Author Topic: On the commute today  (Read 2462412 times)

ed_o_brain

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1150 on: 14 April, 2010, 12:01:54 pm »
A good commute in today, 200% better than yesterday!

The motons all behaved, more or less. Apart from one idiot who pulled out on me whilst I was riding down hill at somewhere near 30 mph. However, thankfully his move was well anticipated.

I found some legs so maintained an average in the high teens despite the northerly head wind. In total contrast to yesterday, there were fewer cyclists, most of whom were riding to a better standard.

Had a nice chat with a young american chap who I think left me for dead yesterday on the way home! He steamed past as tho I was track standing. Today when I spoke to him, he told me how he only travels from Didsbury to Stockport but detours via Wilmslow and Reddish!! He strode off climbing up the hill on the A6 out of Stockport on his black/grey/white soot bike, a BMC with ultegra and Fulcrum 3 wheels.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1151 on: 16 April, 2010, 10:41:50 am »
Golly! Six cyclists last night.  That's about ooh six more than usual.  Five of them quite sociable.  The stand-offish bod is (or was) a Swindon RC rider.  Odd that because Swindon RC riders I've encountered in the past have been fairly affable. Oh well never mind.


Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1152 on: 16 April, 2010, 06:58:00 pm »
Commuting too fast. I really need to learn to pootle it before the weather gets much warmer. Or, as well as perspiring in an uncouth fashion, I might go arse over tit. Also exhibiting marked Tourette's-type symptoms while riding this week.

tiermat

  • According to Jane, I'm a Unisex SpaceAdmin
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1153 on: 19 April, 2010, 08:25:09 am »
FAST ride in this morning, no wind, quiet traffic (prolly 'cos of all the planes parked up next to my route!)

Lets see if tonight's is as fast :)
I feel like Captain Kirk, on a brand new planet every day, a little like King Kong on top of the Empire State

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1154 on: 19 April, 2010, 09:26:12 am »
Not so fast for me.  I didn't have it together.  Still managed within an hour, but it didn't flow so well.
Getting there...

Tourist Tony

  • Supermassive mobile flesh-toned black hole
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1155 on: 19 April, 2010, 11:14:04 am »
Got sent homw yesterday evening as we are down to a skeleton staff. Decided that as it was a nice evening, I would go to the Folk Club by way of the main road, a fast dual carriageway, which I usually avoid by taking the train as it can be a bit hairy. Fourteen miles of "time-trialling" later I popped into a Wetherspoon's and had a proper meal and a decent pint of Jennings'.
 ;D ;D ;D

Pippa

  • Busy being fabulous
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1156 on: 19 April, 2010, 08:15:59 pm »
Cycling in this morning I was stopped in some traffic near Tower Bridge and opted against filtering through the traffic - I wasn't really in a rush and about 3 cars down was a big ol'HGV that I didn't want to get too close to.

Whilst waiting for the traffic to get moving again I heard the familiar sound of a freewheel behind me and looked round to see a guy inna suit on some sort of MTB with knobbly tyres. He decided to filter up on the inside of the traffic and as he went past shouted, "and you're narrower than me!". I opted to take that as a compliment.

Anyhoo, as he approached the HGV he started going up the inside. I started eeeping. The HGV started moving and did the cyclist stop? Nope, he grabbed the back of it and let it pull him along!  :o I have NEVER seen anything quite like it! I hope I don't again. It can't be a very sensible thing to do....

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1157 on: 19 April, 2010, 08:21:50 pm »
... The HGV started moving and did the cyclist stop? Nope, he grabbed the back of it and let it pull him along!  :o I have NEVER seen anything quite like it! I hope I don't again. It can't be a very sensible thing to do....

Stupid and very dangerous.

Skaters call this skitching, and certainly the odd skater in London has been prosecuted doing it behind buses and the like.  Possibly it's more dangerous with a bike, since you can't get as close to the vehicle (I'm not sure I want to work out which is the most lethal...)

Oh well, think of it as evolution in action, and keep well away from people like that.  If the traffic doesn't get them, then something else will.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1158 on: 19 April, 2010, 08:31:18 pm »

Skaters call this skitching, and certainly the odd skater in London has been prosecuted doing it behind buses and the like. 

I guess (having never tried this sort of stunt) as a skater, potential injuries are limited (sic) to those that can be dealt out by the towing vehicle and the tarmac. Without adding a few kilo of pointy / tubie / ally / plastic / carbon fibre components into the mix.

So that's all right then  ::-)


Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1159 on: 19 April, 2010, 09:19:19 pm »
As has become my habit. I pedalled constantly and stayed in the one gear.

But I was on the geared bike & when I realised that's what I was doing, felt a little foolish...

