Silly commuting racing

nation

flattythehurdler wrote:

Could I make the observation, that as noone on this forum gets overtaken by anyone ever

Not so. I've spent this week being heartily scalped on my way home by a gentleman on a Boardman hybrid. You know the type, scoutmaster shorts and a steelly look about them that suggests they could maintain that pace all day and not stop until they hit France.

Also had a bit of a peloton going today, three riders in convoy, which is the most I've seen on my route travelling in the same direction at the same time. Another guy on an MTB and the moustachioed gent on a well-loved mercian who I've mentioned before.

Made my breakaway at a set of lights and didn't see them again, so I'm claiming both of those.

sarajoy

I'm not in the scalping league, constantly being overtaken!

Didn't ride in due to stress of getting in and showered on time for a meeting - really regretting it now, the weather's beautiful!

Ah well, maybe tomorrow... then off on hols for over a week... THEN back to the 4 days a week riding. Only managed to do that properly one week so far. Bah!

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

How can you miss him?

Because he's a half day Harry who leaves around 5. I see the trail of devastation left in his wake, but not the man himself.

Hmm.

If I could ally my arrival time with his departure time, I'd end up working as hard as, errr, LiT!

Almost.

Greg T

Greg66 wrote:

If I could ally my arrival time with his departure time, I'd end up working as hard as, errr, LiT!

You see you ARE paid by the hour - and you still can't get to work before lunchtime.

itboffin

All this talk reminds me of the first Morpeth social in particular the hasty departures at the end

A lot of nervous SCRers that night. :roll:

I claimed a scalp this morning but it was a hollow victory, this bloke was as old as G66 and slower than GT.

mrc1

I have been playing the London SCR game since moving down here a couple of years ago without actually knowing that it had been made official until finding this thread!

My current commute (Highbury to London Bridge) is pretty boring as I only ever encounter the yellow jacket brigade or slow as hell fixed riders decked out in Rapha that RLJ constantly but still get scalped.

My old "long way" commute from Battersea via Embankment to London Bridge used to be so much fun that I may well take a big detour home via Embankment tonight to try and encounter some worthy competition...... Although finishing work at 1am this morning and being in for 7am may slow me down

cjcp

mrcartledge wrote:

I have been playing the London SCR game since moving down here a couple of years ago without actually knowing that it had been made official until finding this thread!

My current commute (Highbury to London Bridge) is pretty boring as I only ever encounter the yellow jacket brigade or slow as hell fixed riders decked out in Rapha that RLJ constantly but still get scalped.

My old "long way" commute from Battersea via Embankment to London Bridge used to be so much fun that I may well take a big detour home via Embankment tonight to try and encounter some worthy competition...... Although finishing work at 1am this morning and being in for 7am may slow me down

Hola! Welcome to the thread.

Right, lads; heads up for one extra Touche tonight, particularly Christophe!

Roastie

mrcartledge wrote:

My old "long way" commute from Battersea via Embankment to London Bridge used to be so much fun that I may well take a big detour home via Embankment tonight to try and encounter some worthy competition...... Although finishing work at 1am this morning and being in for 7am may slow me down

That is exactly my "scenic route" commute. Must admit that I only do it after work, in the mornings I have no interest in waking up any earlier than I need to for anything whatsoever.

girv73

Decent commute in this morning, shorts and t-shirt weather again.

Only one bit of fun: a RLJing pavement jumper hybrid with a baby seat welded to the back managed to keep just ahead of me as I stayed with the traffic and lights, but I caught him on an open stretch later and managed to keep the 25mph power down to reel him in and flash past. Not a scalp due to the FCN difference, but satisfying nonetheless. Where did all your pavement hopping get you eh? EH? WHERE? BEHIND ME, THAT'S WHERE.

Sorry.

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

mrcartledge wrote:

I have been playing the London SCR game since moving down here a couple of years ago without actually knowing that it had been made official until finding this thread!

My current commute (Highbury to London Bridge) is pretty boring as I only ever encounter the yellow jacket brigade or slow as hell fixed riders decked out in Rapha that RLJ constantly but still get scalped.

My old "long way" commute from Battersea via Embankment to London Bridge used to be so much fun that I may well take a big detour home via Embankment tonight to try and encounter some worthy competition...... Although finishing work at 1am this morning and being in for 7am may slow me down

Hola! Welcome to the thread.

Right, lads; heads up for one extra Touche tonight, particularly Christophe!

