Silly commuting racing

Clever Pun

itboffin wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

itboffin wrote:

@CP were you on the Brompton earlier this week? did you draft a roadie on a blue winter Ribble?

nope was ill monday and tuesday... and more importantly I don't draft

Elite racer dude at work had a Brompton on his tail down the old kent road and even pushing 29mph he couldn't shake the guy, I thought of you because I know how much you love teasing roadies.

It's a compliment, lap it up it's your Christmas prezzie

thanks you kindly... bromptoning tomorrow, I'll be expecting double figures in scalps

redvee

Still cold enough for Altura baggies in Brizzle this morning. Had a left hook incident avoided due to a diligent mondeo driver who used his mirrors or it might have been the fact that I'd been slipstreaming him for the last 1/2 mile with my lights in his mirror. Pulled left into the bus lane and saw Mr Mondeo indicating and as always expected the worst but he slowed and let me through which got a hand raised in thanks.
When out & about with work in the lanes around Conresbury we came across a club run of 6 who were spread right across the lane, did manage to capture the bad riding on my phone for the darkside to criticise in a mo.

redvee

Captured this yesterday as I went about my work. Straddling the white line encroaching the ASL, bad. Stopping in the ASL, badder. Stopping ahead of the ASL and not knowing what the highway code is after getting your PCV licence in your box of cereal that morning, the usual for bus drivers in Brizzle it seems.

rjsterry

redvee wrote:

Captured this yesterday as I went about my work. Straddling the white line encroaching the ASL, bad. Stopping in the ASL, badder. Stopping ahead of the ASL and not knowing what the highway code is after getting your PCV licence in your box of cereal that morning, the usual for bus drivers in Brizzle it seems.

"Road Markinz? Woss they? I thought someone 'ad just dunna drawlin of a bike onner road.

Specialized Needs

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Soap in a microwave is interesting, not something I've tried personally but have seen on Youtube :-)

This is actually an encouraged method for softening big cakes of soap prior to slicing into smaller bars with a knife ... but you do need to keep an eye on it or, like butter, it suddenly goes - only soap explodes into a frothy monster.

At least it leaves the microwave clean afterwards :roll:

itboffin

This morning everything was going so well, my previous night bike and kit prep allowed my 5 whole extra mins of pillow time, as i wa busy filling my thermos bucket I suddenly remembered I hadn't packed my wallet, Q me running around the house in the dark looking for the wallet, which now made me 10 mins late.

Out the door, oh dear it's a little nippy and dark, still I hope on to the SS and shot off then I hear it.... A crunching sound like driving on gravel, it's too dark to see so I keep going, the noise stays with me, I get to the first rise and feel the cranks spin with no forward motion, oh deary dear!

Sure enough the first slivers of light reveal ICE! Lots and lots of ice, which looks black, trying to relax I snake my way along the icy spine that used to be a road aware that I'm very much in danger of missing my train, any ideas of MTFU go out the window as every turn of the pedals is now wiggling the rear wheel all over the place, slowing for the enevitable, .........and I'm off

sliding across the road on my side with the bike travelling the ops direction it was so slipery that even standing upright was an effort.

Annoyingly I still had 5 mile to go and time was running out, luckly I'm nails me so I just hopped back on took a big dose of MTFU and gingerly pootled my way to the station just in time.

Good job I was wearing a helmet....!

rjsterry

itboffin wrote:

This morning everything was going so well, my previous night bike and kit prep allowed my 5 whole extra mins of pillow time, as i wa busy filling my thermos bucket I suddenly remembered I hadn't packed my wallet, Q me running around the house in the dark looking for the wallet, which now made me 10 mins late.

Out the door, oh dear it's a little nippy and dark, still I hope on to the SS and shot off then I hear it.... A crunching sound like driving on gravel, it's too dark to see so I keep going, the noise stays with me, I get to the first rise and feel the cranks spin with no forward motion, oh deary dear!

