Silly commuting racing

Littigator

snooks wrote:

Gutted, I had this vision of GT....


:twisted:
.

Snooks, I don't even want to begin to imagine where you got that Hislop face from!

On an aside, I was supposed to be racing at Hillingdon tonight so would have been some easy meat for those heading west, however, I am instead taking a friend for a spin on one of my racers to show him the ropes in the hope he will buy one and join the Game....ahhh like a lamb to slaughter :twisted:

victor ludorum

Well, ladies and gentlemen, after a short time away which unfortunately excluded me from beer(s) at the Morpeth Arms, I'm back in the saddle. the reason for the absence was the successful completion of my recent foray into being a respectable (but now dirt-poor) home owner. We spent this weekend moving house, and the missus and I are now proudly ensconced at Ludorum Manor.

I am now located within several hundred yards of the Uxbridge Road, and suggestions that I have coverted the roof into a launch ramp for Predator UAVs and a included a data analysis centre in the downstairs bathroom to target high densities of cycle commuters and optimise my scalping opportunities are entirely true. My only regret is that I have not been allowed to hollow out a space under the building as a 'bat-cave' like secret lair from which I can launch myself like a flamboyantly lycra'd avenging angel.

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

victor ludorum

Greg T wrote:

My work nanny net is blocking Snooks Image.....

Count your blessings. I have a feeling that, in the long watches of the night, that image is going to come back to haunt me.

il_principe

victor ludorum wrote:

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

Very well, but the question we're all asking is will it prevent you from purchasing new and shiny bike stuff?

victor ludorum

jashburnham wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

Very well, but the question we're all asking is will it prevent you from purchasing new and shiny bike stuff?

Good god no. I'm sure my forthcoming issue will soon learn that nappies are supposed to be worn once then turned inside out, because daddy needs a new custom coloured fizik arione K:1...

il_principe

victor ludorum wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

Very well, but the question we're all asking is will it prevent you from purchasing new and shiny bike stuff?

Good god no. I'm sure my forthcoming issue will soon learn that nappies are supposed to be worn once then turned inside out, because daddy needs a new custom coloured fizik arione K:1...

Sigh - had my eye on a custom number for a while now - just so damn hard to justify!

biondino

What's the wind like today chaps? Just a regular cycle back to Putney tonight, after my recent Chiswick adventures - last night I found myself in a funny situation where my legs (which hadn't cycled for 6 days) were burning up the tarmac while my lungs (which also hadn't cycled for 6 days) were just burning. Very odd.

il_principe

I'm not worried by the wind tonight - looks like a fair breeze though, I just want to get the Prince home and undercover before the heavens open! Cleaned it on Sunday and really cannot be bothered to do it again. In fact I broke new levels of anal retentitveness on sunday and cleaned the cassette with my latest Tchibo* purchase - an Ultrasonic cleaner.

*Bless them and their cheap goods

snooks

Greg T wrote:

My work nanny net is blocking Snooks Image.....

Just as well.

Of course Snooks doesn't know what i look like as he was "in Monte Carlo shooting yatchs and stuff, loads of glamour and burds and everything" instead of coming to the pub with the boys and having a pint.....

Well I had been in Sweden, and Plymouth last week, but had arranged to meet the GF, and the idea went down like...erm well it didn't go down at all well to be honest...but I tried

We could always start a way out west (or wild west) faction.....

Greg T wrote:

ALSO......

Where's the Road Bike Snookster?

There was a lot of BIG TALK about you getting some serious hardware to mount a credible challenge to the Embankment elite........

Bloomin ride to work! Bloomin work! Bloomin Evans!....Still waiting to get my sweaty little hands on my voucher...but I have a horrible feeling the bike of my dreams has sold out this year, so I'm either going to pick up a reduced 08 sale bike or see what the 09 bikes are looking like :?

cjcp

victor ludorum wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

Very well, but the question we're all asking is will it prevent you from purchasing new and shiny bike stuff?

