Silly commuting racing

The Running Man

Quicker one going home last night so I thought I'd have a quiet ride this morning and just sat up and cruised in.

Coming through the lane to the top of Bowden Hill the woods either side of the road are bursting with bluebells and a wall of the most beautiful scent hit me full in the face as I cycled through the bends.

I just breathed in and it was so relaxing I could have got off the bike and gone to sleep under the trees......

8) 8) 8)

iPete

First bit of proper action in a while, a few riders tried to rise to the challenge down the A315 from Hamersmith past Kensington high street. Including a guy on a road bike that I thought was going to collapse under him, think he was trying to get his FCN up along with beard but I spotted the Kryptonite New York, he cared.

Bit of a sustained sprint at 25mph into a headwind and they soon dropped off & I just managed to hit amber on my turn off, lucky cos my legs were meters from blowing up but job done.

Bassjunkieuk

Asprilla wrote:

Saw a bloke commuting on a filthy Prince of Spain this morning. If that's his commuting bike I want to know what his Sunday best is! The quality of the bike and the Ironman (not the film) rucksack make me think he wasn't trying when I took him at the lights.

You didn't scalp Alan Sugar did you?

asprilla

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Saw a bloke commuting on a filthy Prince of Spain this morning. If that's his commuting bike I want to know what his Sunday best is! The quality of the bike and the Ironman (not the film) rucksack make me think he wasn't trying when I took him at the lights.

You didn't scalp Alan Sugar did you?

Well he did have a beard.......

MonkeyMonster

What a glorious ride home. Extra 4 miles with my little detour and brought me dangerously close to RP... Avg at 17 and I was happy.

What will happen tomorrow!

MonkeyMonster

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

jonginge

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Possible new job?

That'll be a fair old commute on the bike but probably doable. Can't be of much help on route, though.

Off the bike days: Choob to putney and then overland (SWT) train to Staines is a possibility

tgotb

Or train to Clapham Junction (is that part of "London Overground" now?) and then SWT to Staines; your Oyster card will treat it as a single journey, so presumably cheaper than changing at Putney...

Come to think of it, you're commuting against the rush hour, so you should be able to cycle to anywhere on that line (eg Putney) and take your bike on the train. Lots of options there, including the one-way "tailwind-only" commute...

lost_in_thought

JonGinge wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Possible new job?

That'll be a fair old commute on the bike but probably doable. Can't be of much help on route, though.

Off the bike days: Choob to putney and then overland (SWT) train to Staines is a possibility

Staines = surprisingly not-far. It's barely 15 miles, and the roads are quick.

jonginge

lost_in_thought wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Possible new job?

That'll be a fair old commute on the bike but probably doable. Can't be of much help on route, though.

Off the bike days: Choob to putney and then overland (SWT) train to Staines is a possibility

Staines = surprisingly not-far. It's barely 15 miles, and the roads are quick.

That is surprising
I don't cycle out that way and It always seems so far when I go through it on the interminably slow SWT service...

coopster_the_1st

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Not a bad commute but very frustrating as little or no scalps(they are all going the other way).

Don't know the first bit but get the A315 at Kew Bridge, cut through Hounslow town center (pedestrianised zone) and then you have a choice of the A30 (dual carrigeway but busy, fast moving traffic) or through Feltham & Ashford which is a bit longer but feels much safer. The last bit will also depend on where in Staines you are working.

Train options are tube to Richmond, then SWT or overland to Clapham Junction then SWT. You may have problems taking the bike on the train as they are relatively busy near London although I have never done this.

jonginge

Coopster the 1st wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Train options are tube to Richmond, then SWT or overland to Clapham Junction then SWT. You may have problems taking the bike on the train as they are relatively busy near London although I have never done this.

Pretty sure you're right about the bike on train. When I'm off the bike I use SWT from mortlake and no bikes are allowed on during peak times.

lost_in_thought

Coopster the 1st wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Right so... olympia to staines.

Any suggestions or recommendations or don't do it and certainly don't consider it as a commute... Plus idea's on how to get there on days I can't cycle...

