Silly commuting racing

redvee

Pulled away from Albert Bridge lights this morning and jumped the queue, in that I was still moving as they changed and the cars etc were stationary, and lead ther traffic for a good 1/2 mile at 25+ then had to freewheel and pulled over, as I did so I got a toot from WVM in a blue van. Not sure if this was a 'chapeau' toot or a 'get of the the way, bloody cyclist' toot.

cjcp

Gaz:

And just how feckin' tall are you? The camera looks like it's half way between the road and the top of the streetlights. :shock:

crumbschief

Haha good vid Gaz the music worked well with it i smiled through that,TT scalps indeed,great blog too you sure are putting the effort in fella.

Kieran_Burns

diediediediediedie

gb155

cjcp wrote:

Gaz:

And just how feckin' tall are you? The camera looks like it's half way between the road and the top of the streetlights. :shock:

6ft 4"

gb155

crumbschief wrote:

Haha good vid Gaz the music worked well with it i smiled through that,TT scalps indeed,great blog too you sure are putting the effort in fella.

cheers man, appreciate it

gb155

Kieran_Burns wrote:

diediediediediedie

LOL- Someone HELPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

gtvlusso

Grrrrrr.....Grrrrrr.....arrrggghhhh....Grrrrrrrrr - I would rather be on my bike than in here! Grrrr

*some of you may have noticed that I am not enjoying work at the moment. And pregnant wife is being kicked all night by the baby....hence a lack of sleep!

tgotb

Guy on the black Specialized with blue bar tape who tried to scalp me across the middle of RP last night: are you on here? Can't believe you managed to miss that rabbit...

cjcp

Not the best of commutes this morning.

First up, I get a visit from The Fairy along the path in RP. Fortunately, the change is a lot cleaner than the shambles of the other night. What was not so fortunate was that very little air seemed to be going into my tyre (which perhaps explains Tuesday's difficulties).

I inspect the nozzle and it seems the metal thingy inside it is off centre. I try to get it out, but it's stuck. I give it a few taps (you can see what's coming, can't you?), but nothing happens. I give it a harder tap. Nothing. FFS! I tap/whack it against the ground. The pump elongates and, upon making contact with the ground, snaps in two. FFS! :x

Only one chap in the Lord knows how many cyclists that rode by stopped to ask if I had the kit I needed. It was the chap on the blue 'Dale with the lock round his waist I saw yesterday. Thanks, fella. I say no and that I'm off home.

As I'm heading along the path, it occurs to me that my wife has probably taken the kids to school. Sh!t. I've left my keys in work. So, I ask an approaching roadie if he has a pump. He does. Fantastic.

Ride with him until the north side of Putney Bridge, where he branches off to Earl's Court. He's not on the forum (I asked him), but thanks very much to the chap on the white Trek from Teddington.

During our ride, he mentions how much we have to keep our eyes peeled. Indeed. Riding along the NKR, a mum in a BMW estate on the school run (kids are in the back) pops out of the side road by a zerba crossing just the other side of the Green and tries to turn left (folks her will know the one - it's the zebra just after the first bus stop). Drivers regularly execute this move, but this mum has left it late and she swings at the last minute to make the turn. She realises I'm there because she can hear my expletives through the open rear window once I've used my right hand to "fend off" the car. She immediately says "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" and pulls over.

She says the same after getting out of the car and explains that her kids were arguing and did she want my details. No need, thankfully and credit to her for stopping and being extremely apologetic, but that was a little too close for comfort.

Wallace1492

Just me against me again this morning, as it is most mornings. However today decide to go for new record door to door. Have been on the commute for 26 days solid now (used to do just 3 or 4 days a week before MTFU). Started well, lights green down Milngavie Road, powering as hard as my wee legs allowed. Get to MR in 14 mins, well inside record time. That's when it all goes wrong, just too many lights were against me, a few buses in the wrong place including one that didn't pull into bus layby but blocked the lane instead, so time ticked up, average speed dropped due to coasting to red lights, traffic queues..... Still, did 26.5 mins for my 7.5miles. Quite happy with that.

