Silly commuting racing

HamishD

ketsbaia wrote:

And I caught every single red light on the Old Kent Road just for good measure.

Here's hoping for a better return journey.

Unlucky, mate! Complete opposite for me - Green all the way from New Cross to Bayswater.

mtb-idle

A good trip in today. Rode Saturday instread of Sunday this weekend so legs were super fresh this morning.

Was going pretty well already and 8 miles into my 18-miler, so legs nicely warmed up when for when I hit Balham.

Blasted past a large group (7 or 8 riders of mainly small fry, higher FCN's and pushed on down towards Clapham. There's a mild descent followed by a short climb to Clapham Common that can be hard work.

My spidey senses id'd a few riders behind me and sure enough, one of them makes his move. Same FCN as me and it's game on.

My first thought was 'you've gone too early mate', we were still on the descent and I was already catching him as we levelled out and started the small drag up.

I put the hammer down and left him in my wake as I powered up hill. I was still seated and he was already starting to hunch over the front of the bike with the huge effort he was putting in.

Needless to say I didn't see him again. Amateur

More action further along the route but that one was the most satisfying.

kurako

MTB-Idle wrote:

A good trip in today. Rode Saturday instread of Sunday this weekend so legs were super fresh this morning.

Was going pretty well already and 8 miles into my 18-miler, so legs nicely warmed up when for when I hit Balham.

Blasted past a large group (7 or 8 riders of mainly small fry, higher FCN's and pushed on down towards Clapham. There's a mild descent followed by a short climb to Clapham Common that can be hard work.

My spidey senses id'd a few riders behind me and sure enough, one of them makes his move. Same FCN as me and it's game on.

My first thought was 'you've gone too early mate', we were still on the descent and I was already catching him as we levelled out and started the small drag up.

I put the hammer down and left him in my wake as I powered up hill. I was still seated and he was already starting to hunch over the front of the bike with the huge effort he was putting in.

Needless to say I didn't see him again. Amateur

More action further along the route but that one was the most satisfying.

Hmmm. Same FCN? Sounds like you must have picked on an inferior being. Have a go at some of those blokes with lycra and skinny tires next time

iain_j

Tourer reverted back to commuter this morning.

Two panniers full of work stuff feels so light compared to last week, I was flying along

Can't wait for my next "unladen" ride, unfortunately it won't be for about a month now

MonkeyMonster

Fcuk me that was awesome. Chapeau again to the nice grey ss rider in the red shorts and jersey who drafted me first and then repayed with interest in the home stretch of embankment. New PB of 28.30 mins with an avg of 18.2 mph

So
Much
Fun

No idea how many scalps I picked up from start to finish.

I shall say again

So Much Fun.

asprilla

I overtook two other roadies up Broomfield Hill in RP today. First time I've ever not been the slowest person to the top.

Very Happy.

itboffin

Bonked

That is all :?

amnezia

itboffin wrote:

Bonked

That is all :?

In a good way or bad way?

Stevo_666

First post on this thread as I usually ignore these immature challenges

Had a great joust with a bloke on a Spesh roadie all the way from Waterloo to East Dulwich this evening. Multiple overtaking manoevres, a few traffic light grand prix and a good hill race. But I took the fecker out on the downhill past Dog Kennel Hill when he bottled the high speed descent and he turned off with me nicely ahead just before Lordship Lane. Me = FCN 7 (hybrid): him FCN 4, so I claim my first scalp. Yay 8)

This game can be good fun when the mood takes me...

iain_j

itboffin wrote:

Bonked

That is all :?

Oh yeah, after doing 235 miles in four days last week, I bonked on the 3-mile ride home from the station. If it wasn't for the eery light-headed feeling as I rode along the busy road I would have just sat down and laughed at the irony of it.

philrw

What about age in the list?

I always think I've gained extra points for whipping some 20 year old on their carbon fibre...

I used to beat some roadies on my folding bike but my god did it flex and wobble when I hit the pot holes!

Riding my new road bike (touring class I guess) now so must be gaining less points.

Where do cross bikes come in the list?

Bassjunkieuk

Had a brief tussle with a Dominos Pizza scooter last night, started as we pulled away from a set of lights on the main drag in town and I was tucked in behind a bus with a BMW and him alongside me.
As we cross the junction I was expecting the bus to pull in but instead it indicated to move round another bus! I keep tucked in tight behind and comfortably ratchet up the speed towards the mid 20's. As we approach the next set of bus stops the bus does pull in and I put the hammer down to work it towards 30........I look back and the scooter rider is still just off my rear :-)

I think my wry grin and "come on, you have an engine!" comment made him turn it up a little but he didn't really get away.
We eventually parted ways a bit further ahead and I then got held up seriously behind a bus through the normally fun curvy bit :-(

itboffin

Forecast says tailwind......

RUBBISH! :evil:

The Running Man

Cracking ride home last night : shocking traffic out of Bath and reduced to a slow crawl to get out of the city but then chased down 2 flat bars with slicks by Box garage then hammered up to 5 Ways and did the 27 miles home at 18mph again despite getting held up in traffic in Melksham and Devizes.

Awful bloomin' traffic in Bath again this morning : the only difference is the school run and it's been a nightmare : someone's just mentioned road works in town but they were queing off the slip road and out onto the bypass.

I like riding my bike .....

rjsterry

Giving away scalps this morning so as not to reverse my recovery from a cold over the weekend and yesterday. I'd been holding it off all last week, so thought I'd better see it out before flogging myself again. Still, lovely day for a pootle, and my journey time was only about 7-8 minutes longer than normal. SCR will resume shortly.

asprilla

Left earlier this morning to so make it to my 8am spin. I should be taking it easy, but the weather and lack of traffic at that time leads to another new course record; 53minutes.

If there is no-one else to race I jsut have to race myself.

ketsbaia

Fairly sedate pootle home last night. Was whizzed past by some geezer on a Cervelo along Long Lane and I just couldn't be arsed giving chase. Not sure I could have caught him and kept up the nonchalant look either. Still, he was way above me in the food chain, so no real shame there.

Couple of scalps on the way in this morning - shook off a relatively persistent wheel-sucker on a fake-fixie just by B&Q on the Old Kent Road, but again I was stymied by red lights and a highly annoying head wind. Managed to overhaul one of the red light jumpers at Bricklayer's Arms about 50 yards on to Great Dover Street, drifting past the Charge singlespeed with consummate ease even into the strengthening head wind. There were two other jumpers further up the road, but I was never going to catch Wilier bloke and the second was the same FCN as me, so I left it at that.

Not feeling it at the moment, though. Had a bugger of a cough for the last couple of weeks, which isn't helping me look or sound like I'm not really trying.

Citizen Smith

philrw wrote:

What about age in the list?

I always think I've gained extra points for whipping some 20 year old on their carbon fibre...

I used to beat some roadies on my folding bike but my god did it flex and wobble when I hit the pot holes!

Riding my new road bike (touring class I guess) now so must be gaining less points.

Where do cross bikes come in the list?

Paging Greg T to the thread.

FWIW, age has been discussed in past but it was not deemed a universal modifier as you can for example have a twenty yr old duffer and also the infamous lithe former pro sixty old who at a glacial cadence does you in the late 20s.

Cross bikes I think would be somewhere between hairy roadie and touring bikes based on set up.

Use the FCN calculator merely as bellwether (topical election phrase, natch!)...Your soul is the ultimate adjudicator (oh and the SCR council of elders on this thread).

Wrath Rob

FCN check with the SCR massive. What's the FCN of a lycra clad giant on an Airnimal? I got done by a very tall guy in a red lycra top riding the bejesus out of one last night on Embankment. No idea what speed I was doing as I've not put a computer on the new bike yet but he came past about 2-3mph faster, so probably over 26mph! I upped my game and held the gap but couldn't get back on his wheel. Scalp or no? If I was scalped I'll claim my first 50 mile club ride on Sunday with Kingston Wheelers as an excuse

This morning was great though, with several riders well up for some fun. Had a guy on a black and gold fixie trying some very dubious moves on Lotts road, including trying to pass a lorry on the right as he was indicating to move around some cars and take up the whole road, not a clever move. Picked up a drafting fairy in a yellow jacket on Embankment later who turned off left at Lambeth RB. I missed the real fun just before Blackfriars underpass where 2 roadies filtered past me at the lights and then had the jump on the downhill section. Me and another roadie (with a panier) gave chase and drafted a taxi, panier man gave up but I held (read drafted) the taxi who was gradually dropping back from the other 2 roadies! I caught up with them at Southwark bridge and they were obviously a couple of mates who had been gunning it big time. I turned left up towards Canon Street and left them to their recovery. No idea what speed that was but chapeau to the pair of them!

UndercoverElephant

Wrath Rob wrote:

FCN check with the SCR massive. What's the FCN of a lycra clad giant on an Airnimal? I got done by a very tall guy in a red lycra top riding the bejesus out of one last night on Embankment. No idea what speed I was doing as I've not put a computer on the new bike yet but he came past about 2-3mph faster, so probably over 26mph! I upped my game and held the gap but couldn't get back on his wheel. Scalp or no? If I was scalped I'll claim my first 50 mile club ride on Sunday with Kingston Wheelers as an excuse

The Airnimal's a folder, right? You were done by a dude on a clown's bike; suck it down.

jonginge

There is a regular commuter on the embankment running an airnimal. He's pretty rapid but likes to draft a lot, too. Haven't seen him this year yet...

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

There is a regular commuter on the embankment running an airnimal. He's pretty rapid but likes to draft a lot, too. Haven't seen him this year yet...

Spotted him last night in RP. He was going the other way. Thank God. I've witnessed his speed up Dark HIll on that thing.

I think he lives in the roads close to me.

@Wrath Rob - have you joined up?

gaz545

Own up, who was it in the full Astana team kit who i spotted in mitchem and going all the way up to tooting and then on to stockwell.

We swapped places a few times.

Wrath Rob

cjcp wrote:

@Wrath Rob - have you joined up?

I'll be along on Sunday for another Club run, the last one was pretty good but somehow 5 of us got separated from the club members after Box hill and ended up caning it through the roundabouts on the way back. Not sure what speed we were holding but I'm guessing 25+. By the time we got back I asked if the run was normally like that for the last 30 mins and we then realised that none of us were members so we didn't know!

If that's all good then yes, I think I'll be joining your motley crew

cjcp

Wrath Rob wrote:

cjcp wrote:

@Wrath Rob - have you joined up?

I'll be along on Sunday for another Club run, the last one was pretty good but somehow 5 of us got separated from the club members after Box hill and ended up caning it through the roundabouts on the way back. Not sure what speed we were holding but I'm guessing 25+. By the time we got back I asked if the run was normally like that for the last 30 mins and we then realised that none of us were members so we didn't know!

If that's all good then yes, I think I'll be joining your motley crew

I remember the exact same thing happening on my first club run . The pace usually quickens at that point.

essex-commuter

gaz545 wrote:

Own up, who was it in the full Astana team kit.

Alberto?

Bassjunkieuk

I spotted what could only be consider an "anomaly" on my walk to school with the eldest today.

It was probably the first day that I've seen so many scalp worthy (FCN wise at least) people ride past as I've been wheeling the bike round. I resisted the urge again to tell No.1 BJUK to take herself to school and jump in the bike in hot pursuit but what I saw can only be described as horrifying......VeLonDon might want to lay down at this point.

I spotted a chap aboard a Pinarello. Looked like the FP3 (£1K model) but he appeared to be riding on flat pedals and using one of those drawstring saddle covers :shock: After much moaning and muttering under my breath and trying to explain to my 9 year old daughter why such a nice bike was wasted on someone like him I calmed down a bit......

Ride in was good fun, took me a while to get going as I was in a fairly high gear and starting on the railway bridge, facing up the gradient! Much pulling on bars once I'd picked a clear-ish spot in traffic. Gonna pop along to GB Cycles to discuss booking it in for a service as gears are slipping all over the place and riding in this high gear seems to keep it under control :-D

kurako

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

FCN check with the SCR massive. What's the FCN of a lycra clad giant on an Airnimal? I got done by a very tall guy in a red lycra top riding the bejesus out of one last night on Embankment. No idea what speed I was doing as I've not put a computer on the new bike yet but he came past about 2-3mph faster, so probably over 26mph! I upped my game and held the gap but couldn't get back on his wheel. Scalp or no? If I was scalped I'll claim my first 50 mile club ride on Sunday with Kingston Wheelers as an excuse

The Airnimal's a folder, right? You were done by a dude on a clown's bike; suck it down.

This must be the same guy I saw at VB last night. Not sure the time but some time around 6:30 would be about right. He was rapid. No joke!

Technically I didn't get scalped since I was never ahead of him

stuaff

UndercoverElephant wrote:

The Airnimal's a folder, right? You were done by a dude on a clown's bike; suck it down.

Not a clown bike. Oh no. I know a lot of you people think small wheels=slow (reverse is true actually- small wheels accelerate faster), but that definitely doesn't apply to an Airnimal Chameleon (which has 24" wheels btw). Yes, it folds. Yes, it has smaller wheels. But it's a proper road bike and a rather quick one. Could have been worse, could have been one of the 20" Dahons or a Brommie (and if you don't think either of those can shift, it's only because you've not seen them race!).

UndercoverElephant

StuAff wrote:

UndercoverElephant wrote:

The Airnimal's a folder, right? You were done by a dude on a clown's bike; suck it down.

Not a clown bike. Oh no. I know a lot of you people think small wheels=slow (reverse is true actually- small wheels accelerate faster), but that definitely doesn't apply to an Airnimal Chameleon (which has 24" wheels btw). Yes, it folds. Yes, it has smaller wheels. But it's a proper road bike and a rather quick one. Could have been worse, could have been one of the 20" Dahons or a Brommie (and if you don't think either of those can shift, it's only because you've not seen them race!).

It's a fast clown bike, there's no denying. The fact remains, it should be ridden by people with red noses and very long shoes.