Silly Commuter Time trial

ShandyH

Right, so just been up packing my bike case for Majorca and have been watching Johnny Lee Miller doing a decent job portraying Graeme Obree. Only just found the key to the bike case. Bit of a concern.

So...... a few texts later and CJ and I were talking about a handicap time trial. It would be three laps of Richmond Park. It should be early to avoid traffic. We can base handicap times on previous single laps, improvement in times and some of the most imformative Strava segments (suggestions please!).

I reckon, in order to avoid traffic, we're talking a 6am start (I can honestly say for the sake of one early start, it is well worth the peace and quiet). We should do it once the weather's better. Maybe we can then meet again after work to have a proper chat and a beer to discuss the times and chases! The idea would be that everyone finishes as close as possibly, together.

Who's in? I am!

P.S. Pre gates - are we allowed?

sketchley

handicap race you say, so everyone at 18.5 stone including the bike?

ShandyH

Shows how much I follow horse racing! And no! That would kill me for one.

jzed

Good luck with working out the formula. There should be a penalty for aero bikes, carbon wheels, and anyone under 95kg.

You're probably better doing some sort of strava power adjusted by time.

dhope

Sketchley wrote:

handicap race you say, so everyone at 18.5 stone including the bike?

Or you tie a large helium filled balloon to your saddle and everyone races at 12 stone. Don't fancy the handling much in the wet...

Green Brompton

I'm game... although 3 laps of RP at speed... hmmm :?

This commuting malarkey is just getting plain silly.

I could bring the Brompton, and providing only a few people pitch up, could win by default.

pitchshifter

Sounds good, although 3 laps is quite a distance. I think one or one and a half laps would be more appealing to most..

rick_chasey

Why not different categories?

So TT bike -

Road Bike

SS

Fixie.

Hybrid/Brompton


Dutch bike/Pashley

etc.

pangolin

3 laps is 20 miles, not a ridiculous distance. Far enough to be a real challenge (assuming you try all the way) but doesn't go on forever.

I'm in if I'm free

Green Brompton

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

DrLex

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

ISTR some discussion about speed limits in the Royal Parks - will this result in a Daily Fail-style tirade against the lycra louts in the Ham & High or Richmond Ad?

rick_chasey

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

ISTR some discussion about speed limits in the Royal Parks - will this result in a Daily Fail-style tirade against the lycra louts in the Ham & High or Richmond Ad?

There are organised TTs in Richmond park.

Can't we just enter those, and then post our times up here?

Wrath Rob

There's a 10 mile official RP TT that you could enter instead. That's split into categories based on aero addenda on the bike. TBH, trying to set a good time around there is always problematic due to the traffic, plus there's a speed limit of course.

ShandyH

Rick Chasey wrote:

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

ISTR some discussion about speed limits in the Royal Parks - will this result in a Daily Fail-style tirade against the lycra louts in the Ham & High or Richmond Ad?

There are organised TTs in Richmond park.

Can't we just enter those, and then post our times up here?

Can do but I guess that would dissuade someone on a Pashley. Generally though, that might put off people who fancy a go but aren't at a level where they would feel at home at a Dynamo organised event (e.g. me!).

rick_chasey

ShandyH wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

ISTR some discussion about speed limits in the Royal Parks - will this result in a Daily Fail-style tirade against the lycra louts in the Ham & High or Richmond Ad?

There are organised TTs in Richmond park.

Can't we just enter those, and then post our times up here?

Can do but I guess that would dissuade someone on a Pashley. Generally though, that might put off people who fancy a go but aren't at a level where they would feel at home at a Dynamo organised event (e.g. me!).

I'm told (having never gone myself) that the beauty of time trials is that no-one really cares about anyone else's time other than their own. People (apparently) turn up in all sorts of weird kit and no-one cares.

jonginge

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

I know someone who could rock this look. Paging IP

pangolin

Most of you guys have seen this right?

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=40007&t=12829490

Obviously some of you have as you're on it.

SteppenHerring

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

I've often been tempted to head up to That London, get a Boris Bike and ride it around in full skinsuit and pointy hat. But then I realised this would work better with another club's skinsuit.

roger_merriman

Rick Chasey wrote:

ShandyH wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

ISTR some discussion about speed limits in the Royal Parks - will this result in a Daily Fail-style tirade against the lycra louts in the Ham & High or Richmond Ad?

There are organised TTs in Richmond park.

Can't we just enter those, and then post our times up here?

