On the commute today

[Chris S]

(snigger)

[fuzzy]

'Twas bright and chilly with mist hanging in the air over the meadows as I rode to work.

This morning was the first morning I arrived at work with a silver sheen on my gloves and the front of my knee warmers. I finished my ruide with my glasses perched on the end of my nose as the lenses had covered in dew, there was dew dripping from the front of my helmet and, when I got undressed for my shower, the front of my thighs were Ferrari red.

Summer has gone

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Frost! Proper frost!

[clarion]

Nearly frost here.

[David Martin]

Frost up the hill. We are 20m too low today.

[Lady Cavendish]

Frost here too. My hands nearly fell off and I still can't feel my feet nearly 3 hours later!

[LindaG]

A beautiful clear cold sunny Autumn morning. The big muck heap at the stables has been shifted and where the new one is you could see huge tendrils of steam coming off it. And a woman in a nice blue VW Beetle with flars painted on it did a truly dim overtaking manoeuvre.And there was a tiny brown pony eating his breakfast. But I loathe the Big Roundabout. Loathe it.

[Butterfly]

Pretty morning . I was a bit nervous riding up into Streatham in case I encountered the driver that drove into me yesterday. I was prepared to make a rapid detour and had an idea in my head where I could go if I saw that van again, but in the event I didn't, it was a lovely morning and someone draughted me along Streatham Hill, which made me laugh since I was only going about 20 MPH flat out after I spotted him and sped up a bit .

Phew.

[padbeat]

Luckily I was turning left into the same junction the driver was turning left into, otherwise it would have been really unpleasant. As it was it was just normal unpleasant as I locked up the back halfway round the bend as I grabbed the brakes. As a happy coincidence, this turned me sufficiently quickly that my line no longer took me into the side of his car.

[Wendy]

Pretty morning . I was a bit nervous riding up into Streatham in case I encountered the driver that drove into me yesterday. I was prepared to make a rapid detour and had an idea in my head where I could go if I saw that van again, but in the event I didn't, it was a lovely morning and someone draughted me along Streatham Hill, which made me laugh since I was only going about 20 MPH flat out after I spotted him and sped up a bit .

Phew.

Oooh, sorry to hear that Butterfly! Did I miss the tale on here?

[fuzzy]

This morning I proved myself to be harder than the weather.

When I got out of bed it was hooning it down with rain.

As I completed my ablutions, sorted lunch etc. it continued hooning it down with rain.

After packing the pannier, gathering my stuff together and opening the front door, the weather spied me and must have thought "Shit, he looks hard. Time to saunter off unnoticed like".

After preparing the bike and getting the wet weather gear on the rain had run away

[citoyen]

Just before I left the house this morning, my wife asked, "Are you going to be OK?"

"Eh? What?"

"Look at the weather!"

"Oh, that..."

I'd obviously registered that it was pissing down and blowing a gale because I'd dressed appropriately for the conditions, but I hadn't given a moment's thought to whether or not I wanted to go out in it. I mean, the choice of clothing was the only difference in my mind between today and a warm, sunny summer's day.



d.

[L CC]

Only the choice of clothing?

For me it was the hub deep 100 foot 'puddle' (I'm going to have to detour to avoid that lane past the pigs) and arriving at work with wet feet that gave the game away.

[mrcharly-YHT]

You need to cycle in wellies

[matthew]

Luckily I was turning left into the same junction the driver was turning left into, otherwise it would have been really unpleasant. As it was it was just normal unpleasant as I locked up the back halfway round the bend as I grabbed the brakes. As a happy coincidence, this turned me sufficiently quickly that my line no longer took me into the side of his car.

Please tell me that the junction in question was the base entrance.  and that suitable re-education was therefore possible

[L CC]

You need to cycle in wellies

Can you get spd wellies?

[Pickled Onion]

Not today but last night. Upper Thames St (urban semi-DC). I need to turn right ahead (Queen St) but there's a tour bus about a yard off my mudguard. I look round a few times to see whether he will pass or if I can get an opportunity to sgnal. The road widens a bit and he pulls alongside, smiling and waving and points to his eyes, which I assume means "yes, I can see you".

He then proceeds to overtake while turning left onto Southwark Bridge. FFS.

[citoyen]

Only the choice of clothing?

For me it was the hub deep 100 foot 'puddle' (I'm going to have to detour to avoid that lane past the pigs) and arriving at work with wet feet that gave the game away.

There are parts of my preferred route that are prone to accumulating standing water but fortunately it hadn't been raining long enough this morning for it to have accumulated yet.

I did get a bit splashed by cars speeding through puddles while I was waiting to cross the main road though. Ho hum.

d.

[mrcharly-YHT]

You need to cycle in wellies

Can you get spd wellies?

I'm sure we Kim could molish some.

Just console yourself, it could have been worse. You could have been riding a recumbent trike.

[simonp]

Very sluggish start to my commute (yes I do have the lurgy then), plus earlier than normal for a 9am meeting. There was a significant queue on Coldhams Lane which isn’t normally there later on.

[Wendy]

When we went for a snow MTB ride a year or two ago, my MTB mate was well disgusted at me wearing wellies. Still, I had dry warm feet, and he didn't. 

[sg37409]

Theres a fine line between dawdling in on a nice morning and not being as alert as possible, and going fast and being alert. 
Today I was too close to the dawdling on a nice morning line.   When I checked my mirror, a taxi had come into my lane and was squeezing past with inches to spare.     I usually check my mirror often enough for things not to appear from nowhere.

[CrinklyLion]

Lots and lots and lots of stupidly close and silly fast passes (in both directions) on the busy wiggly b road with the absolutely shocking road surface, including ridiculous overtakes (both on the way to and the way back from) whilst riding in primary through the series of blind bends.   Daft busy day where I stayed stupid amounts later that I should.

Meh.

Got shedloads done and got fed a Very Good school dinner.  Now it is the weekend, and I'm about to go collect Cubs.  Sunshine, short sleeves.  Went to work on m'bike.  All is well with the world.

[benborp]

Two hours and I'm nearly half way home on the bus. It takes ten minutes to get this far on the bike. I think some unpleasant things have been happening on the roads this evening.

[fuzzy]

This morning I proved myself to be harder than the weather.

When I got out of bed it was hooning it down with rain.

As I completed my ablutions, sorted lunch etc. it continued hooning it down with rain.

After packing the pannier, gathering my stuff together and opening the front door, the weather spied me and must have thought "Shit, he looks hard. Time to saunter off unnoticed like".

After preparing the bike and getting the wet weather gear on the rain had run away

This evening, I proved myself to still be harder than the weather.

It was dry and reasonably bright all afternoon. About half an hour before I left work however, this mornings cowardly rain storm/ shower had snuck back reinforced by his big brother. Was I fazed? Course not. I just donned my wet weather gear again and cycled home with a smile and a song