Silly commuting racing

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

My goal is to complete the ML without my HR reaching above 180.

You're missing the point: hills don't become easier, just faster. :twisted:

I beg to differ young man

BTW I thought "The Road" was perfectly smooth but how smooth must this road be :shock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=e ... mIA8_54fDk

snooks

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

I also think you have to remember that you have to mentally climb the hill to. Hitting a hill and thinking "OMFG how am I going to make it up this" immediately puts you on a back foot, where as if you have a few hill climbs under your belt you'll feel more confident and tackle it better!

I have an original Mint Sauce sticker on my 89 Kona Fire Mountain it says.....

Hills are only as steep as you make them

:twisted:

snooks

itboffin wrote:

BTW I thought "The Road" was perfectly smooth but how smooth must this road be :shock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=e ... mIA8_54fDk

I'd love to see them try that down the Mile End road....Its so bumpy I'm thinking about inventing the Full sus road bike!!!

Christophe3967

Goodness me it was busy on the Embankment last night; where have these people come from?? And there were three other Touches playing - its like Touche Town out there. I'm slightly concerned about this development, as I wouldn't want to be riding a common bike, although mine was the only one with white wheels and silver mudguards (well one white wheel - must fix puncture).

I can report that black mudguards are difinitely slower than silver ones Sorry SGI.

Also discovered on video playback that I scalped a white van over London Bridge yesterday morning. I hadn't even realised this but he had a clear run from the Tooley St lights and an empty lane ahead, but I beat him to the back of the queue at Monument. 8) Retrospective scalping - I'm not sure if that's allowed, but I'd like to claim it anyway.

Bassjunkieuk

Fun ride in this morning. Having set off I thought I'd forgotten my lock so made a quick stop to check and confirmed that indeed it was in my bag. I then realized that I *think* I'd left my pump at home (different bag with me yesterday and I don't trust the general public to leave it attached to bike whilst locked on street)...........no prizes for guessing what happens next!

Yep! PPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTT

B0LL0X! It was a fairly quick deflation and not surprising by the size of the shard of glass I pulled out of the rear Gator Skin!!
I know I'm at least a 40 minute walk from home, wife isn't even going to entertain the idea of collecting me on a school morning!!! Sh1T!
I turn around to start walking home and spot a cyclist coming down the road! I put my arm out and yell "Have you got a pump?" He stops and low and behold he has!
I quickly set about changing the rear tube with my spare (got the tube but no pump......DOH!) Have a nice little chat and I manage to get a reasonable amount of air in before I give it back to him, thanking him profusely - if your reading this! Cheers mate I owe you a cold one!

I think I only got about 40 or 50 PSI (no gauge) but was pinning my hopes on Edwardes in Camberwell being open. I set off gingerly, trying to avoid all the potholes through Dulwich Village and Camberwell and arrive at Edwardes who are thankfully open at around 8:00ish. The kind chaps in there let me borrow a track pump and I'm back up at 100PSI :-)
Gonna pop Evans at lunch to grab another spare tube as I can't repair this one and need to be home ASAP this evening so wifey can go to parents evening!

In other news I can report that Wiggles DHB R1 shoes are great! Asides from a few hiccups clipping in this morning they performed really well, definately a lot stiffer soled that what I was using! I even managed to beat a few people on MTB's off the lights with one leg as I was having problems clipping in with the left foot :-D

greg66_tri_v2.0

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Fun ride in this morning. Having set off I thought I'd forgotten my lock so made a quick stop to check and confirmed that indeed it was in my bag. I then realized that I *think* I'd left my pump at home (different bag with me yesterday and I don't trust the general public to leave it attached to bike whilst locked on street)...........no prizes for guessing what happens next!

Yep! PPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTT

BJUK, you need one of these (bit smaller than my little finger in real life) and a threaded cartridge. 100psi minimum, every time. In about a second.

So, this morning. VB lights. Decide I'll put the hammer down when the lights go green. For laughs.

Pull away in the 19. For laughs. Up to 120. Click to the 17. Up to 120. Click to the 16. Up to 120. Bit slower to get the cadence up this time. Christ, this feels harder than it should. Click to the 15. Crank it. 117. 118. Holding just over 50kmh. No good. Can't push it any harder.

WTF is wrong with me?

Look up and see the flag over the pier opposite Millbank tower. It looks starched. And it's pointing the way I've just come.

Fcuking headwinds.

Greg T

Christophe3967 wrote:

Goodness me it was busy on the Embankment last night; where have these people come from??)

It was jammers.

There must have been at least twenty roadies of various flavours waiting at the big Vauxhall bridge junction to head off to their spiritual homeland, west London. There was some strategic speed control to just time the lights right to avoid that sinking feeling as your wheels fully stop, just as the lights go green and the cannier players skin you ragged as you arse around trying to clip in and get going, whilst flapping like a budgie.

The new stretch of silk smooth tarmac running up to the last bridge is a joy.

Citizen Smith

Flogged myself ragged on the ride home last night. I'm trying to up my RPM on the big ring.....green shoots of improvement are appearing.

Best bit about last night was I happened upon a roadie w/ small backpack at the Latchmere crossroads. Lights go green, let's see what this chap's made of. Under the railway bridge...he's going a fair lick but I'm soft pedalling to keep my obligatory non-drafting distance but I know I can have him.

Wait till Col de Latchmere and bam I take him halfway up the hill.

Ouch! That has to hurt - done by a hybrid with two panniers the size of small elephants.

Lots of good duelling down the drag strip this morning...@DDD, still haven't seen you yet mate!

sneakybear

After being recently initiated into the rules of FCN, by a young lady I am in the process of getting to know, I feet a deep sense of satisfaction last night. In fact so great I feel compelled to 'contribute' to this forum of chat. FCN is indeed one of the most important and misunderstood quantative analysis tools available in the arsenal of anyones training schedule.

Bagged a scooter! Not one of those 250cc's either an 'almost' proper 500cc one... had to pedal like my lungs and heart were indeed not needed or required ever again however it turns out this brand of scooter can only muster about 55-60kph! Result as I managed more through the Millwall tunnel.

So, the question really is can I now shave my legs?

nation

No prey today, but I did have a cheery conversation with a fantastically mustachioed chap on a lugged mercian that looks like it's been running forever and will continue to do so.

Also, some of my least favourite potholes have spray paint around them. I can only hope that repairs are forthcoming.

greg66_tri_v2.0

sneakybear wrote:

After being recently initiated into the rules of FCN, by a young lady I am in the process of getting to know, I feet a deep sense of satisfaction last night. In fact so great I feel compelled to 'contribute' to this forum of chat. FCN is indeed one of the most important and misunderstood quantative analysis tools available in the arsenal of anyones training schedule.

Bagged a scooter! Not one of those 250cc's either an 'almost' proper 500cc one... had to pedal like my lungs and heart were indeed not needed or required ever again however it turns out this brand of scooter can only muster about 55-60kph! Result as I managed more through the Millwall tunnel.

So, the question really is can I now shave my legs?

Welcome, sneakybear!

Now then. Which one of our comely females have you been making your "Life on Earth" sexy courtship moves on, I wonder? Hmm.... Why do I suspect it's Totalnewbie? Hmmm. Time will tell.

Can you shave your legs? Only you know the answer to that one. You can manage standing in the kitchen, but can you take sitting in the oven... You tell us.

Christophe3967

sneakybear wrote:

After being recently initiated into the rules of FCN, by a young lady I am in the process of getting to know, I feet a deep sense of satisfaction last night. In fact so great I feel compelled to 'contribute' to this forum of chat. FCN is indeed one of the most important and misunderstood quantative analysis tools available in the arsenal of anyones training schedule.

Bagged a scooter! Not one of those 250cc's either an 'almost' proper 500cc one... had to pedal like my lungs and heart were indeed not needed or required ever again however it turns out this brand of scooter can only muster about 55-60kph! Result as I managed more through the Millwall tunnel.

