Silly commuting racing

blu3cat

no-one to play with again this morning or this evening, except maybe.....

Whats the FCN of a horse? Overtook a couple of Police Horses on the way to hammersmith - v cool flashing stirrups for lights.

Zephr

Anyone going from the City down Greenwich/ Deptford way this evening between 630 and 7.
mustve taken about 8 scalps, though there was a seriously fast london pheonix rider, and a really quite quick guy on a cboardman roadie with a Talon 33 rucksac on. (I know, Im more of a gear freak than a bikie), however, they were the only 2 that I didnt manage to lose.
(the pheonix guy handed my butt to me on a plate, but when youre on a nobbly mountain bike in baggies and on flats, really, theres not too much to be done).
The rest of you, where the hell were you?
MTFU, surely you can catch a MTBer?

("whapieesh" goes the gauntlet)

itboffin

MonkeyMonster wrote:

gtvlusso wrote:

Tired and f*cked off.....people I work with are idiots! My commute is the only thing that keeps me sane.

+1 I had this a month or so ago - cycling really helps

+1 but not all of them - not cycling is really not helping

I'm fearing the worst

cjcp

@Roastie - Chapeau to her indeed.

Zephr - love the sound effects. :twisted:

cjcp

Swift guy on a Colnago fixed tonight. He was tonking it. Had a brief chat with him at CB lights after he heard my expletives at VB lights when a WVM tried to cut in front of me and turn onto the bridge - he broke when he realised I was standing my ground.

Quiet otherwise until near the Park when I saw the same guy on the Principia I've seen recently. Scalp.

EDIT: Roastie - definitely a tailwind tonight. Thank God.

jimmypippa

Roastie wrote:

Was there a tailwind tonight? Either way I felt like I was starting to get some form back.

Not for me...

Grr. One more entry for my silly commuting rain stats though.

Mind you the morning was fun.

Thank you to the tarmac lorry that gave me a lift to 37mph, though I did have to keep touching the brakes, which was a tad frustrating.

It is downhill at that point.

itboffin

Took the car as is now normal, parked at the bottom of the hill from the station mounted my SS just as it starts raining, great! :evil:

Bam up the .5 mile hill just in time for me train but this time when I stopped I instantly overheated and came close to puking :?

I have pains in both knees front and back, hamstrings lower back, neck and arms - how's that for messed up.

Booking a visit to the doctors ASAP

DonDaddyD

A lesson in saftey.

So from Oval to Clapham I'm holding a consistent 20mph at one point I had to conciously 'tone it down' and keep to 23mph heading to Clapham North tube and 21mph along the Clapham Common strip. (I don't know how I'm maintaining these speeds, I know I may go on but I know I'm not the fastest but I'm consistently faster now than I have ever been).

as usual I've dropped everyone including a Black Bianchi and a 2008 Giant SR3, like mine

I heading to Balham tube and I end up between moving vehicles to my right and parked vehicles to my left, its tight and to top it off I've got a guy on a BSO going 3mph, the come down from the 20s to this hurt a little to be honest.

"The moment a gap appears I'm going to take it and get ahead of this guy" I'm thinking to myself. I start checking over my right shoulder for a gap.

Another cyclist behind me - a guy on a red single speed and beany who had been trying to keep up with me from Oval - decides to do the same thing only he swerves out right without checking his shoulder and therefore doesn't see how close he was to the car behind as he carried out the move.

A massive beep of the horn and I'm closing my eyes as I'm thinking this isn't going to end pretty. It did, the car manaed to slow down a mere width of fly from the guys back tyre. The guy is having a back and forth with the driver for beeping at him.

As we approach the lights, for the first time I decide to explain to another cyclist how dangerous his move was.

"Fair enough mate" He said, really not interested in listening.

So I thought seeing as he was so desperately to get ahead of me and given that he wasn't interested in listening or showing any kind of humility I decided to show him how futile and pointless his move was by hitting 28.something along the Balham drag strip, dropping him and then slowing down to see the look on his face as he caught up. All he could do was smile, I let him go after that I go below 20mph through Tooting in the evening, too many obsitcles (cars pulling out/in people stepping out in the road.

Point is, I may go on about SCR I may have fun on the roads but not at the expense of my safety, its not fun if it isn't safe. I'm getting a little tired of seeing people throw caution to the wind in the desperation to ride fast.

