Silly commuting racing

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  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    itboffin wrote:
    a cycling top sized medium.

    That's unnatural and unmanly.

    You need to look to your pasty intake.
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Greg T wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    a cycling top sized medium.

    That's unnatural and unmanly.

    You need to look to your pasty intake.

    Yep it's all get very ghey over at chateau itboffin, i'm putting it down to the weather.

    I give you the "blue" look

    b9d50273fc1b49cb858b7c2aaf7b9bf8.jpg

    I also have the blue lenses for my glasses, natch!

    G66 wipe those tears I know it's an emotional moment :P
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    I knew my insidious all-pervading influence would get someone in the end. 8)
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

    Bike 1
    Bike 2-A
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Greg66 wrote:
    I knew my insidious all-pervading influence would get someone in the end. 8)

    We bow before you, Papa Smurf.
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Heavy wind along Embankment tonight, took 2 roadie scalps though. Drop bars were made for this.
  • blu3cat
    blu3cat Posts: 1,016
    very windy on the way home this evening as well.

    easy roadie and fixie scalp on Fulham Palace Road.

    DId get scalped on the way home though :oops:

    Gent on a battered fixie joined me as we started going up Blackshaw Road in tooting, he slotted in behind me, very muscular, sleeveless t-shirt, cap, massive bag - could've been a courier. (at least I hope he was - makes me feel less bad)

    He dragged me me for a few minutes while I did all the hard work into the wind. I moved to the left for him to take a turn, and he did, but then he just kept acceleraing, and although i put up a (admittedly weak) valliant fight he was easing away. I could've probably caught up, and maybe squeezed ahead by a few feet, but I have the feeling it would have been a pyrrhic victory. With me getting done by every hybrid and MTBer on Colliers Wood High Street as I recovered.

    Now I am sitting at home nursing my sore scalp, trying to MTFU.
    "Bed is for sleepy people.
    Let's get a kebab and go to a disco."

    FCN = 3 - 5
    Colnago World Cup 2
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Not a sniff on the way home for me, a couple of hybrids but that was it.

    Hit a drop kerb rather hard as I gave it some of the mini-roundabout before a bike path down towards Surbiton - I had a horrid feeling I was going to need to stop before the bridge to repair a tyre but I seemed to have got away with it :-)

    Absolutely blitzed a load of cars and beat the lights at one point, it is immensely satisfying whipping past cars at or just above the speed limit for them :-)

    Saw about 4 or 5 roadies heading towards Mitcham Common as I was headed the opposite direction towards Croydon. Damn shame as a couple of them looked rather quick!
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • UndercoverElephant
    UndercoverElephant Posts: 5,796
    Superb run home tonight, flew past a surprised roadie on the road down to Portie Prom, he didn't know what had hit him and had no response at all. Then, when going through Musselburgh I spotted an old foe...

    On my first ever post here, I told a tale of fighting off a bloke on a tourer, and two hybrids, only to get done like a chump twice by a bloke on a Cannondale Bad Boy. I swore my revenge, and tonight it was mine :D

    I spied him up ahead, he's very quick, and thoroughly fit looking but I was gradually catching up, it took a good couple of miles before I'd made up the 200 meters or so between him and me. We approached Prestonpans and were playing cat and mouse with a bus who never really had enough of a gap between stops to leave us alone, he still had no idea I was near when the bus stopped again between him and me, I overtook it and then went past him too.

    He gave chase, I upped the tempo. We were steaming along, 19-20mph with a headwind, and he was trying to stay with me, and succeeding. Every now and then I would open up 20 meters or so on him, but all of a sudden I'd find him steaming away on my back wheel. I had four miles left to do, and the whole way it carried on the same.

    Coming up to my killer hill, I was somewhat low on juice. This is where I turn off the coast road. My bike is no hill climber, and I figure that he'd get me on the hill, if he turned off and went that way. Please don't let him go that way!

    I look back for the right turn, he's about 50 yards back and still going strong, I turn off and hope he doesn't. I take another look back as he goes past the turning, and he actually doffs his helmet at me as a sign of, "You got me, well done". Nice touch sir, and chapeau to you too.

    I'm not sure it'll end here, but what a difference a month's commuting and some clippy pedals can make.

    :D
    Sun - Rain - Snow
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Even though I was working from home today in my quest for total domination of the SC stats I suited up in a fetching blue number at 18:00 and headed out for the station to renew my ticket for this week, boy it was windy out there today, headwind all the way until I reached the half way point slowing for the busy T junction when what do I hear put the sound of floppy pumping... :roll:

    Glancing around I spot a lycra clad fellow roadie in distress, being an expert in the art of PF I swoop into action.

    I offered to inflate his floppy tube with my tube of air, he looks at me confused and slightly worried, repeating the offer does nothing to calm his nerves, so I switch to the good old fashioned methods, I offer to pump him hard again by hand, this it seems it much more to his liking...

    Job complete, after a few shallow words we part company.

    Return journey was fun and painful, fun because of the tailwind, painful because of the knee pain these damn new shoes are giving me.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    It was a tad breezy, wasn't it? Scalped a roadie with 2 very full panniers on the bike... bwahahahahahahaaaaaa

    In other news, I'm on consultation for redundancy so have the rest of the week (almost) off. Enjoy work, suckers, I'll be out on the Maxima!

    Fingers crossed for nice weather... :D
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    It was a tad breezy, wasn't it? Scalped a roadie with 2 very full panniers on the bike... bwahahahahahahaaaaaa

    In other news, I'm on consultation for redundancy so have the rest of the week (almost) off. Enjoy work, suckers, I'll be out on the Maxima!

    Fingers crossed for nice weather... :D

    Very sorry to hear that LiTs :(
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    itboffin wrote:
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    It was a tad breezy, wasn't it? Scalped a roadie with 2 very full panniers on the bike... bwahahahahahahaaaaaa

    In other news, I'm on consultation for redundancy so have the rest of the week (almost) off. Enjoy work, suckers, I'll be out on the Maxima!

    Fingers crossed for nice weather... :D

    Very sorry to hear that LiTs :(

    Sweet of you, but don't be, I'm not. Really fed up with the job/company anyway and plotting my exit, so this just moves things along a bit faster, and I get some time off!
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    It was a tad breezy, wasn't it? Scalped a roadie with 2 very full panniers on the bike... bwahahahahahahaaaaaa

    In other news, I'm on consultation for redundancy so have the rest of the week (almost) off. Enjoy work, suckers, I'll be out on the Maxima!

    Fingers crossed for nice weather... :D

    Hope it works out for the best re job hunting etc, and can only agree about the weather- hope it's decent on Saturday...!
    Dahon Speed Pro TT; Trek Portland
    Viner Magnifica '08 ; Condor Squadra
    LeJOG in aid of the Royal British Legion. Please sponsor me at http://www.bmycharity.com/stuaffleck2011
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    StuAff wrote:
    hope it's decent on Saturday...!

    Why, have I missed something? What's happening saturday :lol:
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Good luck with the job hunting, LiT. :)

    On form tonight. Bagged a shaved roadie, in kit, who was not so fussed about the red lights. Haven't seen him since the winter. I bagged him then too. :twisted:

    Couple of extra laps tagged onto the commute. Damn that headwind!
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    lost_in_thought wrote:
    It was a tad breezy, wasn't it? Scalped a roadie with 2 very full panniers on the bike... bwahahahahahahaaaaaa

    In other news, I'm on consultation for redundancy so have the rest of the week (almost) off. Enjoy work, suckers, I'll be out on the Maxima!

    Fingers crossed for nice weather... :D

    I wonder if Condorr are recruiting? Sorry to hear about this but it seems to be something you'd hinted at that you want and I know how boring it can be sitting around at work with nought to do (sounds weird but there is really only so much you can do on tinternets before your head starts feeling sore)

    As long as you don't do an ITB and end up "boring" us with your endless ride reports about days spent out on sunny country lanes whilst we are holed up in offices I'm sure you'll be fine ;-)
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • flamite
    flamite Posts: 269
    Ahhhhhhh

    Orgasmic riding over new tarmac on upper thames street westbound! that has been a long time coming....
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    Rode part of the way to the KR with martinc this morning. Loads of bikes on the road.

    Chap on a Trek road bike sporting a t-shirt, baggies and trainers tailed me (not true drafting though) this morning. I wasn't going particularly quickly, but I wasn't pootling either, and he seemed to have much more in reserve too. Lost him in that part of London which now resembles Delhi traffic on a bad day i.e. Embankment. Good job too!
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,638
    I'm enjoying the dark pleasure of riding a much slower bike this week. Due to a taxi bending up my road bike wheels my FCN is temporarily up from 5 to 11.

    It is very strange having hybrids as targets. Strange but nice. Also scalped a roadi with Dynamo gear which was great fun.
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • Greg T
    Greg T Posts: 3,266
    flamite wrote:
    Ahhhhhhh

    Orgasmic riding over new tarmac on upper thames street westbound! that has been a long time coming....

    It was indeed very welcome.

    The other side is in a worse state - perhaps it's lined up for sorting out?
    Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.

    What would Thora Hurd do?
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    pangolin wrote:
    I'm enjoying the dark pleasure of riding a much slower bike this week. Due to a taxi bending up my road bike wheels my FCN is temporarily up from 5 to 11.

    It is very strange having hybrids as targets. Strange but nice. Also scalped a roadi with Dynamo gear which was great fun.

    +1. When I commuted on the mtb over Christmas and NY, it was great fun worrying roadies. However, I also found that hybrids and other mtbers could latch onto your wheel more easily, which can make life seem more frantic than on a road bike.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    pangolin wrote:
    I'm enjoying the dark pleasure of riding a much slower bike this week.
    'Slow' bikes are perfect for SCR. Aswell as creating a target rich environment, a high enough FCN makes you almost immune to attack :-)
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    That guy on the Brompton wrote:
    pangolin wrote:
    I'm enjoying the dark pleasure of riding a much slower bike this week.
    'Slow' bikes are perfect for SCR. Aswell as creating a target rich environment, a high enough FCN makes you almost immune to attack :-)
    Yep, I do miss my old Orange Clockwork on speedy 26x1.25 slicks...
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • Aidy
    Aidy Posts: 2,015
    Last night's riding was indeed awesome.

    Finally managed to break the 50 minute barrier (my fastest door to door train commute time), clocking in at 48 minutes after I left work.

    Do I get to claim the scalp of a train? :)
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    Continuing my RLJ-hate theme:
    I had a lovely spat with some "lycra'd up roadie" on a carbon tailed blue Orbea this AM. He passed me by RLJing, and pulled a gap with a second RLJ. I had intended a "recovery ride", but it wound me up (see other thread) so I gave chase. I caught and passed him on Nine Elms but he RLJed again to get ahead.

    So I tucked-in and opened the taps. Passed him again, only this time he hooks onto my back wheel and then even has the nerve to slow behind me as I slow for an RL. Light goes green, I start accelerating as usual; I see him out of his saddle to stay in my slipstream. I'm usually fairly charitable with my slipstream, but not to a lazy RLJer. So I pull a Cav (ok, a slow mo Cav :() and kick the tempo a bit before settling back to normal speed.

    Approaching that awful riverside monstrosity just before Vauxhall I take a peek and see he's way back and has given up the chase. RLJing twit.
    David
    Engineered Bicycles
  • lost_in_thought
    lost_in_thought Posts: 10,563
    That's the way Roastie - let it all out by blasting past them. Especially for a lycra-ed roadie like that you know it hurts!

    I've often wanted to say 'see, if you were faster you wouldn't need to RLJ' or similar to such people.
    FCN 7/1
    Viner Maxima, Tifosi CK7, Giant Bowery, Old commuter.
  • pangolin
    pangolin Posts: 6,638
    cjcp wrote:
    +1. When I commuted on the mtb over Christmas and NY, it was great fun worrying roadies. However, I also found that hybrids and other mtbers could latch onto your wheel more easily, which can make life seem more frantic than on a road bike.

    Yeah, frantic is the word. Suddenly the scr minnows you never noticed before have the cheek to try and draft you. It does make for a more entertaining ride, but I still can't wait to get my road bike back.
    - Genesis Croix de Fer
    - Dolan Tuono
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    I was a sitting duck out there this morning, thankfully I left late so no competition on the mean streets, tonight is going to be a bloody bath.... mine! :?
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    prawny wrote:

    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 :D

    I think this smiley sums up yesterday quite well: :lol:

    It was immense fun and I seem to have avoided picking up a "Trent Tan" although I can't say the same for some of my other colleagues who are complaining their limbs are all manor of weird colors!

    Also did the assault course there but with the white water rafting and the "build your own" raft race (which my team won!) I thought my arms would feel like lead this morning! Thankfully I seem to have got away with that but the combination of the exercise and a VERY long day by my usual standards meant I had a nice sedate ride in this morning. Coupled with the rainy conditions I think I actually managed to pootle!

    No scalps to report so I shall have to try and flog it home, especially as we are meant to have winds heading in the right general direction!
    Who's the daddy?
    Twitter, Videos & Blog
    Player of THE GAME
    Giant SCR 3.0 - FCN 5
  • boondog
    boondog Posts: 205
    on the Uxbridge road this morning just before Sheperds Bush roundabout, and a saw a scene ahead.
    MTB'er going slow, shouting at a woman in a small red car with her window down.
    He then spat ather window, and she angled her car towards the curb to make him stop (he'd say that he tried to run her off the road, but they were hardly moving). A passenger shouted at her, so I left them to it....
    I don't have the full story, but ...
    1. he's not justified in sptting at her.
    2. she's not right to try and use her car to hit his bike.

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