Silly commuting racing

asprilla

Police speed checks on Sawyers Hill this morning. Obviously not looking for cyclists or I'd be a little lighter in the wallet right now.

il_principe

To the bloke ont he silver roadie with a white Condor Top, If you hadn't jumped red lights I'd have only scalped you once, instead I got to do it 3 times in a row. If you care enough about cycling to shave your legs, then you can at least stop at bloody red lights.

Pufftmw

Oh dear What a bad run in this morning...

After karate last night, it was chucking it down so I waterproofed up and got on the mtb for the ride home. I'd forgotten what a front fork, tyres @ 40psi & a comfy seat feels like but I was still drenched by the time I got to the g/f's. Loads of things in the wash last night but my shoes were still soaking this morning Into the server room now for a proper drying session.

So, the ride in...

Started off well enough, flew into Lewisham & Lewisham Way hill was despatched easy enough but as soon as I'd crested it, my legs felt completely wooden :? I was really struggling for gears and rythem - 6th was too light, 7 was too hard. I was still moving fast enough and caught up a couple of racers and I tried tailing one up the OKR. I looked around and found the other slipstreaming me but I was struggling. Eventually at Bricklayers the one I had been following just pulled away and the one behind put on a spurt and overtook me and him (not a problem as he was an RLJ). TBR was equally painful but no bugger took me over Tower Bridge but eventually arrived at the office totally spent :?

Was it the extra 7 or 8 lbs in weight, the extra rolling resistance of the tyres or just needing to let my body have a bit of time off?

Off to eat a banana

ketsbaia

Bit more action this morning. Showed a clean pair of tyres to a Dulwich Paragon rider on a blue alu Ribble and a chancer who RLJed on a Carrera road bike on the stretch of OKR between B&Q and Bricklayers Arms.

Carrera boy jumped the lights at Asda and pulled out a long lead, but was stymied by a bus at Trafalgar Avenue so I caught up and took him just after the Tesco. Fortunately, Paragon feller respected the rule of the road, so it was doubly satisfying to drop him a few times, only to have him catch up at the various lights I got stuck at.

Carrera boy got the jump on me at East Street due to poor clipping in on my part and built up a swift 50-metre lead, but I reeled him in to 10 yards by Lidl at which point I was doing 28, but I had to slow down for the lights at Bricklayers and he went straight on towards E&C.

Still, way more fun than usual.

No sign of Pufftmw, though. Was looking out for you as well.

lost_in_thought

What an absolutely stunning day! Cool, blazing sunshine, that fresh feeling where it's rained the night before... lovely.

My knees hurt like hell, unfortunately, in fact they're still hurting now. But I managed to suck it up and scalp a bloke on a road bike - black or charcoal grey, think it was branded 'principia' or something.

Then he came back at me, got lucky on a light which I'd been stopped at.

So I scalped him again.

:twisted:

Pufftmw

ketsbaia wrote:

No sign of Pufftmw, though. Was looking out for you as well.

See my post above - was on the Gary Fisher today and by the time I got to Lidl, my legs were concrete :? Probably about 09:00

Was looking out for you too

ketsbaia

Pufftmw wrote:

ketsbaia wrote:

No sign of Pufftmw, though. Was looking out for you as well.

See my post above - was on the Gary Fisher today and by the time I got to Lidl, my legs were concrete :? Probably about 09:00

Was looking out for you too

I didn't even see any mountain bikes, such was the speed I was going.

Would have been going through at around that time as well, but as I was chasing down Carrera boy, I really wasn't concentrating on anything else.

Pufftmw

There was no 3rd bike in the mix...

So close!

CXXC

ketsbaia wrote:

Bit more action this morning. Showed a clean pair of tyres to a Dulwich Paragon rider on a blue alu Ribble

Was he of asian-looking origin? if so I think I know the guy and may chirp him accordingly this evening

I'll be heading down the A21 this evening, will be hoping I don't have a chance encounter with Clever Pun, not that I know who he is or he I 8)

ketsbaia

No, definitely not of Asian origin.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

Police speed checks on Sawyers Hill this morning. Obviously not looking for cyclists or I'd be a little lighter in the wallet right now.

Ah, so you go that way.

Wrath Rob

To the larger looking chap in the black and white wife beater top (or tri-vest if you want to call it that) with clip on aero bars, no rucksack and no mudguards on Embankment last night at around 7pm, thanks for your scalp. I was especially pleased when you pushed past while I was waiting at the Chelsea Bridge lights and I got to scalp you again.

The other roadie I ran into last night had London Dynamo shorts and a (80's alert) Studio LIne look cycling top, all white, yellow and red squares. He was pretty quick, at least as fast as me. However he had a bad habit of overly anticipating the lights and opening a 10-20m gap, which I closed down each time but then ran out of passing speed and ended up being a bit of a drafting fairy. Must MTFU next time.

This morning I got overtaken just after Battersea Bridge, while lightly dozing, but managed to get on the guys wheel before making the pass stick after Chelsea. Nothing much more exciting to report apart from an older guy in a black and white Prologue top coming past me on Millbank and then turning left at Lambeth RB with no chance of a fight back. BTW, if you're on here, learn to use your hands to indicate, that way you'll start to gain a little respect from the other road users, rather than appearing like a selfish twunt. Sorry, it just irked me this am.

MonkeyMonster

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Police speed checks on Sawyers Hill this morning. Obviously not looking for cyclists or I'd be a little lighter in the wallet right now.

Ah, so you go that way.

Is it just me or did everyone else hear a very evil chuckle while reading this... with perhaps some hand rubbing together or white fluffy cat stroking...

rjsterry

Indeed a glorious morning. Split commute with a site meeting in Fulham again - the site is now very definitely a steel-toed boots area, so somehow managed to ram my site boots into my Crumpler. The extra 3kg slowed the acceleration a bit, but the dive down Trinity Road was fun.

Nothing to report on the latter half except a lovely ride along the Embankment in the sunshine. Legs feel nice and fresh for this evening as well.

asprilla

MonkeyMonster wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Police speed checks on Sawyers Hill this morning. Obviously not looking for cyclists or I'd be a little lighter in the wallet right now.

Ah, so you go that way.

Is it just me or did everyone else hear a very evil chuckle while reading this... with perhaps some hand rubbing together or white fluffy cat stroking...

It's worse than that, he scalps me whilst cackling and stroking said white cat. He's actually replaced the saddle on his Scott with a high backed swivel chair......

Actually, I vary my route though the park but I tend to go straight on at Kingston Gate rather than turn right.

Bassjunkieuk

rjsterry wrote:

Nothing to report on the latter half except a lovely ride along the Embankment in the sunshine. Legs feel nice and fresh for this evening as well.

And I was thinking of heading home via Embankment/The Drag Strip this evening, would be a bit out of the way as I'm working up at Euston Station at present........on the other hand I'll be on that route tomorrow so your probably safe for another day ;-)

Wrath Rob

Asprilla wrote:

Actually, I vary my route though the park but I tend to go straight on at Kingston Gate rather than turn right.

Wuss

:P

jonginge

Asprilla wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Police speed checks on Sawyers Hill this morning. Obviously not looking for cyclists or I'd be a little lighter in the wallet right now.

Ah, so you go that way.

Is it just me or did everyone else hear a very evil chuckle while reading this... with perhaps some hand rubbing together or white fluffy cat stroking...

It's worse than that, he scalps me whilst cacking and stroking said white cat. He's actually replaced the saddle on his Scott with a high backed swivel chair......

Actually, I vary my route though the park but I tend to go straight on at Kingston Gate rather than turn right.

:shock:

asprilla

Wrath Rob wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Actually, I vary my route though the park but I tend to go straight on at Kingston Gate rather than turn right.

Wuss

:P

Pfft, it's coming back that way's that's difficult, not going out that way. I like the long steady climb from Ham Gate to Richmond Gate rather Dark Hill. If I want short and sharp then I come back via Broomfield Hill.

JonGinge wrote:

:shock:

Must have been a fault with your quote, no typos in the original, no siriee......

cjcp

I'm not on the Scott atm*. What time do you tend to go through Kingston Gate?

Has anyone else found that when you try to get out early in the morning, time speeds up and you end up heading out at the same time? HTH does that happen?

*Might use it on Friday, subject to weather. I want to see what the carbon hoops are like along Embankment. I realise that this will put an almighty target on my back, but what the heck - let's see who fancies a visit to The Hurt Box on a Friday evening after a long week. :twisted:

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

I'm not on the Scott atm*. What time do you tend to go through Kingston Gate?