Good god no. I'm sure my forthcoming issue will soon learn that nappies are supposed to be worn once then turned inside out, because daddy needs a new custom coloured fizik arione K:1...

As an aside, you will find that baby wipes clean absolutely everything. There is not a stain on this Earth they cannot remove. This would include chain muck from your child's fingers. And their feet.

snooks

jashburnham wrote:

I'm not worried by the wind tonight - looks like a fair breeze though, I just want to get the Prince home and undercover before the heavens open! Cleaned it on Sunday and really cannot be bothered to do it again. In fact I broke new levels of anal retentitveness on sunday and cleaned the cassette with my latest Tchibo* purchase - an Ultrasonic cleaner.

*Bless them and their cheap goods

Unless yer in the city, you might just have missed the rain...a big, and I mean BIG black cloud has been hauting me out of our big glass office all afternoon, now it look like it's off to the Norf...Maybe this wind isn't all bad

But yep it's windy tonight...time to practice the art of cycling forwards while being blown backwards...or sideways

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

victor ludorum wrote:

The only downside to this is that my mortgage commitments (and the coming spawn which necessitated the move) are likely to prevent me from buying food for the next 18 to 25 years, thereby hindering my performance somewhat...

Very well, but the question we're all asking is will it prevent you from purchasing new and shiny bike stuff?

Good god no. I'm sure my forthcoming issue will soon learn that nappies are supposed to be worn once then turned inside out, because daddy needs a new custom coloured fizik arione K:1...

As an aside, you will find that baby wipes clean absolutely everything. There is not a stain on this Earth they cannot remove. This would include chain muck from your child's fingers. And their feet.

Tell you what, face wipes, the very basic girly ones, do about the same. Due to my clumsiness I am always getting oil on my legs from my chain, and they are brilliant...

snooks

Littigator wrote:

Snooks, I don't even want to begin to imagine where you got that Hislop face from!

The wonder of Google Images

Bassjunkieuk

snooks wrote:

Littigator wrote:

Snooks, I don't even want to begin to imagine where you got that Hislop face from!

The wonder of Google Images

But I think next time you should leave the "safe search" option checked

itboffin

Is fitting a white chain to my all white SS too tarty oh well to late now where can I get white crank arms from...

victor ludorum

itboffin wrote:

Is fitting a white chain to my all white SS too tarty oh well to late now where can I get white crank arms from...

If you have to ask, you aren't ready for the answer...

2wheelzgood

wow boffin, nice collection. tarty yes if you're adding to what comes as stock (you're screwed then with a personal build!) I have white.. just about stioll after a week but no chain.. nice thought though.. I need white tyres but seen as only the bar and odd other bits came white.. I'm excluded, yes?


Also seeing all your bikes and your slicked mtb, has made me almost regret putting my commencal up for auction.. oh well.. never gets used... and is not slick no way!

il_principe

itboffin wrote:

Is fitting a white chain to my all white SS too tarty oh well to late now where can I get white crank arms from...

Not that I can talk...

lost_in_thought

itboffin wrote:

Is fitting a white chain to my all white SS too tarty oh well to late now where can I get white crank arms from...

Nice bikes by the way! Do they all have uses or are you just a collector?

2wheelzgood

Jash, could you not have found a bigger one?
my net is all slow now!

il_principe

Just making a point!

victor ludorum

2wheelzgood wrote:

Jash, could you not have found a bigger one?
my net is all slow now!

Mine's fine. Yay, my net is way quicker than yours. Totally pwned! Hah!!! Lol!

Oh dear, this a thread seems to have rather gone to my head...

2wheelzgood

you used to be philosophical.. pah.

captain_pink

I've had a very quiet couple of weeks prey-wise. Cruise into work, cruise back... the check over my shoulder, the odd supermarket bike... nothing to get remotely excited about. I think the cruddy weather, combined with some early/late journeys into work lead to a severe lack of competition.

