Silly commuting racing

Bikequin

Had a nice little skirmish with a fairly quick guy up the Kings Road this evening - unfortunately the traffic meant that neither of us could really put the other to the test and I had to turn off up to Battersea bridge before we got a stretch of clear road - still was good fun. A couple of scalps coming through Clapham South and Balham so all in all a good ride home and not nearly as wet as I thought it was going to be.

redvee

Lost my nerve big time tonight, slipped on two corners within 100yds of one another. The first I can understand leaning over in a 15mph corner, the other just after the scare maybe down to the damp road conditions. I was hoping to play with a pink Lambretta type scooter, I know I would have lost but fun. She was at the lights behind me and several checks confirmed this and we both pulled away the lights but within 200 yds she went another way. Perhaps she knew I'd play the game with her?

BentMikey

Had a bit of fun on Sunday, here's my two dices with Gaz.

First one up the crest of Vauxhall Bridge, and he wins. Sorry, it's a little way in, this is a vid of assorted clips of a few of us riding together on a Sunday ride, well a commute for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVM2tm0ccXY

And here's my revenge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4agfZMkqlY

cjcp

Interesting "duel" tonight with a chap on a Trek wearing board shorts (I think) over tights. I say "duel" because, with the exception of him overtaking me just after the end of the slope off Chelsea Bridge, he was happy to take a tow up to Parlt Square. Then along the last part of Millbank (having tried to draft a van). Then along DSC and up to Chelsea Bridge. And, later, along the NKR (although, technically, I suspect he was fourth, behind the two other chaps sat immediately behind me).

Needless to say, I started to feel like Gandhi (even though the two chaps immediately behind me on the NKR were, I think, waaaaaaaay faster than me).

rjsterry

Not sure whether to file this under SCR or Your Rants Here. CJ, its all your fault, if you hadn't mentioned MTFUing, I could have just happily pootled home - well pootled anyway.

Set off determined to MTFU as previously advised, and once I had warmed up (I was sweating by Blackfriars Bridge - I cannot get my clothing right at the moment) Kennington road was fairly uneventful bar some standard issue crap bus driving - two of them not quite sure who was going first and blocking both lanes. Met up with a chap on an orange CX bike who turned out to be pleasantly nippy, but not too much of a challenge. Passed a couple of other not-trying roadies as well, but I don't count them if they're not trying. Loads of traffic coming into Clapham though, so lost him in the filtering.

At the top end of Clapham High Street I came across another roadie in a black, red and white S-Works lid. I passed him as we pulled onto the common and upped the tempo a fair bit to open up a gap. This held about half to two thirds of the way across when he came past (I think he might have been drafting). Game on I think, so jump on to his wheel (what's good for the goose and all that) until we get to the lights by South Clapham. About evens there I think

I set off from the lights first and kept in a fairly primary position as there were cars edging out of every LH turning. I've been SMIDSY'd this way a few times so I am ultra cautious when I see people nudging forward. I'm not sure he liked this: as we got down into the outskirts of Balham and I was easing up for the traffic, he swooped past me on the inside. I'm all for a bit of deft filtering, but beyond a point i just gets a bit obnoxious. If I'm riding too slowly for you mate, you could have always made the scalp stick over the common.

To emphasise his 'superior' filtering skills he also swerved around the front of a guy doing a U turn just after the next lights. This pretty much confirned that he just wasn't worth the effort. Despite all this we were still together at the lights by Balham tube, and he turned off shortly after that. :roll: Well at least I got to push a bit harder than usual.

To compound things, My Night Vision tights managed to slip down a bit and start chafing my nether regions (knew I should have got the bib versions; anyone know of a some suitable braces?). By the time I got home I felt like I had sat on a hacksaw blade. Ow. :evil:

One last thing: seen on the side of a van in Clapham "Cat Attack! The Thinking Cat's Board Game." Eh?

MonkeyMonster

had a good run home and not often I get bored of sitting behind two roadies doing 23 or so, so I upped to the big and gave em some out of saddle action halfway between battersea and albert bridge. Didn't see em again till nasty evil lights when one caught up and then turned left through a red onto kings road, the other was never seen again...

The Running Man

Bit of a damp morning but just drizzle really. The overnight rain had cleared most of the mud from the lanes and there was definitely no ice so I thought I'd give it a bit.

Instead of sneaking down Bowden Hill at nil miles an hour I was happily swooping round the bends. Just past the Rising Sun pub there's a sharp but fast left hander which if you set yourself up right you can sweep round pretty quickly. I set myself up right and started sweeping .......

