Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2484997 times)

PaulF · « **Reply #1125 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:35:29 am »

Tried a new route today to avoid The Highway and all its potholes. Got a little lost, found my way, got very lost and then, serendipitously found myself back on route and half a mile closer than I thought I was

tiermat · « **Reply #1126 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:48:09 am »

Slow, cold ride in today.

Had a couple of bad nights sleep so my brain is not operating at 100%. Got to work, found my jumper, undies and socks, then realised that my jeans are still in my hotel room

Just waiting for the shops to open now so I can go and buy some....

Riggers · « **Reply #1127 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:52:26 am »

Fantastic two-minute cycle into work once again this morning.

vorsprung · « **Reply #1128 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:53:06 am »

First sub 2 hour round trip commute this year last night. This was thanks to a stonking tailwind on the on the A38 coming home.

Jacomus · « **Reply #1129 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:17:24 am »

Headwind. RARGH!

Otherwise, very pleasant indeed

Notsototalnewbie · « **Reply #1130 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:23:57 am »

Quote from: Jacomus on 13 April, 2010, 09:17:24 am

Headwind. RARGH!

Otherwise, very pleasant indeed

Me too. Doesn't matter though cos with any luck we'll be blown home tonight!

matthew · « **Reply #1131 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:25:53 am »

considerably preferable to having the tail wind on the way to work and knowing the journey home will be a slog.

TimO · « **Reply #1132 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:26:43 am »

Bah, I had a headwind yesterday, but it didn't seem to help that much on the way home.

The headwind in was worse this morning (although I was quite a bit earlier, so maybe that effected it!)

When I come in early, from Clapham Common onwards, there are always a lot of cyclists on Queenstown Road, and a lot of them seem to have little road sense. $:-\$

clarion · « **Reply #1133 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:46:19 am »

Again a headwind. Again 56mins. Last night, I got home in 54mins (there may have been a tailwind for part of it

).

Tonight, I'll have a circuitous route home, via Brentford

Notsototalnewbie · « **Reply #1134 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:46:49 am »

Quote from: matthew on 13 April, 2010, 09:25:53 am

considerably preferable to having the tail wind on the way to work and knowing the journey home will be a slog.

Which is how it is has been for me the last few weeks! Makes a nice change.

Quote from: TimO on 13 April, 2010, 09:26:43 am

When I come in early, from Clapham Common onwards, there are always a lot of cyclists on Queenstown Road, and a lot of them seem to have little road sense. $:-\$

I've been trying really hard not to whinge about this, because I know more cyclists is undoubtedly a Good Thing.

But since Easter there have been tons of cyclists on the road who don't seem to have a clue and I've needed to have my wits about me in order to avoid accidents even more than usual. I've been very restrained in only posting a ranty thread about one of them. But if it carries on I may need to unleash the Wrath normally reserved for people wot take me offroading

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #1135 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:48:58 am »

Quote from: pauldavies50 on 10 April, 2010, 08:01:18 pm

Re: On the commute YESTERDAY.

I like to say a big fat thank you to 'Tourist Tony' for saving my beloved S-Works Enduro yesterday from the clutches of a thief in Tesco Gatwick carpark.

THANK YOU

You know those one-person crime waves you hear about?

Our TT is a one-person anti-crime wave. Specialises in tackling people in the front of supermarkets.

clarion · « **Reply #1136 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:50:23 am »

I got a wonderful feeling approaching the junction at the top of Clapham High Street. There was a bunch of cyclists waiting at the lights looking like the start of a sportive from a distance.

Of course, the amount of pavement riding, red light jumping, zebra crashing, cutting up etc proved to be greatly increased

Still, we were all n00bs once, and at least they're out on their bikes...

ed_o_brain · « **Reply #1137 on:** 13 April, 2010, 09:52:52 am »

Gah. Horrendous ride in. Worse bike ride since the day I was knocked off last year. I hit rush hour as I decided before I left to do a tyre swap. This meant I could ride in on the new commuting machine which I'd set-up the week prior - however with not enough tyre clearance. It's nice to be back on a drop bar bike for everyday riding!

There was a lot of bad driving (does the post-Easter sun make people more absent minded?) and once I reached the Manchester conurbation, a lot of bad cycling too.

All that can be taken in stride so wouldn't really dampen my spirits. However, one motorist had a good go at knocking me off by pushing his way through a gap that wasn't there and then afterwards it all got very unpleasant. I guess he thought I was the reason he was late for work?

Looking forward too tomorrow. Will be out nice and early. Should be a good one.

