Silly commuting racing

biondino

gb155, chapeau to you. That's an amazing achievement. A friend of mine is trying to halve his weight - form 31 stone to 15 stone - and he's about 2/3 of the way there and I've never seen him happier, fitter, or more dedicated. Congratulations, keep it up, and you'll shame us all!

biondino

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Thankfully I was getting going on the pavement so didn't loose my footing on the road!

Pardon? I think I must have misheard. Did I really hear you say something about cycling on the pavement??

(also, "loose" - get thee to Cori's grammar thread this instant young man )

gb155

biondino wrote:

gb155, chapeau to you. That's an amazing achievement. A friend of mine is trying to halve his weight - form 31 stone to 15 stone - and he's about 2/3 of the way there and I've never seen him happier, fitter, or more dedicated. Congratulations, keep it up, and you'll shame us all!

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

cjcp

whyamihere wrote:

You're right, of course. It seems that the leg shaving has left me open to lady like emotions. A few good explosions should have me scalping properly again.

VL normally takes a hard, but fair, line, so in his absence: man up, the Game is cruel.

Bassjunkieuk

biondino wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Thankfully I was getting going on the pavement so didn't loose my footing on the road!

Pardon? I think I must have misheard. Did I really hear you say something about cycling on the pavement??

(also, "loose" - get thee to Cori's grammar thread this instant young man )

Apologizes for the typo! As for the pavement bit I had just dropped the kids at school and was getting set to join the road at a dropped kerb. Put my foot in and pushed down to ride off only for it to fly straight out of the clip!

lost_in_thought

cjcp wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

You're right, of course. It seems that the leg shaving has left me open to lady like emotions. A few good explosions should have me scalping properly again.

VL normally takes a hard, but fair, line, so in his absence: man up, the Game is cruel.

It clearly is a ladylike emotions - I don't count scalps where I feel sorry for the scalpee - even if they're a higher FCN number than me it's only a technical scalp if it's too easy, I'm all about the moral victories!

cjcp

gb155 wrote:

biondino wrote:

gb155, chapeau to you. That's an amazing achievement. A friend of mine is trying to halve his weight - form 31 stone to 15 stone - and he's about 2/3 of the way there and I've never seen him happier, fitter, or more dedicated. Congratulations, keep it up, and you'll shame us all!

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

GB - top effort. There's a chap in my club (he's on this forum, but not this thread), who's lost a significant amount of weight (only half the story), started cycling last year and was riding the Etape this year until the poor weather meant that the officials had to call a halt to it all. Loves going out into the hills to beast it. Yes, he's as mad as cheese if you're reading, mate), but he loves his cycling and a tremedous inspiration to others.

If you need a reason to lose more weight, it's to get off that mtb and ride the thing of beauty that is a road bike. And when I say "road bike", I mean a proper one, with more than one gear, regardless of what those socially deviant SSers on this thread may say. Buy a single speed and you will soon start staring at your own thighs for hours on end, as Littigator seems to do.

2wheelzgood

whyamihere wrote:

Chaps and chapesses, I have a problem. Occasionally, and it is only occasionally, I actually feel bad about scalping someone. For example, a week or so ago, I overtook an older guy on a road bike (same FCN as me from the look of it). Now, this was up a hill that I normally grind about 12mph, but seeing him ahead gave me the incentive to race up at nearly 20mph and settle back into looking calm and composed as I passed. However, I could tell that he was really struggling, as I normally do up that hill, and I'm a bit worried I made it seem just a little bit too easy to get past and drop him...

Are you nuts man? :shock: This is like the BBC blogger who was ashamed of our success at Beijing all over again. You're meant to take immense satisfaction from reaping/ripping scalps!

Remember (it's been said before and many a player have mistakenly thought oldies are easy targets) that the old roadie is a wiley fox. He spins slowly with stick legs but is a witty one and is a force of nature!


If they keel over after having tried TOO hard, then its time to think about what you're doing to their inner game player. Their subconscious competitive Andy Schleck making them chase anything down and going beyond their limits.
Still, if you beat them and they look faster, it's points in your pocket.

cjcp

lost_in_thought wrote:

cjcp wrote:

whyamihere wrote:

You're right, of course. It seems that the leg shaving has left me open to lady like emotions. A few good explosions should have me scalping properly again.

VL normally takes a hard, but fair, line, so in his absence: man up, the Game is cruel.

It clearly is a ladylike emotions - I don't count scalps where I feel sorry for the scalpee - even if they're a higher FCN number than me it's only a technical scalp if it's too easy, I'm all about the moral victories!

I don't understand. You feel sorry for the scalpee? Why would you feel sorry for a scalpee? You should ride past beating your chest, shouting "who da man (or woman, I suppose)?" or "how d'ya like those apples?". You've lost me. Sorry.

gb155

cjcp wrote:

gb155 wrote:

biondino wrote:

gb155, chapeau to you. That's an amazing achievement. A friend of mine is trying to halve his weight - form 31 stone to 15 stone - and he's about 2/3 of the way there and I've never seen him happier, fitter, or more dedicated. Congratulations, keep it up, and you'll shame us all!

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

GB - top effort. There's a chap in my club (he's on this forum, but not this thread), who's lost a significant amount of weight (only half the story), started cycling last year and was riding the Etape this year until the poor weather meant that the officials had to call a halt to it all. Loves going out into the hills to beast it. Yes, he's as mad as cheese if you're reading, mate), but he loves his cycling and a tremedous inspiration to others.

If you need a reason to lose more weight, it's to get off that mtb and ride the thing of beauty that is a road bike. And when I say "road bike", I mean a proper one, with more than one gear, regardless of what those socially deviant SSers on this thread may say. Buy a single speed and you will soon start staring at your own thighs for hours on end, as Littigator seems to do.

Totally agree there, Though I wont get dragged into the single speed issue right now lol, Give it a few months.

Thanks for your comments.

lost_in_thought

GB155, amazing stuff. I should try harder to lose my excess baggage!

I don't understand. You feel sorry for the scalpee? Why would you feel sorry for a scalpee? You should ride past beating your chest, shouting "who da man (or woman, I suppose)?" or "how d'ya like those apples?". You've lost me. Sorry.

Well, when it's too easy I feel sorry for them - like taking scalp candy from a baby! It's only a moral scalp if you have to really put your back into it.

itboffin

Talking of single speed (as we have occasionally been known to do) if you google for that phrase this very thread is number three in the list right behind lfgss, just an observation that's all.

Having been originally lead to this forum for non "Game" purposes then finding myself drawn into the Games sticky web I now find myself wandering aimlessly amongst the other threads :shock: and who do I find in there but you lot...

where/how do you find the time?

PS. I've had to install an RSS reader on my crackberry just to keep up but on the plus side no one on the train wants to sit next to the guys who keeps sniggering and occasionally laughing out loud to himself.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Ker-rhist. I got into a race going uphill against a learner driver this evening.

We pull away from the lights, and he's dawdling, so I nip to the right and start to overtake. As soon as I do, he starts to accelerate. I pull alongside the driver, he accelerates a bit more, and so it went on. I tell you, it was like he had his instructer goading him on. I got past in the end, but Jay-sus it was hard work.

I'll stick to bikes next time.

attica

gb155 wrote:

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

GB, fantastic effort, it's so good to take back control - doesn't really compare but I used to be a smoker and have replaced that with my cycling habit. Still seem to end up wheezing and stinking afterwards, but its good for me I'm told. (come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I had a good wheeze/coughing fit)
You'll have to keep us updated with your progress toward that Blackpool/Manchester ride.

Fonz

I'm a -3 on the FCN (thanks to the silky smooth legs and the aerobars) and am absolutely untouchable on my daily commute.

BUT

I've been smoked twice this week by the same CHICK on her full carbon P3... not happy. Try as I might, I just can't keep up. I'll arrive at the lights a few seconds behind, breathing my skin so as not to show any sign of weakness (all the while my HR is soaring into unchartered terrain and my grounded leg is twitching through my lycra full lengths...)

"Hi", I say, having to clear my throat from all the built up phlegm after pinning it for the last few hundred meters.

"Good morning" she says in that beautiful, delicate, sweet voice as though she's just woken up and rolled over in her 3,000 knit Egyptian cotton sheets with the curtains playfully dancing in the breeze on a warm Spring morning in the south of Spain, her long blonde hair ruffled and strewn across the pillows...

Ahem...

Suddenly she's away again, the lights have changed while I've been losing my balance daydreaming of another life and she's at full speed. I've neglected to change down coming up to the lights and just about kiss tarmac trying to pull away in a 53/11 cadence. Cars toot, people yell and the object of my desires (The P3 of course) is already far far away in the distance, it's beautiful polished black carbon finish sparkling with the first of the morning rays bouncing of the sea...

