Silly commuting racing

roger_merriman

cjcp wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Wet and windy. Bleurgh. At least it wasn't cold though.

Saw that rapid panniered-up Condor Man again.

I must be going a bit weird - I've started to quite enjoy the damp weather now that it's warmed up. Younger brother is down from Derby on Saturday; rubbish forecast, but we'll go whatever. Planning a sort of my-hills-are-better-than-yours loop from Dorking round Leith Hill, Ranmore Common and Box Hill then back to Carshalton.

Take him up Radnor Lane (in Peaslake) and Whitedown, too.

Winterfold? though as he has the peaks in range....

CXXC

tail betwen legs post this morning...got smoked by a chap on a green bianchi last night leaving Canary Wharf about 6:45pm and heading past the Tower and onto LTS, I did everything I could to keep up, and even had the benefit of a red light which brought him to a stop but allowed me to coast up and then sping in front on the green. Kept my head down and pedalled hard until the recent days exertions caught up with me, and then coming up the slight incline under Blackfriars Bridge he came past and off he went into the distance....well the traffic...and he was quick at filtering too.

if that was you, you were too fast for me :oops:

can i blame it on the damp drizzly conditions and poor visibility and grip??? 8)

tgotb

Gave someone a bit of a scare last night. Cruising down NKR (I never SCR between Cheyne Walk and WBR) someone stepped onto the zebra crossing in front of me. Had to brake fairly hard, heard an 'AARRGGHH!' from behind me, and two cyclists popped out either side of the car next to me. One was the drafting fairy I'd shaken off (twice) on Embankment; hopefully he'll be a bit more careful about tailgating in the future, especially in the wet.

With a dramatic increase in the number of faries over the last week or so, I'm starting to wonder whether it's actually safer to go fast down NKR, at least it keeps the numpties off your tail...

pst88

Came to work on my road bike for the first time today due to the general state of disrepair of my fixed gear commuter. Still getting used to road pedals (Look Keo) over SPDs on my normal commuting bike. Clipping in when pulling away from lights is a bit of a pain, sometimes it just slips right in (fnar) but other times I'm faffing around for ages trying to get it back in. To be honest riding a freewheel equipped bike combined with my inability to clip in was a bit scary after riding fixed consistently for about 2 years. Still, my scalp remained intact despite my low FCN because I didn't see any other bikes on the open road. One hybrid caught me whilst going slow in traffic then nipped onto the pavement to pass me but that doesn't count.

cjcp

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

With a dramatic increase in the number of faries over the last week or so, I'm starting to wonder whether it's actually safer to go fast down NKR, at least it keeps the numpties off your tail...

I wonder this. Before WBR, nope - all nice and slow. After WBR, go hard to the right hand (second) bend, see who's there and if someone's on your tail, assume they'll still be there by the time you reach the first zebra crossing and be prepared to wave them through because I don't want them there by the time I reach the second and third zebra crossings because there's a fair chance you'll have to slow for peds crossing or traffic turning left across your path.

Someone tried to draft me up Priory Lane last night. I then hear a hard, clattering sound - the sound caused by his front wheel going into the pot-hole he would have seen if he'd kept his distance.

Clever Pun

Lovely day and since I was early was putting in a cracking pace, sadly traffic carnage at deptford right through to surrey quays put pay to that. Had an amusing head to head with another guy at the Jamaica way sprint section; I'd come up level with him as he was accelerating both took our feet off the gas waiting for the lights which duly turned green, he's down on the drops and going for it.. I give a thoughtful twist of my beard and leave him high and dry.

I also chased down a guy on a black focus with no bag and a HSBC top, everytime I got close he dropped a cog and pushed harder... certainly was a trier, if I'd been riding gears I'd have had him

cjcp

Clever Pun wrote:

I also chased down a guy on a black focus with no bag and a HSBC top, everytime I got close he dropped a cog and pushed harder... certainly was a trier, if I'd been riding gears I'd have had him

Where was this? A similar ride passed me this morning - red top, but saw no HSBC - then passed him on Millbank.

