Silly commuting racing

jds_1981

johnny2legs wrote:

I ride with a backpack cover with flashy green light strips down it (that's the most distinctive thing I can think of, I haven't really seen any others)

Do you cycle along holborn viaduct westwards in the evening?

jzed

johnny2legs wrote:

JZed wrote:

Any idea what was happening by the metropolitan police building on embankment - the road was all taped off with police taking pictures. Traffic was terrible.

Ended up with a chain gang of 3/4 on my tail from VB to CB - knew there was someone taking a tow but not a whole gang of them. Guy on the mountain bike with nobblies was shifting and thanked me for the tow. I was pretty much done but kept with them down to Albert bridge and then traffic stopped play.

Were you going down Embankment around 7 o'clockish? I think I may have seen you guys. I remember a guy on a mountain bike going pretty quickly.

I ride with a backpack cover with flashy green light strips down it (that's the most distinctive thing I can think of, I haven't really seen any others)

It was a nightmare with all the scooters motorbikes blocking the cycle lane. Are they actually allowed to ride in it?

Probably was around 7ish. I don't recall seeing you- but it was carnage so was trying to avoid scooters and cars. What do you ride?

Scooters aren't meant to go into the cycle lane if there is a solid line but they ignore that just like the ASLs, if its dashed its a free for all.

johnny2legs

jds_1981 wrote:

johnny2legs wrote:

I ride with a backpack cover with flashy green light strips down it (that's the most distinctive thing I can think of, I haven't really seen any others)

Do you cycle along holborn viaduct westwards in the evening?

I do go through that area, from Smithfield Market down to Farringdon Street towards Embankment.

johnny2legs

JZed wrote:

johnny2legs wrote:

JZed wrote:

Any idea what was happening by the metropolitan police building on embankment - the road was all taped off with police taking pictures. Traffic was terrible.

Ended up with a chain gang of 3/4 on my tail from VB to CB - knew there was someone taking a tow but not a whole gang of them. Guy on the mountain bike with nobblies was shifting and thanked me for the tow. I was pretty much done but kept with them down to Albert bridge and then traffic stopped play.

Were you going down Embankment around 7 o'clockish? I think I may have seen you guys. I remember a guy on a mountain bike going pretty quickly.

I ride with a backpack cover with flashy green light strips down it (that's the most distinctive thing I can think of, I haven't really seen any others)

It was a nightmare with all the scooters motorbikes blocking the cycle lane. Are they actually allowed to ride in it?

Probably was around 7ish. I don't recall seeing you- but it was carnage so was trying to avoid scooters and cars. What do you ride?

Scooters aren't meant to go into the cycle lane if there is a solid line but they ignore that just like the ASLs, if its dashed its a free for all.

I ride a white Allez sport at the moment

rjsterry

Think I might have chased your mini peloton from VB to CB last night. The times sound about right and it was a group of 4. I caught up at the lights just before the railway bridge, but turned off at CB, so didn't get a chance to go for any scalps. One of the group was riding a silver (?) Bianchi IIRC.

+1 on the Embankment and scoters in the cycle lane. I've taken to riding dead centre down the cycle lane when there's a scooter right behind me. They seem to get frustrated and pull off to the right fairly quickly.

jzed

Wrath Rob wrote:

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 )

Saw the white Dolan this morning on Cheyne Walk as I was coming over Battersea Bridge. Caught the Dolan in a group of three down at Parliament Square (BR 1979 were you riding with the Dolan - there was a Carrera with a two tone paint work). Was going to find out what the bike was but the Dolan RLJ'd the second set of lights. Seems they have been timed again to hit red as soon as you approach the lights all the way round.

Had good ride down Victoria Embankment until a pedestrian approach the pedestrian crossing, I put down the anchors, the group behind shot through and the pedestrian just stood going knowwhere - a few choice words and then back on the gas but distance was too great to make up.

Oddjob62

To the two lads who tried to scalp me on Camden St this about half an hour ago... flat road on my 90" gear... no chance

cjcp

To the chap on the Bianchi taking a tow from AB to CB and then to DSC and then to Millbank: I was pootling and there was a stonking tailwind. MTFU. :twisted: And a wave of the arm means go past.

london_scottish

I was so slow into that headwind this morning I'll probably scalp myself on the trip in tomorrow.

I guess one of the fastest trips home ever last night had to be paid in full to the wind Gods but the poor birds were flying backwards when I left this morning.

On a positive note not one single bike passed me in the field of play and I had a Carpet Warehouse of scalps weighing me down, so I must have been doing something right.

Pufftmw

Back on the bike last night for the trip home and still unbeaten over Tower Bridge Onto OKR and a transit having a barney with a car in the outside lane, swings into the middle lane still shouting out his window, runs wide into the bus lane and nearly mashes me into a bus that was loading :shock: He was still shouting out his right when I'm banging on his left - "Sorry m8, didn't see you..." :roll:

Good ride in this morning bar the headwind but for the first time ever, I picked up a drafting fairy coming over Tower Bridge. I was running on the inside whereas I'm normally in the middle though but when I realised, I wound up the speed and left him in the run upto the lights

rjsterry

Much better today: nice warm morning, traffic not too heavy, tasty tailwind

Looked to be a few contenders at VB lights, but nobody seemed to be interested in chasing me along Millbank. Sadly no-one to chase along Victoria Embankment, and just had to shout at a ped at the Horseguards lights to stop him stepping out in front of me. Nice and fast all the same.

SimonAH

Saw a chicken lay the same egg three time on my way in this morning. It is rather breezy out there!

Citizen Smith

This AM, a roadie on a black Scott nipped in front of me as we turned right at Tooting Broadway, heading in the direction Balham.

He looked rapid so I thought game on. He didn't wind up though so I passed him and blasted up the hill to Bec.

Tailwind made life very easy as I powered up the drag strip to Balham and up to Clapham South.

Fair play to Scott guy as he had kept pace and coasted past as the lights changed to green. I took him again past the Windmilll and then at Clapham Common I proceeded to have the best run ever of light sequences as I had a completely uninterrupted run down to Stockwell.

With the tailwind, I was cruising in the late twenties and I swear that section took me a third or even a quarter to the time it usually takes when I normally hit some of the six traffic lights there.

Also worthy mention to the team kitted guy on the Ribble Sportive Racing who danced up VB...tried to close the gap but I was blowing a little at that point.

jds_1981

Ga you south londoners with your tailwind :twisted: :twisted:

Sanderville

JZed wrote:

Any idea what was happening by the metropolitan police building on embankment - the road was all taped off with police taking pictures.

Looked like a Range Rover had pulled out of the police building into the path of a motorbike. The bike was wrecked, biker's helmet and clothes left in the street. The Range Rover only had a minor dent in the driver's door so it was most likely armoured.

Judging by the way motorbikes were tearing around yesterday there were probably quite a few transplants happening last night.

dhope

jds_1981 wrote:

Ga you south londoners with your tailwind :twisted: :twisted:

No tailwind in from Greenwich this morning :evil:

ketsbaia

dhope wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Ga you south londoners with your tailwind :twisted: :twisted:

No tailwind in from Greenwich this morning :evil:

This. It was murder up OKR and GDS especially.

There's a bloke on a Giant MB who's got white hair who gives me the hurry up every now and then, but jumps red lights all the way along OKR.

So it was with great delight I took back my 'scalp' about half way up GDS, breezing past him at almost twice his speed. If you're going to RLJ, the least you can do is make it stick.

In other news, I'm desperately slow away from the lights on the leviathan. Feels like I'm on a conveyor belt for the first few yards.

W1

rjsterry wrote:

Ugh! I really hate filtering through stationary traffic, especially in the dark. How I didn't collect a few wing mirrors I don't know. It took me nearly half an hour to get to P. Square (normally 15 minutes) with scooters blocking every available gap :evil:

The road out of the square was equally banjaxed, but then after LBR, the traffic just disappeared :?

People of London: If you normally commute by tube, and there is a strike, the solution is not to all get into your cars and drive in!

Should have gone south of the river via Waterloo - was fairly clear and could filter easily through (even though there are roadworks). Less windy too.

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

rjsterry

W1 wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Ugh! I really hate filtering through stationary traffic, especially in the dark. How I didn't collect a few wing mirrors I don't know. It took me nearly half an hour to get to P. Square (normally 15 minutes) with scooters blocking every available gap :evil:

The road out of the square was equally banjaxed, but then after LBR, the traffic just disappeared :?

People of London: If you normally commute by tube, and there is a strike, the solution is not to all get into your cars and drive in!

Should have gone south of the river via Waterloo - was fairly clear and could filter easily through (even though there are roadworks). Less windy too.

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Considered that, but last time I tried it, it was just also solid traffic all the way to Lambeth Bridge. What I need is instant access to traffic cameras whilst on the move.

cjcp

W1 wrote:

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Went through after the game had finished. Some fans seemed to think that the road bit in "NKR" formed part of the pavement...

W1

rjsterry wrote:

W1 wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

Ugh! I really hate filtering through stationary traffic, especially in the dark. How I didn't collect a few wing mirrors I don't know. It took me nearly half an hour to get to P. Square (normally 15 minutes) with scooters blocking every available gap :evil:

The road out of the square was equally banjaxed, but then after LBR, the traffic just disappeared :?

People of London: If you normally commute by tube, and there is a strike, the solution is not to all get into your cars and drive in!

Should have gone south of the river via Waterloo - was fairly clear and could filter easily through (even though there are roadworks). Less windy too.

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Considered that, but last time I tried it, it was just also solid traffic all the way to Lambeth Bridge. What I need is instant access to traffic cameras whilst on the move.

Whenever I think Embankment is going to be busy (like last night) I head south. I've got stuck solid too many times on the Embankment which is far too frustrating. I've never been as stuck going via Waterloo, although there are more trafffic lights/junctions to contend with.

rjsterry

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Went through after the game had finished. Some fans seemed to think that the road bit in "NKR" formed part of the pavement...

:?


Well there's always a first time.

Pufftmw

ketsbaia wrote:

dhope wrote:

jds_1981 wrote:

Ga you south londoners with your tailwind :twisted: :twisted:

No tailwind in from Greenwich this morning :evil:

This. It was murder up OKR and GDS especially.

MTFU :P

But I guess if you're slim and 11 stone on a bike weighing less than 9kg then headwind doesn't affect so much...

cjcp

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Went through after the game had finished. Some fans seemed to think that the road bit in "NKR" formed part of the pavement...

:?


Well there's always a first time.

Good point.

@W1 - which bridge do you come back across?

King Donut

rjsterry wrote:

... but then after LBR, the traffic just disappeared :?

I noticed this too last night. Weird. Still, it gave me a chance to pummel grey/red Lemond guy (still wearing them baby blue shorts, but there was definite VPL so maybe he does read this thread after all) and blue Pearson chappie in one swoop. Both had nothing into the Millbank WoW and resorted to cutting me up when filtering further down Embankment.

W1

cjcp wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

cjcp wrote:

W1 wrote:

Chelsea was a nightmare because there was also a footy match on!

Went through after the game had finished. Some fans seemed to think that the road bit in "NKR" formed part of the pavement...

:?


Well there's always a first time.

Good point.

@W1 - which bridge do you come back across?

Depends on the traffic and wind. Usually Lambeth, sometimes Vauxhall. I do find the south-bank route slower after 7pm due to the bus-lanes becoming unrestricted, and by then the Embankment is less likely to be blocked.

cjcp

King Donut wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

... but then after LBR, the traffic just disappeared :?

I noticed this too last night. Weird. Still, it gave me a chance to pummel grey/red Lemond guy (still wearing them baby blue shorts, but there was definite VPL so maybe he does read this thread after all) and blue Pearson chappie in one swoop. Both had nothing into the Millbank WoW and resorted to cutting me up when filtering further down Embankment.

8) Schweet.

Now, lemme guess: Blue Pearson chappie was drafting Lemond dude.

cjcp

W1 wrote:

@W1 - which bridge do you come back across?

Depends on the traffic and wind. Usually Lambeth, sometimes Vauxhall. I do find the south-bank route slower after 7pm due to the bus-lanes becoming unrestricted, and by then the Embankment is less likely to be blocked.[/quote]

Ah, right. I'm only keen on crossing Southwark if heading south. Not keen on Vauxhall Cross, so I'd probably had back over Lambeth, too.

The bike lane heading west before PS has done a good job of keeping bikes moving even when that's a bit blocked.

King Donut

cjcp wrote:

Now, lemme guess: Blue Pearson chappie was drafting Lemond dude.

Uh-huh. He got rattled when I interrupted their daisy-chaining, obviously loves the view. Quite the jealous type I tell you.

cjcp

King Donut wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Now, lemme guess: Blue Pearson chappie was drafting Lemond dude.

Uh-huh. He got rattled when I interrupted their daisy-chaining, obviously loves the view. Quite the jealous type I tell you.

:twisted: