Silly commuting racing

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  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    rjsterry wrote:
    Oh happy day! Oh exquisite joy! My proper bike is back from Bristol! Dahon, much as I have enjoyed the look on all those people's faces as I have breezed past with legs on spin cycle, I must now return to the land of 700C, where stems do not flex wildy when giving it a bit of awesome. Farewell for now my folding friend. :D:D:D


    BTW, that detour via Tooting Bec and Franciscan Road was brilliant. hardly any traffic on either road and more importantly, no maniac peds. You were right about the resurfacing though Clarion. They'd stopped work by the time I went through, but it was a little, ahem, offroad. The tarmac just stopped abrupt;y without warning on the fast downhill :shock:

    Flexy stem? You do know you're not supposed to stand on the pedals, right (on account of the stem being long)?
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  • EKE_38BPM
    EKE_38BPM Posts: 5,821
    Barnet to Bromley on a sunny afternoon and nothing to report re: stupid drivers, just lots of me overtaking other bikes.
    I wanted to do a fast 50 and, thanks to loads of bikes on the road, I certainly achieved that. Only one bike scalped me (FCN 5 like me) as I climbed Archway hill chewing a flapjack. No excuses, genuine scalp even though I was 40 miles into my ride, SCR rules are hard rules.
    FCN 3: Raleigh Record Ace fixie-to be resurrected sometime in the future
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    FCN 9: B Twin Vitamin - winter commuter/loan bike for trainees

    I'm hungry. I'm always hungry!
  • notsoblue
    notsoblue Posts: 5,756
    Nice evening for a ride!

    Anyone know why Queen's Road in Richmond Park was blocked off by police? at about 6:30ish?
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Excellent ride home last night, certainly the most fun I've had in a long while :-)
    Going home via Embankment I seemed to get the approach to VB lights just right as they changed as I approached the bus that was crossing the line and went amber as I crossed the line!

    Proceeding across to towards DSC I had plenty of riders ahead of me and it was a bloodbath, scalps coming in thick and fast! It was all peachy until we hit a set of lights at one of the bridges (not sure which one but it had a gentle downhill on opposite side of junction.....) Once those lights changed we set off across the junction and I was soon nudging 33mph as I came past the one rider ahead of me. As I started to back off a tiny bit I got a rather large shock when someone came past me!! I'd already done him earlier in the ride and he looked to be aboard a rather nice bike but I didn't recognize the brand. He held a damn good speed as I was really pushing it (and getting a bit spinny, should have changed gear........) to keep it around 29/30mph but didn't make much of a dent into his lead.

    Eventually got past in filtering and got a better look at his bike which had the tell-tale Ti look. When I got in a quick google of "seven bikes" (which didn't turn up ITB - obviously as he has many more then this ;-)) brought me to a custom Ti/steel bike builders site with some rather nice looking machines on :lol:
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  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    StuAff wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    Oh happy day! Oh exquisite joy! My proper bike is back from Bristol! Dahon, much as I have enjoyed the look on all those people's faces as I have breezed past with legs on spin cycle, I must now return to the land of 700C, where stems do not flex wildy when giving it a bit of awesome. Farewell for now my folding friend. :D:D:D


    BTW, that detour via Tooting Bec and Franciscan Road was brilliant. hardly any traffic on either road and more importantly, no maniac peds. You were right about the resurfacing though Clarion. They'd stopped work by the time I went through, but it was a little, ahem, offroad. The tarmac just stopped abrupt;y without warning on the fast downhill :shock:

    Flexy stem? You do know you're not supposed to stand on the pedals, right (on account of the stem being long)?

    I try not to, but as my chain has been jumping off the chainring at the slightest provocation, I've been riding it 'SS' in 52x14, so sometimes I need to to get moving. Mind you, there is a fair bit of flex even when seated.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    Pootled though the park yesterday; girls in bikinis stopped play. I love the sun.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    Long may half-term continue - like riding in on a Sunday morning today. And back on the Giant so bar a little readjustment to the much lower riding position and drop bars, an utterly unalloyed joy. Passed by no-one except RLJers and they were swiftly dispatched on getting the green light.

    <contented sigh>
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • WesternWay
    WesternWay Posts: 564
    EKE_38BPM wrote:
    Barnet to Bromley on a sunny afternoon.

    That sounds lovely.

    Do you commute from Barnet? I am a fat man on a grey ridgeback you may pass going that way.
  • Roastie
    Roastie Posts: 1,968
    A temporary change of location has meant my first bike commute in longer than I can remember (otherwise I've just been pottering around on weekends around town).

    I was scalped silly his morning by a dude on a a Spesh Tarmac and shortly after another by a dude on a black Condor. Lost it again badly on the London Bridge sprint. :(

    Anyhow, my excuse is that I wasn't trying on account of recently having recovered from the worst illness I've had in a long time. In truth though, I am just in bad shape. :(

    Still, good to be back on the bike again. :)
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    Another fairly productive morning, picked up a fast looking chap in blue Prologue gear on a SS as I turned down Edith Groove. Couldn't do much except follow due to traffic but eventually got ahead at a set of lights. He was on my tail for a period but I think I lost him at the next set of lights with some filtering-fu :-)

    Must have been a flyer tho as my moving average was very nearly 18mph when I arrived at the underground garage door today - only to find it was busted!!! Had to carry bike in via reception as I'd left the lock in the underground car park so couldn't use racks on-street :-D
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  • MrBlond
    MrBlond Posts: 161
    Guy on the red Pinarello wearing full team kit who parked himself in front of me at the lights at Bank this morning.

    I own you.
  • ketsbaia
    ketsbaia Posts: 1,718
    Flayed all comers on my way to Decathlon last night, including a persistent little twerp on a SS who insisted on RLJing (and filtering at the Rotherhithe Tunnel roundabout better than me). Still, I breezed past him three times, which is good enough, but given I was on the flyer, none of it counts.

    Switched back to the cart-horse this morning and delighted in sailing past all the fair-weather, fashionista SSers and the RLJer on the road bike. Granted, his floppy jeans must have boosted his drag coefficient somewhat, but the bike weighed about as much as my back wheel, so it's a bona fide scalp and I'm having it.

    Am seriously considering changing my route in as the competition along the OKR is risible.
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    When i got to work this morning i had to check my bike hadn't been subject to any mechanical doping. Very fast ride in.
  • asprilla
    asprilla Posts: 8,440
    amnezia wrote:
    When i got to work this morning i had to check my bike hadn't been subject to any mechanical doping. Very fast ride in.

    Really? I was in headwindsville all the way from Surrey. Either that or my legs have developed a fault.

    No challenge this morning, but I did manage to make myself look like a prize burke in the park; down hill, screaming past a convoy of roadies and SS riders, flicking though the cassette and forgetting that I'm on the little ring. I pull in at the front, hit a bump as I change to the big ring and my slack, slack chain ties itself in knots, getting trapped on both the front mech and the jockey wheels.

    Real pro.
    Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
    Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
    Sun - Cervelo R3
    Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX
  • HeatherG
    HeatherG Posts: 17
    Ok, so I'm new to bike riding full stop and am now commuting the 14 mile round trip to work. I really like the idea of this 'game' however, it's really unfair!!!

    I'm a little vertically challenged and it took me a year to find my bike (for the right price) - custom Hewitt frame (bought 2nd hand) with 650 wheels - and my fitness levels are, to be honest, pretty shocking.
    But because I have a road bike and I'm a girl, (so shave/wax my legs) wear cycling shorts (why the hell anyone wouldn't is beyond me - they make the ride so much more comfortable), despite having flat pedals (until I get used to cycling, then I'm upgrading to cleets), I get a score of 3???! So not fair! I don't get the chance to grow a beard and unless I want to experience some odd looks and comments, I'm 'expected' to shave/wax my legs.

    All this being said, the bike is really good at stepping up to the challenge when needed (shame about its' owner!) and my average speed (and max, for that matter) are increasing all the time. So maybe one day I'll be able to overtake a scooter!
  • Bassjunkieuk
    Bassjunkieuk Posts: 4,232
    HeatherG wrote:
    Hewitt frame (bought 2nd hand) with 650 wheels

    :shock: Strewth, mine only has 2 :lol:

    Welcome Heather! The FCN you get from the calculator is only a rough guide, once you get the hang of it you'll soon know where you sit and if that person you just overtook can be claimed as a scalp :-) Personally I just try and be the fastest god-damn thing on 2 wheels on the particular road I'm riding on :-D
    Who's the daddy?
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  • kelsen
    kelsen Posts: 2,003
    HeatherG wrote:
    ...I don't get the chance to grow a beard...

    There's nothing in the rules stating where a beard can be grown :wink: ...

    ...sorry, Sorry!! Welcome to the forum, and I'm sure in time your fitness will align with your SCR score! 8)
  • Car was into the local garage for some repairs (stalling when idling at lights etc)
    I know just how it feels ...

    Anyway ... it's a sensible 90 minute ride from the office to Lyneham and the garage closes at 6.00. Naturally I didn't leave til 4.45 and bear in mind I'm supposed to be resting this week I had to tear like a lunatic up to Lyenham which is mostly uphill from Bath and there was a f*cking headwind.

    I was close to the limit all the way and managed to average 18.1mph but was too fecked to speak when I got off... made it to the reception ... JUST

    So much for the plan ... :roll:
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  • @rjsterry - Do you wear facemask? If so, think I may have passed you on the approach to Tooting Bec crossroads last night - circa 7.25pm.

    I was the chap on the hybrid with red rucksack & helmet.
    "Come at the king, you best not miss." - Omar, The Wire

    FCN 4: Willier Izoard XP
    FCN 7: GT Legato 4.0

    *GAME* competitor
  • greg66_tri_v2.0
    greg66_tri_v2.0 Posts: 7,172
    HeatherG wrote:
    Ok, so I'm new to bike riding full stop and am now commuting the 14 mile round trip to work. I really like the idea of this 'game' however, it's really unfair!!!

    I'm a little vertically challenged and it took me a year to find my bike (for the right price) - custom Hewitt frame (bought 2nd hand) with 650 wheels - and my fitness levels are, to be honest, pretty shocking.
    But because I have a road bike and I'm a girl, (so shave/wax my legs) wear cycling shorts (why the hell anyone wouldn't is beyond me - they make the ride so much more comfortable), despite having flat pedals (until I get used to cycling, then I'm upgrading to cleets), I get a score of 3???! So not fair! I don't get the chance to grow a beard and unless I want to experience some odd looks and comments, I'm 'expected' to shave/wax my legs.

    All this being said, the bike is really good at stepping up to the challenge when needed (shame about its' owner!) and my average speed (and max, for that matter) are increasing all the time. So maybe one day I'll be able to overtake a scooter!

    There is only one response to this:

    W. T. F. U. :twisted:

    What's your route?
    Swim. Bike. Run. Yeah. That's what I used to do.

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    Bike 2-A
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,305
    I was the chap on the hybrid with red rucksack & helmet.
    CS, you know you're going to start a bun fight with statements like that, don't you :D
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • HeatherG wrote:
    Ok, so I'm new to bike riding full stop and am now commuting the 14 mile round trip to work. I really like the idea of this 'game' however, it's really unfair!!!

    I'm a little vertically challenged and it took me a year to find my bike (for the right price) - custom Hewitt frame (bought 2nd hand) with 650 wheels - and my fitness levels are, to be honest, pretty shocking.
    But because I have a road bike and I'm a girl, (so shave/wax my legs) wear cycling shorts (why the hell anyone wouldn't is beyond me - they make the ride so much more comfortable), despite having flat pedals (until I get used to cycling, then I'm upgrading to cleets), I get a score of 3???! So not fair! I don't get the chance to grow a beard and unless I want to experience some odd looks and comments, I'm 'expected' to shave/wax my legs.

    All this being said, the bike is really good at stepping up to the challenge when needed (shame about its' owner!) and my average speed (and max, for that matter) are increasing all the time. So maybe one day I'll be able to overtake a scooter!

    I think it's stated somewhere that all girl roadies default to hairy-legged status, as it's more usual for a laydee to shave. I work you out to be a 5, you'll still need to be quick. You can always add a Herman's safety-wing or two in the meantime.
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    @rjsterry - Do you wear facemask? If so, think I may have passed you on the approach to Tooting Bec crossroads last night - circa 7.25pm.

    I was the chap on the hybrid with red rucksack & helmet.

    Dammit, not again! I think that's the second time you've spotted me, but I can't remember seeing a red rucksack and helmet (doesn't mean you weren't there, just that I wasn't paying attention. I was on the Dahon with a navy blue Crumpler bag, and blue jersey. I'll be passing through about the same time tonight, but on the Giant, and I've got a red jersey on this time. Better watch my back now my FCN is down to 3.
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • rjsterry wrote:
    Dammit, not again! I think that's the second time you've spotted me, but I can't remember seeing a red rucksack and helmet (doesn't mean you weren't there, just that I wasn't paying attention. I was on the Dahon with a navy blue Crumpler bag, and blue jersey. I'll be passing through about the same time tonight, but on the Giant, and I've got a red jersey on this time. Better watch my back now my FCN is down to 3.

    Yup, it was you. No scalp for me as you were on the folder. Not surprised you didn't see me but I am surprised you didn't feel/hear the sonic boom. :D
    "Come at the king, you best not miss." - Omar, The Wire

    FCN 4: Willier Izoard XP
    FCN 7: GT Legato 4.0

    *GAME* competitor
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    That sounds like a

    gauntlet.jpg

    being thrown down to me. In which case, better have your ear defenders on :twisted:
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    rjsterry wrote:
    That sounds like a

    gauntlet.jpg

    being thrown down to me. In which case, better have your ear defenders on :twisted:
    Face mask: check.
    Red jersey: check
    Giant, you say? Silver?
    DSC circa 18:50?
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    JonGinge wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    That sounds like a

    gauntlet.jpg

    being thrown down to me. In which case, better have your ear defenders on :twisted:
    Face mask: check.
    Red jersey: check
    Giant, you say? Silver?
    DSC circa 18:50?

    White, not silver, and I would guess a little later than 18.50, but that sounds like me. Navy and grey Crumpler courier bag? Did you get caught behind that trailer? With the way that was bouncing around, I didn't feel like chancing a pass, which rather screwed up my chances. I think I managed to retake most of the group, but I'm sure a couple got away before I turned off at CB. Which one were you?
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    rjsterry wrote:
    JonGinge wrote:
    rjsterry wrote:
    That sounds like a

    gauntlet.jpg

    being thrown down to me. In which case, better have your ear defenders on :twisted:
    Face mask: check.
    Red jersey: check
    Giant, you say? Silver?
    DSC circa 18:50?

    White, not silver, and I would guess a little later than 18.50, but that sounds like me. Navy and grey Crumpler courier bag? Did you get caught behind that trailer? With the way that was bouncing around, I didn't feel like chancing a pass, which rather screwed up my chances. I think I managed to retake most of the group, but I'm sure a couple got away before I turned off at CB. Which one were you?
    The one in primary right behind the trailer carefuly watching its brake lights. Sans helmet, FdJ jersey + backpack on a very dirty red/white peugoet. I managed to sprint through the lights at CB once said trailer had stopped dawdling :)
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • rjsterry
    rjsterry Posts: 29,495
    I seem to remember only one chap without a helmet. You don't (and please don't take this the wrong way) have a ponytail do you?
    1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
    Pinnacle Monzonite

    Part of the anti-growth coalition
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    I do :lol:
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides