Lance watch

Zipp101

So here is the killer question -Did anyone here actually get to talk to him?

Tawfee

Caroline_ie wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8txpM5v0c

The 1st Bray girl looked quite chuffed

Here is the video

i'm only 7 seconds down on the guy at that stage!! I was getting closer all the time until he pulled away on the Kyber. Saw him looking back down Kyber then when he turned onto Acres Road, bit like that look he gave Ullrich on the Alpe d'Huez in '01 actually...:)

biomed32

was there and thouroughly enjoyed myself, was fantastic seeing the guy in action, it may not be the tour de france or what not, pity i had to pull up halfway on the fourth lap due to bike malfunction:(

DisasterIRL

As he passed me some guy was taking a picture and talking to him, while cycling one handed. Lance replied "I think I need a translator".

Made me chuckle

ciagr297

there was a few kids getting involved yesterday. i overheard one of them (about 10 year old on her mini bike) say to her dad.."daddy, does the man know we are cycling in circles?"

Raam

Here's my Lance vid. You can hear him shout "ten to go".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xB9ki4wmz00

Ghost Rider

Nice picture from today's Indo:

Raam

petethedrummer wrote: »

Its almost as if Jesus rode into town on the back of a donkey.





(Just trying to ruin the love in people)

It was much better than that

petethedrummer

Raam wrote: »

It was much better than that

Its as if jesus rode into town on a carbon fibre donkey.

Ghost Rider

Yeah, it's not as if Jesus came back from the dead.

Oh, wait...

penfold83

There's a scene in American Pie 2 where the hot girl Nadia says to Jim in her Eastern European accent, "Jim, you don't like me? You vont to be vith the band geek?". A flood of realisation overcomes Jim as he declares gleefully, "Nadia, I am a band geek. I just never joined the band".

Yesterday I joined the band as me all the other 'freds' tried to bustle our way to the front of a crowd of over a thousand. It was so worth it. Having ventured off road a couple of times, just after we reached the Pope's cross for the first time, I managed to weasel my way in beside Lance Armstrong. It was surreal to say the least. Even shared a few words with him about the God awful weather in Cork last Sunday. I rode beside him for 2 or 3 minutes, and then remained on his wheel for 2 or 3 more.

Obviously people have their varying opinions on him, which is fine. I think the guy is an absolute legend, and to say now that I've ridden beside him at the head of a group of a thousand people is something I'll never forget.

tunney

Zipp101 wrote: »

So here is the killer question -Did anyone here actually get to talk to him?

yes, i talked to him, rode along side him for most of a lap and talked to him about him going to Kona, seems we will have to wait until 2011.

Poncherello

Whats a fred ?

alfalad

tunney wrote: »

yes, i talked to him, rode along side him for most of a lap and talked to him about him going to Kona, seems we will have to wait until 2011.

So as well as deciding against good judgement and going you actually talk to him for 10 minutes??

I'm disappointed!

Obviously people have their varying opinions on him, which is fine. I think the guy is an absolute legend, and to say now that I've ridden beside him at the head of a group of a thousand people is something I'll never forget.

Credit where credit is due. I have my opinions on the man and they are not good but fair play to him yesterday. He mixed with his fans, talked, signed t-shirts etc and best of all he cycled with them.

RobFowl

Poncherello wrote: »

Whats a fred ?

If you have to ask you are one

Raam

RobFowl wrote: »

If you have to ask you are one

Saw you in the thick of the action!

RobFowl

Raam wrote: »

Saw you in the thick of the action!

Worked my way up to his wheel on the last lap. Quite a few swords riders there a few talked to him all said he was incredibly friendly and relaxed.
I have to say seeing him do something like that has changed my opinion of him a lot.

Also as an aside found out how often he was tested on the TDF and its frightening how strict it is. On accasions there was testing at the stage end , out of competition testing later that evening and then bloods the next morning at 0500 !

tunney

RobFowl wrote: »

Worked my way up to his wheel ont he last lap. Quite a few swords riders there a few talked to him all said he was incredibly friendly and relaxed.
I have to say seeing him do something like that has changed my opinion of him a lot.
Also as an aside found out how often he was tested on the TDF and its frightening how strict it is. On accasions there was testing at the stage end , out of competition testing later that evening and then bloods the next morning at 0500 !

Someone should teach the Swords CC riders how to corner and ride in groups, shocking stuff from them....

Was very annoying with people (freds and club riders) breaking stupidly because of corners, mean a sprint out of each corner. Topped out at 900watts and 127rpm to get out of one corner. Thankfully this was the effort that got me up beside the man.

DominoDub

Poncherello wrote: »

Whats a fred ?

I was about to ask the same !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)

RobFowl

tunney wrote: »

Someone should teach the Swords CC riders how to corner and ride in groups, shocking stuff from them....

Was very annoying with people (freds and club riders) breaking stupidly because of corners, mean a sprint out of each corner. Topped out at 900watts and 127rpm to get out of one corner. Thankfully this was the effort that got me up beside the man.

The stand of riding was appalling generally especially at the start. Some gob****e was actually riding a TT rig while wearing a full suit and tie........

estariol

thought nothing could top the poor standard of riding on the w200, boy was I ever wrong! most of the poorest/most wreckless stuff seemed to be the club riders dying on the Khyber and sprinting past st. marys none even attempting to hold a line. Do clubs not teach/enforce bike skill on spins any more?

Koyasan

Poncherello wrote: »

Whats a fred ?

Most commonly around the world, it's a derogatory term used by cyclists to describe people who spend an awful lot of money on clothes, equipment and gear to give the impression of being at a level far above their actual level.

There were loads there yesterday, and it was great fun whizzing by their lycra/carbon fibre etc etc. on the uphills in jeans and a t-shirt on our commuting bikes.

Oddly, the group described also use it for people who don't spend similarly, but that's a minority definition.

ROK ON

RobFowl wrote: »

The stand of riding was appalling generally especially at the start. Some gob****e was actually riding a TT rig while wearing a full suit and tie........

Probably Tunney.

Koyasan

estariol wrote: »

thought nothing could top the poor standard of riding on the w200, boy was I ever wrong! most of the poorest/most wreckless stuff seemed to be the club riders dying on the Khyber and sprinting past st. marys none even attempting to hold a line. Do clubs not teach/enforce bike skill on spins any more?

Ha ha, you'll love this then.

At one point on that stretch I was 5m from the Lance et al, and I felt someone whack against the side of by back wheel. They had decided to go for an imaginary gap. Stayed steady and looked back to see it was a club rider then veering wildly across the middle of the road. There was definitely some skill on display behind him though as there were no crashes.

DualFrontDiscs

DominoDub wrote: »

I was about to ask the same !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_(bicycling)

Three definitions there and two are contradictory. From what I saw, I'd be placing the emphasis on the second definition.

DFD.

tunney

ROK ON wrote: »

Originally Posted by RobFowl View Post
The stand of riding was appalling generally especially at the start. Some gob****e was actually riding a TT rig while wearing a full suit and tie........

Probably Tunney.

Suit and tie? Nah not me, I was in a dimpled skin suit.

After what I saw yesterday from alot of the club riders I'm thinking I should do bike racing, if they can't corner and can't ride in a group I could do well next year.

Koyasan

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Three definitions there and two are contradictory. From what I saw, I'd be placing the emphasis on the second definition.

DFD.

+1

I'm a bit confused with English and US English. Is it "Poseur" or "Poser"?

Liamo08

Have to agree about the standard of bike handling, every corner I came to I thought there'd been a massive crash with all the shouting and everyone coming to a standstill to get around it.

tunney

Koyasan wrote: »

+1

I'm a bit confused with English and US English. Is it "Poseur" or "Poser"?

when possible use french or italian over english of any form

Raam

All sense of bunch etiquette went right out the window last night.

RobFowl

tunney wrote: »

when possible use french or italian over english of any form

A Euro Fred :rolleyes:

ROK ON

tunney wrote: »

After what I saw yesterday from alot of the club riders I'm thinking I should do bike racing, if they can't corner and can't ride in a group I could do well next year.

Have to say that I tend to agree. At both WW200 and Ring of Kerry the level of discipline shown by some club riders was very very poor. One might expect it from the inexperienced, but not the 'organised and experienced.'

Was coming back from a training spin on a weeknight a few weeks ago. Passed 2 Orwell riders coming into Stepaside. They went nuts trying to overtake my on the way down to Lambs Cross. I must actually go on a club spin to see what it is is so disciplined about group riding.

Lumen

Koyasan wrote: »

Most commonly around the world, it's a derogatory term used by cyclists to describe people who spend an awful lot of money on clothes, equipment and gear to give the impression of being at a level far above their actual level.

I think you are confused.

"Image and style shall be the primary concerns of the Euro Cyclist. When suffering, one must focus first on maintaining a cool, even composure and second on performance."

Your overtaking them means nothing. You were wearing jeans.

DualFrontDiscs

Lumen wrote: »

"Image and style shall be the primary concerns of the Euro Cyclist. When suffering, one must focus first on maintaining a cool, even composure and second on performance."

Your overtaking them means nothing. You were wearing jeans.

Perhaps 'Euro Fred' is a more apt description?

DFD

Lumen

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Perhaps 'Euro Fred' is a more apt description?

Type 1 Fred: beards, sandals/runners, saddlebags, recumbents, non-bib shorts, 750ml water bottles etc.

Type 2 Fred: CF bikes, pro-team lycra, training Zipps etc.

Internecine fighting between Fred factions is pointless. I say live and let live.

Caroline_ie

Lumen wrote: »

Type 1 Fred: beards, sandals/runners, saddlebags, recumbents, non-bib shorts, 750ml water bottles etc.

Type 2 Fred: CF bikes, pro-team lycra, training Zipps etc.

Internecine fighting between Fred factions is pointless. I say live and let live.

Can they breed? Becoming a Type' Fred Mutant' ?

RobFowl

Raam wrote: »

All sense of bunch etiquette went right out the window last night.

"The competition to ride alongside Armstrong was intense and there were several crashes as enthusiasts failed to observe the niceties which stop every bike race turning into carnage."
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0826/1224253271811.html

Rubylad

RobFowl wrote: »

The stand of riding was appalling generally especially at the start. Some gob****e was actually riding a TT rig while wearing a full suit and tie........

Fair balls to him to all the same, he obviosly didn't want to miss it.

Drapper

Rubylad wrote: »

Fair balls to him to all the same, he obviosly didn't want to miss it.

you mean fair ball (singluar) :pac::pac::pac::pac: to him.....

andun84

Lumen wrote: »

Type 1 Fred: beards, sandals/runners, saddlebags, recumbents, non-bib shorts, 750ml water bottles etc.

Type 2 Fred: CF bikes, pro-team lycra, training Zipps etc.

Internecine fighting between Fred factions is pointless. I say live and let live.

I have bits from both. Does that make me a double Fred

I've got the powertap - surely that deserves special derision :D:D (FTP only 225 was 190 in March when I started and should get a lot better over the winter when I start to use the turbo again - yeah got one of those too)

Don't belong to a club, hate twisty descents, terrible in corners, can't take my hands of the bars but love my Titanium and Carbon Fibre bikes :D

Miles this year - skills next year :pac::pac:

redmenace1

Caroline_ie wrote: »

Will post that video as soon as I finish editing it...................

PS: nice to meet redmenace on his way home.

Thanks Caroline, it was great for me to meet a top cyclist and Lance:cool:

Jawgap

andun84 wrote: »

I have bits from both. Does that make me a double Fred

I've got the powertap - surely that deserves special derision :D:D (FTP only 225 was 190 in March when I started and should get a lot better over the winter when I start to use the turbo again - yeah got one of those too)

Don't belong to a club, hate twisty descents, terrible in corners, can't take my hands of the bars but love my Titanium and Carbon Fibre bikes :D

Miles this year - skills next year :pac::pac:

Schizo-fred!! Like me!

Haven't quite got as far as powertap - haven't yet managed to find an argument to justify it......note the "yet."

Traded the 750ml bottles for 500 ml ones - no team kit - two retro jerseys which I wear on only those rides I'm guaranteed not to meet proper cyclists. Have ordered some boards gear.

Can't climb to save my life despite trying valiantly and almost constant practice- have to drop a gear to get over speed bumps!

Descend with all the grace of an avalanche and with about as much control.

Not bad at cornering.

Rarely get out of the saddle, except to sprint (quite enjoy that!)

Love my carbon bike - already contemplating how might expand my "fleet" next year ( a sportive specific machine perhaps after I do 2/3 sportives next year).

Like cycling long distances through rolling countryside and would love to be half-decent at climbing some day!!

Doctor Bob

I had great plans for my first post, but I can't seem to embed my video. If anyone else can manage it, be my guest. (I have a Vimeo account, but I can't embed- does that make me an e-Fred? )

http://www.vimeo.com/6274124

It's an alternative view of the event, from the back of the bunch (6 minutes long, fyi). Quite a different feel from the front, judging by the clips posted already- a more sedate pace, more space, no clamouring to touch the hem of His garment. (Still a few dodgy manoeuvres and bits of sketchy overtaking, not to mention patronising comments from one guy who seemed to equate my civvies and commuter bike with a lack of skill - no, chief, you got your line wrong - but we focus on the good memories, right?)

As has been said, fair play to LA for this, and what a good evening it turned out to be. Thanks to all concerned.

Now, if we can just get him to come back - and to keep the rain at bay - for the Dublin City Cycle next year...

Caroline_ie

hahah The Claw's face in the video :P

Diarmuid

'scuse my ignorance but I've been reading about people being dropped on a climb. In the phoenix park. Really?

tunney

Diarmuid wrote: »

'scuse my ignorance but I've been reading about people being dropped on a climb. In the phoenix park. Really?

not a climb but an inclination, mild but some of the "cyclists" would give freds a bad name

godihatethehils

Lance watch....met him in the pub last night. I'm taking it as a sign that i should continue my plans to drink more and cycle less

Caroline_ie

godihatethehils wrote: »

Lance watch....met him in the pub last night. I'm taking it as a sign that i should continue my plans to drink more and cycle less

you serious??

prove it :P

godihatethehils

Caroline_ie wrote: »

you serious??

prove it :P

yep, seriously. but i no photo, sorry

lyders

He's at the airport about to leave. Hold back the tears guys!