Silly commuting racing

DonDaddyD

biondino wrote:

In the spirit of SCR he scalped me, but I got off on a technicality.

Nope, the minute those lights went green you should have chased him down in the spirit, passion and fury of SCR scalping him and making eye contact as you do it to enforce the principle that RLJers never prosper.

He scalped you and you gave up.

biondino

Hmm, I did chase him down but couldn't get any closer (about 200 yards behind him), but yes, I did give up before I actually lost him. Ah well.

DonDaddyD

Biondino chapeau for the effort!!!

I know it burns deep, I know how terrible it is when you're in the midst of a bout of SCR and the person decides to cheat by RLJing, the worst of the worst form of cheating. I had the same thing with Eleanor.

It doesn't take away from one undeniable truth.

He scalped you.

Greg T

biondino wrote:

Hmm, I did chase him down but couldn't get any closer (about 200 yards behind him), but yes, I did give up before I actually lost him. Ah well.

Can I borrow your copy of the Wizard of Oz?

My wife wants to watch a movie over the weekend and has refused both "The Longest Day, "Zulu" AND "The Guns of Navarone".

Christophe3967

jashburnham wrote:

Do wish RP was traffic free though - carpark access only for drivers would make me a happy bunny.

If only... There is a proposal to introduce parking charges in RP but I confess to being unsure whether this is a good thing or not ( I thought there were charges already). There is a possibility that it would result in more traffic if people decide to just drive round rather than paying, so its not as clear cut as it might appear. Of course, if the money was used to resurface the roads..

http://www.royalparks.org.uk/consultati ... ur_say.cfm

si. d

I had some classic SCR action on the commute last night. Some dude buzzed passed me while I was waiting at some lights on a tarty singlespeed hybrid- turned up jeans, spds, no helmet and messenger bag- it had to be done!

We jockeyed for position up the bottom of gloucester road, I comfortably overtook him on the open bus lanes but he kept overtaking every time I got to traffic with some slick moves. Although not a true scalp in FCN terms, and although it wasn't a clear outright win, I want to claim the moral scalp since he epitomises everything I dislike in bicycle fashion right now-

Shiny Hybrid bike, jeans... MTFU and get a 20 year old Raleigh!

What is a hybrid bike anyway, another marketing word for compromise.

shoulder_of_orion

I cast all the usual flim-flam aside with routine ease this morning.

I so very nearly scalped a packed bus across Vauxhall bridge, we were neck-and-neck at the "summit" and I could tell he was really gunning the engine as much as he possibly could, but gravity helped him on the other side and he beat me to the lights. Got some smiles from the poor souls trapped inside.

I had an unholy alliance of green lights along embankment from Vauxhall all the way past Kings Road, so I was in a world of pain by the time I got to the office.

This evenings race will be my last for at least 3 weeks as I am off to Africa. Will you miss me?

I'm going to deepest jungle on the Nigeria/Cameroon border to take part in a tribal initiation ceremony. Not quite sure what it involves but hopefully all my SCR will have helped get me fit.

I heard a rumour that the initiation involves drinking at some point, so I should be alright for that bit...

biondino

Guys - a marketing opportunity for us...

redvee

Greg T wrote:

biondino wrote:

Hmm, I did chase him down but couldn't get any closer (about 200 yards behind him), but yes, I did give up before I actually lost him. Ah well.

Can I borrow your copy of the Wizard of Oz?

My wife wants to watch a movie over the weekend and has refused both "The Longest Day, "Zulu" AND "The Guns of Navarone".

Hire a couple of special films like Richard Timney did from VirginMedia :oops: but don't let the details become public knowledge.

Christophe3967

redvee wrote:

Greg T wrote:

biondino wrote:

Hmm, I did chase him down but couldn't get any closer (about 200 yards behind him), but yes, I did give up before I actually lost him. Ah well.

Can I borrow your copy of the Wizard of Oz?

My wife wants to watch a movie over the weekend and has refused both "The Longest Day, "Zulu" AND "The Guns of Navarone".

