Silly commuting racing

redvee

itboffin wrote:

Bit wet on Milbank this evening

That isn't tonight, it's the day after tomorrow. :roll:

cjcp

Legs were good. Challenged once, but he didn't fancy the overtake. :twisted:

Then I got to RP and that sodding Sawyer's Hill head/cross-wind. :x Was going to do a couple of laps, but I just couldn't face it. I bought a bottle of wine instead. It's all good again.

Roastie

I wasn't interested in speed today. Feeling down after a dismal outing last night. Didn't even bother sticking my computer on. Just rode slowly.

cjcp

Oh dear. Didn't go so well at HH?

lost_in_thought

Had a nice ride home, overtook a lycra-ed roadie in my dress, who pulled up beside me at a long light and complimented me on my sandals! Ha! People like them!

He also said he was mortified to be overtaken by a girl in a dress, but that my legs gave me away as a more serious cyclist... :shock:

tardington

...spd sandals?

*interested on behalf of mrs tard*

lost_in_thought

tardington wrote:

...spd sandals?

*interested on behalf of mrs tard*

There you go. Pic is link... Not things of beauty, but I like 'em!

tardington

I, um, can't see her wearing those I have to say.

Have just sat through a 'wedding outfit' fashion show. It took aaaaages.

girv73

Does a scalp count if you pull off the overtake, but it's pretty obvious the other guy is at least as fast as you and sticks on your wheel until your routes separate?

I'm heading for the Sustran Belfast Lough shore cycle path this evening, there's a headwind and I'm lugging a heavy backpack, and I come up behind another roadie at the start of the path. I sit there for a bit as he does 18-20mph before I pass and hold 20mph for the rest of the path (4 miles?) (pretty good going for me). As I leave the path and stop on the road to make my turn off, he's right on my wheel and stops too, then we go in different directions.

I was pretty beat by the time I stopped and I reckon he could have got me back if our routes stayed together longer.

Who won?

itboffin

Feeling sorry for my poor failing old body last night I engaged country pootle mode frequently shifting around in & out of the saddle and cursing the lack of padding in my tights just when I was about to detour to the nearest pub I spotted the familiar shape of a cyclist some distance ahead, blast! oh well, in for a penny....

I like to say at this point I put the hammer down caught them and disappeared into the distance but what actually happened was I followed for several miles barely getting any closer, eyes welling up with tears (saddle sores) legs refusing to pay ball, eventually I took to BIG MTFU pills and upped the pace, which frankly wouldn't have been difficult at the speed I was travelling. It must have been 4-5 miles before I actually caught up with them and to horror this dude was wearing beach shorts, t-shirt and trainers, flat pedals on a flat barred road bike (hybrid). :oops:

The shame, thank goodness I passed him, I could never have lived that down, a quick evening! and then I put the legs to work and dropped him quickly just incase.

oh the shame :oops:

Roastie

cjcp wrote:

Oh dear. Didn't go so well at HH?

Yeah, it was a total disaster (not that it matters much anymore ). Mid-race monsoon triggered a nasty cramp.

Anyhow, today I am in total recovery mode so doing The Full Pootle. Left the HRM at home, just enjoyed turning the pedals and the gentle rain on the way in. I only saw 2 other cyclists this morning (all the fairweathers dashing for cover, no doubt :roll:), so no SCR. Probably a good thing.

Aidy

tardington wrote:

...spd sandals?

*interested on behalf of mrs tard*

SPD sandals are the best

gtvlusso

Hmm - back on the fixie after a couple of days in Norfolk.....bit ouchy and wet this morning! Still boshed everything out of the way and nailed it to work.....!

Need a shower now! Been non stop this morning!

Bikequin

Very wet ride in the morning - no real SCR action although I did managed to have an altercation wish some arse who works for the Royal Parks - he almost plowed into me from my left as I turned right over a mini-roundabout, at this point I though it was a good idea to remind him that you give way to the right - which didn't go down so well. He jumped out of his Van and squared up to me - not a great start to a Monday.

amnezia

Do Hi-viz Hybrid Riders dissolve in water? I thought hybrids were the ideal commuting machine designed to perform in any weather??

the only people i saw out this morning were people risking their lives on road bikes which are clearly substandard for commuting. :P

cjcp

:shock: Sheen roundabout?

Yeah, took it very easy this morning. The few roadies that were about all scalped me.

Greg T

Bikequin wrote:

He jumped out of his Van and squared up to me - not a great start to a Monday.

You should have used the Gerrard defence of smacking people around and getting away with it. Are you a pro footballer?

I had a guy ask me to get off my bike and sort it out "like a man"just by the New Kings Road petrol station.

He must have been 50 and it would be kind to say that he'd not taken care of himself.

I declined the invitation by smiling at him and calling him sweetheart.

Worked a treat - I think he may well have prolapsed.

flamite

got old steel frame commuter out today as it was pissing it down...

couple of hairy moments as I tried to brake, in wet on old unadjusted brakes - must remember to tighten...

hardly any action, just jostle with a sole red bianchi who turned off at just by blackfriars...

funny how all the hybrid commuters scared away by rain!!

cjcp

Did you blow him a kiss too?

Greg T

amnezia wrote:

the only people i saw out this morning were people risking their lives on road bikes which are clearly substandard for commuting. :P

Despite riding a road bike in to town for the nest part of nine years in all weathers I've yet to have one explode in a shower of sparks if they come into water, nor has one gone soggy.

I think that the myth of them being made of Lithium and carboard may well be in line for a busting.

Did you blow him a kiss too?

I gave him a saucy wink and grin.

He didn't like that one bit.

So here's the sketch.

Just after the petrol station (on your left you have your back to town) there's a left turn.

The petrol station and immiediate turn off are double bubble hazards as the traffic doesn't check their mirrors before going left into the garage or turning.

Filtering fast down the cycle lane will get you squished - so it's spidey senses turned to 11 and take your time.

Sure enough a couple of cars ahead of me turn into the garage - I'm SLOW.

A car has come out of the side road ahead and is trying to turn right. She's blocking the cycle lane and LH side of road.

I stop. Where else am I going to go?

So the angry guy behind me (who wants to go left) gets on his horn and starts to get excited.

I turn round and point out the problem - that I can't go anywhere.

He doesn't like this one bit and gets vocal about all sorts of nasty stuff I won't go into here whilst I smile at him and look amused.

This gets him going big time - he offers me fisticuffs - and I call him sweetheart.

That does nothing for his inner calm. We go our seperate ways him in a prostitute killing rage and me with a cheery whistle

cjcp

Greg T wrote:

amnezia wrote:

the only people i saw out this morning were people risking their lives on road bikes which are clearly substandard for commuting. :P

Despite riding a road bike in to town for the nest part of nine years in all weathers I've yet to have one explode in a shower of sparks if they come into water, nor has one gone soggy.

I think that the myth of them being made of Lithium and carboard may well be in line for a busting.

You've hit upon something here: anyway you can harness the reaction of water on caesium in a way that propels the bike in a forward direction? Can you imagine that as you enter DSC?

Bikequin

Greg T wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

He jumped out of his Van and squared up to me - not a great start to a Monday.

You should have used the Gerrard defence of smacking people around and getting away with it. Are you a pro footballer?

I had a guy ask me to get off my bike and sort it out "like a man"just by the New Kings Road petrol station.

He must have been 50 and it would be kind to say that he'd not taken care of himself.

I declined the invitation by smiling at him and calling him sweetheart.

Worked a treat - I think he may well have prolapsed.[/quote}

I know the petrol station well, often see people almost get squashed as they filter up the left of the traffic.

And the man this morning was also about 50 - balding and a "bit" out of shape.

blu3cat

no action today, but then I was in the mood for a pootle after running til my legs exploded yesterday (alright 30 mins on a treadmill). :roll:

You've hit upon something here: anyway you can harness the reaction of water on caesium in a way that propels the bike in a forward direction? Can you imagine that as you enter DSC?

like it, how about rear mudguard catches water and delivers it into an empty washing up liquid bottle strapped to the chain stays with ceasium at one end, wooosh. :evil:

Now if only ceasium wasn't such a tightly controlled material

Greg T

What about using the power of fizzy pop and those orange fizzy tablet things.

Bungee a couple of 2 Lt coke bottle to your chainstays and work out some sort of tablet injection systems

We need the Game lab boffins on the case!

posh_pedaller

I assume you mean the famous Diet Coke and Mentos reaction?
Youtube 'diet coke mentos' if you haven't herad of it.

lost_in_thought

Greg T wrote:

What about using the power of fizzy pop and those orange fizzy tablet things.

Bungee a couple of 2 Lt coke bottle to your chainstays and work out some sort of tablet injection systems

We need the Game lab boffins on the case!

Heat-resistant tyres with a strip of sodium wrapped around them? Or a sodium turbo-booster you could lower onto a wet road with a carefully concealed lever...

I had a country ridin' scalp today! Climbing up a hill (yes, a hill. yes, in essex. yes, I know) and spied a roadie ahead! Upped the cadence and passed him comfortably, and danced off into the distance. Some miles later, on a descent (this one was actually called 'feering hill') the same bloody roadie comes up behind me! Gah!

Alas I wussed out on the descent at about 37mph. The road was wet (I have other excuses too). He didn't. Fair play. Have your scalp back.

tebbit

Just started work in Guayancort, just outside of Paris, I am commuting from Versallies about 5 miles, using a Hewitt Cheviot, so will be calculating my rating and looking forward to the experience. I will post Parisenne news for SCR

cjcp

Tremendous! 8)

SCR now has another foreign correspondent.

jimmypippa

amnezia wrote:

Do Hi-viz Hybrid Riders dissolve in water? I thought hybrids were the ideal commuting machine designed to perform in any weather??

the only people i saw out this morning were people risking their lives on road bikes which are clearly substandard for commuting. :P

Hey,

I wear high vis and ride a hybrid until I can afford better.

So fa this year, I have ridden in a temperature range of 40° (from -9°C to +31°C).

I have also ridden in rain and snow.

Not all of us run away at the first sign of inclement weather. The inclimetn weather is why I wear high-vis clothing in the first place.

northerntrumpeter

I love this thread. It confirms to me that my daft thoughts on my daily Manchester commute are shared by others aswell. I sort of already knew, but who admits it right?! All those guys (very rarely see a gal apart from going in the opposite direction) who cooly chat to / ignore me at the lights are hanging out just as much as me lol!

I'm usually quite good at catching most people on my 14 year old 24 speed Trek 8700 with 26 x 2.2 Halo Twin Rail slicks. However, I have been persuaded by my local bike store to convert it to a single speed, put the original rigid forks back on and get skinnier tyres. I'm hoping that the energy I save through having a stiffer fork and transmission will improve my journey times, but am worried about the initial few weeks where I'll probably have to trial several different chain ring combinations before getting the correct ratio to suit my route...it should be fine when I get it right, but all those points lost while I am tinkering . Should I get 'L' or 'P' plates to let other riders know it's not a fair fight? lol