Silly commuting racing

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

Hooked up with JG again this morning at Lambeth Bridge Roundabout. He took some catching too.

Was in pursuit of a Trek and a Dolan crosser (nice bike, btw, mate ) and spotted three roadies giving it some just ahead of them, heading into DSC. So I set my sights on them. Reeled them in by VB lights - a nice carbon Bianchi, a Pearson and JG. JG and the Bianchi sped off past the Morpeth, with the Pearson really giving it some to stay in touch -down in a tuck - so I decided to stay back; wasn't going to catch JG without some superhuman effort and a lot of pain, which I didn't fancy on slippery roads.

Traffic at LBR meant I caught them. The group split at Parlt Square, so JG and I had a nice pootle along Embankment until Blackfriars Tunnel where I confess I got out of the saddle for a sprint to see what speed I could reach, determined not to be Ginge'd for the umpteenth time through there. Hit what may have been 34.6 or .9 - but still with JG at 4 o'clock. One wonders what you have to do to shake this man! ! Legs died before the end of the tunnel and I wasn't particularly coherent when I tried to converse with JG on the bike path off L Thames St up to Cannon Street.

Think it was 34.9 as I hit a cadence of 139 in my trusty 52x16

Again was semi-pootling this morning but Bianchi-man and his yellow-jerseyed SS shadow jolted me out of my reverie by passing on Cheyne walk. Spun up and caught the tail but they weren't going as fast as I thought. Rode up Millbank at a decent pace to the side of Bianchi-man, admiring the bike. CJ filtered past with a cheeky grin at LBR and we had a chat until Blackfriars where the lights were kind and CJ wound up the big gear almost to my spinny limit Good ride.

cjcp

King Donut wrote:

Dumb question time... What does DSC stand for? Dolphin Sq Churchill/Chelsea? I can work out where it is obviously but always leaves me a little :?

Brilliant!

Death Star Canyon.

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Hooked up with JG again this morning at Lambeth Bridge Roundabout. He took some catching too.

Was in pursuit of a Trek and a Dolan crosser (nice bike, btw, mate ) and spotted three roadies giving it some just ahead of them, heading into DSC. So I set my sights on them. Reeled them in by VB lights - a nice carbon Bianchi, a Pearson and JG. JG and the Bianchi sped off past the Morpeth, with the Pearson really giving it some to stay in touch -down in a tuck - so I decided to stay back; wasn't going to catch JG without some superhuman effort and a lot of pain, which I didn't fancy on slippery roads.

Traffic at LBR meant I caught them. The group split at Parlt Square, so JG and I had a nice pootle along Embankment until Blackfriars Tunnel where I confess I got out of the saddle for a sprint to see what speed I could reach, determined not to be Ginge'd for the umpteenth time through there. Hit what may have been 34.6 or .9 - but still with JG at 4 o'clock. One wonders what you have to do to shake this man! ! Legs died before the end of the tunnel and I wasn't particularly coherent when I tried to converse with JG on the bike path off L Thames St up to Cannon Street.

Think it was 34.9 as I hit a cadence of 139 in my trusty 52x16

Again was semi-pootling this morning but Bianchi-man and his yellow-jerseyed SS shadow jolted me out of my reverie by passing on Cheyne walk. Spun up and caught the tail but they weren't going as fast as I thought. Rode up Millbank at a decent pace to the side of Bianchi-man, admiring the bike. CJ filtered past with a cheeky grin at LBR and we had a chat until Blackfriars where the lights were kind and CJ wound up the big gear almost to my spinny limit Good ride.

Note to self: more interval work and you'll eventually shake him. :P

jonginge

King Donut wrote:

Dumb question time... What does DSC stand for? Dolphin Sq Churchill/Chelsea? I can work out where it is obviously but always leaves me a little :?

King Donut, I'm shocked, truly shocked: have you not read the entire SCR thread or are you some johnny-come-lately? mmm? mmm?

DSC=Death Star Canyon (Grosvenor Rd heading west after vauxhall bridge)

itboffin

Running late this morning so I took the bike made it too the station in just sub 1hr very hot and sweaty very!

What with all this working my poor fleet of bikes are suffering the BB in the crosser doth protest, well atleast my prey can hear me approaching

King Donut

amnezia wrote:

anyone here the owner of a bright yellow carrera virtuoso? keep see it around, very distinctive bike.

Along Embankment? Picked one up around VB this morning 7.30ish. Was wearing a signed jersey (couldn't quite get close enough to work out who's autograph it was on his right shoulder). Fair play to him, he gave as good a fight as I got this morning and I think he was riding SS. Had to up it to 30+ along Embankment just to shake him. Hit a run of greens that delievered me to work but topped out at a distinctly average 33.6 in the tunnel :oops:

citycommuter

I'm on the train today as heading out for drinks this eve. But legs still felt good on the way home last night so it wasn't just the tailwind.

Took the road bike out round Richmond Park last night for a few slow laps in the rain and saw JC at the top of Dark Hill (managed to puncture just after Broomfield hill which is pretty ironic as I haven't punctured on the commuter all year!).

itboffin

citycommuter wrote:

I'm on the train today as heading out for drinks this eve. But legs still felt good on the way home last night so it wasn't just the tailwind.

Took the road bike out round Richmond Park last night for a few slow laps in the rain and saw JC at the top of Dark Hill (managed to puncture just after Broomfield hill which is pretty ironic as I haven't punctured on the commuter all year!).

what the son of god was in RP last night!? :shock:

amnezia

King Donut wrote:

amnezia wrote:

anyone here the owner of a bright yellow carrera virtuoso? keep see it around, very distinctive bike.

Along Embankment? Picked one up around VB this morning 7.30ish. Was wearing a signed jersey (couldn't quite get close enough to work out who's autograph it was on his right shoulder). Fair play to him, he gave as good a fight as I got this morning and I think he was riding SS. Had to up it to 30+ along Embankment just to shake him. Hit a run of greens that delievered me to work but topped out at a distinctly average 33.6 in the tunnel :oops:

thats the one, hes quick but needs to get some proper pedals.

snooks

After a brief blip on my gameometer on Tuesday, it's back to the hum drum pass everything, and anyone I spy in the distance, RLJs away from me...I'm going back into hibernation mode

biondino

Thanks for the brake recs guys - I've ordered the ones Roastie suggested, then I can use my increasingly large pile of Koolstop salmons

People with Tri and Run branded bikes will always be triathletes, right? Cos proper roadies wouldn't want to have the word "run" anywhere near their babies...

jonginge

King Donut wrote:

amnezia wrote:

anyone here the owner of a bright yellow carrera virtuoso? keep see it around, very distinctive bike.

Along Embankment? Picked one up around VB this morning 7.30ish. Was wearing a signed jersey (couldn't quite get close enough to work out who's autograph it was on his right shoulder). Fair play to him, he gave as good a fight as I got this morning and I think he was riding SS. Had to up it to 30+ along Embankment just to shake him. Hit a run of greens that delievered me to work but topped out at a distinctly average 33.6 in the tunnel :oops:

Nothing average about that speed, especially after giving it the beans on embankment.

King Donut

JonGinge wrote:

King Donut wrote:

Dumb question time... What does DSC stand for? Dolphin Sq Churchill/Chelsea? I can work out where it is obviously but always leaves me a little :?

King Donut, I'm shocked, truly shocked: have you not read the entire SCR thread or are you some johnny-come-lately? mmm? mmm?

DSC=Death Star Canyon (Grosvenor Rd heading west after vauxhall bridge)

@ JG/CJ Thanks!

Erm... I did try reading the whole thread but my boss started to questions my output after a couple of weeks.

King Donut

amnezia wrote:

thats the one, hes quick but needs to get some proper pedals.

Yes! From a distance I thought he was a Dynamo (blue jersey) but then I saw some trainers and clips...

... oh god I'm turning in to a snob

Kieran_Burns

What is the point of putting in huge amounts on (non) effort to catch a guy only to have the complete git let me past because "you're clearly WAY quicker than me"

Barstard, :evil:

Happened this morning on the bridleway - guy on a slick MTB and baggies in the way distance had me upping the cadence to get to him and the rotten sod spoiled all my fun by getting out the way when he saw me motoring up behind him. No fair.

Oh and on a comical / stupid note:

Woman picking fruit from a bush by the path has 3 little barking rats running loose. I have to virtually track-stand to not run over them. So I VERY politely asked if she could keep the dogs off the path (as in: under control) She went off on one, culminating her tirade with "it's not a cycle path anyway!"

Well, yeah.... actually it's two. National Route 54 and National Route 68. I didn't bother though - as evidenced elsewhere on this forum: some people simply won't listen to logic.

MonkeyMonster

Yeah - what is with that...

Full on wraparounds, massively vented helmets, race jerseys, just lycra shorts and then massive uber white RUNNING trainers with socks half way up the calf...

The mind boggles!

citycommuter

itboffin wrote:

citycommuter wrote:

I'm on the train today as heading out for drinks this eve. But legs still felt good on the way home last night so it wasn't just the tailwind.

Took the road bike out round Richmond Park last night for a few slow laps in the rain and saw JC at the top of Dark Hill (managed to puncture just after Broomfield hill which is pretty ironic as I haven't punctured on the commuter all year!).

what the son of god was in RP last night!? :shock:

Doh! Meant CJ, he was looking rather damp and there was certainly no sign of a halo.

Roastie

itboffin wrote:

what the son of god was in RP last night!? :shock:

He is everywhere.

cjcp

citycommuter wrote:

itboffin wrote:

citycommuter wrote:

I'm on the train today as heading out for drinks this eve. But legs still felt good on the way home last night so it wasn't just the tailwind.

Took the road bike out round Richmond Park last night for a few slow laps in the rain and saw JC at the top of Dark Hill (managed to puncture just after Broomfield hill which is pretty ironic as I haven't punctured on the commuter all year!).

what the son of god was in RP last night!? :shock:

Doh! Meant CJ, he was looking rather damp and there was certainly no sign of a halo.

Who? Me? Oops, sorry for not saying hello, but I was indeed a bit damp. I had rain on my glasses and I'm always a bit cautious on Dark Hill in the wet because the road surface isn't great and there's that odd camber at the top.

prawny

New PB for me this morning nearly broke the hour but not quite - @rse!

1h and a few seconds if only my office was at the bottom of the hill :evil:

I must have looked a right state in the car park panting draped over the bars like wiggins in verbier :roll:

homercles

biondino wrote:

And I actually met Homercles, who recognised my fixie - can't think why... There was I, turning onto Queen's Ride having sized up a fellow FGSS rider in a blue top ahead of me - I'd caught him fairly quickly so I assume a standard scalping was in order. I pass him easy enough, then setlle down into my standard 1 or 2mph quicker than usual but still not trying mode.

And then, 20 seconds later, I hear someone coming up beside me. I assume it's a pro out on a training ride - fair dos, I won't cry too much about being passed - but no, it's the chap from a moment ago, who asks if I'm on bikeradar! Sadly I was only about 30 seconds from my turn off at this point so we didn't speak for long, but lovely to meet you fella, and if you're regularly on that route I'm sure we'll encounter each other again. You don't fancy joining in the slowcial on Sunday?

Afternoon, fellow silly commuters!

Good to meet you too, Biondino - nice work having a bike so distinctive that as the pink flash went past, I knew it was you even before I'd decided to give chase. And the only time I've ever been likened to a pro - special thanks for that!!

Obviously Sunday passed me by, but are there future slowcials in the diary? Perhaps I wouldn't feel entirely out of place now I'm a) fixed and b) steel framed too. If only I could face using a backpack for the 13 mile e-w commute and ditch the pannier rack, the cred could go through the roof!

Bassjunkieuk

Once I cleared the initial set of lights this evening it was a great ride home, make remarkably easier thanks to a tow from a council rubbish collection van :-) Thankfully it was empty which made sitting behind him a much more pleasant experience and I was rather surprised when I looked down as I was COASTING and saw 23mph on the comp!

Still have at least another week of the local commute so will have to start racing cars due to the lack of competition.....

Jay dubbleU

First ride in this am on the mad Voodoo - so I am now officially MTB on slicks - much slicker changes than the Giant and 27 instead of 24 although a bit more spinny as my big ring has gone down from 48 to 42 - much faster on the offroad sections so improved my PB - alas no SCR action apart from a girl on a shopper which doesn't really count.

Selling the Giant by the way if anyone wants a decent hybid - see the MTB sales bit - Mrs JW insisted

biondino

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Selling the Giant by the way if anyone wants a decent hybrid

A what?

Jay dubbleU

biondino wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Selling the Giant by the way if anyone wants a decent hybrid

A what?

Harsh - but fair at least its not pink :roll:

cjcp

I'm not expecting much on the way home tonight...

Working from home tomorrow, so will try to fit a few lunchtime miles in in Richmond Park.

gb155

Had an AMAZING morning yesterday

passed 1 MTB 1 Hybrid and 2 roadies, The second sat on my bacj wheel and made me work like I have never worked before, good think being it pushed me to a new PB

cjcp

Ian.B

King Donut wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

King Donut wrote:

Dumb question time... What does DSC stand for? Dolphin Sq Churchill/Chelsea? I can work out where it is obviously but always leaves me a little :?

King Donut, I'm shocked, truly shocked: have you not read the entire SCR thread or are you some johnny-come-lately? mmm? mmm?

DSC=Death Star Canyon (Grosvenor Rd heading west after vauxhall bridge)

@ JG/CJ Thanks!

Erm... I did try reading the whole thread but my boss started to questions my output after a couple of weeks.

I've been wondering myself where DSC is....Dare I ask why it's called that?

will3

This morning's commute:
first 50 minutes:
was passed by: 3 (three) cars
passed two horses, 4 joggers, a deer, a rabbit

not a cyclist to be seen :roll: