Silly commuting racing

Wrath Rob

cjcp wrote:

Anyone on here ride a Boarman (alu, I think) along Embankment and turn off just before Trinity House? Ooo, at, say, 9am today?

I ride a black alu Boardman and have a hi viz rucksack cover, though I think I was there a little earlier and I turn off at the bottom of Southwark Bridge up towards Bank. So maybe not me

cjcp

Wrath Rob wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Anyone on here ride a Boarman (alu, I think) along Embankment and turn off just before Trinity House? Ooo, at, say, 9am today?

I ride a black alu Boardman and have a hi viz rucksack cover, though I think I was there a little earlier and I turn off at the bottom of Southwark Bridge up towards Bank. So maybe not me

Nope - no hi-viz cover on this chap. He took a cheeky tow up to Blackfriars and then again through the tunnel. Fortunately, I wasn't trying. Honestly. I was however trying earlier on on Millbank. I have the scalp of the scooter to prove it. And there should be a fair amount of dust on the Boardman and the other bikes which were behind me. :P

Butterd2

Decided to take it easy today and rode the MTB again, baggies, mudguards etc. Was all going well until a roadie in full lycra kit decided to go past RLJing on the way, so the rest day went out of the window and the chase was on.
I would catchup him up on the shorter stretches/filtering etc but he would ever so slowly pull away on the longer runs, anyway by the time we were through Bermondsey he had a 100m lead and I was blowing out of my ar$e. However the cycling gods were smiling on me and he got held up by some lights so coming onto the run up to Tower Bridge I saw my opportunity, opened a can of whoop ass, and shot past him before immediately turning off right up a side street onto the bridge (it was only a small can!).
I'm not sure this really counts as a scalping as he really didn't have time to react but then he should not have backed off thinking I was done.
I was in my rather loud Pearl Izumi top so he can have been in no doubt that it was me again. Oh happy days.

MonkeyMonster

Oooooh, lovely ride in today after a rest day Everything fell beneath the monkey wheels this morning. Millbank lights was a slaughterfest - mwahahahahaha. Goddam that set of ped lights after though - boooo!

Can't believe someone has the same crumpler as me though - he did jump the red lights on a slicked mtb but got caught back.

Glad its cooling down a bit - wasn't quite such a sweat fest though using just my camelback will have helped that - roll on cooler mornings...

Pufftmw

Came across my first single speeded lycra clad shaved leg chap today :? "Came across" might be the wrong terminology possibly but caught him up and we shared a couple of lights together before I lost him in traffic. Well, he never caught up after some lights put it that way. How much difference does shaving your legs actually make?

Then caught & left behind a bloke who had taken me the other day, so that was good.

Happy days

lost_in_thought

Dead legs today, after a bit of a session last night. Blargh. Still managed to hold on to my scalp and have a few more for my tapestry, but no real competition.

There was one hilarious bloke on what appeared to be a really old slicked MTB with full Sky team kit on... :shock:

Also, my knees hurt.

rjsterry

Saw someone get clipped by a car this morning at the mini-roundabout on North Street in Clapham. Driver failed to stop despite and audible clunk, but luckily, there was a police car nearby, and they set off after him. Somehow, chap and bike were fine - must have caught the rear left wheel nut I think as there wasn't a scratch on the bike or him. Waited to see if he was alright (just a bit shaken as he hadn't taken a direct hit himself, and had stayed upright) and offered a phone number, but he refused. Fingers crossed the police caught up with the motorist.

All quiet after that barely another soul on the Embankment. Decided to try out the Blackfriars Tunnel all the way to the end of London Bridge, then made a bit of a hash of getting back up to Moorgate - need to sort that route out.

SamWise1972

Two days of silly commuter time trialling from Waterloo to Greenwich and back. Day one on my folding bike; saw not one cyclist going my way on the way there. On the way home, showed a clean pair of heels to a roadie, he caught me stopped at lights, and made a vestigial effort at an attack, but fell off the back very quickly. The only real competition was a mountain bike I passed on Southwark Street, (hey, everything's a scalp on a folder), who grabbed my wheel, waited for his moment, and then on Stamford Street, came past as I was slowing and then reaccelerating for a light. He went past like a rocket, and my legs were tired. I managed to narrow the gap a little, but it would have needed a big kick to catch him, and I didn't have it left. Chapeau!

On that night, I visited friends in Winchester, and had a hill climbing experience. I'm not a great climber, and there's a hill which must be over a mile of varying gradients. I see this chap up front on a hybrid, and start to grind towards him, pushing a bigger gear. Then the really steep part comes, I have to drop a cog, and he starts to pull away (very slowly - hills are like slow motion). We get over the steepest part, and now it feels almost flat in comparison, so I really start to push, lungs burning, legs screaming, I'm reeling him in again. The gradient stiffens, but I don't shift down this time; I'll pass him or die trying. I get in touch, I'm about ready to make my move, and the bugger turns off! Oh well, good workout.

Yesterday Greenwich again, this time on my single speed. I averaged over 18 mph on the way there; must have been over 20 discounting the lights. Legs were tired for the way home, and again, nobody to race until London Bridge anyway. This time, it looked like I was in luck. A veritable peloton of roadies and fixies on Stamford Street. But they were CRAWLING! Literally, must have been pootling at 10mph? The only satisfaction was that my bow wave must have made them literally rock as I went past. I'm wondering if I might not go across Waterloo Bridge and along the Embankment on that trip from now on, just in the hope of a little dice!

Clever Pun

Fair warning:

I'm hiring a bike and taking it down the embankment around lunch... expect scalps

Pufftmw

Hiring a Boris Bike then?

mrc1

Had a mixed ride in this morning. Absolutely belted along Holloway Road from Archway all the way down to Higbury Corner without being stopped by a single red. The flowing traffic and lack of a head wind meant i was holding 30mph for pretty much the duration and was passing other commuters like Cancellara's mechanic had been working on my bike.....

Got to Highbury corner feeling like a pb was on the cards but then had a complete reversal of luck and managed to get stopped by pretty much every single traffic light and zebra crossing from there to Bank.

I hate it when that happens.

Clever Pun

Pufftmw wrote:

Hiring a Boris Bike then?

yes, quite looking forward to it actually... really hope I can make a roadie cry

cjcp

Bit of a duel with a chap on a silver and blue OCR this morning. Quick, but pretty sure it wasn't amnezia.

Jumped two reds, but reeled him in on both occaions and duly scalped him and two other roadies down Millbank. He resorted to taking a tow down Embankment.

I'm feeling pretty confident down Millbank. Think I might put on a green jersey at VB lights tomorrow....

lost_in_thought

Me too! I'm taking one over to Cov Gdn to buy shoes.

itboffin

lost_in_thought wrote:

Me too! I'm taking one over to Cov Gdn to buy shoes.

for the bike? :P

OldSkoolKona

Phew, its still here. With the new forum layout, I thought for a minute that SCR had been deleted :-o

lost_in_thought

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Me too! I'm taking one over to Cov Gdn to buy shoes.

for the bike? :P

Nope, for my feet.

Didn't end up going, but rode one up to my osteo appointment. They're OK, I found the seats seemed to be tilted forwards, and in a slightly odd not-quite-sit-up-and-beg-bike position with the bars. And I'm quite long-limbed.

I did add 3 scalps though, 2 MTBs and a Brompton! Hurrah!

Norky

Clever Pun wrote:

Pufftmw wrote:

Hiring a Boris Bike then?

yes, quite looking forward to it actually... really hope I can make a roadie cry

Do it. I look forward to your stories of team-kit-clad roadies eating their carbon fibre frames in shame and frustration. I trust you will be in a suit/civvies just to make it all the more denigrating for your victims :twisted:

rjsterry

Was that you I met up with coming out of PS tonight CJCP? KW shorts and a black and yellow/orange jersey, but didn't recognise the bike. I got caught at LBR by a whole load of traffic coming round for the bridge, then managed to unclip my right foot when I tried to pull away, so had to give it some to catch up at VB lights. The swift Doom Bar I'd consumed earlier (met up with ITB about one of his fleet) seemed to make me a bit more masochistic than usual as I was really pushing into the red down past the petrol station, but rather enjoying it. :twisted:

Clearly wasn't properly paying attention at the lights before the railway bridge though (as you no doubt saw) as I left my braking way too late and locked up the back. :oops: I was also pretty much spent by then. Don't think I'm ready for a full run down to Wandsworth or Putney at that speed.

Bimbled over CB, then power-pootled the rest of the journey.

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

Was that you I met up with coming out of PS tonight CJCP? KW shorts and a black and yellow/orange jersey, but didn't recognise the bike. I got caught at LBR by a whole load of traffic coming round for the bridge, then managed to unclip my right foot when I tried to pull away, so had to give it some to catch up at VB lights. The swift Doom Bar I'd consumed earlier (met up with ITB about one of his fleet) seemed to make me a bit more masochistic than usual as I was really pushing into the red down past the petrol station, but rather enjoying it. :twisted:

Clearly wasn't properly paying attention at the lights before the railway bridge though (as you no doubt saw) as I left my braking way too late and locked up the back. :oops: I was also pretty much spent by then. Don't think I'm ready for a full run down to Wandsworth or Putney at that speed.

Bimbled over CB, then power-pootled the rest of the journey.

That was indeed me. And that was good fun! You were wearing the t-shirt?

I spotted you (altough didn't know it was you) when you joined Thames St just off Cannon St, by Southwark Bridge - I was stopped at the lights. I had to give it some beans to catch you. Had to do the same when you pulled away from the lights at the end of DSC, too.

I saw the sharp braking at the lights - at least you stopped. I wondered if you'd turned off over CB because you weren't there when I checked back on the slope off CB. Had a good run down to BB as I caught the green lights at AB. Eased off down the NKR, mind, until I arrived in the Park.

rjsterry

Yep, had been in civvies for my meeting with ITB, but couldn't cycle 14 miles in jeans, hence the lycra/t-shirt combo. Thought I'd try the tunnel in reverse this evening - quite a nice fast run although not much of a view Didn't realise you'd been following me all the way from there. I'll have to do a few more shoulder checks.

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

Yep, had been in civvies for my meeting with ITB, but couldn't cycle 14 miles in jeans, hence the lycra/t-shirt combo. Thought I'd try the tunnel in reverse this evening - quite a nice fast run although not much of a view Didn't realise you'd been following me all the way from there. I'll have to do a few more shoulder checks.

Ah, hadn't been following you. You had reached the other side of the dip after the tunnel as I went into the dip by the sliproad, had to hammer it, and caught you just after the lights at Horseguards, and then went past on the slope up to the lights in that mad dash to catch the green lights.

Stelvio_W

Very quiet this morning. Very very quiet for both bikes and cars. Got a bit lonely infact.

Just one observation today. Anyone see a women, on a white spangly Lapierre. Wearing black shorts and a white hoody. Ipod in the ears, no lid (!).

Dropped her somewhere round Dick Cheyne Walk, and thought that I wouldnt see her again. So was a bit shocked to have her bomb past on Vicky Embankment.. ploughed through the red light without a care in the world.

I'm not complaining however, the view improved from then on in. She must have jumped every light to catch up, and then as I entered the tunnel I lost her again. I think she must have turned up at Blackfriars.

Hey ho

MonkeyMonster

Bit late I know, but last nights ride home was rather nice - lovely to see they've covered over the grand canyon at black friars with some velvet gloriousness you can lay some sweet lovin down on.

More than a few scalps and I think I saw that humongous dude on a white based fixed - big white rims and tyres? He had some power.

cjcp

cjcp wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Yep, had been in civvies for my meeting with ITB, but couldn't cycle 14 miles in jeans, hence the lycra/t-shirt combo. Thought I'd try the tunnel in reverse this evening - quite a nice fast run although not much of a view Didn't realise you'd been following me all the way from there. I'll have to do a few more shoulder checks.

Ah, hadn't been following you. You had reached the other side of the dip after the tunnel as I went into the dip by the sliproad, had to hammer it, and caught you just after the lights at Horseguards, and then went past on the slope up to the lights in that mad dash to catch the green lights.

The efforts of last night came back to haunt me this morning - legs felt like lead. Forced to pootle and hum along to to "What a day for daydream" inside my head. I'm going a bit mad.

Had a nice chat with a chap on a Spesh from Priory Lane to the NKR this morning.

asprilla

Barely saw another soul this morning. At this rate the Silly Commuter Time Trial thread is going to see more action.

rjsterry

Asprilla wrote:

Barely saw another soul this morning. At this rate the Silly Cummuter Time Trial thread is going to see more action.

It was a bit "28 days later" wasn't it. A bit of a group collected at VB lights, but nothing to trouble myself about :twisted:

Tried the tunnel again this morning - it is rather whizzy, or is that just the nagging fear of being rear-ended where there's no escape?

jonginge

I passed an entire peloton approaching the DSC today

You can Tri-and-Run but you can't hide. In fact you got found out...

asprilla

rjsterry wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Barely saw another soul this morning. At this rate the Silly Cummuter Time Trial thread is going to see more action.

It was a bit "28 days later" wasn't it. A bit of a group collected at VB lights, but nothing to trouble myself about :twisted:

Tried the tunnel again this morning - it is rather whizzy, or is that just the nagging fear of being rear-ended where there's no escape?

There as the usual gaggle of RLJers from Priory Lane to Putney Bridge who were dispatched with ease, but the rest of the journey was just eerie.

il_principe

JonGinge wrote:

I passed an entire peloton approaching the DSC today

You can Tri-and-Run but you can't hide. In fact you got found out...

Heh heh, nothing like overtaking Tri's. Last time I was at my folks house I went out on one of my standard loops along the coast. Managed to land slap bang in the middle of a Triathlon and took scalps left and right, I was just sitting on the hoods doing 30mph or so (flat road, coastal tailwind). Poor fuckers looked quite put out. Obvio I had a huge advantage with my fresh legs, but it was still might satisfying, I like to think they could hear the distinctive "whump whump" of my deep rims as I came up behind them...