Not a bad commute but very frustrating as little or no scalps(they are all going the other way).

Don't know the first bit but get the A315 at Kew Bridge, cut through Hounslow town center (pedestrianised zone) and then you have a choice of the A30 (dual carrigeway but busy, fast moving traffic) or through Feltham & Ashford which is a bit longer but feels much safer. The last bit will also depend on where in Staines you are working.

Train options are tube to Richmond, then SWT or overland to Clapham Junction then SWT. You may have problems taking the bike on the train as they are relatively busy near London although I have never done this.

Yep, spot on. A30 = not THAT bad, but there are nicer ways. I tend to head north at bedfont and go between the reservoirs, but it totally depends where in Staines. Oh and the 15m was from HSK...

MonkeyMonster

Possible new job indeed but was working out the necessaries - ie bike needs.
3 are - bike all the way 15miles ish : good for the stats of course, ride to richmond station and train the rest and tube to rich and then train.
The scr chances are indeed annoyingly slim.

chewa

OldSkoolKona wrote:

Ah, have just discovered the joys of scalping on a Brompton. Was in the city yesterday evening and had great fun zooming past the lycra'ed fluro up massives. Made a particular effort to take the "sit up" pose on passing by. Scary though the dodgy manerouvers people make to get by you - RLJing, squeezing up the insides of buses, etc etc :shock:

I'm enjoying my sojourn in London (Queens Park to Chancery Lane) doing the same on a Dahon.
What is surprising me is:

1. The number of guys in full race kit who have never heard that a high cadence is kinder to the knees and grind away from stop while I spin past them and dissapear

2. How some people when passed pop in front of me at red lights so I have to pass them again.

3. A variation on 2 is when I've passed someone like that 3 times they then jump the next red light. Sneaky eh!


Found the advantage of riding a heavyish folder on 1.5" tires (other than the FCN of 11- which permits loads of scalping)is that I'm really spinning up hills on my fast tourer when back home in Scotland. Must be a form of resistance training.

Not tried either of my road bikes yet, I suspect I'll take off on jumps!!

tgotb

JonGinge wrote:

Pretty sure you're right about the bike on train. When I'm off the bike I use SWT from mortlake and no bikes are allowed on during peak times.

Just had a look at the policy here:
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/cycle-policy.aspx
It's actually quite hard to understand; here's the relevant part:

Cycles cannot be carried on any service bounded by Waterloo and Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking at the following times:
Trains arriving into Waterloo from 0715 to 1000 inclusive
Leaving Waterloo from 1645 to 1900 inclusive
In addition, they cannot be carried on any service bounded by Clapham Junction and Feltham and Strawberry Hill (via Richmond) from 0745 to 0900.

So in theory you're fine if you're going against the flow, but whether it works for you depends on the exact meaning of the last sentence; does the fact that you're going to Staines mean that you're not on a service "bounded by Clapham Junction and Feltham and Strawberry Hill (via Richmond)"?

I have seen a fair few bikes being put on trains at Richmond, during the morning rush hour, heading away from London...

Edit: OTOH, 15 miles is quite a nice length for a commute, especially if you can find a relatively clear route...

jonginge

TGOTB wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Pretty sure you're right about the bike on train. When I'm off the bike I use SWT from mortlake and no bikes are allowed on during peak times.

Just had a look at the policy here:
http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/cycle-policy.aspx
It's actually quite hard to understand; here's the relevant part:

Cycles cannot be carried on any service bounded by Waterloo and Hook, Alton, Guildford, Reading and Dorking at the following times:
Trains arriving into Waterloo from 0715 to 1000 inclusive
Leaving Waterloo from 1645 to 1900 inclusive
In addition, they cannot be carried on any service bounded by Clapham Junction and Feltham and Strawberry Hill (via Richmond) from 0745 to 0900.

So in theory you're fine if you're going against the flow, but whether it works for you depends on the exact meaning of the last sentence; does the fact that you're going to Staines mean that you're not on a service "bounded by Clapham Junction and Feltham and Strawberry Hill (via Richmond)"?

I have seen a fair few bikes being put on trains at Richmond, during the morning rush hour, heading away from London...

Edit: OTOH, 15 miles is quite a nice length for a commute, especially if you can find a relatively clear route...

Fair enough. I'm pretty sure I've seen the 'no bikes' message on the electronic information boards on both platforms. Maybe it was just for local loop services rather than the ones out to Reading. Worth a punt, I guess.

As you say 15m E/W is not too bad a ride.

cjcp

Flux Capacitor definitely *not* fluxing tonight. Even with the tailwind.

MonkeyMonster

Awww, I had an ace ride home with my wee detour Scalps a plenty with two exceptions who really didn't like it. Bigish fella on a red fixie who beetled past me at c 28 making it look scarily easy but I chased and kept him in sight. Putney bridge though... Wtf is with that surface...

Mithras

Asprilla wrote:

Saw a bloke commuting on a filthy Prince of Spain this morning. If that's his commuting bike I want to know what his Sunday best is! The quality of the bike and the Ironman (not the film) rucksack make me think he wasn't trying when I took him at the lights.

I think he was trying....and due to the fact that you went by him so easily he has given up cycling, sold the bike and returned to using the car......YOU Selfish uncaring B@stard!

[urlhttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PINARELLO-Prince-Spain-/180504570279?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item2a06e929a7#ht_500wt_1182[/url]

anton1r

Got done by a boy on a rather shiny looking Cannondale HT this morning.
The bike still had nobbly tyres on and he had spd's, a red jacket and yellow backpack on.

I thought about setting off after him but then realised I couldn't be bothered and that's as far as any sort of response got.

I'm not really sure i've got the hang of this game yet! :?

Bassjunkieuk

Tis good to be back on the bike :-) Still have a few kinks to iron out after my fettling last weekend and having the rear wheel repaired!
Horrid squealing brakes, with a small helping of juddering under heavy braking from the rear meant I was very cautious approaching lights today.......still didn't stop me laying down a rather decent 17mph average getting across south London - really like the late starts as traffic seems a bit nicer!

The downside is tho that I miss the main SCR contingent and so had to just keep passing masses of hybrids with only a couple of semi decent drop bar and SS types offering any competition FCN-wise :-(

Had some fun chasing a bus along Millbank, did get past it but I think it was held up by cyclist ahead as I didn't need to get north of 30 to pass.

Looking forward to the ride home and will most likely have no SCR action for the rest of the week (bar possibly Wednesday evening........) as I'm on my quiet heading-out-of-town route that I haven't done in over a year for the next 4 days!

Bassjunkieuk

Bit slow on here today, where are the war stories people!!!!

Great ride home this evening, seems the later leaving meant I was in the midst of the bike exodus from London, only annoying bit being most of those where nodders :-(
Lined up at Stockwell facing towards the Drag Strip and I'm eyeing up the competition in the spacious ASL there.
Ignore everyone with flat bars but do notice a nice white Genesis SS and a full carbon roadie of a un-recognized brand. I think the fork had something like Museem on it and the frame was showing some nice aero details. The pilot was sporting some rather large legs and a messenger bag - I pick him as being my only competition :twisted:

Lights go green and we are all off across the junction, Genesis guy is faring quite well but the gent on the CF gives it large, GAME ON BOYS! He pulls ahead of me and I go clamouring for a bigger gear but my bike refuses to shift.....he's now pulling out a lead and I'm left spinning until I hear the clunk and feel the gear fall in. The lights with the pretty blue paint on the floor are green but we have to rein it in for a silly little Fiat 500 who pulled into our lane to avoid a right turning car. As we hit the small rise towards Clapham North I keep the power on and go past him as he seems to be slowing!

Lights by the tube station are red and he pulls up next to me. I'm doing my best to conceal my breathing but as we glance at each other we both give that knowing smile, the Unspoken Game brings one of those brilliant moments when two cyclist acknowledge each other in London! I say "that was fun!" and get an approving "yeah" in response through his heavy breaths. I took the lead until the Common where he did a small RLJ then turned right to follow signs for the A3.

Think I'd call it honours even as he did me first but I seemed to have slightly better staying power (he did glance back at one point......)and overtook him again. Fairly sure if he'd carried on towards Balham I'd have been in all sorts of trouble

MonkeyMonster

well...
Came down the blackfriars off ramp to red lights - never good. Spotted a couple of likely contenders for racing. One in the local group colours - mostly blue, keep forgetting their name. Bad traffic halted play - some fecking numpty filtering from a noobie roadie who neither new what gear to be in or where he was in relation to other cyclists or traffic. Finally started to clear by the time we hit big ben. That fecking asl for the right turn. Really might as not be there the number of cars, mopeds and motorbikes that move into it.

It all kicks off after the 2nd crossing, both of them go middle line and have to slow and I nip via on the close side. From that point is was everyone else scalps bar these two who would usually slowly pass a good minute or more after lights. The non-team lad kept looking back to make sure I wasn't sneaking up again

Some absolutely ridiculous driving from cars in putney, not looking at all or ignoring road markings. Oh and the roadie who drafted near barnes - that noise is not healthy and neither is not thanking for a humongous tow into the wind.

Back home over the hammersmith bridge into the wind.

13 miles with an avg of 18.2

Tired but happy, lets see what tomorrow brings.

Oh and if you're going to fanny slowly across a junction on red, its your fault you overtook me only to lose your scalp - I hadn't planned on it

redvee

Took the Allez to work today so it know where to go so that I can just do the pedals and leave the steering to the bike. I've realised that the gearing is such that the middle of the cassette is just a little longer than what I run on the Tricross and that having gears means I can change when I come to lights etc.

MonkeyMonster

Can whoever keeps turning on the headwind for those coming east feck off. Its not big or clever and bloody cold atm too.
Still - fun this morning till I hit the racetrack... or rather what should have been had all those cars and lorries not been on it. Lots of cyclists though which is always heartening.

cjcp

Second morning on the bounce I've seen a chap on a white Tricross heading towards Canary Wharf? Rides on the drops most of the time. Anyone on here?

bigmat

Nasty headwind today, rode the Viner but was still a lot slower than usual. Saw some interesting riding - best was a guy who squeezed past the right of a bus stuck in road work traffic, literally had to climb over a traffic cone to do it. Bus was in process of filtering right at the time! :shock:

Bizarre lack of roadies out today, usually see loads when on the Iron Horse....

Cheers to the bloke who said my bike was the nicest bike he'd seen in a long time - always nice to get a compliment first thing in the morning!

Bassjunkieuk

Good ride in this morning :-) My first time doing this particular commute route in about a year and boy was it fun!

First fun bit was the closed level crossing at East Barnes, this meant all the traffic was on diversion via the level crossing I use. Cue me trying not to look to smug as I used the RH lane to nip past about 1/2-3/4 mile of traffic jam :-) Very satisfying!

Didn't see any other worthy opposition FCN wise until I got to the last little hill that I remember having big fun on. As I lined up at the lights at the top today a scooter rider pulled up in the same lane as me..........now I know I'm good for north of 30 down this road so when the lights when green I gave it some beans. He pulled out a small lead, what with his engine n all, but I reeled him in and eventually got the pass! Seems his crash helmet did little to protect his scalp this time :twisted:

Greg T

MatHammond wrote:

Nasty headwind today

Yes my awesome is severly diluted in the morning but tippity top by the time I'm heading home....

I flew home pushed by Angels yesterday.

On a related matter, if you were in the pack going away from Vauxhall lights this morning I hope you enjoyed the trackstanding masterclass I put on (I'm talking stock still here - I was so cool i had condensation forming on my top tube..) Also I thought the way i cranked up the big gear was just fast enough to have you hold off in fear but then had such a sting in the tail that you were all off my back by Millbank house.

Fantastic