Silly commuting racing

lost_in_thought

rjsterry wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

re. Cast Iron bath - I hope you sold/are selling it. People will pay a lot more than you think for them.

We did have a look round to see if there was anyone local, but they want proper old roll-top Victorian ones, not crappy 1970s versions. It's got cement/plaster stuck along one side, and the enamel is completely shot with rust coming through in places. Scrap value only, I think.

EDIT: What am I saying?

FS: One rusty cast iron bath. Would make excellent small pond, feed trough, or immovable object to lock bike to

It's the scrap value too - leave it out, wait for the dodgy van to show up, then say they have to pay you for it.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

DonDaddyD

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

This year I'm just doing sprints / half olympics. Next year I want to do some more sprints (Thames Turbo series), a full olympic and maybe a half-distance IM towards the end of the year.

Also been pursuaded to do the Dragon next year.

I've got one eye on the Challenge Barcelona IM for 2012.

I think it's kind of addictive.....

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

Hell of the Northern Line finally broken you?

DonDaddyD

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

Hell of the Northern Line finally broken you?

Nope, don't mind it plus I get off at Moorgate and I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

Norky

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

Don't you find that walking in them is difficult, never mind cycling?

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

Hell of the Northern Line finally broken you?

Nope, don't mind it plus I get off at Moorgate and I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

What? You really are an odd one.

BTW, I've recently varied the part of my route home from Old Street to Blackfriars, and have discovered a little cut-through from Gresham Street to Cheapside (Ironmonger Lane, I think) which last Friday evening had a very high pencil skirt quotient. Unfortunately a very high city boy quotient as well, but they tend to come as a pair.

DonDaddyD

Norky wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

Don't you find that walking in them is difficult, never mind cycling?

Pencil skirts won't fit my thighs...

Ah what the hell, for old times sake:

DonDaddyD

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

Hell of the Northern Line finally broken you?

Nope, don't mind it plus I get off at Moorgate and I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

What? You really are an odd one.

BTW, I've recently varied the part of my route home from Old Street to Blackfriars, and have discovered a little cut-through from Gresham Street to Cheapside (Ironmonger Lane, I think) which last Friday evening had a very high pencil skirt quotient. Unfortunately a very high city boy quotient as well, but they tend to come as a pair.

Happen to pass a well thighed black man in a suit and brogues looking achingly at your bike.... me

I miss it man, I really do! I loved every second of my commute, London can be a beautiful city but it looks better at speed by bike.

Sportives and weekend rides are fun, but you can really lose yourself in your imgination on your commute. I miss the thrill, I miss knowing the roads. Hell, I miss that distinct smell of air as it escapes an inner tube.

Soon oh so very soon.

SamWise1972

WFH today, but I had to go to the vets to get some pills for the dog. A bloke on a nice hybrid RLJed past me on a roundabout, so obviously I had to catch him. Approx similar FCN; he was in team kit, and SPDs, but on a hybrid, me in clips and straps, jeans and t-shirt on my SS road bike. I pass and leave him, but get stopped at lights and he catches up. I stay ahead from there, but at the next lights, we take different filtering options, and burst out of the front neck and neck just as the lights change. It's a long uphill for about a mile from there, and I tried hard to drop him, but couldn't, and that was the story all the way to my destination, about 2 miles total. I was spinning like mad, had a little bit left, but not 2 miles worth of it, and really didn't fancy stretch out a bit of a lead, only to bonk and get reeled in. Tried everything to go off the front within what I could sustain, and he stuck to my wheel like glue. When I turned off, I got a "thanks for the tow, take it easy", in a slightly out of breath voice. Not sure whether to translate that as a genuine thanks, or an "I could have passed, you know", or a "Well, at least you couldn't drop me", but chapeau to the fella for staying in there. Best race I've had in weeks, despite many London commutes and many fancy roadies dropped, and it comes from a hybrid rider in Southampton!

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm going to start cycling to work on Friday. Soon very soon.

I may also be in the market for a new commuter. Soon very soon.

Hell of the Northern Line finally broken you?

Nope, don't mind it plus I get off at Moorgate and I'm a sucker for pencil skirts... its just that I love cycling more and I miss it.

What? You really are an odd one.

BTW, I've recently varied the part of my route home from Old Street to Blackfriars, and have discovered a little cut-through from Gresham Street to Cheapside (Ironmonger Lane, I think) which last Friday evening had a very high pencil skirt quotient. Unfortunately a very high city boy quotient as well, but they tend to come as a pair.

Happen to pass a well thighed black man in a suit and brogues looking achingly at your bike.... me

I miss it man, I really do! I loved every second of my commute, London can be a beautiful city but it looks better at speed by bike.

Sportives and weekend rides are fun, but you can really lose yourself in your imgination on your commute. I miss the thrill, I miss knowing the roads. Hell, I miss that distinct smell of air as it escapes an inner tube.

Soon oh so very soon.

It doesn't look that good from inside a tube (on PT today and did not enjoy it). See you on two wheels soon I hope.

MonkeyMonster

If I see you out there Good evening!

nich

rjsterry wrote:

BTW, I've recently varied the part of my route home from Old Street to Blackfriars, and have discovered a little cut-through from Gresham Street to Cheapside (Ironmonger Lane, I think) which last Friday evening had a very high pencil skirt quotient. Unfortunately a very high city boy quotient as well, but they tend to come as a pair.

I use Gresham Street everyday.

It also has an extremely high number of pedestrians walking out into the road without looking, almost daily without fail for me!

rjsterry

nich wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

BTW, I've recently varied the part of my route home from Old Street to Blackfriars, and have discovered a little cut-through from Gresham Street to Cheapside (Ironmonger Lane, I think) which last Friday evening had a very high pencil skirt quotient. Unfortunately a very high city boy quotient as well, but they tend to come as a pair.

I use Gresham Street everyday.

It also has an extremely high number of pedestrians walking out into the road without looking, almost daily without fail for me!

Usually with a look of mild annoyance that their stroll across the road has been impeded by a mere cyclist.

asprilla

Sorry, I appear to have picked up someone elses legs in the SCR changing room this evening. They looked exactly like mine, took a little longer to warm up but when they did they were excellent; Kingston to Walton was 38 to 40kph all the way.

No-one around to overtake, but that didn't matter. It was a lot of fun.

I'll return them tomorrow to the rightful owner.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

This year I'm just doing sprints / half olympics. Next year I want to do some more sprints (Thames Turbo series), a full olympic and maybe a half-distance IM towards the end of the year.

Also been pursuaded to do the Dragon next year.

I've got one eye on the Challenge Barcelona IM for 2012.

I think it's kind of addictive.....

Join a cycling club . Your cycling will improve no end. Mine did anyway. Also do some TTs and give it some balls-out treatment on the turbo this winter.

Wrath Rob

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yeah, the commuting-on-a-carbon-über-bike one.... :oops:

Looks very nice. As does the bike

I too had someone else's legs tonight, though no warming up, simply awesomeness from the start. Embankment pre-PS was a nice prelude to the full monty later on, 23mph enough to see off all comers including a guy in blue lycra. Didn't see any other worthy foes. Post PS was a bit more interesting, cranking up to 25 on the way to Lambeth RB, the wind tunnel relatively easy tonight though chasing a rather large man on a purple steel framed bike with no decals. He was suprisingly fast and seemed determined to resist my tractor beam pulling him in. A quick breather at VB lights.

A guy on a red hybrid leads off, large, purple man 2nd but now happy to sit on the other guys wheel at 23. I wonder what the legs I've borrowed are really capable off. It turns out they can churn out 27mph through DSC, slowly coming back down to 25 up to Chelsea Bridge. Down the ramp the other side they make 30 before I have to back off and get a draft from a mini cab which wheesh's me along.

Sum total was breaking 29 mins for the journey (28:23 to be precise) and a 18.8mph average, not bad given the red lights! Tomorrow morning could be a rude awakening

Aidy

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

I've had that idea put into my head recently...

MonkeyMonster

Tired, feeling a bit crappy and so pootling along thinking thank chuff there's no roadies to chase...
Arse - why did I even think that. Cue 2 "ballsie but can't accelerate for shit" roadies at the next lights and its wakey wakey time.

Good ride home last night - some game roadies not happy to lose their scalp and puttin the power down.

Hola to the large piston'd chap on teh red spez with the zefal pump

rjsterry

A lovely return to cycling after a day on PT yesterday. Lovely morning, not too sticky and they've resurfaced Green Wrythe Lane - Mmmmm smooooooooth.

Coming into Mitcham, I meet up with a chap in full Luciano Cycles kit (black with narrow vertical white stripes ion the back) on a blue Fondriest. He's going at a fairly swift but steady rate, so I pace myself a few lengths back for a while. At the TLs on Figges Marsh, we have a mutter about lights and I take a turn on the front. This continues up to Balham, where at the next red, he offers a critique, "I've noticed you tend to cane it at the start then your speed drops off."

Well, I'm a little taken aback and mumble something about bad habits, but make a mental note not to slack off, but the more I think about it, the more I realise I'm probably guilty as charged. Without a rabbit out front or someone breathing down my neck (or being late for something) I do tend to pootle without realising. Too much commuting with all the traffic lights I suggest, to which he replies that he normally only gets 4 or 5 reds. Jammy bugger!

Motivated to MTFU and stop dawdling, I give the run from CB a good go. A small duel with a roadie in a whte Catlike Whisper and eco-logic kit (no bag) comes past on the bend before VB lights, so I give it a bit more beans, and after the lights re-pass him on Millbank, only to have to drop anchors at the pelican crossing. Bah! Trail him up to LBR, but lose him in the traffic and that's that for this morning.

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

This year I'm just doing sprints / half olympics. Next year I want to do some more sprints (Thames Turbo series), a full olympic and maybe a half-distance IM towards the end of the year.

Also been pursuaded to do the Dragon next year.

I've got one eye on the Challenge Barcelona IM for 2012.

I think it's kind of addictive.....

Join a cycling club . Your cycling will improve no end. Mine did anyway. Also do some TTs and give it some balls-out treatment on the turbo this winter.

I'd have joined KW months ago if you lot got up at a decent time; 7.00 start time would suit me much better than 9.00. By the time I got home half the day would be gone! Once mini-Miss Asprilla is in nursery and I'm not providing Mrs Asprilla with respite on a weekend I'll be there and raring to go. :cool:

I can't see me getting on with a turbo; I don't do treadmills because they are excrutiatingly dull. It's outside on the roads or nothing. I can do spin sessions because it's only an hour and because people are shouting at you to go faster (well at the one I go to anyway) but I don't think i'll ever find myself pedalling away in the garage.

On the SCR topic I've decided to keep these legs; 31.2kph moving average was a good effort this morning over 17 miles.

Butterd2

Picked up another wheel fairy in Greenwich this morning (blue kit, black Spesh), towed him through to Deptford. Passed a mate of mine on the way who I would normally slow down and have a chat with but had to shout out a quick "Can't stop I'm in an SCR!" as I flashed by.
Couldn't shake the guy off so after a bit of poor filtering managed to get on his tail and sat there until he inevitably began to slow, on seeing this moment of weakness I gave it the beans and left him, tow broken.
He wasn't even wearing a helmet so the scalp was easily removed.

rjsterry

Asprilla wrote:

On the SCR topic I've decided to keep these legs; 31.2kph moving average was a good effort this morning over 17 miles.

Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

Pufftmw

I'm getting the hang of my new bike A few seconds under 24 mins last night which is an average of 18mph inc lights etc, so happy with that. Left a simillar bike for dead down TBR but the so-n-so jumped the lights at Long Lane and was too far ahead to catch before I had to go down OKR - bah!

Nothing worth shouting about this morning but overtook a brace of scooters coming over Tower Bridge - mobile chicanes :roll:

gaz545

Took the a23 through Brixton and oval today. Nice to see new faces and see what they can do. Had one guy with a yellow jersey around oval and up to vauxhall who was jumping red lights. He had a good trackstand at the bus stop before vauxhall bridge. And he got away faster than me due to a slow coach blocking the road. But as soon as I put the power done up the bridge, I left him and everyone else for dead.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

2k swim and a quick 30 mile ride on Saturday, followed by a 15km run on Sunday means that my scalp will be available for all takers this week.

One size fits all, stock is unlimited.

So, then, Mr Nutjob: which Ironman are you doing?

This year I'm just doing sprints / half olympics. Next year I want to do some more sprints (Thames Turbo series), a full olympic and maybe a half-distance IM towards the end of the year.

Also been pursuaded to do the Dragon next year.

I've got one eye on the Challenge Barcelona IM for 2012.

I think it's kind of addictive.....

Join a cycling club . Your cycling will improve no end. Mine did anyway. Also do some TTs and give it some balls-out treatment on the turbo this winter.

I'd have joined KW months ago if you lot got up at a decent time; 7.00 start time would suit me much better than 9.00. By the time I got home half the day would be gone! Once mini-Miss Asprilla is in nursery and I'm not providing Mrs Asprilla with respite on a weekend I'll be there and raring to go. :cool:

I can't see me getting on with a turbo; I don't do treadmills because they are excrutiatingly dull. It's outside on the roads or nothing. I can do spin sessions because it's only an hour and because people are shouting at you to go faster (well at the one I go to anyway) but I don't think i'll ever find myself pedalling away in the garage.

On the SCR topic I've decided to keep these legs; 31.2kph moving average was a good effort this morning over 17 miles.

Yup - precisely why I've not made the club run in two years .

The turbo's dull, but makes a real difference. An hour of pain on that thing goes a long way - always very handy when you have to juggle the needs of SWMBO and ankle-biters. Send SWMBO out shopping (for herself, not your needs) and say you'll look after junior. Junior falls asleep, you get quality time in on the turbo.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

On the SCR topic I've decided to keep these legs; 31.2kph moving average was a good effort this morning over 17 miles.

Yup - precisely why I've not made the club run in two years .

The turbo's dull, but makes a real difference. An hour of pain on that thing goes a long way - always very handy when you have to juggle the needs of SWMBO and ankle-biters. Send SWMBO out shopping (for herself, not your needs) and say you'll look after junior. Junior falls asleep, you get quality time in on the turbo.

What's your trick? Hypnotism? Chloroform?

Plus, anyone know of a handle bar mount for a baby monitor?

Wrath Rob

Back to normal service this morning, though I was bringing in a heavy rucksack with a pair of rollerblades strapped to the back of it. Possible FCN adjuster of 0.1? It probably cost me a whopping second or 2

Still, it was fun overtaking roadies who weren't similarly encumbered, the mini peleton of several roadies I rolled past between BB and AB being my favorite. A couple came back past on the run out of VB lights, especially as I had to slow up for the ped crossing, however they then pootled which allowed me and some other roadies to get back past on the run to P/Square and they weren't seen again

Pufftmw

Off to Great British Beer Festival now - may not ride home later....