Silly commuting racing

shoulder_of_orion

no SCR action today, but I did have an exciting moment.

I was pummelling down alongside Peckham Rye, when I had to brake sharply and the front brake kind of exploded! basically the nut holding it to the frame can't have been properly tight and suddenly my front brake was dragging along behind me. it was a bit scary momentarily as I was approaching traffic and had cars beside and behind me.

I lost almost an hour and therefore the morning commuter SCR action (or lack of on my route it seems). I took it back to my LBS and they said they had never head of that happening before...

c12345

FCN adjusment please: how many extra points do I get for this?

Yep, my trusty steely steed his finaly expired. I was lucky to get plenty of warning in the form of crunching noises and a wobbly rear. God knows how I survived the 40mph dual carriage way downhill section of the A4 last night.

My commuting days are over (at least until I can get the dry welds off my pedals and put them onto the zaskar - Its going to be SCR carnage once I'm cruising on nobblies)

lost_in_thought

Strewth bruce!

You win with the bike failures. :shock:

c12345

Still managed to do 5 miles on it this morning before I worked out what was going on...

I blame myself for staying on my 53T outer. I haven't used my inner ring since Christmas.

Christophe3967

c12345 wrote:

FCN adjusment please: how many extra points do I get for this?

Yep, my trusty steely steed his finaly expired. I was lucky to get plenty of warning in the form of crunching noises and a wobbly rear. God knows how I survived the 40mph dual carriage way downhill section of the A4 last night.

My commuting days are over (at least until I can get the dry welds off my pedals and put them onto the zaskar - Its going to be SCR carnage once I'm cruising on nobblies)

Dunno, but I think you're a lucky boy.

shoulder_of_orion

I had a friend who had a top of the range orange mtb which he took to africa and went on really long off road expeditions, then back to London and commuted on it for a few years. eventually the same thing that happened to c12345 happened to him (after going over a kerb). he carried on riding it for several months before he got a new bike...

jonginge

Shoulder of Orion wrote:

I had a friend who had a top of the range orange mtb which he took to africa and went on really long off road expeditions, then back to London and commuted on it for a few years. eventually the same thing that happened to c12345 happened to him (after going over a kerb). he carried on riding it for several months before he got a new bike...

Bit of duct tape or blutack and job's a good un.

I once broke a seat tube just above the bottom bracket while going down a hill. Was interesting to say the least.

il_principe

DonDaddyD wrote:

"Oh no! It's just that I can't keep up with your speed" He said
"Thank you" I said in the most regal, composed and dignified manner I could muster.

I had this conversation once...

... with a moped. :twisted:

iain_j

My dad's told me a tale a couple of times of one of his mates back in his cycling days... they'd been out riding all day, up and down all sorts of steep hills, racing for place-name signs, that sort of thing... eventually back home at Liverpool, he gets to his house and lifts his bike up onto the kerb and the front forks promptly drop out - the steerer tube had broken at some point during the day and he'd been totally unaware :shock:

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Am up to just under 1,400 miles I think. Have had a week off the bike too because I've been out of the office with work .

Ah, surely it's a planned recovery week in a periodized training schedule How long til the jaunt through fair Flanders' fields?

That's what I've been telling myself! Problem is that I've not had the greatest sleep because I've been dealing with three time zones, nor have I had any fresh air, and pretty much collapsed on the sofa when I arrived home last night. I'd like to give the legs a whirl this weekend - purely to get some fresh air - but the diary seems to be full this weekend. :?

Flanders is in four weeks, so am going to ease back into this week and step up the mileage gradually over the two weeks thereafter with by adding a few miles onto the commute. I've got the week off the week before too, so it'll give me the chance to get out during the day for a couple of hours.

itboffin

I claimed two scalps today father and son (I hope), dispatched with a cheery hello and "don't you just hate these hills" I then shot off ahead, all the while maintaining my i'm not really trying or suffering outward appearance, max HR of 201 suggests otherwise. :shock:

Christophe3967

Sunshine. Following wind. Not scalped. Two blonde girls asking for directions. Cold almost gone. No raodworks at HOP. Not a bad start to the week.

cjcp

A good start indeed.

First commute for over a week and was carrying a heavy backpack this morning. Bit of early jousting through Putney to warm the legs up and then...

