Silly commuting racing

Lost the Plot

Had a weird ride in this morning was ready a bit earlier than usual so decided to leave about 10-15 minutes early and still managed to arrive at the office at my usual time. The only bits I can think were slower than usual were when I hit the traffic lights at the north end of London Bridge when I had to wait for 2 cycles of the lights because vehicles were blocking the way through, but that shouldn't acount for 10 minutes!

Last night was fun, saddled up at 7pm after a late shift at work and was enjoying the drizzle all the way home up to lights at Cannon Street Road on CS3 where I met the most ignorant cyclist I have ever had the misfortune to come across. These lights are notorious for RLJing especially as they are on demand via a pedestrian crossing type button. There was a group all lined up ahead of stop line at the pavement edge where they couldn't see the light on the opposite side from me. The light goes green so I move off from my side, get my feet into the toe clips and start to power up. I get halfway across and realise that the others haven't moved yet and they are completely blocking the ramp up to the cyclepath. various thoughts rush through my head, most of which are swearing. The only sane thought says you need to stop quick. I managed to get the bike into sliding stop and as the bike goes from under me unclip one of feet to prevent a nasty bout of roadrash and come to an untidy halt in front of the group who are only now realising that the light is green from the shouts behind them and starting to move off. The roadie who was blocking my way doesn't even give me a look, wheels past me and bimbles off leaving me muttering more explectives. :evil:

I ended up with an uneventful ride after that and got home with a mild soaking.

/rant

Lost the Plot

Not quite SCR

http://www.yehudamoon.com/index.php?date=2010-09-15

Butterd2

nich wrote:

There were hundreds of bikes giving it a lot of action on on Jamaica Rd / TooleySt this morning around 7:20.

Ok, maybe about 20, but I've never seen that many before, not at that time in the morning. It almost looked like an organized race!

.

It was like that an hour later don't know what was going on. Gave it the beans away from the last set of lights before Tooley St and right hand crank arm came loose so limped over Tower Bridge trying not to damage the taper.

2nd week now commuting on the newly converted FG (old PACE RC200 mtb with 700C wheels) and I'm loving it. Think my gear ratio is a little low as I top out at 21mph but even though I get overtaken buy the odd Roadie no one really gets away.

Pufftmw

I think I was lucky last night. In the time it took me to refuel, the rain stopped and all that happened was I arrived home with a wet bum :? Otherwise uneventful ride home but the tailwind helped as did a pull up Lee High Road behind a transit van

Lovely day this morning, if getting a bit crispier. Nice tailwind from last night was always going to be a bit of an issue in the opposite direction, oh well. I'm obviously getting better a draughting large vehicles as I managed most of Lewisham Way hill in the shadow of a Luton, a skip truck over Towerbridge and 3 minutes worth of a Chech coach up the OKR from New Cross - awesome Gave him a little wave of thanks as I eventually had to overtake him... Side by side with a Cerachi (??) up from Bricklayers, then dropped him by Lidl and upto the roundabout - where the lights were red :oops: Made me feel better though...

Winds behind me on the way home tonight

Harveytile

Free scalp on offer. Please feel free to collect anywhere between Stratford to Croydon via College Road. Departing Stratford 5:30ish...

What happened to my legs :shock: . Forecast has 26mph westerlies. I'm heading into it . Headwinds suck.

El Capitano

Harveytile wrote:

Forecast has 26mph westerlies. I'm heading into it . Headwinds suck.

I've got that to look forward to along the coast this evening. :shock:

HamishD

El Capitano wrote:

Harveytile wrote:

Forecast has 26mph westerlies. I'm heading into it . Headwinds suck.

I've got that to look forward to along the coast this evening. :shock:

Me? North Acton to pub on Liverpool Street. Bring it on.

Now, how about a route that doesn't take in the perenially snarled up Marylebone Road? Anyone? :?:

lost_in_thought

HamishD wrote:

El Capitano wrote:

Harveytile wrote:

Forecast has 26mph westerlies. I'm heading into it . Headwinds suck.

I've got that to look forward to along the coast this evening. :shock:

Me? North Acton to pub on Liverpool Street. Bring it on.

Now, how about a route that doesn't take in the perenially snarled up Marylebone Road? Anyone? :?:

Uxbridge road --> High street Ken --> The Mall --> Traf Sq --> Northumberland Ave .--> Embankment and up.

Always the way I go. Longer, definitely, but much more fun!

Pufftmw

Cross country to Nottinghill (I presume you will do that as opposed to go over the top to Harrow Road), Bayswater, Oxford St, New Ox, Bloomsbury Way, High Holborn, Holborn Via, Newgate, Edward St, London Wall, New Broad...

lost_in_thought

Well, I broke my commute record this morning, smashed it in fact...

I set off from Ealing at 0455, and was in Mayfair at 0522. This is pretty darn quick. :shock:

The adrenalin of it being a bit of an emergency helps, but the main difference was the utter absence of any traffic on the roads. I hit all greens, almost all the time, and barely had to slow down for anything else.

Fantastic.

rjsterry

Are you letting on what emergency precipitated such a sprint at such an unearthly hour, or is it all very hush-hush?

lost_in_thought

rjsterry wrote:

Are you letting on what emergency precipitated such a sprint at such an unearthly hour, or is it all very hush-hush?

A fire. Not in my house, nobody hurt.

rjsterry

You didn't leave your kit drying on the fan heater did you?

SimonAH

Nee naw nee naw - where did you balance the buckets?

mr_ribble

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Are you letting on what emergency precipitated such a sprint at such an unearthly hour, or is it all very hush-hush?

A fire. Not in my house, nobody hurt.

Are you a firefighter who goes to the scene by bike? Surely you should get a blue light and rlj at will

Lost the Plot

SimonAH wrote:

Nee naw nee naw - where did you balance the buckets?

What about the ladder?

lost_in_thought

No, the fire was already out when I got there.

asprilla

lost_in_thought wrote:

No, the fire was already out when I got there.

Bet you felt foolish having carried those buckets and that ladder then.

rjsterry

You laugh, but someone's thought of it before:

Wrath Rob

What's the FCN of that? Power of 4 people riding it, can't be too bad

redvee

Caught up with a fine figured girl on a white Ribble. I didn't pass as the view from behind was too good to pass and there was a roubndabout approaching which she approached very wrong, she stayed left and indicated right. I don't think she would have made it up the hill she was turning into as it is a steep one and walking up in road shoes with cleats ain't fun.
Was like a kid at xmas when I got home, three jiffy bags with my name on them behind the door downstairs. New brake levers & mini v-brakes for the tricross and a wireless mouse and camera from Hong Kong. Was expecting a card from the postie as the packages were bigger than the letterbox.

rjsterry

Meh.

Massive queue all the way from the exit of Blackfriars tunnel to Parliament Square, for no apparent reason (wouldn't be those lovely motorcyclists would it? They may well let cyclists through, but the massive queues they generate aren't so obliging). Passed a couple of dawdling roadies on DSC, but after that, my heart just wasn't in it. Pootled the rest of the way - V. tired.

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

Meh.

Massive queue all the way from the exit of Blackfriars tunnel to Parliament Square, for no apparent reason (wouldn't be those lovely motorcyclists would it? They may well let cyclists through, but the massive queues they generate aren't so obliging). Passed a couple of dawdling roadies on DSC, but after that, my heart just wasn't in it. Pootled the rest of the way - V. tired.

Glad I left earlier! I was debating whether to leave a bit later. It was ok when I went through. It's Friday evening's commute I'm not looking forward to...

I had to absolutely bury myself tonight to keep my scalp. The fun started at Parlt Sq and intensified after VB lights. Had a Pearson on my wheel who went past after DSC, but couldn't make it stick. Then a chap on a Cube who drafted a scooter off the CB lights. He lost the scooter and it took me until Royal Hospital Rd to reel him in. Arrived at BB lights in a bit of a state. Then did an extra stretch in the Park and arrived home in an equally bad state. I need a good sleep now.

don_don

cjcp wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Meh.

Massive queue all the way from the exit of Blackfriars tunnel to Parliament Square, for no apparent reason (wouldn't be those lovely motorcyclists would it? They may well let cyclists through, but the massive queues they generate aren't so obliging). Passed a couple of dawdling roadies on DSC, but after that, my heart just wasn't in it. Pootled the rest of the way - V. tired.

Glad I left earlier! I was debating whether to leave a bit later. It was ok when I went through. It's Friday evening's commute I'm not looking forward to...

I had to absolutely bury myself tonight to keep my scalp. The fun started at Parlt Sq and intensified after VB lights. Had a Pearson on my wheel who went past after DSC, but couldn't make it stick. Then a chap on a Cube who drafted a scooter off the CB lights. He lost the scooter and it took me until Royal Hospital Rd to reel him in. Arrived at BB lights in a bit of a state. Then did an extra stretch in the Park and arrived home in an equally bad state. I need a good sleep now.

I thought MTFU was the appropriate response for stuff like this on here..

Are you all being nice to each other now, after 1067 pages?! :shock:

Wrath Rob

Encountered the worlds fastest hybid tonight on Embankment. I caught up with him at P Square but was more interested in the guy in blue lycra top on a nice looking Cube. The Cube was slow but this hybrid guy was lighning! Raced away once clear of the square and on the drag away from VB he laid waste to all and sundry. I had to push it pretty hard to keep him within 20m or so on the run up to CB.

At the lights he was in front, me behind a slower lady on a upright who I ditched as soon as the lights changed. Hybrid man was already pulling out a major lead though. I could hear him clicking up through the gears, he must had changed 4-5 times on the down slope which explained the fast set off, I use 1 gear to get from 0 to 21mph. Anyway, I crank it up to 26 into the wind but hybrid man is not getting any closer. Using my noodle I instead catch a cheeky draft on the back of a BMW 1 series, ge towed up to 30mph and close the gap. The BMW turns right just before I make the pass so it must have looked like I was doing 30 into the wind :twisted: Didn't last though, but held him off until I turned off at Lotts Road. Job done, though he was weighted down by the scalps of the other roadies he'd dumped over the last 3 miles

asprilla

Got offered a train on the way home tonight by an antipodean chap on a red spesh. He went past me and another chap just pootling on Queen's Ride yelling 'Get a shift on lads!' as he went. Uncouth, but he was right. So I chased him up to the lights and he said he was going to Sunbury and since I was going to Walton we could take turns. I said fine as far as Hampton Court since then we go different ways.

Turns out we went different ways before that, since I went down Priory Lane and he stayed on the South Circ.

Weird.

jds_1981

I had issues this morning with a very fast hybrid (kept my scalp as I'm on a knobbly mtb Probably didn't help that I was cycling into work 7 hours after I got home..

rjsterry

don_don wrote:

I thought MTFU was the appropriate response for stuff like this on here..

Are you all being nice to each other now, after 1067 pages?! :shock:

Didn't say I was proud of it.

Also, I managed to get the hiccups for a good chunk of my homeward route - tedious.

Bassjunkieuk

A quick note to the poseur on the white ss/fg I first overtook in Streatham, if your going to jump red lights try and made something useful of your 10-15 second headstart! Being scalped (again) within a mile doesn't look good :evil:

jds_1981

Why on days where you've preemptively decided to take it easy do the challenges arise?
First off, soon after the start of my commute a hybrid tries a numpty overtake of a car I'm waiting behind when the lights have changed and the car is starting to move so I decide I can't have any of that.
Secondly a condor wakes me up as it passes & so I wait for him to pass and accelerate. We then have a go at the next lights (heh both pretending not to be racing) and he manages to very slowly take a lead before I turn off a couple of hundred meters further down.