Silly commuting racing

cjcp

Attica wrote:

A word of warning though, only experiment during training rides, there's nothing worse than trying to be competitive whilst drinking something that is upsetting your stomach or that tastes horrible, same goes for gels and anything else you eat.

Amen to that.

cjcp

Just the one scalp this morning. A scooter on Millbank.

jonginge

Beautiful tailwind along there this morning. I scalped a car
The rest of the journey wasn't so great. My legs are toast today and I'm thinking the ride home will be "interesting"

Bassjunkieuk

Good fun on the way in this morning! journey didn't start to well as I'd misplaced my new shoes so had to resort to the old ones. Realized after I'd set off just how stiff the soles on the new DHB ones are :-)

Took a guy on a SCR2.0 near Crystal Palace, we went a different way towards Dulwich Village and I found him again coming across the roundabout, think I'll try that route next time! I took him again and then beat him through the next set of lights :-)

Camberwell was dead, did find a rather enthuastic hybrid rider who was giving it some beans but nothing that caused a big problem. I got ahead of him on the entrance to E&C but then had to slow a bit as it was rather blustery and I didn't plan on being blown under a bus! Some tw4t on a disc-braked MTB had to pull a rather quick stop to avoid hitting me on the as he came onto the bus lane from the next entrance, serves him right for not checking correctly!!!

Picked off a couple more SS/FG courier types towards Borough High Street and found a rather enthuastic guy on a Giant FCR. I'll give this guy some credit he was certainly giving it some, just not enough to make his lead stick. Each time we got to lights he'd try to get ahead but failed, he tried to get ahead whilst filtering towards London Bridge Station but I managed to keep on my excellent run with the lights (I'd hit about 6 on amber earlier!) and held him off. Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge and then had to get my head down and pedal a bit harder as I had a rather nasty wind to contend with - couldn't seem to make its mind up as to weather it wanted to batter me from the front, left or right!!!

Lined up at the far end I'm again joined by FCR and Touche guys, lights go green and all three of us go blasting off, laying down some serious speed. FCR guy peels off down Fenchurch Street and me and Touche guy carry on straight up. I then bear right to cross the road as my usual shortcut is blocked due to road closures. Then just as I do a quick shoulder check before pulling into work I find I have the FCR guy on my 6! Seems he works near the ghkerkin, but had managed to pick his way through the road closures! Good work :-)

cjcp

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Just checked the pic in his sig and can confirm it wasn't him. This chap was on nice shiny black one! The sprint off from the lights was excellent fun as we had a clear road and you normally get suicidal peds trying to get across at the crossing just round the corner, thankfully they'd spotted the 3 cyclists belting towards them and stayed put on the pavements :-)

jonginge

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Just checked the pic in his sig and can confirm it wasn't him. This chap was on nice shiny black one! The sprint off from the lights was excellent fun as we had a clear road and you normally get suicidal peds trying to get across at the crossing just round the corner, thankfully they'd spotted the 3 cyclists belting towards them and stayed put on the pavements :-)

So just to be clear. You didn't scalp Snoopy this morning?

jedster

no, can't be a serious bike. It's got top notch components, it's really light...but those ickle wheels, it must be really slow, right? Er, no.
And my Cadenza. Nice stiff frame. Slick tyres. Damn quick, even with me on it. But wait, it's got a couple of hinges, let's lower the FCN.

Surprised no one rose to the bait on this one.

I have to say that you are missing the point completely. We KNOW that there is no particular technical reason why folders can't be quick. It's the same with slicked up MTBs around town. The point is that there's no pretense about either - you're not riding anything that says "I'm fast".

BTW I think folders with 700c wheels are an utter abomination. The whole point of folders is that you can take them on public transport without annoying your fellow travellers. Big wheel folders completely fail to achieve this.

J

cjcp

jedster wrote:

The whole point of folders is that you can take them on public transport without annoying your fellow travellers. Big wheel folders completely fail to achieve this.

