Commuter Racing pondered

[Gandalf]

Visiting Sheffield a few days ago, I walked out of the station at the same time as another cyclist.  Young, male and riding a decent if commuterish bike.  He kept on darting shifty glances at me and if I'm honest, I kept eyeing him up as well.  I could almost hear his brainwaves, "Look at that guy in Look cleats, I'll drink out for months if I can beat him".  The glances only stopped as he set off, and ripped it up by the fountain.  As i joined him at the road crossing, I new the race was on.  Just then, the lights went green and he set off up the steep Howard Street hill at a speed which has but one name: race pace.  He was actually fairly impressive, I had to work to keep up, chewing on his wheel and fantasising about how I'd have blitzed him if I hadn't had two months off the bike and a longer time away from any hills.  Still, I could see that he was caning himself up here and if I could hold his wheel up to the end of the steep section at Arundel Gate, I'd have  him.  I could, and as the lights changed I kicked up to the library and attacked down Surrey Street.  I kept the pace high across by the town hall but by the time I reached the flatness of Division Street, I knew I was alone.  He'd either given up, gone another way or slunk off with his tail between his legs, and I'd made my comeback to cycling. 

Mr Bunbury's cycling season 2011
Victory 1: The Sheffield Hillclimb

    YouTube
        - A Fistful Of Dollars - The Starlight Orchestra~Movie Theme
 

[vorsprung]

I switched from Winter studded tyres back to Marathon+ a couple of days ago.
So although I am now riding the some of the slowest tyres in the world, I feel fast
My times for the commute reveal I am just going at a fairly normal speed

I think because I carried on riding through the snow I am fitter than some.  For example on my commute there is a bloke on an old rusty Claud Butler riding the same route/time.  Last year, it was a effort to catch him and on one occasion in Jan/Feb we had a real commuter race.  He won.

Yesterday I saw him 200 metres ahead, caught him, passed at speed without pausing and didn't see him again.

I haven't seen the really fast guy on this route, mr Tarmac Specialized, he lives up Ford Street

[fuzzy]

I've never seen the point in 'Commuter racing' I'll go at a speed that I'm comfortable with. Why try and race someone when they don't know that they are being raced?!

I was coming back off a long ride on the 'bent a few months ago - total distance 206 miles, total out time 24 hours. I'm in the final 10 miles of the ride and a roadie storms past me on the pavement shouting ''And here he comes on the inside!'' Seriously - what a dickhead. 

Either you get it or you don't 

[Wendy]

He's a fibber anyway, as when we rode together he tried his best to drop me, LOL!

[fuzzy]

 

[mAsTa RiDaH]

He's a fibber anyway, as when we rode together he tried his best to drop me, LOL!

As far as I can tell I've never known or rode with anyone called 'Wendy' so I suggest you retract the above statement about me lying.

[Tigerrr]

He's a fibber anyway, as when we rode together he tried his best to drop me, LOL!

As far as I can tell I've never known or rode with anyone called 'Wendy' so I suggest you retract the above statement about me lying.

Pants on fire.
There should be a sort of smiley to illustrate 'eat my dust porkyboy'.

[Wendy]

He's a fibber anyway, as when we rode together he tried his best to drop me, LOL!

As far as I can tell I've never known or rode with anyone called 'Wendy' so I suggest you retract the above statement about me lying.

Are you sure about that, Lee?

[mattc]

This evening it took me about 5 mins to finally get this commuter racing business.

Login

I think I need to throw the thing in the canal before this gets out of hand ...

[ruggtomcat]

ok, first off rule 71

Besides that Im not really a scalper, but I like the motivation SCR gives. I used to courier in Melbourne and occasionally get some roadie trying to overtake at the end of the day. I was on a very upright full suspended commuter bike with a panier and no drops and would really supprise people as I retook with the cry of 'gears and power bay, gears an power...'

The best way to over take is by spinning smoothly past and as you do so go up a gear, (something the fixies cant do) that little click says everything, yes I passed you, and NOW Im going to put the hammer down...

Been passed three times so far, I dont mind really... 

[spindrift]

Guffaw:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/V3nMnr8ZirI&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/V3nMnr8ZirI&rel=1</a>

OT I guess, couldn't think where to put it.

