Silly commuting racing

UndercoverElephant

Had a good run in today. Sadly it's a double headwind, according to Wind Guru, but we make the best of things. Sadly there was barely another cyclist to be seen.

Coming along Porto prom, it's completely deserted except for me and a hybrid rider ahead. I'm closing quite quickly, and I figure that since this would probably be my only scalp of the day, I'd better make the most of it. I'm moving quite nicely at about 19-20 mph, and about five meters behind him, I switch to no-handed mode. I actually pass him shortly after whilst doing a few trunk rotations. "Morning", I cheerily chirp as I glide by.

Stayed no-handed until a bumpy part of ground and then put the hammer down. I didn't see him again.

edhornby

Eau Rouge wrote:

edhornby wrote:

it was immensely satisfying to ride away from groups of carbon bling machines on my fixed...

You do know that, unlike say cars or motorbikes, the performance of the engine on a bicycle is not related to the cost of it?

I know - I'm not jealous or bitter, I love a bit of bike ogling and it would be a poorer place if there weren't super bikes out there

..................but carbon framed bikes with gears are higher up the food chain

Roastie

cjcp wrote:

... I give him a bit of time and then wave him by. He overtakes. Slowly. "And there's the headwind!" I think. ...

I have to quietly chuckle at myself. Once or twice I've been the sucker waved by who then dies a hundred deaths trying to battle the headwind under his own steam.

lost_in_thought

barriecusvein wrote:

capoz77 wrote:

i think this is the thread with the most pages I have EVER seen on the net!!! Is it worth the read LOL

pffft

http://fazed.net/forum/view/?id=30943&p=931

Well I think that's given us all something to shoot for!

Nice ride in this morning, didn't notice any wind so there must have been a tailwind, although the flags on the barkers building are currently limp and inefffective. That, however, may be due to the ominous black clouds gathering to the west.

Fellow in jeans on a hybrid was travelling at a reasonable speed, and kept overtaking me with nigh-on suicidal RLJ-ing. It was like he barely slowed down, even for major junctions with oncoming traffic. Idiot. I must have passed him 5 or 6 times.

Also had a couple of MTB-ers giving it the big one off the lights, only to blow up a few hundred yards later! Ah bless their little hearts. They have no understanding of gearing.

Bassjunkieuk

Back into the land of proper bike commuting this week, 13 miles heading west from my house to lovely Thames Ditton :-) Seems all my route alterations since I started doing this one have actually helped as I now cut a *fairly* direct line across looking at my NST data for this mornings run :-)

Only 1 scalp to report but it did make me thing of the chaps doing the TDF. I saw this chap nip round a corner and head up the road I was going to be using as I was waiting at a red light. I managed to spot drop bars and a fairly good pace as I waited patiently to pounce. Lights go green and I can just see him up ahead and it does appear that he has moved over to the right lane meaning he must be heading the same way as me :-) Lights at that junction are red and he's at the front just before the big tarmac truck. I go into stealth mode and wait behind the car behind tarmac lorry :twisted: Lights go green and we move off round the corner and he have an ideal scalping section now, nice road surface, a couple of bends and a car and truck between us. I can see him now and I'm gaining on him but can't quite get him as the car "in the gap" (see the TDF link?) was blocking my filter up the LHS. Thankfully they turned off and I ordered a little more power. Tarmac truck was already ahead and I came round the other chap and chased the truck. Bl00dy lights ahead change so I back off the speed to try and avoid needing to stop. We're side my side round the roundabout but I pull out a lead again once on the straight.

Rest of the ride pretty un-eventful, my usual blast down towards Surbiton was ruined by traffic, I didn't fancy playing chicken with a bus
:shock:

Off the bike tomorrow and needing to wake up at some god-awful hour in the morning to drive upto Nottingham, for 9am! for a "team building" session that I signed up for. White water rafting, raft building and a treasure hunt with food provided! Seemed like a no-brainer when I signed up for it - free day out :-D

Bassjunkieuk

barriecusvein wrote:

capoz77 wrote:

i think this is the thread with the most pages I have EVER seen on the net!!! Is it worth the read LOL

pffft

http://fazed.net/forum/view/?id=30943&p=931

There is actually a worrying amount of threads on that forum that make the SCR thread look tiny......in our defense tho most of those posts appear to be single liners and not the epic tales we have on ours ;-)

lost_in_thought

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Off the bike tomorrow and needing to wake up at some god-awful hour in the morning to drive upto Nottingham, for 9am! for a "team building" session that I signed up for. White water rafting, raft building and a treasure hunt with food provided! Seemed like a no-brainer when I signed up for it - free day out :-D

Sounds like great fun!

prawny

lost_in_thought wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Off the bike tomorrow and needing to wake up at some god-awful hour in the morning to drive upto Nottingham, for 9am! for a "team building" session that I signed up for. White water rafting, raft building and a treasure hunt with food provided! Seemed like a no-brainer when I signed up for it - free day out :-D

Sounds like great fun!

Watch out for the blue gren algae!

Also, you may get some blackening of the limbs from the white water course, this is known in the trade as 'Trent Tan'.

I love holme pierrepont, it's fabbo, have fun mucker

Bikequin

Morning everyone, I've been reading this thread for a couple of weeks and thought it was about time I contributed.

My commute at the moment is over the middle of Richmond Park, up the Kings Road and into Hyde Park- Really nice ride in this morning left a Roadie for dead coming over the top of Richmond Park. Lots of other bikes about although most moving quite slowly - came up behind a guy on pretty nice red carbon fibre bike just before Putney bridge- tailed him for a while up the New Kings Road at a decent pace then thought I’d make my move. Pulled out, quick twitch of my right index finger for extra power and went – Unfortunately I pulled ahead for about 400m and then straight into a traffic jam and red light- after weaving through the traffic we emerged onto the final part of the KR together and had been joined by another Roadie. The three of us made a decent pace down to Sloane Sq where I turned off.

Anyway my bike’s are a Giant SCR and a Trek Madone – I know i shouldn’t really be commuting on the Trek but I can’t resist sometimes.

Nice to finally Post

cjcp

Hola BQ! Welcome to The Game.

Now, there are a few of us on here who follow a similar route to yours. Soooo, what time do you head through RP and head bakc in the evening?

I'm through Kingston Gate around 8am and re-enter Roehampton Gate around 6.30-7 atm.

Agent57

jimmypippa wrote:

Whey-hey, the Manchester to blackpool ride had plenty of true scalps.

Oh snap! I didn't even pay attention to scalps. I rode the M-B with a FCN of 3 I think - I went for "no baggage", because my little musette cant' really count as a backpack or courier bag. I passed a lot more people than passed me, but certainly got passed by a fair number of people. I suppose it would have been hard to determine a true scalp, because the calculation doesn't take into account age or gender, nor the fact that some riders would have been holding back to stay with their slower companions.

Bikequin

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings and get to Sloane Sq at about 6.15ish on the way home. - Always seem to enjoy the ride in more than the ride home - could well be to do with the howling gale that often seems to be blowing straight into me on the way home.

I think i've worked my FCN as 4....I can't bring myself to shave my legs.

jimmypippa

Agent57 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

Whey-hey, the Manchester to blackpool ride had plenty of true scalps.

Oh snap! I didn't even pay attention to scalps. I rode the M-B with a FCN of 3 I think - I went for "no baggage", because my little musette cant' really count as a backpack or courier bag. I passed a lot more people than passed me, but certainly got passed by a fair number of people. I suppose it would have been hard to determine a true scalp, because the calculation doesn't take into account age or gender, nor the fact that some riders would have been holding back to stay with their slower companions.

There were enough fully lycred up, on carbon bikes and standing in the pedals who I passed in the "see how I'm not trying, sit-up-and-beg" position that I can adopt with this bike, with full pannier, (and actually I wasn't for most of it, skin-breathing wasn't needed).



It wasn't a good day to drive a car along that route, as they were stuck at the speed of the slowest cyclists, which was painful. I did overtake one car doing about 12mph, whilst I was doing 30, downhill :twisted:

Edhornby, It was probably just as well that you set off at 7:30, as I set off at 8:30, and on any slight gradient, there were a lot of very slow people, and very crowded. I wouldn't have liked it on an SS then... (hey I like gears).

I did change to my granny gear, because everyone was going so slow, and at one stage at heigh hall, I had to swerve into the muck at the side going up the steep bit, so I was really glad that I had some traction etc.

My commuting tyres (marathon plus) were ideal for the conditions, as they had sufficient grip in the muck, andwere fast enough.

You could spot the regular commuting bikes...

Respect to the couple of guys in the arm-powered wheelchair-bikes. They were going pretty well when I saw them.

cjcp

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings

:shock: Yeah, ahem, a bit early for me.

Might see you in the evenings though.

Agent57

jimmypippa wrote:

My commuting tyres (marathon plus) were ideal for the conditions, as they had sufficient grip in the muck, andwere fast enough.

My tyres felt treacherous going down that hill in the park. Dark, damp, mossy... I can well understand why they made the temporary chicanes from those barriers; but they caused their own problems with people not being able to tell they were coming up because of other riders in front.

jimmypippa wrote:

You could spot the regular commuting bikes...

Yeah, and you could also spot the thousands of pig-iron BSOs people ride. There we so many bikes I'd have hated to ride 60 miles on, so much respect to all those people. They must have had a much harder day than I did.

biondino

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings and get to Sloane Sq at about 6.15ish on the way home. - Always seem to enjoy the ride in more than the ride home - could well be to do with the howling gale that often seems to be blowing straight into me on the way home.

I think i've worked my FCN as 4....I can't bring myself to shave my legs.

I was going to ask if you were the slow and wobbly guy on the Madone with a handlebar mirror but he was about two hours later

jonginge

Agent57 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

My commuting tyres (marathon plus) were ideal for the conditions, as they had sufficient grip in the muck, andwere fast enough.

My tyres felt treacherous going down that hill in the park. Dark, damp, mossy... I can well understand why they made the temporary chicanes from those barriers; but they caused their own problems with people not being able to tell they were coming up because of other riders in front.

jimmypippa wrote:

You could spot the regular commuting bikes...

Yeah, and you could also spot the thousands of pig-iron BSOs people ride. There we so many bikes I'd have hated to ride 60 miles on, so much respect to all those people. They must have had a much harder day than I did.

Maybe they needed race radios

Bassjunkieuk

Agent57 wrote:

Yeah, and you could also spot the thousands of pig-iron BSOs people ride. There we so many bikes I'd have hated to ride 60 miles on, so much respect to all those people. They must have had a much harder day than I did.

I spotted quite a few of these on my recent charity ride and it's those people who you know it's going to be a slog for! They certainly get some respect for hauling those scaffold-based bikes over the course :-D

King Donut

cjcp wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings

:shock: Yeah, ahem, a bit early for me.

Might see you in the evenings though.

Welcome aboard!
I’m usually gunning through the park around then and regularly pick up fellow commuters for the stretch in to town. My eyes are peeled…

jimmypippa

Agent57 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

My commuting tyres (marathon plus) were ideal for the conditions, as they had sufficient grip in the muck, andwere fast enough.

My tyres felt treacherous going down that hill in the park. Dark, damp, mossy... I can well understand why they made the temporary chicanes from those barriers; but they caused their own problems with people not being able to tell they were coming up because of other riders in front.

A colleague saw some scallys on BMXs get into a fight on that part, they were doing wheelies and swerving everywhere, got involved in an accident/fracas, then dissappeared into the woods on their bikes... :roll:

jimmypippa wrote:

You could spot the regular commuting bikes...

Yeah, and you could also spot the thousands of pig-iron BSOs people ride. There we so many bikes I'd have hated to ride 60 miles on, so much respect to all those people. They must have had a much harder day than I did.

Indeed, I don't know if you saw the Thunderbirds, they finished line-abreast, all saluting.

They must have been boiling....

Bikequin

King Donut wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings

:shock: Yeah, ahem, a bit early for me.

Might see you in the evenings though.

Welcome aboard!
I’m usually gunning through the park around then and regularly pick up fellow commuters for the stretch in to town. My eyes are peeled…

I'll have to keep a look out for you, what do you ride?

Agent57

jimmypippa wrote:

Indeed, I don't know if you saw the Thunderbirds, they finished line-abreast, all saluting.

They must have been boiling....

Hehe, yeah, I passed them on the way. I also passed a lot of people claiming to be Spartacus.

Agent57

JonGinge wrote:

Maybe they needed race radios

:P

King Donut

Bikequin wrote:

King Donut wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings

:shock: Yeah, ahem, a bit early for me.

Might see you in the evenings though.

Welcome aboard!
I’m usually gunning through the park around then and regularly pick up fellow commuters for the stretch in to town. My eyes are peeled…

I'll have to keep a look out for you, what do you ride?

Red/white Trek 1.7
I’m 6”4 of lank in baggies.
I usually cut diagonally through the middle of the park from Ham to Roehampton gate (morning).

Greg T

King Donut wrote:

I’m 6”4

I hope you bang your head a lot.

I'm a hobbit.

attica

Greg T wrote:

I'm a hobbit.

Smeagol?

il_principe

King Donut wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

King Donut wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

I'm normally thorugh a bit earlier - normally enter Richmond Park just after 7 In the mornings

:shock: Yeah, ahem, a bit early for me.

Might see you in the evenings though.

Welcome aboard!
I’m usually gunning through the park around then and regularly pick up fellow commuters for the stretch in to town. My eyes are peeled…

I'll have to keep a look out for you, what do you ride?

Red/white Trek 1.7
I’m 6”4 of lank in baggies.
I usually cut diagonally through the middle of the park from Ham to Roehampton gate (morning).

Woop woop I'm gonna keep an eye out for you fellas! I often do a morning lap of the park, leaving Pimlico at 6:45 and returning at 7:45. Easily spotted I guess as I have no baggage with me and am normally on a red/white/black Prince... I pop home afterwards to swap bikes and pick up my bag. I do hate the Embankment on the home stretch though, it gets so busy and there's always a numpty on a hybrid who pulls ahead at the lights, what do they think is gonna happen I wonder?

blu3cat

managed to get a little action this morning.

scalped 2 Biachi Nirones both in Celeste going over Putney bridge. Had to double take as I swept past one, and then there was another identical one straight away.

Just a bit wtf.

Proof that Bianchis are like buses, don't see one for days and then ...... :roll:

jimmypippa

Agent57 wrote:

jimmypippa wrote:

Indeed, I don't know if you saw the Thunderbirds, they finished line-abreast, all saluting.

They must have been boiling....

Hehe, yeah, I passed them on the way. I also passed a lot of people claiming to be Spartacus.

Those were my colleagues, 126 of them... About a third in the Sparticus outfit

I thought it was too hot for that...

itboffin

today i have been mostly wearing my blue outfit including little cap and i'm pleased to report a cycling top sized medium.

proof that a meat & beer diet is good for you, i'm off to pootle out a few more miles to round off my lead.