Silly commuting racing

Christophe3967

Greg T wrote:

2 BE

NOT 2B

On two cars that park in the same driveway side by side just before on the Embankment bridges.

Ah, you've spotted my Bentley and the burd's Aston Martin Vanquish then 8)

il_principe

Greg T wrote:

I also like the matching plates

2 BE

NOT 2B

On two cars that park in the same driveway side by side just before on the Embankment bridges.

They always make me laugh - and provoke a twinge of jealousy given that they are:

a: nice cars
b: it looks to be a nice pad

prawny

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I once saw the registration plate PEN 15 on an old E-Type.

That belongs or used to belong to steve parrish. Truck racer extrordinaire.

benno68

OBO 110X - used to be on a Bentley, haven't seen it for donkey's years though.

A good few years back an old school motor engineer was most offended when he went out to inspect a vehicle "SUC 500N" - he said "those type of plates should be bl00dy banned".

edhornby

prawny wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I once saw the registration plate PEN 15 on an old E-Type.

That belongs or used to belong to steve parrish. Truck racer extrordinaire.

I remember that - didn't he buy it so that his wife wouldn't drive his car out of embarrasment ??!

prawny

edhornby wrote:

prawny wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

I once saw the registration plate PEN 15 on an old E-Type.

That belongs or used to belong to steve parrish. Truck racer extrordinaire.

I remember that - didn't he buy it so that his wife wouldn't drive his car out of embarrasment ??!

Something like that wasn't it. I remeber it being on old top gear in the 90's.

I always fancied P4 NTS 8)

cjcp

Il Principe wrote:

Greg T wrote:

I also like the matching plates

2 BE

NOT 2B

On two cars that park in the same driveway side by side just before on the Embankment bridges.

They always make me laugh - and provoke a twinge of jealousy given that they are:

a: nice cars
b: it looks to be a nice pad

I heard that they were owned by a famous actress.

gb155

I love this bike riding, cycling thingy lark.

Wont bore you with a huge post, for that just click the link, but 47 mins, 13 miles, 4 scalps, one roadie :shock: :shock:

http://gazzasblogs.blogspot.com/2009/07/scott-what-not-2-x-new-pbs.html

lost_in_thought

Ahhhhh friends, I come to you with hilarious news...

I got back from Holland extremely early today, and thought I ought to do something productive with my afternoon. Now, for reasons I won't go into, I took the old commuter (pic link in sig) out the other night, and discovered its coaster brake had broken, so thought I'd fix that.

Did so, didn't take long, so thought 'right, I'm going to get a pannier rack, some P-Clips, and perhaps even a basket and turn this into a shopper. Headed over to Ealing Cycles (great LBS) and got rack, mounting stuff, basket.

Went home, attached all that to the bike.

Went back into Ealing to do some shopping with my new shopper, bought quite a few bits and bobs, and loaded it all onto the bike, 2 panniers, bag on top, suit bag on handlebars, handbag in basket. Pootling along home, and then....

A roadie. And I'm gaining on him. :shock:

As I draw closer, I see he's calling out encouraging words to a lady of a similar vintage on a hybrid in front of him, who is going at a snail's pace. Teaching the missus to ride a bike, eh? Schoolboy error.

So I overtake them both, nonchalantly adjusting the suit bag.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA! :twisted:

gb155

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ahhhhh friends, I come to you with hilarious news...

I got back from Holland extremely early today, and thought I ought to do something productive with my afternoon. Now, for reasons I won't go into, I took the old commuter (pic link in sig) out the other night, and discovered its coaster brake had broken, so thought I'd fix that.

Did so, didn't take long, so thought 'right, I'm going to get a pannier rack, some P-Clips, and perhaps even a basket and turn this into a shopper. Headed over to Ealing Cycles (great LBS) and got rack, mounting stuff, basket.

Went home, attached all that to the bike.

Went back into Ealing to do some shopping with my new shopper, bought quite a few bits and bobs, and loaded it all onto the bike, 2 panniers, bag on top, suit bag on handlebars, handbag in basket. Pootling along home, and then....

A roadie. And I'm gaining on him. :shock:

As I draw closer, I see he's calling out encouraging words to a lady of a similar vintage on a hybrid in front of him, who is going at a snail's pace. Teaching the missus to ride a bike, eh? Schoolboy error.

