Silly commuting racing
Comments
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Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Glorious morning. Train was late, so I was in a big hurry to get the 2 miles from Waterloo to Holborn. A chap on a road bike came alongside me at the lights for Waterloo Bridge roundabout, and got away a bit ahead of me, plus a large-calfed coloured guy on a mountain bike dropped into the middle. All the way down to Blackfriars we were hemmed in, no chance to overtake, then the traffic thinned, I went, so did MTB guy, and I had to drop back in behind the roadie to make the left to the bridge. I'm sure I could have scalped the MTB, but he was going straight, and no points for him anyway.
Roadie, meantime, knows I'm there wanting to go past, so he RLJs at the junction. No matter, I go past him and a number of others very quickly on the bridge, and duck into a gap in the bike traffic queue for the lights as everyone slows. This evidently pisses off a woman on a Dutch bike, who doesn't even slow, and wobbles past as the lights change. Once again though, I'm going quicker than everyone, and get on the wheel of a roadie as he attacks the queue. We go past everyone, and he's shoulder-checking me; clearly he knows he's racing. He winds it up to what he thinks will be enough as we approach the bottom of Farringdon and I attack, sprinting til I'm 1/2 a wheel behind, then coasting by, and cutting in the afterburners as we hit the uphill. He was left VERY far behind. Nothing else to speak of along the road to Holborn, and nothing on the way home, but I felt great about those!0 -
I envy you lot living in big cities where you can get a good race on any time you like. I have to wait days, weeks before I see another cyclist on my route, and they're always on hybrids or worse, so no real scalps.
Closest thing came a couple of days ago. On my way home I go up a training hill (I don't actually have to go up it, it goes past the turn-off for my place, I just have to do it now because...Um...I just have to). Just as I'm reaching the top, a guy in a decent yellow top is coming the other way. On a hybrid, of course, but he's going at a good rate. I carry on to the top of the hill and turn around as usual (no cheating!) then give chase down the fairly steep gradient.
It's one of those long, busy roads with several traffic lights so I can never get a good speed going on the way down. He RLJs the first set, I curse but resist the urge to do the same. Never mind, I carry on and gain on him as we approach the next set of lights. He filters aggresively and RLJs again to make a left turn.
I take leave of my senses and follow (it's one of the two possible ways back to mine anyway), breaking a personal rule and mounting the pavement to cut the corner. The road is straight and level and he’s putting on another good turn of speed – I do the same and narrow the gap.
He turns right, the way I would have to go if I was going home, which I am, and it’s down a steep hill with cars parked on either side of the road. One of those annoying streets where there isn’t quite enough space for two cars to safely squeeze past each other. He obviously knows it’s a good speeding point and once again hits the boosters, forcing me to spin like a hard drive in a porn server. I hit 36mph and get tantalisingly close...closer...
And we reach the end of the road, where he zooms straight on and I hit the brakes to turn right.
Next time, Yellow Jersey Harrogate Hybrid man...Next time...0 -
gaz545 wrote:I did get passed by someone outside de ver on the way to work, and he stormed it up the hill. If that was kelsen, then fair play.
You were in a white Livestrong jersey riding a red and black Univega right? Yeah, that was me wearing all black and on a black Tricross. I only went for it going up that hill cos I thought it might be you and didn't want to appear in one of your famous scalping videos!
To be fair, It didn't look like you were really trying. Will say hi next time!
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kelsen wrote:gaz545 wrote:I did get passed by someone outside de ver on the way to work, and he stormed it up the hill. If that was kelsen, then fair play.
You were in a white Livestrong jersey riding a red and black Univega right? Yeah, that was me wearing all black and on a black Tricross. I only went for it going up that hill cos I thought it might be you and didn't want to appear in one of your famous scalping videos!
To be fair, It didn't look like you were really trying. Will say hi next time!
yar, I saw you further up as well by streatham but lost you at some lights. Rest day for me today, so was taking it easy, behind you was a guy in a de ver shirt, he was hugging my wheel up there but he got dropped quickly.0 -
I lost a jockey wheel as I turned onto Embankment at Blackfriars this evening - couldn't find it on the road in the gathering dusk and had to abort to Waterloo
Will be on the hybrid tomorrow0 -
Zachariah wrote:I envy you lot living in big cities where you can get a good race on any time you like. I have to wait days, weeks before I see another cyclist on my route, and they're always on hybrids or worse, so no real scalps.
This is why I can't live out on the moors.
FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
On the Brompton last night and I got me a shaved roadie... very impressive calf muscles, she was damn cute tooPurveyor of sonic doom
Very Hairy Roadie - FCN 4
Fixed Pista- FCN 5
Beared Bromptonite - FCN 140 -
Asprilla wrote:Dr Scalper prescribes more hills
I think it needs surgical intervention - his Manndafuckulin levels are so low he needs an urgent strapadictohim to prevent further deterioration.Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
Greg T wrote:Asprilla wrote:Dr Scalper prescribes more hills
I think it needs surgical intervention - his Manndafuckulin levels are so low he needs an urgent strapadictohim to prevent further deterioration.
He gets regular surgery; at least once a week I open him up and remove his sense of self worth.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Asprilla wrote:He gets regular surgery; at least once a week I open him up and remove his sense of self worth.
Ah the bilateral Kudomojotectomy, presumably this is followed by a long course of broad spectrum regretomicin?Fixed gear for wet weather / hairy roadie for posing in the sun.
What would Thora Hurd do?0 -
Asprilla wrote:Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.
Hmm. Rides slightly knees out? Comes through RP?FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.
Hmm. Rides slightly knees out? Comes through RP?
That's him. Comes from either my neck of the woods or even further out.
In an evening I usually see him drafting a blue Ribble down Priory lane.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Hmm - M4 blast big 4 x 4 cruise control and ipod banging away on the bose sound system from London back to Brizzle - beats cycling....until the roadworks, then cycling kicks ass.0
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Asprilla wrote:cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.
Hmm. Rides slightly knees out? Comes through RP?
That's him. Comes from either my neck of the woods or even further out.
In an evening I usually see him drafting a blue Ribble down Priory lane.
Heh hehFCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.
Hmm. Rides slightly knees out? Comes through RP?
That's him. Comes from either my neck of the woods or even further out.
In an evening I usually see him drafting a blue Ribble down Priory lane.
Heh heh
It's always the same; at the roundabout at Roehampton Gate the Ribble goes left, Colnago goes right and bleeds off all his speed as soon as the road starts to incline slightly. I open my newspaper and cruise past wearing what I believe is generally known as a sh*t-eating grin.
The only problem I have with wearing a helmet is that sometimes you really want to be able to doff it.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Asprilla wrote:cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:cjcp wrote:Asprilla wrote:Ah, Mr Colnago, once again we meet and once again, despite your repeated jumping of red lights and ped crossings with peds on them you get your ass handed to you repeatedly over the course of 12 miles.
Dr Scalper prescirbes more hills because at the moment you appear to stop dead at the slightest hint of one. Oh well, thanks for rousing me from my pootle.
Hmm. Rides slightly knees out? Comes through RP?
That's him. Comes from either my neck of the woods or even further out.
In an evening I usually see him drafting a blue Ribble down Priory lane.
Heh heh
It's always the same; at the roundabout at Roehampton Gate the Ribble goes left, Colnago goes right and bleeds off all his speed as soon as the road starts to incline slightly. I open my newspaper and cruise past wearing what I believe is generally known as a sh*t-eating grin.
The only problem I have with wearing a helmet is that sometimes you really want to be able to doff it.
Would I be right in thinking that he's not fond of stopping at the Priory Lane/URR lights?FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Not fond of stopping at any lights.
This morning he failed to yield at the junction lights and zebra crossing on Hampton Court Road near Sigma Sports, the pelican crossings on both sides of the bridge and the junction at Bentalls / TGI Fridays. Then again at Priory Lane / LRR and LRR / Queens Ride.
And still he lost.
Thing is that he looks fit, he's obviously capable of some speed because the Ribble he drafts doesn't hang around and he does at least the same mileage as me.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Asprilla wrote:Not fond of stopping at any lights.
This morning he failed to yield at the junction lights and zebra crossing on Hampton Court Road near Sigma Sports, the pelican crossings on both sides of the bridge and the junction at Bentalls / TGI Fridays. Then again at Priory Lane / LRR and LRR / Queens Ride.
And still he lost.
Thing is that he looks fit, he's obviously capable of some speed because the Ribble he drafts doesn't hang around and he does at least the same mileage as me.
:roll:
Yep, he's quick when he wants to be, I think. From experience, it's usually when he sees a rear wheel he likes the look of...FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Beery night last night so cadged a lift home in one of our vans rather than risk wobbling down Whitechapel Road... Yes - stayed in Bow as I'm sure the g/f would not have been happy either
Commute in this morning was short and quick on the MTB . I didn't hardly break a sweat though I was giving it full beans, so feel a bit short changed :?
Interestingly at half past midnight there were no bikes in the Cycle Hire racks outside the local kebab shop but they were there at 8 am - logistics of that one must have been interesting!1997 Gary Fisher Big Sur
2009 Scott Spark 60
2010 Ghost 5000
2011 Commencal Ramones AL1
2012 Commencal Meta AM10 -
A day off the bike yesterday (knocking down a wall and other assorted DIY - cycling is useless for upper body strength FACT). The previous night I had a bit of a duel with a tall Schleck-a-like on an tall-framed old white Peugeot. Kept well ahead from VB to CB, but he passed me as we went over CB in the heavier traffic, then managed to get the right side of a red light just past QTR roundabout. A pity: a dash up QTR to the Common looked on the cards.1985 Mercian King of Mercia - work in progress (Hah! Who am I kidding?)
Pinnacle Monzonite
Part of the anti-growth coalition0 -
Right, that's not on. Headwind on the way in, headwind on the way back for lunch, headwind on the way back to work. Looking forward to a headwind on the way home again.0
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Nice sprint though the park with a guy on a Boardman this evening. Honours even, and glad he was there to keep me honest although I doubt I'll be thanking him after tomorrow's swim / bike brick session.Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
I had a lovely long fast run never dropping below 20 (apart from lights etc) all the way from london bridge down Tooley Street, Jamaica Road and Evelyn Street with a guy on a single speed condor I think, till I turned off to head for deptford bridge and he carried onto greenwich way down Creek Road.
Left me a bit spent for the hill upto blackheath and shootershill but still, was a nice run.0 -
Overtook a Boris bike this evening. Don't suppose it counts as much, even tho' it was a fit girl riding it.This post contains traces of nuts.0
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Started a new job a couple weeks ago. My commute now takes me to Knightsbridge rather than Canary Wharf. So much more pleasant and there's secure parking so I can take the road bike out more often. Settled on the Balham->Vauxhall->Pimlico route so now itching to get a bit of racing action in :-)
I thought I saw Gaz yesterday which is interesting cos he's got the same biks as me and is so famous and has been on tv and everything. I was waiting to turn left onto Vauxhall Bridge and saw a bike with the tell-tale the 'Via' logo on the seat tube. 'Crap! Better get a move on I thought'. Lights changed and I took chase. Caught up around the middle of Vaux Bridge and I realised it couldn't be our local media celebrity since 1) he was pootling and 2) there wasn't an array of cameras all over the bike.
Still nice to see a bike twin so I said 'Nice bike' with a grin and was off on my way 0 -
ketsbaia wrote:Right, that's not on. Headwind on the way in, headwind on the way back for lunch, headwind on the way back to work. Looking forward to a headwind on the way home again.
If only it had been the headwind that was the problem.
Ended up having a few beers, then a few more, then had to cycle back as I'd left my card behind a bar that had since closed.
Never. Again.
Cue hellishly difficult ride back with neither lights nor any discernible sense of balance. Came off near Tescos on OKR and have knocked the steerer out of kilter, which meant riding the rest of the journey with wonky handlebars.
Let that be a lesson, folks. Drinking and cycling is neither big nor clever.0