I put the power down, coming up to speed, gently dropping my arms down onto the extensions and I re-adjust my shoulders to spread the weight of my bag, which I'd love to say was heavy but contained no more than a clean shirt, cufflinks, wallet (empty), cellphone, clean jocks, socks, housekeys and a couple of bananas. I get myself into strike mode, raise my eyes back to the road only to realise she's pulling away! I dig deep, powering through that hearty snack I had an hour prior and start to feel the burn in the backs of my legs, still, she pulls away more. I catch up with her at the next red light and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I jump that sucker and fly down a side street just managing to squeeze a "have a great day" through my over-worked lungs and burning throat. She responds with a nod and a red-carpet worthy teethy smile, blue eyes wide and bright with the morning ambiance. I nearly taste the back of a gunmetal Audi as I pull myself back to reality and focus on that filthy, dirty fixie courier 200 meters ahead of me who unfortunately will feel the wrath of my frustration. Poor guy never had a chance, despite being leagues below me on the FCN I took immense satisfaction in blasting past him like he wasn't even moving. Still, I sit in my office, behind my computer, feeling like a failure and a terrible person...

Mystery P3 girl, I love you, you are perfect...

gb155

Attica wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

GB, fantastic effort, it's so good to take back control - doesn't really compare but I used to be a smoker and have replaced that with my cycling habit. Still seem to end up wheezing and stinking afterwards, but its good for me I'm told. (come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I had a good wheeze/coughing fit)
You'll have to keep us updated with your progress toward that Blackpool/Manchester ride.

Thanks very much

I too was a smoker, God is there anything bad I didnt do ? I was a driver too, I have taken control back now though HURRAH, With regard to the Manc-Pool ride, I will do, I am building a website that I will try and keep as upto date as I can, Im not on my pc as much as before though

Right, Time for my 7 morning miles, Talk to youall later ( I will try and scalp an old granny this morning lol)

Bassjunkieuk

Fonz, welcome, commisteratons on the P3 girl and well done on the courier (even tho they are way below you!) and the hilarious first post - I think you'll fit in just great here!
Just wanted to check what area you spotted the lovely lil' rocket lady in so other players can keep an eye out for her?

Another un-eventful morning for me on my sprint to work. Only thing of note was the plonker on the Bianchi hybrid (I didn't know they made them, just thought they made ultra-lovely road bikes! Check out the 2009 preview on the main page WANT!!!!) who came sailing onto the road with so much as a look before crossing the giveway line :evil: Thankfully I had spotted him, eased up a bit and didn't have a car alongside me so I pulled over a bit to miss his wheel and dropped him like a wet hanky.

Littigator

Ker-rist! It's not even 9.30 and I had 4 pages to catch up on. So where to begin...

eeehhhhmmm, well with me of course. You will ALL be gripped and fascinated to read that today drum roll I switched over to fixed....WOOOHOOOO! YES, I am a pervert in CJCPs eyes, I will forever more stare at my thighs all misty eyed it's only a matter of days before I have a face full of metal, arms and legs covered in meaningless celtic swirls and spokey dokeys all over my wheels...not to mention the battered cap at a rakish angle.

Anyway onto more mundane matters...other people

ITB - gutted re. the job, but 4 months pay dude, JUST DON'T SPEND IT ALL ON BIKES...we know what you're like.

BJUK - when the hell will you PLEASE get your bike back. Shall we plan a commando dawn raid on the bike shop?

gb155 - hooj congrats at not being so hooj fellah that must take an unimaginable amount of perserverance and will power...well done mate

Nick R - welcome welcome, we're not all soft pansies who collect flowers and hand out leaflets on being nice to people like Whyamihere

Whyamihere - take a big fat sip of toughen the f*ck up!

And finally, Fonz for one of the most poetic posts in a longtime, but Cripes Oreilly MINUS 3!!!!! and who is this girl that beats you? You don't live anywhere near Victoria Pendleton do you?

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

was riding the Etape this year until the poor weather meant that the officials had to call a halt to it all.

Didn't realise they'd done this?

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

was riding the Etape this year until the poor weather meant that the officials had to call a halt to it all.

Didn't realise they'd done this?