Another Touche - the more the merrier. The one you really need to watch out for is fully tarted up with white wheels and tyres and a red chain. Mine just blends in...

il_principe

Christophe3967 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrcartledge wrote:

I have been playing the London SCR game since moving down here a couple of years ago without actually knowing that it had been made official until finding this thread!

My current commute (Highbury to London Bridge) is pretty boring as I only ever encounter the yellow jacket brigade or slow as hell fixed riders decked out in Rapha that RLJ constantly but still get scalped.

My old "long way" commute from Battersea via Embankment to London Bridge used to be so much fun that I may well take a big detour home via Embankment tonight to try and encounter some worthy competition...... Although finishing work at 1am this morning and being in for 7am may slow me down

Hola! Welcome to the thread.

Right, lads; heads up for one extra Touche tonight, particularly Christophe!

Another Touche - the more the merrier. The one you really need to watch out for is fully tarted up with white wheels and tyres and a red chain. Mine just blends in...

Yeah, that dude is quick!

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

How can you miss him?

Because he's a half day Harry who leaves around 5. I see the trail of devastation left in his wake, but not the man himself.

Hmm.

If I could ally my arrival time with his departure time, I'd end up working as hard as, errr, LiT!

Almost.

NOBODY round here works as hard as me...

*points finger round forum accusingly*

Don't you forget it.

cjcp

Wow. Un-beee-leeev-able.

A guy on a FG dressed in a t-shirt, FDJ cap and rolled up khaki trouser thingies passed me tonight up Broomfield Hill at warp speed. He was on the drops and flying. I was only grinding away in the 53, but, all the same, with the exception of JG up Dark Hill and on the HOTA, I've never seen anything like it. It was truly awesome. And it wasn't just a death or glory charge up the hill either; he kept it up.

He overtook me a third of the way up and by the time I had reached the speed bump by the car park, he had 150 yards on me. I pulled him back to within 15 yards by the time we reached the top of Dark Hill and planned to do the stretch up to Richmond Gate and back before going home, but he was headed that way too. B*ugger. I could juuuuuuuuust about hold him, but my HR was up near 170. Chapeau, sir. 8)

DiggingDeeper

It's getting harder out there..........................

after a Seasons best on tuesday followed up by equalling the PB on wednesday (& thus the new SB), had drink or so last night and was thus useless today.

I must have had victim stamped on my forehead today. I have never known so many hybrids to have a go as today. The geezer tonight was horrific. Had to scrape up every ounce of energy to get this one.

Could seriously do with slobbing in tomorrow on the train but that would criminal given the weather.

I don't do the Embankment so it aint really real, but less take me on my route these days but it does happen.

Roastie

Yo CJ, would that have been you leaving the Fennies area around 6:30? Judging from the pic of your bike, I may have spotted you at the lights heading down to London Bridge (Monument). I headed over the Bridge and you went off right towards the Embankment?

kyoukoku

DiggingDeeper wrote:

I must have had victim stamped on my forehead today. I have never known so many hybrids to have a go as today. The geezer tonight was horrific. Had to scrape up every ounce of energy to get this one.

Where abouts was that then? Not anywhere near Seven Sisters by any chance?! :twisted:

Bassjunkieuk

After the boring ride home last night this evening's was an amazing ride!
Picked up a few quick roadies on Borough High Road, the tastiest of them being on a Giant SCR 2.0, same year as mine just the model above it!
I'm sure it's the same bike I've seen chained up near where I work when I'm out on my usual lunch time walkabout..........
He was certainly keeping me on my toes but RLJ'd so I couldn't quite keep in touch with, each time I catch up the lights change and he ignores it!

This guy continued on down towards Camberwell but I lost him after some ponytailed old geezer on a bashed up old MTB stopped in a queue of traffic, blocking me in the bus lane!
Camberwell also turned up some other interesting riders, including a chinest chap in FULL suit, with posh shoes and trouser clips, aboard a rather nice Dura Ace equipped Cannondale :-)
I also had a nice, but rather brief exhange of words with an older rider who gets mucho respect and a definite chapeau..........the gent was missing the lower half of his left leg!
He had a prosthetic so wasn't cycling with just one foot.
This didn't effect his speed tho as he was keeping up a fair lick and even tackled Denmark Hill. I sorta felt obliged to try and get up the hill in a more difficult gear then normal to give him a sporting chance to catch up............but then The Game Mistress game me a firm seeing too and I MTFU and just dropped a cog and upped the RPM to get the speed up.