Anyone on here from Glasgow indulge in SCR?

Clever Pun

No bike today I realised this morning I don't hate public transport.. I hate the public using it. bit pricy though a peak travel card £12.60 for me ffs

As I strolled over tower bridge I got to see loads of cyclists going over which make me feel sad but many of them I've scalped so that made me feel better

Irvinet

All being well, I am picking up a tandem for me and the missus on Saturday night. I have been told that I should ride the bike a bit to get used to the length, turning circle, bar end shifters(a first for me), etc before trying to take the stoker for a ride..

Sooo, I have decided to commute on it solo next week.

Anyone care to propose a base FCN for a tandem being ridden solo?

redvee

Been out tonight with lycra on opposed to the baggies I normally wear and felt naked till I got used to it. Found a couple of pros and cons to night riding.

Con

35mph down a pitch black road even with 3 headlights is scary, I say 35mph as that is what the Cateye says I maxed at more likely 30mph. Slight inclines come at you unawares

Pro

Coming back through Brizzle city centre when the students are out on Freshers Night, saw enough short skirts and stockings to last a lifetime some of which were female :oops:

Big Wib

Just found a parking place half way (ish) to work which drops my commute down to 17/18 miles and means I can do it more frequently

The Running Man

Set off this morning intending to make it a quicker ride into work on the slightly longer loop (28 miles) but my computer (wireless jobbie) wasn't working. No matter how many pigging buttons I pushed the blasted thing refused point blank to play. In frustration I settled down into a decent rhythm and tried not to keep glancing down at the lifeless display to see what my average mph was.

About 4 miles from the office I was desperate for a wee so stopped and decided to have a look at the speedo as well..............

Note to self : do not take front wheel out when bike is upside down being cleaned in case you put the wheel back in the wrong way round - DOH!!

:oops: :oops: :oops:

CyclingBantam

Irvinet wrote:

All being well, I am picking up a tandem for me and the missus on Saturday night. I have been told that I should ride the bike a bit to get used to the length, turning circle, bar end shifters(a first for me), etc before trying to take the stoker for a ride..

Sooo, I have decided to commute on it solo next week.

Anyone care to propose a base FCN for a tandem being ridden solo?

I say you run a book on how many times you get the comment "They've fallen off mate"!

I'm going for 26 in the week!

cjcp

@BB:

All very quiet this morning. Must be the effect of half term.

Roastie

I reckon that if you ride a Condor Leggero in RC colours and RC kit, you really should have the self respect not to a) sit on the wheel of a dude on a ratty old non-chromo steel MTB and b) be dropped when said MTB rider turns up the heat a little.

What do you guys think?

redvee

Can I say that Audi drivers are cocks again?

Was out yesterday and approaching a set ot light where the left hand lane goes straight ahead and the right hand turns right with the road blocked. Mr Audi overtakes as we appraoch the lights and stops in the right hand lane then after 5 seconds puts the left indicator on, obviously a car with the indicators option from the factory, then pulls away and tries to pull away but with me beside him he can't, I match his speed and he concedes the victory to me.

itboffin

I'm trying the super short commute tomorrow 5 miles each end then 2.6 in London, nice and sloooooowwww

cjcp

Roastie wrote:

I reckon that if you ride a Condor Leggero in RC colours and RC kit, you really should have the self respect not to a) sit on the wheel of a dude on a ratty old non-chromo steel MTB and b) be dropped when said MTB rider turns up the heat a little.

What do you guys think?

TAXI!

fenboy369

I had a trip into Cambridge tonight to sort out some stuff, so had a little bit of real SCR action for a change. Several scalps to me, a couple of roadies suitably embarassed, lost mine once, but I'd taken more so I've stitched them together and made myself a new one.
But the stand out moment for me was the old boy, v.old boy (easily in his 80's) on an old racer who I pootled past on Newmarket Road on the way out. I was only doing 15 ish, went past him and stopped 50 yards down the road at the first set of lights. As they went green the old boy went past me :oops: and said "Race you!" Chapeau old fella! I near on fell off laughing, made a right hash of clipping in, it was a proper clipless moment , and caught him at the next lights. Bit of a track stand, old boy says "Thats fancy" and as the lights changed he shouts "GO!". So I did. I made the next set at green, he hit them at red, so I turned round to see him shaking his fist in mock anger. That has made my week.

cjcp

Good action tonight.

Picked up the first of a numer of drafting fairies along Millbank. A later sighting confirmed he might have been a Trek.

I stop for a red at VB lights. I notice that the roadie already at the lights is the Condor SSer sighted a couple of times last week. I ready myself for a swfit passge through DSC. As I do so, another SSer (on a very nice looking red and black frame - another Condor?) pulls up, and another roadie. Wahey, here we go, I think

Lights go green and I make my trademark slow start from the lights. But there's only two ahead of me. I pass them by the right bend into DSC. I settle into a nice rhythm and no-one passes. Not surprising, because all behind me. I feel like the Pied Piper.

Gears start playing up (turns out to be a loose left crank arm causing play in chainset spindle), so I ease up slightly while my bike decides which gear it wishes to use tonight. Condorman goes past. Knowing that two others on my wheel, I'm not jumping on his wheel; let them do it.

Sure enough, the SSer makes his move to bridge the gap and then the Trek goes with him. I hang back, and we all come to a stop at the lights before the railway bridge. SSer goes through.

I have to sprint for the CB lights, and this takes me past the Condor and close to the wheel of the SSer by the time we've crested the bridge. The SSer proves to be rapid in his own right and, while I pass him on the stretch to AB, I can't shake him from my wheel. He's back on the wheel after AB lights. We both stop for a red at BB, and we eventually go our separate ways when he turns down Lots Road.

Good workout that.

blu3cat

No SCR This morning, or for the next few weeks.

Daughter born on Sunday, mum winding her at the moment - one of the few things worth giving up SCR (and sleep)for

MonkeyMonster

Awe, congrats Blue!

Nice little return to the scalping fest this morning, couple of cheeky slick mtbers/hybrids trying for mine on HSK... Silly boys.

Couple of dozy roadies on the racetrack too and a humongous thighed hat wearing ss that I used to get a new pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in. Didn't scalp him but the roadies are lamenting the loss of their comb overs.

amnezia

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Awe, congrats Blue!

Nice little return to the scalping fest this morning, couple of cheeky slick mtbers/hybrids trying for mine on HSK... Silly boys.

Couple of dozy roadies on the racetrack too and a humongous thighed hat wearing ss that I used to get a new pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in. Didn't scalp him but the roadies are lamenting the loss of their comb overs.

pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in :shock:

how the hell do you manage a 21 mph average with london traffic and red lights?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Slow PF visit this morning. Had to ride a fair way out of the saddle before I realised it had gone completely flat, 8 mins by foot from work.

@rse.

The Running Man

For the 2nd morning in a row not a sniff of any action...... not even a rabbit to chase



Averaged just over 17mph over the 21 miles coming in against a pretty stiff south westerly so quite pleased with the effort.

Can't wait for tonight - going to wear a big loose jacket hold my arms out and let the wind carry me home

Good to hear you're back on the case ITB and loved the old man tale Fenboy

MonkeyMonster

amnezia wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Awe, congrats Blue!

Nice little return to the scalping fest this morning, couple of cheeky slick mtbers/hybrids trying for mine on HSK... Silly boys.

Couple of dozy roadies on the racetrack too and a humongous thighed hat wearing ss that I used to get a new pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in. Didn't scalp him but the roadies are lamenting the loss of their comb overs.

pb avg of 20.8 for the journey in :shock:

how the hell do you manage a 21 mph average with london traffic and red lights?

By being fast. I accelerate hard and brake late plus judge light changes quite well. Oh forgot the two roadies on the drag strip of constitution hill who were dawdling... More fool them.