Yeah. Bit of a tough call apparently, but I suppose you need to look at it from the organisers point of view (and the French are good at this sportif lark). Jash, I may get this a bit wrong, but I think he was going up the Hautacam to La Mongie ski station or something and the weather was atrocious. That's probably barse ackwards but the weather was diabolical so it was called off for safety reasons.

cjcp

Attica wrote:

gb155 wrote:

Thanks man, Yup I feel AMAZING, I even smile now, I have a reason to live, Its crazy, That pic in my sig was taken just 8 Months ago (and I was 34 stone there ), Now I love cycling and getting out, Then I wouldnt even leave the house, Crazy transformation, but still a long long way to go.

GB, fantastic effort, it's so good to take back control - doesn't really compare but I used to be a smoker and have replaced that with my cycling habit. Still seem to end up wheezing and stinking afterwards, but its good for me I'm told. (come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I had a good wheeze/coughing fit)
You'll have to keep us updated with your progress toward that Blackpool/Manchester ride.

Attica - how many RPMs are you on a day instead? Hahahahahahaha! Boom boom!



I'll get me coat.

Bassjunkieuk

Litt - I'm hoping to have it back for tomorrow! Well that was according to the mechanics estimate when I rang Monday. I don't want to keep pestering as I remember from the dark days when I was a tech @ PC World that customer's who rang up daily chasing computers usually got pushed right down the queue - or maybe that was just me being mean :twisted:
I don't think a raid on the shop is quite needed yet but I think next time I'll book the bike in BEFORE the back wheel gets all out of shape and into a shop that works on appointments! The main reason I choose this one was for the warranty cover just incase my BB is buggered.

Also glad to here you've converted to the fixie crew! I'd have to admit (much to CJCP's dismay I should imagine) that I've thought of converting the old raleigh road racer to a singlie - maybe next summer or over the winter if I can scrape some spare cash together!

cjcp

Right, not a terrific morning.

Started off well. Legs felt good. Had already towed a couple of drafting fairies by the time I arrived at the NKR, but then my gears started to slip. Badly. Chain came off twice on Embankment (the second time on Blackfriars underpass when I was overtaking two bikes), so I couldn't put any power of any note down.

Consequently, a chap on a Cannondale went by. Fair play though, he wasn't trying either and wasn't hanging around. Kept up with him, but need to tweak those gears before tonight's adventures.

By the way, does anyone else go on a hell for leather sprint up to the lights heading westbound on the approach along Embankment up the slight rise to Big Ben when you know you can just make it? Had a great one last night.

cjcp

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Also glad to here you've converted to the fixie crew! I'd have to admit (much to CJCP's dismay I should imagine) that I've thought of converting the old raleigh road racer to a singlie - maybe next summer or over the winter if I can scrape some spare cash together!

For goodness sake, pull yourself together!

Apart from myself, Greg66 and (for the time being at least) Biondino, does anyone else ride a rooooooooad bike?

cjcp

Fonz wrote:

I'm a -3 on the FCN (thanks to the silky smooth legs and the aerobars) and am absolutely untouchable on my daily commute.

BUT

I've been smoked twice this week by the same CHICK on her full carbon P3... not happy. Try as I might, I just can't keep up. I'll arrive at the lights a few seconds behind, breathing my skin so as not to show any sign of weakness (all the while my HR is soaring into unchartered terrain and my grounded leg is twitching through my lycra full lengths...)

"Hi", I say, having to clear my throat from all the built up phlegm after pinning it for the last few hundred meters.

"Good morning" she says in that beautiful, delicate, sweet voice as though she's just woken up and rolled over in her 3,000 knit Egyptian cotton sheets with the curtains playfully dancing in the breeze on a warm Spring morning in the south of Spain, her long blonde hair ruffled and strewn across the pillows...

Ahem...

Suddenly she's away again, the lights have changed while I've been losing my balance daydreaming of another life and she's at full speed. I've neglected to change down coming up to the lights and just about kiss tarmac trying to pull away in a 53/11 cadence. Cars toot, people yell and the object of my desires (The P3 of course) is already far far away in the distance, it's beautiful polished black carbon finish sparkling with the first of the morning rays bouncing of the sea...