The Dossard appears. :twisted:

First time I'd seen him on the morning run. He drafts anything on two wheels. I felt up for this, particularly after failing to break 60 mins for the RP 3 Lap yesterday (yes, it is now bothering me).

Ditched him on Embankment. Scalp intact. Looking forward to the ride home.

Clever Pun

good ride in this morning fixed.... I took a guy on a ribble with tribars twice.. thanks filtering and ditched a girl on the same bike as me!!! that felt odd and slightly dirty in all honesty, also took another 2 ss'ers/fixed mostly into the headwind...mostly

lost_in_thought

In Copenhagen. No bike until friday.

Separated bike lanes here, not a huge fan, but hundreds and hundreds of bikes!

Much as I encourage people to cycle, I hope London never gets like this. Being on a bike would stop being a way to beat the traffic...

jonginge

Bit confused. Metcheck says the ride home should have been into a headwind. Well, there was wind but it seemed mostly to be helpful not a hindrance. Just me? Certainly passed a few lower FCN riders who seemed to be struggling/looking for a wheel to follow.

gtvlusso

lost_in_thought wrote:

In Copenhagen. No bike until friday.

Separated bike lanes here, not a huge fan, but hundreds and hundreds of bikes!

Much as I encourage people to cycle, I hope London never gets like this. Being on a bike would stop being a way to beat the traffic...

I like Copenhagen, habourside is lovely......

Nothing has overtaken me yet.....scalping left, right and centre...feels pretty good, but I am sure there will be competition in summer.

Now have nice short hair for more aerodynamic efficiency.....actually, it is because I looked like a member of the rolling stones - long greying hair. And my wife insisted I get a haircut!

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

Bit confused. Metcheck says the ride home should have been into a headwind. Well, there was wind but it seemed mostly to be helpful not a hindrance. Just me? Certainly passed a few lower FCN riders who seemed to be struggling/looking for a wheel to follow.

It was very blustery on Millbank - all sorts of wobbling going on - and definitely people trying to latch onto the back wheel (is the London Dynamo going through Putney on here? ). I thought there was more of a headwind.

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Bit confused. Metcheck says the ride home should have been into a headwind. Well, there was wind but it seemed mostly to be helpful not a hindrance. Just me? Certainly passed a few lower FCN riders who seemed to be struggling/looking for a wheel to follow.

It was very blustery on Millbank - all sorts of wobbling going on - and definitely people trying to latch onto the back wheel (is the London Dynamo going through Putney on here? ). I thought there was more of a headwind.

Jet lagged??? Yes, it was blustery but the wind last week had prepared me for it, so it wasn't too bad and pretty quiet this morning. Woken by birds singing this morning - we're on the home straight

cjcp

Nah, unfortunately, I can't blame jet lag. Scalp remained intact, mind. Had some good SCR along Embankment, through Putney and along the Lower Richmond Road and, finally, into Sheen. Chapeau to the Fixer who was giving it some stick.

This morning was quiet so hammered it - all sense of "not trying" went out the window after Albert Bridge. Was actually forced to slow down by a scooter by Millbank Tower :P - the thing sounded in pain.

But then the P******* Fairy paid a visit after HoP. Only a slow one, but had to ease right back. Quickly pumped up the tyre on Cannon St, but these tyres are shot now.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Nice ride in this morning, and home last night. I know what JG meant about last night. It seemed blustery and there should have been a headwind, but I felt a lot more comfortable riding into it than last week into the headwind plus lashing rain.

I think my strength/cv fitness/leg speed is returning. Mixed it up with a mixed group of five low powered motorbikes and scooters off VB lights. Most satisfactory :twisted:

iain_j

Not the most pleasant ride this morning. Heavy headwind, heavy drizzle, heavy lethargy not helped by giving blood yesterday. At the roadworks, which have nearly gone (wahey!) the road ahead is closed so I turn right and expect the car behind to do the same, but no, he puts his foot down and swerves across my path as I make the turn and goes down the wrong side of the road. I'm glad I was struggling and slow this morning otherwise I may have been in front of him when he floored it.

However, the rain's stopped, and if the wind stays the same I'll have an easy ride home tonight!

flamite

I too had a visit from the puncture fairy today, just by blackfriars bridge.... luckily had spare inner, pulled out a massive staple from my tyre!!

It is a bit nicer in the wet, not as much bike traffic, couldnt believe the wheel sucking going on along embankment last night, was one massive peleton!!

il_principe

Destroyed a roadie on the Edgware road last night, he saw me coming and tried to give it some - made a point of freewheeling just as I passed him, then dropped the hammer. Dropped him so badly he didn't even catchup at the lights, I could see his cateye blinking some distance back. Had another this morning as well, then got held up on Edgware by around 40 horses - some being ridden some being led, looked to be military but why they have to choose rush hour to move the animals I don't know. :roll:

Totalnewbie

Well I certainly found the headwind on Albert Embankment yesterday, and on the South Lambeth road too.

A full-on roadie undertook me and went in front of me, to my left, at some lights. I knew he would likely be faster than me (am currently labouring on the winter bike which is a heavy hybrid) but he fumbled his clips when the lights changed and so I got off before he did (he may have been in front of me but I don’t ride in the gutter).

This appeared to upset him because he sped right up. Then he started shouting something that I couldn’t hear in the wind as he was still behind me – something about being on my left, or telling me to move to the left.

Er, mate, if you want to overtake me you can overtake me on the right like you’re supposed to, and I’m not going to move to the gutter for you to do so.

Bassjunkieuk

With the bike now repaired after the "adventure" at the weekend I was all set for my commute this morning. Funnily some of those things that I used to think where hills just appeared as minor inclines and declines today............can't think why ;-) Still the short sharp one near the start was enough to get the blood flowing proper.

Got a "technical" scalp in early doors, in all honesty my conscious was tellnig me I couldn't honestly claim it as the guy was a full on high-vis wearing roadie bimbler.......managed to keep a dude on a Tricross in his place away from the cross roads in Dulwich and then had to watch as a lovely Bianchi joined the drag down past the hospital as I sat at a red light :-(

Fear not his lead was just the carrot I needed to unload some awesome to try and catch him. Next set of lights where red and I managed to filter to just behind him. Got away ahead and we then had to stop for the next blasted set! I managed to weave around him and another roadie as the lights went green and set off thinking "follow my lead chaps........." which he duly did and past me at around 24mph, not wanting to relinquish my scalp I duly set about getting back past him and due to a tiny lead and some lucky(ish) filtering I managed to clear the lights at Albany Road ahead of him just as they went amber! HA podium :-D

Picked up a rather quick dude on a full on knobbled MTB in Camberwell towards E&C, almost say my life flash before my eyes - and heard said fast MTB guy yelp - as a car decided it was turning off apparently without using their mirrors, thankfully they saw as and stopped the turn as we both went past in the bus lane. Pulled up at the lights and another guy comes alongside us and says something to MTB guy and bl00dy heck was he on a OTT bike! A cervelo very similar to the one Mr 66 pilots but this guy was running Zipp deep section wheels!!!! To top it of his dress was more fakenger then racing snake :?

I did get done coming over Waterloo Bridge, a shoulder check whilst avoiding a manhole cover brought a rather fast approaching flashing light to my attention. I tried to put some speed down sensing an imminent scalping and to draft the bus that was ahead. They came past and I did my best to keep up but they did get to the front of the queue ahead of me.............I was thinking "jump the red light!" and he did go off before it changed proper and disappeared up the cycle lane opposite!

Brief encounter with an enthuastic roadie all the way from Aldywch to Euston proved great fun and then I picked up a Drafting Fairy for Eversholt Road who seemed to have a rather noisy drivetrain!

Still thinking about changing my route home this evening to take in a steepish road that I don't think that I've ridden up yet, guess I'll see how I feel later!

prawny

jashburnham wrote:

why they have to choose rush hour to move the animals I don't know. :roll:

Do you know most of the animals in london then?

Bassjunkieuk

prawny wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

why they have to choose rush hour to move the animals I don't know. :roll:

Do you know most of the animals in london then?

Seems perfectly reasonable, round em all up and cram them onto woefully small carts so they barely have room to breathe...........hang on this sounds like something else :-)

I call it "the reason I cycle commute"

Roastie

First day back in the saddle after my head//floor incident last week. Whole back, shoulders and neck aching. Though I must admit I was taking it really easy, I got scapled by some slicked MTB riding nutter. I still couldn't help but be annoyed. Any other day it would have been "Game-On" for him even daring to pass me (not that he'd have even got a sniff at a lowly 32km/h/20mph).



Woe is me.

iain_j

So, I put all that work in this morning against the headwind, but I don't get the reward of a tailwind tonight. It's not fair :evil: