Silly commuting racing

cjcp

Anyone on here ride a silver Giant OCR(2, I think) with a colourful, French-style yellow, blue, white and maybe a bit of red top. Early 90s style helmet? Was on Embankment about 8.30 this morning. Come on; 'fess up.

Stuey01

fun ride this morning.

Went too hard out of the traps and developed some pain in my left quad, so slowed right to a pootle. Got to Clapham south and pulled up next to some other commuters, all lower on the food chain so had to MTFU and get on with it. Lost them, and a few others with no real competition.
Passed Wanda at a fair old lick this morning too, "hi!", going passed the common where there are two lanes in each direction I got in the right hand lane to blow past some traffic and there's Wanda tanking along in primary in the left lane. *waves*

So, got to Stockwell with minimal action, through there and pull up at the first set of lights between Stockwell and Oval. Scooter man pulls up beside me.

Lights go green and we're off, I get off quickly and lead him across the junction, then internal combustion powered acceleration outstrips me and he gets a good lead. I'm not really thinking about going after him but then realise I'm holding a steady gap and he is flat out, right then it's on. I wind the awesome up to 11 and shift through the gears, I pass him doing about 34mph (according to my crappy computer), on the hoods, avec nonchalance. Hold it to the lights at Oval laughing all the way.



Well and truly scalped, vespamomocunt.

MonkeyMonster

Came in later (post 9am) and bar the odd scalp or two at hyde park corner - nowt to chase properly along embankment (sad face)

choirboy

Overtook the whole peloton at the top of Constitution Hill and then a Shaved (like a ladye..) Roadie near Buck House. Kept my own scalp in tact so long as you ignore the muppets RLJing their way up HSK... A good morning.

Bikequin

Nice ride in this morning - got passed by a guy in blue (red and black bike) between the lights on the lower Richmond Road and getting over Putney bridge - would have liked to have had a good scrap but I got stuck behind a bus - he was moving a decent speed and looked have plenty more in the tank - SO it hink I can consider myself semi-scalped.

Then thought I'd better MTFU and blasted up the Kings Road leaving everything reeling in my wake - Lots of bikes out this morning and plenty of Roadies too.

amnezia

got passed by a guy with rapha socks along the embankment this morning. Wasn't letting that one go, fun little chase at 28mph

there were some fairly rapid single speeds out this morning.

insomniboy

left the house three minutes later than usual. not a single cyclist until a got to waterloo. was it something i said?

cjcp

amnezia wrote:

there were some fairly rapid single speeds out this morning.

+1. There was a rapid Pearson along Embankment this morning. He was thes fastest of the few roadies I saw this morning.

Hoping for more action tonight!

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

amnezia wrote:

there were some fairly rapid single speeds out this morning.

+1. There was a rapid Pearson along Embankment this morning. He was thes fastest of the few roadies I saw this morning.

Hoping for more action tonight!

IP on a detour?

I'm not expecting much at all this week as I'm down for the early shift at my nearest work place.....

gtvlusso

Nice weather at least - usual for me all week.....mileage is totting up now, so much that I have given up on the stats!

tgotb

Bit of SCR action this morning; traded places in the traffic with a guy in a predominately green top and grey rucksack, all the way from Cheyne Walk to Waterloo Bridge. Finally got a clear run out of the traffic lights at Temple, but he put the hammer down properly, accompanied by a guy on a Specialized, and I just couldn't stay with them. Chapeau to both of them!

From they way they were riding, must both have been SCR-ing, so 'fess up :-) Must have been 8.20-ish...

Stuey01

FFS. my crowning SCR achievement of scalping a scooter and it passes without even a mention.

d@m you all.

jonginge

Stuey01 wrote:

FFS. my crowning SCR achievement of scalping a scooter and it passes without even a mention.

d@m you all.

This smacks of trying. Tsk, to the back of the RL queue with you :P

insomniboy

i ran away from work early this afternoon eager to chase down a different set of commuter-shaped targets but it turned out to be a massive mistake.
Mr Black Dolan with Yellow Tyres/Wheels with an impressive disregard for traffic lights left me for dead between lewisham and eltham. My slow starts from the lights didn't help but i still didn't stand a chance, he was flying on the flats and hills, i was well and truly beaten.
insult to injury, just before i get to sidcup high street i whizz past a tourer/mtb jobby; knobblies panniers the works. get to the top of the hill and stop at the lights, i can hear him behind me. lights change and with a clunk he engages his SPD SANDALS and whirrs off while i fail to get my cleat correctly seated. humiliating.
there'll be drama tomorrow as i try to redress the balance...

redvee

insomniboy wrote:

he engages his SPD SANDALS and whirrs off

You failed to mention he was also wearing socks with his sandals. Trying to save face by omitting that little important fact

blu3cat

redvee wrote:

insomniboy wrote:

he engages his SPD SANDALS and whirrs off

You failed to mention he was also wearing socks with his sandals. Trying to save face by omitting that little important fact

was it our lord on a Hybrid?.....

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

Stuey01 wrote:

FFS. my crowning SCR achievement of scalping a scooter and it passes without even a mention.

d@m you all.

This smacks of trying. Tsk, to the back of the RL queue with you :P

This reminds me! This morning on Millbank: one van (on the outside) and one scooter as we pass the Morpeth.

So, well done, Stuey.

No real headwind to speak of tonight. Thank God! Meant I could get some speed up down the other side of Chelsea Bridge. Whizzed past two or three roadies. One caught up at a set of red lights later on the NKR, went past only to be retaken on the pot-holed slopes of Col de Putney Bridge.

cjcp

redvee wrote:

insomniboy wrote:

he engages his SPD SANDALS and whirrs off

You failed to mention he was also wearing socks with his sandals. Trying to save face by omitting that little important fact

:shock:

Roastie

"You never had me, you never had my scalp"

Had the day off today, so no commute, but just got back from a quick ride over to Soho for a coffee with the missus and a nice leg loosening spin in anticipation of tomorrow eve. So not terribly interested in scalping, but everyone has a bit of pride...

So, out in non-cycling clothing and not trying to take any scalps at all, I settle into a nice rhythm down Millbank. At the Vauxhall Br. lights, I take off in my customary manner, and settle back to my rhythm. I notice a wheel firmly on mine so when I see the light ahead turn amber, I ease off gently *just in case*.

Next thing, a lycra'd up dude on a Cube and another on a Giant whizz by and head through the light just as it turns red-orange. I roll back up to speed and am just about catching both as we get to the next light. Both RLJ, I stop but inevitably the Chelsea bridge light is red. Cube is at the front, Giant forces his way to the front by riding on the pavement.

As the light changes I once again do my customary take off, but settle back into a gentle spin. Cube sits on my wheel for a while, then makes his move to pass me. The light ahead is turning red anyways, so I don't bother accelerating - he RLJs (so even if he got away, it wouldn't count).

Once it is green I see him making the ultimate SCR error - he has settled into a pootle. I few quick pedal strokes sees me pass him before the Albert Bridge queue. And I still managed to get only mildly sweaty . Gotcha!

Bassjunkieuk

A detour to collect a set of the wife's keys from my parent's house this evening after work meant I got to extend the ride home a *tiny* bit. Had a great run down one of the residential streets - I pulled in with a car about 30-40 yards ahead and promptly spun up to about 25mph before switching up a gear to slow down my cadence. Switched to the drops and started to gain on the car, mainly due I think to the police van 1 vehicle ahead on them meaning they where "only" doing about 20mph. Once I caught up I then had to play silly buggers while the driver keeps weaving left and right to avoid the split speed humps. Once we are clear of them I move over to the right and give a kick and SCALP! 28mph as I pass her and nip back in before the end of the road :-) Quiet pleased as the road is about a mile long so I like using it for a good bit of sustained effort but to beat a car is rather satisfying :-D

cjcp

Roastie - you racing at CP tomorrow?

Roastie

cjcp wrote:

Roastie - you racing at CP tomorrow?

Yup, that's the plan. Haven't raced there for ages ... feeling a little anxious.

gb155

2 Scalps today, Lovin this roadie lark, Dont want dark nights, It takes the fairweather bunch away from me :twisted:

cjcp

Roastie wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Roastie - you racing at CP tomorrow?

Yup, that's the plan. Haven't raced there for ages ... feeling a little anxious.

Easily solved. Ride at the very front. Or the very back.

I'm hoping to make my CP debut. Here's my plan: flag drops, attack from the off. ##How long dos it take to ride there from the City? And where do you leave backpacks and stuff?

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

How long dos it take to ride there from the City?

When my commute takes me home via CP it normally takes about 40-45 minutes, but I do tackle some hills on that route so as long as you don't mind stretching your legs a bit that shouldn't be an issue. It's only about 5-10 minutes ride from my house but I'm just not confident enough of my high-speed handling to tackle it yet :-( Might come and cheer team SCR on tho

benno68

Well - I'm twiddling my thumbs and looking lovingly over at my bike :roll: . Roll on 9pm when I can get the hell out of here.

There won't be any SCR action I know - probably a good thing. I'll take the long way home .

Good luck tomorrow Roastie!

cjcp

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

cjcp wrote:

but I'm just not confident enough of my high-speed handling to tackle it yet :-( Might come and cheer team SCR on tho

Only way one to learn.

I ain't exactly Valentino Rossi either.

EDIT: Come on, BJUK....

Roastie

Thanks Benno!

cjcp wrote:

Roastie wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Roastie - you racing at CP tomorrow?

Yup, that's the plan. Haven't raced there for ages ... feeling a little anxious.

Easily solved. Ride at the very front. Or the very back.

I'm hoping to make my CP debut. Here's my plan: flag drops, attack from the off. ##How long dos it take to ride there from the City? And where do you leave backpacks and stuff?

Yup, that's the plan - ride at the front. Hence the anxiety .

Don't know how long it takes to ride there, generally I throw the bike in the car when I head to CP :oops:. Everyone generally just leaves their bags up near the sign on desk - but you could leave in my car if you'd like.

cjcp

Roastie - that'd be great; cheers.

So far, looking good for getting out of work on time.

Bikequin

Really nice ride home tonight - lots of roadie action down the NKR - I managed to take quite a few scalps. Although I was on my "weekend" bike so not quite satisfying. Then after Putney bridge it all went a bit wrong. I was drafting a bus quite slowly and got over taken - thought can't have that and put the put down to get my scalp back. At which point I almost very stupidly squished myself under a white van. Survived blasted back up to chap who'd overtaken me. Indeed my surprise attack had left him for dead momentarily however I had to slow for a roundabout and that put him right on my wheel. By this time I'd left myself with nothing in the tank - I couldn't pull away from him and after about 250m he shot past. I can consider myself very very scalped.