Silly commuting racing

garryac

Right I'm off to Victoria from tate modern via the embankment..So if I get scalped on the way I know its one of you lot...Me (blue viner crosser, team shirt bib shorts, a rucksack....and a beard

will3

I think you need a rule about making it stick. If you pass someone and don't make it stick, may I suggest that you loses the points you would have gained?
Otherwise people'll be making points by passing/getting passed by the same bike over and over.
Also, where does a knobbly tyred CX fit in?

UnworthyPapaLazaru

rhext wrote:

UnworthyPapaLazaru wrote:

Hello

....But on reading about 'The Game' this will now stop. It is full of hairless (like a lady) roadies in team gear, with that power stuff, computers etc etc and they pass me with ease and I dont have a hope in hell of catching and taking them. I will now be sticking to the fast flat sprint that is Seafield Road.

You're missing the point. It doesn't matter if they pass you. But if you pass one of them, you've got points coming out of your ears. And cunning counts for almost as much as sprinting ability in this game remember.

Advice noted. I'll try get them on thier second circuit.

chewa

Now I'm thinking:

I'm

Touring bike 6
Pannier +1
Beard - 5 o'clock shadow count?

Don't think SPD's should count on the basis that they are almost universal.

What about lights, I always have rear lights fitted (batteries are heavy!) and in winter a Spacebar and front Lumicycles . Do I get an extra FCN point in winter for that?

And back to the age thing, how about an adjuster for scalping anyone at least a decade younger than you (with a cut off at, say 18 ) - we don't want hordes of cyclists hanging round schools waiting to scalp kids on Halfords road bikes do we?

itboffin

It all getting very complicated now but I have to ask, how long do your hard earned points last? a day, week, month or for ever?

It's clear that we're not alone in this illness, so how do we know who's in the "game" some sort of logo / badge or identifier perhaps, is it time to show our true colours? Would we lose points for that?

---

downfader

LOL - how many points do you lose when you've rocketed halfway up a hill only to be passed by a man in his 70s with pannier bags on? I do have a beard though.

Greg T

jedster wrote:

Bike 2 - and this is where it gets devious
slicked MTB 8
single speed (clearly doesn't count on an MTB, right?)
pannier +1
baggies (over lycra HA, again, +1)
SPDs but the cunning ones diguised as flats!!! If I wear lace-up touring shoes surely I get +1 for them
I'm claiming 11.

As I passed a full shaved like a lady roadie on his Tarmac in team colours a couple of week ago, I'm still feeling chipper

Dude you are a pirate. A sheer out and out flag of convienience, wolf in sheep's clothing bagger of scalps...

Single speed MTBs are an abomination and need to be criminalised

As for leaving a weeping roadie wondering why some dude on a jumped up shopping bike just left him - well then that's for ever!

biondino

I was very pleased to see shaved legs and team shirt on a guy I overtook today, but then I noticed it had mudguards and it harshed my buzz somewhat. As did the fact that he drafted me and stayed with me all the way home! So, long-haired Australian in a t-mobile shirt who rode with me from Chelsea to Roehampton, are you on bikeradar?

Bassjunkieuk

The revised rules are now up on the FB group - happy hunting :-)

snooks

Mudguards are a tricky one....they can be 6 inches, or 3 ft...so lets just forget them...if the rider/victim wants to stay dry it's up to them, and not really part of The Game

Oh and if anyone wants a .Doc of the rules and scores (as the Facebook group) to put up where ever they feel fit...PM me yer Email address and I'll get it out to you....I've managed to get it on a piece of A4, feel free to stick it up in your bike area or changing room mirror...I know I will be! :0)

snooks

Right the rules as they stand at 00:01ish 4/7/08

The Game:
Dropping / Pulling anyone higher in the Food Chain Number makes you stronger and more attractive to burds*. Getting dropped / trying to keep up with anyone lower means your soul hires a kudos remover to lower yourself worth. If you scalp someone you have to maintain or extend your lead for such a time as to have the dude you passed admit to themself "I was done". Nipping by, then running into a side road / hiding in traffic won't wash. Be honest with yourself. *Not strictly true

Rules:
1/ No Dangerous Manoeuvres (Don't be a danger to other road users or yourself) Falling off causes pain to you and others around you, don’t do it! (oh and you loose yer points)
2/ Don’t ride like a cock, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!
3/ No passing at Lights/Junction/Crossings, if you do, it doesn’t count
4/ All passing on open road ONLY. Filtering in traffic is null and void (you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly, and haven’t turned off straight afterwards)
5/ Pavement passes, either you or the target is void
6/ Show no pain, unless, like me your face is just like that

FOOD CHAIN NUMBERS:
1. Scooters
2. Roadies with shaved legs - like girls *
3. Single speed fixed hub *
4. Single Speed *
5. Roadies with hairy legs - like men *
6. Touring Bikes (Mud Guards) *
7. "Fast Hybrids" *
8. MTBs on Skinnies *
9. MTBs on Nobbies
10. Bromptons / collapsing bikes
11. MTB full sus on Nobbies
12. Shoppers
13. Shoppers wicker baskets
14. Electric bikes
* Pedal Adjustment +1
• ONLY FCN 2-4 gain points for overtaking the same FCN and Higher Chainers
• Recumbents, Tandems and Segways are worth +2 points as a rare bonus
• Sinclair C5 +20 points as a hens teeth bonus

FCN Adjusters:

CLOTHING:
None:+3
Non-Cycling: +2
Baggies: +1
Lycra: 0
Team Kit: -1
TDF Jersey: -2

BAGGAGE:
Panniers:+1
Back Pack/Courier: 0
Nothing: -1


HEAD GEAR:
Helmets/Nothing/Sunglasses: 0
Bike Caps / Wrap arounds: -1

ACCESSORIES:
Herman's Safety Wing" (orange plastic lolly-pop): +2
Beard: +1
Power meter: -1
Aerobars: -1

PEDALS (If you can identify) FCN2-8 see note above:
Flats: +1
Toe Clips: 0
Evidently Clipless/spds (cycling shoes): -1

Sounds complex, but it really isn't...If you get confused, think of it this way if you drop anyone who looks faster that you +1. If you get dropped by anyone that looks slower than you -1..Couldn't be simpler! You'll also get to work, or get home faster...Or your subscription money back...Ps it's free to join and take part, but negative totals should make cheques on your soul out to: Greg T

snooks

2/ Don’t ride like a fool, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!

Should read:

2/ Don’t ride like a C0ck, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!

Blooming forum police!
.

UnworthyPapaLazaru

Damn it. Took a lift this morning and what do I see? A red polka dot jersey. I bet I cant find him next week when I need him!

secretsam

woodford2barbican wrote:

Somebody needs to specify a schedule of allowable adjustments.......

Oh, God, there's a QS on the 'board... :roll:

woodford2barbican

SecretSam wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

Somebody needs to specify a schedule of allowable adjustments.......

Oh, God, there's a QS on the 'board... :roll:

Are you calling me a geek? You are right if you are!

secretsam

woodford2barbican wrote:

SecretSam wrote:

woodford2barbican wrote:

Somebody needs to specify a schedule of allowable adjustments.......

Oh, God, there's a QS on the 'board... :roll:

Are you calling me a geek? You are right if you are!

QS = Quantity Surveyor AKA Brick Counter

If you are, you have a beard, wear short sleeved shirts (all year round) WITH A TIE ("comedy" one on Fridays) and Jesus-creeper sandals (all year round) WITH SOCKS

I speak the truth.

And no way are SPDs universal, some of us haven't the bottle to justify 2 x new pedals plus shoes when we've just bought new wheels because we need new tyres...real men use clips

will3

Trailers - you forgot trailers. They've gotta be worth a mint.
+1 unladen
+3 laden

Clever Pun

rocking in on the brompton in work clothes and beard... a bottom feeding FCN of 14 I'm pretty much untouchable

I absolutely pissed past two hybrids at the same time one clipless one flats

the roads were unusually quiet today... they knew I was gonna scalp em

Saw a tourer on my radar and I was catching him too but had to turn off for my work

is it wrong to loop the long way round to bag more unwitting victims?

will3

Clever Pun wrote:

is it wrong to loop the long way round to bag more unwitting victims?

As long as it's a valid route to work

Riding round and round town looking for scalps is the same as admitting you're racing.
Don't forget rule #1

jedster

Mixed morning today

on the one hand I got a hairy roadie/lycra/no rucsac on his full-carbon Scott this morning (while on my crosser/guards/pannier). I think he's aware of The Game because he didn't return my cheery "morning" as I passed him.

On the otherhand, I think I must have blown my cover with my post about my stealthy ss mtb q-bike. I rode from Paddington to Green Park without seeing a single target. Everyone's in hiding.

J

Clever Pun

will3 wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

is it wrong to loop the long way round to bag more unwitting victims?

As long as it's a valid route to work

Riding round and round town looking for scalps is the same as admitting you're racing.
Don't forget rule #1

don't ride dangerously? I like not being in pain

Anyway dropping someone higher than you is just a point isn't it, it's just the kudos of punching above your weight?

Greg T

Morning players!

So then...

My scores on the doors for the weeks commute (the week ends after I get to Work on Friday morning after my victory bacon sandwich.. by the way)


Roadie Shaved (Like a lady) = 5
Single Speed = 7

TOTAL 12

OK so I didn't manage in a week what Snooks did in a night but that's not the point - he's Tiger Woods in the pitch and put and as far as I'm concerned I'm Coco the Clown in the Olympics (and it's not the falling out of car event final either)

I'm booking 12 for the week and the Peter Schmeichel Clean Sheet Prize for keeping my scalp all week. I will admit to getting done by two Singlies last night....One was borderline in the just about to break zone and defo wasn't squeezing too hard area just short of The GLA building at the big embankment junction... The other dude had me all ends up on Lower Richmond Road - left me standing pushing a mahooosive gear. In fact I don't think he moved down the road I think he was pushing the world under his tyres with his awesome. However they are both higher in the food chain so SHOULD had had me - no shame.

Now my big hit of the noght was on Putney Bridge - I'd been tracking a fit looking singlie dude through Fulham - never really getting into his lights phase - until Putney Bridge.

Now in my opinion Putney Bridge is a killing zone. It's dead straight and sloping with a bus lane. OK so it's only 2-300M long but with the slope it can seperate the wheat from the chaff and with the bus lane it's gladiator time.

He sets off from me at the lights - I pull level as we start the "climb" and with his fear in my nostrils I keep my bum in the saddle and ease him away.... It was a thing of beauty. Of course the God of Singlies didn't like this so sent his hardcore Angel of Death (in Kingstone Wheelers shorts) to do me on Lower Richmond Road - but that's the game.

As an aside in the Four days of game playing I've lost half a kilo and am now threaders.... I intended to have a "recovery" day today and just spin in (I've got to put up a good show tomorrow in Richmond Park) 30 mins later I'm cat and mousing a single and SLAL Roadie down the embankment with my tyres spitting sparks.....

I can't stop playing the game....

Also - and I bet I'm not the only one here - I'm chatting to other bikers at the lights...

It may be that I'm just using it as an excuse to look behind me and weigh up the oppo but I just feel more "friendly"?

Am I the only one?

2wheelzgood

Excellent work clever pun. I think I'm going to try underhand FCN lowering tactics too and ride my hard tail MTB with knobblies (or is that nobbies?) and a front brake that's contaminated so badly it hardly works FCN 9 or 10. I'd be raking it in so much, burds will take their clothes off when they see me!

ahem yeah.
Wanted to make a point about converted singlies...jedster has an abomination of a bike yet with the correct gearing, ss are fast. I reckon you should start at the FCN base of what you've converted TO and add +1 for bikes like hybrids or roadies or +2 for mtbs.. fair? I mean an ss rider's legs are as wide at the equivalent mtb rider's waist and we know it! (mine my made of fat as well as muscle)
ss mtb is therefore (slicks) 4+2=6 same as a touring
converted ss roadie (hairy) 4+1=5 so on par with a normal roadie?
seems fair.. discuss.