Enter stage left a bl**dy great deer that decided to start hammering across the road, then stopped, then skidded .... I skidded, I swerved, couldn't stop .... the deer leaped about 8 feet across in front of me and I missed him mid air by no more than a foot.

Thankfully the car that was following me down the hill saw what was happening and backed right off but I'll be looking out for that b*gger tonight on the way home ...

It's made me reconsider being a vegeterian that's for sure ....

Oh and I can testify that the colour of adrenaline really is brown.

Clever Pun

nothing on the road last night nothing on the road this morning.. in fairness I saw 2 people this morning pumping tyres up

MonkeyMonster

Clever Pun wrote:

nothing on the road last night nothing on the road this morning.. in fairness I saw 2 people this morning pumping tyres up

On way home last night in the light from cars etc I'm pretty sure I saw more broken glass shards than normal. lets hope the pf is still haunting boffo on his pedalo.

il_principe

What a c0cking miserable day. Soaked this am and managed to forget my socks - cue 30 mins drying my cycling ones in the disabled toilet! Colleagues are always amazed that I cycle in the rain, tired of pointing out that I arrive, have a warm shower and change into dry clothes, whereas they arrive damp and bedraggled...

Oddjob62

Il Principe wrote:

What a c0cking miserable day. Soaked this am and managed to forget my socks - cue 30 mins drying my cycling ones in the disabled toilet!

Ooh... had forgotten to set a reminder to bring more underwear in tomorrow cheers mate.

iPete

Had a bit of unfair SCR action last night, is it wrong to pick on somebody who must be a 10 or worse? Had to repeatedly over take this person 5-6 times, at one point I went past, hand on 1 leg, upright, yawning, cruel? Nah, that’s what you get when you RLJ, need something to get me off the light quick , eventually pinned it upto 25 on a long straight and cleared a few green lights I don’t normally hit, satisfaction, no points though! 8)

amnezia

For everyone complaining about the wet, at least you didn't have to spend over an hour walking in it.

I suffered a double puncture and a shredded rear tire going over a broken bottle about 4 miles from home and had to walk the bike back (only one spare tube and no spare tires) through constant drizzle. Not the best start to the day. :x

King Donut

W1 wrote:

There was a tart on a chrome Bianchi fixie along the Embankment this morning who I had to scalp three times after he pushed to the front at red lights....if you're going to be slow, wait at the back.

Yeah v.annoying, I came across him there too. Seem to remember a couple of us having to pass him after setting off from every set of lights. What you on?

Managed to put in the first real effort of the year through Blackfriars tunnel yesterday morning. Held off a Luton van who slowed for the speed camera at the end.

This morning was no fun. A blue Dolan gave me a bit of a tow through DSC and we seemed to stay in touch along the rest of Embankment. Was grateful cos I was shagged by then.

flamite

King Donut wrote:

A blue Dolan gave me a bit of a tow through DSC and we seemed to stay in touch along the rest of Embankment. Was grateful cos I was shagged by then.

What you riding KD? im on a blue Dolan, orange bag...

few hairy moments this am with cars overtaking too close, as dont want to ride in the gutter with those mahoosive puddles...

King Donut

flamite wrote:

King Donut wrote:

A blue Dolan gave me a bit of a tow through DSC and we seemed to stay in touch along the rest of Embankment. Was grateful cos I was shagged by then.

What you riding KD? im on a blue Dolan, orange bag...

few hairy moments this am with cars overtaking too close, as dont want to ride in the gutter with those mahoosive puddles...

Orange courier bag? In which case it was probably you. I'm on an oversized red/white trek with a small red ruksack. You definitely kept the legs going this morning so thanks!

Know what you mean about the puddles. With all the the potholes around right now you don't know if you're gonna come out the other side.

flamite

yep, you did take me on embankment... **hangs head in shame!

did you pull off at southwark bridge junction? looked like you just stopped there on the pavement for a breather or something?!?

iain_j

Il Principe wrote:

Colleagues are always amazed that I cycle in the rain, tired of pointing out that I arrive, have a warm shower and change into dry clothes, whereas they arrive damp and bedraggled...

I get tired of that one too. One afternoon last week when it started pouring down, one of my colleagues looked out and said "ah well, at least it's a secure car park, you can leave your bike there and get the bus home".

Why? It's rain FFS. Why is getting wet such a big deal for some people.

King Donut

flamite wrote:

yep, you did take me on embankment... **hangs head in shame!

did you pull off at southwark bridge junction? looked like you just stopped there on the pavement for a breather or something?!?

But you're returning from injury right Not real game in my book.
I think I've seen you a few times before so I'll say hi next time.

Ideally I do a U'ey back up Upper Thames st. But it's a no right turn and I take no chances at that junction, so I pull left and wait for the green light on the cycle lane if necessary.

redvee

Had a comedy moment today on the way in. Slowing for a set of lights and my cateye fell off and stopped in the middle of the road to pick it up and proceeded to the gutter to sort it out. Then the Garmin fell off too and to make a hattrick I also fell off :oops: Landed on the pavement on my back and got some dirt on my Gore jacket and got a cyclist tattoo on my calf. Chain oil is a bugger to remove unless you use the scouring side of a dish sponge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMX-i8eHK7A

cjcp

Managed to nab a scooter on Millbank tonight. And got him again at the start of DSC straight (when he had a roadie in tow, too). All about avoiding the potholes and massive puddles after that.

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Managed to nab a scooter on Millbank tonight. And got him again at the start of DSC straight (when he had a roadie in tow, too). All about avoiding the potholes and massive puddles after that.

nice work

cjcp

thank you, sir.

W1

cjcp wrote:

Managed to nab a scooter on Millbank tonight. And got him again at the start of DSC straight (when he had a roadie in tow, too). All about avoiding the potholes and massive puddles after that.

I gave up on the road part of the Embankment after Chelsea Bridge and took to the shared path, which shook my fingernails out but at least I was moving. I hope the traffic won't be so backed up every night until the bloody Albert Bridge re-opens. Chaos. It also appeared to be idiot night out there this evening, and some of the puddles were huge. It's not like we don't get rain often is it? So why don't the roads drain properly?

cjcp

W1 wrote:

I gave up on the road part of the Embankment after Chelsea Bridge and took to the shared path, which shook my fingernails out but at least I was moving.

I did that, too. Joined it at the ped crossing.

I hope the traffic won't be so backed up every night until the bloody Albert Bridge re-opens. Chaos. It also appeared to be idiot night out there this evening, and some of the puddles were huge. It's not like we don't get rain often is it? So why don't the roads drain properly?

It's half term, too. Twice the fun next week?

Is it to do with the uneveness in certain parts of the road, so it just collects in the same old places?

As for the roadworks on the NKR, has anyone seen any workmen on site?

rjsterry

South of the river, come south of the river. You'll avoid all that Albert Bridge nonsense, and I get a chance to embarrass myself trying to race the Embankment crowd. You know it makes sense. Change is as good as a rest and all that.

Bassjunkieuk

I had someone comment in the lift last night "Not good cycling weather"
I just replied "No such thing as wrong weather, just wrong clothing!"

He looked a bit perplexed by that but as I only had a couple of miles to go and had the waterproof jacket and gloves along with the overshoes I knew the only thing I'd be drying when I got in was my trousers :-D

itboffin

i used to ride bikes sometimes to work even

Went sailing this morning, dolphins and turtles everywhere, also spotted the mother of all tiger sharks bloody thing was almost as big as the boat :shock:

Several pints of Guinness later I was ready for a swim before the 38 degree heat got to much and I had to retreat back to the bar for more liquid refreshment.

Carry on, as you were.....

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

i used to ride bikes sometimes to work even

Went sailing this morning, dolphins and turtles everywhere, also spotted the mother of all tiger sharks bloody thing was almost as big as the boat :shock:

Several pints of Guinness later I was ready for a swim before the 38 degree heat got to much and I had to retreat back to the bar for more liquid refreshment.

Carry on, as you were.....

He comes on here and makes posts like this and wonders why he gets some many un-expected deflations?

**puts another pin in the ITB bike voodoo doll**

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

itboffin wrote:

i used to ride bikes sometimes to work even

Went sailing this morning, dolphins and turtles everywhere, also spotted the mother of all tiger sharks bloody thing was almost as big as the boat :shock:

Several pints of Guinness later I was ready for a swim before the 38 degree heat got to much and I had to retreat back to the bar for more liquid refreshment.

Carry on, as you were.....

He comes on here and makes posts like this and wonders why he gets some many un-expected deflations?

**puts another pin in the ITB bike voodoo doll**

Dude does this shirt make my moobs look good?





Besides it's not all just laying around drinking beer you know, some times I stand or sit