J

I thought the whole point of taking taking folders on public transport was to annoy your fellow travellers :P

c12345

22.1 mph average on the way in today.
I'm going to pay for that on the return journey though.
I might try and develop a technique similar to tacking seem as how my body makes for a very effective sail.

cjcp

Tacking across the road will keep everyone on their toes. :shock:

jonginge

Just wondering if echelons will form along embankment this evening...

cjcp

Last night was again hilarious. I expect more of the same tonight.

stuaff

jedster wrote:

Surprised no one rose to the bait on this one.

I have to say that you are missing the point completely. We KNOW that there is no particular technical reason why folders can't be quick. It's the same with slicked up MTBs around town. The point is that there's no pretense about either - you're not riding anything that says "I'm fast".

BTW I think folders with 700c wheels are an utter abomination. The whole point of folders is that you can take them on public transport without annoying your fellow travellers. Big wheel folders completely fail to achieve this.

J

I didn't miss the point, I get it exactly. I did say I'm happy to take full advantage of riding something that (according to others) makes me look like a clown, or gets a lower FCN just 'cause it hinges. Not my fault people look at a Dahon Mu EX and see the 20" wheels and not the SRAM Red groupset, or ignore Dura Ace & drops on a New Series...

Big wheel folders are an abomination? Like the sound of that. "Make way for the abomination!". And yes, I have taken it on the train, no-one complained. Perhaps it was too abominable for words

attica

Puts me in mind of one of these

jedster

Not my fault people look at a Dahon Mu EX and see the 20" wheels and not the SRAM Red groupset, or ignore Dura Ace & drops on a New Series...

I'm afraid I am sufficiently geeky that I would notice that stuff. But then I'd give you a funny look and wonder what other perversions you were partial too....


BTW - If you don't regularly take them on the train, what is the point? I do a bike train bike commute and leave a bike at each end. Means that my bikes don't have to be a compromise (other than the one in Town is designed not to be attractive to thieves).

J

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Not guilty, m'lud. I was having a race with a triathlete when I also got side swiped by a gust of wind - not nice at all.

Christophe3967

JonGinge wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Just checked the pic in his sig and can confirm it wasn't him. This chap was on nice shiny black one! The sprint off from the lights was excellent fun as we had a clear road and you normally get suicidal peds trying to get across at the crossing just round the corner, thankfully they'd spotted the 3 cyclists belting towards them and stayed put on the pavements :-)

So just to be clear. You didn't scalp Snoopy this morning?

That almost deserves a kiss on the nose.

And the correct colour is gun metal grey btw. Mine is baby blue of course.

cjcp

Christophe3967 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Not guilty, m'lud. I was having a race with a triathlete when I also got side swiped by a gust of wind - not nice at all.

No doubt you showed him who's boss.

Bassjunkieuk

Christophe3967 wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a guy on a nice Pearson Touche over London Bridge

Christophe?! :shock:

Just checked the pic in his sig and can confirm it wasn't him. This chap was on nice shiny black one! The sprint off from the lights was excellent fun as we had a clear road and you normally get suicidal peds trying to get across at the crossing just round the corner, thankfully they'd spotted the 3 cyclists belting towards them and stayed put on the pavements :-)

So just to be clear. You didn't scalp Snoopy this morning?

That almost deserves a kiss on the nose.

And the correct colour is gun metal grey btw. Mine is baby blue of course.

Well I'm glad we cleared that one up, all I have to do now is remember that if I do see any "baby blue" Touches to pedal like buggery as it could be either you or JA ;-)

cjcp

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Well I'm glad we cleared that one up, all I have to do now is remember that if I do see any "baby blue" Touches to pedal like buggery as it could be either you or JA ;-)

Or JG?

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Well I'm glad we cleared that one up, all I have to do now is remember that if I do see any "baby blue" Touches to pedal like buggery as it could be either you or JA ;-)

Or JG?

