Silly commuting racing

attica

Epic post G66, a good read thanks

UndercoverElephant

Chapeau, G66. It goes to prove that none of us choose to play the game. Most unsatisfactory in the end too, I'd be fuming were it me. All that hard work...

King Donut

Yeah, great tales G66. You getting a bit more active again now SCRer of the year is up for grabs?

cjcp wrote:

@KD - I've clashed with a Pearson on that route. Wearing all black?

Yep, inc black tights last night. With a really bright rear light (I had a good long look at it). He was holding a decent constant speed without ever going wild and employs some professional filtering techniques that kept him ahead of me all the way.

tgotb

King Donut wrote:

Tussled with a Pearson SSer (who works in my building) for 10ish miles from the office on Upper Thames St until I turned off for RP and he carried on to Sheen.

Is that a dark-ish blue Pearson? I seem to run into him all the time, in both directions. Fairly quick, though not invincibly so, but a demon when it comes to filtering...

Bassjunkieuk

Epic post Mr66 :-) Certainly sounds like you had some un-intended fun on the way in! It just goes to show how cruel a mistress The Game can be :twisted:

@Rich - Glad to see your back! Again it sounds like you had your hands full with that chap :-)

crumbschief

Gripping stuff Greg,thought i was gonna piss meself when i read that

I feel like Lando Calrissian flying the Falcon inside the Death Star

King Donut

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

King Donut wrote:

Tussled with a Pearson SSer (who works in my building) for 10ish miles from the office on Upper Thames St until I turned off for RP and he carried on to Sheen.

Is that a dark-ish blue Pearson? I seem to run into him all the time, in both directions. Fairly quick, though not invincibly so, but a demon when it comes to filtering...

I think that'll be him although it was dark so I didn't see the colour of his steed. I don't know how some people are so good at filtering.

cjcp

King Donut wrote:

Yeah, great tales G66. You getting a bit more active again now SCRer of the year is up for grabs?

cjcp wrote:

@KD - I've clashed with a Pearson on that route. Wearing all black?

Yep, inc black tights last night. With a really bright rear light (I had a good long look at it). He was holding a decent constant speed without ever going wild and employs some professional filtering techniques that kept him ahead of me all the way.

Must be the same dude. I think Brompton's thinking of the same guy too.

MonkeyMonster

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Clever Pun

Last night was great but I had a 2hour tech test so it fried any memory of fun or anything that wasn't C++

this morning I'm on the pista and my calves are like two lumps of rock after some sterling work in the gym yesterday. I see a roadie up by beckenham jct and I chuckle to myself about the thought of taking him on the upcoming hill, but it seems every damn car did everything they could to slow my progress after letting him through... I spin like a mixing machine down the other side of the hill and I'm gaining slowly, we round the corner and onto the A21, time to lay the power down even though my legs are now screaming at me I draw close knock it up another notch and I cruise past clearly rocking out to my tunes tapping the handlebars in that relaxed "I'm enjoying crushing your spirit" kinda way. I get to the lights first and have to trackstand (only for 2 seconds so I'm ok) and he passes me having a rolling start... I step it up and pass him again and this time leave him in my wake... Now to open my new shower gel "Victory League"

King Donut

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Height.... check
Experience..... check
Knowing how wide I am..... Ah

cjcp

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Don't try to improve filtering speed, just flat out speed. Quicker filtering is not soul destroying. Catching and passing somebody with a glance that says "Hey, how's it going? Traffic's good today, eh?"? Now that's soul-destroying; that's scalping. :twisted:

King Donut

cjcp wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Don't try to improve filtering speed, just flat out speed. Quicker filtering is not soul destroying. Catching and passing somebody with a glance that says "Hey, how's it going? Traffic's good today, eh?"? Now that's soul-destroying; that's scalping. :twisted:

It's true yes, and the rules accommodate this I know. But at the end of the day I'm riding my bike to get home and I find it rather annoying when a (flat out) slower rider can get somewhere in the same amount of time as me.

MonkeyMonster

Yeah, I need some longer rides to get that up. The spaces are usually how close I go past other people with a car on one side...

I rarely filter tbh unless the traffic is crap or too close to the kerb to allow easy access to ASL without popping onto the kerb/

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

@G66 - Good battle! The guy on the Giant? Did he have snowman socks on and/or rugby-style shorts? I ask this because, yesterday, I spotted Mr Frosty on a Giant and he had flats on with cages and that same attire. He's upgraded from a hybrid over the summer, it seems. He's quick, but likes his RLJing.

As for SLC guy, did he look like the chap you spoke to last year (?) on the PX? I've seen one such guy twice in the last couple of weeks.

Didn't notice the socks, but his shorts were black, high cut and a bit flappy now you mention it, so they could have been rugby style. The image that stuck with me was his calves. Ripped.

SLC might be new. He's a big lad, with 'phones plugged in. BIgger frame than mine. Leggings without stirrups; mostly black but with white/grey panels on the outside of the thighs.

King Donut wrote:

Yeah, great tales G66. You getting a bit more active again now SCRer of the year is up for grabs?

You cynic!

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

Didn't notice the socks, but his shorts were black, high cut and a bit flappy now you mention it, so they could have been rugby style. The image that stuck with me was his calves. Ripped.

Yes, this chap's were too. Flappy t-shirt too?

SLC might be new. He's a big lad, with 'phones plugged in. BIgger frame than mine. Leggings without stirrups; mostly black but with white/grey panels on the outside of the thighs.

Sounds like the same guy.

attica

King Donut wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Height.... check
Experience..... check
Knowing how wide I am..... Ah

Quite, it doesn't help if you know you are extra wide (then again, ignoring that fact will definitely hinder)

Irvinet

Just wondering if there are any other participants in the "London Bridge Sprint"? This is my favourite bit of morning SCR that starts at the lights at the western end of Tooley St(I think it is Duke St Hill technically).

There is usually a good gathering of cyclists in the advance box there, all happy to be leaving the oblivious-pedestrian hell that is Tooley St. The lights go green and as long as a bus has not clogged the intersection you take a fast right onto London Bridge and then just sprint for the crest of the bridge and then on to the far lights. Short, sharp, bit of incline and with some pretty clear victory criteria. Very satisfying end to the morning ride.

jedster

On the topic of demon filtering, I was dropped by a guy today who absolutely flew up the inside of traffic. I could have followed but if anything has happened (ped stepped out from behind a car, car pulled in without indicating, etc) there would have been zero chance of avoiding a crash.

Don't forget the "don't ride like a tw@t" clause in The Rules.

J

Backsplash

"London Bridge Sprint"

Oh yes.

Every morning.

There's always the odd one who pulls ahead to get a start when the light turns green....

Makes it even more satisfying to haul them in over the short uphill, take a deep breath and pretend you are just having a look at the sun rising over tower bridge, whilst pedalling for all you are worth..

cjcp

Irvinet wrote:

Just wondering if there are any other participants in the "London Bridge Sprint"? This is my favourite bit of morning SCR that starts at the lights at the western end of Tooley St(I think it is Duke St Hill technically).

There is usually a good gathering of cyclists in the advance box there, all happy to be leaving the oblivious-pedestrian hell that is Tooley St. The lights go green and as long as a bus has not clogged the intersection you take a fast right onto London Bridge and then just sprint for the crest of the bridge and then on to the far lights. Short, sharp, bit of incline and with some pretty clear victory criteria. Very satisfying end to the morning ride.

Calling Gazzaputt to the thread, Gazzaputt to the thread...

Think he's done 36mph in that sprint.

Roastie

Irvinet wrote:

"London Bridge Sprint"? This is my favourite bit of morning SCR that starts at the lights at the western end of Tooley St(I think it is Duke St Hill technically).

That is the last bit of my morning commute before I slow down to cool off, 'cept that I run up from BoroughHigh St - usually from a standing start at the last set of lights before the bridge.

cjcp wrote:

Calling Gazzaputt to the thread, Gazzaputt to the thread...

Think he's done 36mph in that sprint.

36mph! :shock: Goodness me! :shock: Eish! :shock:

I think the best I've managed before the crest is about 30ish - though I must admit that in the heat of SCR, I'm rarely looking to see how fast I'm going...

Bassjunkieuk

London Bridge is certainly a good proving ground :-) The gentle incline to the crest really sorts the wheat from the chaff but you can't let up then as those behind you now have a downhill section to aid them in closing the gap :-D Then it comes down to ninja filtering at the end, do you nip up the RH lane following a motorbike or scooter or do you use the bus lane and risk traffic left hooking you??

As long as one of those stupid fecking bendy buses or the kamikaze taxi drivers don't take you out at the start it's a hoot and Roastie WTF is this "cooling off" you speak off?!?!?! ;-)

And yes 36mph over there is a bit mental but gives me a good target
:twisted:

cjcp

I've given up on reaching Will3's 40mph. I'm seriously struggling to make 32mph on the crosser/46t. It's going to take some time getting used to proper spinning.

Irvinet

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

As long as one of those stupid fecking bendy buses or the kamikaze taxi drivers don't take you out at the start it's a hoot

Absolutely... or, my all time favourite is the motorcycles who like to turn left from the far right hand side of that cycle advance box. Should not be there in the first place and think that revving their engine gives them instant right of way....

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

And yes 36mph over there is a bit mental but gives me a good target
:twisted:

Must get a speedometer. Currently I just measure all speeds relative to the other bikes and the lactic acid burn.

biondino

King Donut wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Combo of height, experience and I think importantly knowing exactly how wide you are. I'm getting more used to my cut down bars and its making more and more impact on the gaps I now go for and how quickly.

Height.... check
Experience..... check
Knowing how wide I am..... Ah

I was having a great battle this morning on High St Ken with a very nippy, lycrad up single speeder. He was very quick, but if I tried hard* I could gradually overhaul him between lights.

As we approach Hyde Park, we're freewheeling at about 20mph when he spots a gap and nips through it without even slowing down. I blink, look, blink again and slam on the brakes, then pick my way through. Two wing mirrors, less than two feet apart and one slightly in front of the other. I had, maybe, an inch on either side as I picked my way through, walking the bike carefully. By the next lights, his advantage craried him through but left me waiting. Chapeau, I guess, though it's a shame he had to ruin the best race I've had in ages.


*I'm behind him at this point, so it doesn't count as trying, right?

MonkeyMonster

biondino wrote:

on High St Ken

Ahhh, you are the chap who shares most of my ride in... was trying to remember yesterday int pub. Red face mask, big blue crumpler. If you see shout out

Roastie

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Roastie WTF is this "cooling off" you speak off?!?!?! ;-)

LOL! Hey, it is only for the last 500 or so - a weak attempt to avoid lead legs. Guess I just need to MTFU :oops: .

blu3cat

Roastie wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Roastie WTF is this "cooling off" you speak off?!?!?! ;-)

LOL! Hey, it is only for the last 500 or so - a weak attempt to avoid lead legs. Guess I just need to MTFU :oops: .

Have you compared "cooling off" and not "cooling off" to see if it does help with legs of lead?

Saw my Roadie friend from Friday last week, and this time no mechanical failures, so would have made the scalp stick except, we were dressed similarly, he had a bag & I didnt

Don't think this actually slowed him down considerably or allowed me to go faster, but, rules are rules *sighs*

itboffin

I extended today's commute by 1 mile half at each end

Small steps BUT I did manage a wicked fast avg today with some pain 8)

Getting tired of the smell of deep heat