Silly commuting racing

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

Mmmm sounds like I've got a challenge. Though if your over the age of 35 then you'll have that poxy muscle memory thing that I can't overcome.

:x

Not quite there yet (although feels like it some mornings). Does take me a good 15-20minutes to get the legs up to full working temperature though, especially on these chilly mornings. (Get the excuses in early)

Don't know what you found this morning, but there seemed to be a lot more decent competition out this morning from Balham to Oval. Bit of tit-for-tat with a couple of guys (one on red/white MTB, one full roadie, obviously mates) who were a tad slower flat out, but much better at filtering than me. Lost them around Stockwell when they went one side of a queue and I went the other. they obviously picked the right side as they'd vanished by the time I got past.

Kennington Road was pants as got stopped at EVERY set of lights :evil:

W1

There was something odd on the far side of the Bolan Death bridge last night (going west) and it took me a while to work it out - all the street lights were out. Very unnerving with just a couple of flashing front LEDs!

gert_lush

fairweatherbiker wrote:

gert_lush wrote:

I had to catch the bus in today as its the xmas party and it all just seemed easier, unfortunately.....

1) buses are slow
2) buses are dull
3) buses don't race each other
4) they dont leave from my house or stop in the work carpark
5) cycling takes 16 mins door to door, bus rigmarole took 45mins ..ggrrr
6) bus costs£2.35, cycling cost - flapjack at work (i'll forget about the cost of the bike :roll: )

cant wait for hangover cycling tomorrow

Wait for the night bus home then you'll find
1) buses are fast (its like a bloody roller coaster in there)
2) buses are exciting (there's likely to be a fight inside)
3) If there is another bus, they will race
4) You'll probably get off at the wrong stop anyway
5) It will seem like no time at all (Stellaportation)
6) You'll wonder where all the money in your wallet went when you get home

And you'll forget to drink that pint of water before bed that everyone tells you will alleviate a hangover.

E njoy the party

Stellaportation, love it!!!!

Clever Pun

some good competition last night and this morning

had a prolonged sprint with one guy in deptford, razzing round in the dark on a sub-standard road adds a little excitement and bunnyhopping, I buzzed past him initially and that obviously kicked off his competitive gene after a little while he got me back while on the drops just before we parted ways, binned a few roadies and SS'er enroute

got the squadra out for the first time since the pinch flat and emptied the front tyre of air and repumped, I was surprised just how much it had held it's pressure... I was then about to set off and realised that it was in fact the back that needed pumping A guy I see on a hybrid a lot siddled up to me at the lights and asked how many bikes I had "Every time I see you you're on a different bike" Made me feel pretty good, plus I'd previously dropped him on the brompton

quite a few fixed gear types today as well, all duly dispatched. got to drop a few people over london bridge as well.

attica

SCALP!!!!

Living out here in Yokel land I very seldom get the chance of a proper scalp but this morning was a highlight. Pulling on to the short section of 40mph limited dual carriageway that I use (Cumberland Basin up Bristle way) I spotted a rider about 100 yards in front of me:-
Road bike - nice
Shaved - probably, but had tights on
Full matching team/club kit - BINGO!
no luggage, could well have been out training.

I spooled up and was closing in towards the lights, he filtered on the left, I filtered between the lanes and we pulled up with him at the front of the queue and me behind a flatbed that I didn't fancy trying to pass.

lights changed, he pulled off, then the van, then I get a go.
Something wrong here though, the van won't pull out to overtake because he's got a wing mirror full of me, I'm very far from being dropped here and not drafting anything.

I break the stalemate by upping the ante, pull ahead of the flatbed and drop in front next to the roadie. I give the obligatory SCR style "Morning" and continue to wind up my 78 inches to about 22mph, those panniers really hurt at that speed.

1/4 of a mile on and I shoulder check to go round a parked car, Mr Matching-Team-Kit is about 200 yards back and disappearing fast. (I honestly passed him so fast and was concentrating more on the traffic that I didn't see what his kit was, Blue and Yellow were the colours)

I didn't see him after that, result!!!

So Mr Matching-Team-Kit, if you're reading this, I have your scalp safely in my panniers, it came off so fast that the cut is very clean, come get it back any time you like. Have you reached Bristol yet?

OldSkoolKona

Back in the game, interesting to find out what road 'improvements' have been made in my abscence though :evil:

Still no one to SCR with though, which was probably just the best, the old legs and lungs were feeling it a bit. I'm waiting for the day I see someone cycle to work at Specialized UK (on my route)

biondino

I avoided a scalping by the skin of my teeth last night, thanks to the speedy chap I'd been struggling to keep up (7.20 ish last night) with heading towards Barnes as I turned onto Queen's Ride. Got some good exercise, I guess. As I did this morning, trying to shake a chap on a flat-bar roadie/hybrid (a Ridgeback?) who got on my tail on Kings Road about 9.45 and stayed there until I turned off by St James Palace. Either of these two read this board?

Sewinman

@DDD - were you on your Kuota this morning in a yellow hi-viz jacket? If so I saw you near Oval, chatting to someone on a Le Mond? You gave it some nice beans off the lights.

bigmat

Two scalpings to report, sadly I was victim each time... Dude on a Trek last night bravely riding in a short sleeved t-shirt, sprinted away from me from every set of lights, finally dropped me going past Clapham Common. Good work out though, need more of that to get any kind of racing form next season. This morning, guy on a Museeuw - to be fair I had him well in my sights but some more "relaxed" interpretation of junctions allowed him to break free (saying that, I caught him and scalped him in the run up to London Bridge - had completely forgotten! ). Still, not been a great week so far.

Bassjunkieuk

WTF was with the peds this morning? I can safely say I've never had to dodge some many of the buggers crossing the road when they shouldn't be!
Mind you the chap who walked out in the queueing traffic and then proceeded to walk between the two cars I was filtering between (TOWARDS ME FFS!) in the solid traffic last night in Camberwell wins the pill0ck award.......we brushed coats as we past and I was left wondering what he'd been smoking!

Ride in this morning was fun after picking up a couple of roadies as I crossed the South Circular in Dulwich, cheeky bugger on the celeste Bianchi filtered past as I slowed for traffic at the red light then nearly got taken out as he rode on the wrong side of the road when I 4x4 turned in :shock:

He was certainly quick and an aggressive filterer but I wasn't going to let that stop me, we crossed the roundabout at the bottom of Sunray Avenue (a small climb upto Denmark Hill) giving it some and I dug deep to pull round, hitting around 25 to get past him! My brain was telling me "this is silly, you won't make it up the hill!!!" I duly ignored my sensible side and pushed a bit harder hoping that if I'm hurting he must be feeling it to. Legs started burning and my speed headed south as the road went north, but thankfully I wasn't past!

Not quite sure what happened to him (asides from blowing up big time) but I didn't find him again until the lights past the hospital and this is after you get a brief respite with the descent down Denmark Hill!

We kept up our high speed game of cat and mouse through to the shops on Walworth Road where I lost him due to his persistant RLJing. I also seemed to annoy a bus driver whilst WAITING at a red light as I was in primary? Got a toot from his horn and gesturing to MOVE OVER, needless to say this didn't make me either move over so instead I held my position and raced off making sure I was right in front of him :twisted:

Few bits of interesting competition over LB, a rather enthuastic guy on a Boardman Comp Hybrid got rather good demonstration as to how he'd chosen the wrong bike if you want to go fast and a gent on a Charge SS with white wheels and matching white Crud MTB-stylee mudguards certainly gave me a good run off the lights at the opposite end - we stormed round the corner and it was great fun until we both turned off down Fenchurch Street

cjcp

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

attica

cjcp wrote:

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

Bad luck old chap, looking for a positive, at least you can update your sig now.

greg66_tri_v2.0

DonDaddyD wrote:

if your over the age of 35 then you'll have that poxy muscle memory thing that I can't overcome.
:x

Roastie

cjcp wrote:

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

Rubbish! Get better soon. And careful out there, this cold air is vicious.

MonkeyMonster

Roastie wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

Rubbish! Get better soon. And careful out there, this cold air is vicious.

Hark at thee Mr "I've got a little tickle in my chesticles and can't go very fast"

cjcp

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roastie wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

Rubbish! Get better soon. And careful out there, this cold air is vicious.

Hark at thee Mr "I've got a little tickle in my chesticles and can't go very fast"

I would be stopped at the roadside coughing up a load of grollies and you still wouldn't have the speed to scalp me. :twisted:

blu3cat

no bicycles this morning to SCR against, but much fun was had playing tag with the world's sh*ttest scooter.

I am waiting at the temporary lights on Fulham Palace Road, where they have closed one lane, when the World's Sh*ttest Scooter™ pulls up and in front of the temporary lights. He is soon joined by about 6 other 50 cc hair dryers, all giving it some revs, "L" plates on a hairtrigger. One would rock forward an inch and the rest would all jerk forward only to roll back as the lights stayed resolutely red (although only half of them could see the lights).

Much headshaking and smiling between myself, a woman on a hybrid and a man on a motorbike without "L" plates and everything.

When the lights finally do go green It is like a snail race, those little blue Mobility cars would beat them in a drag race. Hell even I managed to stay ahead for about 200 yards.

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Roastie wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Got a cold. No SCR for me. Instead, I crawled in this morning and didn't get out of the 39. Bleurgh.

Rubbish! Get better soon. And careful out there, this cold air is vicious.

Hark at thee Mr "I've got a little tickle in my chesticles and can't go very fast"

I would be stopped at the roadside coughing up a load of grollies and you still wouldn't have the speed to scalp me. :twisted:

Woah!

CAT FIGHT!
CAT FIGHT!
CAT FIGHT!

The Main Event

First one to slip on their cleats loses.

Remember: road rash doesn't count when you fall over in a cyclists' "fight"

MonkeyMonster

WOAH nelly, that really is gauntlet throwing time

Site blocked due to adult content...

Post curry race it is then, stealing peoples shoes acceptable

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

cjcp wrote:

A quick four laps wouldn't hurt...

*mumble, mumble. six was the plan if I can switch the boss off IM for long enough. mumble, mumble*

Dooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

Epic fail. IM binging all over the place and I've only got 1 of 3 items from John Lewis

shouldbeinbed

Aaarh.

I've finally succumbed. You've turned a hybrid pootler into a SCRer.

I passed a younger version of me at the bottom of my road and overtook with a cheery 'evening'

even more sad was that when I got home 3/4 a mile later, I stood on my doorstep waiting for him to go past just to see how much I'd dropped him by.

it felt gooood

shouldbeinbed

Aaarh.

I've finally succumbed. You've turned a hybrid pootler into a SCRer.

I passed a younger version of me at the bottom of my road and overtook with a cheery 'evening'

even more sad was that when I got home 3/4 a mile later, I stood on my doorstep waiting for him to go past just to see how much I'd dropped him by.

it felt gooood

rjsterry

Certainly makes a difference leaving that early (just after 4pm) Not many cyclists about, but still plenty of four-wheled traffic - including a taxi driver who nearly took me out swerving to pick up a fair - it's MIRROR, SIGNAL, MANOEUVRE not the other way round. :evil:

Luckily managed to drop anchor in time.

Had a good run after a speedy SSer with one of those 5-spoke aero front wheels. Scalped him between Stockwell and Clapham, but he wimped out and jumped the lights at the bottom of Clapham High Street. Didn't see him again despite tearing across the common with eyes peeled. Nothing of note after that.

DDD, what should I look out for tomorrow night?

itboffin

I'm usually a very calm person but there's no buffet on this train tonight, that means I'll have to cycle home sober!!!

Arse

benno68

itboffin wrote:

I'm usually a very calm person but there's no buffet on this train tonight, that means I'll have to cycle home sober!!!

ars*

And there's me thinking you had a bottle cage specially made to fit a bottle of Pimm's :roll:

http://www2.anyoneforpimms.com/Gateway/?Lang=en-gb&BrandId=SO&RefUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww2.anyoneforpimms.com%2fTemplates%2fStandardContentTemplate.aspx%3fNRMODE%3dPublished%26NRNODEGUID%3d%257b8A0A0143-E18D-41BC-959D-144B50D6DBB2%257d%26NRORIGINALURL%3d%252f%26NRCACHEHINT%3dGuest[/img]

itboffin

Benno68 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I'm usually a very calm person but there's no buffet on this train tonight, that means I'll have to cycle home sober!!!

ars*

And there's me thinking you had a bottle cage specially made to fit a bottle of Pimm's :roll:

http://www2.anyoneforpimms.com/Gateway/?Lang=en-gb&BrandId=SO&RefUrl=http%3a%2f%2fwww2.anyoneforpimms.com%2fTemplates%2fStandardContentTemplate.aspx%3fNRMODE%3dPublished%26NRNODEGUID%3d%257b8A0A0143-E18D-41BC-959D-144B50D6DBB2%257d%26NRORIGINALURL%3d%252f%26NRCACHEHINT%3dGuest[/img]

I like the cut of your jib, young man!

Tally ho

Bassjunkieuk

Had one of those rides this morning that only happens once in a few months (at least t does when you don't use The Embankment each day)
Was all pretty much plain sailing until E&C, no real competition except for a rather large collection of other cyclists to keep going around at each set of lights.....

That was until I turned off past E&C choob to head towards Borough when out of nowhere a chap on a Trek came past me in the same fashion that I normally pass others :shock:
"Cheeky b@stard!" I mutter to myself and put the hammer down to jump on his tail. No sooner have I done this then someone else on an old-skool road bike comes up right alongside me and effectively blocks me in :evil: Not sure if I've built up a reputation but it certainly felt like I was being double-teamed!!

We reach the first set of lights and have now been joined by another quick chap on a Focus (the spit of CJCP.....) and as we move up the road we just seem to be picking up more bike p0rn as our peloton is joined by a Willier and a couple of other roadies and it was most certainly on! Each of us are riding at 110% pace, filtering like demons and sprinting away from the lights.

By the time we pass the temp lights it's me and Trek guy out in front, I manage to pull ahead by the next lights but we have queuing traffic ahead which means switching to filter mode again. The start of LB was blocked by a bus and we are now all lined up waiting for the road ahead to clear. Once it does we all shot off, Trek and Focus guy have a slight lead on me but I'm not going to let that stop me. By half way over I'm chasing just the chap on the Trek and slowly reeling him in, he's in the bus lane and I'm in the lane marked for straight up as I can see the lanes ahead are clear so I don't have to play silly buggers at the opposite end to get into my lane. It was a slow (and painful) process but I eventually caught up and just made it to the opposite end ahead of him!

It's been a long time since I've had such an epic SCR battle and had so many threats, the chap on the Focus certainly had some good legs but it was the gent on the Trek who gave me a good run! Just in case you are the owner of a white/blue Trek and headed over LB around 8:10 this morning - Chapeau! Good SCRing :-)

itboffin

Foggy out there this morning, be safe peeps

I however, am working from home today

CX lunch time ride for me 8)

rjsterry

Beautiful sun-shining-through-the-mist moment coming across Mitcham Common. Very atmospheric. Almost stopped to take a photo

Left v. late (8.20ish) so traffic an absolute 'mare

Passed a couple of other roadies on Kennington Road, but with no response, so didn't really feel like scalps.

Just so you know what you are looking for this evening DDD (no doubt as you blast past and show me what SCR is all about), I've got a navy blue Crumpler courier bag, and I'll be wearing my red,white and black L/S DHB jersey, possibly with a hi-viz gillet if it's not too warm. I was absolutely steamed by the time I got in this morning.

MonkeyMonster

Blimey, what a bunch of nutcase drivers out today. Classic form from an addison lee twunt.

Few fixies too - anyone recognise a half green, half pink number?

Morning all!