I put the power down, coming up to speed, gently dropping my arms down onto the extensions and I re-adjust my shoulders to spread the weight of my bag, which I'd love to say was heavy but contained no more than a clean shirt, cufflinks, wallet (empty), cellphone, clean jocks, socks, housekeys and a couple of bananas. I get myself into strike mode, raise my eyes back to the road only to realise she's pulling away! I dig deep, powering through that hearty snack I had an hour prior and start to feel the burn in the backs of my legs, still, she pulls away more. I catch up with her at the next red light and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I jump that sucker and fly down a side street just managing to squeeze a "have a great day" through my over-worked lungs and burning throat. She responds with a nod and a red-carpet worthy teethy smile, blue eyes wide and bright with the morning ambiance. I nearly taste the back of a gunmetal Audi as I pull myself back to reality and focus on that filthy, dirty fixie courier 200 meters ahead of me who unfortunately will feel the wrath of my frustration. Poor guy never had a chance, despite being leagues below me on the FCN I took immense satisfaction in blasting past him like he wasn't even moving. Still, I sit in my office, behind my computer, feeling like a failure and a terrible person...

Mystery P3 girl, I love you, you are perfect...

Classic stuff. Welcome, Fonz! What's your commute?

Sounds like you've got some speed. Still, you've been smoked by a chick. You need to address that. Quickly. The fact that she might be pro and is on a P3 is irrelevant. The fact that she would probably all smoke us is particularly irrelevant: she's on your commute, not ours, so it's not our problem, so we won't ever have to deal with the shame. You're on your own my friend.

UnworthyPapaLazaru

What is a sportif/Sportive? I think I'll do one even though I dont know what it is.

Coriander

Fonz wrote:

I'm a -3 on the FCN (thanks to the silky smooth legs and the aerobars) and am absolutely untouchable on my daily commute.

BUT

I've been smoked twice this week by the same CHICK on her full carbon P3... not happy. Try as I might, I just can't keep up. I'll arrive at the lights a few seconds behind, breathing my skin so as not to show any sign of weakness (all the while my HR is soaring into unchartered terrain and my grounded leg is twitching through my lycra full lengths...)

"Hi", I say, having to clear my throat from all the built up phlegm after pinning it for the last few hundred meters.

"Good morning" she says in that beautiful, delicate, sweet voice as though she's just woken up and rolled over in her 3,000 knit Egyptian cotton sheets with the curtains playfully dancing in the breeze on a warm Spring morning in the south of Spain, her long blonde hair ruffled and strewn across the pillows...

Ahem...

Suddenly she's away again, the lights have changed while I've been losing my balance daydreaming of another life and she's at full speed. I've neglected to change down coming up to the lights and just about kiss tarmac trying to pull away in a 53/11 cadence. Cars toot, people yell and the object of my desires (The P3 of course) is already far far away in the distance, it's beautiful polished black carbon finish sparkling with the first of the morning rays bouncing of the sea...

I put the power down, coming up to speed, gently dropping my arms down onto the extensions and I re-adjust my shoulders to spread the weight of my bag, which I'd love to say was heavy but contained no more than a clean shirt, cufflinks, wallet (empty), cellphone, clean jocks, socks, housekeys and a couple of bananas. I get myself into strike mode, raise my eyes back to the road only to realise she's pulling away! I dig deep, powering through that hearty snack I had an hour prior and start to feel the burn in the backs of my legs, still, she pulls away more. I catch up with her at the next red light and as ashamed as I am to admit it, I jump that sucker and fly down a side street just managing to squeeze a "have a great day" through my over-worked lungs and burning throat. She responds with a nod and a red-carpet worthy teethy smile, blue eyes wide and bright with the morning ambiance. I nearly taste the back of a gunmetal Audi as I pull myself back to reality and focus on that filthy, dirty fixie courier 200 meters ahead of me who unfortunately will feel the wrath of my frustration. Poor guy never had a chance, despite being leagues below me on the FCN I took immense satisfaction in blasting past him like he wasn't even moving. Still, I sit in my office, behind my computer, feeling like a failure and a terrible person...

Mystery P3 girl, I love you, you are perfect...

Fonz - perfect post.


OT - problems with commuting by bike, part 1: you pack your low cut dress but forget to pack the modesty retaining camisole to wear undermeath. Does anyone have a safety pin?

biondino

I like your style, Coriander.

biondino

I have a bulldog clip, would that work? If you're in Soho I could even bring it over.

Coriander

You're all heart, Biondion, all heart. But safety pin has been borrowed from the first aid box. Let's just hope no-one breaks their arm and needs a sling...