Silly commuting racing

cjcp

UnworthyPapaLazaru wrote:

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

A long, organised ride, generally taking in hills. Check out the Cyclosportif sectionon the British Cycling website. There's one in western Scotland: the Belach Na Ba (sp.?) which has the longest rising road in the UK or something. There's also the Etape de Caledonia.

It's much like commutering: it's not a race, but it is. You're going for the best time that you can get, not to admire the countryside or stop to feed apples to horses in the field.

Don't do what I do, which is to think you can do 120 miles in the sun on the basis of the commute alone having done the first 80 miles at a good pace. The wheels don't just come off; they fly off. Down the hillside, into the stream below. Leaving you stranded, in the boonies, clutching your stomach, moaning like a girl (sorry, girls).

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

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?

Well I do have a rooooooooad bike, just that I'm without it for the time being :-) I won't be converting to SS anytime soon tho as I have other things that take up my time and money, mainly the 5 little ones!

On a side note I know ITB mentioned this a while back (before the l337 speak, beer talk and monk sex.....)is anyone else planning on going up to watch the first stage of the tour of Britain on Sunday? I'm hoping to get up with the 2 eldest, by train as I think 10 miles is a bit much for a 4 year old to ride :-)

Clever Pun

cjcp wrote:

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?

me, (my single/fixed winter bike is in the shop) so I was out on the road today, pretty quiet until I see a shadow looming, it stays there for a while until we get to the traffic lights, it's a roadie with wraps so he's level with me... opps I'm wearing the cap today, but he's still a potential scalp as it's 2-4 (does that go deeper? 1? 0?). He's off quicker than me but that's cause I'm not trying, I size him up and bam I blast past him on a nice open stretch of A3.... after some filtering the shadow is back and he follows me to leman street which is a crappy bit of road and he overtakes me as he turns off... tsk tsk

that's my scalp isn't it?

Edit: yes I will be coming to watch the TOB, is there somewhere to watch near a pub or will BYO be more the order of the day?

il_principe

cjcp wrote:

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.

I did this year's Etape and had no idea this had happened. The weather was cocking awful though, I came off once and the descent off the mountains was a tad hairy - especially coming off the Tourmalet. Sounds to me like your mate missed the Hautacam ascent cut off time though, quite a few did - including the BBC team! TBH he dodged a bit of a bullet, the Hautacam after 100 wet miles was not a whole barrel of fun! Hopefully the weather will be better next year, i was very annoyed that I missed out on all the views! Here's shot of me on the Hautacam - gives you a fair idea of the conditions (and my mental state!):

Clever Pun

lost_in_thought wrote:

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.

but that's the point they look like harrods but perform like a pound shop... bin them manically laugh then find the next one

UnworthyPapaLazaru

cjcp wrote:

UnworthyPapaLazaru wrote:

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

A long, organised ride, generally taking in hills. Check out the Cyclosportif sectionon the British Cycling website. There's one in western Scotland: the Belach Na Ba (sp.?) which has the longest rising road in the UK or something. There's also the Etape de Caledonia.

It's much like commutering: it's not a race, but it is. You're going for the best time that you can get, not to admire the countryside or stop to feed apples to horses in the field.

Don't do what I do, which is to think you can do 120 miles in the sun on the basis of the commute alone having done the first 80 miles at a good pace. The wheels don't just come off; they fly off. Down the hillside, into the stream below. Leaving you stranded, in the boonies, clutching your stomach, moaning like a girl (sorry, girls).

Cheers. Sounds good. i'll check that out and maybe do one next year.

Dunston_checks_in

cjcp wrote:

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?

I do! In fact Greg66 has just made me buy a Cervelo Soloist Team frameset as an 'upgrade'. Greg66 you have a lot to answer for.

il_principe

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

cjcp wrote:

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?

I do! In fact Greg66 has just made me buy a Cervelo Soloist Team frameset as an 'upgrade'. Greg66 you have a lot to answer for.

Me too:
A Pinarello Prince FP08
A Focus Variado Expert 06
Neither are used for the commute though!

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Don't do what I do, which is to think you can do 120 miles in the sun on the basis of the commute alone having done the first 80 miles at a good pace. The wheels don't just come off; they fly off. Down the hillside, into the stream below. Leaving you stranded, in the boonies, clutching your stomach, moaning like a girl (sorry, girls).

That is clucking awesome work! It's just the sort of idiot thing I'd do. In fact, I did my first imperial century in Canada on that sort of base "training". When I came round a corner to look at the last climb, I let out a shriek and pulled over for five minutes.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

I do! In fact Greg66 has just made me buy a Cervelo Soloist Team frameset as an 'upgrade'. Greg66 you have a lot to answer for.

Love it! I "made you" do it. So I take it that it was a horrible bike to ride, much worse than the other candidates... etc ?

It is a great bike. Hope you enjoy it. Never be afraid to use it (although I think I have that attitude because my mother has so much junk that is reserved "for best" and consequently never gets used).

I'm on mine at the mo, as the R3SL is awaiting a new fork. The fork it has has just been recalled. A bit of a PITA, but never mind.

Littigator

I ride a rooooooooooooadie as well

oooOOOOoooooo



Just because we like simplicity in life (and a nice stiff gear GNURK), doesn't mean we can't appreciate nice shiny dangly bits on the back of our axle snigger

il_principe

Greg66 wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

I do! In fact Greg66 has just made me buy a Cervelo Soloist Team frameset as an 'upgrade'. Greg66 you have a lot to answer for.

Love it! I "made you" do it. So I take it that it was a horrible bike to ride, much worse than the other candidates... etc ?

It is a great bike. Hope you enjoy it. Never be afraid to use it (although I think I have that attitude because my mother has so much junk that is reserved "for best" and consequently never gets used).

I'm on mine at the mo, as the R3SL is awaiting a new fork. The fork it has has just been recalled. A bit of a PITA, but never mind.

Always fancied a Cervelo but they do seem to have a slightly worrying habit of recalling their products...

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Don't do what I do, which is to think you can do 120 miles in the sun on the basis of the commute alone having done the first 80 miles at a good pace. The wheels don't just come off; they fly off. Down the hillside, into the stream below. Leaving you stranded, in the boonies, clutching your stomach, moaning like a girl (sorry, girls).

That is clucking awesome work! It's just the sort of idiot thing I'd do. In fact, I did my first imperial century in Canada on that sort of base "training". When I came round a corner to look at the last climb, I let out a shriek and pulled over for five minutes.

Yeah, I think was in about 50th or so position at the time out of a few hundred. It was the Highclere sportif this year. I then had a massive systems failure after the last proper feed stop and went backwards from there. It was awful. It's not often I get overtaken on the climbs (I'm pants on the flats and descents though), but 30 or so went by in the last 30-40 miles and I didn't even have the energy to hang on to the back of group.

The moral: train. It genuinely helps. :roll:

Where in Canada were you? The Rockies?

I love that expression "base training". When someone says to me, "it's ok, you've got the base fitness", what they really mean is, "you're in trouble, my son. Godspeed."

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

I do! In fact Greg66 has just made me buy a Cervelo Soloist Team frameset as an 'upgrade'. Greg66 you have a lot to answer for.

Love it! I "made you" do it. So I take it that it was a horrible bike to ride, much worse than the other candidates... etc ?

It is a great bike. Hope you enjoy it. Never be afraid to use it (although I think I have that attitude because my mother has so much junk that is reserved "for best" and consequently never gets used).

I'm on mine at the mo, as the R3SL is awaiting a new fork. The fork it has has just been recalled. A bit of a PITA, but never mind.

Always fancied a Cervelo but they do seem to have a slightly worrying habit of recalling their products...

Likewise. They look the absolute, effing business. Wasn't the R2.5 recalled a couple of years ago, but this isn't actually a Cervelo product as such, is it? There was an interesting feature in Procycling a couple of months back about the amount of testing Cervelos are put through. Paris-Roubaix, Flanders, dropped-from-the-Moon all in one. Perhaps that's why the fault was discovered?

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

Always fancied a Cervelo but they do seem to have a slightly worrying habit of recalling their products...

On one view, it's better than the alternative of not recalling them... though obviously not as good as not having to recall them.

I'm not too fussed about it - the R2.5 recall allowed me to trade up to a Carbon Soloist which I was able to sell after a year for enough to cover the R3SL. And the fork recall has given me an excuse to source an obscure but uber-cool fork from somewhere in the US. Got to be happy with that.

cjcp

Littigator wrote:

I ride a rooooooooooooadie as well

oooOOOOoooooo



Just because we like simplicity in life (and a nice stiff gear GNURK), doesn't mean we can't appreciate nice shiny dangly bits on the back of our axle snigger

Litts - you are very strange man. Very strange indeed.

cjcp

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

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.

I did this year's Etape and had no idea this had happened. The weather was cocking awful though, I came off once and the descent off the mountains was a tad hairy - especially coming off the Tourmalet. Sounds to me like your mate missed the Hautacam ascent cut off time though, quite a few did - including the BBC team! TBH he dodged a bit of a bullet, the Hautacam after 100 wet miles was not a whole barrel of fun! Hopefully the weather will be better next year, i was very annoyed that I missed out on all the views! Here's shot of me on the Hautacam - gives you a fair idea of the conditions (and my mental state!):

I can understand why you weren't smiling. That looks bloody awful.

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Where in Canada were you? The Rockies?

Nah. BC. The Coast Mountains. Around Whistler.

cjcp wrote:

Likewise. They look the absolute, effing business. Wasn't the R2.5 recalled a couple of years ago, but this isn't actually a Cervelo product as such, is it? There was an interesting feature in Procycling a couple of months back about the amount of testing Cervelos are put through. Paris-Roubaix, Flanders, dropped-from-the-Moon all in one. Perhaps that's why the fault was discovered?

Sidenote [zzzzz]: the R2.5 was a lugged construction, and was recalled because the the lugs in a batch of them were failing. There are plenty out there that are still working fine.

The current issue is with one of the forks they use, which is made by True Temper. There were a few reports of the steerer snapping. Some of these were down to poor installation (there's an alu insert that has to be positioned just so). But Cervelo took it to the lab and found there's a repeatable issue with the fork that can cause the steerer to snap in certain circumstances, presumably even if correctly installed. True Temper don't agree. So Cervelo have recalled True Temper's product, and are eating the costs of doing so. [/zzzzz]

greg66_tri_v2.0

jashburnham wrote:

Good to see you riding on the correct side of the road. Johnny Foreigner and his odd habits can go hang!

Dunston_checks_in

cjcp wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

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.

I did this year's Etape and had no idea this had happened. The weather was cocking awful though, I came off once and the descent off the mountains was a tad hairy - especially coming off the Tourmalet. Sounds to me like your mate missed the Hautacam ascent cut off time though, quite a few did - including the BBC team! TBH he dodged a bit of a bullet, the Hautacam after 100 wet miles was not a whole barrel of fun! Hopefully the weather will be better next year, i was very annoyed that I missed out on all the views! Here's shot of me on the Hautacam - gives you a fair idea of the conditions (and my mental state!):

I can understand why you weren't smiling. That looks bloody awful.

I notice that the finger of your right hand is hovering over the gear shift. Was this one of those futile (and constantly repeated) attempts to find a lower gear which your head (if not your body) knows full well just isn't there?

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

Good to see you riding on the correct side of the road. Johnny Foreigner and his odd habits can go hang!

What you are seeing is the aftermath of Jash's burst to the other side of the road to leave the drafting fairies in his wake, chewing on the fog.

Bassjunkieuk

cjcp wrote:

jashburnham wrote:

cjcp wrote:

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.

I did this year's Etape and had no idea this had happened. The weather was cocking awful though, I came off once and the descent off the mountains was a tad hairy - especially coming off the Tourmalet. Sounds to me like your mate missed the Hautacam ascent cut off time though, quite a few did - including the BBC team! TBH he dodged a bit of a bullet, the Hautacam after 100 wet miles was not a whole barrel of fun! Hopefully the weather will be better next year, i was very annoyed that I missed out on all the views! Here's shot of me on the Hautacam - gives you a fair idea of the conditions (and my mental state!):

I can understand why you weren't smiling. That looks bloody awful.

It's not about smiling, it's about looknig as if your not trying :-) Could this be the first sighting of a near perfect game face? Zoned out and listening to an ipod :-D

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Where in Canada were you? The Rockies?

Nah. BC. The Coast Mountains. Around Whistler.

Nice. Didn't go further north than Vancouver on the west coast.

cjcp wrote:

Likewise. They look the absolute, effing business. Wasn't the R2.5 recalled a couple of years ago, but this isn't actually a Cervelo product as such, is it? There was an interesting feature in Procycling a couple of months back about the amount of testing Cervelos are put through. Paris-Roubaix, Flanders, dropped-from-the-Moon all in one. Perhaps that's why the fault was discovered?

Sidenote [zzzzz]: the R2.5 was a lugged construction, and was recalled because the the lugs in a batch of them were failing. There are plenty out there that are still working fine.

The current issue is with one of the forks they use, which is made by True Temper. There were a few reports of the steerer snapping. Some of these were down to poor installation (there's an alu insert that has to be positioned just so). But Cervelo took it to the lab and found there's a repeatable issue with the fork that can cause the steerer to snap in certain circumstances, presumably even if correctly installed. True Temper don't agree. So Cervelo have recalled True Temper's product, and are eating the costs of doing so. [/zzzzz]

I've always been a bit fuzzy about the need for an alu insert when you've got a carbon steerer. Would still like one though. I looked at the Alu Soloist frame in Sigma 18 months ago. Very tempting, but opted for a Scott instead because it was reduced in the sale.

Dunston_checks_in

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

il_principe

Ah fellas - kind words! I'd like to say that I had just scalped a bunch of draft fairies and was doing a Lance style Hautacam sprint, but the sad truth is that I was dying on my bike by this stage (come on, look at my expression!), the fall from earlier had seriously messed up my left hip and shoulder so each turn of the pedal was fairly painful, plus it was so wet that my headphones had given up the ghost. BTW peeling lycra off a scabbed wound is not a great deal of fun!

Cycling on closed roads was an absolute joy though, I couldn't help staying on the left though!

I was spurred on by the sight of another Pinarello Prince owner who was actually walking up the Hautacam in full Assos kit and special edition Sidi shows - oh the shame. :oops:

cjcp

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

Sh*t. I did not need to see this.

Sh*t.

greg66_tri_v2.0

cjcp wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

Sh*t. I did not need to see this.

Sh*t.

Go on, you dirty little bugger. You want it. You know you want it. You love, don't you? You can't get enough of it. You filthy bugger ... [etc, with grunting and snorting]

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

Sh*t. I did not need to see this.

Sh*t.

Go on, you dirty little bugger. You want it. You know you want it. You love, don't you? You can't get enough of it. You filthy bugger ... [etc, with grunting and snorting]

Stop it. Now you acting like Littigator. You'll start stroking your calves if you're not careful.

But, yes, I would love to get my grubby little mitts on a Cervelo. I would, however, have to sell everything to get one.

Littigator

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

Sh*t. I did not need to see this.

See and you call me a weirdo...what about HIM!!!

He's quite right though, that picture has got me squirming in my seat dontcherknow....ooh you naughty naughty little frame, I bet you've got a lovely pair of droouts haven't you eh!!!!



Sh*t.

Go on, you dirty little bugger. You want it. You know you want it. You love, don't you? You can't get enough of it. You filthy bugger ... [etc, with grunting and snorting]

Stop it. Now you acting like Littigator. You'll start stroking your calves if you're not careful.

But, yes, I would love to get my grubby little mitts on a Cervelo. I would, however, have to sell everything to get one.

itboffin

cjcp wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Dunston_checks_in wrote:

If you're interested, EBC are selling the Team frameset (the cool black ones too) with £300 knocked off for the duration of their sale. http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/ebwPNLq ... 700m007210

For what it's worth, I test road one a month or so ago and have never ridden anything like it before, including the various carbon frames I tested at the same time. It truely is a jaw droppingly nice bike to ride...

Now I've just got to build the damn thing once it arrives...

Sh*t. I did not need to see this.

Sh*t.

Go on, you dirty little bugger. You want it. You know you want it. You love, don't you? You can't get enough of it. You filthy bugger ... [etc, with grunting and snorting]

Stop it. Now you acting like Littigator. You'll start stroking your calves if you're not careful.

But, yes, I would love to get my grubby little mitts on a Cervelo. I would, however, have to sell everything to get one.

[drool] I'm sure there's a space somewhere in my garage just that size [/drool]