On the commute today

[Andrij]

POTD 

+1 
 

[Wendy]

V. good itsbruce!!!   

..but where is the video? 

[clarion]

Last night, there were dozy drivers everywhere, from the concrete pumper driver veering across lanes at E&C via endless people drifting across Give Ways to block the CS, to the guy on the Mitcham Common RAB who saw me, stopped (as he should), then drifted forward again.

Three times I had to shout 'No!' to idiots.

But this morning, I came into work early.  I had a good ride, clear as it was of motorists* (relatively).  I added a bit to the ride, going up to Tower Bridge to look at the river.  My average at that point was 25kph.  I tried hard to keep that up, but through the back streets of Southwark, I can't.  I ended up with a 24.8kph average.  Normally, I'd be very happy with that, but because I'd seen the 25, it was a bit of a let-down


* Yes.  After a daft motorist pulled sharply into the bus lane rather than wait the two seconds it was taking for another car to pull out of the way, I reminded him about his mirrors and indicators.  He said I was riding 'in the middle of the road'.  Well, in the middle of the bus lane, yeah, but ISTR it was another car that was in his way, not me.  And I pointed out he was in the middle of the road, and the left, and the right   He wound his window up.  I waved goodbye, as I was off, and he was still stuck in between other fat arses like himself.

[TheLurker]

Well... seeing the hell that the poor accursed metropolitan riders have to put up with I feel (only slightly) guilty about recording the fact that the last two or three days have been glorious for commuting here.  Light winds, blue skies (once the sun's got up that is), mist &tc &tc.  in the mornings and (almost) summer conditions for the ride home. 

Given that I was expecting to get pissed upon by the rain gods this week it's a real bonus.

*Blissed out sigh*

[L CC]

The knee lasted 2/3 of the way in, and 1/3 of the way home yesterday.
Too much too soon.

[clarion]

 Don't push it too hard.  You want to be back to fitness asap, and that can be very frustrating.

The days he doesn't ride...

[CommuteTooFar]

I did my worst ever piece of red light jumping.   At a roundabout on the busy dual carriageway (A473) where I go around to Bridgend industrial estate (work here) I noticed that there was no traffic coming from the right so ignored the red light which was nowhere near ready to turn green and continued past the red traffic light.  Traffic light drag race completely avoided. 

[citoyen]

The days he doesn't ride...

^Me, today.

Except it's the greyness causing the not riding, not the other way round. I woke up aching all over and feeling like I really didn't want to get out of bed. So I left the bike at home and got a lift to the station.

I dare say a bracing ride would have livened me up a bit, but I need a day off. Sunday's 200 took it out of me even more than I realised at the time. No point making myself ill and enforcing a longer lay-off from the bike. Still disappointed not to get a ride in today though.

d.

[perpetual dan]

The car is stuck in the garage having something expensive done so its bike there and back today.
On the way there ... The garage door took me 10 minutes to open, as the big spring at the top was getting stuck. Once out I dropped Miss Dan the Younger off, then to the bike shop for new brake blocks. Finally heading to work there was a little avoiding the hard of concentrating; I saw some rather cramped overtaking by people that clearly felt unable to move from the cycle lane into an empty carriageway - I was beyond primary to give them the space; and then it was clear and steady into work.

[urban_biker]

Car in for MOT today so no cycling  Amused myself while waiting for MOT place to open by sitting in carpark and counting the bikes going past. Counted 8 bikes in 20 minutes including one recumbant! This is Havant not London but it still seems the number of people cycling has increased in the last year.

[ktcita]

I. And lo, a group of cyclists did gather at the junction of Kensington High Street and Addison Road, where the Light was Red.
II. And the cyclists became impatient, for it had been full five seconds since a car had passed.  For which reason, their legs began to twitch and some among them did edge forward, though the Light was yet Red.
III. And a voice spake unto them out of the gloom, saying "You bastards had better bloody wait!", whereupon the cyclists were troubled and fearful and ceased to move.
IV. And a rider emerged from the gloom on a yellow bicycle.  Yellow were its wheels and its handlebars and the rider did spin mightily.
V. And as he passed the cyclists, he did say unto them "Thankyousoverymuch".
VI. And he cycled to the East and was gone.

love it

[ktcita]

No, numpty on a black hybrid, the gap I was leaving in the traffic wasn't for you, it was to allow the bus to turn right across traffic. But I guess you worked that out when the bus missed hitting you by a hare's breath. Slow down, smell the roses and be more aware of your surroundings, you might live longer.