Hire a couple of special films like Richard Timney did from VirginMedia :oops: but don't let the details become public knowledge.

What a c*ck up by our esteemed Home Secretary. Now that Rupert Murdoch knows some members of the cabinet are not Sky subscribers, its game over for the government.

il_principe

Christophe3967 wrote:

redvee wrote:

Greg T wrote:

biondino wrote:

Hmm, I did chase him down but couldn't get any closer (about 200 yards behind him), but yes, I did give up before I actually lost him. Ah well.

Can I borrow your copy of the Wizard of Oz?

My wife wants to watch a movie over the weekend and has refused both "The Longest Day, "Zulu" AND "The Guns of Navarone".

Hire a couple of special films like Richard Timney did from VirginMedia :oops: but don't let the details become public knowledge.

What a c*ck up by our esteemed Home Secretary. Now that Rupert Murdoch knows some members of the cabinet are not Sky subscribers, its game over for the government.

Not sure about your use of the word esteemed there.

Esteemed: "to set a high value on : regard highly and prize accordingly"

Nope.

How about avaricious/inadequate/conceited?

Yep, that's better. Christ I'm tired of Brown and his arrogant, complacent cronies. Time for a change please.

gb155

YAY Im back, 7 miles, 28 mins, not my best but after an enfoced 2 weeks off the bike I was happy, No one to scalp but that will come, passed 1800 miles too, Hurrrrrah.

il_principe

Lost track of the nmuber of times I was scalped this morning, 20? 30? who knows. It was painful. (althought the roadies that use the Strand need to MTFU - yep you scalped us but you feckers are still sloooooooow).

In my defence I was escorting my girlfriend into work and she does bimble. The Embankment and her haven't seen eye to eye so we tried Strand, Fleet Street, Cannon st. Far worse IMHO, awful road surface and traffic lights every 10 metres. Took 1 hour to do 9.5 miles. Still I'm delighted she's sticking with it, this is her second day on the trot and it's almost a 20 mile round trip for her.

On my own tonight so I'll be on the prowl for scalps...

linsen

I just don't get the opportunity for proper scalps on my way to work, due to FCN numbers and all that, so this morning I donned some baggies and so I think quite possibly the three people I did sail past with a cheery good morning sort of count.

I also think that MTBs should be renamed "off-road bikes". Maybe that way people wouldn't be misled into thinking they are a good idea for struggling up hilly roads on.

I can certainly feel there is a little more power in my legs these days when I push up the hills. That, coupled with some pretty long leisure rides have put my 12 mile commute well and truly into perspective. I was just about to say that I may make April a record month for trips in to work on the bike, then I remembered that I have the next two weeks off......

Kieran_Burns

Well my SCR became Silly Coney Racing

I was 'belting' down the bridleway and had rabbits running out from all directions. Little sods were zipping here there and everywhere and a couple of them did the panic thing and shot along the path right in front of my wheels.

Such fun in the morning.

Really odd combination of warm sunshine but cold morning air had me steaming by the time I got to work.

Glorious commute though - best one this year and even taking my time got me to work in under an hour.

DonDaddyD

What a commute home.

I got punked twice and one compliment.

Pulled up at the lights by the second half of the Clapham Park road drag strip. A guy on a red Allez started asking about the model of my helmet. I recommended it. It was all pleasant and then the lights went green and he dropped me. I’ve got a thing about not letting bikes within my price bracket dropping me so I burst a blood vessel catching him and reclaiming my scalp.