Also look over you shoulder when your about to move left or right. SMIDSY on a bike is stupid.

jimmypippa

DonDaddyD wrote:

Also look over you shoulder when your about to move left or right. SMIDSY on a bike is stupid.

Well said

Aidy

DonDaddyD wrote:

So I thought seeing as he was so desperately to get ahead of me and given that he wasn't interested in listening or showing any kind of humility I decided to show him how futile and pointless his move was by hitting 28.something along the Balham drag strip, dropping him and then slowing down to see the look on his face as he caught up. All he could do was smile, I let him go after that I go below 20mph through Tooting in the evening, too many obsitcles (cars pulling out/in people stepping out in the road.

Sounds like he had you.

At least, if I was that cyclist, the thought running through my head would be "Look at this guy, trying to sprint ahead and blowing out almost immediately. I'll just overtake him by maintaining a steady pace."

Bassjunkieuk

DonDaddyD wrote:

Also look over you shoulder when your about to move left or right. SMIDSY on a bike is stupid.

I had a chap who failed the shoulder check this evening, thing was it was someone who looked like they should have known better! As I pulled out from work this evening I was joined from by someone from the same workplace (except from the lower "secure" bike park area) on a Cannondale Synapse with messenger bag :-) As he road off up the road I could hear the voice in my head willing him "Turn left.........now right.......oh you don't know what's coming!!!" We joined the main carriageway and made our way to the queueing cars at the lights. There was a gap down the LHS and a gap down the middle of the 3 lanes and I was aiming for the middle.........until I had to brake as he suddenly decided to take the middle line without checking for me :evil:

As we lined up I realized he was using dual-sided pedals......sneaky as I didn't realize Adiddas did SPD shoes! It didn't take long for our lights to change but we ended up being (unusually) stopped at the next set before being unleashed on the lovely road ahead. As I pulled ahead I'm sure I could hear the clickety-click of a gear change. I was already winding up my favourite gear so dropped another cog and ordered a bit more power to make sure those clicks where the last i'd hear of him :twisted: Hit the rest of the lights perfectly down the road as the first was green and the second changed as I approached, pretty decent ride and a tad over 30mph with legs that hadn't even had a chance to warm up and a fully loaded backpack I swear I'm going to pull a muscle one day if I don't learn to reign it in!!!

DonDaddyD

Aidy wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

So I thought seeing as he was so desperately to get ahead of me and given that he wasn't interested in listening or showing any kind of humility I decided to show him how futile and pointless his move was by hitting 28.something along the Balham drag strip, dropping him and then slowing down to see the look on his face as he caught up. All he could do was smile, I let him go after that I go below 20mph through Tooting in the evening, too many obsitcles (cars pulling out/in people stepping out in the road.

Sounds like he had you.

At least, if I was that cyclist, the thought running through my head would be "Look at this guy, trying to sprint ahead and blowing out almost immediately. I'll just overtake him by maintaining a steady pace."

He didn't have me. He knew he didn't have me.

MonkeyMonster

Awesome tail wind last night, muchos scalpos but annoying fork reader for comp has died so no timings... Ginge can you replace them batteries on the polar ones or do you need a new one?

Took the guy in full blue team regalia (now of course I can't remember which team but hey ho) at millbank (think i've mentioned him before) Short little roadie drafted me on both sections from millbank to battersea bridge and didn't even say thanks the wee shite. Shame I roasted him at both sets of lights - very tempted to shout come on then the 2nd time I overtook - and he had a massive jump head start by rljing.

No bike today alas - beers later...

Boffo - get thee to a doc, might have just overdone it while recovering? Hope you're feelin better soon.

Clever Pun

itboffin wrote:

I'm fearing the worst

Are you going to be having a bike fire sale?

Clever Pun

last night after putting the fear of god into DDD I got to the balham high road around 7.. arrrgh it reminded me why I hate this route, traffic everywhere filtering and no real chance to put proper power down, turn off at Clapham north so avoided Brixton, I guess that's good. I saw a fixed rider ahead, seemed pretty swift I was slowly gaining and my turning arrived just too quickly... damn... what's this he's turning too... score, so we filter a little and the road opens up and I'm ready to pounce and he only goes and turns off...feck



on the pista this morning it was really quiet... but I see the London Pheonix rider pi$$ past me at the lights, I keep with him until the jamaica road sprint on the fist prep section he's pinged me and is giving it loads over the shoulder but on the main drag I open up and get right up on his tail he keeps looking, he drops a cog I spin faster, he's up off his seat he really doesn't want to be taken or even challenged (we pass lots of others but I cant see detail) he drops another cog and then the turn off to tower bridge arrives and I've got to leave him be... he was certainly outwardly trying but I couldn't quite get him... I just need to meet him when I've got gears.