So, the question really is can I now shave my legs?

Good man! 55-60 kph is pretty representative of the average speeds here

Shave away - now's the time, and most of us here like the smooth feel. 8) Don't forget also the tan - its important not to let the side down with white legs. L'Oréal Plenitude Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Spray is the way to go. But be careful - the streaky look is not cool, so its important to follow the process properly to avoid any streakiness or uneven patches. So, make sure you exfoliate, then shave and afterwards use body lotion to help the skin absorb the spray better. Hold the bottle at arms length so not to apply unevenly. Be careful as the the spray is clear and you can't always tell if you have sprayed too much at one part. Once you think you have sprayed enough, just rub it in so that it is even. You may need help with this bit. You'll need to wear very loose fitting clothes afterwards as you want it to dry properly. Don't wear white btw.

Welcome to the SCR club - you're amongst friends. 8)

shoulder_of_orion

what a great ride in.

a LOT of tarty fakengers out and about. I passed quite a few of them but they don't really count with their silly egg beater malarky, rolled up trouser legs and RLJ tendencies.

At the very start of my morning commute there is quite a nasty little hill, nothing special, normal London fare. But as it is at the very beginning on my commute, before I am properly warmed up it presents a mild challenge (and normally serves the purpose of warming me up) but this morning there was some prey on the hill as I approached. Unfortunately he made it to the summit before me, but I had closed the 200 yard gap by then and passed him on the flat. In that instant of "shock and awe", he was clearly perturbed and hugged my back wheel for the next few hundred yards, I put some pace on nothing major say 22-23 mph on a slight incline and he held my wheel. Then the road takes another sharpish incline and I lost him big time, left him straggling and panting. SCALP! I looked back when I got to the top and he had his mobile phone out in some kind of pitiful excuse, he wasn't talking on it just kind of looking at it!!

I had one heroic pass of a true smelly single speed courier. This time on the stretch between Oval and Vauxhall - a short stretch but the lights were green (so he couldn't RLJ), the road open and I took him big time, he feigned that he was not trying or caring, but I saw your grimace matey boy... and you saw my smile.

The best one by far occurred over quite a long stretch of the embankment, but unfortunately I cannot count this as a true scalp - blasted rules! He was wearing a team GB cycling jersey! I have consulted the rules this morning but there is no mention of that, but its gotta be on a par with a TDF jersey, surely?? If I can take the -2 for that then it counts!

Anyway, I first spied him at the red lights on the south side of Vauxhall bridge. He was an old boy, probably mid-fifties, tourer, single panier, full road kit, including as I have mentioned Team GB jersey. There were at least 20 cycles gathered at the lights, and the old goat leapt immediately to the front and accelerated at pace. Chapeau old man - you wear the team GB shirt but certainly don't disgrace it. He had accelerated faster than me, but I was able to maintain the gap once he had reached top speed, he was about 20 yards in front. Then he got in front of a bus and was away in traffic and filtering.

I thought I had lost him, but a bit further on down the embankment I spotted him in front moving at full pelt on a open stretch. I had sucked in, swallowed up and spat out all before me this morning, the force was truly with me. I was in the big gear, the daddy gear and moving at over 30mph he was down on the bars and putting in full effort. I swept passed him after having slowly reeled him in, I had my hands on the brake hoods and was pedalling at a slowish cadence. He was badly flustered after I passed him and again tired some aggressive filtering at the next traffic jam. I got past him again and didn't look back.

shoulder_of_orion

sneakybear wrote:

Bagged a scooter! Not one of those 250cc's either an 'almost' proper 500cc one...

I think you mean 50cc?? A 500cc bike can go a lot faster than 60kph

DonDaddyD

DonDaddyD wrote:

I must be fast! I must be!

I drop him take a guy on a red Voodoo hybrid in Colliers wood and make my way home wondering what the hell happened at the Marlborough Loop and trying to think of ways I can combine my flat road spinning to hill climbing.... advice please?

Saw the same guy on the Red Voodoo hybrid this morning. I was several clicks away from him as he powered along towards Tooting Bec tube station.

Me being stuck behind the slowest roadie in the World on the oldest road bike ever - I think they called them racers back when it was new, Greg66 was about 25 in those days. - I couldn't catch him.

Now this guy can shift (has given me trouble prior to Marlborough) and the lights, traffic and other cyclists were against me. After an emergency stop because a garbage truck didn't want to allow me to move around a bus I caught upto him, scalped him and then stopped to see why he shouted along the Clapham Common drag strip. Looking back worried I notice this women in a car is still trying to push him off the road, up the curb, over the pavement and onto the common while trying to switch lanes... We acknowledged each other and how wrong the driver was. The driver apologised and we rode off into the sunset.

Nice guy, still didn't give him his scalp back though.

This proves that I'm getting faster and fitter, before Marlborough and the Ultegra crank upgrade I wasn't able to continually keep up with the guy let alone chase him down over a mile, overtake and maintain dominance. Now he is nothing compared to my awesome! Easiliy beneath the contempt of DonDaddyD!

Bassjunkieuk

After my hiccup this morning I'm going to attempt to track my commute home on Sportstracker, and this is one I've been looking forward to.
It's probably the most hilly of my rides so it will be interesting to see what the stats are for climbs on Denmark Hill and College Road/Fountain Drive when I get towards Crystal Palace!
I might even try and eek out some extra awesome to get a noteworthy top speed down Grange Road :-)

45 minutes and counting..........

Greg T

Greg66 wrote:

BJUK, you need one of these (bit smaller than my little finger in real life) and a threaded cartridge. 100psi minimum, every time. In about a second.

You've missed the bit about it not seating on the valve properly and spraying your fingers with liquid CO2 flash freezing them and hurting "something chronic" as we used to say when I was at school in the late 13th Century.

Here's a question - where do the fingerless mitts go over winter?

Every spring I go to my drawer of bike kit - which surely must be where I put my mitts when it got too cold to take (late August) and - gone. Not in the house. There again after a good couple of weeks they are so rank they've probably evolved sentience and make a bid for freedom when I'm not looking.

Bassjunkieuk

I've always been a bit wary of CO2 inflators.........for me I'm perfectly happy to carry my pump on the bike frame and it doesn't take to long to get upto the correct pressure!
Of course this is all reliant on me having my pump with me, maybe I should get a backup system??

Christophe3967

Greg T wrote:

[here's a question - where do the fingerless mitts go over winter?

They elope with your favourite summer socks, leaving only a few odd ones.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Greg T wrote:

Here's a question - where do the fingerless mitts go over winter?

Every spring I go to my drawer of bike kit - which surely must be where I put my mitts when it got too cold to take (late August) and - gone. Not in the house. There again after a good couple of weeks they are so rank they've probably evolved sentience and make a bid for freedom when I'm not looking.

Ah, see now, what you need is this.

A winter kit drawer for winter kit.
A summer kit drawer for summer kit (maybe sub-divided into colour coded sections)
A spring/autumn drawer for the rest.

If you're dead posh, like, you have separate spring and autumn drawers. But you have to have a title or letters after your name for that.

Ask Jash. He's got this all sorted out. In fact, I think he's progressed to a walk in wardrobe for each category.

Mitts can't run far, see, 'cos they've got short little legs. Winter gloves - now they can shift. You need a shovel and sharp eye when they go runaround.

Greg T

Of all of the mini criiters that have evolved from the primordial soup that is my minging kit surely the least attractive are the padding animals in my skid lid.

They have evolved a very strong defence against drowning. When it rains they eject a powerful minging toxic liquid that runs down my face gets in my eyes and tastes like the spitoon in the cow punchers bar, Hicksville just after a truck load of chewingtobacco has crashed in the street and been pillaged by the cud chewing locals.

I'm gagging just thinking about it.

Yes I knopw I can condition them to avoid this reaction by washing them in water ahead of the big rain incident but - I can't be arsed.

snooks

Greg T wrote:

Yes I knopw I can condition them to avoid this reaction by washing them in water ahead of the big rain incident but - I can't be arsed.

You could always wear it in the shower....it not like you'll be washing your hair!!!....is it?

Greg T

snooks wrote:

You could always wear it in the shower....it not like you'll be washing your hair!!!....is it?

Since you quit the Twickenham Massive you are dead to me.

I do not know you and disrespect your east London Postcode.

Boomchakka

DonDaddyD

Greg T wrote:

snooks wrote:

You could always wear it in the shower....it not like you'll be washing your hair!!!....is it?

Since you quit the Twickenham Massive you are dead to me.

I do not know you and disrespect your east London Postcode.

Boomchakka

Come now MrT

Snooks won't be the last man to sell his soul to a Woman....

I did it myself, only for me I moved out of London's armpit and onto its Shoulder. I suppose for Snooks however, he moved from the other Shoulder and down to the toe nail... East London eeewwww it's all skinny jeans and Converse around there...

Eau Rouge

snooks wrote:

I'd love to see them try that down the Mile End road....Its so bumpy I'm thinking about inventing the Full sus road bike!!!

Bianchi beat you to it
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/default.a ... ory&id=836

Bassjunkieuk

Damn and bugger! Arrived outside the house earlier, pull my phone out of my pocket and see it has registered approximately 0.00 miles of my journey home! Seems the blasted bluetooth GPS thingy wasn't picking up satelites and I'd disabled the internal one to save battery power!! Will have to try again tomorrow.........
New PB down Grange Road tho...........40.2mph :-) At one point I even shook my head at a car trying to pull out from a side road "NO, your not going to make it out in front of me!!! :twisted: "

Back OT briefly tho, not much SCR action. Had a roadie pull up behind me at one of the sets of cross roads as I was crossing into College Road, leading towards "The Hill". I held him off the whole way up Fountain Drive and he only managed to get close as we got on the roundabout, I then dumped him silly along Crystal Palace Parade only for the scumbag to RLJ and head down Anerley Hill! If this is the guys normal route in and he tackles Anerley on the way to work I'd have thought he'd be a bit better on the hills - either that or he was holding back :-)

Found a properly rapid SS shortly after losing the first roadie, lovely trackstand and a quasi RLJ meant he had a good lead on me and I knew he was going to be trouble when I had to get upto 26 to start catching him! A blind driver who nearly ran him over helped close the gap as he had to spin back up but he was holding 22/23mph with very little sign of "effort" so chapeau sir - very quick

So it's Friday tomorrow and I just thought I'd throw this out to the group - who's up for a drinks tomorrow evening? I'll mention it to the missus now and hopefully I might be able to get a couple in!

Christophe3967

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Seems the blasted bluetooth GPS thingy wasn't picking up satelites and I'd disabled the internal one to save battery power!!!

You have a satellite in your phone? Cool.

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

New PB down Grange Road tho...........40.2mph :-) At one point I even shook my head at a car trying to pull out from a side road "NO, your not going to make it out in front of me!!! :twisted: "!

Chapeau - 40 mph - how scary is that? Car drivers don't get it when you're doing 25 so God knows what happens at 40! Thank goodness you're nowhere near the embankment. It would really spoil my evening if I ran in to you, JG, CJCP, G66, or JB

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

So it's Friday tomorrow and I just thought I'd throw this out to the group - who's up for a drinks tomorrow evening? I'll mention it to the missus now and hopefully I might be able to get a couple in!

I would be up for this but Mothering Sunday looms and with it the arrival of the family on Friday evening. For the whole weekend. Yippee. No weekend riding either.

biondino

I should really post this on the fixed gear thread but I think you should all know - I just picked up the Vigorelli!

I cycled it back from London Bridge - 9 or 10 miles I guess? I have seldom if ever been so scared on a bike, and for once not because of traffic. My hands are stiff and sore, my bum feels tender in unusual places, and my mind is a whirr.

Initial thoughts, in no particular order:

- don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling
- I did stop pedalling, of course, 4 times I think, once as I was almost home and subconsciously easing up. No-one told me that as well as the upward thrust you also get what feels like speed wobble! Thank god I was gripping the bars so hard...
- saddle needs to be slightly higher and pointing slightly further up, and if a quill stem's height can be adjusted - it can, can't it? - I'd like that slightly higher too. But no surprise as the bike wasn't set up for me
- why do people ride fixed gear bikes without the world's best front brake? The Vigorelli has a brand new Tiagra caliper and some strange, small lever with sharp edges which may be the nuts in the world of track (yes, I know they don't use brakes on the track) but is really not very user friendly. My fingers are knackered!
- man, I can go up hills quickly
- I've never felt such smoothness in a bike
- I miss hoods!
- 48/18 is an excellent gearing combo for London, phew

Anyway, more later I'm sure, I have to go to choir practice. I have no idea if I've done the right thing buying this bike. I'm just thankful I made it home in one piece.

Christophe3967

biondino wrote:

I should really post this on the fixed gear thread but I think you should all know - I just picked up the Vigorelli!

I cycled it back from London Bridge - 9 or 10 miles I guess? I have seldom if ever been so scared on a bike, and for once not because of traffic. My hands are stiff and sore, my bum feels tender in unusual places, and my mind is a whirr.

Initial thoughts, in no particular order:

- don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling
- I did stop pedalling, of course, 4 times I think, once as I was almost home and subconsciously easing up. No-one told me that as well as the upward thrust you also get what feels like speed wobble! Thank god I was gripping the bars so hard...
- saddle needs to be slightly higher and pointing slightly further up, and if a quill stem's height can be adjusted - it can, can't it? - I'd like that slightly higher too. But no surprise as the bike wasn't set up for me
- why do people ride fixed gear bikes without the world's best front brake? The Vigorelli has a brand new Tiagra caliper and some strange, small lever with sharp edges which may be the nuts in the world of track (yes, I know they don't use brakes on the track) but is really not very user friendly. My fingers are knackered!
- man, I can go up hills quickly
- I've never felt such smoothness in a bike
- I miss hoods!
- 48/18 is an excellent gearing combo for London, phew

Anyway, more later I'm sure, I have to go to choir practice. I have no idea if I've done the right thing buying this bike. I'm just thankful I made it home in one piece.

I know just how you feel. I so wanted to ride fixed but my resolve melted after a week and I flipped over. Such a wuss. :oops:

itboffin

biondino wrote:

I should really post this on the fixed gear thread but I think you should all know - I just picked up the Vigorelli!

I cycled it back from London Bridge - 9 or 10 miles I guess? I have seldom if ever been so scared on a bike, and for once not because of traffic. My hands are stiff and sore, my bum feels tender in unusual places, and my mind is a whirr.

Initial thoughts, in no particular order:

- don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling don't stop pedalling
- I did stop pedalling, of course, 4 times I think, once as I was almost home and subconsciously easing up. No-one told me that as well as the upward thrust you also get what feels like speed wobble! Thank god I was gripping the bars so hard...
- saddle needs to be slightly higher and pointing slightly further up, and if a quill stem's height can be adjusted - it can, can't it? - I'd like that slightly higher too. But no surprise as the bike wasn't set up for me
- why do people ride fixed gear bikes without the world's best front brake? The Vigorelli has a brand new Tiagra caliper and some strange, small lever with sharp edges which may be the nuts in the world of track (yes, I know they don't use brakes on the track) but is really not very user friendly. My fingers are knackered!
- man, I can go up hills quickly
- I've never felt such smoothness in a bike
- I miss hoods!
- 48/18 is an excellent gearing combo for London, phew

Anyway, more later I'm sure, I have to go to choir practice. I have no idea if I've done the right thing buying this bike. I'm just thankful I made it home in one piece.

Nice 8)

Pics please