Jedster, my heart goes out to mtb ssers though.. you have it tough as you won't be that fast unless your gear looks like a flywheel but you've made the effort so you forfeit and jump up the food chain for trying hard!..

Clothes :shock:
I'm shocked to see only +1 for no clothes (does it mean nude naked bareback?) compared to a decent person?
1 scenarios (however I think it's rare (understatement) to see cyclists with no clothes... fit people may be hard to overtake, but on the other hand flabbies will make you pedal harder subconsciously!

will3 I hear what you're saying about being re-"done"
and it brings up GregT's point about RLJs too.

1) you gotta be able to maintain a pace in front (apart from coming to lights again. If they out sprint (ungentlemanly) or RLJ, it's game on to claim points again. If you break climbing a hill after having scalped on the flat, you're as good as a basket lady

eg (I'll get to it in due course)
This morning (another clean sheet) I was coasting to.some lights and a standard hairy roadie (5) coasts faster and I'm sure he was thinking,"I've done him" or was about to crack on after the junction. I HAD to take up the challenge albeit on the same FCN.
(technically no loss but a moral one in my eyes).
well downhill I drafted him for 500m or so (rule about distance/time allowed for drafting same class or below) however at 25mph I cannot possible go past looking swish, my legs spin twice per second at that speed. No joke! and the bends would've made it unsafe.. always ride safe.Also he was out of the seat and I was coasting.. sweet, I was gonna have this suckker, with his shiny clean bike.
And then it goes uphill like crazy. I was dead chuffed o see him going the same way and struggling out of the seat from the start. I eased passed, seated, holding back gasps for air. I need to learn to breathe in through my skin.

after yesterday I made a big effort not to look back so much and just ploughed on but going past him took it out of me. I did get to the top of the 5 min hill ahead and looked back at the roundabout (legal?) he was a good 200m back. sweet, blown away, left for dead or as the eurosport guys say, split apart at the seams. please don't give me -1 for thinking in this way.

But a few 100m on, he sails past and to the fornt as I'm slowing to turn at some lights. he grins (obviously not aware of the rules as it's not a victory if traffic or lights holds a player up). He even stops way out in the junction, beyond the white line and first car..tut.

Anyway I wasn't playing for points but moral high ground and defo got it as he was only able to come back at the 2 lights.. and mainly I stayed well away on the hill.

Mudguards come as standard on tourers and some hybrids. In fact hybrid can range from triathlon bikes to Dawes 201s with metal mudguards, racks and adjustable stems (gah) like mine used to be. do we need sub-classes?

Anyway a player knows in their own mind whether a scalpee or scalper looks faster or slower then themselves.


Chewa, sure you could goto a school, but
a) polie will be there sharish
b) they all ride bmxs so you'd better watch yer back cos the kids like to shout "warra race" and can it for 200m. no doubt you'll be at the end of a 10m ride and will be whooped!

Greg T

2wheelzgood wrote:

at the roundabout (legal?) he was a good 200m back. sweet, blown away, left for dead or as the eurosport guys say, split apart at the seams. please don't give me -1 for thinking in this way.....

But a few 100m on, he sails past and to the fornt as I'm slowing to turn at some lights. he grins (obviously not aware of the rules as it's not a victory if traffic or lights holds a player up).

You had him on toast.

Doing someone on a hill when they are standing up and you are in the armchair is in fact more cruel than humping their sister and giving them a tenner for it.

He's fooled no-one and in his heart knows that you'd done him.

Anyway a player knows in their own mind whether a scalpee or scalper looks faster or slower then themselves.

This is the truth.

Ah yes RLJers....

I kept a tally last night.

I did the same RLJing Roadie (Baggy cargo pants type abomination) four times and a dude on a geometro folder (you know the ones that look like a biplanes wing) three times. Do these guys know no shame? If the same dude did me four times in two miles I'd shove my Blackburn pump down my own throat to end the horror

2wheelzgood

Greg, I think you're right. I'm feeling more like talking but only met 1 bike each "commute" and he's been the roadie I've needed to be so calm about beating. It's hard to do that when in oxygen deficit!

by the way, it's only for commutes right? (I ride back to mine most mornings and to the burds of and eve since I work from home.. it's fair.
But riding around town, predator-like is a no-no. to overt.

what about on a weekend or evening fun ride? mind you they tend to be lady shavers in full kit roadies who are actually impossible to beat. That or families. Feels dirty to be thinking about the game when passing an 8 year old on a pink bike with trainer wheels.

will3

Clever Pun wrote:

don't ride dangerously? I like not being in pain

Anyway dropping someone higher than you is just a point isn't it, it's just the kudos of punching above your weight?

Nooo rule numero uno:

greg wrote:

This has been discussed elsewhere - the first rule of Secret Commute Bike Race Club is that you don't talk about it! Well OK then.

ie you dont' appear to try.....

snooks

Morning all,

On my bike again today...nothing to do with The Game...Honest :roll: OK! I wanted to see how many I could bag this morning!!

And I think the Clothes adjustment is excellent, although it makes targets harder to find, it's fair, I could have bagged a few tourers and hybrids, but they were in non cycling clothing, so below me in the food chain, nill pont.

Even tried going a little longer route to find some others, dunno whether it paid off, but I got two more over Southwark bridge, hurrah

Morning total of 5 in 13 miles...Bring on this evening!

Only problem now, I find myself chasing massive roadies in the distance with the enthusiasm of a springer spaniel pup!

cjcp

Ok, been away for three days and this thread has evolved to say the least so need a bit of help.

I'm Category 5 (Roadie, hairy legs). I passed two scooters on Embankment this morning and one single speed (non-fixed hub) and wasn't passed. What does that buy me?

Roads were a bit quiet this morning. Very nice.

Greg T - you're a bit earlier than me although our paths could well cross on the route home. I join Embankment at the sliproad just before Blackfriars underpass anytime from 5.45 onwards. Will give you a tap on the back as I go past.

Citizen Smith

Couple of choice scalps last night. Love the feeling of hunting someone down and you know in your heart's heart the point is inevitable.

Also had some good but kinda of annoying dualling with a fellow hybrid though he was sans panniers. Did him once and then he goes and coasts past me at the lights. Did him again only for him to do the same at the next set of lights. Did him again and that was the end of his shenangians - he'd obviously resigned himself to the fact his scalp was mine to keep.

Didn't see much action this morning, plenty of passes but not many scalps.

Greg T wrote:

Now in my opinion Putney Bridge is a killing zone. It's dead straight and sloping with a bus lane. OK so it's only 2-300M long but with the slope it can seperate the wheat from the chaff and with the bus lane it's gladiator time.

Waterloo bridge is also good scalping zone especially on the uphill. Another good one is the gentle climb between Clapham Common and Clapham South tube.

Greg T

cjcp wrote:

I'm Category 5 (Roadie, hairy legs). I passed two scooters on Embankment this morning and one single speed (non-fixed hub) and wasn't passed. What does that buy me?

That buys you a pint the "Gamers Arms" from a barman who knows your ususal and pulls down your special engraved "Scooter Scalper" beer mug from the top shelf and gives it to Kylie Minogue (the new bar maid) to fill for you...

[Roads were a bit quiet this morning. Very nice.

I think a lot of second div strugglers left their bikes at work last night as it was a bit wet. They are weak.

Greg T - you're a bit earlier than me although our paths could well cross on the route home. I join Embankment at the sliproad just before Blackfriars underpass anytime from 5.45 onwards. Will give you a tap on the back as I go past.

Please do amigo. I will enjoy sitting on you back wheel whilst you spin like a moulinex for just under the "I did him" timing before slipping by you singing amedley of songs from the Sound of Music.

You may need to change your username...