Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2481693 times)

Gandalf · « **Reply #125 on:** 16 December, 2009, 06:28:35 pm »

Very nippy today, only negative was the single cell organisms in the white van who felt the need to scream Gah! at a million decibels as they overtook closely.

Fair play to them though, to pull a stunt like that at 07.15 takes true dedication to stupidity.

clarion · « **Reply #126 on:** 16 December, 2009, 10:48:48 pm »

At the bottom of Balham Hill on the way home, I saw a scooter on its side at a junction. Sacrificing much-needed momentum, I stopped to check what was happenng.

A young lad - about 18 or 19 - on a Claud Butler aluminium framed BSO road bike seemed to have collided with the scooter in some way. Despite a pringled front wheel, a completely dead set of forks, and possibly a ruined frame, he seemed (and claimed) to be unhurt. Nothing I could do for the bike, and my first aid kit wasn't required, so I rode off & left them to it.

Jacomus · « **Reply #127 on:** 16 December, 2009, 11:15:00 pm »

Went in by train in order to christmas shop after work. Was jealous of everyone onna bike

pdm · « **Reply #128 on:** 16 December, 2009, 11:19:04 pm »

SLOOOOOW commute home this evening...
Cold and lots of uphills into 15-20 mph headwinds with driving sleet.
No snow this time.

L CC · « **Reply #129 on:** 17 December, 2009, 08:40:54 am »

Flat tyre.
Sleet.
No street lights.
Phone not working.
Pants.

Oaky · « **Reply #130 on:** 17 December, 2009, 08:59:30 am »

Quote from: fboab on 17 December, 2009, 08:40:54 am

...
Pants.

Bit cold for that! Longs would have been better.

clarion · « **Reply #131 on:** 17 December, 2009, 09:32:37 am »

Cold & a bit of ice this morning, but I was soon onto the gritted routes, so it was just a cold, wet ride.

Fun. But my feet are still cold

David Martin · « **Reply #132 on:** 17 December, 2009, 09:52:04 am »

Not very chilly but the paths were like skating rinks (especially through the cemetry). I ran in this morning as I will be cycling home tonight on a New! Shiny! Bike!

..d

TimO · « **Reply #133 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:06:11 am »

I had to pop into my GP first thing, to get Flu and Swine Flu jabs, and the residential road to the practice was slightly icy on the way there. Fifteen minutes later, on the way back, that smidgen of ice had gone. It was a little brisk though, and my feet could do with being warmer, and I could have done without the Northerly headwind.

The forecast for later isn't entirely promising, so I'll have to keep an eye on things in case I need to cycle home through the snow.

Still, that can be quite fun. I remember cycling home 10-11ish a few years back, and it had been snowing for an hour or two, and the roads of London were empty. Normally at that time there is still a smattering of vehicles around, but the mixture of late in the evening and snow seemed to entirely clear the roads. It was still easily cyclable though.

clarion · « **Reply #134 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:13:16 am »

I noticed that the traffic lights at Amen Corner in Tooting were out last night and this morning. I expected snarl-up, but the usual queues were not there!

David Martin · « **Reply #135 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:14:50 am »

Quote from: mattc on 11 December, 2009, 03:18:08 pm

After phoning 70 suppliers I finally got a studded tyre deliverd by Wiggle - about 2 days after last winter's ice melted for good. [AND they took my money for priority delivery - grrr... ]

So not used in anger yet. I need a test track - a strip of ice with soft stuff either side! I think I'll be crapping myself if I go straight out on an icy road.

Just get them on the bike and ride them. At extreme angles they will be dodgy but otherwise you will love them. Apart from the noise. The same sort of noise that a dog with long nails makes as it clatters across a marble floor.

Must get mine out for this winter.

..d

Greenbank · « **Reply #136 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:35:53 am »

The bit of paper that came attached to my Schwalbe Marathon Winter studded tyres said they should be run in on concrete/tarmac roads for 40km or so before first use on ice/snow.

I dug out the hackbike with studded tyres this morning as I'm guessing it's going to throw it down later on tonight (playing 5-a-side then going to the pub) and the trains usually go up the spout the first major snowfall (before they remember how to deal with it).

Hard work with 8kg of stuff in panniers and a far more upright riding position.

GruB · « **Reply #137 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:43:26 am »

I fell off on a patch of ice. Big fall and have skinned my right hip, banged knee and shoulder.
The white car-derived van behind me managed to stop and he was really nice. Made sure I was okay before he left.
My new Assos tights are brilliantly unscathed but the hip underneath is a mess.
My Foska Bones jacket once again got scuffed but is so tough that the skin underneath is unscathed.
I walked the 1/2 mile left of this road as it was trecherous and several cars / vans stopped to ask if I was okay and several that recognised me as the regular nutter offered to put the bike in the van and give me a lift

Bless them.
Of course I declined and limped gingerly into work. The hot shower was painful.

clarion · « **Reply #138 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:45:05 am »

Poor GruB!

Hope that all heals soon.

How's the bike?*

* Note restraint in not asking that first

Regulator · « **Reply #139 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:47:40 am »

Quote from: Grub on 17 December, 2009, 10:43:26 am

I fell off on a patch of ice. Big fall and have skinned my right hip, banged knee and shoulder.
The white car-derived van behind me managed to stop and he was really nice. Made sure I was okay before he left.
My new Assos tights are brilliantly unscathed but the hip underneath is a mess.
My Foska Bones jacket once again got scuffed but is so tough that the skin underneath is unscathed.
I walked the 1/2 mile left of this road as it was trecherous and several cars / vans stopped to ask if I was okay and several that recognised me as the regular nutter offered to put the bike in the van and give me a lift Bless them.
Of course I declined and limped gingerly into work. The hot shower was painful.

Have a kissy better

And one for the bike...

GruB · « **Reply #140 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:47:58 am »

Silly me, forgot to mention that.
The small clip thing on the top of my STIs snapped off. I think it is only decorative but will see if Shimano will wing me a new one anyway.
Scratches to rear QR squewer and some marks to my derailleur.
Carradice Nelson right hand pocket is also scuffed. At least it is only scuffing. It was so slippery that I slid rather than grate ( except for my load bearing thigh that is ). Grated is the best word to describe it now.

clarion · « **Reply #141 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:49:29 am »

Both you & the bike seem to have come out of that without much damage.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #142 on:** 17 December, 2009, 10:49:57 am »

Quote from: clarion on 16 December, 2009, 10:48:48 pm

A young lad - about 18 or 19 - on a Claud Butler aluminium framed BSO road bike

What have we got to that a Claud Butler can be described as a BSO?
Is this a case of another venerable old firm going down the drain
or are your standards becoming so demanding???

clarion · « **Reply #143 on:** 17 December, 2009, 11:00:41 am »

It is a sad case of a once-proud brand (built, by coincidence, quite close to where that incident took place, in Clapham) reduced to merely a brand name, clagged onto cheap mass-produced chunks of aluminium shipped in from the east.

For other brands reduced from former glory, see Raleigh, Dawes (to a certain extent), Falcon, British Eagle etc etc etc...

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #144 on:** 17 December, 2009, 11:07:56 am »

Sad. I bought a Dawes when I was 17. my first "grown up" bike. It was pretty much bottom of the range, but certainly back then Dawes were considered to make some pretty good bikes and Claudes were better. Ah, but I'm not a teenager anymore [shuffles off down memory's sad corridors]. That Dawes Lightning is still going strong, btw, albeit with some new parts.

Moloko · « **Reply #145 on:** 17 December, 2009, 11:08:30 am »

Bleeding 'ell GruB.

You've easily got more scar tissue than Robocop.

ian · « **Reply #146 on:** 17 December, 2009, 12:03:19 pm »

Yesterday evening's commute appeared to have been diverted through Idiotsville. First I had to brake hard to avoid a smidsy because the driver didn't even bother to look when pulling out in front me. I could tell this because the back of her head was clearly illuminated by my lights. Evidently, the poor thing was so keen to get home and out of the cold rain, that she didn't have time to glance to the right before turning left.

Second one, exactly the same - except this time the car had so much condensation on the side windows that the driver couldn't see anything. I just managed to slip by the front of the car since this one wasn't stopping. And then, to add insult to near-injury, upon finally noticing a cyclist appear as though by magic in front of them, they beeped me (there was so much condensation on the windows that I couldn't see who or what was attempting to drive). Now I normally avoid altercations with motorists and adopt a zen constitution, but I may have yelled at them loud enough and made sufficiently rude gestures to indicate my opinions on their driving abilities. This evidently gave them a fright since they zoomed off indicating the wrong way, and nearly crashed into not one but two cars as they darted out onto Sydenham High Street. I did feel slightly guilty for entire femtoseconds. Last seen fleeing toward Crystal Palace still indicating.

I won't mention the car driver who just stopped dead in front of me. To continue his phone conversation from the middle of road.

Now, I should say that I have two very bright lights on the front of my bike and I'm dressed like a giant sherbet lemon. A giant angry sherbet lemon.

GruB · « **Reply #147 on:** 17 December, 2009, 01:04:55 pm »

Idiotsville

I like that terminology. I shall use it if you don't mind.

GruB · « **Reply #148 on:** 18 December, 2009, 09:01:41 am »

I went the shortest route possible - all 17.8 miles of it. No real issues. Motorists were very kind and the only real ice was in the gutters / verges. Most of the road surface was visibly dry. Gritters had been out too.

The wind was the big problem though. Such a strong northerly when you are riding west does make it tricky.

It must have been cold as I wore my Gore face cover and my glasses did not steam up. That is the litmus test for that bit of kit as it is well good.

clarion · « **Reply #149 on:** 18 December, 2009, 09:27:14 am »

It was a bit dicy at first as I rolled down the roads, but I quickly got to roads that had either been gritted or else cleared by motor traffic. Unlike February, when we got a foot of snow overnight, we haven't had anything like the snowfall of Southend or North Yorks.

Some patches of ice here & there, and a lot of stupid, stupid tossers in cars. And by, that were a wind! But a good ride. And brings me up to within touching distance of 8000km on Bikejournal. My work colleagues can't quite believe I rode here, and there's barely any snow or ice in SE1.

Popping out at lunchtime to the bank & cafe, and I'll enjoy every bit of it.