Silly commuting racing

W1

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

HamishD

MTB-Idle wrote:

This was back in the height of summer i.e. full daylight and he had not only the body armour but a myriad of lights and reflectors on him. Definitely safety conscious.

Which made me shake my head all the more when he jumped numerous red lights. :roll:

Some people just don't get it.

They're the ones that crack me up: high vis all over, lights a plenty, don't know how to ride . . . :roll:


Anyway: as pointed out, v quiet this monring. Quite quick though; 15 miles in 53 mins into a headwind so mustn't grumble about lack of SCR action (not that there is on my route usually). The new two way through New Cross is a vast improvement I must say.

mr_ribble

CXXC wrote:

where is everybody? buying korans and matches?

No, I have been very busy trying to think up new puns on a variety of topics from Cows and Fish to the Periodic Table

mr_ribble

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

Yep, very slow. I dropped him (and everyone else ) at VB and through DSC but then something went very wrong with the traffic and everyone caught back up.

I only have two more weeks of SCR, as I am leaving my job and going back to Uni for a year. Will probally mean that I will cover the three miles on a Johnson, but I guess that doesnt mean I cant still kick some a$$.

Pufftmw

After a strenuous kicks session in karate last night, I determined to pootle home as I was knackered. It was 21:00 anyway, so probably not much in SCR action but you never know. By TB I was up to 3/4 (normal pace) but being lazy with it. Down to OKR, past Tescos and I'm moving easily and not pressing on. Come across Belisha Beacon on a Bianchi (BBB from now) - he had very bright flashing lights at the rear and 2 further flashing red lights strapped onto his legs just below the knee! At the front, 2 further very bright lights flashing away. We moved off and although his pace was reasonably quick, it was slower than my cruise mode, so I left him behind. Red lights and he's with me again. Same thing. Next red lights and he's back with me. This is just before New Cross so I set off in persuit of a bus but I can see his lights reflecting off the bus, so he must be on my tail so I go harder but the reflection of the lights is still there! Fact was, he wasn't, just that his lights were so bright! Bottom of Amersham Road and lights are red, he pulls up. Right! I decimate him up the hill and by Lewisham Way he still hasn't got round the corner but an ambulance comes round and I pull over to let it past which allows BBB to catch up. He then tails me along Lewisham Way, not trying to get ahead, until the top of the hill, at which point I shoot off down and leave him behind. Loampit Vale lights are red so I stop and he catches up again, so it was at the roundabout I give BBB a cheery Goodnight! as he turns right & I go straight ahead. So, essentially he'd stayed with me the 4 miles or so from OKR but only by virtue of traffic lights and ambulances - so frustrating!

Lots of bikes on the way in the morning (proportionately) but no scalps and no attempts to scalp me.

W1

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

Yep, very slow. I dropped him (and everyone else ) at VB and through DSC but then something went very wrong with the traffic and everyone caught back up.

I only have two more weeks of SCR, as I am leaving my job and going back to Uni for a year. Will probally mean that I will cover the three miles on a Johnson, but I guess that doesnt mean I cant still kick some a$$.

Fairly sure you didn't drop me....I got luckly with the ped x-ing lights though.

mr_ribble

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

Yep, very slow. I dropped him (and everyone else ) at VB and through DSC but then something went very wrong with the traffic and everyone caught back up.

I only have two more weeks of SCR, as I am leaving my job and going back to Uni for a year. Will probally mean that I will cover the three miles on a Johnson, but I guess that doesnt mean I cant still kick some a$$.

Fairly sure you didn't drop me....I got luckly with the ped x-ing lights though.

What were you wearing / riding?

