Silly commuting racing

jedster

speaking of impeccable trackstanding (little pause to buff my nails on the breast pocket of my shirt). I rolled up to the lights at the crossing from Hyde Park into Mayfair this morning on my MTB SS conversion. Next to me was a guy on a fixie with his foot down. For some reason, the Gods smiled on me and I was able to hold a dead-still trackstand until the lights changed (normally I'm distinctly wobbly).

I even caught the fixie-rider giving me a respectful glance (either that or he was just stunned and appalled by the purple abominator).

Anyway the lights changed and I was OFF. Didn't see him again. Good think I suspect because he looked to have more gear inches and would have reeled me in given the chance.

Greg's amazing expanding ring has got me thinking. I'm running 42/14 on 26" wheels. Should I have a look for a nice 13t SS sprocket? A big ring may be impressive but it's small sprockets that have the true connoisseurs doffing their, er, caps.

Come to think of it 42/14 sounds quite high. Maybe its 42/16. Better check before I fire my kneecaps at the passing traffic.

J







0

Greg T

ride_whenever wrote:

Do we have a current list, or is the one on the first page still active? I fancy playing but cannae be arsed to trawl through 68 pages!

http://www.citrusskies.co.uk/fcn

Fury's ace calculator

Jedster - ickle cogs are cool.

Rings for Show, Cogs for Pros.

snooks

ride_whenever wrote:

Do we have a current list, or is the one on the first page still active? I fancy playing but cannae be arsed to trawl through 68 pages!

Full set of up dated rules are kept on the Facebook site:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17813152777

But use the FCN Calculator http://www.citrusskies.co.uk/fcn to work out your own...there was a bug with panniers though

Enjoy...Oh and life will NEVER be the same again

Dunston_checks_in

@ Jedster, GregT

I have been giving this matter some thought of late.

My heart tells me that THE GAME demands an Eddie Merckx-style 'hard man' approach. A flat out, mano-a-mano test of strength at every encounter. No mercy, no slacking off, no sneaky tricks. Head down on the 52 chainring and last one up the Galibier's a girl.

And yet. And yet...

This favours that lowliest of specimens - the long distance drafter. It is no good blasting past into the head wind, only to have some limpet stick to your back wheel for the next 2 miles while you mash on in front, only to pass you and turn off into a side road 10 seconds later.

We all know this kind of practice is repugnant and despicable. But let's not kid ourselves people. Such people exist on our roads and they are shameless.

For this reasons, I am increasingly coming to the view that such encounters are best treated like sprints in track cycling. The following principles apply:

1) On spying your prey up ahead, pace yourself. Approach cautiously, gather your strength. You need to be fresh for the coming encounter. We've all been in this game for a while now, and there's no need to 'blow our beans' on first contact.

2) Put the hammer down hard and pass them fast. This is imperative, both for reasons of honour in the GAME, but also because it deals a pre-emptive psychological blow for the coming trial of strength. NB. If your quarry spots you on approach and kicks you may have to work a bit to pass them. Even so, it is ESSENTIAL that you do so at the first opportunity. If you are lucky you will drop them straight away. But if they latch on to you...

3) Now comes the tactical phase. After laying down the gauntlet you BACK OFF and let them come at you. You are the Malliot Jaune, and if they want your scalp they're going to have to work for it. If they pass you you can draft them in response but PUSH THEM HARD. The trick is to get them to do the work while they're in front, but for you to set a relaxed pace while the wind's in your face.

AT NO POINT should you be temped to DRAFT OVER DISTANCE. Fair's fair, and we all have to take our turn at the front. We are not criminals or murderers.

4) If you play this game right - husband your resources and let them fritter theirs away -you will both exhaust your opponent and crush them psychologically. Their scalp will be yours for the taking when you finally decide to deliver your coup de grace.

Complicating factors:
1) Opponent is massively fitter than you (in which case they'd beat you anyway).
2) Other bikes on the road. It's all well and good slowing down for tactical reasons, but if that lets the guy on the Brompton burn past you both it's a poor show all round.

Finally, AT NOT POINT should you be SEEN TO BE TRYING during the duel. Your drafting tactics are simply about 'sharing the load' between two people travelling in to work on their bikes. When you finally drop them it's because you always go that fast - you are a cannibal plain and simple.

ride_whenever

meh,

life currently could do with a change...

Dunston_checks_in

PS snooks. Do you think we should add the 'no visible trying' rule to the facebook page?

2wheelzgood

hah wow after not being able to log on for a few days.. what tales of duelling, single gearing and hmm racing in queued traffic..
Milk float SOD has to be the post of the week so far!

CleverPun you referred to having ridden in Leeds.. wher abouts? I was about on my monster Frankenstein singlie in and around town on Sunday but fixing punctures and stuffing my face. I saw the Gay pride parade.. I'd have expected more cycle (esp bromptons and hybrids on that.

You say During that time we whizzed past a proper fixie one braker but with toe clips and non cycling clothes his fcn went to 5 the selfish git.

you see however since joining in with fixed riders and doing my singlespeed thing, I've learned that lycra is bad, toe straps are cool, especially doubles, deep v rims are mega (especially the non-machined ones for no brakes) even if they weigh a tonne and flex, and no one wears a lid expect me.. lucky it's stealthy and almost acceptable black giro. Also Jing RLs is a must and I admit to it on ride s in evenings.
So having non cycling kit (possible designer wool or turned up skinny jeans is a -1 for a true tarty fixie, as are toe clips, esp if used with some kind of skater shoes or converse.

Edited to ad something I saw on the LFGSS site

and yes even fixed riders can poke fun at themselves.. or is it at those poking fun at the fixed gear riders.. LFGSS is more abstract than VL's ramblings on here!


If you have no idea (like me before I was edumecated by those nice guys)
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread4509.html
http://www.londonfgss.com/thread7339.html

Greg and other larger-than-average-ringers.
I ride the same GI as you GT, 42 14 though on 700x28s. It's nice to cruise on flats and slight down hills at 25easy now right..! a bit more sweat uphills but unless I'm tried or have a hold-all full of weekend clothes on my back with 5L of bike cleaner in it, then speed up hills is about the same.

I know I run 14 teeth at the back and that more teeth is better. This is not just from anecdotal evidence but tightening up my ring (don't say anything Greg) I noticed a fair bit of wear at 4 or 5 teeth in 2 opposite positions on the ring. presumably the hammer-point when accelerating up hills or from starts. It's a £25 Aluminium Gusset ring. It's bling and the cogs are cheaper so i kept it when gearing up but not so sure it's the best policing to have soft metal and few teeth on an 80 inch gear.

I think, although not sure that Gusset or someone make a 13t cog.. it's look awesome for those in the know (show vs connoisseurs indeed) but use it if you like buying parts when they break though thigh-inch torqs!


PS GT are you fixing your large ring (cog but you know..) now then?

I am in the process of looking for a frame and building from there. you're idea seems clverer.. frames aren't cheap esp that Drummond ebay skammer with his "done up" heaps asking for the moon on a stick. I need to think. Oh and work. bye now![/img]

il_principe

jedster wrote:

Should I have a look for a nice 13t SS sprocket?

I think you should man-up on the chainring fella! 13t seems awfully small. How about sticking a 48 up front, that should complement the 16t nicely...

fury21

snooks wrote:

But use the FCN Calculator http://www.citrusskies.co.uk/fcn to work out your own...there was a bug with panniers though

oops! fixed now.

Clever Pun

2wheelzgood wrote:

hah wow after not being able to log on for a few days.. what tales of duelling, single gearing and hmm racing in queued traffic..
Milk float SOD has to be the post of the week so far!

CleverPun you referred to having ridden in Leeds.. wher abouts? I was about on my monster Frankenstein singlie in and around town on Sunday but fixing punctures and stuffing my face. I saw the Gay pride parade.. I'd have expected more cycle (esp bromptons and hybrids on that.

You say During that time we whizzed past a proper fixie one braker but with toe clips and non cycling clothes his fcn went to 5 the selfish git.

you see however since joining in with fixed riders and doing my singlespeed thing, I've learned that lycra is bad, toe straps are cool, especially doubles, deep v rims are mega (especially the non-machined ones for no brakes) even if they weigh a tonne and flex, and no one wears a lid expect me.. lucky it's stealthy and almost acceptable black giro. Also Jing RLs is a must and I admit to it on ride s in evenings.
So having non cycling kit (possible designer wool or turned up skinny jeans is a -1 for a true tarty fixie, as are toe clips, esp if used with some kind of skater shoes or converse.

I went from Headingly upto to the Cow and Calf then down the fast as fu<k hill with an unpleasant cattle grid at the end then back through otley I think it was about 33 miles round trip... lots of hills though, Saturday morning it was. Not that many out, but at the top of the C&C we saw why, this motherhumper of an evil black rain cloud closing in fast it chased us all the way back.

A courier pulled up next to me at the lights last night a no-breaker as well... proper mentalist, I let him go first off the lights and he's away like a shot, I get into my stride and realise he's topping out about 20, but he's not pushing it, I make sure I fly past him with barely a flick of the pedals... a mile or so later he catches me up since I've been sitting at the lights for a while... the same thing happens again he's off quick as you like I crush him again.... score one for gears

jedster

2wg,

invaluable information there - it's going to help me evaluate the messenger/fakenger opponents better. Course you won't catch me with any of that stuff, I think you'd describe my style as ostentatious utilitarianism.

I think the answer to awesome resistant sprockets is as follows (I too have gussett sprockets but these surly ones look the bidness):

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/use ... ocart5.htm

(page down to find them)

J

Physicsman

fury21 wrote:

snooks wrote:

But use the FCN Calculator http://www.citrusskies.co.uk/fcn to work out your own...there was a bug with panniers though

oops! fixed now.

Howdy Fury!

Sorry to report that there are more bugs! It's with the FCN Starting points this time, not the adjustments. FCN 2. Roadies with shaved legs - like girls through 7. "Fast Hybrids" are out by plus one.

For example: click on 1. Scooters (no adjustments) and click calculate you get 1, which is correct. Click 2. Roadies with shaved legs - like girls (no adjustments) and click calculate you get 3, not 2!. Similarly for FCN 3, the calculated number is 4 all the way through to fast hybrids which is claculated as 8 and not 7.

If you can fix that then the calculator is excellent!

Thanks dude!

jedster

By the way, I think Dunston has just written the tactical text book. Commendable.

Clearly, the most awesome display is to cruise past and gradually turn up the pace to the point that your victim can't keep up, even in your slipstream.

But realistically that's not going to happen easily against credible opposition. Unless of course, like me you are artificially limited by your gearing (cough, cough).

In which case tactics and psychology ARE necessary.

J

2wheelzgood

Yeah Jed those do look nice. I have Shimano dx-r's both 16 and 14t on the back. Londonfixiebike ebay seller Max (nice guy) sold me them.
It's my ring that's gusset. A flashy chunky example but still 3/32. Drilled out aluminium so it's actually lighter than helium (cannot be good for the stress forces.. surly same weight as air to make it "float on the bb would be best.. ) anyway it's also somehow made of cheese.


It'd be fine if my half link Gusset chain were also made of the same toughness cheese but I think it's much stronger.

Wow I just saw a 12t Gusset splined ring.. tempting! (if I want to chafe my ring further)

2wheelzgood

I just realised what I've done.

t'other day we shared thigh measurements.

Now I've shown you my ring.

