Silly commuting racing

asprilla

Rode the Alfine this morning with two full panniers (including ye olde granite lappe-toppe0; god that has heave at the back end.

It's the first time I've ridden the Bryant nad whilst it's comfortable and will be relatively quick (when not carrying the load it was today and once I get used to the gearing) it has brought home a few facts:

1) My S1 is a fantastic frame and really I'm spoiled by it the BB is still and it just goes where I point it regardless of speed.

2) The Alfine gear steps will take a bit of getting used to when coming from a 20 speed. Also, some of the changes were a little delayed, so I think there is some tweaking in order.

3) The Bryant is pretty high up and the q-factor is pretty wide. It's comfortable, but it's just not what I'm used to.

4) I need to revisit the FCN calculator; I don't know what my FCN is or how to quickly calculate who is a target down here.

5) The drive train is incredibly smooth and silent. It's uncanny and, again, a little weird.

The Bryant isn't the S1, but then it's not supposed to be. It was pretty good today although it was hard work but I'm sure that when the weather gets bad she'll be in her element.

BR 1979

I'm surprised how close some people are prepared to draft, not lining up for an overtake, but just cycling along.

Who's the bloke on the turquoise-y coloured Trek road bike? He's quite quick (especially when two feet off your rear wheel). Not so quick I couldn't beat him, despite his RLJs.

Still only seen one truly quick cyclist in a over a year of City-Kensington, bloke on a Ribble Winter bike at the end of last year, he was simply blistering (and in the p*ssing rain too). Had a few cheeky drafters who suck along for miles (particularly along the Embankment), before putting in 100m of hard effort to "win" before turning into a side road, mind. The Embankment/Blackfriars turnoff appears to be a particular favourite of this particular Terry Thomas type.

jonginge

notsoblue wrote:

Late in this morning. For which I was punished by encountering the "Very Tall and Lean Rower Chap in a White LS top/baby blue short short onesy with Thighs the Girth of my Torso". Managed to sneak in a cheeky scalping while being towed by a white van past the Physiq Garden (still counts right?) but after that I was but a (portly) leaf caught up in his slipstream. He ran two red lights though, so even if he bested me physically, the moral victory is mine. And in the end, surely thats all that matters? Right? (I can see why the severely anti-RLJ types stick to your position so tightly, excellent coping mechanism :P)

Oh, him. Those shorts make me die inside.

rjsterry

JonGinge wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Late in this morning. For which I was punished by encountering the "Very Tall and Lean Rower Chap in a White LS top/baby blue short short onesy with Thighs the Girth of my Torso". Managed to sneak in a cheeky scalping while being towed by a white van past the Physiq Garden (still counts right?) but after that I was but a (portly) leaf caught up in his slipstream. He ran two red lights though, so even if he bested me physically, the moral victory is mine. And in the end, surely thats all that matters? Right? (I can see why the severely anti-RLJ types stick to your position so tightly, excellent coping mechanism :P)

Oh, him. Those shorts make me die inside.

Oh, I don't know, they bring a certain a certain "is he really wearing those?" humour to the day.

notsoblue

JonGinge wrote:

Oh, him. Those shorts make me die inside.

They really don't leave a great deal to the imagination. The annoying thing is that I'm mostly right behind him, I just don't have the beans to get in front, and I won't hang back and admit defeat. So I'm just stuck there behind far too much exposed man flesh for most of the way, praying that he jumps the next red light.

notsoblue

cjcp wrote:

On a sliver and red LeMond?

I believe so, but I've seen him on a different bike too. Tbh, he's the most distinctive component of the machine anyway.

BR 1979

notsoblue wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Oh, him. Those shorts make me die inside.

They really don't leave a great deal to the imagination. The annoying thing is that I'm mostly right behind him, I just don't have the beans to get in front, and I won't hang back and admit defeat. So I'm just stuck there behind far too much exposed man flesh for most of the way, praying that he jumps the next red light.

I think the drafting fairy doth protest too much!

notsoblue

BR 1979 wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Oh, him. Those shorts make me die inside.

They really don't leave a great deal to the imagination. The annoying thing is that I'm mostly right behind him, I just don't have the beans to get in front, and I won't hang back and admit defeat. So I'm just stuck there behind far too much exposed man flesh for most of the way, praying that he jumps the next red light.

I think the drafting fairy doth protest too much!

I tried, believe me I tried. And actually succeeded once with the help of a van.

wulfhound

Chapeau to the guy on a red Claud Butler on College Road yesterday. No way I could keep up.. genuinely quick, esp given the pig of a headwind. Must have been a full minute quicker than me to the top :?

cjcp

notsoblue wrote:

cjcp wrote:

On a sliver and red LeMond?

I believe so, but I've seen him on a different bike too. Tbh, he's the most distinctive component of the machine anyway.

Yep, he's quick, and he *really* hates being overtaken. But he's got form as a drafting fairy and an RLJer. He's quick off the mark, but he's weaker over distance. It's the long game with him. Not that I've spent hours strategising about this or anything...

dhope

Anyone in black on a black Cube cycling Deptford -> London Bridge while chatting to a blue Scott with Campag shorts? This morning, around 7.15?
I was the one doggedly hanging on after you both sailed past while I was sleeping. Scalp firmly intact though as gears and lycra trump my baggies and fixed.

Pufftmw

Lovely ride in this morning - must have been wind assistance as I must've been putting up silly speeds in some places Lewisham Way was done with ease then New Cross into OKR and I was flying - I really must get a speedo! Couple of cheeky draughts from buses up the OKR then the last lights before Bricklayers, I spy 2 roadies - 1 guy spinning like crazy and another guy draughting him, both moving quickly. I turn up the gas, reel them in and cruise past with not a care in the world... Awesome
26 mins but I hit lights at Lee High Road, Lewisham Way, TBR and Tower Hill which would have added over 2 mins to the time

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

cjcp wrote:

On a sliver and red LeMond?

I believe so, but I've seen him on a different bike too. Tbh, he's the most distinctive component of the machine anyway.

Yep, he's quick, and he *really* hates being overtaken. But he's got form as a drafting fairy and an RLJer. He's quick off the mark, but he's weaker over distance. It's the long game with him. Not that I've spent hours strategising about this or anything...

I wonder if he knows we all talk about him on here.

cjcp

:twisted:

notsoblue

cjcp wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

cjcp wrote:

On a sliver and red LeMond?

I believe so, but I've seen him on a different bike too. Tbh, he's the most distinctive component of the machine anyway.

Yep, he's quick, and he *really* hates being overtaken. But he's got form as a drafting fairy and an RLJer. He's quick off the mark, but he's weaker over distance. It's the long game with him. Not that I've spent hours strategising about this or anything...

Haha, indeed... You're just riding to work, right?

notsoblue

rjsterry wrote:

I wonder if he knows we all talk about him on here.

He does keep popping up in this thread... He's a bit like some kind of albino whale.

rjsterry

Perhaps we should all get some jerseys printed up with something suitable on the back, then make a point of steaming past then allowing him to take a tow. 8)

impaler_diz

HamishD wrote:

Thanks to the guy with long dark hair on the black focus who was a bit too quick for me between Westminster Bridge and Marble Arch through Hyde Park – you helped me annihilate a pb this morning.

My absolute pleasure. If you'd like your scalp back, you know where to find it

jds_1981

Does this car count as a scalp, if so, what's the FCN?

http://vimeo.com/16342414

lost_in_thought

Cor blimey, this thread can really fall off over the weekend!

Rode in this morning for the first time in a little while due to illness. I still have a not insubstantial lurgy, but there's nothing like losing the use of your own personal bathroom in the mornings to get you on the bike and in to the gym!

Held on to my scalp, just, and to my lungs, despite one's attempt to cough its way out of my body. Took one back, off a guy on a very new-looking Ribble winter trainer in Hyde Park.

notsoblue

Fast ride in, lovely weather for it. Not too cold, no wind, dry. Was well and truly on Greenwich Scalping Time this morning. Like an elitist lion bounding through a herd of migrating wildebeest, picking off only the strongest. Nobody really put up a fight though. Perhaps on the way back...

Saw a beautiful white (pearlescent?) Dolan track bike. Never seen the like of it before, pretty unique. Not one of the current Dolan models either. Lovely bike. Rider must have been saving his legs for something other than the ride in though

georgee

notsoblue wrote:

Saw a beautiful white (pearlescent?) Dolan track bike. Never seen the like of it before, pretty unique. Not one of the current Dolan models either. Lovely bike. Rider must have been saving his legs for something other than the ride in though

All quite oddly Aero?

If so i'm sure i've bumped into him in Kingston, Aussie or a Saffa from memory.

Leg's were dead after running at the weekend but there was a distinct lack of quality scalps about at 7am this morning.

notsoblue

georgee wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Saw a beautiful white (pearlescent?) Dolan track bike. Never seen the like of it before, pretty unique. Not one of the current Dolan models either. Lovely bike. Rider must have been saving his legs for something other than the ride in though

All quite oddly Aero?

If so i'm sure i've bumped into him in Kingston, Aussie or a Saffa from memory.

Leg's were dead after running at the weekend but there was a distinct lack of quality scalps about at 7am this morning.

Yeah, looked quite retro-futuristic, carbon though. Could hail from Kingston, caught up with him at Vauxhall Bridge lights. Nice bike indeed. Do you know which model it could be?

georgee

Not a clue, I remember at the time thinking I should figure it out. It looks so specialist he does look like a proper Track rider, but just you usual cyclist.

dhope

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Dolan ... 360050927/

?

notsoblue

dhope wrote:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Dolan_Track_Champion_Track_Bike_2010/5360050927/

?

Nope, was more far out than that. Looked more like a TT bike, carbon monocoque. Looked very specialised, not one Dolan's usual models.

ketsbaia

Back on the commuter hack this morning as I left my shoes in Yorkshire. :roll:

So. Slow. I did manage to pick off one or two people on way lighter bikes and the FCN must be soaring due to flats, baggies and, well, the massively heavy MTB with slicks. But I cannot believe how long it takes to get up to speed. Am gonna head up College Road on it tonight, just to see if it'll make it.

On the plus side, the new chainset I installed on it seems to be working nicely. New BB to fit to it this evening as well so, with any luck, everything will be silky smooth even if it is fairly pedestrian.

cjcp

Wrath Rob caught me up at Parlt Sq this morning. Good to chat, sir.

UndercoverElephant

georgee wrote:

Not a clue, I remember at the time thinking I should figure it out. It looks so specialist he does look like a proper Track rider, but just you usual cyclist.

Something like this, perhaps?

Wrath Rob

I've see that guy on the Dolan before as well. You're right about his speed, he looks much faster than he is. Just what FCN is meant to highlight as a scalp!

cjcp wrote:

Wrath Rob caught me up at Parlt Sq this morning. Good to chat, sir.

Good to meet you too. The facial fluff and the bike stood out in memory from our previous meeting, the Kingston Wheeler's top was just the cherry on the cake. I'm glad we got past that guy in red on the Boardman the other side of the Blackfriars tunnel, he'd taken my scalp while I was slowing for you to catch up the other side of Embankment tube. (Traffic related, not speed on my part )