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1160 on: 19 April, 2010, 09:23:14 pm »
*cough*  skitching.
Your Royal Charles are belong to us.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1161 on: 19 April, 2010, 10:00:59 pm »
First commute for April due to the holidays for me.
On Mrs Dan's new bike, which was strangely upright for me.
Unusual to see the vapour in my breath while wearing shorts and t shirt, it felt refreshingly cool rather than wishing I'd brought a more sensible top to work.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1162 on: 19 April, 2010, 10:11:43 pm »
Cycling in this morning I was stopped in some traffic near Tower Bridge and opted against filtering through the traffic - I wasn't really in a rush and about 3 cars down was a big ol'HGV that I didn't want to get too close to.

Anyhoo, as he approached the HGV he started going up the inside. I started eeeping. The HGV started moving and did the cyclist stop? Nope, he grabbed the back of it and let it pull him along!  :o I have NEVER seen anything quite like it! I hope I don't again. It can't be a very sensible thing to do....

It is illegal for good reason.

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1163 on: 20 April, 2010, 08:11:37 am »
Brrrr. Wrong gloves this morning.  Ouchy ouchy ouchy.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1164 on: 20 April, 2010, 09:06:18 am »
I told a fellow cyclist, as discreetly and kindly as I could, that her lycra 3/4 lengths were completely see-through in the bright sunshine. She was surprised but grateful.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1165 on: 20 April, 2010, 09:23:02 am »
I told a fellow cyclist, as discreetly and kindly as I could, that her lycra 3/4 lengths were completely see-through in the bright sunshine. She was surprised but grateful.

Last week I told a fellow cyclist that her leggings (not cycling tights) were showing about half of her nekkid bottom. She said she knew, but didn't want to stop to sort it out  ;D

jellied

  • skip to the end
    • Ealing Bike Hub
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1166 on: 20 April, 2010, 09:26:27 am »
Perhaps the first outing of the fingerless gloves this year was permature.
A shitter and a giggler.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1167 on: 20 April, 2010, 10:20:27 am »
I told a fellow cyclist, as discreetly and kindly as I could, that her lycra 3/4 lengths were completely see-through in the bright sunshine. She was surprised but grateful.

Spoilsport!

Jacomus

  • My favourite gender neutral pronoun is comrade
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1168 on: 20 April, 2010, 12:36:02 pm »
This morning I was overtaken by a cyclist straight out of a Rapha catalogue picture.

The guy was riding a Condor fixie in grey and pink 'colourway'. SIDI mtb shoes. Rapha socks, Rapha 3/4 tights, Rapha short-sleeve jersey and a Rapha Musette bag.


Otherwise a pleasing ride, aside from twatinnabmw who beeped me then undertook me with inches to spare, right before a traffic jam.
"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1169 on: 20 April, 2010, 12:54:07 pm »
Am I really bad for finding the juxtaposition of these two msgs funny?
I told a fellow cyclist, as discreetly and kindly as I could, that her lycra 3/4 lengths were completely see-through in the bright sunshine. She was surprised but grateful.

Last week I told a fellow cyclist that her leggings (not cycling tights) were showing about half of her nekkid bottom. She said she knew, but didn't want to stop to sort it out  ;D

And

Perhaps the first outing of the fingerless gloves this year was permature.
<i>Marmite slave</i>

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1170 on: 20 April, 2010, 01:19:40 pm »
I've been wearing mitts for weeks now.  I'm still wearing long tights however, because it's often a bit brisker at one end of my commute.
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1171 on: 20 April, 2010, 02:00:30 pm »
In on the recumbent today. 

Gong past a bunch of school kids

"Now that is plain lazy"  ;D
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Gandalf

  • Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1172 on: 20 April, 2010, 05:26:00 pm »
I left the war pig at home today took my norty soot bike instead.

I was having so much fun I went for a little detour on the way home, over Epsom Downs.  It's times like this, when the sun is shining that make it all worthwhile

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1173 on: 20 April, 2010, 09:29:57 pm »
Hit a pothole tonight. Tyre flat within 20 yards. When I got the tube out, I couldn't get enough air in to see where it was coming out. Luckily I carry a spare tube.

Need to buy a new one tomorrow.


Edit: two 8mm long slits in the tube. Looks like Marathon Supremes can't do anything about snake bites.   :thumbsup:

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #1174 on: 21 April, 2010, 09:22:14 am »
It seemed to be 'Every Idiot Driver Try and Get Greg Day' this morning.  I've never had so many near misses with car doors being opened on me (and before you have a go, there are some parts of my commute where you are in the door zone whether you like it or not due to the narrowness of the roads and the idiots parked either side), drivers pulling out on me or in on me, or twats on phones ad nauseam...  >:( >:( >:(


...but I did top the Mill Road Bridge at 20.3 mph without being out of breath!  :thumbsup:
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor