My two scalps, if you can call it them.

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Matthames

Über Member
Location
East Sussex
First one was a pavement riding RLJer. She came barrelling past me on a red light, which soon changed to green and then mounted the pavement. I made gains on her and we were soon climbing a 14% hill. To climb the hill she got out of her saddle instead of changing down and spinning like what I did. I was almost next to her all the way up the hill. As it levelled out she changed up a gear, sounded like the cable needed adjusting as it was skipping around in the middle gears. I was still on her back and decided to just go for it. I left her for dust, she probably couldn't pick the pace up like I could as her legs must of been in agony from climbing out of the saddle.

Moral of the story: The best way to climb hills is to remain in your saddle and go down a few gears and spin.

Second scalp was on my way home. Electric bike plodding into the wind at 17 mph. I see it in the distance and I see that I am making gains on it. Put in a bit of extra effort and pass it at about 25 mph. Reach the lights at the bottom of the hill (The same one as the first scalp) and never see him again.
 
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Matthames

Matthames

Über Member
Location
East Sussex
Right, so in that case the second one is not a scalp. However, according to the rules the first one was a scalp as she had some idea I was up her chuff all the way up the hill and when it levelled out put a bit of omphh into it or rather tried to. I just pwned her anyway as I had more energy left in my leg muscles from spinning rather than standing.
 

gaz

Cycle Camera TV
Location
South Croydon
The rules of SCR
No Dangerous Manoeuvres – Don’t be a danger to any other road users or yourself. Falling off causes pain to you and others around you, don’t do it! (oh and you lose yer points)
Don’t ride like a fool, we’re all just trying to get somewhere!
No passing at Lights/Junction/Crossings, if you do, it doesn’t count
All passing on open road ONLY. Filtering in traffic is null and void (you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly, and haven’t turned off straight afterwards)
Pavement passes, either you or the target, are void
Show no pain, unless your face is just like that
 

BearPear

Veteran
Location
God's Own County
Scalping is perhaps the one thing that Mr BP can't stand when out cycling with me! I am not the fastest, particularly on hills, but him being a gent he doesn't leave me behind. On our 20 miler at the weekend we were overtaken twice and he wasn't happy! I never knew grown men could growl like that!
 

4F

Active member of Helmets Are Sh*t Lobby
Location
Suffolk.
User3143 said:
No, Lee's rule of scalps:

A scalp is only a scalp when the person knows about being scalped, tries to react to being scalped buts ends up being scalped anyway. Anything else and it IS NOT a scalp.

4F's rules:
If they are on a bike then it is considered a scalp (unless they are school kids)
 

dondare

Über Member
Location
London
I don't really get this.
What kudos is there in overtaking someone old or unfit or on a heavy bike with fat tyres? Cyclists out for scalps are bloody annoying, going Hell for leather to get past then slowing down further up the road so that you catch up and then have to play a silly game of leap-frog with them that makes you look just as bad as them.
 
It's only a scalp if you've had to work for it in my book. The elderly and infirm aren't to be bullied or considered prey, as Gaz said:

you know whether you’ve dropped someone fairly,

Isn't commuter racing supposed to be a sport, so be sportsmanlike.
 

Plax

Guru
Location
Wales
I overtook another cyclist today. He had all the gear but was cycling on the road on a MTB with knobblies and looked like his seat was too low. I've never seen him before, and I said a cheery hello as I sped past and then knackered myself ensuring that he couldn't catch up. He didn't but then he was going quite slow so I didn't need to put the extra effort in, but I thought it was only right! Very rare I see a cyclist going in my direction, so one must make the effort :rolleyes:
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
I don't really do scalping, if I overtake them I overtake, if they want to go for it I'll play the game but really I'm not counting who I overtake or not (I'm rarely overtake, like once a month if that). However it always amuses me when someone pushes hard keep up with me on a generally down hill section of road & then tries to make out that it's easy for them but when it comes to the real flat or going up hill they quickly find them selves out of their depth.
 
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