I think I was also witness to something of a rarity in London (asides from our one legged rider) and that was a courteous white van!!! They stopped to let a car out of a drive when there was plenty of room (i.e a cars length) in front of him! This did mean that me and old roadie got held up briefly whilst I starting checking for pigs flying about overhead........

benno68

No SCR action on the way home - nothing new there but did have a fairly eventful commute.

A nice fella in a Bentley nosed out from a parked position in Crwys Road, then pulled right out infront of me (doing 20mph) had to swerve around him but luckily there was no oncoming traffic. Next set of lights a white van encroached the bike lane, I jammed the anchors on and avoided a collision. Within half a mile, on Whitchurch Road, a lovely lady pulled out from a side road without seeing me and just trundled along the road for 10 metres before deciding to pull into a parking space, she evidently didn't have time to indicate.

A nice ride home all in all, I must be mellowing!

DiggingDeeper

kyoukoku wrote:

DiggingDeeper wrote:

I must have had victim stamped on my forehead today. I have never known so many hybrids to have a go as today. The geezer tonight was horrific. Had to scrape up every ounce of energy to get this one.

Where abouts was that then? Not anywhere near Seven Sisters by any chance?! :twisted:

Fortunately by then I was left to weave in and out of the traffic with half a dozen motorbikes. No racing just misery in the swarming traffic.

I had forgotten about my potential 400 metres of danger around 7 Sisters. Very sloppy of me. Had you come across me tonight you would have had me for toast.

Keep meaning to divert via Stamford Hill direction to attempt the 40 mph dash to oblivion to 7 Sisters.

Will keep em peeled tomorrow.

kyoukoku

DiggingDeeper wrote:

kyoukoku wrote:

DiggingDeeper wrote:

I must have had victim stamped on my forehead today. I have never known so many hybrids to have a go as today. The geezer tonight was horrific. Had to scrape up every ounce of energy to get this one.

Where abouts was that then? Not anywhere near Seven Sisters by any chance?! :twisted:

Fortunately by then I was left to weave in and out of the traffic with half a dozen motorbikes. No racing just misery in the swarming traffic.

I had forgotten about my potential 400 metres of danger around 7 Sisters. Very sloppy of me. Had you come across me tonight you would have had me for toast.

Keep meaning to divert via Stamford Hill direction to attempt the 40 mph dash to oblivion to 7 Sisters.

Will keep em peeled tomorrow.

hehe, well unfortunately it seems as though my days of hitting 40 down Stamford Hill were shortlived. I hadn't twigged that the lack of traffic which gave me plenty space to hit those speeds was purely down to the Easter Hols :roll: :evil:

This past week has been a lot more restrained as the traffic is pretty much solid all the way from the top of Stamford Hill right down to Philip Lane :x

Still I've had a little fun filtering at 20mph+, always makes me feel a little warm & fuzzy leaving all those irate cagers behind in almost static traffic :twisted:

I'd normally be rolling through that section around 18:00, so anyone around at that time is either going to be in my sights or in my dust!

DiggingDeeper

I am normally doing that section about 6:30pm, but earlier on Fridays.

Thanks for the warning

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

Wow. Un-beee-leeev-able.

A guy on a FG dressed in a t-shirt, FDJ cap and rolled up khaki trouser thingies passed me tonight up Broomfield Hill at warp speed. He was on the drops and flying. I was only grinding away in the 53, but, all the same, with the exception of JG up Dark Hill and on the HOTA, I've never seen anything like it. It was truly awesome. And it wasn't just a death or glory charge up the hill either; he kept it up.

He overtook me a third of the way up and by the time I had reached the speed bump by the car park, he had 150 yards on me. I pulled him back to within 15 yards by the time we reached the top of Dark Hill and planned to do the stretch up to Richmond Gate and back before going home, but he was headed that way too. B*ugger. I could juuuuuuuuust about hold him, but my HR was up near 170. Chapeau, sir. 8)

I know how you feel. Tried to scalp a pizza delivery boy tonight. Failed miserably. :oops:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8X8w95dZwQ

Vain attempt to make up for that fiasco a few minutes later by seeing off a Porsche 911 Turbo in a drag race off the lights. The wobbling half way through is my attempt at trackstanding :oops: some remedial work needed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz57gdYNdhM

Who says we only come on here talking about our triumphs?

cjcp

Gotta catch up with these today. Christophe - which camera are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

EDIT: Yeah, but at least your guy had an engine!

cjcp

Roastiecp wrote:

Yo CJ, would that have been you leaving the Fennies area around 6:30? Judging from the pic of your bike, I may have spotted you at the lights heading down to London Bridge (Monument). I headed over the Bridge and you went off right towards the Embankment?

