asterix
Comrade Member
- Location
- Limoges or York
Hilarious! But think how much fitter you'll be (when you recover)..
scalping back
- Thread starter GrumpyGregry
- Start date
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Wankelschrauben
Guest
I'm getting an even smaller gear cassette put on my bike so I can pedal harder, can you spin in the small top gears?
Currently I have 39/53 chainrings paired with a 13/29 cassette. I'm hoping to get an 11/25 cassette so I can get even faster on the sprints, which occur on my journeys to work. I'm hoping to break past 70kph with it.
have to admit i got myself in a very embarrassing situation the other evening out for a training ride on my road bike, lycra'd up (all the gear no idea)-chugging along when a long haired pimply youth of about 18 in track suit top and jeans blasted past me like i was stood still!. must admit made me jump and also made me think 'i've been cruising here' so upped my pace. Without really trying I caught him fairly quickly and had the same dilema 'overtake and look like I want to race or hang back'.I decided the latter but he clearly thought I was long gone so dropped his pace and I breezed past this time thinking 'there's no way that soap dodgers getting past me again ' .
There then ensued a lung-busting 5 mile cat and mouse sprint through the streets of manchester. Utterly embarrassing, completely childish-I just sort of got caught up in a mad moment. we must have swopped places ten times each giving some sort of cheery comment such as 'evening' or 'how do' through gritted teeth as he passed the other.Worse thing was he had me at the lights just before my house-gutted!
I arrived home beetroot faced, having heart palpitations and delirious having been completely owned by a rolly smoking student on his way to band practice-the shame!. Moral-dont get involved!
LOLexcellent!
Bodhbh
Guru
It's can bit of fun, but on the otherhand it's irritating someone hanging around when you're having a quiet ride and trying to turn it into a race (i.e. latching on your back for ages or overtaking and not pulling clear). That and some people seem to end up raging and loose all perspective.
I overtook a family going for a ride a couple of years back, giving them a friendly nod as I passed. A few minutes afterwards i became aware of someone following me. The father had broken off leaving his whole family behind and well out of sight and was trying to scalp me. Eventually, he overtook, scowling at me the whole time, then gave a sarcastic version of the nod I gave him. He managed to pull about 5 yards in front, then promptly blew up adn I overtook him without changing pace.
I overtook a family going for a ride a couple of years back, giving them a friendly nod as I passed. A few minutes afterwards i became aware of someone following me. The father had broken off leaving his whole family behind and well out of sight and was trying to scalp me. Eventually, he overtook, scowling at me the whole time, then gave a sarcastic version of the nod I gave him. He managed to pull about 5 yards in front, then promptly blew up adn I overtook him without changing pace.
SquareDaff
Über Member
- Location
- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
I had an incident last night with some long haired, pimply faced youths....had just got off the train so was gradually winding up to spinning cadence when I got passed by 3 of them - obviously elated to be passing me and shouting some abuse or other. Elation quickly turned to panic as the stiffness in my legs worked out and eased by a sudden "want to run that by be me again sunshine?" adrenaline rush, my legs started to ease towards cruising speed. Watched them switch to full panic in front of me, wildly swinging their bikes from side to side as the gap between us shrank! Was incredibly satisfying as we hit a hill and the "poor dears" stamina levels dropped like an anvil from a 30 storey building and I went past. Looked behind about a half mile later at the top of the hill and they were still only half way up.
How satisfying. +1 for age and experience over youth!!
How satisfying. +1 for age and experience over youth!!
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
You can but its harder and you have to be really fit/ have a good tail wind.
How hilly is your commute they are quite big chainrings; if hilly I'd suggest going for an 11-27 cassette.
SquareDaff
Über Member
- Location
- Doncaster, South Yorkshire
Don't fall into the same trap I used to thinking "high gear = high speed". I've found I can go just as fast with a lower gear and a higher cadence and my averages have actually risen significantly.
OP
OP
GrumpyGregry
Here for rides.
Given I two thirds of the way round a 100km ride and for all I know he was out for 20km that is exactly the kind of 'fight' I was keen to avoid. I felt 'honour' was satisfied by my catching up, the HR log for that part of the route makes interesting reading, and had no desire to start something I might not be able to finish (in 1st place)
Wankelschrauben
Guest
At my top speed my rpm was 139 according to this calculator. That is a similar figure to the quoted figures I get down the gym when giving it some.
http://www.machars.net/bikecalc.htm
Oh I have some good hills nearby, one I do quite often is 14%, Willington street in Maidstone. The hill that ruined my last bike.
It's quite steep, a good distance also if you're new to cycling like me. The foot path is even steeper so I try and stick to the road if possible.
I find the key is the run up, if starting at the top of one side, I use the speed from one side to get up the other.
Clandy
Well-Known Member
snorri
Legendary Member
- Location
- East coast, up a bit.
A gentleman would have drawn level and offered a choice of libations from his flasks.
brockers
Senior Member
- Location
- hollowed out volcano
Thats more like it! Some refreshing (non)sensibility at last.
This discussion was in danger of becoming a bit too BikeRadar.
Melonfish
Evil Genius in training.
- Location
- Warrington, UK
you know i scalped 2 people on the way home on friday night, i saw the first guy, all lycra clad on a MTB and he was pootling along minding his own business. Clearly the cromagnon in me reacted to this blatant challenge to my masculinity and i upped my gear and set into the pedals, with a cheery "afternoon" i left him for dust. the hilarious bit was i was wearing my old Fear Factory T-Shirt which has the album name on the back 'Obsolete' hehe i reckon thats me tho not him.
passed another chap a little while later i think my greeting caused him to require new shorts.
see i'm used to being scalped myself so this feeling is dangerously addictive...
must say tho because of these two incidents i pushed myself harder on the way back, shaved 2 minutes off my commute and upped my average speed to 13.5mph
not bad for 3 days work.
next week 15mph average!
passed another chap a little while later i think my greeting caused him to require new shorts.
see i'm used to being scalped myself so this feeling is dangerously addictive...
must say tho because of these two incidents i pushed myself harder on the way back, shaved 2 minutes off my commute and upped my average speed to 13.5mph
not bad for 3 days work.
next week 15mph average!