Yesterday, I was ripe for the picking though. Puncture on the way into work... second time at exactly the same spot, outside a row of pubs on Call Lane. Lovely shard of broken glass sticking out of the tyre. Repaired and pumped up as well as my puny mini pump could manage. About 20 psi. Had a very cautious ride home, tip-toeing round every small crack and hole, trying to keep my weight of my front tyre and riding "light" all the way home. I was checking over my shoulder every minute, fearing the swoosh of someone lower down the food chain swooshing by. What would I do? Blurt out "but it's because I've got a puncture"?!?! Of course not. I'd have had to take it on the chin, smile serenely, fein indifference and carry on at my tippy-toe pace. I survived, despite a worrying moment when I passed a girl on a shopper early doors. What if she passed? Eeek.

Today though was a different matter. Bike fully fit, swooping into work without seeing another sole. Only one problem. Tonight was leg weights night at the gym. Squats, lunges, calf raises, burpees. I hobbled back out to the bike. Unchaining it, a speedy looking hybrid passed... it was a beautiful relief that it turned the other way at the lights. I pulled up at the next set of lights, next to a roadie, hairy legs and baggies. Perfect match. The perfect race. Nothing for me to truely lose or win, other than a sweet sense of satisfaction. I followed him a respectable distance behind for a while, thinking through my game plan, and trying to flush some lactic from my legs. And all of a sudden, I was in front of him - the lights were kind to me, and we were different lanes. Not the over-take that dreams are made of - the equivalent of taking the lead in the F1 pits. The game was on...

... we came back together at a pedestrian crossing, exchanged pleasantries about the sunshine, neither giving anything away. I pulled away first, with a little kick, ignoring the dead wood feeling in my thighs. The hill grew steeper and I could sense him tucked in behind, drafting, sheltering from the light breeze. No way was he gonna come past me. Increase the revs, try to keep my breathing under control, turn the corner, ready for the steep climb into Chapel Allerton, and BANG. Wind. I dropped anchor in washed up bay. I dropped a gear, span as hard as I could and waited for the inevitable.

It didn't happen. I could hear him behind. I could here the odd squeak and bounce of his tyres on cracked tarmac. I only had 1/2 mile to go until my turn off. I could hang on to this. And I did. We waved a goodbye as he thanked me for the draft and I finished my ride suffering quietly, sucking in oxygen in private, waiting for the dull pain to fade from my legs.

The ache is still there, but it is tempered by that sweet, sweet satisfaction at a job well done.

Next time, though, I'm bloody well taking the draft Mr Giant OCR. [/i]

itboffin

LOL that surely is the biggest tart of all time, so my next venture is to turn my three old school bike into single/fixies one red one white and one blue in honour of team GB amazing success, off to Wales in the morning to collect yet more bikes and yes LiT I ride them all apart from them Dora trike (Fixed) :shock:

mmmh seems my bikes are too tarty Flickr classed them as restricted content, all fixed now.

Before and after photos very shortly.

Bassjunkieuk

That is a lovely collection ITB, the white singlie gives me something to aim for if I ever get round to converting my old raleigh racer to 9 fewer gears :-)

Just fished the wife's bike out of the garage as I think it would be a bit more comfortable to ride then the old racer (just can't get used to hoods, they are SO uncomfortable compared to the SCR!) Fixed the chain so it's running properly now and adjusted the handlebars to a slightly lower position. I can now report I clock in at 9 on the ol' FCN, dropping 4 points and giving me a MUCH larger field of opportunity :-D

I'm still working at the site in my town tomorrow but will be commuting from Croydon - Vauxhall on Thursday and Friday so can play with the other cyclist's in Streatham and Brixton!! My only fear is that I'll run out of gears as the "large" chainring on this thing looks about the same size as my mid ring on the racer and the rear cassette is even more dire!

I was considering posting this as 3 post's to get us onto page 117 as that huge tart pic (from someone who co-ordinates their wardrobe and bike, take's one to know one I guess!) means I now have to scroll side-to-side to read long posts and I'm just to lazy for that.........

DonDaddyD

I'm not playing any more! That is it I'm done! I nearly ended my own life today.

I took my usual route from work to home (up Coldharbour Lane, Acre Lane onto Clapham Common heading towards Balham, Tooting, Streatham and finally Norbury...) and decided to stop off at Evans in Clapham to buy some accessories.

Having bought my wares I got out onto the main road and started heading towards Tooting as normal, quite a few cyclist around including a familiar face on a silver Allez. I normally see this guy on my route around 6 - 7pm, always riding through Clapham to Balham where I loose him! This time I was determined to claim his scalp.

He is big, muscle big, I mean I'm no real fatty at 5'11 and 14stone (could stand to loose a few though) but this 'Mountain Man' has me dwarfed especially in the leg (calf) department - seriously they look like they're each made from four small children!

Anywho with Clapham Common to the right of us, just past the lights I take him and I MAX my WATTAGE hoping to create enough 'air' between us to ensure that he knows he is properly defeated. (This to my knowledge is the standard attack when playing 'The Game'.

My wattage maxed for what feels like an eternity, I even have to remind myself to look up - I don't understand how you 'fixies' cycle like this, you must have muscles of stone and granite. In the second that I look up I pray for the lights, thank the Hoy they're there! Green, dammit! I couldn't stop and The Game must continue. No one told me it could so easily become a marathon born out of a sprint!

I powered along at my maximum determined not to loose to this guy, I couldn't even look over my shoulder as all the muscles in my neck had solidified! This had stopped being fun, even in a masochistic way, pain had overwhelmed, I went numb.

Second lights green! I begin to falter, my surroundings become an abstract as I begin to feel like I'm not really there. Third lights green! As far as I was concerned I did my 10sec quarter mile. Any longer and I would have spontaneously combust. I slow right down and powering along past me at the same pace he was riding when I passed him, (probably a higher gear, I hope it was a higher gear!) not even off his seat was the 'Mountain Man' on his silver Allez.

If there is a guy on this site who rides a Silver Allez up Clapham Highstreet heading to Balham around 6-7pm, and on Thursday 19 August 08 you utterly destroyed a young black guy, with one trouser leg rolled up, on a Giant SCR 3, Teach me!

guinea

Hmm. I need a desicion on whether I get a score or not.

This morning on my commute I was monstered by a roadie at a junction. I made it my mission to get him and pumped hard. He was in full pro team kit on a 'nago and I was on my MTB with knobblies.

I went all out balls to the wall and started to make progress. He RLJ'd a few junctions, but the lights were kind to me and I got into striking distance. However, he then went on to the pavement to avoid a red light at some roadworks and I managed to time the lights to perfection. I them put on the power and passed him whilst he was on the pavement. He didn't manage to catch me for the rest of my commute.

So do I get a point?

On the way home I nailed a couple of fixies. So easy.

Bodhbh

heh, funny game. Only been on the bike 5-6 months, but I noticed testostorone already on the rise on the commutes. Lets see how fast that guy on the racer in all the gear really is...

But but where's the scores?! I want to get some scalps and see myself on a table!

the_hundredth_idiot

cjcp wrote:

As an aside, you will find that baby wipes clean absolutely everything. There is not a stain on this Earth they cannot remove. This would include chain muck from your child's fingers. And their feet.

Funnily enough, I found that out the hard (easy?) way at the weekend!

Bike on workstand, rear wheel off so chain dangling, took my eye off for one second (well, maybe 10 seconds) and before you know it there was an 18 month old running towards me saying "Dada" and stretching his hand out to show me the filth all over his fingers. A quick scrub with some baby wipes and SWMBO is none the wiser. Must be some miracle ingredients in their. Bleach, maybe?

Also a good reminder for me to clean my chain properly!