So I overtake them both, nonchalantly adjusting the suit bag.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA! :twisted:

LOL, Excellent Dave, Excellent

Bassjunkieuk

lost_in_thought wrote:

Ahhhhh friends, I come to you with hilarious news...

I got back from Holland extremely early today, and thought I ought to do something productive with my afternoon. Now, for reasons I won't go into, I took the old commuter (pic link in sig) out the other night, and discovered its coaster brake had broken, so thought I'd fix that.

Did so, didn't take long, so thought 'right, I'm going to get a pannier rack, some P-Clips, and perhaps even a basket and turn this into a shopper. Headed over to Ealing Cycles (great LBS) and got rack, mounting stuff, basket.

Went home, attached all that to the bike.

Went back into Ealing to do some shopping with my new shopper, bought quite a few bits and bobs, and loaded it all onto the bike, 2 panniers, bag on top, suit bag on handlebars, handbag in basket. Pootling along home, and then....

A roadie. And I'm gaining on him. :shock:

As I draw closer, I see he's calling out encouraging words to a lady of a similar vintage on a hybrid in front of him, who is going at a snail's pace. Teaching the missus to ride a bike, eh? Schoolboy error.

So I overtake them both, nonchalantly adjusting the suit bag.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAA! :twisted:

:shock: That is truly heartless - but I love it!

Not a sniff of a worthy scalp on my jaunt home this evening, plenty of hybrids and a few MTB's including one chap who was the first I caught within a mile of the office who was doing a fair lick. Spotted a very nice De Rosa road bike on the opposite side of the road and almost rear ended the car ahead of me (I was already braking) as I didn't realize she was stopping fasting then me :roll: Had a right belter tho as the comp got me clock at a 17.9mph average, a PB for the return route from this site and much higher then I expected after doing commutes 1/5th the distance for the last month.

In the car tomorrow so I'll be able to post "man in the car" reports of any SCR action along the stretch of road from that runs from Colliers Wood to the A3........

Kieran_Burns

No bike scalps.


BUT I BEAT THE WIND :twisted:

Oh. Dear. God. The wind. :shock:

That was a nightmare of biblical proportions. I was expecting locusts and the wailing of the womenfolk as they cradled their firstborn dead in their arms.

I knew I was in trouble when I turned the corner of the building and stopped. I didn't mean or plan to. I just did.

Fark. :?

I struggled all the way home - I did consider bailing and catching the train, but thought that no bloody invisible big pillow was going to beat me.

Mind you, all the smug barstards going the other way at major speed.... Grrr..... boils and frogs pal... boils and frogs... you just wait.

So I claim a scalp. I made the 14 miles into this flaming tornado in 58 minutes and God knows how. In fact, if he does; i'd like to find out, 'cos I'm buggered if I know!

gb155

Kieran_Burns wrote:

No bike scalps.


BUT I BEAT THE WIND :twisted:

Oh. Dear. God. The wind. :shock:

That was a nightmare of biblical proportions. I was expecting locusts and the wailing of the womenfolk as they cradled their firstborn dead in their arms.

I knew I was in trouble when I turned the corner of the building and stopped. I didn't mean or plan to. I just did.

Fark. :?

I struggled all the way home - I did consider bailing and catching the train, but thought that no bloody invisible big pillow was going to beat me.

Mind you, all the smug barstards going the other way at major speed.... Grrr..... boils and frogs pal... boils and frogs... you just wait.

So I claim a scalp. I made the 14 miles into this flaming tornado in 58 minutes and God knows how. In fact, if he does; i'd like to find out, 'cos I'm buggered if I know!

good effort mate, well done

Kieran_Burns

If it's that strong tomorrow morning then arseholes to it - I'm going for the personal best and beat the 45 minutes laden record.

Mind you if the wind is anything like this evening I could be looking at 40 minutes. That was HARD work!

cjcp

And tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be...

Tommy Voeckler!

Felt like I was being chased all the way along Embankment to the NKR and just about made it to Richmond Park with my scalp intact. Was sucking in huge volumes of air!

And there was this one girl/woman on, I think, a Specialized who was absolutely flying. She spanked all but one (a very nippy chap sporting shaved legs on a FG; seen him before and just as well he has no more gears...) of the other roadies.

Did two extra laps of RP on the way home (bumped into Martinc on the last lap too!) and the headwind up Sawyer's HIll drained me. Legs aren't thanking me for it now.

blu3cat

Terrible day at work, no really awful, the sort that would make St Francis of Assisi kick babies. No lunch, no time to stop for more than a mouthful of water this afternoon.

Dehydrated & hungry, leaving the office at around 8:30, no-one around, hardly any traffic, or pedestrians, so take my anger out on my pedals.

By jingo, it worked.

The usual assortment of hybrids who I fly past on Fulham Palace Road. A couple of single finger waves to a couple of ungentlemenly drivers in mercs & BMWs who cut me up (one resulting in an unintelligible conversation with the driver who pulls along side), and 2 roadie scalps, a lady on a silver specialized and a bloke on an unidentified single speed - lycra-d up.

Easily beat my fastest average speed by a good amount and shaved a couple of minutes of my PB .

Now if only I didn't have to work that late and interact with such utter C*nts to get me that wound up to do it.

Eau Rouge

I tell you what, country lanes aren't half dark at 2:30am.
I'd had to pop into the office late last night, and because I'd been in the pub after work, and hadn't got changed when I got back, the bike was set up with lights and I had the commuting cycle clothes on, so I rode back in.
Coming home, the darkness was plain weird. Previously riding at night I've had plenty of passing cars to break it all up, but at 2:30 the roads were all mine. I took the direct route home that I never normally ride as it's just asking for trouble My light is quite good, but it's a strange experience climbing short sharp hills when you can't actually see the crest.

The past few days all caught up with me this morning though. I crawled into work, and left early. Coming home was one of my faster rides, holding a higher-than-usualy speed along the first 2.5 miles before I lost the tailwind a bit and cruised home. This is actually a bit annoying. The state I was in, to have done the time I did, is frankly silly, so that tailwind must have been a huge advantage and not become a headwind at the turn either. It leaves me wondering what I might have managed had I had not been so tired. Typically, I won't see a wind like that again for a while.

itboffin

blu3cat wrote:

Quick question for the panel - Is it weird to notice that another guy has shaved legs when your off the bike?

Depends. Did you notice his shaved calves moving up to his muscular lean and taut thighs sitting beneath his lycra wrapped...

Oh god 'scuse me........... :oops:

GHEY!!!

itboffin

i used to ride my bike to work....

no wait I now ride a cervelo or felt TT to work, the long way to work :twisted:

tee hee

see u's all Monday :twisted:

cjcp

Unless you provide a picture, it doesn't exist/never happened. You know the rules.

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

Unless you provide a picture, it doesn't exist/never happened. You know the rules.

+1 Dems be the standard tinternets rulez, pics or it didn't happen ;-)

Only a small one to note from my specatator position inside the car this morning, spotted a lycra'd up roadie with a race number still on his seatpost :-) Damn shame I wasn't on the bike as that would have been a prize scalp - it does appear however that racing doesn't bestow upon the rider any idea of road traffic laws as he cruised on through the red light ahead..........

cjcp

Well, I had my @rse well and truly handed to me on a plate this morning.

Left a bit earlier than normal. About 20 mins or so. Bumped into three roadies approaching Queen's Ride. Two got away because of traffic, while the other eventually got away for the same reason. I was a bit gutted because it could have been good fun.

Then this roadie, shaved leg on a BMC passes me as me head onto Cheyne Walk. It's the same one who I've seen - briefly, given the speed at which he travels - on the way home a couple of times. I try to keep up on the stretch to Albert Bridge, but I soon realise I'm trying a bit harder than normal. Meanwhile, he's spinning away in the 39 ring at about 27-28, riding bolt upright on the hoods. The reds at AB are red. Thank God, because it means I get a breather.

It's the same all the way to VB and I'm blowing big time, but I try to maintain some sort of poise by riding on the tops of the bars, all the while trying to disguise the pain.

If there's a consolation, it's the (not very quick, by his standards) tow I give him down Millbank, but I feel like I'm going to vomit. I have enough breath in me to ask him whether's he 1st or 2nd Cat. The latter, but trying to be a 1st Cat. We have a bit of a chat - in between me taking in extra O2; he's barely broken sweat - and he's off to Canary Wharf. (Oh dear, I turn off for Fenchurch St. Nevermind, I think.) He's still doing 27-28 in the 39, still bolt upright, as we approach Blackfriars. (I'm about 100 yards behind doing the same speed in the 53-whatever.) I put a bit of a burst on to pass another roadie in Blackfriars tunnel and get within 10 yards of the Uber-Roadie before I glady turn off to Cannon St.

Very nice chap. I just hope I don't see him again for a while. He's probably the fastest thing on two wheels I've seen on the commute. Chapeau, sir.

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Then this roadie, shaved leg on a BMC

Is this a black/white/blue BMC, with a flattish top side of the top tube? If so, I think I bumped into him one evening earlier this week. Assos 3/4s and shaved legs.

I think I homed on on him just after VB lights; quite windy that evening and at 43k, I didn't have enough in the tank to make a move. I sat about 6m back and 2m to the right. At the CB lights he was baulked by a slower rider coming off the lights, so I flicked past and took the lead along the straight to AB. Holding mid 40s with some weird whipping wind from a direction I couldn't fathom, and then about half way along he eased up alongside me (took me slightly by surprise, I admit), and asked about my powermeter. Nice bloke, good chat, and he clearly has a big engine. We took separate filter lines on the AB approach and I lost him.


In related news, a fit burd triathlete complemented "the beast" I had between my legs (Bike 1) earlier in the week.

"Raaarrrhh, Baby", I replied, giving it my best Austin Powers.

She rode off, looking disquieted.

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Then this roadie, shaved leg on a BMC

Is this a black/white/blue BMC, with a flattish top side of the top tube? If so, I think I bumped into him one evening earlier this week. Assos 3/4s and shaved legs.

That's him, except no 3/4s this morning, but Assos all the same. I've seen him draft a scooter, for the time I could see him, along the NKR. I remember giving chase (crouched on the hoods etc) and not even coming close that evening.

He mentioned this morning that he has to do 2 hours training a night. I think he said each night; the sound of me breathing was affecting my hearing. Gives you an insight into how you acquire that sort of speed.

prawny

No other cyclists this morning (again) but I did beat my top speed PB 42.3mph yay! The work on my aero tuck seems to be paying off

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Then this roadie, shaved leg on a BMC

Is this a black/white/blue BMC, with a flattish top side of the top tube? If so, I think I bumped into him one evening earlier this week. Assos 3/4s and shaved legs.

That's him, except no 3/4s this morning, but Assos all the same. I've seen him draft a scooter, for the time I could see him, along the NKR. I remember giving chase (crouched on the hoods etc) and not even coming close that evening.

He mentioned this morning that he has to do 2 hours training a night. I think he said each night; the sound of me breathing was affecting my hearing. Gives you an insight into how you acquire that sort of speed.

2 hours a night? Jesus wept. I hope I never meet this fella on the way back from one of my morning jaunts! :shock:

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Then this roadie, shaved leg on a BMC

Is this a black/white/blue BMC, with a flattish top side of the top tube? If so, I think I bumped into him one evening earlier this week. Assos 3/4s and shaved legs.

That's him, except no 3/4s this morning, but Assos all the same. I've seen him draft a scooter, for the time I could see him, along the NKR. I remember giving chase (crouched on the hoods etc) and not even coming close that evening.

He mentioned this morning that he has to do 2 hours training a night. I think he said each night; the sound of me breathing was affecting my hearing. Gives you an insight into how you acquire that sort of speed.

I dunno, 2 hours a night on my bike just so I could be faster then everyone else sounds reasonable.......he must be either single or have the worlds most understanding other half ;-) I do feel tho that finding riders such as this is quite helpful in that it gives you targets and actually forces you to do some work.
Another slightly evil way to look at it is that people like this give you a taste of your own medicine, as the hunter becomes the hunted :-D

lost_in_thought

Wheeeheheheheheeeeee!

I overslept by about 1.5 hours this morning and woke up at 0915. I feel so refreshed!

I also basically flew in again - I think it was a side wind so neither head- nor tail- wind. Was easily keeping up with cars...

I really must sort out my computer.

Cafewanda

LiT, are you self-employed? If not, you surely have the most understanding bosses ever :shock:

Does this mean you'll be staying late by 1.5 hrs this evening? 8)

cjcp

lost_in_thought wrote:

I also basically flew in again

That's because there's nothing on the road at that time. Cos everyone's in work, see. Lazy bugger.