Silly commuting racing

spursn17

The Running Man wrote:

I did scare the crap out of a lady on a silver mountain bike riding with her chap coming out of Bedwyn on Sunday which doesn't really count as a scalp

All I said was "Hello" and she jumped about a foot in the air and then laughing said "How emabarassing" as we swept past.
Made me laugh anyway ...

That was itb

biondino

Clever Pun wrote:

biondino wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

Came in on the Brompton this morning; seems to be a magnet for drafting faries. Towed several hybrids, a fixie and a roadie most of the way along Embankment (self-activating dynamo whirring away happily) and then lost them at the lights just before Grosvenor Road when they jumped the red light en masse. By the time I caught them up I'd picked up another hybrid and a guy on a brand new Charge Plug.

I shook them all off with a big dose of MTFU along Millbank, but it was getting a bit ridiculous; I felt like the Pied Piper...

think about it though overtaking a brompton only puts you in their sights for a humiliating scalp loss

I don't think so. I'm mediocre at best and I've never in my life been scalped by a Brompton.

never ridden past me, tgotb or the chick on the pink brommie have you...

Fairly confident I'd hold my own thanks

itboffin

I almost was tonight, caught napping looking down at my drive which predicatably dropped all the gears at once then stuck. Still made back my gap and nailed it over BF bridge

phew close call, I'm going to have to shelf the CX and roll out the SS, look out knees.

redvee

Found out tonight that white vans don't have indicators especially when they change lanes right in front of you. Shame for the driver that he was in a liveried van and that I caught the reg on the camera and that the youtube link will be sat in his boss's inbox in the morning.

greg66_tri_v2.0

So, one way or another it as been a slow start to the year: snow in the first couple of weeks kept me in the car and off the bike (done the snow rides before; don't care to do it again). Then a combination of falling downstairs (damned stairlift) hefting the TV around (the nurses are so bloody lazy in this place) and stepping off a kerb not realising it was there managed to provoke a milder version of the back trouble I've had in the past.

Last week was the first proper week back on the bike, and I had flex problems, and power problems, and all sorts of problems caused by having a wonky back (in fact, as I am now more firmly of the view, a wonky back and left SI joint. I've had the feeling again that someone has given me a pelvis transplant, and the new one doesn't fit and hasn't been put in straight. However, my new best friend is an SIJ belt, which I heart most sincerely).

It seems that my birthday present may have been the final relocation of whatever was displaced. Because this morning I was thinking "Hey, this feels OK again". And this evening I ab-sol-fecking-lute-ly SPANKED it coming home. Open the plasma conduits, chuck some fresh coal in and full power to the warp engines. Wow. That felt good. And not only was the power back, but I had the flex back that means I can ride with bent elbows, and do a full "The Look" (see avatar) rotation for the look-back.

It is genuinely amazing how involved your lower back and pelvis is in riding, and until they're crooked, you'd just never know.

Clever Pun

biondino wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

biondino wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

Came in on the Brompton this morning; seems to be a magnet for drafting faries. Towed several hybrids, a fixie and a roadie most of the way along Embankment (self-activating dynamo whirring away happily) and then lost them at the lights just before Grosvenor Road when they jumped the red light en masse. By the time I caught them up I'd picked up another hybrid and a guy on a brand new Charge Plug.

I shook them all off with a big dose of MTFU along Millbank, but it was getting a bit ridiculous; I felt like the Pied Piper...

think about it though overtaking a brompton only puts you in their sights for a humiliating scalp loss

I don't think so. I'm mediocre at best and I've never in my life been scalped by a Brompton.

never ridden past me, tgotb or the chick on the pink brommie have you...

Fairly confident I'd hold my own thanks

I'm sure you would... but there's always that risk isn't there. Anyone you pass might just be woken from that stupor of pootling... and if they do you and it's a folder you have to give your bike away in shame

rjsterry

Well that was an eventful one. What ever Greg had, I think i had some too, as after I'd sorted out the the nagging rear raceblade (tweeting away to itself as the corner just grazed the tyre). I set off with all valves wide open (I suspect a tailwind, but let's not let that spoil things). Whizzed down past Barbican to St Paul's then round to Blackfriars with very little traffic.

Blackfriars Bridge and the run down to The Cut saw the first proper burst of speed, with a run of greens meaning a top speed of around 30 before dropping the anchors under the railway bridge. I'm still amazed at the boost the ramp down of the bridge gives you.

Kennington Road was pretty fast, but empty, but I caught up with a few roadies turning onto the A3. They RLJed ahead at the first crossing after Oval, but that just made it more fun as I chased them down. Stockwell was a bit more iffy as the traffic had built up. As we filtered past a stationary bus opposite the tube station, one guy got a bit impatirnt and pushed ahead, only to cut in when he ran out of road and nearly take my front wheel off :roll:. He then ran out of steam and was duly dispatched. Thought about saying something at the next lights, but didn't.

Monday night was SMIDSY night in Balham. A chap in front of me got pushed into the kerb by a WVM at the Clapham South lights (thankfully no harm done). then down the hill, as another roadie and I were pushing on a bit, a Foxtons mini swung out without indicating :evil:. Luckily, I braked in time so no sliding across the road, but a few yards down the road, we stopped at a RL and I felt moved to tap on the window and point out his wing mirror, which was met with something about it being the guy in front who pulled out, not him. Amazing that he knew exactly what I was referring to, even though it 'wasn't' him that pulled out without looking. As the lights changed, the other roadie puled alongside and confirmed that I had been shouting at the right halfwit. Thanks for the moral support if you read this.

Took it a bit easier after that until, just south of Mitcham, I passed a tourer and a roadie with pannier (red bike, yellow jacket, RH pannier). I pulled away first at the next lights only to become aware that the former pootler was now drafting me. I pushed the needle into the red, but was unable to shake him despite holding 23mph or above all the way down to Mill Green Road. Not the highest speed, but this was right at the end of the commute. Anyway, I paused at a roundabout, and he chanced it, and after that I didn't have the beans left to catch him. A good end to the ride, but a shame about Foxtons chapy.

itboffin

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

jonginge

itboffin wrote:

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

Could be. You've just stuffed in a 600+ mile month after a couple of months with knee trouble. You did a pretty long ride on Sat. Could be accumulated fatigue. Take a couple of MTFD days (easy spin); make sure your veg and protein levels are high to help the body repair. If you're still sore/tired after a couple of days then overtraining is more likely and more MTFDing may be required

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

I doubt you're getting enough sleep either. Take it easy, fella. We're still two months from the clocks changing.

itboffin

My target for Jan is 667 miles after which I don't really care about the mileage, Feb is pretty much a write off then it's super hard into the rest of the year, one of my goals in 1000miles in a month, last year I think April was my best month for mileage, lol I just checked last years diary and noticed a 234 MHR :shock:

Surely that's not possible?

I have a nice hot water bottle resting on my legs arh! bliss

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

I doubt you're getting enough sleep either. Take it easy, fella. We're still two months from the clocks changing.

6 hours a night 8 for weekends so yes.

ohlala!

Has anyone ever tried to race around traffic??? It's such an adrenalin rush specially rush hour in London, and you get to shout at drivers who aren't using their mirrors without feeling bad - it's their fault

cjcp

itboffin wrote:

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

I doubt you're getting enough sleep either. Take it easy, fella. We're still two months from the clocks changing.

6 hours a night 8 for weekends so yes.

Yes, as in yes you're getting enough sleep? With your mileage during the week, I doubt it . I'd need more than 6!

Bassjunkieuk

Strewth that was fun! Spotted a few fast moving bogeys heading my way whilst going past Clapham Common today. One was hunkered down on the drops and certainly going some. I upped the power and managed to get round him but couldn't shake him properly. There was also another chap on a Focus who was going some but the fun and games where ruined by a red light before we hit the high street area.

I managed to hold the lead position until Stockwell where we lost Focus chappie and I was fully expecting to lose the other fast chap (on an Univega Strato Pro with a Garmin! - just found it on Evans website) carried on up South Lambeth Road with me. I knew he was behind me so was pushing it a bit harder then normal and along with some guys on a Trek and a Specialized we certainly had some good drag races away from the lights, with the guy on the Univega putting in a sterling effort at one point and blitzing past me :-) The competition was very welcome so I upped the pace and managed to hold onto his backwheel but couldn't quite manage to overtake him

jonginge

ohlala! wrote:

Has anyone ever tried to race around traffic??? It's such an adrenalin rush specially rush hour in London, and you get to shout at drivers who aren't using their mirrors without feeling bad - it's their fault

I refer you to SCR rules 1 and 2

rjsterry

itboffin wrote:

cjcp wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Tired legs = check
Tight calves = check
Sore triceps = check
Generally very tired = check



over training = ?

Without a shadow of a doubt.

I doubt you're getting enough sleep either. Take it easy, fella. We're still two months from the clocks changing.

6 hours a night 8 for weekends so yes.

6hrs a night! I dream (or i would if I was getting more sleep) of 6 hrs a night. 5 counts as a good night in the week. People keep asking if Little M is sleeping. Well, she is, just not when we need to.


Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Just not happening for me this morning. Pootlerama. Could barely hold 20 up Kennington Road. Think I may have overdone it last night.

Sewinman

I am in pootle-tastic mode this week as I am taking it easy for the HOTA. Not much to report apart from there being LOADS of cyclists. It was like a menagerie of cyclists around Oval - all shapes, sizes and speeds.

The Cut to Aldwych is hell at the moment.

jonginge

After tonight I'm in pootle mode for HOTA
There are loads of cyclists about at the moment. It's great to see.

The ride home last night felt great. There was a tailwind, I tell you. The DSC, Chelsea embankment, the NKR were all very quick.

This morning not so quick. Bleeding baltic! My Campag Raytechs are definitely summer shorts. Brrr.

The Running Man

Fantastic ride into work today : abso-bloomin-lutely freezing cold early this morning as we had to drop Mrs TRM's car off in Lyneham for a service and MOT.

Went like a nutter (how else?) just to try and warm up and despite having to crawl through Chippenham town centre for ages still managed to average over 17mph for the 21 miles.

Been feeling a bit flat through the off period and to be really honest the siren call of my running shoes has been echoing in my head .... but Sunday's ride and this morning were just brilliant so I'm back on it big style.

And I've just read that the A4 in Bath is going to have around 6 months of continuous road works so the bike is going to be the best option for a good while, and who knows it may force a few potential scalps to emerge from their winter hibernation ......

King Donut

This morning was hard work. Dispatched a seasoned looking roadie who was pootling up Dark Hill. Then the wind hit. Felt like it didn't die down until I got inside the blackfriars tunnel. Barely touching 20 down NKR. Bring on home time...

Greg T

King Donut wrote:

This morning was hard work. ...

I thought it was just me - cold and slow - took me forever and minged.

It was cheered up a bit however by me reaming two guys on Tower Hill. They mistook my slowing for the lights just before it as being a sign of weakness and eased by me, only for the lights to turn to "fast" and me get my ring singing.

King Donut

Greg T wrote:

It was cheered up a bit however by me reaming two guys on Tower Hill.

Oo-er. Oh no wait that's something else

il_principe

Tough work indeed this am. There had been a nasty looking smash on Wandsworth Bridge - whole thing was closed to traffic ('cept bikes, I snuck through) but the traffic in the run up was murder, av was well down today. Still not been scalped yet which is good as I'm fair game atm, cannot sustain anything above 23 for any length of time which makes it hard to stave off any prolonged assault, I've had to hang on the back of a couple of roadies in recent days, but not been dropped and taken a few scalps myself. I have the first 2 weeks off work in Feb so I'll be in RP getting some miles in and building the old fitness back up again.

Good luck to all you HOTA nutters.

jonginge

Il Principe wrote:

Good luck to all you HOTA nutters.

What he gives with one hand he takes with the other

*Pleads to the weather-gods for the skies to stay empty of precipitation*

Bassjunkieuk

Il Principe wrote:

Good luck to all you HOTA nutters.

+1 You lot are mental! I might however head out for a short ride this Sunday......

roger_merriman

JonGinge wrote:

After tonight I'm in pootle mode for HOTA
There are loads of cyclists about at the moment. It's great to see.

The ride home last night felt great. There was a tailwind, I tell you. The DSC, Chelsea embankment, the NKR were all very quick.

This morning not so quick. Bleeding baltic! My Campag Raytechs are definitely summer shorts. Brrr.

still very quiet out in suburbs, though might just see some tomorrow as I'm heading east for a training day, I rather suspect not though.

rjsterry

Greg T wrote:

King Donut wrote:

This morning was hard work. ...

I thought it was just me - cold and slow - took me forever and minged.

It was cheered up a bit however by me reaming two guys on Tower Hill. They mistook my slowing for the lights just before it as being a sign of weakness and eased by me, only for the lights to turn to "fast" and me get my ring singing.

Feeling a lot better about this morning's dismal performance now that I know everyone else had the same problem. Definitely an icy northeasterly today so molto wizzy for the homeward stretch.

Sewinman

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Good luck to all you HOTA nutters.

+1 You lot are mental! I might however head out for a short ride this Sunday......

Stop saying that, it is freaking me out! Particularly given you two are v good! :shock:

rjsterry

Il Principe wrote:

Tough work indeed this am. There had been a nasty looking smash on Wandsworth Bridge - whole thing was closed to traffic ('cept bikes, I snuck through) but the traffic in the run up was murder, av was well down today. Still not been scalped yet which is good as I'm fair game atm, cannot sustain anything above 23 for any length of time which makes it hard to stave off any prolonged assault, I've had to hang on the back of a couple of roadies in recent days, but not been dropped and taken a few scalps myself. I have the first 2 weeks off work in Feb so I'll be in RP getting some miles in and building the old fitness back up again.

Good luck to all you HOTA nutters.

I think that blockage on WB had backed up all the way to Balham, as the traffic was v. heavy there this morning.