Dunston_checks_in

Indeed. And without cleaning it first.

jedster

Ah, I see. Not want to get us back into thigh messuring territory but I actually managed to snap a chain ring (also using one of those half link chains). About a quarter of it just sheared off. I've since bought a MTB downhill chainring - burly.

jedster

like this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Goldtec-Chainring ... 6091a21923

il_principe

Installed one of these badboys last night (yep on the {Pearson!):

cjcp

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

@ Jedster, GregT

I have been giving this matter some thought of late.

My heart tells me that THE GAME demands an Eddie Merckx-style 'hard man' approach. A flat out, mano-a-mano test of strength at every encounter. No mercy, no slacking off, no sneaky tricks. Head down on the 52 chainring and last one up the Galibier's a girl.

And yet. And yet...

This favours that lowliest of specimens - the long distance drafter. It is no good blasting past into the head wind, only to have some limpet stick to your back wheel for the next 2 miles while you mash on in front, only to pass you and turn off into a side road 10 seconds later.

We all know this kind of practice is repugnant and despicable. But let's not kid ourselves people. Such people exist on our roads and they are shameless.

For this reasons, I am increasingly coming to the view that such encounters are best treated like sprints in track cycling. The following principles apply:

1) On spying your prey up ahead, pace yourself. Approach cautiously, gather your strength. You need to be fresh for the coming encounter. We've all been in this game for a while now, and there's no need to 'blow our beans' on first contact.

2) Put the hammer down hard and pass them fast. This is imperative, both for reasons of honour in the GAME, but also because it deals a pre-emptive psychological blow for the coming trial of strength. NB. If your quarry spots you on approach and kicks you may have to work a bit to pass them. Even so, it is ESSENTIAL that you do so at the first opportunity. If you are lucky you will drop them straight away. But if they latch on to you...

3) Now comes the tactical phase. After laying down the gauntlet you BACK OFF and let them come at you. You are the Malliot Jaune, and if they want your scalp they're going to have to work for it. If they pass you you can draft them in response but PUSH THEM HARD. The trick is to get them to do the work while they're in front, but for you to set a relaxed pace while the wind's in your face.

AT NO POINT should you be temped to DRAFT OVER DISTANCE. Fair's fair, and we all have to take our turn at the front. We are not criminals or murderers.

4) If you play this game right - husband your resources and let them fritter theirs away -you will both exhaust your opponent and crush them psychologically. Their scalp will be yours for the taking when you finally decide to deliver your coup de grace.

Complicating factors:
1) Opponent is massively fitter than you (in which case they'd beat you anyway).
2) Other bikes on the road. It's all well and good slowing down for tactical reasons, but if that lets the guy on the Brompton burn past you both it's a poor show all round.

Finally, AT NOT POINT should you be SEEN TO BE TRYING during the duel. Your drafting tactics are simply about 'sharing the load' between two people travelling in to work on their bikes. When you finally drop them it's because you always go that fast - you are a cannibal plain and simple.

A lot of thought gone in here. However, I (try to) adopt the Merckx approach, rather than the more modern, come-and-get-me approach. On the commute, you are alone, as was Cadel Evans in the mountains in the TdF. He allowed his opponents to come back at him and look what happened. As I view the commute as a "race of truth", however, perhaps a comparison with Big Mig's approach in the TTs is more apt.

Thus, my "Horizon Job" approach is:

1. Identify the target;
2. Carry out the necessary due diligence before you reveal yourself to the proposed passee and initiate the passing move;
3. Move out and hammer down - whether at full bore depends on your assessment of the passee's likely ability to latch on to the wheel. If there is that risk, pass wider of the passee's shoulder so that the passee has to work harder to get that wheel;
4. Keep the hammer down Maintain the speed and poise which says "Toot toot, bye bye, see ya"; no hanging around to give them second chances, just let them watch you disappear over the horizon into the setting sun; and
5. No drafting. Drafting is a sign of weakness. If someone is stronger than you, respect it, but that does not preclude you from trying to pass him/her further down the road - you just have to work hard for it.

il_principe

Seconded. You cannot pass and then hang back - that is a sign of weakness and can only be interpreted as "he only had enough puff to pass me." If you're gonna take a scalp then you must not give your victim an opportunity for redress.

2wheelzgood

Jash B is that on the Pearson yeah? (Oh how I want a touche but don't have £550!
Hmm take a FCN hit then will ya. Tart. Ta! Especially on a fixed!
Nice bike by the way!

Greg T

jedster wrote:

like this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Goldtec-Chainring ... 6091a21923

I think that posting links of pictures of chain rings is a new low.......

OK OK so I've dabbled with discussing gearing and such but even so this is a new level of spotterism that needs to be tackled head on.

I was tempted to ask what the centre spacings were on that - you see this is how it starts. A perfectly normal thread about grown men playing stupid games on push bikes degenerates into a tech fest.

We should be watchful of this. I asked Thor what he thought about this and he said he was going to "Get Dark Ages on my Anglo Saxon Arse - I use a big feck off shield as my chain ring and I don't know how many teeth it has - but they are human teeth I've ripped from the Jaws of men I've scalped - Pussy!" before getting back on the mead. I don't think he approved.

I like the point about giving your mark a wide bearth as you pass them so they have further to come if they want to grab your wheel..

That having been said there is nothing finer than having someone Klingon and wash them off with your display of power despite them benefitting from your bum bubble zone of calm.

biondino

Guys, all this talk of single speeds is like finding myself sharing a broken down lift with a group of enthusiastic furries - I'm delighted it does it for you but let's be honest, it's a bit of a weird fetish and it makes me feel slightly queasy and if you could take it to some private place where such perversions are considered normal, that'd be great, thanks.

Greg T

jashburnham wrote:

Installed one of these badboys last night (yep on the {Pearson!):

Oh my sweet Jesus.

You have got an electric blue chain................

That is more tart than a barrell of pickled lemons served with a glass of battery acid to the side..........

Bassjunkieuk

I'd also have to own up to wanting to convert my old Raleigh road bike to a singlie.......it's currently at the back of the shed but I can't bring myself to get rid of it as it was the first road bike I had (for free!) and is about 10 years old I reckon :-) Unfortunately I don't think the chief accountant will allow me any money to spend on this little "project" as I already get moaned at for spending money on the new bike!

Still maybe one day I'll get round to building it up, I even have a rough idea of what gear I want to fix it to, although I have no idea what the gearing is (just that the DT shifter had to be pointing up!) and it was my favourite gear for tearing away at lights!

ride_whenever

Okay, having seen it a second time, where do you get these gorgeous ss parts from... I must tart up... I'll hopefully have 3 ss bike by the end of the summer. I need to convert my pomp to fixed i think.

Dunston_checks_in

@Bassjunkie:

A SS conversion shouldn't be all that expensive. All you need is a conversion kit (for around £15) and a chain tensioner if you have vertical dropouts (get a Surly Singulator if you can - it can take a fat chain and is properly sprung unlike some others). You can get other bits and bobs either very cheaply or cannibalise off old bikes you may have hanging around.

In fact, when I did mine, I reckon my main expense was on tools to do the job (crank pullers and the like) rather than the cost of the conversion itself...

Fixed is trickier because of the need for a new hub/wheel, and so probably not worth doing unless you already have horizontal dropouts on your frame.

jedster

Oh my sweet Jesus.

You have got an electric blue chain................

Yes..... worrying.... and more importantly, why isn't it white?

il_principe

jedster wrote:

Oh my sweet Jesus.

You have got an electric blue chain................

Yes..... worrying.... and more importantly, why isn't it white?

Cos me bike's blue and besides I'm far too lazy to keep a white chain clean!

@ride_whenever:

Great SS/Fixed parts from:

http://www.charliethebikemonger.com/

http://www.hubjub.co.uk/

http://cavendishcycles.wordpress.com/

http://www.fixedgearlondon.com/