Silly commuting racing

Rich158

I had some fun on Blackheath this morning. Turning towards it I spied a Boardman hybrid up ahead, and thought 'I'll have him' :evil: :evil: :evil: and duly did, only to get held up at the first road crossing on the heath. Mr hybrid then hits the crossing at speed, leaving me flailing in his wake, I duly re-take him again, only for exactly the same thing to happen again, I get held up at the road crossing, and mr Hybrid flies across. So I have to re-take my scalp don't I, of course I do, and fly past him again, only to get held up at the crossing leading into Greenwich Park, and guess what................................yep the bastard does it again. How many times does this guy want to be humilated, after all I'm leaving him flailing in my wake every time I fly down the hill in Greenwich Park with the legs doing what felt like 140rpm :shock: only to ease up at the bottom, not being sure how the bike will react over the speed bumps and cobbles at the bottom at that speed and rpm, and yes the twunt is still there ready to take advantage. I was ready to take him through Greenwich town centre, but he turned right and I went left :evil: :evil:

A valuable lesson learn't, if your going to take a scalp, bloody well make it stick :evil: Still it was a good interval work out

blu3cat

I don't think that's being mean, I think it's doing them a service. When they get overtaken so easily by someone on a road bike they must be asking themselves why they chose a hybrid in the first place instead of a road bike which would be the perfect choice for a road based commute

absolutely, that's why I went from a hybrid and got a Road bike!.

1-1 this morning.

Got scalped by a brisk moving chap on Colliers Wood Highstreet. I was still warming up as I had been going for about 2 mins, and whooooosh, chap whizzes past on a nice looking condor. I tried to give chase, but my legs were complaining from yesterdays run, and weren't prepared to play ball yet. Managed to get to the point where we were maintaining the 50 metres he had on me, but couldn't eek any more out. To be fair, if I had reached him and overtaken, I think he would have probably left me easily.

Made up for it by scalping a chap on a trek (also with tri bars - do they come as standard now?) as reached the top of Wimbledon Hill (am trying to MTFU and went up in 39/21 today), and going through the village, saw him behind, not gaining not receding, and I think he may have fallen foul to my weight advantage on the descent into Putney.

biondino

gb155 wrote:

My awesomeness shone through yesterday morning when I passed one of those hybrid people 26.7 mph into a nasty head wind, he held onto my back wheel for a mile and a half, After that I was pulling away, I think im enjoying myself at the moment

Gaz, mate, are you absolutely sure your computer is calibrated correctly? 26mph into a nasty headwind genuinely is pro peloton stuff for a start, but what makes me more concerned is the fact that a hybrid managed to keep up with you :O

You sure it's not reading kilometres per hour

UndercoverElephant

Just pop an extra magnet on your wheel and you too can be Lance Armstrong. :twisted:

il_principe

biondino wrote:

gb155 wrote:

My awesomeness shone through yesterday morning when I passed one of those hybrid people 26.7 mph into a nasty head wind, he held onto my back wheel for a mile and a half, After that I was pulling away, I think im enjoying myself at the moment

Gaz, mate, are you absolutely sure your computer is calibrated correctly? 26mph into a nasty headwind genuinely is pro peloton stuff for a start, but what makes me more concerned is the fact that a hybrid managed to keep up with you :O

You sure it's not reading kilometres per hour

I thought this but didn't have the heart to articulate it. Either way you are doing sterling work Gaz.

gb155

Kieran_Burns wrote:

gb155 wrote:

My awesomeness shone through yesterday morning when I passed one of those hybrid people 26.7 mph into a nasty head wind, he held onto my back wheel for a mile and a half, After that I was pulling away, I think im enjoying myself at the moment

I finally bloody sussed it.

GB155 is Wiggo in a fat suit. Has anyone met him? Is there a suspicious looking zip hidden down the back?

I swear at some point, he's going to come clean and unzip himself. Lying b*st*rd.



(mind you, you have to wonder at the muscle mass that must have built up - you really ARE doing a wiggo in that your power to weight ratio is shifting massively, It's no bloody wonder you're so quick now. Well that or you ARE a lying sod )

LOL Strange hooded man, I wish I was wiggo, cycling for a job would be AMAZING

I touched on the same point though, I started cycling at between 32 and 34 stone, The muscles I have build just moving that fat arse are still there but are getting used for speed now as I always ride at 100%

Trust me when I say everything I post is 100% truth though, If I was lying then im only kidding myself and setting myself up to fail.

Tonight was amazing, Scapled a girl (no offence Dave) but got scalped by a Guy on a Scott, He didnt have it all his own way though

"I was told not to buy a roadie because it would make me work less, Today I have done 17.05 miles....in 63 Mins.......I raced a guy on a Scott at 25 mph for 5 miles....My legs are like Jelly, Im a little moist (shower time) and I have NEVER worked as hard as today, All a roadie has done is make me work harder because I love the speed and so far from 3 days commuting I have added extra miles on 2 of them.

Not work as hard ? MEHHHHH

Must go to the Veladrome, Thats next on the list to do, I have ordered some 28's for now, Too chicken to go smaller for NOW

and also a pair of Astana team shorts :-)"

gb155

biondino wrote:

gb155 wrote:

My awesomeness shone through yesterday morning when I passed one of those hybrid people 26.7 mph into a nasty head wind, he held onto my back wheel for a mile and a half, After that I was pulling away, I think im enjoying myself at the moment

Gaz, mate, are you absolutely sure your computer is calibrated correctly? 26mph into a nasty headwind genuinely is pro peloton stuff for a start, but what makes me more concerned is the fact that a hybrid managed to keep up with you :O

You sure it's not reading kilometres per hour

Maybe the headwind wasnt THAT bad but yes Im 100% sure as everyone I ride with says there computers show the same, On the flat I can keep up with pretty much anyone (being 100% genuine here) but on the Hills I can get dropped by granny smith,

gb155

biondino wrote:

gb155 wrote:

My awesomeness shone through yesterday morning when I passed one of those hybrid people 26.7 mph into a nasty head wind, he held onto my back wheel for a mile and a half, After that I was pulling away, I think im enjoying myself at the moment

Gaz, mate, are you absolutely sure your computer is calibrated correctly? 26mph into a nasty headwind genuinely is pro peloton stuff for a start, but what makes me more concerned is the fact that a hybrid managed to keep up with you :O

You sure it's not reading kilometres per hour

and sorry just to add, a pro peloton can do that for 100 + Miles yet I do it for around 3 miles on the commute, the first 3 I normally spend waking up at 15 mph and the last half mile or so cooling down at the same sort of pace,

As for that hybrid, He was skinny, Im fat, for him there was NO WIND

Kieran_Burns

Gaz - if you want to go do some minor hills and build up - give me a shout. I'll take on a few nice circuits near mine

gb155

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Gaz - if you want to go do some minor hills and build up - give me a shout. I'll take on a few nice circuits near mine

Mate, While I thank you for the offer I cant add up, Location: Derbyish Added to some minor hills just does not add up

Kieran_Burns

gb155 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Gaz - if you want to go do some minor hills and build up - give me a shout. I'll take on a few nice circuits near mine

Mate, While I thank you for the offer I cant add up, Location: Derbyish Added to some minor hills just does not add up

Wuss. 8)

gb155

Kieran_Burns wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Gaz - if you want to go do some minor hills and build up - give me a shout. I'll take on a few nice circuits near mine

Mate, While I thank you for the offer I cant add up, Location: Derbyish Added to some minor hills just does not add up

Wuss. 8)

LOL, I'll take you on the salt planes, hooded boy

Bassjunkieuk

Good ride home this evening, nice selection of riders out considering I left big smoke @ 5pm. First serious contender was a chap on South Lambeth Road in Quickstep shorts and I think a team jersey. Can't remember what exactly he was riding but he was shifting along at a good 23-24mph. I barely had 2 miles in the legs at this point so was quite happy to just be sustaining this speed at this point. We made rapid progress down the road, absolutely flying past the other cyclist unfortunate enough to be ahead of us - mostly on MTB's or hybrids so no serious challengers! Some twunt who over overtook a slow cyclist only to pull in meant I got the jump on him due to some quick filtering round the RHS. He caught up at the next set of lights and then lined up with each other at the next 3 sets eventually arriving in the bus lane/ASL opposite Stockwell tube. A glance over and we sort of acknowledge each other and then the lights go green.... BAM I stamp on the pedals for all I'm worth and wind up the speed into what was appearing to be a bit of a headwind, I can see my speedo reading less and less! By the time I brave a look behind he is no where to be seen :-( I can only assume he turned off somewhere or was abducted by aliens, damn shame as I feel he would have been a good rider to spar with.

Nothing much to report on the Drag Strip this evening, one persistent RLJer on a white Bianchi who was repeatedly scalped, he did stop for a few of the busier junctions indicating he had some basic knowledge of road laws but I think this was more due to the fact they where busier junctions.

Bassjunkieuk

I'm beginning to enjoy this early morning start to the commute, shame I only have 1 more day left at it :-(
When I set off today I thought I'd set myself a challenge (asides from trying to beat yesterday's effort......) I wasn't going to change down lower (a bigger sprocket) then the current gear I was in, which I think on my cassette worked out at the 42*14 (73GI), I would allow myself to go up in the gear range but I have often wondered what I'd do if/when I get a SS and what kind of gearing I could use.

I can report it was a success, got the whole way in with a mix of that gear with some sprints at the one above mixed in. Pulling away from the lights was certainly fun towards the end but I nailed a couple of lovely trackstands which certainly helped with some of them.

Judging by the bunch I arrived at Stockwell with it looks like I was about 1-2 minutes behind a big bunch of roadies and SS's - I could see loads of bikes ahead of me as I approached and ended up queuing outside the station with them. There was a Boardman and Trek roadie as well as Touche SS as the ones that stuck out. Lights go green and half the pack heads towards Kennington and I take a wide arc around the corner to follow the bus lane. A quick kick and I'm off fully expecting someone to have jumped on my wheel.......I quick glance back at the next lights confirms I have clean air behind me.

I would like to finish off tho with a quick chapeau to the chap on the blue MTB on heading north over VB this morning, I rolled round the corner just after him and watched as him and another chap (on a hybrid I think) had a what appeared to be a bit of SCRing up across the first half with him out of the saddle and giving it some. He was up to about 20mph going by the speed I had to do to catch and overtake him. Good effort sir :-)

cjcp

I spotted an Elite rider and very recent winner of a Premier Calendar event, on last night's commute. He was on a recovery ride. I wasn't hammering it, but I wasn't exactly wishing to hang around. Got talking to him at a couple of sets of lights - not a bead of sweat, not a hint that he was out of breath, and I was getting to the lights only just ahead of him. :shock: This guy has replaced BMC guy at the top of the food chain on my route.

King Donut

cjcp wrote:

King Donut wrote:

.. I’m brought crashing back down to earth by the strawberry blonde terrorist as he rips past me for the second time in as many miles. I’m left blushing like a schoolgirl, lusting for the merest glance. But alas he just powers off down Upper Thames st and I double back for my office.

Hehe. Same thing happened to me this morning.

Hooked up with JonGinge on Chelsea Embankment and pootled in until Temple-ish, where we picked up a bit of speed. Picked up a couple of riders just before the tunnel and with me being painfully slow off the lights, a roadie and a mtb went past, with one roadie on my rear, JG behind him. And then he's off like a startled gazelle, with four other riders left thinking, "My bike doesn't do that." He wasn't caught.

I was in the tunnel this morning handing out "You've been Ginged" t-shirts to all the broken souls.

Tried to keep something in the tank for the home straight this morning. But then a car cut me up outside HoP and I gave chase. I then caught sight of him trying to force a Bianchi off the road.

Aidy

Cervelo, Tri-bars, Deep section wheels, Tottenham Hale about 9ish this morning - anyone here?

Top filtering.

Bassjunkieuk

Aidy wrote:

Cervelo, Tri-bars, Deep section wheels, Tottenham Hale about 9ish this morning - anyone here?

Top filtering.

I'd love to say that was me as it sounds like a rather tasty bike but alas it wasn't

Gazzaputt

cjcp wrote:

I spotted an Elite rider and very recent winner of a Premier Calendar event, on last night's commute. He was on a recovery ride. I wasn't hammering it, but I wasn't exactly wishing to hang around. Got talking to him at a couple of sets of lights - not a bead of sweat, not a hint that he was out of breath, and I was getting to the lights only just ahead of him. :shock: This guy has replaced BMC guy at the top of the food chain on my route.

Who was it and what team?

Jay dubbleU

Pet hates this morning - people who RLJ just as you're about to scalp them - peds who look you in the eye and then still step off the kerb :evil:

cjcp

Gazzaputt wrote:

cjcp wrote:

I spotted an Elite rider and very recent winner of a Premier Calendar event, on last night's commute. He was on a recovery ride. I wasn't hammering it, but I wasn't exactly wishing to hang around. Got talking to him at a couple of sets of lights - not a bead of sweat, not a hint that he was out of breath, and I was getting to the lights only just ahead of him. :shock: This guy has replaced BMC guy at the top of the food chain on my route.

Who was it and what team?

Wouter Sybrandy of Sigma Sport. Nice chap. Said he was riding the Tour of Pendle this coming weekend.

gb155

cjcp wrote:

I spotted an Elite rider and very recent winner of a Premier Calendar event, on last night's commute. He was on a recovery ride. I wasn't hammering it, but I wasn't exactly wishing to hang around. Got talking to him at a couple of sets of lights - not a bead of sweat, not a hint that he was out of breath, and I was getting to the lights only just ahead of him. :shock: This guy has replaced BMC guy at the top of the food chain on my route.

Nice talking to you mate LOL :shock:

biondino

An aside - I work in film and I've just been sent a screenplay called "Don Don". Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it wasn't a poignant melodrama about Ian Hislop's unrequited love for a beautiful but unattainable Amazon princess.

blu3cat

No action this morning (phew first time to stop all day), but nearly was party to an RLJ pile...

I was crossing the road at the end of my road - one of those mixed use pedestrian / cycle crossings (pedestrian crossing style), lights turn amber, hybrid going at a fair pace (about 20mph at a guess) whizzes through - fair enough. Lights go red, and an idiot belts up, roadie, lycra, not sure of bike make. Rather than brake (oh he's has plenty of time), looks to go around me (i'm now about half way across), looks to undercut me (pedestrians crossing), and in the end locks his back wheel for about 20 feet and very nearly loses it, as he manages to stop about 5 feet short of the line.

Genius mate, genius.

itboffin

Fucking bastard shit fucking arse bollocks to this RAIN and son of a mother fucking WIND

:evil:

pangolin

Quite enjoyed the rain actually. Shoes very wet though, no overshoes at work.

insomniboy

Overshoes at home too A few worthy challengers heading down the Old Kent Road tonight, was looking forward to some fun until their true RLJ nature became apparent. Kept trying to scalp them until Lewisham but it was maybe a phase of lights too far. Completely destroyed a cannondale CX style jobby going up the flyover part though.
A lovely evening for it, and the roads dried out quick enough.

gb155

itboffin wrote:

******* bastard shoot ******* ars* bollocks to this RAIN and son of a mother ******* WIND

:evil:

Rain ? Wind ? I did 20 miles this afternoon in shorts, a tshirt and sunglasses.

Aidy

gb155 wrote:

Rain ? Wind ? I did 20 miles this afternoon in shorts, a tshirt and sunglasses.

... that's my standard attire, whatever the weather.

gb155

Aidy wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Rain ? Wind ? I did 20 miles this afternoon in shorts, a tshirt and sunglasses.

... that's my standard attire, whatever the weather.

Sunglasses in the Rain and dark evenings/mornings in winter ?