W1

Got hideously drafted by a chap on a SS blue Condor all the way down the Embankment last night. Held him all the way along the LRR until he nipped past me before I turned off - but the long long long drafting before that kept my scalp in tact (and the fact that he was a much higher FCN than I meant it was never threatened either).

Got squeezed past at VB lights last night by a ninja chap, retook the lead convincingly, he then RLJ'd an amber I managed to get through and completely RLJ'd the next set of lights which I stopped at. Again, my head was held high. All this drafting/RJLing by people on decent bikes who really should know better is becoming a real nuisance.

Hmm.....

cjcp

W1 wrote:

Got hideously drafted by a chap on a SS blue Condor all the way down the Embankment last night. Held him all the way along the LRR until he nipped past me before I turned off - but the long long long drafting before that kept my scalp in tact (and the fact that he was a much higher FCN than I meant it was never threatened either).

Got squeezed past at VB lights last night by a ninja chap, retook the lead convincingly, he then RLJ'd an amber I managed to get through and completely RLJ'd the next set of lights which I stopped at. Again, my head was held high. All this drafting/RJLing by people on decent bikes who really should know better is becoming a real nuisance.

Hmm.....

I feel your frustration.

Wrath Rob

I think my scalp might be there for the taking in the ride home tonight

Last nights ride was pretty tough due to phlegm filled lungs complaining about me trying to get my speed above 19mph into the head wind. Managed to hold off any challengers but I think its take its toll. This morning's run wasn't much better but managed to scalp a chap who appeared to be in fact a stick insect wearing Rapha tights riding a nice looking black and white Felt on Embankment and spent the rest of the ride waiting for him to fly back past. Cue much coughing and hacking at the office

So with all of that, I think despite me attempting to MTFU I'll be easy prey on the way home. So, anyone who scales a fluro jacketed guy on a black Boardman road bike, you can have it on loan until I manage to shake this cold off. Then I'll want mine back and I'll be coming for yours too :twisted:

lost_in_thought

I actually semi-commuted today! Ealing to Mayfair and back, but for a meeting that started at 0930, so not many about. Lovely and sunny though!

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

I also chased down a guy on a black focus with no bag and a HSBC top, everytime I got close he dropped a cog and pushed harder... certainly was a trier, if I'd been riding gears I'd have had him

Where was this? A similar ride passed me this morning - red top, but saw no HSBC - then passed him on Millbank.

heading north on teh A21 he went straight over the lombard rb to Greenwich white top, red sides, older guy... really didn't like someone chasing him down

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Wet and windy. Bleurgh. At least it wasn't cold though.

Saw that rapid panniered-up Condor Man again.

I must be going a bit weird - I've started to quite enjoy the damp weather now that it's warmed up. Younger brother is down from Derby on Saturday; rubbish forecast, but we'll go whatever. Planning a sort of my-hills-are-better-than-yours loop from Dorking round Leith Hill, Ranmore Common and Box Hill then back to Carshalton.

Take him up Radnor Lane (in Peaslake) and Whitedown, too.

I'll have to fit those in on another day - rest of the family is turning up at midday, so we have to be bak shortly after that. Plus, the poor chap only cycles at weekends (lives only half a mile from work, and works silly hours, so can't be persuaded to take a long way round).

iain_j

Superb commute this morning. Woke up super early again, as I keep doing lately, so I decided to get up and go in early. Left home at 6.15. Saw about 5 cars all the way in, and mostly green lights. And a tailwind. Awesome

Bassjunkieuk

@CP - Love the new avatar and where on earth did you get that shirt!
We really should come up with an SCR wardrobe :-)

Sprinted after a bus this morning and had to back off as it turned onto the bus lane :-(

On the way home tho I decided to take a slightly extended route that almost doubled the distance up to just shy of 5 miles (problem with working in the local town.....) but I had some great fun! Once I got past the train station and the ejit bus driver who didn't seem to know what the big box the other side of the stop line with a bike painted in it is for.

