviously

cjcp

Page23 wrote:

commuting in nothing but pants to minimise this obvious outward sign until it's done.

always thinking...

Speedos. People will just think you're some crack-pot triathlete.

page23

cjcp wrote:

Page23 wrote:

commuting in nothing but pants to minimise this obvious outward sign until it's done.

always thinking...

Speedos. People will just think you're some crack-pot triathlete.

if i display the triathlete image then it may alter my score. the grey, saggy briefs will enhance my scalp taking (in a way)...

jamesp345

I havent played this yet, but I do try and catch and overtake anyone I see up the road.

Question is, is it acceptable to have snot streaming out of your nose and off your cheek during these efforts or is this seen as "Not hiding the strain" and will it negate any scalp you take.

jonginge

jamesp345 wrote:

I havent played this yet, but I do try and catch and overtake anyone I see up the road.

Question is, is it acceptable to have snot streaming out of your nose and off your cheek during these efforts or is this seen as "Not hiding the strain" and will it negate any scalp you take.

Just make sure the snot runs onto your right cheek and there's no problem Welcome to the game.

AndyOgy

Wow!

You city folk have so much fun. Before I lost my job, I commuted straight out of Brighton and onto cycle paths and country roads and then right into the middle of nowhere.
Being that I'm not working now, I decided to cheer myself up by pretending to commute to an imaginary job this morning. Spent 2 hours riding around the busiest parts of Brighton, Hove, Shoreham and loved every second of it. It's just so intense compared with what I was used to, felt like I was only out for 20 minutes.
My jobhunting has now become very location based. Ideally looking for something 8-10 miles away through very heavy traffic. I'll save the country lanes for the long weekend rides.

simon johnson

Competition really seems to hot up after 6pm; I usually finish work at 3pm- the only scalps taken by me are kids on BMXs and students on pashleys I've no idea what my form is really like.

Bassjunkieuk

@AndyOgy - Looks like your hooked now! It's certainly more fun when you have other cyclists! My longest work commute is usually my dullest as I rarely see any competition. On the flip side tho the riders I do find tend to be more serious riders and provide a much more satisfying challenge. As with most things quantity doesn't correlate well to quality when it comes to city cyclists :-P

lost_in_thought

I had a dreadful hungover grind home, barely topped 20mph.

Must not drink on a school night. :shock:

I'm thinking about switching to a 16t sprocket for next week...

nation

Was really feeling it in the old legs this morning, but decided to ride in anyway, and picked up a scalp! A roadie, no less!

I'm ignoring the guy pootling along in jeans on a supermarket full-sus, and the lady on the shopper bike (on the pavement :x ). I don't think they're really "honourable" scalps.

I spied the skinny tyres of a road bike off in the distance and thought "right, I'm having you" turned up the cadence, and hauled past him on a clear road. To be fair to him he was struggling along in tracksuit bottoms and one of those big coats that you see football managers wearing, and the bike looked fresh out of the box, but I'm counting it.

Just to bring me back down to earth a gentleman on a distinctively retro looking MTB with extremely well defined calves scalped me good and proper a few minutes later. Oh well.

jonginge

After my SCR tribulations earlier in the week I fitted the new old wheel last night and rode home. Felt awful. How can so much fitness be lost in just a couple of weeks?
Came across a gaggle of 4 along NKR, a mixture of roadies and hybrids. Passed the first 3 with one fast hybrid vainly trying to grab my wheel. I pushed on to catch the lead roadie who had made a break for it and was 50yards up the road. Closed to 10 but just couldn't be ars%d to scalp for the rest of the NKR. Handed him his scalp on Col de Putney bridge It was all a bit more difficult than it used to be

il_principe

Embankment (well the short stretch I covered) was pathetic this morning. I had a short dash from Albert Bridge to Lambeth Bridge, passed 20 people (mainly hivizbryds) but scalped two roadies who didn't even try and put up a fight.*

*probably just as well because I'm completely shattered atm.

iain_j

Bleh.

Went out for a curry last night, which was distinctly average. Followed by a trip to a real ale pub which, like last weekend, had a beer festival on. Unlike last weekend, they were going down easily, helped along by the pub quiz.

Feeling quite tender this morning. At least I was numb to the headwind. I don't know if I got any scalps, or if I was scalped. For all I know I probably rode into the back of a parked car.

Bleh.

itboffin

JonGinge wrote:

After my SCR tribulations earlier in the week I fitted the new old wheel last night and rode home. Felt awful. How can so much fitness be lost in just a couple of weeks?
Came across a gaggle of 4 along NKR, a mixture of roadies and hybrids. Passed the first 3 with one fast hybrid vainly trying to grab my wheel. I pushed on to catch the lead roadie who had made a break for it and was 50yards up the road. Closed to 10 but just couldn't be ars%d to scalp for the rest of the NKR. Handed him his scalp on Col de Putney bridge It was all a bit more difficult than it used to be

Use the power of the shoes jon, the force is strong in this one!

Clever Pun

last night there was a glut of scalps which I duly collected 2 SS'ers on tower bridge and 1 fixed and 2 roadies towards lewisham... lucky as once I got to catford my energy levels went through the floor and I was rubbish I think ITBoffin on his pink trike could have taken me, luckily I got away with it as the roads were dead

brompton today, one tourer and one hybrid duly dispatched

itboffin

I would like to point out that these stories of snow at this years HOTA may have been TRUE, look at the state of the road :shock:

jonginge

Meh. Doctored photo. Your breath's not steaming. :P