On the commute today

[rower40]

Four cyclists approaching a set of traffic lights (red);  one of them went through.  The other three (of whom I was one), who waited for the light to change to green, were all on Brooks saddles.

Coincidence?  I think not.

[CommuteTooFar]

I have been commuting on red bike because green bike needs me to stick the crank back on which I will not do until I have given it a proper clean.  Now red bike has ceramic rims. Unfortunately these can lose all braking potency in the rain when the surface is dirty. So today the braking changed from better than normal, then it started to rain and I have no braking at all.  A shame because I was looking forward to the mile long descent, scary.  I also made an interesting turn into the industrial estate. I missed my entrance to East Road and continued down the up carriage way and turned into East Road from the up carriage way entrance. Luckily the road was quiet.
 

[Kim]

Four cyclists approaching a set of traffic lights (red);  one of them went through.  The other three (of whom I was one), who waited for the light to change to green, were all on Brooks saddles.

Coincidence?  I think not.

Depends on whether they had more than one gear, I suppose...

[benborp]

Made a pedestrian swear today. I don't know if he was worried for his own safety or mine. I was briefly heading straight for him while having no part of my bike within a foot of the ground. He was on the pavement about 8 ft from the kerb and I was always at least six feet into the road but I think the unexpected flurry of movement spooked him more than anything else. Unholy combination of pot-holes, overtaking lorry and a wave of tarmac pushed up from the nearby bus stop led me to opt for getting some serious air rather than chance trying to maintain contact with the Walworth Road.

[citoyen]

Bizarre moment last night. I'd stopped outside M&S at Cannon St station and was about to fold the Brommie when I caught sight of a woman walking rather briskly in my direction, head turned 90 degrees to the left, obviously captivated by something going on offstage. By the time I realised she wasn't going to turn her eyes to actually look where she was going, or deviate her path to avoid me, it was too late to give her any kind of warning, so she walked straight into my front wheel. She stumbled in a comically dramatic fashion but managed to avoid falling over... and then just carried on walking, without so much as a glance back in my direction.

I was too bemused to react myself.

She's quite lucky to have narrowly avoided impaling herself on my handlebars, tbh.

[fuzzy]

Bizarre moment last night. I'd stopped outside M&S at Cannon St station and was about to fold the Brommie when I caught sight of a woman walking rather briskly in my direction, head turned 90 degrees to the left, obviously captivated by something going on offstage. By the time I realised she wasn't going to turn her eyes to actually look where she was going, or deviate her path to avoid me, it was too late to give her any kind of warning, so she walked straight into my front wheel. She stumbled in a comically dramatic fashion but managed to avoid falling over... and then just carried on walking, without so much as a glance back in my direction.

I was too bemused to react myself.

She's quite lucky to have narrowly avoided impaling herself on my handlebars, tbh.

She's quite lucky you weren't in a vindictive mood.

[citoyen]

It did occur to me afterwards that given more time to think about it, I might have braced myself against the impending impact and angled the bars slightly towards her, but that would indeed have been unnecessarily vindictive.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Today I am training and Bromptoning back to the Big Smoke from Great Yarmouth, just for a change of pace.

[caerau]

Overtaken on the INSIDE by a fucking coach on a small roundabout this evening. I was taking the lane on the approach as it has two lanes on the approach which splits into two going right and one to go left as you get there - I needed to go right so I take the left hand lane otherwise the traffic doesn't let you out. Aside from me and the coach there was no other traffic - he could have quite easily overtaken me in the right hand lane on the approach . I shall restrict myself to ARSEHOLE! here which is much less fruity than what I called him at the time and what I called him 5 seconds later when I went back past him at the traffic lights. 

I have his number plate but the coach company appears to be a coach hire business so naff all chance of finding him. Otherwise they would be getting an irate phone call and letter.  I've a good mind to report it to the police but I know it would be a waste of time.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Bizarre moment last night. I'd stopped outside M&S at Cannon St station and was about to fold the Brommie when I caught sight of a woman walking rather briskly in my direction, head turned 90 degrees to the left, obviously captivated by something going on offstage. By the time I realised she wasn't going to turn her eyes to actually look where she was going, or deviate her path to avoid me, it was too late to give her any kind of warning, so she walked straight into my front wheel. She stumbled in a comically dramatic fashion but managed to avoid falling over... and then just carried on walking, without so much as a glance back in my direction.

I was too bemused to react myself.

She's quite lucky to have narrowly avoided impaling herself on my handlebars, tbh.

She was probably embarrassed at being such a numpty.

Today on CS3 I encountered both a cyclist and a man on one of those tiny children's scooters coming down the path (downhill) the wrong way (ie straight at me). The bloke on the scooter fell off as we passed eachother with inches to spare. He didn't seem hurt. I tried not to snigger.

[mrcharly-YHT]

On the way to work I was overtaken by a Steam Engine, on the dual carriageway bit of the A64

(it was on the back of a low loader)

[Jurek]

Rode the fixer today for the first time since the big bang incident on the 28th of July.
Didn't realise how much I missed riding fixed.
New wheels are rolling very nicely 

[David Martin]

I have his number plate but the coach company appears to be a coach hire business so naff all chance of finding him. Otherwise they would be getting an irate phone call and letter.  I've a good mind to report it to the police but I know it would be a waste of time.

Actually you have the possibility of getting more of a response from coach companies. I believe they have to be licensed so a letter to the company with a copy to the licensing authority will definitey wake them up as it will be on their file when they come to renew. The licensors can take poor driving into account as to whether the company are fit and proper to be running such a business.

[caerau]

I have his number plate but the coach company appears to be a coach hire business so naff all chance of finding him. Otherwise they would be getting an irate phone call and letter.  I've a good mind to report it to the police but I know it would be a waste of time.

Actually you have the possibility of getting more of a response from coach companies. I believe they have to be licensed so a letter to the company with a copy to the licensing authority will definitey wake them up as it will be on their file when they come to renew. The licensors can take poor driving into account as to whether the company are fit and proper to be running such a business.

Thanks for that - sadly I had to rather guess the name of the company - I *think* it was P&P coaches but I could be wrong as I was concentrating on getting the registration and managed to forget the company name on the back.   

[perpetual dan]

I followed a mountain biker for the first half of the commute home today, who was plainly having a larf getting into the air over every possible lump on the cycle path. I passed him once we got to the uphill bit, but didn't leave the ground once.

[interzen]

Stung by a wasp.
Stung by nettles.
First clipless incident in nearly 20 years.

If this is in any way indicative of how the rest of the week will go then I think I'll just stop in bed.

On the plus side, at least I haven't bent any more pedal axles.

[menthel]

Traffic was awful but the sun was out!

[rogerzilla]

A girl at work getting her bike out of the shed.  She was wearing VERY short hot pants.  You could see her arse cheeks, not that I was looking, obv.

[Chris S]

A girl at work getting her bike out of the shed.  She was wearing VERY short hot pants.  You could see her arse cheeks, not that I was looking, obv.

Blimey! Where do you work? I've never worked in a place where anyone wore anything that exposed their arse cheeks.

[rogerzilla]

I bet she gets terrible chafing.  There is a reason cycle shorts are the length they are.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I have his number plate but the coach company appears to be a coach hire business so naff all chance of finding him. Otherwise they would be getting an irate phone call and letter.  I've a good mind to report it to the police but I know it would be a waste of time.

Actually you have the possibility of getting more of a response from coach companies. I believe they have to be licensed so a letter to the company with a copy to the licensing authority will definitey wake them up as it will be on their file when they come to renew. The licensors can take poor driving into account as to whether the company are fit and proper to be running such a business.

How can a hire company be responsible for the driving of the people it hires vehicles to?

[Pippa]

A couple of pedestrians ran across the road without looking. The cyclist in front of me slammed on his brakes and went full somersault over his handlebars and landed smack on his back, partially on the kerb/road. I stopped. The pedestrians stopped. A couple of others stopped. He let out an almighty wail. I asked him if he wanted an ambulance. He wasn't sure so I suggested it was best to get himself checked out. He agreed so I got on the phone whilst someone else sat with him. Ambulance turned up. Peds (tourists I think with very little english - all they could say was "sorry sorry") gave him a £50 note and left. I offered to take his bike to the secure parking at my office, but the ambulance said they could take it to the hospital. Cyclist guy was happy with it going to the hospital as he had a lock. He was chatty and seemed OK, but agreed it was best to go to hospital - you never know with these back injuries. He thanked me for hanging around and calling the ambulance. I gave him my details in case he needed them. I carried on to work not really knowing if there was something else I could/should have done (taken the details from the tourists maybe?).

I hate commutes like that  Someone tries to save a few seconds and someone else ends up in an ambulance  Fingers crossed nothing serious on this occasion at least.

[Jurek]

Sounds like you did everything you could. And probably more than some others may've done.

[clarion]

Glad you were there to help him.

[menthel]

I notched up my 2000th km since getting back to cycling in feb!