[Alouicious]

When I ride my 23 mile each way commute, I ride a slicked-up MTB with full mudguards and I wear kit that is donkeys years old and really out-of-fashion ( because I've been commuting for donkeys years and can't be bothered to buy 'latest fashion' clothes ).

When I ride my 4 mile each way commute, I ride a shopping bike and wear my work clothes with a bright orange Pak-a- mac over them.

Any idiot who thinks he's got one over on me by flashing past on a roadrace bike is only making a c**t of himself.


PS. To the idiot who wears a black jersey and black leggings in the dark mornings, "You're a c**t".

[Si_Co]

PS. To the idiot who wears a black jersey and black leggings in the dark mornings, "You're a c**t".

Is he a c**t for wearing black or just in general?

[jane]

PS. To the idiot who wears a black jersey and black leggings in the dark mornings, "You're a c**t".

Seems a bit harsh- we are all only riding our bikes and don't deserve such insults  unless we do actually do something selfish and dangerous to others out there on the road.

is it just me (I have to admit I only pop  in and out of this forum intermittently, so this is just an impression- not a statement of fact) or is there an atmosphere of rather aggressive grumpiness around at the moment.  And I'm also beginning to feel I've wandered  into a world almost without women!  Maybe it's my imagination, but I feel fewer females are posting at the moment.

[Kim]

Yeah, I was wondering about that too.  I tend to wear a lot of black.  I also tend to have my bike lit up like a christmas tree, even in daylight at this time of year.  I do have the standard yellow Altura jacket, but it's usually too warm for that sort of thing.

I can't say I've noticed a particular absence of women, though I think the signal to noise ratio of the forum has inevitably suffered a bit as people tend to be on their bikes less and make up for it by increased arguing on the internet.

I've taken to wistfully reading the audax threads, which do at least tend to be cycling related.

[jane]

Hello Kim!!! There are some of us left- hooray!!

[mattc]

PS. To the idiot who wears a black jersey and black leggings in the dark mornings, "You're a c**t".

Is he a c**t for wearing black or just in general?

It's probably because he "flashed past" Alouicious

[CrinklyLion]

Hello Kim!!! There are some of us left- hooray!!

I'm still here.....

[jane]

Oh good- a few of us left then!! Although, in the last couple of hours, I have spotted a few more popping up on various threads-

That's a relief.

[clarion]

Butterfly may be online soon, though she worked late.  I believe she's a female lady.

[Tigerrr]

When I ride my 23 mile each way commute, I ride a slicked-up MTB with full mudguards and I wear kit that is donkeys years old and really out-of-fashion ( because I've been commuting for donkeys years and can't be bothered to buy 'latest fashion' clothes ).

When I ride my 4 mile each way commute, I ride a shopping bike and wear my work clothes with a bright orange Pak-a- mac over them.

Any idiot who thinks he's got one over on me by flashing past on a roadrace bike is only making a c**t of himself.

PS. To the idiot who wears a black jersey and black leggings in the dark mornings, "You're a c**t".

Excellent! This is the true essence of the commuter race isn't it? To flash past the grumpy old geezer muttering obscenities to himself, and spray him with a bit of road muck on  his crusty holey woolly.  Just to hear the old fart gasping 'you Can't' as one whizzes by would make the day.

I reckon you make a lot of people happy - I certainly wish you lived near me so I could do it on daily basis!  I would give you a cheery 'you alright there mate?'  as I went by too to stoke you a bit more.  Top man Alicios!

[Dinamo]

Just discovered this thread....
......working shifts means there aren't always many other cyclists about !
But I do enjoy trying to beat the 518 bus which starts in Shirehampton and finishes in Downend ( although the route it takes is far from direct ! ).
I pass it on several occasions en route and do enjoy seeing it behind me on the final straight !
I know this isn't in the spirit of the original idea, but it gives me a target to beat.

[Kim]

Guy who squeezed past my pannier in order to RLJ: you got pwned. By a gurl. Carrying a week's shopping. Uphill. On knobbly tyres. In asthma season.  Maybe if you put fresh (read: working) batteries in your rear light you might be able to go a bit faster?

(Not much potential for silly commuter racing RLJers around here, as they all tend to ride on the pavement.)

[Wowbagger]

Butterfly may be online soon, though she worked late.  I believe she's a female lady.

Are you implying that some of the others aren't? 

[clarion]

I have no idea.  I haven't completed my comprehensive tour of inspection.