pst88

I really wish I knew what you London lot are on about with your acronyms, initialisms and abbreviations some times... Anyway, I was riding along from HB, approaching FW when I slowed for traffic and got outfiltered by a daredevil BSO rider with a lemming like compulsion to cut inside buses and lorries. I let him go but caught up with him on BS and showed him who was boss. As I reached the bottom of BS and cut through PC and saw another cyclist getting a stern telling off for not dismounting to go through the shopping centre by a security guard and police man. Not sure if he got fined (or if you can get fined?) but I'm guessing he'll think twice about that again. After I got through PC I turned down onto NS and didn't see any more bikes until I got to work (near the JQ).

fenboy369

blu3cat wrote:

no-one to play with again this morning or this evening, except maybe.....

Whats the FCN of a horse? Overtook a couple of Police Horses on the way to hammersmith - v cool flashing stirrups for lights.

+1 for a horse FCN. Also a tractor one please. And a combine harvester one. Thats about all I get to play with in the sticks....

blu3cat

The lack of SCR competition is starting to get to me now, nothing for days other than hydrids and BSOs.

This is exacerbated by the fact that I realised this morning my FCN had dropped to 3. I've moved over to the dark side fully, no bag and full lycra this morning. I feel like Luke Skywalker when he looks at his gloved hand and is afraid of what he's becoming.

Worst thing is I feel exactly 0% faster now. Time to MTFU :evil:

gmillsy

Big shout out to the guy on an orange Kona road bike - had an awesome thrash through Vauxhall and along nine elms lane last night, with each of us taking a turn on the front.

That made my ride home very enjoyable - chapeau sir.

jonginge

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Awesome tail wind last night, muchos scalpos but annoying fork reader for comp has died so no timings... Ginge can you replace them batteries on the polar ones or do you need a new one?

Pretty sure it's a replacement job. They should last a couple of years, though, unless you've bashed it. (Obviously you've checked sensor/magnet alignment.)
I recently replaced my cadence one. It was about 3yrs old and the signal was getting flaky but then I borked it completely when it slipped into the path of the cranks...
I should replace my speed one, too, but I tend to use cadence as a proxy for speed.

cjcp

Dropped the eldest at school this morning, so late in and no SCR to speak of whatsoever. A roadie who pulled up next to me at Parlt Square, however, recognised me from the drop off at school (yes, I turn up in my lycra because I ride the bike there while the monster scoots along, but so did he). His kid's at the same school. Small world.

MonkeyMonster

JonGinge wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Awesome tail wind last night, muchos scalpos but annoying fork reader for comp has died so no timings... Ginge can you replace them batteries on the polar ones or do you need a new one?

Pretty sure it's a replacement job. They should last a couple of years, though, unless you've bashed it. (Obviously you've checked sensor/magnet alignment.)
I recently replaced my cadence one. It was about 3yrs old and the signal was getting flaky but then I borked it completely when it slipped into the path of the cranks...
I should replace my speed one, too, but I tend to use cadence as a proxy for speed.

24 fecking quid to replace the sensor... Gah.

Seeing as I need a new hrm as well - what are peoples thoughts of me spending 12 quid more than 24 (sensor) and 30 (hrm) to get a whole new monitor package for 67 that throws in a hrm for *free*... Spare magnet, battery and unit in the bag I suppose.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Dropped the eldest at school this morning, so late in and no SCR to speak of whatsoever. A roadie who pulled up next to me at Parlt Square, however, recognised me from the drop off at school (yes, I turn up in my lycra because I ride the bike there while the monster scoots along, but so did he). His kid's at the same school. Small world.

racing your kid isn't big or clever you know

shoulder_of_orion

commuterconvert wrote:

I’m on a 10yr old Turquoise/Silver Marin bobcat skinny MTB with a rackpack.

Well chapeau to you then for managing 43kmph on 10 year old MTB. I managed 26.4mph this morning going full guns, which I calculate to be 42.5kmph. I wasn't standing up though. You weren't standing up were you? I'm on a 2009 green trek road bike full lycra, clipless so I am ceding a whole batch of points to you. No quarter will be expected or given should we meet but I will say hello if I get the chance.

I went through a world of pain last night.

I picked up what I first thought was a drafter on embankment, so I laid down some awesome, I couldn't shake him though and at the next set of lights he accelerated past me as if to say "I wasn't drafting, it was just a bit dangerous to pass you" (the cheeky bugger - he couldn't get past becuase I was going too fast). He didn't scalp me as it happened at a junction. He stormed ahead and the traffic was heavy over Vauxhall Bridge around Oval and on the first part of Camberwell New Road.

I powered past him on Camberwell New Road and proceeded to blow up spectacularly but luckily the lights at Camberwell green saved my bacon and I managed to pull off a "I'm just freewheeling to the lights and haven't just blown up" look. He took primary at the lights and I struggled to hold his wheel down Peckham road and getting past him would have been impossible (for me) such was his pace.

We arrived at the lights at my turn off together. 5 miles of classic SCR action. As someone else said "I looked ready for A&E while he looked ready for a picnic" and as someone else said "my face is like that".

He had mudguards and a pannier on a green steel roadie. So I was ceding a couple of points to him....

cjcp

Clever Pun wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Dropped the eldest at school this morning, so late in and no SCR to speak of whatsoever. A roadie who pulled up next to me at Parlt Square, however, recognised me from the drop off at school (yes, I turn up in my lycra because I ride the bike there while the monster scoots along, but so did he). His kid's at the same school. Small world.

racing your kid isn't big or clever you know

They've got to learn the hard way. The only way.

Wallace1492

Caught up with a fast hybrid chick last night at some lights on MR, assumed I would pull away easy, but she was determined. She took off like a house on fire, keeping me tucked in behind (no bad thing really, she was well fit!) But as I have been feeling good, had to turn on the gas. Zoomed by where road widens, and pulled away.

As I had turned it on for a while, was about to slow down, but, as often happens sopt another cyclist up ahead (no idea what he was riding - how you guys spot it I will never know) anyway, keep up the speed, and pelt past him too.

No wonder I was knackered at circuits class last night!!

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Dropped the eldest at school this morning, so late in and no SCR to speak of whatsoever. A roadie who pulled up next to me at Parlt Square, however, recognised me from the drop off at school (yes, I turn up in my lycra because I ride the bike there while the monster scoots along, but so did he). His kid's at the same school. Small world.

racing your kid isn't big or clever you know

They've got to learn the hard way. The only way.

Like this poor chap scalped as a child by a 20s something Greg66

biondino

DonDaddyD wrote:

Aidy wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

So I thought seeing as he was so desperately to get ahead of me and given that he wasn't interested in listening or showing any kind of humility I decided to show him how futile and pointless his move was by hitting 28.something along the Balham drag strip, dropping him and then slowing down to see the look on his face as he caught up. All he could do was smile, I let him go after that I go below 20mph through Tooting in the evening, too many obsitcles (cars pulling out/in people stepping out in the road.

Sounds like he had you.

At least, if I was that cyclist, the thought running through my head would be "Look at this guy, trying to sprint ahead and blowing out almost immediately. I'll just overtake him by maintaining a steady pace."

He didn't have me. He knew he didn't have me.

Laurence, no SCRer in the history of the Game has ever dropped someone, THEN SLOWED DOWN TO SEE THE LOOK ON THEIR FACE, THEN LET THEM OVERTAKE. It's against nature. I call shenanigans.

MonkeyMonster

He has your scalp - plain and simple. That you tore it off (if we believe your tall tales) and gave it to him is by the by.

Bassjunkieuk

biondino wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Aidy wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

So I thought seeing as he was so desperately to get ahead of me and given that he wasn't interested in listening or showing any kind of humility I decided to show him how futile and pointless his move was by hitting 28.something along the Balham drag strip, dropping him and then slowing down to see the look on his face as he caught up. All he could do was smile, I let him go after that I go below 20mph through Tooting in the evening, too many obsitcles (cars pulling out/in people stepping out in the road.

Sounds like he had you.

At least, if I was that cyclist, the thought running through my head would be "Look at this guy, trying to sprint ahead and blowing out almost immediately. I'll just overtake him by maintaining a steady pace."

He didn't have me. He knew he didn't have me.

Laurence, no SCRer in the history of the Game has ever dropped someone, THEN SLOWED DOWN TO SEE THE LOOK ON THEIR FACE, THEN LET THEM OVERTAKE. It's against nature. I call shenanigans.

I do think we need confirmation that it was CP that passed DDD.....