Sure enough the first slivers of light reveal ICE! Lots and lots of ice, which looks black, trying to relax I snake my way along the icy spine that used to be a road aware that I'm very much in danger of missing my train, any ideas of MTFU go out the window as every turn of the pedals is now wiggling the rear wheel all over the place, slowing for the enevitable, .........and I'm off

sliding across the road on my side with the bike travelling the ops direction it was so slipery that even standing upright was an effort.

Annoyingly I still had 5 mile to go and time was running out, luckly I'm nails me so I just hopped back on took a big dose of MTFU and gingerly pootled my way to the station just in time.

Good job I was wearing a helmet....!

Despite liberal gritting the previous night it had all washed away this morning and I had enough trouble staying upright just walking down to the station (bike still at office from last night). Initially thought it was just a layer of frost until I experienced a sudden loss of traction. Planning to ride home this evening, but may have to make an early break for it to avoid the heavy snow that's forecast. At least the strong northerly will be behind me, but have briefed M to have the support car on standby.

The Running Man

Nice going ITB. Have to say that I decided not to risk it this morning. After last week's experience of going down Bowden sideways I thought discretion might be the better part of valour.

Lovely ride home last night despite the fact it was very cold and chucking it down. Adjusted the seatpost upwards by about half and inch, pushed the saddle back an inch and suddenly found my rhythm again. 18.2 mph average for the shorter return trip.

itboffin

Okay now it hurts, with delayed reactions like that I could be Bhima

Roastie

All was well (ice-wise) on the London end of my journey, even made good speed but still missed my train (I reckon some sort of subconcious get late reflex that allows me to feed my coffee habit).

Getting off the train in Essex I so nearly wiped out on the (ungritted!) platform - and battled much of the way to work on slippy ice off the usual tyre tracks. Curiously, the pavement around the bike shed was dry and ice free. Go figure.

rjsterry

The blue skies earlier have given me false hope - it's now all looking rather grey and threatening

And it's started sleeting

cjcp

That was an unpleasant headwind this morning. :x I was properly out of puff when I arrived at work.

MonkeyMonster

Yeah noticed that headwind as I went to get the tube at 1ish. Was happily in zedland while you were all pushing against it this morning. Head is still sore but that's my fault for getting in a 4 this morning...

Part of me wished I'd cycled in. Just not sure which part.

cjcp

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Yeah noticed that headwind as I went to get the tube at 1ish. Was happily in zedland while you were all pushing against it this morning. Head is still sore but that's my fault for getting in a 4 this morning...

Part of me wished I'd cycled in. Just not sure which part.

Are you a student or some other category of professional p!ss artist?

MonkeyMonster

Took morning off given I knew I would be in a state... But professional pi$$ artist is about right anyway.

itboffin

Elite roadie dude at work is running his 4 seasons at 60psi, says he like the extra rubber grip :shock:

that's surely not good for your rims? :?

rjsterry

I've found that if I haven't made use of the office track pump for a while, my Conti Gatorskins will have been running at 70 or 80 psi anyway without any ill effect. When I then pump them back up to 115-120psi, the ride feels so harsh I keep convincing myself I've been visited by the PF.

Roastie

Very nice ride home. Felt rubbish leaving the station, but as I warmed up I started to feel better.

Met a dude on a Boardman with bar end lights on Embankment headed to WB. Passed him before the bridge, but he caught up at the lights and then made a move by blasting off from PS. I repassed him quickly before LB roundabout, but I tend to be cautious through there, so he repassed and got a fair gap.

Chased him down and then decided to sit in his substantial draft (very tall guy) for a little while rolling to VB. Waiting at VB, a police car was coming through, I was hemmed in by cars trying to get out of the way, he got through - I had a big chase on now.

Into DSC he had a big lead, but was evidently napping - I assume thinking that he'd shaken me. I came by with a fair speed and kept the hammer down, but started to feel spent very quickly - like really run down. Rolling up the to red lights before the bridge he pulled alongside and we chatted about his bar end lights and then rolled up to CB. Green and I gave it horns but again, just off the ramp I was feeling completely stuffed - which is highly abnormal. I tried my best to keep the pace up, but I was flagging badly. I didn't see him again, so I assumed that either he turned off or started to warm down.

So a fun ride, and another friendly face that I hope to bump into again on the commute.

redvee

Nothing of note t oreport frpom Brizzle today other than the gritters were out onight at 18:00 which means it will be interesting tomorrow morning on the bike and fun in the read drive works van out in the sticks on the way to Wrington.

itboffin

tip-toed home with the fear of a repeat performance from this morning, I even opted to stay on the A4 for 7 miles - not pleasant but at least the cars periodically lit the road ahead.

Damn international delivery :?

blu3cat

nothing, nil, nada for ages now.

kinda hard to tell tales of scr with no action.

Bassjunkieuk

blu3cat wrote:

nothing, nil, nada for ages now.

kinda hard to tell tales of scr with no action.

Just make it up, I've never encountered another cyclist on any of my commutes and actually live on a remote Scottish island - I just invented the whole living in London and scalping stories to make me look good ;-)

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

blu3cat wrote:

nothing, nil, nada for ages now.

kinda hard to tell tales of scr with no action.

Just make it up, I've never encountered another cyclist on any of my commutes and actually live on a remote Scottish island - I just invented the whole living in London and scalping stories to make me look good ;-)

Hamish, do you even own a bike ?

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

blu3cat wrote:

nothing, nil, nada for ages now.

kinda hard to tell tales of scr with no action.

Just make it up, I've never encountered another cyclist on any of my commutes and actually live on a remote Scottish island - I just invented the whole living in London and scalping stories to make me look good ;-)

Hamish, do you even own a bike ?

Damn it, you've rattled me!

blu3cat

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

blu3cat wrote:

nothing, nil, nada for ages now.

kinda hard to tell tales of scr with no action.

Just make it up, I've never encountered another cyclist on any of my commutes and actually live on a remote Scottish island - I just invented the whole living in London and scalping stories to make me look good ;-)

Hamish, do you even own a bike ?

Damn it, you've rattled me!

trouble is, I already spend too much imagination making up excuses up at work to make up herculean effort stories for the way home.

I promise I will try. I will.

rjsterry

So cold this evening that my gears started seizing up - just pushed the levers and nothing happened. Not sure if it was the shifter or the derailleur.

I think he weather forecast must have scared people off tonight as there was virtually nobody on two wheels without an engine. Only one chap of note: a roadie with baggies over (I think) DHB tights and not much in the way of lights. Slowly gained on him from Stockwell to Clapham, catching him at the corner of the common, but he got the right side of some traffic getting onto the Common so had to repeat the process, and again at the far side of the Common. Although my top speed seemed to be slightly higher than his, I could never quite get past. Oh well, must try harder.. Kept me warm though.

itboffin

rjsterry wrote:

So cold this evening that my gears started seizing up - just pushed the levers and nothing happened. Not sure if it was the shifter or the derailleur..

What you've got there is a sign from (insert fav deity) time to go FGSS.

come over to the other dark side, apparently it's no longer hip and trendy so your safe.

attica

Chapeau to the pratt in the bermuda shorts on a roadie in Bristol City Centre tonight.

If you're gonna mess your knees up, might as well look summery whilst you do it eh?

gbs

Here's one to keep the other half of your brain busy then (not just ITB but anyone staring out of the window in horror at the weather): Road cycling has lots of French terminology - bidon, musette, rouleur, grimpeur, etc. So what French (or pseudo-French) terminology can you think of for SCR?

Or should I say le Game?[/quote]


Peut-etre, "la course bouffonne".

cjcp

Attica wrote:

Chapeau to the pratt in the bermuda shorts on a roadie in Bristol City Centre tonight.

If you're gonna mess your knees up, might as well look summery whilst you do it eh?

Some people...

Well, just got home. That wasn't fun. What's the meteorological term for "the wind is all over the effin' shop"? Swirling?

My cadence was erratic at times the wind was so bad. The side winds were no fun, so if it's like this tomorrow morning, I'm sad to say that I'm thinking of catching the train.