Gun metal grey for me. Seen a few of those on the commute, too...

stuaff

jedster wrote:

geeky that I would notice that stuff. But then I'd give you a funny look and wonder what other perversions you were partial too....


BTW - If you don't regularly take them on the train, what is the point? I do a bike train bike commute and leave a bike at each end. Means that my bikes don't have to be a compromise (other than the one in Town is designed not to be attractive to thieves).

J

Leaving a bike at each end is a compromise itself, right? The Jetstream I got when I was specifically looking for a folder (not for a commute, but I do take a bike on the train from time to time, lugging a full-size & full weight bike up and down station steps was no fun!). I still wanted something that would be good to ride even when I didn't need to fold it- a bike that folds, rather than a folding bike. And it's great for longer rides too- a big part of why I'm doing more mileage! Still makes me smile every time I ride it.
The Abomination replaced my previous hybrid as commute bike (plus deputy weekend fun bike). I wasn't looking for a folder, had in mind something like a Trek FX, but saw it on eBay, bid, got it. Don't need that to fold, but it's handy to have the option.
If nothing else, if/when I succumb to buying another bike, I'll be able to make room for all three!

stuaff

Attica wrote:

Puts me in mind of one of these

Lovely bikes indeed! I'd definitely have room for that

Bassjunkieuk

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Well I'm glad we cleared that one up, all I have to do now is remember that if I do see any "baby blue" Touches to pedal like buggery as it could be either you or JA ;-)

Or JG?

Gun metal grey for me. Seen a few of those on the commute, too...

Maybe I should just stick to my usual tactics of chasing down anything ahead of me whilst not letting anyone behind me get past, just to be on the safe side :-D

+1 for the Airnimal - damn fine looking machines! Saw a few on the Freewheel and they looked superb!

attica

Apparently very popular with triathletes for overseas races

biondino

I managed to avoid cycling home last night as I'd left my lights at home, doh. I am even going to leave early tonight so I can get home before it gets dark (I was at the gf's last night so couldn't pick them up). Roll on British Summer Time (this weekend, right?)!

jedster

Leaving a bike at each end is a compromise itself, right?

The compromise is that one of the two bikes is less "nice" than it could be if I didn't have to leave it at a station overnight. So yes. Personally I reckon locking and unlocking the bikes is preferable to humping a folder up and down steps and squeezing it onto busy commuter trains - that aspect is not a compromise.

Given how busy my trains are, I would need a compact, Brompton style folder. That would be a real compronise on the 10 mile rural cycle I have at one end of the journey.

<i>The Jetstream I got when I was specifically looking for a folder (not for a commute, but I do take a bike on the train from time to time, lugging a full-size & full weight bike up and down station steps was no fun!).</i>

Surely for a given type of bike a non-folder is going to be lighter than a folder. I take your point on size (although lots of cx racers seem quite happy running up hills with a bike on their shoulder!).

J

Clever Pun

No scr'ing for me this week, I'm ill and the doc has signed me off for a week... given I can barely walk in astraight line and get damn near exhausted getting up a flight of stairs...I cycling would be the end of me

shoulder_of_orion

People, today I struck the mother lode.

Yup, I bagged my first scooter. there were a bunch of bikes and motorbikes piled up behind a bus in the bus lane on the approach to elephant. the usual motley crew, but I dismissed the cycles as unlikely to pose any threat and like a lioness looking for a lame impala amongst the herd, I spied my likely prey...

An old man on a truly woeful moped. the bus started moving and I quickly dropped all the cyclists and was equally quickly dropped by the proper motorbikes. Lame impala moped man was left and it was a straight fight between the pair of us. I really put the hammer down and dropped him. In true DDD style I left him stranded (way) behind at a red light. In the end, like most of the sex I have had in my life it was all over far too quickly.

God that felt good. I wasn't expecting such spoils so early in my SCR career. after all I am not belting 3 times round Richmond Park every sunday or "doing" Alpe D'Huez on my spoddy gizmo of a morning...

:twisted: