Silly commuting racing

Kieran_Burns

Asprilla wrote:

I enjoyed last night's ride home. Left White City at 7 and the last few days of being over dressed paid off as I was warm and dry. Didn't even find it wet enough to need overshoes.
.

Oddly enough, I think my over-heating was the cause of my less than stellar riding performance over the last few weeks.

The cold temperatures (1.4C) this morning when I set off kept me lovely and cool the whole way in - although bizarrely I still managed to have some sweat drop onto my glasses just as I got to work! :shock:

HamishD

Need better gloves than sealskinz. My hands are still so cold I can barely type.

W1

Asprilla wrote:

I enjoyed last night's ride home. Left White City at 7 and the last few days of being over dressed paid off as I was warm and dry. Didn't even find it wet enough to need overshoes.

Followed a chap though the park who had a WW2 searchlight strapped to his head so we could still make a decent pace. I pity anyone who was going the other way though.

O/T but - Richmond Park to White City - isn't it quicker to go over Hammersmith Bridge rather than Putney bridge?

Marcus_C

I scalped a roadie this morning!!

I was on a road bike (well a cx bike) of about the same potential at the time but still, it doesn't happen very often as I don't see many cyclists on my commute. (I also scalped three buses, does that count)

notsoblue

Freezing this morning! The gloves...they do nothing... Saw a chap in full blue pearson regalia on a blue pearson, anyone on here?

wheeled_warrior

cold = :? (hmm not too bad at 08:30)
wobbly borises = :evil:
coupla scalps = :P
wiggle parcel on desk, laden with winter wares =

rjsterry

A visit from you know who in Balham, just as I was starting to warm up :evil: Couldn't really get any sort of rhythm going after that. A shame as it was such a lovely morning.

lost_in_thought

I overslept, massively, and had to take the tube.

Grrrrrr.

asprilla

W1 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

I enjoyed last night's ride home. Left White City at 7 and the last few days of being over dressed paid off as I was warm and dry. Didn't even find it wet enough to need overshoes.

Followed a chap though the park who had a WW2 searchlight strapped to his head so we could still make a decent pace. I pity anyone who was going the other way though.

O/T but - Richmond Park to White City - isn't it quicker to go over Hammersmith Bridge rather than Putney bridge?

Probably, that's the way one of the guys from my team goes. However,

1) I've been told that Castelnau can be a massive pain when it's blocked whereas FPR has a bus lane running the whole length northbound and half the way soundbound. (although it still gets congested at points)

2) It would mean missing out on Queens Ride and LRR, which I enjoy riding.

3) I don't really want shorter.

4) I'm a slightly OCD creature of habit and changing my route would mean I'd have to go round turning all the light switches on and off again. Seven times each.

One day when the weather is nice and I've got plenty of time I'll give it a go, but at the moment FPR is fairly consistent and fast in the bus lanes.

itboffin

Toasty hands thanks to the pro lite -5 gloves
Cold feet because of the pro lite rain covers even with walking socks
Warm if not sweaty head thanks to endura baa baa wool hat
Yukky cold body thanks to a cheap cotton baselayer jersey holding all the sweat against my body

Dressing correctly for cycling is like some kind of black art

ketsbaia

Ooof. Think I need to break out the buff. And some of these toe-warmers people have mentioned. Everywhere else fine, especially the hands thanks to the Lidl gloves I bought a month or so ago.

As for SCR, there was a pretender on a Specialized with Endura 3/4 shorts who disturbed my peripheral vision, but couldn't keep up once the hammer went down.

But by the cringe, it was a brisk headwind along the OKR. Was actually whistling around my helmet straps at one point.

notsoblue

itboffin wrote:

Toasty hands thanks to the pro lite -5 gloves
Cold feet because of the pro lite rain covers even with walking socks
Warm if not sweaty head thanks to endura baa baa wool hat
Yukky cold body thanks to a cheap cotton baselayer jersey holding all the sweat against my body

Dressing correctly for cycling is like some kind of black art

Which gloves are they specifically? I've decided my Pearl Izumi full finger gloves are rubbish at temperatures lower than about 8C...

Cafewanda

itboffin wrote:

Toasty hands thanks to the pro lite -5 gloves
Cold feet because of the pro lite rain covers even with walking socks
Warm if not sweaty head thanks to endura baa baa wool hat
Yukky cold body thanks to a cheap cotton baselayer jersey holding all the sweat against my body

Dressing correctly for cycling is like some kind of black art

You've been cycling long enough to know better mate :P

rjsterry

Asprilla wrote:

W1 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

I enjoyed last night's ride home. Left White City at 7 and the last few days of being over dressed paid off as I was warm and dry. Didn't even find it wet enough to need overshoes.

Followed a chap though the park who had a WW2 searchlight strapped to his head so we could still make a decent pace. I pity anyone who was going the other way though.

O/T but - Richmond Park to White City - isn't it quicker to go over Hammersmith Bridge rather than Putney bridge?

Probably, that's the way one of the guys from my team goes. However,

1) I've been told that Castelnau can be a massive pain when it's blocked whereas FPR has a bus lane running the whole length northbound and half the way soundbound. (although it still gets congested at points)

This. I think I'd prefer Putney Bridge and FPR to the crawl through Barnes and Castelnau, plus Hammersmith Bridge has no bus lane IIRC.

@ITB: Well, I went for dhb Merston bibtights (the bahoosiness - toasty) with my lightest summer jersey (everything else in the wash) and armwarmers. The bib of the Merstons made up for the thin jersey so it just about worked. The extremities were less successful: my Endura Strike gloves are on their way out, and as well as not keeping the cold out, they aren't that comfortable. I may have a look at those Pro Lite gloves you mentioned - do they have much padding?

W1

rjsterry wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

W1 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

I enjoyed last night's ride home. Left White City at 7 and the last few days of being over dressed paid off as I was warm and dry. Didn't even find it wet enough to need overshoes.

Followed a chap though the park who had a WW2 searchlight strapped to his head so we could still make a decent pace. I pity anyone who was going the other way though.

O/T but - Richmond Park to White City - isn't it quicker to go over Hammersmith Bridge rather than Putney bridge?

Probably, that's the way one of the guys from my team goes. However,

1) I've been told that Castelnau can be a massive pain when it's blocked whereas FPR has a bus lane running the whole length northbound and half the way soundbound. (although it still gets congested at points)

This. I think I'd prefer Putney Bridge and FPR to the crawl through Barnes and Castelnau, plus Hammersmith Bridge has no bus lane IIRC.

Fair enough, although there is a bus lane all the way up Castlenau too. I've never compared the two, but Hammersmith would be the "obvious" crossing for that route - then again I take a strange route myself (Embankment) because it's faster even though it's longer!

itboffin

They're x-pert wp and padded in the sense that they are thick, they work very well down to -8 shocking that I know that but after last years winter I had a lot of practice. Colder than that and it's ski gloves for me with liners.

Oh and CW you should know me well enough now to know sometimes I like a bit of "cheap rubbish" ;-)

I'm talking about the baselayer of course :-)

cjcp

Into town to pick something up and straight back home again. It's a bit harder going west without (a) breakfast, (b) lunch, and (c) a nine hour gap between rides.

Very weird going west while others are going east. Just wrong. My brain couldn't cope.

notsoblue

itboffin wrote:

They're x-pert wp and padded in the sense that they are thick, they work very well down to -8 shocking that I know that but after last years winter I had a lot of practice. Colder than that and it's ski gloves for me with liners.

These? http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Pro_X ... 360044941/

Wrath Rob

The smug feeling of missing the rain last night and the cold this morning due to the tube is starting to fade as I realise that I've only got mid-weight full fingered gloves and my thinner lycra tights for the ride home.

If anyone comes across a frozen cyclist on Embankment, please shout "Scalp" as you go past. It might give me the motivation to MTFU and generate some heat

Pufftmw

ketsbaia wrote:

Ooof. Think I need to break out the buff. And some of these toe-warmers people have mentioned. Everywhere else fine, especially the hands thanks to the Lidl gloves I bought a month or so ago.

As for SCR, there was a pretender on a Specialized with Endura 3/4 shorts who disturbed my peripheral vision, but couldn't keep up once the hammer went down.

But by the cringe, it was a brisk headwind along the OKR. Was actually whistling around my helmet straps at one point.

Have to agree that OKR was not a pleasant place this morning - headwind was ghastly and I rued not putting on my gore ear-warmer/headband thingy as they suffered this morning Otherwise I was OK in baggies, t-shirt, old sweatshirt and some Scott summer gloves - albeit full finger.

But that wind was a biatch :evil:

Mr Sworld

First post on here.... Not much SCR on my commute...

However I'll give kudo's to the bloke on the hybrid last night who kept me honest all the way to Peacehaven.

Pulled up behind him at Saltdean traffic lights on the A259 coast road from Brighton and overtook him on the green but he was behind me all the way up the hill to Telscombe Cliffs. And while I could out distance him on the way down the hills I could still hear his chain behind me....

georgezippybungle

itboffin wrote:

Dressing correctly for cycling is like some kind of black art

The black art you describe can be made more scientific and predictable by a digital thermometer that has an indoor and outdoor reading. As I am stuffing in the fuel (porridge) in the morning I look up and observe the outside temperature and know exactly what to wear. 1st mile or 2 is cold but then I'll reach optimum.

W1

georgezippybungle wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Dressing correctly for cycling is like some kind of black art

The black art you describe can be made more scientific and predictable by a digital thermometer that has an indoor and outdoor reading. As I am stuffing in the fuel (porridge) in the morning I look up and observe the outside temperature and know exactly what to wear. 1st mile or 2 is cold but then I'll reach optimum.

Carol on BBC Breakfast is my outside temp guage.....

Norky

lost_in_thought wrote:

I overslept, massively, and had to take the tube.

Grrrrrr.

You are slower than the tube. That's the real grrrrr.

*ducks and covers*

wheeled_warrior

rjsterry wrote:

This. I think I'd prefer Putney Bridge and FPR to the crawl through Barnes and Castelnau, plus Hammersmith Bridge has no bus lane IIRC.

Hammersmith Bridge is indeed a pinch point. I do enjoy riding South from the bridge though, nice clear ride offisde of the traffic which is usually stationary as I head to Richmond Park at weekends Can't vouch for rush hour though.

Ride home today was gloriously assisted by new tights and gore windstopper jacket - very nice indeed, although I look like a proper mentalist now. Toasty legs, and my jersey still smells of washing powder from last night's hand-wash, due to removal of Boil-in-Bag

However .... hands, head, face ... as yet unshielded from the cold. Just getting the first nerve signals through. As well as heavy-duty gloves, I need some kind of Compo hat or balaclava to go under my helmet. Perhaps I'll just go the whole hog and dress up as Bananaman.

Too much traffic for SCR, except the TL drag-races on HSK which I always seem to win, despite my horrific gear slippage.

notsoblue

Bloody hell its freezing out there. I was fine till I got to Upper Richmond Road and then turned left up into Richmond Park. The temperature dropped a few degrees any my hands just froze. Feet followed 20 mins later and by the end I didn't care about anything other than getting home into the warm. Need new gloves!

cjcp

notsoblue wrote:

Bloody hell its freezing out there. I was fine till I got to Upper Richmond Road and then turned left up into Richmond Park. The temperature dropped a few degrees any my hands just froze. Feet followed 20 mins later and by the end I didn't care about anything other than getting home into the warm. Need new gloves!

I abandon that route home now. I carry on through Sheen and Richmond.

Kieran_Burns

Yeehah!

My first video scalp!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-eY1c15vKY

Youtube still processing as I post this, so the quality is a bit crap.... Silly sod me is singing Ride of the Valkeries at 15 seconds when I realised I was catching at a rate of knots

Full on roadie, wrap arounds and everything - I make FCN 1 (ish) and me at FCN 8 8) The poor guy looked like he was suffering badly, but no mercy in this game

ketsbaia

New cassette = faster. Well, I guess the chain cleaning and re-lubing has helped too. Annihilated all comers at the foot of the Col de Denmark Hill.

Sadly couldn't make it stick on the Col de la Fountaine as the bigger gear took its toll.

jds_1981

Kieran_Burns wrote:

Yeehah!

My first video scalp!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-eY1c15vKY

I like the 'hello' as you pass