Something happened to me today!

DonDaddyD

There I am riding along Kennigton road putting distance beteen me and this guy on a yellow trek.

I'm going a fair bit and In start to think to myself
"my legs are going a fair bit"

I look around and I'm taking everything in, the word seems to be going at a normal pace and my breathing has hardly increased.

This was a weird sensation. I look down 23mph and I've not even beguntonuse fast twitch muscles. My entire commute is like this culminating on Balham road where I hit 32.5mph without getting out of my seat.

I've reached a new level.

Do you ever have moments of revelations on the bike where you achieve a new level of physically?N

prj45

DonDaddyD wrote:

I've reached a new level.

Either that or the wind was blowing from behind you...

I outpaced a scooter off the lights tonight, but I think the 25mph wind behind me assisted somewhat.

always_tyred

Yes, its usually after I've had an easy week and usually just before I slump back down to my semi knackered norm and start getting overtaken by mountain bikes.

Kieran_Burns

It was just a show of strength by the boys brigade. 8)

Maybe you were cycling underground....

bigmat

I had one of those moments on Balham High Road tonight when I scalped you - spotted you stuck to the right of a load of fairground trucks as I stealthily undertook, I think you may have caught me at Balham tube lights but I blasted off at warp speed (after a little old lady had finished crossing) and left all competition for dead...

(and I was on the iron horse as well!)

tailwindhome

Tailwind

il_principe

MatHammond wrote:

I had one of those moments on Balham High Road tonight when I scalped you - spotted you stuck to the right of a load of fairground trucks as I stealthily undertook, I think you may have caught me at Balham tube lights but I blasted off at warp speed (after a little old lady had finished crossing) and left all competition for dead...

(and I was on the iron horse as well!)

DonDaddyD

MatHammond wrote:

I had one of those moments on Balham High Road tonight when I scalped you - spotted you stuck to the right of a load of fairground trucks as I stealthily undertook, I think you may have caught me at Balham tube lights but I blasted off at warp speed (after a little old lady had finished crossing) and left all competition for dead...

(and I was on the iron horse as well!)

:shock:
]

That was you. Chapeau. You are one swift motha-fuka! That was a serious piece of cycling. Chapeau.

I was dithering around the back of the van unsure how to pass the monstrosity. As soon as I saw you in my periphery you were gone up the left and part of me shuddered for your safety, wish I had your gonads. I soon followed as I realised the van couldn't move.

At the Balham tube lights, yep. You were off. I was stuck in the peleton and dropped them. 32.5mph saw me catch up to you after the mid-way lights/petrol station by the Argos but I was never gonna make it stick

This means war. You do realise that now?

Stuey01

TailWindHome wrote:

Tailwind

+1

bigmat

To be fair, I don't think an overtake in traffic like that really counts as a scalp, although O expected more of a fight from the lights! Definitely a tailwind tonight, felt far too easy.

Citizen Smith

Traffic means official SCR rain stops play. Overtake while filtering = no scalp.

Haven't seen many players on the drag strip recently. Need to experiment with my commute times to mix it with the proper players.

BR 1979

DonDaddyD wrote:

Do you ever have moments of revelations on the bike where you achieve a new level of physically?

Yeah, yeah, all the time. I tend not to post up about though as I don't like to look like too much of a showoff.

lost_in_thought

Tailwind. Whenever I'm going surprisingly fast it's a tailwind.

roundthebend

On a similar note, I've just started playing about with Sports Tracker on my Nokia phone. Last night I managed to get my rusty old wreck (the bike, not my body) up to 22.3 mph on a flat stretch so, this morning, I was feeling good and thought I'd try and get 24mph. Turns out I hit 26.9mph.

I tell you, the pedalling felt easy but the shuddering of my knackered bike as I hurtled towards the staggered fence at the end of the cycle path was terrifying. I think I need new brake pads now.

jonginge

roundthebend wrote:

On a similar note, I've just started playing about with Sports Tracker on my Nokia phone. Last night I managed to get my rusty old wreck (the bike, not my body) up to 22.3 mph on a flat stretch so, this morning, I was feeling good and thought I'd try and get 24mph. Turns out I hit 26.9mph.

I tell you, the pedalling felt easy but the shuddering of my knackered bike as I hurtled towards the staggered fence at the end of the cycle path was terrifying. I think I need new brake pads now.

Is that all? Nice speed, sir.


Most of the time unexplained 'float' days are in reality due to tailwinds.

