On the commute today

[clarion]

Hope your bruising heals quickly and you don't get too stiff.

[zigzag]

hmm, had a very close overtake this morning for no reason. caught up with the car at the roundabout, knocked the window (bad move) and explained that it's dangerous to overtake like that. the lady went ballistic, got out of the car and all i could hear was f-words and threats. i wonder now if i've ever seen such a furious person? it's a shame that a young (4-5yo) boy who sat in the car had to listen to his mother's(?) "performance". after half a minute of verbal abuse i just noted down a license plate and rode off seeing that there's more traffic in the front and i'd be clear of her. otherwise i wouldn't want to be in front of her and risk being mowed down. it's dangerous to have drivers like that on the road. i'll be taking a different route for some time.

saw this lady at the traffic lights today again, stopped to smile and wave her "hello!", initially her face expression was "what does he want?", but after few moments i think she recalled me and looked away. it's a shame that she's using the same road at the same time as i do - i've seen her cutting in front of another cyclist today..

[Pingu]

Also fell victim to the ice this morning, having had the bike slide from under me on a black ice covered camber. No damage done other than a bruised cheek (not on my face!) fortunately. As I was on the hub-geared pompetamine (or HMS Dreadnought as it shall now be known) I think the road would come off worse from any impact!

Looking at the local news there seems to have been a three car crash about 10 minutes after I picked myself off the tarmac and the road's been closed.

Sympathies - GWS 

[Pingu]

Scraped knee.

IMG_1244 by The Pingus, on Flickr

Bike seems OK.

Scuffed new brake lever 

[ian]

Dear cyclist lady, squeezing by the inside of me while I wait at the lights is not clever. It's even less clever to then to put your feet down and push through the dozens of people on the pedestrian crossing. It's splendidly – yet entertainingly – stupid to do this when there's a police motorcyclist waiting at the same light.

I did Nelson "ha-ha" her as the police officer pulled her over.

[ChrisJ]

Ouch, looks like I got off lightly compared to you Pingu! I must have had a premonition this morning as I'd put on an old jacket and tights, though both were as unscathed as the bike - I just slid a while on almost frictionless Tarmac!

[Ashaman42]

Stopped to help a car driver with a flat tyres, they couldn't get the wheel bolts undone, a bit of me bouncing on the end of the spanner sorted that.

That's three pothole induced punctures on the same stretch of road in just over a week. That road is in shocking condition.

[TimO]

For the second time this week, when I got to the roadworks outside The Bedford in Balham, there was a long line of cars waiting at the lights, at a time of day when the should have been three or four at most.  These lights seem to have a habit of going into what I assume is fail safe mode, ie all at red.  Eventually one of the drivers normally realises, and goes for it.  Given the two and half pedestrians, for cyclists it's generally easy to carefully go through the lights and up the pedestrian tunnel, rather than risking going along the road, and the sudden surge of cars when the rest follow the adventurous one (last time, several minutes after I'd gone through).

[haydenw]

Second ever commute in today and the 13 miles felt easier. Still a lung busting last 5 miles but i was able to grind it out knowing what was coming. Looking forward to the downhill home now and the bacon cob i've earned!

[mcshroom]

FIrst commute with the hub dynamo and cyo installed this morning - so I overselpt and ended up cycling in in daylight

After riding a road bike and a singlespeed for the last 4 months, the silly low gears on the tourer (42t big ring) didn't half feel twiddly. Also noticed how much smoother that bike's gear changes are and the big one, after worrying myself that the wheel wouldn't spin when off the bike, I didn't notice the drag of the dynohub when riding at all

[LindaG]

Bunbury and shyumu managed to scare me off riding home down Low Lane, so instead I found myself pottering through Hemlington to find a way home via Stainton.  Having said that, it was not unpleasant.  A couple of close overtakes by taxis on Ladgate Lane (ho hum), and I enjoyed the route to Maltby.  It was like being out in the country.  Not as much further than my usual route as I thought.  Very cold till I got going, my fingers and cheeks were nipping, and the studded tyres are hard work.

[Deano]

Bunbury and shyumu managed to scare me off riding home down Low Lane, so instead I found myself pottering through Hemlington to find a way home via Stainton.  Having said that, it was not unpleasant.  A couple of close overtakes by taxis on Ladgate Lane (ho hum), and I enjoyed the route to Maltby.  It was like being out in the country.  Not as much further than my usual route as I thought.  Very cold till I got going, my fingers and cheeks were nipping, and the studded tyres are hard work.

I thought that was your longer route.

[clarion]

Icy roads in Southwark, so I suppose that, with that, and the amount of salbutamol required when i got to work, that 2.8km was enough, but it doesn't feel like a proper commute

[LindaG]

Bunbury and shyumu managed to scare me off riding home down Low Lane, so instead I found myself pottering through Hemlington to find a way home via Stainton.  Having said that, it was not unpleasant.  A couple of close overtakes by taxis on Ladgate Lane (ho hum), and I enjoyed the route to Maltby.  It was like being out in the country.  Not as much further than my usual route as I thought.  Very cold till I got going, my fingers and cheeks were nipping, and the studded tyres are hard work.

I thought that was your longer route.

Eh?

This is my usual route:  http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ingleby-Barwick-to-James-Cook-Hospital

Going Low Lane or Stainton/Maltby is longer, either way.  But avoids the morning school run outside my old primary school, and the orcs in Grove Hill.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Icy roads in Southwark, so I suppose that, with that, and the amount of salbutamol required when i got to work, that 2.8km was enough, but it doesn't feel like a proper commute

That’s barely any shorter than my current commute (though not for much longer)!

The shortness is made up for by the fact that it means I can potter along in ‘normal’ clothing…I will miss that, as I’m sure drivers treat me better when I’m dressed like a lay-dee (because we are all weak and delicate, you know  ).

[clarion]

I've been travelling in 'normal' clothes, too.  Riding a folder wearing walking boots (i.e. no retention) can make some manoeuvres a bit more tricky, but I definitely feel more like an enhanced pedestrian ('pedestrian with levers' as someone (Sheldon?) suggested).

Bike is in my office, and I am disproportionately pleased by that.

[TimO]

... Riding a folder wearing walking boots (i.e. no retention) can make some manoeuvres a bit more tricky ...

It's when I try and swing the pedal around, to the correct position, expecting it to follow my foot, that I realise I'm not clicked in.   It's amazing how your body forgets years of cycling without SPDs (or toeclips) and the need to kick the pedal around, and then catch it with your sole!

[clarion]

Yeah, that's an issue.

[CrazyEnglishTriathlete]

Stayed safe today thanks to Hampshire and West Berkshire councils telling me (a) that the roads were going to freeze tonight and (b) when they were gritting.  So the only ice I saw was on the pavements.  However, some interesting potholes opening out near the canal bridge and the railway bridge on the Burghfield Road.  One appears to be developing a passing resemblance to the "Big Hole" in Montana, with several layers of archaeology and metalwork exposed.  Maybe there is an ancient monarch buried at the bottom of it.

Was sooooo nice being on a bike again after a week mostly spent in the Ruhr without a bicycle.

[hatler]

Second ever commute in today and the 13 miles felt easier. Still a lung busting last 5 miles but i was able to grind it out knowing what was coming. Looking forward to the downhill home now and the bacon cob i've earned!

Very cool !  Nice one.

[clarion]

Second ever commute in today and the 13 miles felt easier. Still a lung busting last 5 miles but i was able to grind it out knowing what was coming. Looking forward to the downhill home now and the bacon cob i've earned!

I missed this earlier.  Good stuff.  Keep it up, and it will get (a bit) easier.

[CJBrewer]

... Riding a folder wearing walking boots (i.e. no retention) can make some manoeuvres a bit more tricky ...

It's when I try and swing the pedal around, to the correct position, expecting it to follow my foot, that I realise I'm not clicked in.   It's amazing how your body forgets years of cycling without SPDs (or toeclips) and the need to kick the pedal around, and then catch it with your sole!

After about 9 months of riding my folder, I've a tendency to try a step-through dismount on my other bikes. This can be painful 

[CJBrewer]

hmm, had a very close overtake this morning for no reason. caught up with the car at the roundabout, knocked the window (bad move) and explained that it's dangerous to overtake like that. the lady went ballistic, got out of the car and all i could hear was f-words and threats. i wonder now if i've ever seen such a furious person? it's a shame that a young (4-5yo) boy who sat in the car had to listen to his mother's(?) "performance". after half a minute of verbal abuse i just noted down a license plate and rode off seeing that there's more traffic in the front and i'd be clear of her. otherwise i wouldn't want to be in front of her and risk being mowed down. it's dangerous to have drivers like that on the road. i'll be taking a different route for some time.

saw this lady at the traffic lights today again, stopped to smile and wave her "hello!", initially her face expression was "what does he want?", but after few moments i think she recalled me and looked away. it's a shame that she's using the same road at the same time as i do - i've seen her cutting in front of another cyclist today..

Cyclesafe her!

[Redlight]

The shortness is made up for by the fact that it means I can potter along in ‘normal’ clothing…I will miss that, as I’m sure drivers treat me better when I’m dressed like a lay-dee (because we are all weak and delicate, you know  ).

It's not just drivers that make that assumption. I'm ashamed to say that this morning I came  up behind a lady riding along on a sit up and beg dressed in 'normal' clothes, assuming that I would sail past as soon as there was space. Then we hit some chewed up traffic that required a fair bit of filtering between lanes and cutting through gaps and, boy, could she handle a bike. On the other hand, another lady in full on team kit on a road bike is very lucky that a bus driver - into whose blind spot she pulled just as the lights were changing amber to green - was wide awake this morning.

[marcusjb]

Fabulous commute today - 110km round trip to a job site.

Beautiful sunny crisp morning - though there was some ice about which was not so good.

Once I was out into the lanes (around Henley way), it was really beautiful!

The ride home was excellent as I was able to take the longer way home and avoid some of the bigger roads I had taken in the morning.

There are days where a job out in the countryside really make life fun. 

Knackered though - hauling two big panniers with laptop and stuff - actually my longest ever day on fixed amazingly (I will do a 200 on fixed one day soon!)