On the commute today

[Notsototalnewbie]

I do hope it wasn’t me wot gave you the lurgy Jane. I was in bed all weekend with it, alternately out cold and cursing the fact that the weather was so good and I was stuck inside. And now the lurgy is mostly gone but it’s left me with a constant exhausted, worn-out feeling.

Sorry to hear of your nasty commute fboab. I’ve been there. It was so bad I stopped cycling at all for much of last year, but I understand you need to cycle commute in this job. I hope someone more familiar with the area can make some alternative route suggestions or that you are able to change the timings.

[Wendy]

Shame, FBOAB, I have every sympathy. This stuff is what I so hate about the worst minority of drivers, and I'm so thankful that the vast majority are quite different.

I had a bad taxi incident last Thursday, and I was left feeling so sick about it all that I couldn't do the video until Weds/yesterday. Feeling much better now though, and I'm about to report the blighter to RoadSafe, and on a collision report. Just aggressive pushing up to me, then nasty unadulterated lying to cover up what he did, followed by a horrible moment of jaw-drop for him when he realised he was faced with a several of cameras.

[CrinklyLion]

10km with some excellent MP3 accompaniment, 2 scalps (normally never see another cyclist going in my direction!) including a natter with one of 'em before leaving them behind, a few impressively considerate overtakes including a Range Rover and an HGV and some excellent opportunities to vent the week's anger with some finely worded sweary_shouty_ranting* at the idiots who tried to left hook me, passed me way too close and, in one case, overtook me when I was riding in primary through the short section with double whites. Because it is a series of blind corners. I mean, I know I'm not Fast fast, but I was doing 31kph at the time. Ah.... Friday commute, I have missed you.

* by which I do mean of the kind almost worthy of fboab with a full head of steam.  At a volume almost worthy of Wow with the projection tuned up to 11.

[jane]

I do hope it wasn’t me wot gave you the lurgy Jane. I was in bed all weekend with it, alternately out cold and cursing the fact that the weather was so good and I was stuck inside. And now the lurgy is mostly gone but it’s left me with a constant exhausted, worn-out feeling.

Sorry to hear of your nasty commute fboab. I’ve been there. It was so bad I stopped cycling at all for much of last year, but I understand you need to cycle commute in this job. I hope someone more familiar with the area can
make some alternative route suggestions or that you are able to change the timings.

NSTN, I work in a primary school amongst hundreds of young humans, a fair-sized percentage of which will be brimming with lurgy at any point in time. 
fboab, only just seen your post in NSTN's.  Changing times might well help. It makes a lot of difference on London streets, so I'm guessing an earlier time where you are will mean less busy roads too.

[Si_Co]

A very bad caase of Friday legs here 

[citoyen]

Having now ridden up Gipsy Hill, College Road, Richmond Park and that stupid road in Wimbledon, I think I've now done on fixed every London hill which once made me get off and walk.  Mind you, I've never ridden Swain's Lane.

I've never attempted Gipsy Hill on fixed, but I can do Maze Hill in Greenwich, which I think is comparable.

I've just looked up Swain's Lane... oh, that road. I know it by sight but not by name. Don't think I'll be making a detour to try it any time soon.

d.

[Jurek]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

Also confirm your brakes are working well before abandoning all good sense to the exuberant excess of gravity. Especially if it's rainy. Don't ask how I know.

On last year's Peaks of Lewisham Ride, a young courier did it fixed. And brakeless.

And he had broken ribs IIRC.

[citoyen]

There's thick fog, but it's not as thick as drivers who think it's still OK to overtake on a blind corner. It's not. Because O LOOK there's a car coming the other way, you have to swerve in to what little of the road you'd left for me, leaving, well, no road for me.

I almost had a similar run-in - there's a narrow, blind bend on my route to the station. As I reached the apex of the bend I was aware of a car coming up fast behind, but what I could see and he couldn't was that there was a car coming the other way. I frantically waved my arm to indicate that he should stay behind me but he went anyway. Luckily, the oncoming car wasn't quite close enough to cause problems, but the overtaking numpty still had to swerve in pretty sharply after passing me, and the one behind him who was planning to follow suit had to brake pretty sharply to avoid running into the back of me.

But that was just one of many incidences of selfish, aggressive driving I witnessed this morning. I don't get it. The motons were unfuckingbelievable this morning. And in conditions that really warranted more care than usual.

d.

[Ham]

fboab, sounds horrid and I know rural is different from city, but there is no question that traffic changes character according to the time, each time has its own challenges and fun bits, focussing on the fun bits is the trick. Yesterday when I started off an hour later before I started off I was dreading the crowds (cyclicsts and peds) and the school run, as compared to my normal 6:30 start. What I had forgotten was that the bus lanes would be clearer, the sun would be out, and I ended up with an huuuge smile on my face.

Don't let the bastards grind you down, and try not to let it build as a big problem in your mind. Easier said than done, but you do know you can do it and do it happily. Hope it gets better for you.

[clarion]

Oh boab, that's awful.  I completely understand your reaction.  Changing hours may well help.

[Ray 6701]

Last day on the winter bike today until it gets a complete overhaul, the chain is so stretched that it's slipping whenever I put some welly down    It's done a fair few miles since I bought it in August 2009 so can't complain.
I'll strip it down & clean it tomorrow before dropping it off at the LBS for some TLC 

[spindrift]

Shame, FBOAB, I have every sympathy. This stuff is what I so hate about the worst minority of drivers, and I'm so thankful that the vast majority are quite different.

I had a bad taxi incident last Thursday, and I was left feeling so sick about it all that I couldn't do the video until Weds/yesterday. Feeling much better now though, and I'm about to report the blighter to RoadSafe, and on a collision report. Just aggressive pushing up to me, then nasty unadulterated lying to cover up what he did, followed by a horrible moment of jaw-drop for him when he realised he was faced with a several of cameras.

Nasty. The footage up?

[Tim Hall]

I'm riding from (around) RAF Honington to Thetford. Please god someone find me something less unpleasant than the A1088 or the A134.

I don't know the details of your journey, but does the Icknield Way Trail help at all?  Runs NE from the A134 near the back end of RAF Honington to Euston.

<stops giving egg sucking lessons>

[L CC]

I'm riding from (around) RAF Honington to Thetford. Please god someone find me something less unpleasant than the A1088 or the A134.

I don't know the details of your journey, but does the Icknield Way Trail help at all?  Runs NE from the A134 near the back end of RAF Honington to Euston.

<stops giving egg sucking lessons>

I thought that was footpath?

Today's incident was here, so would be avoided, as well as the '30mph? Not for me' through Fakenham Magna blind corners. It only adds 2km, so better than the 5km added by diverting through Rushford.

I ride to work on a 68" fixed wheel bike running 25x700 tyres. It might be novel to shake myself together a single speed commuter.
Perhaps I could view this as not an n+1 opportunity but an n=n conversion, moving n (the Trek 4500) out of retirement....

I'll have a look tonight.

[Tim Hall]

I thought that was footpath?

Looks like a BOAT to me (Byway Open to All Traffic) The cross bar on the path symbol is the give away. And it seems to pop up on the green lane forums. You might be in danger of being squished by a 4x4 getting it gripped and sorted.

Today's incident was here, so would be avoided, as well as the '30mph? Not for me' through Fakenham Magna blind corners. It only adds 2km, so better than the 5km added by diverting through Rushford.

I ride to work on a 68" fixed wheel bike running 25x700 tyres. It might be novel to shake myself together a single speed commuter.
Perhaps I could view this as not an n+1 opportunity but an n=n conversion, moving n (the Trek 4500) out of retirement....

I'll have a look tonight.

Good luck. And added bike fettling is always a bonus.

[Chris S]

That was horrible.

For complicated reasons, I ended up riding the pseudo commute this evening with no front light - not even a "be seen" light. As it got dark, I became everything I hate about stealth cyclists.

I'm really sorry to the two cyclists (well lit) coming the other way; especially the one riding on the outside; who shouted "Whooaahhh!!" as they passed and I (briefly) became visible.

Any oncoming car in the lanes, I stopped and waited for. On the wider roads, I kept riding - but none of them dipped their lights, which is not surprising as I was completely invisible.

I'm glad to still be alive TBH.

[Peter]

I'm glad you are alive, too.  You can take this darkness thing too far!

[L CC]

I tried out the Icknield Way. There was a lot of deep sand, too deep for the road bike. It was lovely and relaxing though, deer share the road much more pleasantly than cars do.

ETA: Picture

[Chris S]

Sandy tracks are a bit of a problem in the Brecks. It's not helped by the fact that it last rained properly way back in January .

[JonBuoy]

I tried out the Icknield Way. There was a lot of deep sand, too deep for the road bike. It was lovely and relaxing though, deer share the road much more pleasantly than cars do.

I did some riding round that area (including Honington to Thetford several times) a few years ago and seem to remember that some of the BOATs to the west of the A134 had pretty reasonable surfaces.  It was summer and I was on a mountain bike so my memory of 'reasonable' might be a bit distorted.

[fuzzy]

I tried out the Icknield Way. There was a lot of deep sand, too deep for the road bike. It was lovely and relaxing though, deer share the road much more pleasantly than cars do.

n+1- Surley Pugsley fatbike. Problem of riding sand solved

[CrinklyLion]

So, apparently my mp3 player volume control doesn't work. Which, if you're an angry slow fat bird on a sturdy hybrid in the flatlands really means you only have one choice. Stick it in the big ring and see how long LOUD music and frustration will mean that you can keep it over 30 kph! 3 more scalps, and the fastest Friday commute ever

And now I just need to decide if it would be a bad idea, or a really bad idea, to take the gin to bed with me....

[LindaG]

So, apparently my mp3 player volume control doesn't work. Which, if you're an angry slow fat bird on a sturdy hybrid in the flatlands really means you only have one choice. Stick it in the big ring and see how long LOUD music and frustration will mean that you can keep it over 30 kph! 3 more scalps, and the fastest Friday commute ever

And now I just need to decide if it would be a bad idea, or a really bad idea, to take the gin to bed with me....

'SFriday innit?

The real question is, how do you want to feel tomorrow?  And is it worth it?

Choose well grasshopper 

 

[spindrift]

On the brow of the hill, doing 20, I look up and a car is coming towards me at 35 on the wrong side of the road, already overtaking a car. That's the scariest for a long time.

[Andrij]

Sorry that so many people had a rough day today.

Though my commute wasn't perfect, there were only annoyances.  Managed just over 41km today, doing pretty much the route I should be doing every day, both directions.  Really can't afford to have any commutes less than 30km if I want to stick to my plans.