I aim to get to Kingston Gate at about 8, but it's usually between 8.10 and 8.15, an hour earlier on Tuesdays. I want to go an hour earlier on Thursdays as well to do a couple of laps of the park but I don't think that's going to happen every often.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

cjcp wrote:

I'm not on the Scott atm*. What time do you tend to go through Kingston Gate?

I aim to get to Kingston Gate at about 8, but it's usually between 8.10 and 8.15, an hour earlier on Tuesdays. I want to go an hour earlier on Thursdays as well to do a couple of laps of the park but I don't think that's going to happen every often.

You're usually a fraction behind me then. About 8:05 for me.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

I'm not on the Scott atm*. What time do you tend to go through Kingston Gate?

Has anyone else found that when you try to get out early in the morning, time speeds up and you end up heading out at the same time? HTH does that happen?

*Might use it on Friday, subject to weather. I want to see what the carbon hoops are like along Embankment. I realise that this will put an almighty target on my back, but what the heck - let's see who fancies a visit to The Hurt Box on a Friday evening after a long week. :twisted:

I reckon you start thinking, "Ooh, I'm a few minutes ahead of schedule; just time to squeeze in X before I go." And then X takes longer than you think, and your later than if you'd just taken it easy.

Oh, Friday Hurt Box sounds fun - can't pass up an opportunity like that. Might even put the mudguards on specially :twisted:

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

I'm not on the Scott atm*. What time do you tend to go through Kingston Gate?

Has anyone else found that when you try to get out early in the morning, time speeds up and you end up heading out at the same time? HTH does that happen?

*Might use it on Friday, subject to weather. I want to see what the carbon hoops are like along Embankment. I realise that this will put an almighty target on my back, but what the heck - let's see who fancies a visit to The Hurt Box on a Friday evening after a long week. :twisted:

I reckon you start thinking, "Ooh, I'm a few minutes ahead of schedule; just time to squeeze in X before I go." And then X takes longer than you think, and your later than if you'd just taken it easy.

Oh, Friday Hurt Box sounds fun - can't pass up an opportunity like that. Might even put the mudguards on specially :twisted:

Tremendous. Listen out for a blissful "whirring" sound.

Libraio

Jippy!!! First proper SCR action since I've started commuting by bike 1 year ago. As I set of at the light a man on a Cervelo went past and I thought 'Lets have a go'. He was a proper roadie with shaven legs (like a girl?), lycra, clipless, the lot. Took me 100 yards to reach his rear wheel, I then wound up the revs and passed him only to see him again when he RLJ'ed at the next set of light 1 kilometer down the road. I was on my hybridised Trek District with fenders, platforms, Alfine rear hub, wearing baggies, a dress shirt and trainers. On my back I had my laptop/ messenger bag and he didn't have a chance. To bad everyone commutes on shoppers around here, I could get used to this game.

Libraio

cjcp

Cracking ride home tonight with King Donut. Joined him just after Blackfriars. Bit of tit-for-tat all the way to the NKR with The Ultimate Commuting Machine I saw last week.

redvee

Was sat at a set of lights this morning and heard the familiar clipless clunk so had to ride rather than pootle for the first mile. Not sure where he turned off but he wasn't at the next set of lights unless I left him for dead. Why do peds assume that you will be shooting through a red light on a ped crosssing? There is a busy ped crossing that I have to use on the way home that always has panicking peds when I stop on the white line in the ASL especially when they try to cross the road and find 15 stone of rider with 21lbs of bike in their way

jonginge

Got done between Vauxhall bridge lights and CB by a chap on a red Cinelli. Ok he had no baggage but he looked so easy at ~28mph. I dug in and could keep his wheel but I had nothing more. Impressive.

blu3cat

Today was shocking at work, and so decided to take it out on my pedals on the way home.

And then got my scalp gently, yet forcefully prized from me.

So if you were the gentleman on an Cervelo coming via Wood Lane through to Putney. I kept up in your draft (me red castelli top, grey Giant Defy), but couldn't get round you, or keep that speed up without a drag. My Speedo was playing up, although is felt like 40kph when you slowly pulled away from the front.

I presume you were SCRing as we were the only 2 people stopping at pedestrian reds..

I doff my hat to you.

asprilla

I got a chapeau on the way home tonight; I overtook a chap in the bus lane on Fulham Palace Road and put the hammer down hitting 45kph one the way past. Stopped at the next lights and he pulls up, complements me on my pace. First time that's happened.