Paul D · « **Reply #1138 on:** 13 April, 2010, 05:00:15 pm »

Are you people at work? What a shame for you. When the weather is this good I don't commute, I holiday.

Riggers · « **Reply #1139 on:** 13 April, 2010, 05:02:52 pm »

I'm sure I had a baseball bat near me when I last looked!

jogler · « **Reply #1140 on:** 13 April, 2010, 05:18:13 pm »

Quote from: Paul D on 13 April, 2010, 05:00:15 pm

Are you people at work? What a shame for you. When the weather is this good I don't commute, I holiday.

working from home does have some advantages

Paul D · « **Reply #1141 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:25:07 pm »

No working from home, just the good fortune to a) have a teacher for a partner and b) taken leave to coincide with her half term.

Don't worry, I'm far too busy doing stuff in my newly-bought house to go out on the bike (although I did get lightly sunburnt in the garden this afternon giving my Roberts a clean).

DrMekon · « **Reply #1142 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:27:37 pm »

Forgot to get a proper lunch today, then worked late. The ride home wass going great until I hit the headwind. The last 8 miles were grim. I ate a banana in one mouthful when I got in the door. Haven't stopped eating since.

her_welshness · « **Reply #1143 on:** 13 April, 2010, 08:53:12 pm »

Cycled to our tiny little Library in Waterloo library to be told that there was a cock-up with the staffing, so I got told to get back to Clapham Library. 2 miles south of Waterloo, my back wheel seems decidedly low on the old air, sure enough: p*ncture. Bah. Pushed it to Clapham and fixed it in my lunch hour. Then, whilst fixing it spotted broken spoke, which had wrapped itself into my cassette.

LBS were kind enough to take a HUGE pair of pliers and remove it until I get it replaced on Friday. Nice ride home (barring seemingly idiotic Easter crowd) but what a frustrating day.

tiermat · « **Reply #1144 on:** 14 April, 2010, 09:25:37 am »

VERY fast back last night, then out for a few drinks in Brentford.

Was plodding this morning until I caught up with Chris(non-forumite), and then we bombed along to UXB. I was aiming for a 35 minute ride in (before catchup) but this became a 30 minute ride in, and I arrived all out of breath and sweaty

EDIT: but I did remember my trousers today

Regulator · « **Reply #1145 on:** 14 April, 2010, 09:55:49 am »

Coming round a corner I felt the 'ping' of a stone exiting from beneath the rear tyre...

... followed shortly by the sound of breaking glass. I looked back over my shoulder and - yep - it just *had* to be the windscreen of the Porsche 911

The car was parked in residents parking, so I knocked on a few doors but no-one knew who it belonged to. I left a message on the car and popped into the police station to report (I know I don't have to but I am an honest person).

Just waiting for the owner to call. Hopefully they'll be full comp and it will be covered by their insurance. If not, my insurers will have to fork out.

Wendy · « **Reply #1146 on:** 14 April, 2010, 10:01:45 am »

Oops! Can you really be held to blame for a stone chip like that? I'd understand if you were driving negligently fast on a newly laid surface full of chips, but behaving carefully? Surely just wear and tear, and a normal risk to keeping your car parked on the public highway.

Regulator · « **Reply #1147 on:** 14 April, 2010, 10:05:56 am »

Quote from: Wendy on 14 April, 2010, 10:01:45 am

Oops! Can you really be held to blame for a stone chip like that? I'd understand if you were driving negligently fast on a newly laid surface full of chips, but behaving carefully? Surely just wear and tear, and a normal risk to keeping your car parked on the public highway.

I think that's why a lot of insurers will pay out without it affecting your no claims bonus.

vorsprung · « **Reply #1148 on:** 14 April, 2010, 10:47:32 am »

This morning was supposed to be a low energy, rest day style commute

And it was until I got half way down Blagdon Hill. At this point I joined the back of a queue of cars behind a lorry with a tractor on it's trailer. First I overtook the car ahead of me because I didn't like the way it was going. Then I maintained 30mph behind the next car for about a mile. When we got to a small hill I started pounding up it at 25mph get back behind the car but then I remembered I was supposed to be going slowly. So I eased off and a queue of about a dozen cars went past.

Trouble is the Orbea likes going fast.

Wendy · « **Reply #1149 on:** 14 April, 2010, 10:55:00 am »

I screwed up on yesterday's commute - filtering past a long queue of cars on the offside of the offside lane towards the same junction from the cyclist gets a fright video. I get to the front, but have left too little time before the lights change and surprise the driver on the nearside lane by my appearance in the ASL. Oops, my bad timing and paying attention.

Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2484997 times)

ed_o_brain