Silly commuting racing

Bassjunkieuk

@Sketchley - Glad to hear you enjoyed it :-) I thought I was going to have some fun along there last night but unfortunately the chap on the black Willier with pink saddle and bar tape wasn't playing along.....

This mornings ride in was a little more eventful! Started off with getting into a bit of a confrontation with a RLJ opposite the Waitrose in Balham. I'd stopped and as he cruised on through I yelled "It's red you idiot" He immediately slammed the brakes on and stopped (result!) then came back over yelling "what did you say" I repeated "it's red". "No after that!!" he says "oh idiot". Apparently him jumping a red light is nothing to me "you piece of sh!t" at which point he turned around and tried to ride off but had to wait for a gap in the now flowing traffic :-D

Overtook him shortly after that and didn't see the little pr!ck again.....

Got round Clapham Common and was making my way towards the turn off for QTR. Lights are red so I'm sizing up the people crossing from the cycle path across CC. Spot a black Boardman and a Blue/SIlver Focus that look quick. Was hoping for a quieter ride in this morning....meet them down at the lights before QTR proper. Get there just before they change so almost have a rolling start and serve up a huge can of whoopa$$ :-) Traffic was snarled up something ROTTEN on the r/b today and at the lights before, ninja filtering skillz to the rescue!

Waiting to join Embankment I spotted one of the biggest (quite literally, the bike look like an XXL) targets this week. A rather tasty looking BMC with all it's aerofoil frame. Lead him all the way to VB lights and then onto Millbank only for the cheeky bugger to put in an effort after I'd slowed for the ped lights near Millbank Tower! This was a proper out of the saddle effort on his part which I thought was a bit unsporting of him! I duly responded and had him again before LBR :-D

Rounded off the ride with a scooter scalp on Whitehall :-)

DonDaddyD

Got to Queen Street the bike junction that leads to the Superhighway or the wind tunnel at about 6.15 waited 5mins got bored.

Traffic on the embankment nullified all fun, so did a lack of cyclists. Got round to the houses of parliment and saw a look carbon frame behind me. Just in case they were from bike radar I found the last dregs of energy to sprint, he let me go and I knew it. Kinda glad I didn't see anyone....

Gonna need Monday legs to tackle the Embamkment.

In other news a guy on a old school TCR frame handed me my butt cheeks in exchange for my scalp. I took him on way the to stockwell powered around the apex towards Clapham road hitting 24mph, putting distance between us and thinking I've won. Then WHOOSH he's pacing beside a van easily above 30mph. Monday legs wouldn't have made a difference.

rjsterry

Where did all the traffic go? It's been stacked all week, but hardly any queues today.

Good bit of fun with a couple of roadies from CB to LBR: One in black jersey with white arm warmers and a white Catlike Whisper, the other in a blue jersey - didn't catch the bikes. They both came past just after the railway bridge, then settled into a drafting pair just ahead so I opened the taps and swooped past on the bend before the petrol station, then settled into as high a cadence as I could hold until VB. As I neared the bridge, I could hear a freehub whirring, so at least one was drafting me: a quick glance, and the guy in the Catlike rolls up to the lights right behind me, other chap nowhere o be seen.

After the lights, he leads away, but we both nearly get taken out by some dopey mare in a silver Golf who overtakes within arm's reach. We all stop at the ped lights, and my enquiry as to what the hell that was about is met with a straight-ahead stare. Catlike doesn't seem so bothered and heads off.

Nice to see they are scrubbing the pavements for the Pontiff - can't have his Holiness looking at dirty gutters :?

Not much after that other than neeeearly scraping 30 in the Blackfriars tunnel. Must try harder.

ketsbaia

Where that wind came from, I don't know, but it fair knocked me sideways as I pulled out of Casella Road on to the OKR. But for some reason, the awesomeness held sway and I powered along through green light after green light like a fired-up whippet with the scent of a hare in its nostrils. Marginally different route along GSS from GDS saw me record a 17.4mph average, which given the howling gale I had to contend with was a pretty good effort, I thought. Was still aglow a good half an hour later, much to my colleagues' dismay.

King Donut

JZed wrote:

Will try to manage more than a word if our paths cross again.

Hands off he's mine :P

Last night was hateful traffic for me - all along Embankment right up to NKR. Kept getting out-filtered by this guy in a grey jacket who has the most annoying nod.

But the sunshine and lack of headwind gave me impetus to head for park for the first time in weeks.

sketchley

lotuseater wrote:

Chapeau! ...you won't be 18 stone for much longer!

Thanks, my first ever "Chapeau", and it looks like your correct 17st 12lb this morning.....

Ride in this morning was fun, 3 mins quicker than yesterday 1 mile longer, My legs hurt like hell but seem to go faster :!: Arrived at Embankment from QTR and not one soul overtook me until I slowed up for the RB before PS. it seemed very very quiet.

Would love to go back that way tonight but guess it's CS7 due to the pope. Although a part of me feels like a beer before I go home so who knows which way i'll go.

--
Chris

rjsterry

DonDaddyD wrote:

Got to Queen Street the bike junction that leads to the Superhighway or the wind tunnel at about 6.15 waited 5mins got bored.

Traffic on the embankment nullified all fun, so did a lack of cyclists. Got round to the houses of parliment and saw a look carbon frame behind me. Just in case they were from bike radar I found the last dregs of energy to sprint, he let me go and I knew it. Kinda glad I didn't see anyone....

Gonna need Monday legs to tackle the Embamkment.

In other news a guy on a old school TCR frame handed me my butt cheeks in exchange for my scalp. I took him on way the to stockwell powered around the apex towards Clapham road hitting 24mph, putting distance between us and thinking I've won. Then WHOOSH he's pacing beside a van easily above 30mph. Monday legs wouldn't have made a difference.

Yeah, not the best introduction last night. The traffic has been bad the last week or so. It's only really after PS that the fun begins. Sorry to miss you again.

DonDaddyD

rjsterry wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

Got to Queen Street the bike junction that leads to the Superhighway or the wind tunnel at about 6.15 waited 5mins got bored.

Traffic on the embankment nullified all fun, so did a lack of cyclists. Got round to the houses of parliment and saw a look carbon frame behind me. Just in case they were from bike radar I found the last dregs of energy to sprint, he let me go and I knew it. Kinda glad I didn't see anyone....

Gonna need Monday legs to tackle the Embamkment.

In other news a guy on a old school TCR frame handed me my butt cheeks in exchange for my scalp. I took him on way the to stockwell powered around the apex towards Clapham road hitting 24mph, putting distance between us and thinking I've won. Then WHOOSH he's pacing beside a van easily above 30mph. Monday legs wouldn't have made a difference.

Yeah, not the best introduction last night. The traffic has been bad the last week or so. It's only really after PS that the fun begins. Sorry to miss you again.

Do you live in Morden? If so what's it like?

rjsterry

Further south in Carshalton.

DonDaddyD

Whats it like? How long is the ride into the City?

rjsterry

Lovely. Lots of trees and open space, ponds, nice pubs, decent schools, nice high street, bigger shopping centres in Sutton and Croydon, North Downs only 10 miles away. Can't fault it - some might find it a bit quiet compared with more central locations, but that's a plus for us. Here's a view of the ponds in the centre of Carshalton.

Commute time is between an hour (shortest route, not hanging around) and 1hr15 if you take a more scenic route, or the traffic is bad. A good 10-15 minutes of that is the pootle from Upper Thames Street to Old Street RB. I can get the route down to just under 13 miles to Old Street RB

cjcp

King Donut wrote:

JZed wrote:

Will try to manage more than a word if our paths cross again.

Hands off he's mine :P

@JZed - yep, I couldn't quite work out who it was so felt the best approach was to go after him. I need to learn to get down on the drops or hoods though. Bit more aero if I reduce my ample frontage!

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

King Donut wrote:

JZed wrote:

Will try to manage more than a word if our paths cross again.

Hands off he's mine :P

@JZed - yep, I couldn't quite work out who it was so felt the best approach was to go after him. I need to learn to get down on the drops or hoods though. Bit more aero if I reduce my ample frontage!

it's been so windy lately I've been practising chewing my bars for when the real nasty hits

sketchley

rjsterry wrote:

Commute time is between an hour (shortest route, not hanging around) and 1hr15 if you take a more scenic route, or the traffic is bad. A good 10-15 minutes of that is the pootle from Upper Thames Street to Old Street RB. I can get the route down to just under 13 miles to Old Street RB

Pretty much my route, although I start at Worcester Park, up to Mordon, CS7 all the way to E&C then London Bridge up to Old Street RB. (or now CC > QTR .> Embankment > Blackfriers > Smithfield > Old Street).

Using CS7 all the way to E&C is 13.4 miles door to door which i've done in just under the hour, if traffic weather bad or I'm just plain knackard then 1hr10 or even 1hr20. Did QTR route 14.4 miles just under the hour this morning

The trip up from London Bridge to Old Street is a mare, but I noticed last night that Old Street RB > Goswell Road > Long Lane > Smithfield > Farringdon > Then onto the Embankment at Blackfriers, took about 6/7 mins, compared to normal 8/10 mins plus to get from Old Street RB to London Bridge
--
Chris

rjsterry

I've been playing around with different routes across the City for the last couple of years. The eternal roadworks/temporary lights mean you have to keep re-routing.

cjcp

Are we looking at TT conditions up The Mall this evening?

Flyingbogey

I've been following this forum for about a month now. I used to be a fiend for the Red Lights but have improved my manners thanks to you all. Always on the lookout for someone to motivate me into quicker commuting, plus it looks like most of the fun is on the Embankment so a route alteration is maybe in order.

asprilla

Flyingbogey wrote:

I've been following this forum for about a month now. I used to be a fiend for the Red Lights but have improved my manners thanks to you all. Always on the lookout for someone to motivate me into quicker commuting, plus it looks like most of the fun is on the Embankment so a route alteration is maybe in order.

I was under the impression that the A24 was pretty good for competition? Still, if you go though Clapham and over Battersea Bridge you should get some challenge.

sketchley

Flyingbogey wrote:

I've been following this forum for about a month now. I used to be a fiend for the Red Lights but have improved my manners thanks to you all. Always on the lookout for someone to motivate me into quicker commuting, plus it looks like most of the fun is on the Embankment so a route alteration is maybe in order.

Me too. Was very bad at RLJ :oops:. Then I got fined £30 at the begining of the summer and it stopped me in my tracks. Things I noticed once I started to obay all the lights;

1. Over 13 miles the difference it made to my total time was max 2 or 3 mins.
2. When other cyclists RLJ they are normally waiting at the next set of lights so what's the point
3. You can recover at a red light which means you can go quicker after it
4. My acceleration away from lights improved massively which got me back the 2 or 3 lost mins
5. Chasing down RLJs is my new hobby and makes me quicker, I don't confront them just scalp them

Flyingbogey

Was too interested in overall time, trying to keep under 45mins at all costs!!! Strange thing is since i have changed my way ways i get into loads less aggro with cars. Just got a gleaming new Bianchi on the RTW so when i'm used to it ill go looking for a duel. I had a distinctive green Peugeot with aero bars now the standby machine.

Bassjunkieuk

Sketchley wrote:

Flyingbogey wrote:

I've been following this forum for about a month now. I used to be a fiend for the Red Lights but have improved my manners thanks to you all. Always on the lookout for someone to motivate me into quicker commuting, plus it looks like most of the fun is on the Embankment so a route alteration is maybe in order.

Me too. Was very bad at RLJ :oops:. Then I got fined £30 at the begining of the summer and it stopped me in my tracks. Things I noticed once I started to obay all the lights;

1. Over 13 miles the difference it made to my total time was max 2 or 3 mins.
2. When other cyclists RLJ they are normally waiting at the next set of lights so what's the point
3. You can recover at a red light which means you can go quicker after it
4. My acceleration away from lights improved massively which got me back the 2 or 3 lost mins
5. Chasing down RLJs is my new hobby and makes me quicker, I don't confront them just scalp them

I've also found that despite the extra distance (only a mile, slightly further on the way in due to the one-way bit if you follow the road round CC) doesn't really make that much difference to my time. I think CS7 is just plagued with a few too many lights.....having ridden Thames Ditton to London Bridge once I did quite a large chunk of CS7 and have a new found respect for anyone using that road from further back then Balham! The constant stop start for TL's did my head in but I still turned in a respectable door-to-door time :-D

The rise I got out of the RLJer that I yelled at this morning has been the best/worst (depending on your view) reaction I've had, was rather smug that I'd rather annoyed him and made him miss his "gap" in traffic :-D

Wrath Rob

No SCR for me today. I was supposed to be going to the Goodwood Revival but my car died on the way down. Diagnosis was water pump failure leading to blown head gasket. Nice Mr RAC man recovered me home but no fast old cars for me today. Going to sulk in the gym instead and head out for a ride on Sunday

MonkeyMonster

Wrath Rob wrote:

No SCR for me today. I was supposed to be going to the Goodwood Revival but my car died on the way down. Diagnosis was water pump failure leading to blown head gasket. Nice Mr RAC man recovered me home but no fast old cars for me today. Going to sulk in the gym instead and head out for a ride on Sunday

Ehhh... get on the steed and come up to the Morpeth

itboffin

Wrath Rob wrote:

No SCR for me today. I was supposed to be going to the Goodwood Revival but my car died on the way down. Diagnosis was water pump failure leading to blown head gasket. Nice Mr RAC man recovered me home but no fast old cars for me today. Going to sulk in the gym instead and head out for a ride on Sunday

If it helps i'm going on Sunday, we're flying in then have a full day of VIP treatment

Now don't you feel better ...?

:twisted:

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

Wrath Rob wrote:

No SCR for me today. I was supposed to be going to the Goodwood Revival but my car died on the way down. Diagnosis was water pump failure leading to blown head gasket. Nice Mr RAC man recovered me home but no fast old cars for me today. Going to sulk in the gym instead and head out for a ride on Sunday

If it helps i'm going on Sunday, we're flying in then have a full day of VIP treatment

Now don't you feel better ...?

:twisted:

You doing silver service again? ;-)

EDIT! Oi! You've changed your avatar!!! I thought I was prodding fun at G66 :-) Still......

Aidy

Sketchley wrote:

Flyingbogey wrote:

I've been following this forum for about a month now. I used to be a fiend for the Red Lights but have improved my manners thanks to you all. Always on the lookout for someone to motivate me into quicker commuting, plus it looks like most of the fun is on the Embankment so a route alteration is maybe in order.

Me too. Was very bad at RLJ :oops:. Then I got fined £30 at the begining of the summer and it stopped me in my tracks. Things I noticed once I started to obay all the lights;

1. Over 13 miles the difference it made to my total time was max 2 or 3 mins.
2. When other cyclists RLJ they are normally waiting at the next set of lights so what's the point
3. You can recover at a red light which means you can go quicker after it
4. My acceleration away from lights improved massively which got me back the 2 or 3 lost mins
5. Chasing down RLJs is my new hobby and makes me quicker, I don't confront them just scalp them

Not advocating RLJing, but...

1. Over about 18 miles, waiting at red lights probably costs me 10-15 minutes. (Traffic has some to do with it, but this has been tested at early o'clock in the morning/night).
2. Fair play, you're faster than they are
3. You use a considerable amount of energy accelerating - it's far more efficient (and thus faster) to pick a speed and keep at it, or at the very least time it so you've not completely stopped at the lights and can roll through them as they change.

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

EDIT! Oi! You've changed your avatar!!! I thought I was prodding fun at G66 :-) Still......

Yes he has been know to nod of in front of the fire, at his desk, at the traffic lights, etc etc

I'm told he loves a good poke :roll:

greg66_tri_v2.0

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

EDIT! Oi! You've changed your avatar!!! I thought I was prodding fun at G66 :-) Still......

Yes he has been know to nod of in front of the fire, at his desk, at the traffic lights, etc etc

I'm told he loves a good poke :roll:

Someone's imposteratin' me!

Haven't you got some pustules on your legs that need fresh dressings? :twisted:

itboffin

Greg66 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

EDIT! Oi! You've changed your avatar!!! I thought I was prodding fun at G66 :-) Still......

Yes he has been know to nod of in front of the fire, at his desk, at the traffic lights, etc etc

I'm told he loves a good poke :roll:

Someone's imposteratin' me!

Haven't you got some pustules on your legs that need fresh dressings? :twisted:

I've borrowed you Thai lady-boy helper for that task, very soft hands he/she has too, i'm guessing they've spent a lot of time rubbing oil into your folds

I think I just brought up a little bit of sick :?

Pufftmw

ketsbaia wrote:

Where that wind came from, I don't know, but it fair knocked me sideways as I pulled out of Casella Road on to the OKR. But for some reason, the awesomeness held sway and I powered along through green light after green light like a fired-up whippet with the scent of a hare in its nostrils. Marginally different route along GSS from GDS saw me record a 17.4mph average, which given the howling gale I had to contend with was a pretty good effort, I thought. Was still aglow a good half an hour later, much to my colleagues' dismay.

Wind was indeed on the strong side this morning & like you, I hit greens all the way up OKR to just before Tescos then greens all the way to virtually Long Lane! A good ache indeed. On the way out of Lewisham, I came upon a young chap on a Claude Butler and though I overtook him going up Lewisham Way, I had to jink round traffic only to find him nosing ahead at the top of the hill on the inside :oops: A bit of a race was on and we paced each other all the way to New Cross but I sort of put a spurt on past Sainsburys then blythely went down the outside of the traffic to get to the new A2 turn off. Not many would follow me I guess and some might think it dangerous but its how I used to ride as a courier and its definitely safer on the outside than the inside IMHO. Mind you, pedestrians don't always look right when they walk through 2 lanes of solid traffic - so I gave some bloke a bit of a number 1 trim as I went past him this morning...

Time to give the legs an ease off for the weekend I think.