Silly commuting racing

cjcp

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

After a couple of weeks of my chain constantly skipping under power and having "will it/won't it" shifting, the Bike Whisperer has replaced my chain (1% on the wear gauge..), cassette and done some fettling and I have had my faith in campag restored.

Giving me second thoughts about the upcoming switch to DA... :oops:

Hmm. My chain was skipping like a kangaroo on speed this morning. Bumped into G66 at VB lights and, after mentioning that I'd changed my cassette, rear mech and chainset last night, but not my chain (because I'm a dupper), he suggested I fit a new chain.

Definitely put a new chain on as the old one will munch all the lovely new gubbins!

Anything exciting upgrade wise or are they utility parts?

Yep - I'm off to Evans shortly.

It was the first half of the installation of the 105 groupset I bought for the commuter. I couldn't sleep last night, so got up and decided to get started. Should hopefully get the shifters and new cables done this weekend. The old kit is going on the crosser.

Wrath Rob

cjcp wrote:

Saw that, too. He'd burned through a red earlier on, near PS, I think :roll: . I had a quick chat with the chap he hit, who seemed remarkably good-humoured about it.

I don't think I'd have been that good humoured. I was 3rd in line and only just managed to avoid them both by pulling out to the right. If something had been accelerating hard behind it might have been a bit more unpleasant.

cjcp

Wrath Rob wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Saw that, too. He'd burned through a red earlier on, near PS, I think :roll: . I had a quick chat with the chap he hit, who seemed remarkably good-humoured about it.

I don't think I'd have been that good humoured. I was 3rd in line and only just managed to avoid them both by pulling out to the right. If something had been accelerating hard behind it might have been a bit more unpleasant.

Me, too. I immediately thought "prat" in light of his RLJing.

fidbod

Are any of the SCR peoples to be found of CS6 of a morning or is it all north of the river?

UndercoverElephant

Had a near fatal bout of man-flu this week so I have been on mega-pootle all week. Have been trying to keep the effort down to a level where I can still breathe through my nose, so as to not completely wreck my lungs. I even decided to not alter my route to chase a roadie yesterday - I was in *that* bad a way.

This morning, with about a mile or so still to go, I noticed a roadie up ahead. Tall fellow, wearing a blue jacket and tights (must have been a bit warm). "What the hell", I say, "I'm feeling a lot better". So I wind up the pace to a nice, warmish 27 mph and fly past him with the cheeky, "Good morning!". Hold the pace till I turn off at the lights where I work. he reaches the lights a good 10s behind me, looking close to death. He's obviously given it some to catch me.

Arrived in the office beaming from ear to ear.

Wrath Rob

UE, nice to hear you're back in the game

nich

Gosh there were some fast ones along the A21 towards Bromey this evening. I lost.

Bassjunkieuk

Earlier then usual finish today saw me leaving the office around 4:30 and making good progress down Gower Street and then threading my way through to Traf. Sq and down to PS. Nice little diversion on the way home as I'd arranged to drop Team SCR's vouchers from the TFL challenge off to the selected charity (Wheels for Wellbeing) who's HQ is in Brixton :-)

Really nice people doing some excellent work to get those who wouldn't normally be able to get on traditional bikes onto 2/3/4 wheels :-) I really should visit them as they hold a session on Saturday mornings not far from my house......

Anyhow back to the SCR and I've come to a stark conclusion; 1 litre of fizzy shite in the afternoon does not make for a pleasant commute home - I blame Sainsbury and there BOGOF offer that can be combined with the meal deal! Both yesterday and today I was held off my another rider who was just as quick or marginally quicker then me and I had no "omph" to try a pass. This evenings rider had some of the most impressive calves I've ever seen and I ended up getting a pretty good look at them from 1-2 bike lengths behind......got past him in traffic in Streatham as I came back via the A23, but only because of filtering and me getting a better line, so no scalp.

Tomorrow I drink juice or water.......but then it is Friday so possibly pub lunch :-D

mrc1

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

cjcp

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

mrc1

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

cjcp

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

Thank God for that!

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

Quite. I'm over in St Katherine's Dock now. What about you? There's always the Morpeth for a pint, too.

roger_merriman

After nice ride around Esher Woods I needed to meet my wife in kingston in about 10 mins so running late, so needed to make those knobblies really roll.

As I I roared down Portsmouth Road, as the MTB has full on mud tires really was roared... good vibrations as well heh.

any how I spot a bike far in the distance as I pass under the railway bridge, he hits the greens just and I get reds so I have to real him in a few times, once I get within 30ft he ups his speed, and glances back. mud tires not being stealthy! as I close even further he drops to the well drops on his old tourer.

I continue to slowly gain but run out of road.

no scalp but I made him work to keep the wolf from the door!

darn good fun!

mrc1

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

Thank God for that!

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

Quite. I'm over in St Katherine's Dock now. What about you? There's always the Morpeth for a pint, too.

Just over the river from you. Assuming work plays ball I should be able to make a pint tomorrow at the morpeth if you are around?

cjcp

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

Thank God for that!

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

Quite. I'm over in St Katherine's Dock now. What about you? There's always the Morpeth for a pint, too.

Just over the river from you. Assuming work plays ball I should be able to make a pint tomorrow at the morpeth if you are around?

Tidy. I'll get a pass from Mrs CJ.

mrc1

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

Thank God for that!

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

Quite. I'm over in St Katherine's Dock now. What about you? There's always the Morpeth for a pint, too.

Just over the river from you. Assuming work plays ball I should be able to make a pint tomorrow at the morpeth if you are around?

Tidy. I'll get a pass from Mrs CJ.

Nice one - I'll confirm tomorrow. What is the normal lock situation at the Morpeth?

cjcp

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

mrc1 wrote:

Had some fun racing a bloke on a 125 moped along holloway road tonight. Managed to hold him off at around 30mph from the stretch between highbury corner and holloway road station. At the lights he lifted the bottom half of his helmet and said "Bloody hell mate you dont hang around. That's some serious speed" to which I laughed and said thanks 8) I took off from the lights and was hoping for another stretch of racing but I assume he turned off as I didn't see him again.

Pootled up Highgate Hill afterwards though.....

Nice work! Were you on the Pearson?

God no - on the Ciocc. It's earning it's keep as RAAM training means pre work rides most days.

Thank God for that!

BTW it's criminal that we still haven't met up so we should sort a drink/Borough Market pie out soon.

Quite. I'm over in St Katherine's Dock now. What about you? There's always the Morpeth for a pint, too.

Just over the river from you. Assuming work plays ball I should be able to make a pint tomorrow at the morpeth if you are around?

Tidy. I'll get a pass from Mrs CJ.

Nice one - I'll confirm tomorrow. What is the normal lock situation at the Morpeth?

JG to the thread, please!

I'll bring a couple of d-locks.

rjsterry

Passed a chap in full SaxoBank kit on an S-Works with posh Mavic wheels along Millbank this evening. We met up at VB, then he led down to CB, but didn't open up much of a gap. Particularly satisfying, but glad to be back on the Giant tomorrow.

If all goes according to plan tomorrow, I may be available for a Morpeth pint myself, if I may.

jonginge

MA? Demain? C'est un peu difficile. Désolé

cjcp

JonGinge wrote:

MA? Demain? C'est un peu difficile. Désolé

But, but, you rode to Condor for spacers. Surely the Morpeth for beer is worthy of a ride?

jonginge

cjcp wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

MA? Demain? C'est un peu difficile. Désolé

But, but, you rode to Condor for spacers. Surely the Morpeth for beer is worthy of a ride?

It's all a question of priorities. I think you'll find I rode there twice. One of those times it was open. And they didn't even have the spacers in the requisite colour. Gah.

As it goes I will be riding into town but I'll be cliqueing it up at another venue

UndercoverElephant

Well after the joy of mugging someone on the final mile yesterday morning, my man-flu ridden lungs suffered the horrible sight of being overtaken in the first mile this morning. OK, I was warming up at the time, and gave chase.

I've not seen this guy before: very nice Principa steed, quick-step top and a fricking chainring tattooed on his calf. Yes, a chainring tattoo. Judging by the size of his calf, it may well have been a straight stencil job with a 53T.

I caught up and we chatted about our respective bikes, he was going way too fast for my fragile condition, but I clung on for the next four miles or so, either chatting side-by-side or him taking the lead. At that point I made the mistake of trying a stretch at the front and embarrassingly blew-up. He dropped me like a stone. For the next three miles, I could keep him in sight, but couldn't close the gap.