I thought that there was no way he could maintain that pace ( he was riding around 24mph it took 25-27mph to overtake him) so I slowed down a bit (to ensure that I didn’t die) and he continued at that speed and blazed past me. I was so glad he got through the lights and I didn’t, I would have needed to pull over to catch my breath…

Then up by Clapham common I saw a shaved roadie. Lights go green and he overtakes a hybrid, I then move out and move out again to take both the hybrid and the shaven roadie. Again I spin like I hate myself, hit the wall of pain and then promptly slow down. At the lights the shaved roadie pulls up next to me and asks looking all concerned

“You alright mate, you looked like you had some trouble”

I said “no”

He continues “Oh you seemed to slow down sharpish, I thought you had a mechanical problem or something, perhaps pulling over to pump up a wheel or something”

I pathetically used the bus ahead of me as my excuse, claiming that I had slowed down for it while desperately trying not to show that I was currently having a heart attack secretly thinking:

Cheers for the concern mate. IT’S ON NOW!!!

Through the rest of Clapham, Balham, Tooting, Colliers Wood until he turned off as I heading to Wimbledon I chased this guy as he held a solid 19-20mph.

At one of the lights I found out that his blue and yellow Specialized was 8 years old. At another lights towards the end of our dance I found that he is a member of London Dynamo (on close inspection he had the full kit on) and races mainly in France and Italy (because its not safe over here as they don’t close the roads). He then told me that

I should join them as well, I’m not doing too badly

OK so he hasn’t seen me go up a hill and it may have been sarcasm but to me it was a complement and it instilled in me new life!!! I sprinted home all joyful to tell my girlfriend about this monumental complement!

Chapeau myself!!!

lost_in_thought

Well well! You boys have been busy, haven't you?!

Congrats for the milestones, I mean, wow, that was epic. I was on the edge of my seat.

I'm back in the game, to an extent. Embarrassed a roadie this morning, he came hurtling past me at some lights which had just turned green, so I put the hammer down and BAM shot past him at 26mph. Hell yeah. I'm going back to the big gear this evening. :twisted:

However, my lungs are less than happy with the transition from hot, dry, clean aussie country air to damp, cold, polluted London air. They tried to mastermind an escape from my body through my windpipe at Shepherd's Bush, but I reminded them that they couldn't get back to oz without a passport. Bleurgh.

CP - sounds bloomin' awful - get better soon!

Blondie - did you have a FG 'incident'?

Jash - telling your girlfriend that you have two female friends who will teach her to WTFU = bad idea...

il_principe

lost_in_thought wrote:

Jash - telling your girlfriend that you have two female friends who will teach her to WTFU = bad idea...

Welcome back LiT. The SHEBU roadies'll be spinning for cover in no time.

I've not said a word to the GF, but she does need to WTFU. Seems to have developed a tactic of pedal pedal, coast coast coast coast, pedal pedal, repeat. :shock:

Bless her efforts though, Germanic persistence coupled with Turkish pride...

Bassjunkieuk

Welcome back LiT :-) As Jash has said I suspect all those cyclist in Shebu will be riding for cover soon!!!

DDD - Sounds like you had great fun, wish I could find these elusive cyclist alone that strip! I've got 2 days up town next week before I have my easter break and celebrate yet another first birthday :-D Might have to get creative with my route home to take in as much potential scalpage as possible!!!

biondino

lost_in_thought wrote:

Blondie - did you have a FG 'incident'?

Nope! Why, did you think I had? I haven't ridden it since I picked it up for the sole reason that I am scared of it (well, that and the fact that I haven't yet bothered to make necessary tweaks). I will ride it round the park with you, though, if you'd be okay holding my hand (metaphorically and probably literally).

lost_in_thought

biondino wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Blondie - did you have a FG 'incident'?

Nope! Why, did you think I had? I haven't ridden it since I picked it up for the sole reason that I am scared of it (well, that and the fact that I haven't yet bothered to make necessary tweaks). I will ride it round the park with you, though, if you'd be okay holding my hand (metaphorically and probably literally).

Ahh you said you were scared of it and I presumed you'd had a FG moment!

Definitely up for riding round the park but am dying of jet lag, so it might well be next week! Also, I am currently still avec freewheel, so need to switch back. This involves taking links out of my chain, which is tiresome at best!

biondino

Freewheel's fine! No need to change on my account Next week works fine with me. Shall we take this off board?

(I did obviously have FG moments in the sense of the occasional "oh bugger why did I take my feet off the pedals" and "what the hell is that wobble" and "hope to god I don't have to emergency stop" but nothing actually painful, apart from cramp in my right hand for spending some much time with the stupid brake squeezed tight)

LazyBoycp

Adjudication request...

This morning I was about a mile into my commute when a roadie (nice Sirrus, I think) came past me at a set of red lights, and then proceeded to RLJ. When the lights changed, I set off after him, getting past him at the next set of lights (he had slowed down as he approached them, but I timed it so I didn't lose much momentum). For the next mile or thereabouts (on the road from Northenden to Manchester, if anyone knows the area) I cruised along at a bit over 21mph , with him a couple of yards behind. As we neared Barlow Moor Road, another roadie (his bike was all taped up, so don't know if it was any good) pulled out in front of me, weaving all over the place and spitting as he tried to clip in. Obviously I slowed down to avoid crashing into him, at which point Sirrus passed. I overtook roadie 2 a little later, and chased down Sirrus. Just as I was catching up, he got through a set of lights as they turned red, so I had to stop. :evil: I never saw him again.

Roadie 2 drafted me for a couple of miles after I passed him, then RLJd and, like Sirrus, got through a set of lights that I had to stop at when they changed a couple of seconds later.

Can I count these as moral scalps? I know I didn't leave them trailing in my wake, but they were drafting me (on my slick-shod MTB, FCN8 with adjusters) for quite a while, only getting ahead when they RLJd. They were both probably about FCN5 (unshaved roadies with baggies, can't remember about rucksacks, pedals, etc).

Your opinions would be appreciated! (As long as you agree with me - I have no interest in hearing from those of you who don't! )

(I'm only asking for an adjudication because I'm annoyed that they got away from me through cheating!)

biondino

I'd give you the win on points. You know it's not a true top-level scalping but morally you've got it. Chapeau.

biondino

I scalped a taxi last night, which was nice! Down the hill on Holland Park, it was dead on 30mph and I must have been 32 or 33 as I went past and stayed past, even on the flat bit. Fun.

Today, though... I dunno if I'm paying for my speediness of the last couple of days, or my slight hangover, or my ribs (managed to over-exert myself and made them really sore again) preventing me breathing properly, but I pootled. I didn't even want to pootle. At times I just coasted, head down, defeated. So disheartening!

lost_in_thought

OK, so I was reading that thinking 'nah, no scalp, he should have been able to reel them in between the lights' until I got to this bit:

on my slick-shod MTB, FCN8 with adjusters

and now I'm not so sure.

You could invoke the old 'you RLJ you lose' rule...

itboffin

Well the RLJ'd and as you say were roadies therefore you could have cruised at any speed you like the fact that you kept a 20+mph pace with two roadies should be good enough for a moral scalp.

Now sell that MTB, shave your legs and don full skin tight Lycra ASAP :twisted:

LazyBoycp

itboffin wrote:

Well the RLJ'd and as you say were roadies therefore you could have cruised at any speed you like the fact that you kept a 20+mph pace with two roadies should be good enough for a moral scalp.

Now sell that MTB, shave your legs and don full skin tight Lycra ASAP :twisted:

But I love my MTB! Mind you, I've been thinking of getting some sort of road bike that I wouldn't mind leaving locked up at work (my Spec Roubaix Expert is too beautiful and precious to leave anywhere!) so I can get even more scalping done, not that there's much available round here. Not sure what kind of bike to get though - would love something like a Bob Jackson fixed, (mmm...) but a CX/road bike with gears would probably be more sensible with my slightly dodgy knee.

LiT wrote:

You could invoke the old 'you RLJ you lose' rule...

Yes, but that's something I use as a last resort - I can usually catch most people even if they do RLJ! (Not you though, I expect! )

itboffin

Yes a nice CX bike that sounds perfect :twisted:

Kinda like THIS....!!!



DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

il_principe

Eeeeew!