Silly commuting racing

Mr Plum

redvee wrote:

Mr Plum wrote:

Almost crashed into the back of a car as I was perving on a jaw droppingly fit girl running in a skin tight 3/4 triathlon suit

Guilty of above but without the near-miss but did get caught out by the focus of my attention when she looked around :oops: Sunglasses saved my skin though

Ah good move on the glasses - I should start wearing mine more, purely for the sun though, for such encounters with lycra wearing runners are few and far between, unfortunately

rjsterry

Got to have my Achy Friday Legs Specia. Coming off LBR, a chap in civvies and trainers, but riding waht turned out to be a dark blue De Rosa scoots past, so obvious;y I have to respond... only, he's actually going at a fair old lick. I rummage around in my jersey pocket and manage to find the last scraps of MTFU for this week and make the pass as we go past the Millbank tower. The down draft seems not too bad so I push on, but as I wind down for the VB lights, he comes back through. While we wait at the lights, I notice that hiding under his rolled up jeans are shaved calves that resemble shrink-wrapped pebbles - nice try, but the disguise isn't fooling me. I let him lead into DSC, then as the road starts to bank right, give it some



And then hang on with gritted teeth until CB, where I am relieved to see he goes straight on as I turn left. Legs absolutely torched after that so enforced pootling thereafter.

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

Got to have my Achy Friday Legs Specia. Coming off LBR, a chap in civvies and trainers, but riding waht turned out to be a dark blue De Rosa scoots past, so obvious;y I have to respond... only, he's actually going at a fair old lick. I rummage around in my jersey pocket and manage to find the last scraps of MTFU for this week and make the pass as we go past the Millbank tower. The down draft seems not too bad so I push on, but as I wind down for the VB lights, he comes back through. While we wait at the lights, I notice that hiding under his rolled up jeans are shaved calves that resemble shrink-wrapped pebbles - nice try, but the disguise isn't fooling me. I let him lead into DSC, then as the road starts to bank right, give it some



And then hang on with gritted teeth until CB, where I am relieved to see he goes straight on as I turn left. Legs absolutely torched after that so enforced pootling thereafter.

Have seen this guy a few times over the last couple of years. Had a very brief chat with him to comment on his speed - he always wears exactly what you describe. He sounds Polish-ish. Quick and no mistake.

From just after the turn off for WBR all the way to the Ham Gate turning, I rode with a chap from Teddington, after a taxi came waaaaaaaay too close to taking me out on the first right bend as you pass Parson's Green. We then both have a close encounter on Bolan Death Crash Bridge - his closer! - with a driver who, it transpired (after an exchange of views with the other rider), only last rode a bike on Tuesday. Apparently, we were wobbling over the road. The road in question is Queen's Ride. Those on here who ride it will appreciate that dodging the appalling ruts in the road does not constitute wobbling.

There really are some berks alive.

Did an extra lap of RP, with an additional stretch from Ham Gate to Richmond Gate. I wasn't going to do the extra lap, but there was a chap drafting me as I approached Kingston Gate roundabout and couldn't resist turning up Dark Hill to see if he'd pass.

He did not. I think I managed to drop him on the second kick.

Legs now very buggered, mind.

Wrath Rob

That headwind sucked/blew big time. So bad in fact that the other 2 roadies I was with (black shorts,white top and the other guy was N.American in an orange top w. blue shorts) called off SCR and we got a chain gang going from VB all the way to Lotts Road. Taking my turn at the front and doing 23mph into the teeth of the gale was hell, I've never been so glad to have another rider come past me on my commute home!

gaz545

Some fun on friday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlcmn0RIwQA
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BZAWQ-30_s

redvee

gaz545 wrote:

Some fun on friday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlcmn0RIwQA

Maybe the mtb'er has seen these in the past?

According to the severe weather warning issued by the met office, it'll be a wet 'un tomorrow as it was tonight when I went out. Went out in the dry and within 2 mins of home the rain started but kept up the 'rain don't hurt face' and clocked up a wet 10 miles.

Wrath Rob

gaz545 wrote:

Some fun on friday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlcmn0RIwQA
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BZAWQ-30_s

Assuming your speedo is accurate (not that I have any reason to doubt it given how well you were keeping up with the cars) that's a pair of pretty impressive legs you must be sporting. I can get to 30 but unless I'm drafting there's no way I can hold it there for more than a few seconds. Must try harder!

gaz545

Wrath Rob wrote:

gaz545 wrote:

Some fun on friday
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlcmn0RIwQA
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BZAWQ-30_s

Assuming your speedo is accurate (not that I have any reason to doubt it given how well you were keeping up with the cars) that's a pair of pretty impressive legs you must be sporting. I can get to 30 but unless I'm drafting there's no way I can hold it there for more than a few seconds. Must try harder!

GPS signal wasn't strong, so my speed isn't fluctuating as much as it is in the videos, doing between 28 - 32mph in each.

cjcp

Gaz - your comment on the Cycle Superhighways was published in C+ this month. This may be old news. :-)

pitchshifter

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

Aidy

New shiny bike in today, noone was overtaking me

flamite

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I like it, it keeps the drafting fairies away, had to do some work for a change??

asprilla

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I came in on the fixed this morning for that very reason.

I'd forgotten how relaxing, how much fun and how quick fixed is since she's been in mothballs for the last four months. Journey took a while as there were a few squeeks and rubs to sort, but I remembered how much I enjoyed it.

Only problem I have with guards is that they are a pain when you need to get the wheel off track-ends. At the moment this means I've got a massive amount of clearance between wheel and guard, which I bet looks silly, but since it's behind me I don't care.

rjsterry

(Tail end of yesterday's cold + daughter up half the night) x wet slippery roads = pootle

pitchshifter

flamite wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I like it, it keeps the drafting fairies away, had to do some work for a change??

Yes. I am the drafting fairy, on my single speed anyway

Pufftmw

I'm back

Took my old commuter on holiday but it was raining in Ireland most of the time so didn't really get out due to lashings of rain. This meant that I was gagging to go for a ride when I got back to London yesterday so took the racer down to Lewisham so as to be able to ride in this morning. It is excellent to be back in the saddle on the ride in this morning but a bit of a headwind slowed me down a tad. Couple of nice looking SS and racers but no competition! OKR is obviously too boring either that or the people on it are for SCR I even thought that I might get a bit of a race up over Tower Bridge but no-one went for it. Hopefully there will be some on the way back this evening...

itboffin

I'm a broken man, 17.5 miles of utter pain, climbing with pannier's is hard esp with this duff shoulder ;-(

gaz545

cjcp wrote:

Gaz - your comment on the Cycle Superhighways was published in C+ this month. This may be old news. :-)

Yar I saw. I was on the ride with the reporter as well. The moment that a guy went up the inside of a bus as it was pulling away from some light was ekkk!

cjcp

pitchshifter wrote:

flamite wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I like it, it keeps the drafting fairies away, had to do some work for a change??

Yes. I am the drafting fairy, on my single speed anyway

What do you PS? And what time do you ride in and out?

@Gaz - yeah, raised my eyebrows just reading it.

soundninjauk

Very quiet this morning. Might have been something to do with the fairly epic weather. Fortunately the rain stopped just as I wandered out of my front door and down to the bike shed. How's that for meant to be?

Constantly swapped places with another yellow jacketed chap on a hybrid this morning, even as we had to get off and walk around a traffic accident on the road up to Bayswater from Shepherds Bush (looked like a motorbike had skidded into the back of a parked Merc). Still even after my rather unusually energetic weekend cycling laps around London (the things we do for cycling related films) I managed to drop him as we turned into Hyde Park and across Park Lane.

notsoblue

soundninjauk wrote:

(the things we do for cycling related films)

Hmm?

Btw, what time do you usually pass Shepherds Bush Green?

soundninjauk

notsoblue wrote:

soundninjauk wrote:

(the things we do for cycling related films)

Hmm?

Btw, what time do you usually pass Shepherds Bush Green?

In retrospect, that made it sound more important than it is. Me and a friend are making a short film promoting cycling in London for a TFL competition. This involved getting up horribly early and covering quite a lot of ground in an attempt to make cycling look good.

As for Shepherds Bush Green, I would say somewhere around 0725/0730 on the days that I'm in work.

notsoblue

soundninjauk wrote:

In retrospect, that made it sound more important than it is. Me and a friend are making a short film promoting cycling in London for a TFL competition. This involved getting up horribly early and covering quite a lot of ground in an attempt to make cycling look good.

Ahh gotcha. Good luck!

pitchshifter

cjcp wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

flamite wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I like it, it keeps the drafting fairies away, had to do some work for a change??

Yes. I am the drafting fairy, on my single speed anyway

What do you PS? And what time do you ride in and out?

PS?? Leave Richmond around 8, Trafalgar square by 8:40.

Leave at 17:00 for a fight with the wind..

Been in Richmond two weeks and have yet to have a blast around the park. Maybe tonight :roll: ...

asprilla

Asprilla wrote:

I came in on the fixed this morning for that very reason.

I'd forgotten how relaxing, how much fun and how quick fixed is

I retract the above statements.

cjcp

pitchshifter wrote:

cjcp wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

flamite wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

I wish everyone had mudguards on mornings like today.

I like it, it keeps the drafting fairies away, had to do some work for a change??

Yes. I am the drafting fairy, on my single speed anyway

What do you PS? And what time do you ride in and out?

PS?? Leave Richmond around 8, Trafalgar square by 8:40.

Leave at 17:00 for a fight with the wind..

Been in Richmond two weeks and have yet to have a blast around the park. Maybe tonight :roll: ...

D'oh! Meant to say "What time do you ride, PS?". I leave Kingston around 8am. Fair chance we'll see each other on the way in.

rjsterry

We-hell, that was eventful. Got shoulder barged by a motorcyclist as I pulled away from the lights to turn right from Moorgate into Gresham St, just so he could get 5 yards ahead of me. I consoled myself with the thought that judging by the shape of him, he's probably not seen his c0ck in years without the aid of a mirror. :evil:

A bit fired up after that, so hit Upper Thames St fairly hard, pushing a nice big gear through the tunnel continued at a reasonable pace along the Embankment, picking up a drafting fairy somewhere around Temple. I wasn't sure at first, but he was definitely hugging my wheel by the time we got to PS. Pushed on out of the square, past LBR and down Millbank, and he was still right behind me. Hmmm.

Pulling away from VB lights, a Bentley convertible was taking his time, so I nipped in front and accelerated hard. Bentley driver didn't like that; or when I pulled around the slower moving mini peloton ahead in DSC - more beeping and shouting. Got stopped at the next lights, and Bentley driver (slicked back hair, blue blazer, expensive sunglasses, you know he type) shouts that I should signal if I'm going to overtake. Well, in retrospect, that was probably a fair comment - not sure he would have made the same fuss over another car, but still. Told off by Mrs RJS as well :oops:

Anyhoo, the lights go green, and we set off again, and I'm immediately aware that the drafting fairy is still there, so I give it some



but I can still hear that he's right on my wheel. A quick shoulder check, and he's so close that I can't see his front wheel. I'm starting to get a bit annoyed as the sun is really low, and I don't want ot have to brake suddenly if I'm dazzled. He sticks with me to CB, where he pulls along side on a flat bar Lapierre road bike with Mavic wheels. He does offer a complement on my speed (for someone without shaved legs ) but I really don't like people drafting that close.

cjcp

+1. Wave 'em past. 30 seconds to a minute in the wind usually sorts them out. If they don't like the headwind, there's always the train.

rjsterry

Annoyed I couldn't shake him - he really was close enough to read the label on my shorts. Would have been nice for him to do a turn at least.

Stelvio_W

Anyone here wear a State of California Flag jersey?

Or did you hit the drag strip last night just after six, and rides a decathlon branded bike that could do with some oil?

Both were happy to sit in behind me, but I do admit when at the lights they crept forward I sat behind then for a few seconds before putting on the aftersburners, jumping free only to be stopped at the next set of lights and them catch up again,

Hey ho, would rather be out front. You are never going to get any better if you sit back.