As I waited at the lights at the opposite end of the tram lines I spotted a gent kitted out in black lycra, white helmet on board something with proper handlebars. I was stuck at the red and could only watch as his white helmet disappeared amongst the traffic ahead. He must have had a good 45-60 seconds on me when the lights changed and I didn't see him again.

One thing I did notice was how nice it felt riding along that stretch. I don't think there was a tailwind but I was keeping it over 20 in a fairly big gear, enough to offer some resistance and it just felt great! Turned down Shirley Road onto the lovely smooth tarmac and had some fun toying with an Audi. The driver was actually rather considerate and didn't just try and left hook me when a car ahead was turning right. I nipped ahead through the gap she left and set about closing up the gap to the next car down the road :-)

Another great fun out of the saddle sprint alongside the park and then I found a pizza delivery rider to play with. Almost had him along the last road but we had our little duel ruined by a car coming the opposite way forcing the car ahead of us to pull in and us to stop :-(

itboffin

lost_in_thought wrote:

I actually semi-commuted today! Ealing to Mayfair and back, but for a meeting that started at 0930, so not many about. Lovely and sunny though!

what the what now?! I distictly remember total whiteout ice this morning and very little sunshine, I was robbed

in other news I had visit no 3 this year from my old friend, which fortunately I discovered before leaving the BF arms, there being enough pressure left I limped to evans @ the cut whereby I performed what can only be described as an F1 style tube change, back to 140psi and away.

However I neglected one of the golden rules of PF management

1. Regular offerings
2. Bulk buy tubes & co2
3. Always check the tyres for sh!t :?

gbsahne001

great ride back tonight despite the weather; got 2 scalps tonight (full on roadies), wish I had a camera on the back, so that I could see their faces as they got passed by a dare I say it a hybrid.

They were good though, I had to push it up to 24 to get past and was very grateful for a traffic light turning red as I sailed through; dont think I could have held them off for very long.


Off the bike tomorrow though, so the legs will get a rest; a day trip to Lisbon is a bit of a stretch for a commute.

Aidy

gbsahne wrote:

great ride back tonight despite the weather; got 2 scalps tonight (full on roadies), wish I had a camera on the back, so that I could see their faces as they got passed by a dare I say it a hybrid. .

I wish I could have seen the face of the guy in full team kit (I forget what it was, doh) who I passed with considerable speed with two rims bungeed in quite a haphazard fashion to the rack.

rjsterry

Not elegant, but a scalp's a scalp. The scalpee and I were both pushing hard into the drizzle and headwind on Clapham Road coming into Stockwell, and I gradually started to ease ahead. Not so much pass with nonchalance as pass with grim determination. Held him off until the traffic backed up to the Union Road junction, and he out-filtered me.

cjcp

Another ungrateful, inconsiderate drafting fairy tonight. :roll:

W1

I destroyed the entire peleton at VB lights last night. Two caught up when I stopped at the Chelsea bridge lights, pushed to the front and were painfully slow off the mark.

IF YOU CAN'T CLIP IN WITHOUT LOOKING AT YOUR FEET FOR FIVE MINUTES STAY AT THE BACK. OR ON THE BUS.

One finally nipped past and then RJL'd at the Albert Bridge so he doesn't count.

Very quick all-in-black roadie on NKR and LRR last night though, had a bit of a tussle and kept with him until the URR junction, where we parted. Good speed though and well ridden.

tgotb

cjcp wrote:

Another ungrateful, inconsiderate drafting fairy tonight. :roll:

I got fully rear-ended this morning, at one of the Parson's Green zebra crossings. Guy on a black Cannondale ended up sprawled across the road, and seemed to think it was my fault for braking too hard. No injuries; I wasted 5 mins straightening out my mudguards, and I'm ashamed to admit I don't really care whether or not his bike was damaged.

AAAARRRGGGHHH!

Is it always this bad in the Spring? That's one near miss and a full on collision so far this week, and it's only Wednesday morning...

W1

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Another ungrateful, inconsiderate drafting fairy tonight. :roll:

I got fully rear-ended this morning, at one of the Parson's Green zebra crossings. Guy on a black Cannondale ended up sprawled across the road, and seemed to think it was my fault for braking too hard. No injuries; I wasted 5 mins straightening out my mudguards, and I'm ashamed to admit I don't really care whether or not his bike was damaged.

AAAARRRGGGHHH!

Is it always this bad in the Spring? That's one near miss and a full on collision so far this week, and it's only Wednesday morning...

You should have given him hell for that.

I was rear-ended on the strand a couple of years ago, chap was very apologetic and gave me £20 for a new mudguard. That's how it should be.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

Another ungrateful, inconsiderate drafting fairy tonight. :roll:

Might as well cut out the middle man and just attach a tow bar.

Think you need to change your avatar to a picture of the Pied Piper.

EDIT: On second thoughts, seeing the other posts, I think a suitably worded special spring commuting jersey is required, with the slogan "Back the f*** Off!" perhaps.

BTW, to the chap on the chrome Bianchi SS/fixie (couldn't quite tell if he was free wheeling or not): if you are hoing to ride a bike that showy, you really should do it more justice than pootling along, then pavement hopping to get past the lights. Must have scalped him 6 or 7 times. He seemed to get the message by the time we got to Oval, and was putting in a bit more effort, but still not enough to be a threat. Also, morning to the chap I raced up Kennington Road; good show sir.

cjcp

That guy on the Brompton wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Another ungrateful, inconsiderate drafting fairy tonight. :roll:

I got fully rear-ended this morning, at one of the Parson's Green zebra crossings. Guy on a black Cannondale ended up sprawled across the road, and seemed to think it was my fault for braking too hard. No injuries; I wasted 5 mins straightening out my mudguards, and I'm ashamed to admit I don't really care whether or not his bike was damaged.

AAAARRRGGGHHH!

Is it always this bad in the Spring? That's one near miss and a full on collision so far this week, and it's only Wednesday morning...

:roll: Yep, it's bound to happen. Glad you're ok.

I wouldn't have given a monkey's about his bike either. They don't seem to care whether they go into the back of you, so why care about them?

itboffin

[wags finger]You lot should be ashamed![/wags finger]

:roll:

tgotb

rjsterry wrote:

On second thoughts, seeing the other posts, I think a suitably worded special spring commuting jersey is required, with the slogan "Back the f*** Off!" perhaps.

I was thinking of much the same thing. Best I could come up with was "Unless your brakes are a lot better than mine, get off my wheel NOW"

On the positive side, I can thoroughly recommend Disco brake pads for their (evidently) superior stopping power, and SKS mudguards for their robustness...

Paddy O Dawes

The law is quite straightforward - and for once unarguable. If you go into the back of someone else, whatever the circumstances, it's your fault. End of.

W1

Paddy O Dawes wrote:

The law is quite straightforward - and for once unarguable. If you go into the back of someone else, whatever the circumstances, it's your fault. End of.

Well obviously that's not wholly true, for example if someone cuts you up and brakes hard. But it's pretty unarguable if the incident described above - "braking too hard" isn't negligent.

flamite

Couldnt believe my eyes this morning as I rolled up to southwark bridge/thames street going east.

Loads of police as usuall out to catch the rljers, and a massive city police van plonked right in the ASL.... i rolled right up next to him, he had his window down and was chatting to the police out on the pavement, think i pee'd him off a bit getting in his way. Cue sarky remark from him, "nice glasses" i retorted, "nice parking!...."

luckily lights changed and i bombed off, wasnt hanging about to get pulled over for something...

but seriously, if even the police, and it was a large vehicle, sit in our ASL, what hope is there...? i know a few people have died at that very crossing...