Silly commuting racing

Clever Pun

lost_in_thought wrote:

Speaking of Dunwich, when is?

July full moon weekend.. Saturday 24th I reckon.. very close to my other half's birthday (it's got me out of a few)

il_principe

amnezia wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Great ride in this am, nailed 2 roadie scalps and:

Time: 00:24:15
Avg Speed: 17.6 mph

Garmin Data

The mojo is slowly starting to return.

I'm pretty sure you went past me this morning (focus? red cap? red jersey?) at the end of millbank, i was all ready to wind it up for some SCR action but then you turned off up Lambeth bridge. Maybe next time

Sounds like me, about 7:45 or so? Red/white jacket, red/black cap, courier bag. Didn't count any scalps between Vauxhall and Lambeth though, they came earlier in the ride (one blue ribble, one unknown, both certifiable roadies), I'm always readying for my turn off as Lambeth B comes up so tend to be focusing on traffic rather than scalps.

amnezia

Il Principe wrote:

amnezia wrote:

Il Principe wrote:

Great ride in this am, nailed 2 roadie scalps and:

Time: 00:24:15
Avg Speed: 17.6 mph

Garmin Data

The mojo is slowly starting to return.

I'm pretty sure you went past me this morning (focus? red cap? red jersey?) at the end of millbank, i was all ready to wind it up for some SCR action but then you turned off up Lambeth bridge. Maybe next time

Sounds like me, about 7:45 or so? Red/white jacket, red/black cap, courier bag. Didn't count any scalps between Vauxhall and Lambeth though, they came earlier in the ride (one blue ribble, one unknown, both certifiable roadies), I'm always readying for my turn off as Lambeth B comes up so tend to be focusing on traffic rather than scalps.

Yeah about 7.45. I don't think anyone was playing at this point, it was in the traffic on the approach to the roundabout. Shortly afterwards i almost stacked it into the back of a Golf so probably just as well.

Roastie

Left very late today (9:30) so expected no decent SCR at all.

Rolling along BPR, gently warming up (my legs still ache from the running) a roadie on a black Ribble winter (Garmin 705, carbon bars, what looks like either Veloce, Crud Roadracers) comes whizzing by. For a splitsecond I consider letting him go, but the SCR addiction kicks in and I wind on a bit more speed to get back in touch.

There is a bit of traffic, and I pass him but take it easy - a filtering pass doesn't count IMO.

I take of with some sprightliness from the Cats and Dogs intersection; he takes the bait and soon scythes past. I follow as he winds up to around 26ish, decent pace up the gentle slope on Nine Elms - I'm certainly working.

We get stopped at the lights by the post depot. Green. Time for whoopass, or at least the scrapings of whoopass left in the tin after the last few days! I dish it up and hope it is enough.

Golly gosh, rolling into Vaux Cross he is WAY back. SCALP!

Of course - noting that he must have taken a different route out of VC I eased off to a pootle adn enjoyed a very quiet ride. Good fun indeed.

rjsterry

Average SCR today. Passed the usual bunch of not-really-trying roadies through Balham and Clapham, but rather disappointed at the chap on the Wilier in full US Postal kit. Eased past him in traffic in Balham, but met up again at the next lights. He got away infront of the WVM, so didn't see him again until I re-caught him at one of the lights on C Common. I got away first, but took it easy to try and encourage some sort of response, but nothing happened. I mean really :roll:. What's the point of getting all done up on your fancy bike and then pootling? Bad show, sir.

King Donut

@ Roastie - top bombing!

Someone spiked my afternoon coffee with M.T.F.D. yesterday. Hadn't even warmed the legs up when a Madone in full Sigma kit blasted past on Embankment around Temple. Eventually caught him back up @ VB lights. The reds are out and a small Trek spins off to lead us through DSC but tires quickly and I'm lining him up when Madone screams past. Game on.

I give chase but I'm flagging and a small part of me is relieved when he RLJ's before Chelsea Bridge. Booooo. Game off.

A good few miles later I'm carrying good speed over Richmond Bridge when a shoulder check tells me I've got company. Pedal to the metal and a clear road should see me shake it, so I'm surprised to see it slightly closer as I wind my way past Marble Hill. 200 yards of straight open road later and Madone is passing me for the third time in the commute, and what must be 10 miles after the first. He must have stopped for a picnic somewhere on route.

I keep close this time and the traffic through Twickenham halts any SCR, before he continues towards Twickenham Green and I turn off towards Teddington.

With no backpac (and presumably shaved legs) I wasn't technically scalped. But this morning there's a definite bald patch and an unfamiliar inner feeling of violation.

Citizen Smith

King Donut wrote:

With no backpac (and presumably shaved legs) I wasn't technically scalped. But this morning there's a definite bald patch and an unfamiliar inner feeling of violation.

That will be your soul keeping your scalp balance honest!

biondino

Riding in this morning about 9.30 with a hangover I got VIOLATED by a chap on a Litespeed. I was doing only about 16, 17 on the fixie through Parsons Green and this guy passes me at about 10mph faster than I could manage. Brutal. Any of you lot?

Clever Pun

Out on the embankment tonight on the brompton... wont be till later though few beers in borough and rather than getting on the train at LB I'm taking a nice circular route along the embankment to victoria to keep the miles up (only dropping 3 off the normal commute)

might even just cycle straight home depending on the amount of beers... hmmm

itboffin

I vote we add a hangover FCN modifier = for when you can taste booze still the next morning and the world seems loud, and moving anything more than your legs induces that feeling that it's all about to go bang!

May be a small safety wing with your consumed units

biondino

Nah, when you've got a hangover you deserve everything you get

itboffin

biondino wrote:

Nah, when you've got a hangover you deserve everything you get

To subtle?

Clever Pun

with those kind of skills _Brun_ can get you a job no problems

MonkeyMonster

what a shite ride home. rljers, pavement pansies, car numpties and the finishing touch was a creeping bmw driver who ran over the foot of a stationary motorcyclist and proceeded to deny it.

and ridiculous traffic too...

boooooooooooooo!

itboffin

+1

very unpleasant lots of traffic over BF and all round pants driving, plus the pot holes are really getting out of control.

Might work from home tomorrow in protest

Roastie

I was lucky to get out early today and sneak back before prime SCR time - I was spent and would have been SCR fodder.

KD: We all know that feeling of violation. The next step is, of course, revenge :twisted:.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Nasty ride home, and a visit from ITB's favourite fairy just opposite Batter Power Stn.

Bollox. :evil:

itboffin

Greg66 wrote:

Nasty ride home, and a visit from ITB's favourite fairy just opposite Batter Power Stn.

Bollox. :evil:

attica

Two fab rides today.
Nothing of note on my way in other than my 15 mile commute taking me just 48 minutes door to door, that's an 18.75 mph average (no pooter on my commuter), that felt good.

Then on the way home I encountered two seperate roadies, the first (lycra and high viz) drafted me along Coronation Road and we swapped places a bit as we worked our way out towards Long Ashton, at the last set of lights before the LA drag strip there was a huge tow truck (the sort that pull buses) My roadie companion zipped down the inside and squeezed through, I thought discretion the better part of valour and waited behind it.
My word but it accelerated incredibly slowly, then had to come to a complete stop to negotiate a badly parked car on the bend.
By the time he accelerated again and carried straight on, I was left about 1/4 of a mile behind roadie number one, but I'd gained another drafting fairy, this one was a more serious looking fella, Assos tights and a nice looking bike (too dark to see more). He drafted me (on my battered SS with panniers) all the way to the top of the the second hilly type thing (small ones that lure you into riding as if you're on the flat and make your legs and lungs burn).
I was giving it all I had to try to catch roadie number one and was quite glad when roadie number two took up the reins and I sat on his wheel for a bit. Unfortunately he gapped me just as I was starting to recover and the headwind took care of the rest, he pulled out about 20 yards on me before I could stop the rot, we both passed roadie number one in this formation as we came out of the far side of the town onto the last "countryside" section of the drag. I passed roadie number one not much faster than he was going but by the time I reached the mini roundabout at the end he had slowed drastically, I guess the lack of scalp slowed him down.
As for roadie number two, I was closing in again when he pulled off towards the A370, considering the amount of drafting he'd done and his position on the food chain compared to mine I don't consider that a scalping, he only just did enough to retain his to be fair.
All good fun playing The Game.
A planned warm down was rudely interuptted by rain during the last mile, the legs still had a bit of sprint left in them, lots of stretching when I got home instead

rjsterry

So fed up after a day of fighting with my computer to get it to run for more than 5 minutes without freezing, and leaving late (7.30) that I bottled out at City Thameslink and got the train to Tooting. Still same journey time, but not soaked to the skin and train was fairly empty so not too bad. Disappointed with self though, and no cycling tomorrow either. Only 70 miles this week as well. Got the right hump; going off to sulk.

The Running Man

Wet one this morning : got to the office averaging just under 17mph but there was a tough cross / headwind for part of the ride and some crappy drivers through the lanes to Corsham.

Got some padded shorts on under my assos longs today. The shorts are lovely and dry. The longs are soaking. Consequently having sat down for an hour or so on my office chair I have only just realised that once I get up it looks like I have wet myself as there is a very suspicious damp patch on the seat ....... :oops:

UndercoverElephant

Shaved 10 seconds off my PB last night, 34:24 for 12.5 miles, 21.9 mph average! Woop! Would have been a lot more, but I ran into heavy traffic in Musselburgh. I'm loving my new roadie shoes, the fact they grip my feet so well is making a huge difference. All right, there was a **slight** tailwind, but it was stronger when I set my last PB

Strange thing was, about halfway, I could have sworn I say a flashing, red light about half a mile away. Looked at my computer and I was doing 22, so I wound it up a bit to 25-26 to try to catch whoever it was. I seemed to be catching reasonably quickly but I shoulder checked as I was going past a parked car and when I looked back, the light was gone.

I continued at the faster pace until I hit the big hill near my house, but I never saw the light again. Now as I see it, either the other cyclist was WAY faster than me, or, far more likely I'm sure you'll agree, I was visited by the ghost of a cycling god who came down from the velodrome in the sky to encourage me to MTFU and go for the PB.

Thank-you, ghost rider, whoever you were.

W1

Hideous commute last night - wet, windy, very busy on the roads, some appalling behaviour from some of the cyclists in the Embankment peleton, then a puncture (near home, thank god). Not to mention the bike deciding not to change gear on command, and the new brake blocks I put on a month ago being down to the shoes again (and squeaking horribly).

I think my steed needs some TLC.

UndercoverElephant

W1 wrote:

Hideous commute last night - wet, windy, very busy on the roads, some appalling behaviour from some of the cyclists in the Embankment peloton, then a puncture (near home, thank god). Not to mention the bike deciding not to change gear on command, and the new brake blocks I put on a month ago being down to the shoes again (and squeaking horribly).

I think my steed needs some TLC.

I can recommend these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OBE-Shimano-Dura- ... _862wt_898

Excellent stopping power, and they haven't even needed adjusting since I put them on two months ago.

W1

UndercoverElephant wrote:

W1 wrote:

Hideous commute last night - wet, windy, very busy on the roads, some appalling behaviour from some of the cyclists in the Embankment peloton, then a puncture (near home, thank god). Not to mention the bike deciding not to change gear on command, and the new brake blocks I put on a month ago being down to the shoes again (and squeaking horribly).

I think my steed needs some TLC.

I can recommend these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OBE-Shimano-Dura- ... _862wt_898

Excellent stopping power, and they haven't even needed adjusting since I put them on two months ago.

Cheers, will give them a go - grit and rain appear to melt brake blocks like a hot knife through butter....

Edited to add stupid question - are they suitable for V brakes?

MonkeyMonster

W1 wrote:

Hideous commute last night - wet, windy, very busy on the roads, some appalling behaviour from some of the cyclists in the Embankment peloton, then a puncture (near home, thank god). Not to mention the bike deciding not to change gear on command, and the new brake blocks I put on a month ago being down to the shoes again (and squeaking horribly).

I think my steed needs some TLC.

Not good, empathise totally. Hated journey home. The walking home tonight via the pub will be far more enjoyable

Tomorrow morning however might not be so pleasant.

attica

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Not good, emphasise totally. Hated journey home. The walking home tonight via the pub will be far more enjoyable

Tomorrow morning however might not be so pleasant.

Fixed that for you

UndercoverElephant

W1 wrote:

Edited to add stupid question - are they suitable for V brakes?

Nope, those are road bike brakes.... I had his V-brake ones on my old BSO, they nearly ripped the rim apart...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/All-Weather-Explo ... 1027wt_773

That's more to do with the quality of the wheel though

W1

UndercoverElephant wrote:

W1 wrote:

Edited to add stupid question - are they suitable for V brakes?

Nope, those are road bike brakes.... I had his V-brake ones on my old BSO, they nearly ripped the rim apart...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/All-Weather-Explo ... 1027wt_773

That's more to do with the quality of the wheel though

Cheers, sounds just the job.

Sorry chaps, back to the racing.....

Bassjunkieuk

A change of work locale meant my commuting has been reduced for the last 2 days but I did have some fun playing with a pizza delivery scooter today. Pretty much the perfect SCR, just a shame I only had about 2 miles in the legs........

I was waiting at the front of the queue of some temporary lights and he joined from the road on my right just as the lights went green :-) We had a completely clear lane ahead so I have it some beans :twisted: Scooter rider said something to me as he got his little motor up to speed so I dropped a cog and kept the power on and got passed as we hit the traffic ahead as I could filter up the left! A bit of a late indicate from a numpty in a car meant I had to shave off some speed before coming over the railway bridge but I didn't see his scooter again!

That pretty much sums up my SCR action for the last 2 days........

Off the bike for 2 days beginning of next week as I have a 1 day training course to attend at our head office near Sheffield so I'm driving to work on Monday and heading up in the afternoon to beat the rush hour traffic :-( Hoping to get out on a ride Sunday morning tho!