Bassjunkieuk

I was expecting a call from Satan to say it was getting a bit nippy last night.........I got an apology from a BMW driver who almost cut me up whilst filtering :-) Wasn't a "OMFG that was close" moment as I was coming down the middle of 2 lanes as I wanted to take a right at the end. We'd already had an ambulance come through and as I approached he was indicating and I assumed he was trying to bully into the line but the other drivers weren't budging. He was pretty much stopped as I nipped round the front corner of his car but he didn't actually join the lane.....I kept checking back whilst .I was waiting at the lights and when he passed on my left and said "Sorry mate" :-D

Was in the bleeding car this morning as I'm swapping my company car with a workmate who currently has a hire vehicle. Admittedly I may not have taken the best route for a car (my friend who works where I'm currently based knows all the back roads!) but I did end up doing pretty much the same distance I cover on the bike, albeit in about double the time!! No SCR action for me today then but I did get to watch plenty of other cyclist riding merrily past in Merton/Colliers Wood......

Not looking forward to driving home

flamite

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

Yep, very slow. I dropped him (and everyone else ) at VB and through DSC but then something went very wrong with the traffic and everyone caught back up.

I only have two more weeks of SCR, as I am leaving my job and going back to Uni for a year. Will probally mean that I will cover the three miles on a Johnson, but I guess that doesnt mean I cant still kick some a$$.

Fairly sure you didn't drop me....I got luckly with the ped x-ing lights though.

What were you wearing / riding?

Think i may have seen you last night, managed to hit 30+mph after vb lights down dsc following a scooter... ended up hopping onto the pavement behind a ribble rider when the traffic got too much. i was on the blue dolan fixed gear.

mr_ribble

flamite wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

W1 wrote:

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Saw Robocop at Vauxhall Bridge tonight. I mean, I know it can get pretty manic out there but full body armour for the commute??

Then a bit later there was a women on a red steed, with a full "red flower" tattoo on her leg and some nice facial piercings.

Aside from that nothing to report. Anyone know why the traffic was very heavy west of P Square ?

I saw Robocop too - pushed to the front, jumped the lights and wasn't very quick?

Yep, very slow. I dropped him (and everyone else ) at VB and through DSC but then something went very wrong with the traffic and everyone caught back up.

I only have two more weeks of SCR, as I am leaving my job and going back to Uni for a year. Will probally mean that I will cover the three miles on a Johnson, but I guess that doesnt mean I cant still kick some a$$.

Fairly sure you didn't drop me....I got luckly with the ped x-ing lights though.

What were you wearing / riding?

Think i may have seen you last night, managed to hit 30+mph after vb lights down dsc following a scooter... ended up hopping onto the pavement behind a ribble rider when the traffic got too much. i was on the blue dolan fixed gear.

Just to clarify - I didn’t go onto the pavement! I stayed in the traffic and meandered my way through in-between the two lanes! I know that the pavement that runs alongside of the dragstrip is “dual use”, however I don’t think its well marked and so it makes it unsafe to cycle down there when peds don’t really realise you are allowed to be there!

Is it just me or is the traffic been really bad this week, maybe as some kind of repercussion from the strike?

flamite

ooh there must be another ribbler out there on embankment then...

yes, traffic has been terrible this week, i have just hopped on dual use pavement and pootled to lots road this week (strictly no scr on pavement),

Stevehall00

To all of those roadies (especially Spesh out of leven at 5:10 today) who drive home from work early on a Friday then get on thier carbon crotch rockets and goo seeking scalps from unwary Friday commuter with 100 mile legs at the end of thier week we know your game!

We know when:

1. Your bike is spotless on a Friday
2. You have no luggage
3. you are in bib shorts

Come out on Tuesday morning and mix it with the Tuesday legs.... then we will sort the men from the boys!

asprilla

I think I've forgotten how to pedal.

Foobies

riding to work the otherday at 615 on my hardtail jump bike with fat nobblys, and was hittin 30+ going down a hill when i spied a 50cc ped dawdling along so decided to take him.... little did i know that the t**t was gonna be a noob and pull out to the right and try to block me, luckily i had had my coffee that day and managed to jump an upright policecone, scaryest moment of my riding to work life.... also managed to do over a couple of roadys the otherday on the way home from work but dont think they were up for fun.... and did over some chavvy gimp on the strangest jump bike ive ever seen who decided he was gonna pull off the pavement infront of me to try to knock me off. dont think he liked my metallica t-shirt, anyway, pwned him up the hill got to the esso garage to buy some milk and the chavvy little f****r was eyeing my bike up!

anyway as im new to this apparantly my FCN score is 13

redvee

Coming off Temple Meads roundabout with three clear lanes due to a coach blocking up the roundabout and a car in front moves over to the left directly into my path, not good at 20 mph. Less than 100yds later the same thing happens again but from the other side. The rest of the ride was ridden on a cloud of adrenalin.

attica

Nice tailwind this morning, sustained 26mph ish for about half a mile before shoulder checking to go out round a parked car. There, to my amazement was a chap on what at first glance appeared to be a hybrid sat nice and close, the guy barely trying.

I checked my speed - had my perception of time gone wrong at the same moment as my speedo? I thought I was pedalling quite fast and with only the one gear that usually means I'm travelling quite fast.

Aha, a hill - I crested it at about 23 having put down a marker of awesome - the fecker was still there.

I pushed on with this embarrassing drafter bathing in my wake not dropping below the mid 20s until I reach the T-Junction at the end of LA. He draws alongside and suddenly his little secret becomes obvious - a rather large front hub and the housing for a battery where a bottle cage should be.

I out-dragged him away from the t-junction but the sod just pulled back into my slipstream again as we headed for The Cumberland basin. He took the cycle path and I stuck in the bus lane as we crested a small rise and finally I dropped him. I saw him moments later put his front wheel nearly under a car as our routes parted. Would have had a word about un-announced drafting had our paths contined on the same route - not very impressed and his roadcraft obviously leaves something to be desired.

I felt somewhat vindicated when I mentioned it in Strada (LBS) a little later on and Ian who works there said he'd been passed by the same guy.

Scalp intact - just.

jds_1981

Attica wrote:

Nice tailwind this morning, sustained 26mph ish for about half a mile before shoulder checking to go out round a parked car. There, to my amazement was a chap on what at first glance appeared to be a hybrid sat nice and close, the guy barely trying.

I pushed on with this embarrassing drafter bathing in my wake not dropping below the mid 20s until I reach the T-Junction at the end of LA. He draws alongside and suddenly his little secret becomes obvious - a rather large front hub and the housing for a battery where a bottle cage should be.

What is the rationale on having electric bikes at FCN 14? They can go pretty fast now. Is it just the embarrassment if you're overtaken by one?

attica

I quite agree. This guy wasn't even trying.

A meeting off the board of FCN moderators should be called.

jds_1981

Although they're apparently restricted to assisting up to 15 mph?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_b ... ed_Kingdom

<edit/>

Although it does appear that these can be disabled..

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electri ... miter.html

MarkW100

Last night on the home commute got myself all lined up, going full guns uphill, to scalp a guy on a Bad Boy and what did my right hand decide to do................Use thumb instead of forefinger....result drop down a gear instead of up a gear. Ended up peddling frantically at fresh air, lost all momentum and balance, but managed to hang on and stay upright. Luckily the guy on the Bad Boy hadn't noticed me. Still felt a right t*@t. :oops:

El Capitano

Nearly got a moped this morning. Nearly...but not quite. He came past me and I managed to quickly get into his slip stream and stay there on the slight descent from Cogan along Cardiff Road, stayed with him past Tredz and up the slight incline before going under the link road. I'd planned to get past him on the next section of road where the surface is pretty good and a very slight incline, but I just couldn't hold him.

I could kick myself as I'd considering using the TT bike this morning and would definitely have had a better chance of taking his scalp. :evil:

And, to add insult to injury (or should that be "Add another injury") I slipped getting off my bike in the work's carpark and raked my pedal down my shin. :oops:

mr_ribble

Took not one but two mopeds on Millbank this morning. Good start to the week. No competition until Blackfriars when a guy wearing baggies caught up with me. Dropped him in the tunnel, hit the reds at Southwark Bridge Junction where he turned of into the ped area. Pootling warm down to Tower Hill and job done.

Then a "Hello, ma-hoo-sive shower queue" at work.

CXXC

Mr_Ribble wrote:

Took not one but two mopeds on Millbank this morning.

chapeau!!

ketsbaia

Heinous headwind along the OKR this morning. Overtook everything in my path, but there really was no real competition.

Different route back tonight as I'm going to have a crack at the College Road challenge.

Pufftmw

ketsbaia wrote:

Heinous headwind along the OKR this morning. Overtook everything in my path, but there really was no real competition.

Ditto except there was NO competition...

Bassjunkieuk

Got a nice wake up call this morning when a chap came past me fairly early on aboard a old racer. He had downtube shifters which made it rather easy to see when he was changing gears so I could judge effort a bit easier :-)

I pulled back in front and lead him down towards Balham then we got seperated in traffic along the CS7 route. We both reeled in a bunch of roadies who had gone past us whilst waiting to join the road and eventually parted ways when I turned off by Clapham Common.

Fairly quiet after that, did notice a LOAD of scooters out today! I was surrounded coming round the one-way system towards Battersea - made worse by a lorry driver in the wrong lane who was trying to merge at the last minute. Thank god for two wheels although I didn't use the pavement like a few motorized 2 wheel riders :evil:

Found a few quick chaps down QTR and joined Embankment with lorry which I took a sneaky draft off :-) Got overtaken again through DSC by a chap on a white Kron but managed to hold him off until VB. Sure there may have been a small tailwind this morning as I was rocking through Millbank, but that could have been Monday legs!

Ride home should be interesting as I've realized I left the wallet at home! Means I have 1/3 a tube of pringles for the day......haven't worked at my current office that much as don't have any colleagues here from the same company so doesn't feel right asking to borrow money!

maddernj

ketsbaia wrote:

Different route back tonight as I'm going to have a crack at the College Road challenge.

What route & time will you be leaving ? may see you on the way back through...

kelsen

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Ride home should be interesting as I've realized I left the wallet at home! Means I have 1/3 a tube of pringles for the day......haven't worked at my current office that much as don't have any colleagues here from the same company so doesn't feel right asking to borrow money!

Presume you have tea and coffee making facilities where you work. Just down loads of sachets of sugar and those little pots of uht milk before you head off. That should see you home!

rjsterry

Morning to the chap on the white Wilier with the red bag, and his friend on the black and whit Giant with matching kit. I enjoyed our little race through Balham and up to Clapham Common and was very flattered by the "where do you put the batteries?" comment :oops: (at least I think that was a compliment). I was disappointed when you went straight on through Clapham.

Rest of the ride fairly uneventful, but very much enjoying my new 13-23 cassette (actually just swapped out an old one with some life left in it as I noticed two teeth missing off one of the cogs on the previous 11-28).

DonDaddyD

My route is starting to take its toll on my ankles, shins, calf, knees, thighs, butt, wrists and shoulders.

I'm needing more and more rest days.

I have a permanent headache.

Plus everyone else annoys me.... here's why:

7-10miles is nothing. Everyone rides like the clappers. Because its a short distance it's a straight up race from Colliers Wood/Balham until London Bridge. I can't let them win so I give chase, catch and destroy. Then I go over the bridge and onto Aldgate and anything from 10 to 30 riders have peeled off to their nice warm offices leaving me, having exerted more energy than I should have done, to ride another 10miles to Ilford on my own. Not fair.

They don't realise that I just destroyed them on their commute and still have the same distance to go for mine, 'Unappreciated Awesome' is what it is.

Still, riding fast is one thing, I'm afraid to contest sprints as I need to pace myself, so its a solid grind of cadence and discipline. If you listen carefully you can hear the words "Schleck" (my new hero) with each breath.

(RJTerry the guys you saw was it Giant Defy 1 - was this around 8.30am)