Silly commuting racing

MonkeyMonster

So given CP isn't in the glossary - what gives...

Rich158

MonkeyMonster wrote:

So given CP isn't in the glossary - what gives...

CP - Crystal Palace. A few of us hoon arround there under the pretence we're racing on the odd Tuesday evening

Rich158

Oh and I should add, they are proper organised races, we're not hooligans who scare old grannies in the park once a week. Well not on a Tuesday evening anyway

Wrath Rob

To the guy in the pink T-Mobile kit with the bike with the tri-bars on Embankment at around 7:15 last night, you ride like an arse! He was very quick but seemed in a hurry to latch onto the back of the roadie in front and then to pull out and 1/2 cover his rear wheel. If the roadie had needed to swerve out to avoid something he would have taken them both out. Plus the aggressive filtering and red light jumping all identified you as a bit of a mupwit. I was glad when he finally turned off over Albert Bridge

Shame really as both he and the other roadie were pretty quick and kept me honest instead of slacking off after doing a gym class at lunch time!

blu3cat

Rode alongside, through traffic, a chap on an Airnimal this morning - damn that was a nice folder (if that's not an oxymoron).

This evening was going to pootle (training run supposed when I got home), and lo and behold there was a behemoth of a roadie (of indeterminate sex) on Wandsworth one way, who not only RLjed, but swerved through a stream of pedestrians on the other side of the box junction who were crossing while the green man told 'em to. That was enough to raise my ire, and said roadie was dispatched shortly after. Am gonna have to get up early tomorrow to get that run in now :roll:

Bassjunkieuk

Nothing to report on the commute to/from work today but I did find a chap on a Cannondale road bike whilst out on an excursion during the afternoon. I was waiting at the lights near East Croydon Station when I hear another bike pull up behind me, I glance over casually for a quick FCN assessment and reckon we are about level.

Lights go green and we both set off round the corner but the ped crossing goes red as we approach so we both slow and almost line up side-by-side.....as it changes I pull away up the small incline opposite the station and see the next set of lights are green so go to full power. Ignoring the 20mph signs painted on the road I manage to eek out 50% over that as I pass the college :-D Lights at bottom are red and we part ways after that, this bl00dy SCR is ridiciulous, I only need to ride about a mile to get back to the office and due to that little run I'm mildly glowing as I get back in :roll:

insomniboy

Lovely ride home tonight.
As i was descending the old kent flyover and checking my left shoulder i spy a roadie/singlespeeder in my midst. i up pace to overtake a bus as i filter and cruise on my merry way.
a few traffic lights later he's caught up, fcn-wise we're equal, he's lycrad up on a kona SS with some lovely bars and some aero carbon brake levers, but the poor guy didn't stand a chance.
He greeted me with questions about my gearing ("you're pedalling slower than me but travelling so much faster, i could get ahead as the lights change but that's all i'm getting"). Had a lovely chat as we pootled through new cross towards lewisham before he made a comment about how the hill towards the a20 would slow me down. so i showed him. didn't see him again, cruised home feeling slightly guilty...

Kieran_Burns

Well, I got to look like I was standing still on the way home tonight - full on roadie cruised past on the drops. I thought I must've been under speed or something but looked down and saw I was holding 17mph up the hill. I upped the ante to 21 and he was still pulling away :? So realising I was carrying at least twice the weight I had to let him go... good thing too as a couple of numpty car drivers caused me to slam the brakes on just afterwards... if I'd been a few meters further forward... :evil:

redvee

Just got back from an evening pootle and it started badly. Heard an engine athigh revs approaching from behind so looked and pulled tothe leftto give it space, as it came past saw it was a white 09 focus estate which then flicked the LH indicator on and nearly left hooked me. Luckily I know who to report the driver to as it had flourescent stickers all over the car with flashing blue lights and a siren. To cross a two lane road from the right for a left hand turn isn't right.

Bikequin

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

Bikequin wrote:

Was riding a white and black trek Madone today - normally commute on a giant though. Was it you that blasted passed me?

Was it you that I raced across RP and out of Ham Gate last week? I was on a red Cannondale...

Hmmm could well have been - I do head out of Ham Gate. Although after the weekend just gone I'm not sure I can remember much of last week :P

itboffin

hello fellow SCR i'm sad to report that NONE of us have been MTFU ever on here, i'm in joburg this week anyone who rides their bike for whatever reason here is/are MTFU big time trust me :shock:

very uncool people, i can hear the pop from the electric fences around my office & hotel, this place is real!

cycling kit is staying in the suitcase for sure :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

tiz very cheap tho

cjcp

Just back from Crystal Palace.

Before I mention the race, there seem to be a number of inclines on the way out through Denmark Hill and onwards, certainly more than one needs before racing. I much prefer my distinctly flatter part of London.

Now to the race. The plan was 30 laps. 40-odd riders maybe lined up for our start. Started at a furious pace. It's a fast, twisty circuit with a hill up to the start/finish area. Dropped like a hot rock on the hill up to end of lap 8 or thereabouts. Saw it happening in slow motion almost. I didn't/couldn't/wouldn't respond to the sudden increase in pace and couldn't get back on the lead group. JG suffered the same fate, which makes me feel a lot better! Then rode with Rich and another chap for a few laps, before I got dropped from that little group. I don't think I chose the easiest circuit for my first race in 18 months - I definitely tasted vomit on lap 26 before pulling out on 27 or 28 as I'd been lapped.

Big chapeau to Roastie - he finished in the bunch and even managed a breakaway. How the hell he had the energy for that, I'll never know. :shock:

JG and I rode home together, knackered.

Might give it another go next Tuesday.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Just back from Crystal Palace.

Before I mention the race, there seem to be a number of inclines on the way out through Denmark Hill and onwards, certainly more than one needs before racing. I much prefer my distinctly flatter part of London.

Now to the race. The plan was 30 laps. 40-odd riders maybe lined up for our start. Started at a furious pace. It's a fast, twisty circuit with a hill up to the start/finish area. Dropped like a hot rock on the hill up to end of lap 8 or thereabouts. Saw it happening in slow motion almost. I didn't/couldn't/wouldn't respond to the sudden increase in pace and couldn't get back on the lead group. JG suffered the same fate, which makes me feel a lot better! Then rode with Rich and another chap for a few laps, before I got dropped from that little group. I don't think I chose the easiest circuit for my first race in 18 months - I definitely tasted vomit on lap 26 before pulling out on 27 or 28 as I'd been lapped.

Big chapeau to Roastie - he finished in the bunch and even managed a breakaway. How the hell he had the energy for that, I'll never know. :shock:

JG and I rode home together, knackered.

Might give it another go next Tuesday.

its because you're old! old man!!! :P

cjcp

Ha ha. On yer bike. Oh, hang on, you can't. :P

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Ha ha. On yer bike. Oh, hang on, you can't. :P

no worries old man i'm swimming and running, funny that kinda like i'm training for something else, eh!

that time of year.

jonginge

Ah, I posted in the Ride Reports thread. Silly me.

cjcp

Actually, it's me who's silly. D'oh!

itboffin

not really the ride reports thread was meant for like ride reports not race updates not really the same thing...

cjcp

Aside from the Stats and the Ride Reports threads, any other bees in your bonnet? :P

shoulder_of_orion

itboffin wrote:

hello fellow SCR i'm sad to report that NONE of us have been MTFU ever on here, i'm in joburg this week anyone who rides their bike for whatever reason here is/are MTFU big time trust me :shock:

I was in Lagos earlier in the year and I figured anyone who cycle commutes there is either mad, or dead, or most probably, both.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Aside from the Stats and the Ride Reports threads, any other bees in your bonnet? :P

plenty i'm becoming somewhat bitter and twisted in my old age, again!

Bassjunkieuk

Good work there CJCP, but when I hear comments about you and JG getting dropped it really shows how fast these guys are going! As for the route there unfortunately due to the location of the stadium it's almost impossible to get there without a hill of some sort. If you want I can PM you links to my route that I use when coming back that way so you can compare to what you used - it still takes in a climb but its only about 5 minutes with a bit of a kick at the top!

cjcp

And pootle I did. For all but the 3 miles in RP, I was spinning away in the 39 all the way in and saw I don't know how many roadies pass me. And there was no way I was rising to the bait.

Roastie

itboffin wrote:

hello fellow SCR i'm sad to report that NONE of us have been MTFU ever on here, i'm in joburg this week anyone who rides their bike for whatever reason here is/are MTFU big time trust me :shock:

very uncool people, i can hear the pop from the electric fences around my office & hotel, this place is real!

cycling kit is staying in the suitcase for sure :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

tiz very cheap tho

Welcome to the place I called home for so long! Horrid, innit? I do not miss those electric fences one bit.

I used to occasionally commute from Parkhurst, around the north edge of town to Rosherville. SCR with the minibus taxis is something else .

King Donut

Bikequin wrote:

... normally commute on a giant though...

Occasionally wearing Coast cycling shorts?

blu3cat

There I was pootling away on the way home, hoping to get some action over Putney bridge and twang a rear non cassette side spoke goes - A*se.

Had to get the tube from Putney Bridge and push from Wimbledon home, no SCR, 3 miles in cycle shoes (SPD) - at least my cleats were f*cked already and have a spare pair already. Now have blisters, really sore feet, and no spare spokes.

You can all breath a sigh of relief, your scalps are safe, until I get the wheel fixed. :roll:

cjcp

Blucat - that's a bit of a bu*gger.

What a lovely evening for a ride. I pootled home. Even had a chap overtake me on the slope off Chelsea Bridge and I didn't respond. Well, not immediately...

He spun past and kept going. Then the effect of the wind and spinning seemed to take hold. And he was gradually reeled in. Overtook after Albert Bridge and remained there, closely followed, but not drafted. At the speed I was going however, I had the feeling that neither of us had any energy for battle. Which suited me juuuuuuust fine.

redvee

blu3cat

You could have released the brake and rode gently home and made a note of all the hybrids et al that scalped you.

cjcp

redvee wrote:

blu3cat

You could have released the brake and rode gently home and made a note of all the hybrids et al that scalped you.

I was going to say that, but I had a real wobble when it happened on my mtb a few years back.

blu3cat

cjcp wrote:

redvee wrote:

blu3cat

You could have released the brake and rode gently home and made a note of all the hybrids et al that scalped you.

I was going to say that, but I had a real wobble when it happened on my mtb a few years back.

oh the shame of it.


Even without my fat ar*e astride, the brake needed releasing by the time I got home so the wheel would go round, seems about 1 cm out of true

Didn't want to risk it, I've had a wheel collapse on me before (long time ago) - involved me eating a lot of (luckily) grass verge :oops: .