Silly commuting racing

MonkeyMonster

cjcp wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Chat...

Nope, just allowing for a later departure than 5.40, which is what happened last night.

Roger Roger. Seeya there then.

mrc1

I did some laps of Regents Park this morning so added in the Embankment on the way into work. Nothing notable in terms of SCR but I saw an absolutely crazy bit of drafting.

8.40 - a guy on a slicked up MTB. I was stopped at the lights just before entering the tunnel heading east behind one of those massive construction truck things. We set off and as we are rolling away the MTB bloke appears and then sits literally a couple of inches off the back of the construction lorry directly in the middle of it for the entirety of the tunnel.

Due to his positioning the MTB guy couldnt see anything in front of him and the lorry driver certainly wont have been able to see him. If the lorry had even backed off the MTB guy would have been into the back of it. If the lorry had have braked for whatever reason they would have been peeling the guy off the back of it or even worse.....

Mr Plum

mrc1 wrote:

8.40 - a guy on a slicked up MTB. I was stopped at the lights just before entering the tunnel heading east behind one of those massive construction truck things. We set off and as we are rolling away the MTB bloke appears and then sits literally a couple of inches off the back of the construction lorry directly in the middle of it for the entirety of the tunnel.

Due to his positioning the MTB guy couldnt see anything in front of him and the lorry driver certainly wont have been able to see him. If the lorry had even backed off the MTB guy would have been into the back of it. If the lorry had have braked for whatever reason they would have been peeling the guy off the back of it or even worse.....

I'm guilty of this behind busses round my way, although I'm always 4 - 5 ft off the back - plenty of room for sudden stops but still maintaining a glorious draft. Makes such a difference though, cruising at 28 with no effort. Always keeping an eye on the brake lights...

Gussio

Asprilla wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

Does that head wind ever give up from Central London to Richmond?

Nope, and it doesn't matter which direction you are travelling in either.

The headwind has been bad enough for me to run to and from work today.

Aidy

Back on the bike, after various holidays.

I'd forgotten what a good start to the day it was, definitely lost a bit of fitness, but still not overtaken

Greg T

Gussio wrote:

The headwind has been bad enough for me to run to and from work today.

Er....

If you work in town....

That's 15 miles each way....

Gussio

Greg T wrote:

Gussio wrote:

The headwind has been bad enough for me to run to and from work today.

Er....

If you work in town....

That's 15 miles each way....

Richmond to Victoria, 8 miles each way. Just about manageable so long as I run at a reasonable pace. Have 2 marathons coming up in Autumn so need to get the running miles in. When travelling by foot you get a good appreciation of how many bikes there are on the roads these days, which is nice. You passed me just before Putney Bridge this morning at about 0730.

notsoblue

Gussio wrote:

Richmond to Victoria, 8 miles each way. Just about manageable so long as I run at a reasonable pace.

Kudos! I'm gearing up to run to work one day a week over the winter period. Only 7ish miles each way for me, but its something I need to build up to. I wonder if there is any SCR for runners...

Gussio

notsoblue wrote:

Gussio wrote:

Richmond to Victoria, 8 miles each way. Just about manageable so long as I run at a reasonable pace.

Kudos! I'm gearing up to run to work one day a week over the winter period. Only 7ish miles each way for me, but its something I need to build up to. I wonder if there is any SCR for runners...

I dread seeing other runners and being forced to race Earlier this summer I ran alongside someone who was running between Leatherhead and Regent St, just over 20miles :shock:

Top tip, if a little obvious, is to bring as much stuff into work as possible the day before when on the bike, to reduce weight in rucksack when running.

asprilla

Gussio wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Gussio wrote:

Richmond to Victoria, 8 miles each way. Just about manageable so long as I run at a reasonable pace.

Kudos! I'm gearing up to run to work one day a week over the winter period. Only 7ish miles each way for me, but its something I need to build up to. I wonder if there is any SCR for runners...

I dread seeing other runners and being forced to race Earlier this summer I ran alongside someone who was running between Leatherhead and Regent St, just over 20miles :shock:

Top tip, if a little obvious, is to bring as much stuff into work as possible the day before when on the bike, to reduce weight in rucksack when running.

I used to run from waterloo to wapping every morning, which isn't that far, but at 7.30 it's SCR for runners.

Wrath Rob

MonkeyMonster wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

Anyone on here ride a dark grey hybrid and was wearing a red face mask and a Northwave skeleton cycling top this morning? You set a good pace before I took a turn at the front and didn't see you again ( and not through me burning off into the distance, by any stretch of my imagination!)

MonkeyMonster?

Indeed - what were you riding? The only thing that over took me this morning was a boardman (I think) and you over took post millbank lights and I go off at the next bridge to lambeth

Heyhey! That was indeed me. Grey top and a hi-viz ruck sack cover. You were putting on a good turn of speed and I was mildly hampered at each set of lights as I refuse to change down below the 4th cog on the rear and suffer if someone uses the full range of theirs.

CXXC

Asprilla wrote:

Gussio wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Gussio wrote:

Richmond to Victoria, 8 miles each way. Just about manageable so long as I run at a reasonable pace.

Kudos! I'm gearing up to run to work one day a week over the winter period. Only 7ish miles each way for me, but its something I need to build up to. I wonder if there is any SCR for runners...

I dread seeing other runners and being forced to race Earlier this summer I ran alongside someone who was running between Leatherhead and Regent St, just over 20miles :shock:

Top tip, if a little obvious, is to bring as much stuff into work as possible the day before when on the bike, to reduce weight in rucksack when running.

I used to run from waterloo to wapping every morning, which isn't that far, but at 7.30 it's SCR for runners.

I ran in this morning too, only 10km but plenty of SCR alongside the river. I always admire the number of bikes going past, for some reason makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Anyways reason for running and not riding is because I want to fully enjoy the live 80s music tonight in CW

MonkeyMonster

Wrath Rob wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

Indeed - what were you riding? The only thing that over took me this morning was a boardman (I think) and you over took post millbank lights and I go off at the next bridge to lambeth

Heyhey! That was indeed me. Grey top and a hi-viz ruck sack cover. You were putting on a good turn of speed and I was mildly hampered at each set of lights as I refuse to change down below the 4th cog on the rear and suffer if someone uses the full range of theirs.

In that case we were game on from the first straight bit of embankment... Will try to remember to wave hello next time. You are also the chapeau in my first post of day

Chapeau to boardman rider who didn't want me to keep his, overtaking me slowly at 29/30 or so Very Happy

Origamist

Chap on a Genesis Skyline kept me honest this morning. Had to nudge 150rpm (definite tailwind) to pass on the approach to Stockwell tube.

MonkeyMonster

so on top of tailing that female fixed rower through putney I had messers CJ and Donut to chase clockwise... Cheer chaps!

Hope I didn't slow you down too much.

asprilla

MonkeyMonster wrote:

so on top of tailing that female fixed rower through putney I had messers CJ and Donut to chase clockwise... Cheer chaps!

Hope I didn't slow you down too much.

I hit the cafe at 6.30. Must have just missed you guys.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

so on top of tailing that female fixed rower through putney I had messers CJ and Donut to chase clockwise... Cheer chaps!

Hope I didn't slow you down too much.

I hit the cafe at 6.30. Must have just missed you guys.

By a nat's gonad. D'oh! I arrived at the Park at 6.25, and we set off about 6.30.

That was a good ride, too. Good to catch up. KD's seat post is half the size of my seat tube :shock: .

Legs are a bit spent. I need to pootle tomorrow morning.

MonkeyMonster

cjcp wrote:

KD's seat post is half the size of my seat tube :shock: .

The man's an ent and has a giant redwood for that seat tube!

edit: ps - man sorry bout that asprilla, we didn't know and so beetled off once donut had stuffed his face on a bar after already doing 2 ac laps - the nutcase

asprilla

I wasn't planning on meeting up and I stopped on Priory Lane to talk to a chap who had just ended up on someone's bonnet. I didn't see it but he called out when someone coming the otherway turned across me. They left me a smidgen more space than the previous person had left him.

He was ok. But his front wheel was a very odd shape but just about rideable.

cjcp

Asprilla wrote:

I wasn't planning on meeting up and I stopped on Priory Lane to talk to a chap who had just ended up on someone's bonnet. I didn't see it but he called out when someone coming the otherway turned across me. They left me a smidgen more space than the previous person had left him.

He was ok. But his front wheel was a very odd shape but just about rideable.

Yikes. Was that at the little roundabout?

asprilla

cjcp wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

I wasn't planning on meeting up and I stopped on Priory Lane to talk to a chap who had just ended up on someone's bonnet. I didn't see it but he called out when someone coming the otherway turned across me. They left me a smidgen more space than the previous person had left him.

He was ok. But his front wheel was a very odd shape but just about rideable.

Yikes. Was that at the little roundabout?

No, it was at the junction before that, onto Clarence Lane.

gbsahne001

so goin up a hill, spy what I take to be a nodder in the distance on a better bike; speed up to overtake and he's nowhere to be seen..... but wait there he is, and I'm not gaining.

So, crank it up and I'm now balls out at 26mph for a mile until I do catch him; so sweet to sail past, drop it a gear and accelerate away.

chapeau to my scalp though, (on the A4), don't see many people with your legs on the road.

Clever Pun

Had planned on taking it easy after the hard work in MMA training, so all of a sudden there's another 4 riders around me and it's game on each of us take a turn at the front after overtaking the others trying to make a break away when the other fixed rider kicked I went with him and the others were toast... I then managed to drop the final rider going up a slight hill... very pleasing

Later on a roadie (fresh and out for an evening ride) drops me like a stone from nowhere, I up it and give chase and manage to stay with him after a mile I manage to pass and drop him... this may have been because he slowed to answer his mobile or a cheeky baily out clause.

Wrath Rob

MonkeyMonster wrote:

In that case we were game on from the first straight bit of embankment... Will try to remember to wave hello next time. You are also the chapeau in my first post of day

Chapeau to boardman rider who didn't want me to keep his, overtaking me slowly at 29/30 or so Very Happy

Yup, that's where we met up alright. I wasn't really in the mood this morning hence the slow overtake. I have to say I've not been in love with cycle commuting all of this week. No idea why but the thought of riding home tonight was depressing I need my commuting mojo back!

Bassjunkieuk

I think I may have passed Cafewanda on the way home on Wednesday, at least I hope it was her otherwise I may have seriously put the spooks up another female rider with a Lance-esque stare as I passed them :shock:

Asides from some twunt in L1 at the VB lights in his oh-so-original Porsche Boxster 4S (the one every banker has......) who was texting on his BB and then promptly nearly ran me over when the lights changed - I was sitting between L1 and 2, silly me assuming L1 was for left turn over bridge.

Found a couple of decent riders heading down QTR, held the both of them off on the first cross-road split but they both then proceeded to RLJ through the temp lights at the hill :-(

After that my only competitor was the wind which seemed rather relentless. That coupled with a slight feeling of not being hydrated meant the rest of the ride was rather more effort then it should have been!

cjcp

Wrath Rob wrote:

I wasn't really in the mood this morning hence the slow overtake. I have to say I've not been in love with cycle commuting all of this week. No idea why but the thought of riding home tonight was depressing I need my commuting mojo back!

Pootle in and just enjoy it. And think of how skanky tubes and trains are when it's warm.

MonkeyMonster

Wrath Rob wrote:

MonkeyMonster wrote:

In that case we were game on from the first straight bit of embankment... Will try to remember to wave hello next time. You are also the chapeau in my first post of day

Chapeau to boardman rider who didn't want me to keep his, overtaking me slowly at 29/30 or so Very Happy

Yup, that's where we met up alright. I wasn't really in the mood this morning hence the slow overtake. I have to say I've not been in love with cycle commuting all of this week. No idea why but the thought of riding home tonight was depressing I need my commuting mojo back!

Slow overtake... Dude I was going about 28/29 if you'd over taken at speed the sonic boom would have knocked me off I WISH I could have cycled in today - but have bags for going up to parents. *sob*

notsoblue

Last night ended up being a late one, didn't leave the office till about 10pm. Was actually quite a relaxing ride all the way home without all the traffic. Managed an average speed of about 17.8mph which is relatively high considering I was just pootling. On my route home, during rush hour, that average is usually only achievable by going balls out after every set of lights and lots of sketchy filtering. Analysed my ride last night and the velocity-time graph is noticeably different. Normally I can identify a distinct SCR profile between sets of lights, where theres a spike in the high 20s, followed by a slow decline in speed before another stop. Last night showed a more even profile. No significant difference in average speeds though.

So really, going hell for leather on a commute only gets you to the front of the commuter bunch faster. But in the end, surely, thats all that really matters?

cjcp

I had no option but to pootle this morning. Nothing in the tank whatsoever. I put a little dig in on Millbank to see how the legs felt and the answer was "not very good. please stop." So, back to pootling. Fortunately, a chap on a blue Ribble seemed to have the same idea and showed some mercy.

Came across some absolutely c0ck-end of a HGV driver, who thought it was acceptable not to stop at the junction after the B'friars Tunnel. We exchanged some pleasantries and blew him a couple of kisses.

asprilla

Proper brown trousers moment this morning; coming down Hampton Court Road towards Kingston, in the cycle lane and doing about 37kph when a van parked on the right (but facing the same way as me) decides that he wants to turn into one of the driveways on my side of the road.

I slammed the anchors on and a combination of him seeing me at the last minute and me holding it together enough to go up the drop kerb he was aiming for avoided a nasty inccident.

Can you guess what his first words were when he wound down the window?