Can do but I guess that would dissuade someone on a Pashley. Generally though, that might put off people who fancy a go but aren't at a level where they would feel at home at a Dynamo organised event (e.g. me!).

I'm told (having never gone myself) that the beauty of time trials is that no-one really cares about anyone else's time other than their own. People (apparently) turn up in all sorts of weird kit and no-one cares.

Watched one last year, ParkTT that is, and as you'd expect of Richmond Park it was high end bikes and fairly serious, other TT's are more any one turns up.

I'd be wary of this, anything went wrong could be world of pain, a TT organised with out the parks permission?

bigmat

RE Boris bikes, don't know if I got a duff one the one time I had a go, but the gearing was ridiculous - the highest gear was like my granny gear and I span out at not much over 20mph (and I can put in a burst at 150RPM when required). Based on that, I wouldn't fancy the 3-lap challenge on a Boris bike.

The OP's idea sounds like fun - would start off as a time trial and end up a race though as people came together towards the end, could be a bit hairy so would need to be limited numbers / people being a bit sensible.

As for the RP time trials, I think the July one is sold out but the August one possibly still open - its a great event, all manner of people enter (including tandems and hand bikes). There is a road bike category so no need for all the full on TT gear. And as RC says, people are just focused on their own times and nobody will be being judged. It is nice to get a podium time though!

il_principe

JonGinge wrote:

DrLex wrote:

Green Brompton wrote:

Can someone please bring a Pashley, and ride it round RP in full club gear?

And a Dogma ridden in Edwardian tweeds & flannels (plus pipe)?

I know someone who could rock this look. Paging IP

Standard kit, innit?

okgo

I don't see that is should be handicapped as such, its short enough and flat enough that it doesn't hinder the bigger rider too much.

The best idea would be for you to enter the time trial, OR just post up your fastest 1 or 3 laps as said. I am entered in the official TT, but to this day have not gone for a balls out lap on my nice bike without a bag on etc, let alone 3.

mr_ribble

okgo wrote:

but to this day have not gone for a balls out lap on my nice bike

Probably best you keep it that way.

Yukirin

are we realisticly thinking more than 10 people would show up? And that someone would actually show up in full tt ho down?
as its silly commuter it should be commuter bikes only, not Sunday bests and just a "mass start" (all 6 people that actually show) straight forward 3 lap race, surely?
Otherwise, as posted previously, there is the 3 lap challenge thread we could just join in on?

ShandyH

Just as an update, I'm on holiday for a week and have been busy getting ready for that so sorry for the radio silence. We'll sort out a format once I get back (if we do a race and don't just join the main leaderboard) and go from there.

rick_chasey

Yukirin wrote:

are we realisticly thinking more than 10 people would show up? And that someone would actually show up in full tt ho down?
as its silly commuter it should be commuter bikes only, not Sunday bests and just a "mass start" (all 6 people that actually show) straight forward 3 lap race, surely?
Otherwise, as posted previously, there is the 3 lap challenge thread we could just join in on?

Sounds more like silly commuter crashing.

il_principe

ShandyH wrote:

Just as an update, I'm on holiday for a week and have been busy getting ready for that so sorry for the radio silence. We'll sort out a format once I get back (if we do a race and don't just join the main leaderboard) and go from there.

You can't race in the park. Not even worth thinking about. Leaderboard or the organised TT is the only option really.

keyser__soze

How about a Silly Commuter Hill-Climb instead? Start at the bottom of Nightingale Lane, last to the Roebuck buys the beers?

ShandyH

Il Principe wrote:

ShandyH wrote:

Just as an update, I'm on holiday for a week and have been busy getting ready for that so sorry for the radio silence. We'll sort out a format once I get back (if we do a race and don't just join the main leaderboard) and go from there.

You can't race in the park. Not even worth thinking about. Leaderboard or the organised TT is the only option really.

Okay well that settles it. When is the next available TT? Is it the 10 mile loop?

okgo

That one is full, there is a second one later in the year. I doubt I'll do both. But we can go by Strava.

What are we trying to prove again?

jzed

okgo wrote:

That one is full, there is a second one later in the year. I doubt I'll do both. But we can go by Strava.

What are we trying to prove again?

Not really sure but it sounds like, if you are over 6'3", weigh more than 95kg, over 30, ride a bike worth less than £1,000 that is not aero, with CX wheels, using SPDs and a backpack, then you get to deduct 30 seconds off each lap for each qualifying criteria met. Everyone sticks their time in a table and we compare.