Silly commuting racing

UnworthyPapaLazaru

I remember a similar test being done up here in Edinburgh, but Im sure the number was nearer 20, but I still thought it was pretty low!

No near accidents today so Im regarding that as a result...

Bassjunkieuk

ARGH!

Sorry had to get that off my chest as I've had a couple of rather close calls this morning - first as I was filtering down the right hand side of traffic and a women had pulled out of a side ride into the queue waiting to turn right. She was watching what was coming from the left so I started to ease up but just as I was about to pass she pulled out! She then realized I was there and stopped. I ended up managing to un-clip and somehow lift my front wheel up to avoid hitting her. This

Second was in Brixton after some tw4t in a Mondeo came out of one side road (fairly close to me passing) and then went to pull in the next with me alongside him, queue one sideways skid and him also stopping to let me past! This not helped by the fact that I was gunning it to catch the tasty looking potential scalp I'd spied up the road :twisted:

As I managed to make it to work in one piece I can't complain, it meant I could fire up the adrenaline afterburners to catch the guy at the next lights (whilst he was doing a nice lil trackie, on a SS!) and take him on the run upto towards Stockwell. By some miracle the lights where just changing so I did a rather quick filter down the traffic (with him on my wheel!) We parted way just after the lights as I was heading to Vauxhall and he headed round to follow the A3 to town.

After that came the most fun I've had all week. Lined up at the north end of Vauxhall Bridge a couple of guys on road bikes appear, the most interesting being the Colnago bike! Lovely paint job and tri bars! Oddly he was wearing trainers with what where visibly proper road clipless pedals. GAME ON I think! We pull off and at first it look like my 2 play buddies where heading for Pimlico as they where both holding the left lane, but eventually came over to go straight up the road. Next set of lights goes green as we approach and then out of nowhere a SS comes playing past, and I mean REALLY shifting.

Now this is the equivalent of waving a red flag in front of a bull for any player of THE GAME so I dutifully up the pace, dump the other 2 roadies and start to pickup the new guy. Up ahead there is a police van pulled over with a WVM at the side of the road. Some buses are waiting to get past. He cuts a lovely line between them and I'm carrying enough speed to follow him. Ped light's ahead change to red and he goes straight throw them........GOD DAMN IT!!!!!!!!

Why oh why must he cheat! As it turns out the other 2 roadies where also partial to a bit of RLJing so the rest of the road turns into the oh-so-familiar cat and mouse game as I reel em in and lose them at the next lights. By the time I got to the one way system by Victoria I was ahead so I'm claiming 2 scalps as despite their serial RLJing I still got there first :-)

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

So about this 11 wet commuting days a year!!! Perhaps what they meant was 11 dry days a year.

I quite like the wet I always seem to good just that little quicker, it does however slim down the available prey.

I thought it was 11 days on which you can expect torrential downpours, the sort of weather that would drive ducks to look for cover for example :-)
As ITB says there is a decided lack of prey but what you lose in quantity is made up for in quality! The only downside is you can't tell the hairy's from the shavers with the long trousers on, meaning you'd need to rely on the more subtle indicators.

Citizen Smith

Saw a ridiculous amount of face masks this morning - what is that all about?! Is it just me or other people see a very pared down Darth Vader. Tempted, to comment, “The Force is not strong with this one.” as I fly past.

Plenty of scalps this morning and I wasn't even trying but then I'm not meant to am I?!

cjcp

Had to tell five people to get off my wheel last night. One was an RLJing, pavement hopping buffoon whose bike I hope disappears into thin air and divine intervention stops him riding a bike ever again. I tried waving them by, slowing down, sitting up, waving them by and then eventually saying "ladies, whenever you want to do some work...", and still they didn't ride by. When they filtered past through the cars at lights, not even a nod to indicate "thanks for the pull, mate". Clearly, I need to have lower expectations and chill out :roll: , but I became rather blunt before Embankment ended and just plain fecked off by Richmond Park. No doubt others will think "chill out", but drafting on the commute is very much a subjective issue, and if you're going to do it, you should at least ask and say "thanks". Plenty others have and these goons didn't.

Clever Pun

I've been ill for the last 3 days... so I took the brompton as it's a compromise between walking and proper cycling (I wasn't allowed, plus I'd have probably died)

The plan was to take it easy, but as I came out of london bridge I was planning on taking the nice quiet route over tower bridge but I see this reall nice long queue of bikes waiting to turn on the london bridge or down to lambeth... so I hoped on and went over the bridge 5 scalps... I'm back... kinda.

3 mountain bikes, 1 mountain bike with skinny tyres and lycra and one fast hybrid with the bloke wearing non cycle clothing... I think I might head back down the embankment this evening

Littigator

Morning All!

CJCP, nice subject for introduction of a new poll methinks with the drafting report there...I shall attend to it.

This morning's ride was slightly longer than usual, as althought mrs littigator remains off the bike, I decided her long Embankment ride was missing the attention so did it myself, right to her office door on the north side of London Bridge. The instead of heading down Cannon St, St Pauls, Strand etc back to the West End, another episode overcame me and before I knew it I was cyclying somewhere up towards Camden, then left off towards Grays Inn Road, finally, hooking back down to Holborn for the ride in along New Oxford Street and Oxford Street.

Tomorrow, I'll end up in Primrose Hill if I'm not careful.

On the matter of scalps, thick and fast as ever :twisted:

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

itboffin wrote:

So about this 11 wet commuting days a year!!! Perhaps what they meant was 11 dry days a year.

I quite like the wet I always seem to good just that little quicker, it does however slim down the available prey.

I thought it was 11 days on which you can expect torrential downpours, the sort of weather that would drive ducks to look for cover for example :-)
As ITB says there is a decided lack of prey but what you lose in quantity is made up for in quality! The only downside is you can't tell the hairy's from the shavers with the long trousers on, meaning you'd need to rely on the more subtle indicators.

Here's a suggestion (if you're eating - STOP NOW) seeing as I'm getting soaking wet and cold pretty much everyday then have to try and find a way to dry out my cycling clothes, why not just dispense with the lycra and go commando!!! with perhaps a thong for modesty.

My drying times would be dramatically reduced :shock:

Totally agree on the drafting issue, if you're going to draft at least acknowledge the person who just pulled your arse all the way to work, grrr.

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

itboffin wrote:

So about this 11 wet commuting days a year!!! Perhaps what they meant was 11 dry days a year.

I quite like the wet I always seem to good just that little quicker, it does however slim down the available prey.

I thought it was 11 days on which you can expect torrential downpours, the sort of weather that would drive ducks to look for cover for example :-)
As ITB says there is a decided lack of prey but what you lose in quantity is made up for in quality! The only downside is you can't tell the hairy's from the shavers with the long trousers on, meaning you'd need to rely on the more subtle indicators.

Here's a suggestion (if you're eating - STOP NOW) seeing as I'm getting soaking wet and cold pretty much everyday then have to try and find a way to dry out my cycling clothes, why not just dispense with the lycra and go commando!!! with perhaps a thong for modesty.

My drying times would be dramatically reduced :shock:

Totally agree on the drafting issue, if you're going to draft at least acknowledge the person who just pulled your ars* all the way to work, grrr.

I'M SO SORRY but comments like that........

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radioassets/photos ... 5447_2.jpg

Being a kind soul and realizing most people will look at this forum whilst at work I won't paste the pic in :-)

IT IS NICE YES??

lost_in_thought

Yaaaay managed to cycle round Helsinki this morning!

Will be off the bike for a week and a bit though, but don't mind because it's linked directly to the fact that I am in turkey on holiday... sailing, kayaking and trying to windsurf... :?

lost_in_thought

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

IT IS NICE YES??

No.....

A thousand times no...

Bassjunkieuk

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yaaaay managed to cycle round Helsinki this morning!

Will be off the bike for a week and a bit though, but don't mind because it's linked directly to the fact that I am in turkey on holiday... sailing, kayaking and trying to windsurf... :?

All the way round? Must have took a while :-D Also seeing all your post from exotic clim(b)s really makes me think I need to change jobs

itboffin

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yaaaay managed to cycle round Helsinki this morning!

Will be off the bike for a week and a bit though, but don't mind because it's linked directly to the fact that I am in turkey on holiday... sailing, kayaking and trying to windsurf... :?

All the way round? Must have took a while :-D Also seeing all your post from exotic clim(b)s really makes me think I need to change jobs

I'm somewhat disturbed that you had that image ready to hand. That said there is an adjuster for commando cycling should there not also be an adjustment for inappropriate attire? I think adjudication is called for.

Bassjunkieuk

itboffin wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Yaaaay managed to cycle round Helsinki this morning!

Will be off the bike for a week and a bit though, but don't mind because it's linked directly to the fact that I am in turkey on holiday... sailing, kayaking and trying to windsurf... :?

All the way round? Must have took a while :-D Also seeing all your post from exotic clim(b)s really makes me think I need to change jobs

I'm somewhat disturbed that you had that image ready to hand. That said there is an adjuster for commando cycling should there not also be an adjustment for inappropriate attire? I think adjudication is called for.

Whislt not quite to hand you can thank (or hate) google image search for that one!
As for the inappropriate attire I'm sure riding nude is already covered in the adjusters!

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

+3 for nude, I'm guessing TDF jersey is as close to "inappropriate" we'll get unless we do get Mr Armstrong along the embankment :-)

2wheelzgood

biondino wrote:

Okay, advice please if possible?

I love my Focus dearly and although it's not really the ideal commuting bike, I wouldn't have it any other way. And although I can deal with the bumps and potholes I come across, my bike has one small but annoying problem. The rear brake cable is internally routed through the top tube and when I hit any kind of significant bump, it slaps against the inside of the tube like a soft but echoey rifle shot. By tautening it (i.e. pulling it from the front as far as it will easily go) I can only prevent Or more like reduce) this for a couple of seconds. Anyone got any cast iron solutions?

1. Get a bike that doesn't require a rear brake.. tumm tee tum :roll: :twisted:
2. Man up and ride those bumps like a.. man (hope there's no copyright on that phrase yet )

ChrisLS

...silly commuting racing indeed this morning...

...very few, and even go so far to say none, to challange me in the mornings...until this morning...overtook him at 3 miles, with a cheery "Good morning"...too soon, had to work too hard...he came past, no cheery greeting from him, at about 4 miles...I struggled, dug a bit deeper and passed him at 5miles...finished at 6, I went left, he went right and I think he just about beat me, but close, and oh what fun...

...arrived at work...warm down bimble of 4 miles after the silly race to collapse into my chair a sweaty, steamy, damp mess

...it's just a ride to work...

il_principe

Last night - got home changed, popped back onto the bike for a leisurely pootle into Brixton. Wearing jeans and meeting friends for dinner so didn't want to get a sweat on - it was a full on yet completely effortless scalpfest. I ghosted past at least 30 hizViz helmeted hybriders without really making an effort - TBH I could have taken them on a mobility scooter. How do some people manage to ride so slowly?

Bassjunkieuk

Well done JA on the impromptu scalpfest but as hybrids are well below you in the FCN I would fully expect you to be able to scalp them riding backwards on pearson :-)
It's also rather good timing as I just went back over 6 pages of post's to find your last post as a friend saw me looking at a Prince earlier and I wanted to show him yours from your sig - only to get back here to see you've posted :-)

Littigator

Jash...you let me down, as I started reading your post I was fully expecting it to end with you turning up to your friends for dinner wringing sweat out of your little cappie and so red faced they refused to open the door to the 'strange alien that's landed'! nevertheless loudly proclaiming to all passed cyclists that..

YEAAAHHH I Got Dem Scalps BABY! and gently frothing at the mouth

tsk tsk

itboffin

I'm on the fence over the whole fast hybrid FCN ranking, I regularly hit the high 20's and even mid 30's on my ridgeback, I think fast hybrid is fair game especially if the riders is kitted out in lycra, team kit then it's game on.

greg66_tri_v2.0

itboffin wrote:

I quite like the wet I always seem to good just that little quicker, it does however slim down the available prey.

[engage="white coat, b&w Open Uni TV, thick glasses, clipboard, adenoidal voice]
Actually, theorists have claimed that rain and oil is a fair superior chain lubricant than plain chain oil, thus resulting in a 67% performance increase in the rain attributable to decreased friction from the general drivetrain area of the biped-driven bicycling unit [disengage="white coat, b&w Open Uni TV, thick glasses, clipboard, adenoidal voice]

Yes, it is always faster in the rain.

My week o' hell (like a filet o' fish, but worse) has ended. Thank fukc. Not many scalps to be had after 11pm on the Embankment, I can now report with confidence.

However... this morning I crapped on what I thought from a distance was a shaved roadie going past the Tate (in fact, he merely had a woman's fair colouring). Then at the pelican outside the HoP a Dynamowhizzed through a red changing to green that I was standing at. Ho hum.

Into Pt Sq, and we both had a clean run albeit with traffic. I sliced & diced the dynamo and pulled onto Whitehall (unusually) for the drag up to the lights. Lights are red, so I wait, and who should come past but dynamo boy *and* roadie! So I wait, and wait, and then go, to see that they're already through the next lights and out of sight onto the Embankment.

Dig in, and there's a queue at the lights under the Charing X rlway bridge, and who should be (uncharacteristically) waiting at the red: dynamo boy and roadie. But there's a gaggle (the proper collective noun, you understand) of mopeds between me and them, so they get the jump on me from the lights.

Big drive off the lights and I have roadie in surprisingly short order. Fly past Dymano just in time to see the lights under W'loo Bdge go red. @rse. We pull up. One of them pulls alongside, but I'm not looking sideways. Just forwards. Tunnel vision time. There's me, the road, and the horizon. Nothing else.

Long hold on the lights. Mustn't twitch. There's only one way to do this: green comes, and I go, feigning slow lazy pedal strokes, but digging in hard as on the 16. Across the junction and there's no threat ... past Somerset House and I'm clear.

RLJ'ing. So very uncool.

2wheelzgood

Good effort G66, you showed em. I bet dynamo boy won't jump reds again :roll:

I love slow revs in a big gear away from lights.. or sitting still yet powering up to a great speed when a car approaches from behind with me not seeming to to put any effort in just legs going faster and faster.

Clever Pun

Scalpfest on tower bridge on the way home...the bridge was up.

loads of people there and I lost count of the amount of scalps I took just getting over the bridge

I think there was a dude on a shopper lower down the scale than me but other than that it was a bloodletting

itboffin

A big fat ZERO again for me on the way home and I managed to hurt my back, oh well i'm off to Ireland in a couple of hours for a nice long weekend, I might even hire a bike wooohahahaha!!!!

Coriander

One hundred lines for Coriander: "I must stop getting into rows with RLJers"

F**king w**kers.

I know, I'm sorry, don't mean to start the debate again, but it's the third row I've had this week. And yes, I do realise it's entirely my fault.

Greg T

I'm undergunned....

My experimental 18 fixed cog on the back just can't deliver the gear inches to shame roadies and there's just no point doing someone at 110 rpm as they just know that you are trying.

I have a 16 cog now that I'm going to pop on over the weekend and get my ring singing next week.

I could of course take the road bike out for a shake down and see what three weeks of being fixed has done to my technique...

I can't believe that I use so many gears on what is essentially a dead flat run.

whyamihere

Clever Pun wrote:

Scalpfest on tower bridge on the way home...the bridge was up.

loads of people there and I lost count of the amount of scalps I took just getting over the bridge

I think there was a dude on a shopper lower down the scale than me but other than that it was a bloodletting

Did you power up it and jump over the gap?

cjcp

whyamihere wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Scalpfest on tower bridge on the way home...the bridge was up.

loads of people there and I lost count of the amount of scalps I took just getting over the bridge

I think there was a dude on a shopper lower down the scale than me but other than that it was a bloodletting

Did you power up it and jump over the gap?

That would probably be the coolest thing ever.

Clever Pun

whyamihere wrote:

Clever Pun wrote:

Scalpfest on tower bridge on the way home...the bridge was up.

loads of people there and I lost count of the amount of scalps I took just getting over the bridge

I think there was a dude on a shopper lower down the scale than me but other than that it was a bloodletting

Did you power up it and jump over the gap?

That means I would have RLJ'd... seeing someone attempt that on a brompton might be the funiest thing ever


This morning I was back on the SS and right off the bat I come to the front of a queue, the front of the queue has a woman in a car with her offside mirrior folded in I tried to tell her but she couldn't understand my gesticulations..*meh* so I cycle on she goes past... a little bit later I pull up next to her and knock on the window I lip read "What the fu*king hell do you fu*king want" and she's a right ball of anger, I smile and unfold the mirror for her while she's still raining torrents of abuse behind the window, she sees this and stops mutters something to herself while I'm giggling.

A roadie overtook me and I followed him to one side happily spinning away, we both slowed for traffic and kicked off again I noticed his new chosen gear was much lower than before.. tut tut he's trying, I go past him easily enough and go on my way.. he's comes past me on the pavement a little later FFS why can't people behave so I can race them properly even without gears

In other news my raw power has moved the wheel from where the bike shop set it, I might just flip the wheel to fixed for the journey home... but after lunch beers is that smart?

itboffin

GregT i've found that even in the short time i've spent on the SS I've found the return trip on my daily commute which is all up hill to be about 5 mins faster, it could be coincidence I don't know... Good to see you openly talking about your ring again, ones first child can play havoc.