Commuter Cup Racing

[mikesbytes]

ft, you crack me up

[takeitasread]

had a funny encounter this morning. i was on an easy day, but gently overtook a young guy on a roadie on the Kew Blvd. he was obviously a newbie, wearing runners

How truly sad is it when you start reading that and think "hmmm, hang on, that young guy could be me" then you suddenly realise you're 51 and you ain't young anymore

[Crawf]

The overtake and slow grind and pull away.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q3-o0-px4s&?hd=1[/youtube]

[gretaboy]

The overtake and slow grind and pull away.

certainly a different view..one that I may not wish to see again lol

found it funny the look on the overtaken rider as you initially went past, he had a quick look of disbelief if my glasses are right...then to see him get up out of the saddle to try and catch you but fail

well done

EDIT: Watching that vid again had me amazed. Not so much for the riding/overtaking but seeing the quality/condition of the shared path and so many bike riders on that shared path. I am assuming it is the Coronation drive path from city centre to St Lucia way..please correct me if I am wrong.

20-25 years ago you would hardly see a single bike rider along that path

[jasonc]

EDIT: Watching that vid again had me amazed. Not so much for the riding/overtaking but seeing the quality/condition of the shared path and so many bike riders on that shared path. I am assuming it is the Coronation drive path from city centre to St Lucia way..please correct me if I am wrong.

that's the one. not bad considering it was flooded 18 months ago. inbound is the better view as you have the city nearly straight ahead.

[gretaboy]

EDIT: Watching that vid again had me amazed. Not so much for the riding/overtaking but seeing the quality/condition of the shared path and so many bike riders on that shared path. I am assuming it is the Coronation drive path from city centre to St Lucia way..please correct me if I am wrong.

that's the one. not bad considering it was flooded 18 months ago. inbound is the better view as you have the city nearly straight ahead.

well when I knew it, it was a goat track in comparison...its good to see so many people using it, from that vid at least. Whats it like in the rain..slippery??

[Xplora]

Riding home yesterday and some bloke was screaming up behind me - I was doing 32-34kmh, and they had to be humming to appear. I think he was 50m behind.... responded and lifted the pace to around 37-39, they didn't take me next to Parra river. They took another way up to South St, and I managed to keep my gap I think they turned up to Victoria Rd instead of taking the bike path, but so much for my relaxing ride home

[Lizzy]

En route to work yesterday I got overtaken by another girl on a flat-bar, appeared to be just out on a fitness jaunt as had no cargo or anything. Up to that point I had just been warming up, but just for shizzles & giggles I decided to sit on her hammer and make her work for it Within half a k I could hear her grunting and gasping up a pretty innocuous incline. My good deed for the day!

[Crawf]

The overtake and slow grind and pull away.

certainly a different view..one that I may not wish to see again lol

Yeh sorry, testing a new camera angle
Thankfully I dont wear white bibs or you'd be in for even more of an eyeful.

[find_bruce]

En route to work yesterday I got overtaken by another girl on a flat-bar, appeared to be just out on a fitness jaunt as had no cargo or anything. Up to that point I had just been warming up, but just for shizzles & giggles I decided to sit on her hammer and make her work for it Within half a k I could hear her grunting and gasping up a pretty innocuous incline. My good deed for the day!

Fabulous to see someone dedicated to public service

[jasonc]

En route to work yesterday I got overtaken by another girl on a flat-bar, appeared to be just out on a fitness jaunt as had no cargo or anything. Up to that point I had just been warming up, but just for shizzles & giggles I decided to sit on her hammer and make her work for it Within half a k I could hear her grunting and gasping up a pretty innocuous incline. My good deed for the day!

Fabulous to see someone dedicated to public service

lizzy - you get the gold star for the week. any girl getting another to gasp and grunt deserves it

[steve-waters]

I am all for the commuter cup but....

In the traffic on Beach Road the other day I had a guy who would weave the traffic not just the inside but go up the middle of the two lanes when stopped and pull up in front at the lights pedal hard for about 5 seconds then slow - so about three of us had to try and over take in the traffic all good but then he does it again and again and once more.

Why does this man bother - we all dropped him once we got out of the lights section but bugger me if it was not the most annoying thing I have ever seen.

[Lizzy]

lizzy - you get the gold star for the week. any girl getting another to gasp and grunt deserves it

Gah, walked into that one, didn't I!

[Xplora]

I am all for the commuter cup but....

In the traffic on Beach Road the other day I had a guy who would weave the traffic not just the inside but go up the middle of the two lanes when stopped and pull up in front at the lights pedal hard for about 5 seconds then slow - so about three of us had to try and over take in the traffic all good but then he does it again and again and once more.

Why does this man bother - we all dropped him once we got out of the lights section but bugger me if it was not the most annoying thing I have ever seen.

Why aren't you blocking their move forward, if you're in front?

[steve-waters]

Not a fan of going down the middle of two lanes or doing the super tight squeeze on the inside - I kind of think if you don't do those moves you got more right to go off at cars that get too close.

So I anit blocking anyone who splits the lanes in skinny areas

[Xplora]

Not a fan of going down the middle of two lanes or doing the super tight squeeze on the inside - I kind of think if you don't do those moves you got more right to go off at cars that get too close.

So I anit blocking anyone who splits the lanes in skinny areas

That's my fav move. Lane split every time - it's just not safe to NOT do it.

[bychosis]

I wish I had more opportunities for CCR. Often spot a bike in the distance and aim for victory, only to be dissapointed how easy they are to pass when I get there. Just need to be satisfied with catching from further away I guess - but no points (edit: coz they are from below on the ladder and out for a scenic cruise).

One morning recently, before sun-up saw a rear flasher hitting a nice pace as I joined the cycleway, thinks to myself 'sweet, some CCR today!'. I pulled in a behind with a bit of a gap and put the hammer down...dissapointed again, but this time it was because I had no chance... dude had a two stroke attached and revving.

[Xplora]

One morning recently, before sun-up saw a rear flasher hitting a nice pace as I joined the cycleway, thinks to myself 'sweet, some CCR today!'. I pulled in a behind with a bit of a gap and put the hammer down...dissapointed again, but this time it was because I had no chance... dude had a two stroke attached and revving.

Not trying hard enough. The Bogan Bikes have a hard limit on the speed they can generate. I've passed one and they couldn't gain because the engine spins a certain pace and then that's it. They can't just crank the engine past 100%, but you CAN

[westab]

One morning recently, before sun-up saw a rear flasher hitting a nice pace as I joined the cycleway, thinks to myself 'sweet, some CCR today!'. I pulled in a behind with a bit of a gap and put the hammer down...dissapointed again, but this time it was because I had no chance... dude had a two stroke attached and revving.

Not trying hard enough. The Bogan Bikes have a hard limit on the speed they can generate. I've passed one and they couldn't gain because the engine spins a certain pace and then that's it. They can't just crank the engine past 100%, but you CAN

+1
I have got one as well - but it had been a bad day and he told me get a real motor and there was a long down hill. It realy did get rid of a day of frustration at work - and these from mrs westab when I got home 5min earlier than expected.

[bychosis]

One morning recently, before sun-up saw a rear flasher hitting a nice pace as I joined the cycleway, thinks to myself 'sweet, some CCR today!'. I pulled in a behind with a bit of a gap and put the hammer down...dissapointed again, but this time it was because I had no chance... dude had a two stroke attached and revving.

Not trying hard enough. The Bogan Bikes have a hard limit on the speed they can generate. I've passed one and they couldn't gain because the engine spins a certain pace and then that's it. They can't just crank the engine past 100%, but you CAN

+1
I have got on as well - but it had been a bad day and he told me get a real motor and there was a long down hill. It realy did get rid of a day of frustration at work - and these from mrs westab when I got home 5min earlier than expected.

couldn't catch him even before I'd worn myself out...
excuse no. one: MTB
excuse no. two: not enough lighting to see where I was going
excuse no. three: out of training for CCR given lack of competition.

EDIT: Prev post sounded a bit wrong, the disappointment in passing someone someone I've caught comes from them being a rider down the tree so no points. Hardly ever see proper competition from up the tree.

[westab]

Well done for trying - fair enough you couldn't get him. I do ride a low end road bike with panniers - still thin slick tyres do make a difference. I also did need the down hill to pass on the flat or without the bends where cornering do matter I would have not probably chased.

I am usually the bunny to others in the CCR - doesn't stop me from trying though

[Xplora]

excuse no. two: not enough lighting to see where I was going

Discretion is the better part of valour, well done

That said, fortune favours the brave

[westab]

Woohoo I had a win this morning first for ages (and probably the last). And it was a carbon fibre roady on an up hill who had seen me coming.

Got on the M7 pathway this morning and had gone about 1km to where he got on - he had a 500m lead but wasn't going fast at all. I started to chase over the railway bridge and then on the next slight downhill he saw me (closed to 200m) there is a longish up hill so I thought that I was done as I could see he had a nice bike. Still kept trying - I think so did he but I kept closing - 50m before the crest I caught and overtook (saying a strong goodmorning even though I could hear my heart beating).

There was a short downhill to the next exit (to my work) which the race for was on I got there first. There was another guy waiting there on a carbon roady who said hi - i just waved. This guy was friends with the other ride for as I rode up the off ramp I heard him giving it to his mate about getting pased by a guy in a fluro vest, with panniers, riding an old steel bike.

Needless to say I got to work happy this morning . Man the trip home tonight is going to be a killer - I am out of juice

[landscapecadmonkey]

anyone else suffer from 'cant-help-but-compete-itis' ? (most on here i think)

determined to have a leisurely commute home tonight..... poodle up to the lights on Roma St, about to turn right up to the Parklands. Several scoot around from the other direction on older mtbs... and here comes the 'catalyst'.... younger chap on a roadie, all dressed up / and looking a little too 'into it' to let pass by.

he had a good start, i got within maybe 15m under the bridge / but he well and truly lost me up the hill. I get to the top and see him disappear around the sweeping bend. Ok, ill play, and see how it goes. By the time we are onto to the overpass that heads under Gregory Tce, he is still well ahead, but i have gained a bit. Crest the rise behind that private school.... and i change to top top top gear (44 + 12). Momentum sees me within 15 again by the time we are over the InterCityBypass bridge.

I think i have a chance. He knows im there. I can see extra butt action from my vantage point. Down the hill, cross the little bridge...sharp right onto the Vic Park bike way.

WT F ... a Ute on the bike way !! coming the other way.. slam on brakes to avoid this bike (not ute). Put in extra effort i cant afford, just to see if i could keep up. Thought i could pass on several occasions, but didnt as i had my ar @se hanging on the ground, and there is nothing worse than passing only to slip into a coma within a bike length after the pass. A close call heading down Herston Rd, equalised by the turn into...what ever that roads called.

He is variously well ahead on the rises, only for me to catch on the descents. Finally met up at a red light at Newmarket Rd. He wasnt puffing a bit (although like to think i pushed him .. refer to previous butt action observation). I was puffing like....well, a really big puffing thing. Said gidday. He was a little stand-off-ish

Think i could have taken him on Kedron Brook Road (yeah sure!!) if i could only live out my days with the one remaining lung, but i pulled into the Bottlo half way up.

My consolation ? The 25klo plus cargo Big Dummy i was piloting Love the challenge, despite the loss.

As i said... its a disease.

[mikesbytes]

Strava has brought me back to the commuter cup racing.

There's this section where I'm running second and the other week, there was this massive tail wind and I said "this is my chance" so I gunned it, but then I got a red light in the middle