Yep, that's probably me. Were you at the lights with me? There was a chap wearing shades next to a girl (also wearing shades), but I think there was another bike on their side too.

cjcp

Benno68 wrote:

No SCR action on the way home - nothing new there but did have a fairly eventful commute.

A nice fella in a Bentley nosed out from a parked position in Crwys Road, then pulled right out infront of me (doing 20mph) had to swerve around him but luckily there was no oncoming traffic. Next set of lights a white van encroached the bike lane, I jammed the anchors on and avoided a collision. Within half a mile, on Whitchurch Road, a lovely lady pulled out from a side road without seeing me and just trundled along the road for 10 metres before deciding to pull into a parking space, she evidently didn't have time to indicate.

Eventful indeed! You know, the roads you've just mentioned are narrower and as busy during rush hour as any of those on my commute, apart from the Cannon Street/Fenchurch St bit at the end.

You don't go round Gabalfa, do you? :shock:

Bassjunkieuk

Christophe3967 wrote:

Vain attempt to make up for that fiasco a few minutes later by seeing off a Porsche 911 Turbo in a drag race off the lights. The wobbling half way through is my attempt at trackstanding :oops: some remedial work needed...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz57gdYNdhM

Who says we only come on here talking about our triumphs?

I think the real cause was you trying to watch the lady jogger coming towards you ;-) I usually find trying to watch the lights helps keep me balanced, but invariably I need to put a foot down about 2 seconds before they change!!

Excellent work tho, don't be so harsh about that scooter pursuit either! you certainly kept him in your sites which is commendable!

gert_lush

Didn't scalp any other riders this moring, but did get past a rather nice milk float!! Not sure I get any points for that as he was going up a very small incline that seemed to impede him somewhat, which meant I could just fly on by :):):)

...certainly not the fastest milkman in the west.. (country)

Christophe3967

I don't think I noticed the jogger I was thinking solely of stealing a second on the Porsche - not like me to miss that sort of thing Scooter chasing all week and tired this morning so decided to give my legs a break and come in on the road bike. That makes the embankment so much more fun, cruisng past everything and sitting in the traffic with half the effort, but don't need the aggro of clipping in all the time.

Apart from a couple of Darwin award candidates taking suicidal positions up the nearside of buses and lorries, no great action. Its just very busy now though and we will soon need some kind of EU ruling on the scalp mopuntain. Storage space is running low

Christophe3967

cjcp wrote:

Gotta catch up with these today. Christophe - which camera are you using, if you don't mind me asking?

EDIT: Yeah, but at least your guy had an engine!

I guess he did, and it was a new one too. Not sure if they have deadline for delivery but he wasn't hanging around.

The camera is a 4Kam. Seems OK but the rechargeable battery pack doesn't work and they being awkward with getting me a replacement, so can't say much for the after-sales service

Bassjunkieuk

@C3967 - I know what you mean about the scalp mountain, I collected about a dozen on my way in this morning :-D

Oddly enough I managed to set my highest average moving speed on the Friday......but I think this was in part due to the sheer number of worthy competition about and me not wanting to arrive at work sans scalp

It started when I picked up an old roadie dude in Dulwich, I tailed up for a little bit, not wanting to blow up on the small hill that leads to the fast descent on Denmark Hill and I'd have to say he certainly had some good legs and pushed me along at a fair lick up the hill, so much so that I had to do a double take when I looked at my speedo and saw it reading 19mph up a hill that I normally tackle at around 15mph!!!

We turned onto Denmark Hill and I popped it on the big ring up front and left him and for the first time this week the lights at the bottom where green so I could carry the speed! I was covering the brakes just in case some caged tw4t does the usual and pull into my lane to avoid the queueing traffic but everyone stayed put!

Same roadie caught up with me again at the next few sets of lights and we picked up another guy a couple of sets down along with a lady on a rather nice green SS/FG bike.
I got the better start away from the lights and had a clear run (despite thinking I had someone on my 6 the whole way) through Camberwell where EVERY light was green - The Game gods where surely looking down on me today.

The run from E&C down Borough High Road bagged me another 4 roadie scalps and a scooter! The final success was holding off a roadie who was hitching a lift over London Bridge, he must have turned left at the end as I didn't have him on me once I was preparing to head up Gracechurch Street.

It felt like I'd had a flyter coming in this morning and when I flicked over to the average reading on the cateye I got a pleasant surprise..........16.9mph!!