[Sergeant Pluck]

Rear ended (fairly gently) again at the Elephant and Castle. I was stopped behind another car and fortunately just lifting my rear wheel to get the cranks set to move off when the driver of the van approaching the queue of traffic attempted to insert the nose of his vehicle down my right side. There was not enough space. A little buckle in the rear wheel which I dealt with for the time being by loosening off the brakes.

A very calm response. Can I some of whatever you're on?

[perpetual dan]

I worked until the rain stopped, then felt obliged to race the lewes road to avoid following in other people's spray.
After sitting for the day in all the spray lube I'd used this morning the garage flew open.

[GruB]

Top commute in and awesome sprint home.
I have been working later and later of late and each night I have had to rush home the shortest route possible.  17 miles instead of the 24.  Problem is it increases my risk of death due to the busier roads used and the sheer lack of space / verge / escape points.

Tonight I was coming up Caen Hill and heard an HGV downshift behind me.  I looked over the shoulder and saw a large Waitrose lorry.  It made no attempt to pass and kept a good distance back.  I put some pressure down to try and make his journey up the lesser gradient easier and when I got to the top of London Road he was still there, still the safe safe distance back.  It kept to this all the way through the town and out the other side and passed Police HQ.  He then did a very safe overtake and I gave a huge wave and thumbs up.

I made a note of the trailer 84.075 and I am about to email the transport manager via the Customer Service portal and pass on my thanks for the care he took.   

[RJ]

... I overtook an Audi.

Pulling the (empty) tag-along.

[Tim Hall]

On the way home tonight, I pulled up behind a shagged out Nova, W204SKL, at the lights.  I could see through the rear window what the driver was doing. Which was fiddling with the DVD player built in to the console infront of the handbrake.

I was somewhat gobsmacked.  The lights went green and he pulled away. I caught him at the next set, dragged him from the car and beat him to a bloody pulp. , still suffering from having my flabber gasted and leant in at his open window.

"Excuse me"

"Urgh"

"Tell me you're not watching a DVD as you drive. You must be fucking crazy"

"----------" <lights go green, drives off>

[CrinklyLion]

On the way this morning it was misty, and chilly enough that I even contemplated zipping up my fleece   It's shocking stuff, I tell you.  If it carries on like this, I might have to start wearing socks!

[Kim]

If it carries on like this, I might have to start wearing socks!

Ohgod, you mean I'm going to have to break out the full arctic weather gear?

[clarion]

Another fast early morning.  I can't say I like the alarm going off at 0530, but I do like the quieter roads.  Having to watch out for drivers who have omitted to wake up before getting in the car, but it's OK.

I counted sets of traffic lights this morning.  I've been saying for the past year that I ride past an estimated fifty sets.  Obviously this is incorret, and I'm sorry if I misled anyone.  Absurd that there could be fifty sets in just under an hour's riding.

No.

The actual number is sixty-nine.

[Regulator]

Another fast early morning.  I can't say I like the alarm going off at 0530, but I do like the quieter roads.  Having to watch out for drivers who have omitted to wake up before getting in the car, but it's OK.

I counted sets of traffic lights this morning.  I've been saying for the past year that I ride past an estimated fifty sets.  Obviously this is incorret, and I'm sorry if I misled anyone.  Absurd that there could be fifty sets in just under an hour's riding.

No.

The actual number is sixty-nine.

And how many few do you stop at?     

[clarion]

I stop at all which are at red or amber.  Why do you ask?

[Wendy]

Try 120 for my commute, and I think I'm on a fairly low density of TLs/mile.  Some had almost as high numbers for far shorter commutes.

[Regulator]

I stop at all which are at red or amber.  Why do you ask?

[Daily Wail Mode]
Well, you're one of them pesky RLJing cyclists... you know - the ones that insist on using the road and cause all the accidents, and they give people cancer, and they killed our beloved Princess of Hearts... 
[/Daily Wail Mode]

[Redlight]

38 lights for me.  8 reds this morning and lots of RLJs.  Plus a twit who rode down the inside of a movng van that was clearly indicating a left turn.  Lovely weather though