SCR - Do you play with your prey?

Bassjunkieuk

I'd like to bring this up after an encounter I had this evening. Pull up a chair and let me set the scene.

I'm waiting at a set of traffic lights just past Vauxhall Cross alongside a rather quick looking chap aboard a Seven bike. It looked like a Ti frame w/ carbon forks. His wheels had a rather low spoke count and he had the look of a racing snake about him.

The lights go green and we go off with him ahead, we are both heading towards South Lambeth Road so take the lane for Brixton. As we approach a set of ped lights ahead they go red and he has shoulder checked and indicated that he is intending to use the shared cyclepath that runs on the pavement. This can be used to avoid the crossing lights as it runs past them and allows you to re-join the road about 15 yards beyond.

Now here is where I had my moment. I'm not going to follow him. The voice in my head is saying "Go on, take your headstart - you'll need it!" He rides on through the red and gets a decent 10-15 seconds lead. As it's getting dark I can still just see his red flasher ahead as I ride off after him when the lights go green.

We had a fairly decent run down South Lambeth Road and didn't need to stop for any of the usual traffic lights and I eventually scalped him, all the while thinking "He must know I didn't follow him...."

He then proceeded to RLJ at the last set of lights at the end of the road and I lost sight of him :-(

So does/has anyone else done this? Sized up a prey and let them "have a chance" before reaming them silly or is it just sick little me?

greg66_tri_v2.0

Not just you. Many's the time I've lined up at the lights, spotted someone who's obviously "on", and oh so accidentally missed my pedal clip in on the first revolution. Pushes them to the front, gives me the advantage.

Mind you, I remember watching track riders doing track stands at the top of the banking on Grandstand when I were a lad, with them waiting to see who'd crack first and take the lead.

Natural born predator, innit?

roger_merriman

yes, the few bikes I do see, tend to use the ASL I tend to wait behind, I only have a short run on the main road, but most I catch and pass, a few I catch and freewheel behind as I wait behind to make my left turn.

so yes I enjoy seeing how far or not some get ahead.

Stuy-b

i like to sit 3/4 bike lengths behind and wait for one of the many hills on my commute. it hurts more to be passed on a hill, and i like to make people hurt

asprilla

Nope, I overtake and move onto the next one.

Agent57

If letting them pass me as I splutter and wheeze in their wake is playing with them, yes. Yes I do.

UndercoverElephant

I do love torturing the people who've been drafting me into a headwind for miles. You can actually see the wind hit them as they try an overtake. Once they're out there they *have* to overtake, and they can't really go slower than you were dragging them, can they?

I like to keep them there for a while, they know it's coming, but when? When they look really pained, I overtake them like a rocket and forge a gap. At which point I just go back to my original speed and leave them in a pool of their own humiliation.

cjcp

Oh yeah, it's great fun. :twisted:

It's tactical SCR, particularly when the prey is a known drafting fairy, just like the one Greg T and I came across tonight, and the same muppet King Donut came across recently. Yes, Giant Man.

Tonight, he was doing a great impression of Stupid Bloke by drafting even though he had no rear lights.

So, I leave him set off ahead of me from CB on the stretch to AB. He's clearly trying and he's looking behind for competition. I wait about 20 yards back and slightly out, biding my time. The time comes and I make my move, gliding past. I see his shadown getting out of its seat, but his attempts are futile - there's nothing there. Chee-ree-o.

Bassjunkieuk

The SCR long game! It's not just about beating them down a small stretch of road, from one bridge to another. It's about leaving them for dead down the entire Embankment.

cjcp

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

The SCR long game! It's not just about beating them down a small stretch of road, from one bridge to another. It's about leaving them for dead down the entire Embankment.

There are some who have enough to sit in all the way along so make the jump to hyperspace with you, but put them out in front and it's not long before they start to overheat. Then you breeze by, catch the lights, they don't and they're history.

Cafewanda

I'm guessing you lot would be ruthless playing tiddlywinks? :shock:

mudcow007

i remember years ago litrally over taking a lycra clad roadie, i was riding my mountain bike with knobblies so he probably heard me coming a mile away, as i over took him he shouted "its on" he then caught up to me so i was then pedalling like a mad man trying to keep up as he effortlessly went past me saying something along the lines of "ride until your lungs burst" at which point i gave up......

moral of the story dont race with a lycra warrier when your on a mountain bike, its not big and its not clever

UndercoverElephant

Cafewanda wrote:

I'm guessing you lot would be ruthless playing tiddlywinks? :shock:

To the death!

plowmar

Cafewanda wrote:
I'm guessing you lot would be ruthless playing tiddlywinks? Shocked Laughing


To the death!

Oh you're not serious then?

Kieran_Burns

You bunch of smug bastards.

There's some of us mortals who can't go 'round cruising at >20mph. 'Playing' with them? I'm lucky to hear anything over the wheezing noises I'm making.

The only way I'd play with them is if they flopped one out and I had a quick grope. Rubber gloves mandatory.

jds_1981

Had fun last night - sitting behind a scooter waiting for a suitable place to overtake, could see him keep glancing at me in his mirror

notsoblue

I always try and time my upshifts for when I'm overtaking.

asprilla

notsoblue wrote:

I always try and time my upshifts for when I'm overtaking.

I do it when my back wheel is level with their head, just to make sure they hear it.

pitchshifter

I like to freewheel past people.. 8)

essex-commuter

pitchshifter wrote:

I like to freewheel past people.. 8)

I take a swig from my bottle.

dhope

essex-commuter wrote:

pitchshifter wrote:

I like to freewheel past people.. 8)

I take a swig from my bottle.

I'd have to take my feet off the pedals to freewheel fixed. Now that'd be amusing.

Blue Meanie

I take a minute on their wheel to judge what I'm up against, then...
come through and slow down to their speed and just keep applying the pressure, gently gaining speed until they're hanging on just to stay on the wheel. Keep that up for a few k, then go for it. If they come through, I've hopefully got enough to do bit & bit until our routes separate.

desweller

Kieran_Burns wrote:

The only way I'd play with them is if they flopped one out and I had a quick grope. Rubber gloves mandatory.

That's not what Obi-Wan meant when he told you to hold onto his lightsabre...

notsoblue

Kieran_Burns wrote:

You bunch of smug bastards.

There's some of us mortals who can't go 'round cruising at >20mph. 'Playing' with them? I'm lucky to hear anything over the wheezing noises I'm making.

The only way I'd play with them is if they flopped one out and I had a quick grope. Rubber gloves mandatory.

Didn't know you were on the "stray" scene, KB...

itboffin

Trying to reattached my front light with one hand whilst holding low 20s through rich hour traffic on the Euston road in the dark whilst raining, wearing normal clothes a riding a CX with big fat knobbly tyres ought to do it :-)

Nice try mr MTB but your gasping and dry spitting at the lights followed by the complete surrender shortly afterwards let you down.

FAIL