On the commute today

[clarion]

On the commute: Me.

Just train assist again, but I have a meeting to go to at lunchtime, which is a nice trundle through the backstreets of Southwark

[Basil]

Wet.
Wrong jacket. 

[mrcharly-YHT]

A first for me; a car sideswiped me. Glancing bump, first I knew was the wing mirror hitting my arm with a big bang, then a shove sideways as the body of the car scraped down my leg and saddlebag. No hurt or damage done and the fuckers didn't even slow down or stop.

(hey, boab, I've found a justification for saddlebags! The metal buckles scratch cars if they sideswipe you).

[clarion]

Nasty.

Glad you're OK.

[sg37409]

Was running a bit early today so took a wee detour for fun.  COming up leith walk had some @rsehole pass me and am honestly very surprised he didnt brush up the side of me.  The pass was made about 30 yards from a red light so he began braking to a halt immediately he passed me.   That'll teach me to take that diversion again

[alexb]

I did my good citizen thing today and reported three potholes and damage to the Tooting Bec cycle path on "Fill that hole".
The potholes have been photographed this time as the previous e-mail from the council implied they would not be dealt with urgently. I think they might change their minds when they see the photos.

[JonJo]

There were more signs of spring. It was mild enough to wear shorts on the way home. And I swallowed my first fly of the year 

[Dibdib]

Passed or was passed by at least ten cycle commuters this evening, all in shiny high vis jackets except me. This is along an off-road (but tarmacced) Sustrans path, so no motor traffic and minimal peds.

[Ruth]

Passed or was passed by at least ten cycle commuters this evening, all in shiny high vis jackets except me. This is along an off-road (but tarmacced) Sustrans path, so no motor traffic and minimal peds.

That reminds me of the bloke who once turned up at my spinning class in hi-viz and a helmet, which he wore for the whole 60 minutes of the class.

He must've sweated even more than me in that lot.

[CrinklyLion]

Tandem school run, then a stokerless commute....



I don't think 100 miles to date is too shabby to say we bought the Helios in December, which is the wrong time of year to buy a new bike really.

[marcusjb]

Sunny! Warm! Legs on display!

Lovely ride out to a board meeting at my company in Buckinghamshire - played with some variations on my standard route and it mostly worked out.

[Kim]

I don't think 100 miles to date is too shabby to say we bought the Helios in December, which is the wrong time of year to buy a new bike really.

 

Wrong time of year to fit an electric motor to one, too.

Hopefully we'll get out at the weekend...

[Cudzoziemiec]

How can there be a wrong time of year to buy a bike? 

[CrinklyLion]

I bought Valencia on my birthday.  In 2009, I think.  It was The Day The Snow Came.  Didn't got to for a ride on her for a fortnight, IIRC, and when I did it was a twitchy mile or so around the block on the on the slushy but reasonably well-gritted main road.  She got her first major scratch on her paintwork (a cub dropped something on her, or her on something, I don't remember) before I'd ever turned the pedals!

The tandem I got the day before my Small but perfectly formed Stoker went to his dad's for 3 nights.  Just before wo got ice.

However in both cases it was, really, the right time to buy because it was a rare set of circumstances that meant I could afford to!

[Guy]

I'm with Cudzo. There's never a wrong time time to buy a new bike

Today: I'm seriously starting to get worried. Another moton-free morning. What the heck is going on?

[Dibdib]

Headwind, drizzly rain, pushy HGV drivers, and some numpty on a BSO cycling down the wrong side of the road, at me.

Inna huff.   

[L CC]

(hey, boab, I've found a justification for saddlebags! The metal buckles scratch cars if they sideswipe you).

If that's your aim...


I'd been quietly bemoaning to myself the rubbishness of commuting into town, what with the dearth of variations. Yesterday I got off the train at a different station and just rode around for a bit. There's an infinite variety of routes, really, I just need to use my imagination.

(Confession: I only went that way for Ingress portal-bagging.  )

[mrcharly-YHT]

(Confession: I only went that way for Ingress portal-bagging.  )

One of my kids started playing Ingress. We looked up info about it and found an entry on a forum where someone said they'd ended up buying a bike, because they couldn't afford the petrol to drive round and bag portals.

So maybe it is really a cyclist's game . . .

[Kim]

Which reminds me.  A few weeks ago I had cause to transport a sturdy cardboard tube of expensive sheet material (along with a load of electronics) to a nearby theatre.  After a bit of unsuccessful mucking about with bungees along the top tube, I opted for a similar attachment method.  Worked very well, and got me plenty of room from overtakers - even on the road with annoying speed-cushion conflict points.  Until I got to the bollards that are about 1.1 Trices apart...   

[sg37409]

Was running a bit early today so took a wee detour for fun.  COming up leith walk had some @rsehole pass me and am honestly very surprised he didnt brush up the side of me.  The pass was made about 30 yards from a red light so he began braking to a halt immediately he passed me.   That'll teach me to take that diversion again

Well I did take that route this morning, and the top end of leith walk is horrendously conjested and probably could easily have found myself in a situation where another @rsehole would do the same. But I was ready to slow it right down and wait, and it was ok today. Should have done this yesterday, slow learner.  Seems I need to change my mindset when approaching new bits of traffic. Who'd have thought it.

[SteveC]

Today: I'm seriously starting to get worried. Another moton-free morning. What the heck is going on?

They're all down here. A couple of much closer than necessary passes on the way to work this morning and yesterday.

[Pingu]

Was running a bit early today so took a wee detour for fun.  COming up leith walk had some @rsehole pass me and am honestly very surprised he didnt brush up the side of me.  The pass was made about 30 yards from a red light so he began braking to a halt immediately he passed me.   That'll teach me to take that diversion again

Well I did take that route this morning, and the top end of leith walk is horrendously conjested and probably could easily have found myself in a situation where another @rsehole would do the same. But I was ready to slow it right down and wait, and it was ok today. Should have done this yesterday, slow learner.  Seems I need to change my mindset when approaching new bits of traffic. Who'd have thought it.

Ah, Grasshopper... 

[velosam]

made it home no punctures, although I had M+ on the road bike.

Also saw a beautiful, black, gold and white Roberts somewhere in Hanwell and a Pearson steelie.

And my legs are quite pasty unfortunately. Well it can only get better.

[Jurek]

Cyclists.
Lots of them.
Maybe even all of them.
The queueueueue for the lift in the foot tunnel at Greenwich went all the way to Blackheath.
Maybe.

[menthel]

Lovely weather, lots of traffic and the fair weather commuters came out!