Chapeau, Sir. I hope to do better when we next meet.

cjcp

Was pootling in nicely, minding my own business as I approached DSC, when, all of a sudden, there's a drafting fairy on my wheel. I continue to pootle. We hit queuing traffic at the end of DSC and the fairy, together with a gaggle of other bikes, hop onto the pavement. Grrr.

Get to VB lights and said fairy creeps at the lights with a roadie and they're well ahead by the time we get to green. Only one thing for it.

Bagged them and was gone before they knew what had happened, then made a scooter use a little more fuel to keep his scalp. That wasn't very green of me, was it? :twisted:

MonkeyMonster

Morning all! Well thanks all the pavement pansies for going off piste and then arranging yourselves nicely ready for me once I'd filtered safely though milliseconds behind in the asl. It was a lovely multi-scalp hat

Sun is shining, my crank isn't creaking so much, pub lunch somewhere in borough market, Morpeth later and its the weekend tomorrow. That and I rode in today. Does it get much better

lost_in_thought

Ugh shut up MM I have the hangover from HELL.

rjsterry

<sigh of contentment>

Started the day with a bit of fettling - put the repaired rear wheel back on (and in the process spotted that the third sprocket is missing two teeth. Eh?) and fitted the new pedals - then set off into the glorious sunshine. Spent the first few minutes wondering whether the fettling fairies had lowered my bars as I'd got so used to riding the Dahon. Not many cyclists about, but lots of traffic, so not much SCR action - a London Dynamo on a white SS made me work for it along Millbank and up to PS, but everyone seemed to disappear once past Horseguards.

Coming up Moorgate, I did see an absolutely gawgeous old school blue, white and chrome Colnago, it's gleaming groupset glinting in the sunlight. The guy riding it looked rather pleased with himself, and well he might riding that. <looks wistfully into middle distance>

Wrath Rob

Bit of a boring ride in this morning. There was a sniff of action around P'Square as a few other roadies jostled for position as we caught every single light (WTF?) but once we were back on Embankment and I wound it up a bit I didn't see them again. Good thing too as I was feeling a little tired after a gym session and a late night last night

Pufftmw

I went to the pub last night :?

Was a bit wobbly when I got back to the office so I took the Gary Fisher home on the basis that I wouldn't cry if I fell off and damaged it. Got home safely

But this morning, feeling a bit wooly headed and I have the GF to ride in. Into Lewisham and I know its going to be a tough journey plus nearly getting taken out by a Morris Minor! Loampit Vale and into Lewisham Way starting up the hill I can see the shadow of a draughting fairy on my back wheel. We overtake another cyclist and its begining to hurt but I'm determined to stay in front or break him, however he has other ideas and just overtakes and leaves me with my alcohol laden legs feeling on fire - b'steward! It was a nice looking white Ribble with the chap in full lycra with www.sydenhamcycles.co.uk (or simillar) on the bum.

However, its a long road so once I hit the top of the hill I'm off in persuit and catch him up at some traffic lights and manage to get ahead via filtering. Once again he draughts me until I slow down for some lights at Amersham Road, then he's into New Cross with me chasing him all the way Through the roadworks and I manage to get ahead onto the OKR and again he draughts for a bit then pulls ahead. I'm dead, I've got no more to give but he gets caught at the lights at Peckham Park Road. I pull up and acknowledge his superiority and say "Was out drinking, haven't got the legs for it today!" to which he said "If I was on my MTB I wouldn't have been doing the speed you were!". That made me feel good

Rest of the ride in was uneventful but I caught and passed one of our cycle couriers and my time of 25'46" was my best on the Gary but my legs are agony...

8)

CXXC

nice sunny ride in this morning, a gent wearing a high-viz yellow jacket pulls alongside at a set of lights on jamaica road, he's riding an old skool Hetchins....nice!!

cue a mild bit of jostling as we pull away so I can fully take in his ride, but I soon get a bit bored so put the power down and leave him trailing. he caught back up at the red light before both turning right to ascend the col du pont de la tour, but being a capricorn my goat-like climbing abilities and superior filtering meant I didn't see him again.

topped out at 52km/h along the highway (draft assisted) 8)

frankieh

Where is everyone on the A21 recently?