Silly commuting racing

neiltb

I was talking to the wife about this last night, I have a shameful 2 mile commute on a lightly travelled street and rarely see another bike for a scalp.

The better half has a 7 mile each way into the city and it's a busy path too. Does she get extra points for being a girl? The guys she passes tend to see it as a test to their masculinity.

Cafewanda

Get her to swop tactics with LiT, then post her stories here. It's part of man's DNA to stay in front of wimmin at all costs :roll:

As slow as I am I always laugh when I see this directed at myself.

asprilla

neiltb wrote:

Does she get extra points for being a girl? The guys she passes tend to see it as a test to their masculinity.

That would be sexist.

It generally balances out since guys ride behind girls for chivalrous reasons like protecting them from followings cars and such.......

neiltb

seems fair asprilla

Specialized Needs

Asprilla wrote:

guys ride behind girls for chivalrous reasons like protecting them from followings cars and such.......

Wrath Rob

Cafewanda wrote:

It's part of man's DNA to stay in front of wimmin at all costs.

Personally I prefer being behind a woman

Bassjunkieuk

Asprilla wrote:

neiltb wrote:

It generally balances out since guys ride behind girls for chivalrous reasons like protecting them from followings cars and such.......

Yeah I mean the last thing you want is a car driver distracted by the lady ahead and this is even more likely when aftorementioned lady is wearing tight lycra or see-through leggings. In that case I think it's a mans duty to ensure she is protected from cars.........;-)

Now where's DDD when you need him, I'm sure he'd fully agree on this

lost_in_thought

I definitely think that, although it may not actually be stated in the commandments, us girls get a +1 on our FCN.

I'm 99.9 recurring % sure it hurts more for a bloke to be scalped by a girl... :twisted:

HamishD

ketsbaia wrote:

You looked in a right old 808 by the time you got to the Borough High Street.

Old school raving rhyming slang ahoy! Not heard that in years - marvellous

rjsterry

I'd like to say you were wrong LiT,







but I'd be lying.

Gadge

<I'm 99.9 recurring % sure it hurts more for a bloke to be scalped by a girl..>

It's only the ones on pink bromptons that upset me

Aidy

lost_in_thought wrote:

I definitely think that, although it may not actually be stated in the commandments, us girls get a +1 on our FCN.

I'm 99.9 recurring % sure it hurts more for a bloke to be scalped by a girl... :twisted:

Maybe.

Never had the occasion to find out.

BR 1979

Aidy wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

I definitely think that, although it may not actually be stated in the commandments, us girls get a +1 on our FCN.

I'm 99.9 recurring % sure it hurts more for a bloke to be scalped by a girl... :twisted:

Maybe.

Never had the occasion to find out.

Quite.

ketsbaia

HamishD wrote:

ketsbaia wrote:

You looked in a right old 808 by the time you got to the Borough High Street.

Old school raving rhyming slang ahoy! Not heard that in years - marvellous

Bassjunkieuk

Took a new route home this evening! Tried the rsjterry suggested route of using Queenstown Road. Was rather nice with a good run of speed once I got south of the river to the r/b past Battersea Park.

No proper scalpings to speak of but the change of scenery was nice! Distance wise it was only marginally longer then my short route into Victoria so could be worth trying on the outbound leg as it would allow me to avoid the disaster zone that is the roadworks in Clapham past the common.....

rjsterry

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Took a new route home this evening! Tried the rsjterry suggested route of using Queenstown Road. Was rather nice with a good run of speed once I got south of the river to the r/b past Battersea Park.

No proper scalpings to speak of but the change of scenery was nice! Distance wise it was only marginally longer then my short route into Victoria so could be worth trying on the outbound leg as it would allow me to avoid the disaster zone that is the roadworks in Clapham past the common.....

Yes, that's my main reason for taking that route. Came up Clapham Hogh Street without really thinking this evening, and it's covered in loose grit and sand from the roadworks. FFS get a broom and sweep up after yourselves.

Quite enjoy the short steep climb up to Clapham Common from QTR - makes a change from the flatlands.

flurblefish

Hey all. First post, so go easy.

Been lurking on this thread for a while now. I love reading about your daily SCR exploits and am kind of jealous of the London commuters on here who get to play The Game every day.

Living out here in the sticks I hardly ever get the chance to indulge in The Game on my commute, but when I do see another cyclist I just have to test myself (even if it does add a few extra miles to the commute :oops: ).

Today I got to play more than normal on the way back from work, since I saw a whole 3 cyclists! YES 3!!! (I did say the SCR opportunities round here are a little rare, didn't I?)

I run off an FCN of 9 at the mo' (mtb on knobblies), so the scalp of the 'roadie' (FCN 4) I dropped is mine. I first saw him about a quarter of a mile ahead of me moving at a fair speed on the flat. As the road started to 'climb' (I say climb, but since the 'hills' round here are on the small side, 'went up a shallow slope' may be a more accurate description), I caught him up, overtook and was quite surprised to see him dropping off my wheel. I was expecting more of a challenge when he caught up and went in front of me at the next set of red lights, but nooooo.
The lights change, I pick up speed quicker and am moving past him as I hear him clip in. The road ahead was fairly flat and thinking there could be some fun to be had here, I accidentally fumble my clip in to let him get up to speed.....hmmm...... where is he? :? I look round only to find he's sitting on my wheel drafting me. :roll:
Time to pick up the speed and see what he's got. It seems the answer was....not a lot.....started to open up a gap as I hit the high teens and he was well and truly dropped as I sat in the low 20mph range. Last time I saw him he was about half a mile behind me.

Going by the FCN calculator, I theoretically got another scalp too (I figure the guy on the Sirrus had an FCN of 7). I don't want this one though.
He was pootling but was still clearly breathless when he tried to answer the cheery "Good afternoon" I gave as I went past, so I don't think it can be counted as a scalp.
Also it dawned on me, as I went past, that he probably wasn't stuck behind the lady on the shopper in front of him, just taking the tow :shock: Definitely not a scalp worth taking!

BSRU

flurblefish wrote:

Going by the FCN calculator,!

The FCN calculator can be misleading, especially now people can have expensive bikes via the "cycle to work" scheme. I am just an FCN 10 because the calculator is based on the bike and what I am wearing but despite my bike I am quick and strong enough to take most people except serious roadies. I went past a guy on a seriously expensive roadie because he could not ride for toffee not because I was going particularly fast.

davis

BSRU wrote:

flurblefish wrote:

Going by the FCN calculator,!

The FCN calculator can be misleading, especially now people can have expensive bikes via the "cycle to work" scheme. I am just an FCN 10 because the calculator is based on the bike and what I am wearing but despite my bike I am quick and strong enough to take most people except serious roadies. I went past a guy on a seriously expensive roadie because he could not ride for toffee not because I was going particularly fast.

Bobbins and poppycock.

The FCN method stands, regardless of how they got the bike., otherwise people could buy their way to victory.
If you crushed a puny foe with a lower (higher?, grr) FCN, then chapeau. Them's the rules. Hat, by the way; the roadie's a mere carbuncle on the bottom bracket shell of the cycling fraternity.

Flurblefish, your scalps are valid. Take all you can, and revel in your own magnificence. Punch the air for added style points

lost_in_thought

No no, don't punch the air. Makes it look like you're trying.

Stonkingly nice weather today, and was there a tailwind? Or just no wind? I don't have flags outside my office windows any more... maybe I'll get a little windsock.

Some fun scalpy action on the Uxbridge road, a bloke riding fixed on one of those grey Condors and I had a good old duel, I tried to ride him off my wheel, hit 26mph and the barsteward was still there. Go. Away. Please.

So I let him go at the lights, and it transpires he needed my considerable bow wave to hold those kinds of speeds.

Ha

Ahahaha.

Oh and kudos to the bloke on the hybrid, there I was lazily plodding away from a light, and you caught me unawares. 21mph is good pace on that thing, I tried to tell you so, but I think you thought I was angry with you. I wasn't!

Fast forward to High street ken, and it's bicycle city. Years of experience tell me that unless you are Sir Chris Hoy (*sigh) himself, if you get one red you're getting all reds, all the way to the park. But the rest of you, do feel free to keep sprinting. Dream the impossible dream.

But don't be surprised when you spot me zooming past you on the way to the Albert Hall. Smart girls use traffic to catch their breath.

And I (purely through luck) managed to time it just right to hit the green at the bottom of the 'valley' on South Carriage Drive. Mr Pinarello Man, it's not an alp. Try harder.


:twisted:

greg66_tri_v2.0

Ahh, good to see the sun shining and l_i_ts handing out misery, suffering and abject humiliation left, right and centre. Excellent work.

I managed to get into an argument with a retarded ped this morning, who instead of crossing between the studs at the lights decided to cross the green box, walking into my back wheel in the process. Cue the entirely predictable exchange of him mumbling something, me rising to the bait, followed by a short but candid exchange of views.

I don't think he liked it when I said "that's where you're supposed to cross", pointing at the studs, "there, between the studs. Can you see them? The square things on the ground. See them? Try walking between them."

Perhaps it was just my tone.

jonginge

Greg66 wrote:

I don't think he liked it when I said "that's where you're supposed to cross", pointing at the studs, "there, between the studs. Can you see them? The square things on the ground. See them? Try walking between them."

Perhaps it was just my tone.

To see the studs he would have had to have had his eyes open. This was clearly not the case.

Nice ride in this morning. Been suffering all weekend with a sore upper back but it seems to have loosened up after a bit of SCR

I bagged two scooters on Millbank. I thought the second one was coming back by the bus stop as I was losing momentum but, no, it was a motorbike. Huzzah!

I'd bumped into CJ in chelsea but there were too many other cyclists around to indulge in our normal pootle-fest: cue some speed along embankment, millbank and through blackfriars. Good start to the week.

Kieran_Burns

Finally.

Downhill stretch and the fastest part of my commute. I spy a road bike a 1/4 mile in front. I'm back on after a week of rest and while still not 100% (apparently I'm as white as a sheet this morning, I guess the migraines yesterday didn't help) I was up for some fun 8)

Clicked up another gear and applied the pressure... 22...23...24...25..26...27...28 and holding. Now matching traffic and catching this guy. Hmmm... hang on.... shirt? Trousers? Errrr... Wha???? Cleats, carbon road bike, messenger bag. Quick calculation and we're equal on the FCN. Game on.

Except, he dives through the red light (pelican crossing) and I get held up :evil: Thanks to a very polite Merc driver (thank you sir) I am able to keep some momentum and can pull out to swing 'round the roundabout.

There's only a small bit of the hill left but I use all of it and get back up to 28 again (this is hurting a bit now, the tricross fully loaded ain't light). I go past the guy like he is standing still :twisted: It wasn't so much a scalp as a beheading. I didn't even have time to say anything to him

On the flat I was holding 23 and cruising - the Merc guy went past with a mutual wave of thanks - I waited until I got the next roundabout and saw roadie now making some serious effort.

Nah. Not happening mate. Up the hump into Ruddington and I'm giving it everything - then.... TRAFFIC.

El roadie / suit guy decides the pavement is the road and gaily hops on and off as needed :evil: :roll: So a moral victory to me as well...

So rare to get any action at all on my commute, that was fun

asprilla

Lovely trip though the park this morning.

Firstly, I climbed Queens Road in the big ring. Never done it before, but it flet suprisingly easy. Another road and I then charged down Sawyer Hill, until a woman in a Toyota Pious decided she was the law and would pull over the right if we tried to pass her. Not sure what the other bloke was riding, but if he's here I'm the guy who told you your saddle bag was open. The Pious turned to Sheen gate and I spotted a couple of roadies I'd seen as I entered the park (they obviously took one of shorter routes). Took one easily and made the other my target but he was slow up the rise at the beginning of Priory lane and offered no challenge.

Busy traffic meant pootling along the cycle lane and filtering to the lights before the turn onto Queen's ride where normal service was renewed. Open bag man was still with me, but I launched from the lights leaving a number of roadies and a shocked looking spinny SS before taking two plodding roadies when cresting Bolan death bridge. Busy and lots of filtering before the last set of lights on LRR before the slaying all in the sprint to Putney Bridge.

Game over, I win.

ketsbaia

Calf strain caused by yesterday's assault on Box Hill, last-minute decision to ride in meaning I'm in civvies on the bike, taking the plodder instead of the flyer; all these things add up to a lazy, gentle pootle in just for the sake of logging LCC miles.

But then some wag on a fixie has to overtake, doesn't he? I don't want to follow, but as a moth to a flame or a fly round scheisse, I'm inexorably drawn to his rear wheel. He has the lighter steed, the more appropriate clothing and, I sense, less pain in his legs; but these are mere trifles. He jumps a red just after the Dun Cow and I can already smell his fear. The Bricklayers arms stymies his escape and I edge closer, but he jumps the red again. Off he heads illicitly towards my hallowed turf. My road to peace. My corridor of certainty. The smooth, slight incline of Great Dover Street.

No sooner are the lights amber than I squirt away from the start line like a demented gazelle fearing imminent death from a pursuing cheetah. My legs are at once a blurring, whirling Dervish as I assume the 'slight tuck' position in the face of a halting headwind. Gradually, the marginal gradient takes its toll on my prey as I play him as a hooked trout gasping for air and flip-flopping from the clutches of my net. All pain and breathlessness ceases in an instant. Planets and stars align. Equinoxes are put on hold. I can almost read the pressure guide on his tyres as I draw ever closer.

Then he turns left.

I am inconsolable.

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

I don't think he liked it when I said "that's where you're supposed to cross", pointing at the studs, "there, between the studs. Can you see them? The square things on the ground. See them? Try walking between them."

Perhaps it was just my tone.

To see the studs he would have had to have had his eyes open. This was clearly not the case.

Nice ride in this morning. Been suffering all weekend with a sore upper back but it seems to have loosened up after a bit of SCR

I bagged two scooters on Millbank. I thought the second one was coming back by the bus stop as I was losing momentum but, no, it was a motorbike. Huzzah!

I'd bumped into CJ in chelsea but there were too many other cyclists around to indulge in our normal pootle-fest: cue some speed along embankment, millbank and through blackfriars. Good start to the week.

Yeah, that was fun! No scooter-scalping for me though. Decided I was too far in for the first, and wouldn't have had the legs for the second anyway.

Butterd2

All the action seems to be on the west side of town, anyone playing SCR on the east side (Greenwich/Isle of Dogs/Cable street etc)?
Greenwich park hill great for cruising past people on the way up and Cable Street getting a very fast new blue surface on the cycle path though it's still going to be quicker to use the road when it's clear.
Steps at Greenwich foot tunnel closed for 20 weeks!! Now have to wait with all the lazy numpties who use the lifts- may have to go Deptford / Tower bridge?

FCN 4 due to a short beard so should be able to rack up some decent points against other hairy roadies.

MonkeyMonster

Back on the bike tomorrow I feel. Legs demanding more. For the first time in ages this morning - watching cyclists didn't make me want to be on one. But I could tell if I wussed out tomorrow they'd wreak some revenge on me for not cycling - especially in this weather.

lost_in_thought

Greg66 wrote:

I don't think he liked it when I said "that's where you're supposed to cross", pointing at the studs, "there, between the studs. Can you see them? The square things on the ground. See them? Try walking between them."

Perhaps it was just my tone.

Maybe he thought you were calling him a stud.

A frightening experience for him, especially if you were in your best papa smurf outfit...


:twisted:

dhope

Butterd2 wrote:

All the action seems to be on the west side of town, anyone playing SCR on the east side (Greenwich/Isle of Dogs/Cable street etc)?
Greenwich park hill great for cruising past people on the way up and Cable Street getting a very fast new blue surface on the cycle path though it's still going to be quicker to use the road when it's clear.
Steps at Greenwich foot tunnel closed for 20 weeks!! Now have to wait with all the lazy numpties who use the lifts- may have to go Deptford / Tower bridge?

FCN 4 due to a short beard so should be able to rack up some decent points against other hairy roadies.

That'd be around my neck of the woods.
First cycle in today, from Greenwich, Trafalgar Road, past the Cutty Sark and through Deptford, up to London Bridge and onto St Pauls.

Still on the fixed for now, I fear bringing out the carbon Boardman would betray my Cycle2Work-Newbie status so need to get my legs back first so I can fend off people looking for easy scalps.