Sometimes, though, and especially in the early days in a sport, ramps in performance do occur after a bit of rest. The body recovers and then overcompensates. I remember the sets of interval training at my first cycling club: vomitous and wrecked me for a few days but after some rest the jump in performance was noticeable.

Last night was mainly a tailwind for those going S-SW, though

il_principe

JonGinge wrote:

Last night was mainly a tailwind for those going S-SW, though

Wasn't it just. I didn't have the Garmin but parts felt pretty damn fast.

daviesee

Next time you feel that good, try turning round and going in the opposite direction.

If you can make it stick, you are awsome :twisted:

DonDaddyD

I hate you all for telling me it was a tailwind, I thought I had achieved something.

Matt, I will destroy you!

rjsterry

daviesee wrote:

Next time you feel that good, try turning round and going in the opposite direction.

If you can make it stick, you are awsome :twisted:

Headwinds are just nature's way of sorting out the truly awesome from the merely apparently awesome.

DonDaddyD

MatHammond wrote:

To be fair, I don't think an overtake in traffic like that really counts as a scalp, although O expected more of a fight from the lights! Definitely a tailwind tonight, felt far too easy.

Yes, well I couldn't balls out sprint because:

1) The bottom bracket is jumping around the shell[
2) The borrowed wheel isn't in the best nick and its hub is slipping.

So all in all the fact that I sat down as I couldn't safely stand and still got 32.5mph out of the bike is saying something.

But just in case I see you again I've bought the nuclear option, I rode the Kharma to worktoday.

il_principe

Yeah, bloke on a Condor came past me today, I'd been aware of him on my 6, he came past, hit the wind and slowed, I took a tow for a bit then nailed him on the run-up to 9 Elms (which hurt).

It's funny when drafters fail like that.

mtb-idle

If it was yesterday evening then it was definitely a tailwind heading south from Kennington.

But boy, it felt good and top marks for taking full advantage of it.

Strong North-Easterly headwind this morning was hard work but hopefully it will hold and will make this evenings commute home as much fun as yesterday's was.

I got scalped but with good grace.

Was riding the same route as DDD and got to Balham to be overtaken at the lights by a black guy with an afro hat, jeans tucked into green checked socks and riding what looked like a 50 quid catalogue bike.

He was obviously up for a race so I gave chase as we pulled away from the Balham lights. Boy, the bloke was fast. speedo on the blink at the mo so no idea what speed but i really had to push hard to get past him. Managed it but then we pulled up at the next junction, large set of lights before Tooting.

He pulled away again and I couldnt keep up and he was off challenging another commuter who was also fast and i had been chatting to earlier on.

He beat him too and then pulled up at the lights at Tooting tube station.

I pulled up a few seconds later and he turned round and gave me a great big smile. I gave him a laughing 'nice one mate'.

Sometimes you just gotta accept that someones faster than you.

rjsterry

Apparently the weather (and wind) are going to hold until Sunday, so a whole week of morning grinds and sailing home.

bigmat

DonDaddyD wrote:

MatHammond wrote:

To be fair, I don't think an overtake in traffic like that really counts as a scalp, although O expected more of a fight from the lights! Definitely a tailwind tonight, felt far too easy.

Yes, well I couldn't balls out sprint because:

1) The bottom bracket is jumping around the shell[
2) The borrowed wheel isn't in the best nick and its hub is slipping.

So all in all the fact that I sat down as I couldn't safely stand and still got 32.5mph out of the bike is saying something.

But just in case I see you again I've bought the nuclear option, I rode the Kharma to worktoday.

Pleased to see I'm inspiring you to greater efforts!

Kieran_Burns

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

dvdfoz

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

Clearly folks round here are too young, or just denying their age :roll:

lost_in_thought

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

I didn't realise it was a joke, just thought it was an odd post!

Kieran_Burns

lost_in_thought wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

I didn't realise it was a joke, just thought it was an odd post!

I put some real effort into that one. :?


I dunno... some people :?



:P

andyb78

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

I got it, and chuckled, but then again I think they're a top band, and Down at the Tubestation at Midnight was the first tune I "perfected" (used loosely) on the bass...

UndercoverElephant

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

Didn't get it. Mainly because the real line is, "Something's happening here today", isn't it?

Jay dubbleU

Kieran_Burns wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Kieran_Burns wrote:

So did no one get my joke or was it just crap? :oops:

I didn't realise it was a joke, just thought it was an odd post!

I put some real effort into that one. :?


I dunno... some people :?



:P

I got it - it was crap - I tactfully refrained from comment but since you chose to drag it kicking and screaming...................