Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2503009 times)

menthel · « **Reply #17550 on:** 26 October, 2015, 10:33:41 am »

On the commute today I used a bike for the first time since the accident 5 months ago. It was great! As is the new Fratello disc- I wanted to go straight past work and keep on riding!

Ruthie · « **Reply #17551 on:** 26 October, 2015, 10:35:59 am »

Great news menthel

menthel · « **Reply #17552 on:** 26 October, 2015, 10:38:39 am »

Quote from: Ruthie on 26 October, 2015, 10:35:59 am

Great news menthel

Thanks!

mcshroom · « **Reply #17553 on:** 26 October, 2015, 10:46:49 am »

Indeed. Great news

I rode the Raleigh for the first time in six months after putting away the shiny Merida for the winter. A solid front axle seems to have solved the brake judder, and the shifting was working nicely. Need to fit narrower tyres, the 28mm ones are a bit too close to the guards.

Who turned the wind on? It was like riding into a wind tunnel at times on the way to work.

Pancho · « **Reply #17554 on:** 26 October, 2015, 10:59:21 am »

Agreed. That wind was a PITA. The upside of my coastal run is that it's flat. The downside is that wind is murderous.

Strange clicking noises irritated me all the way. Something to do with chains and gears, I think. Will add more oil this eve and hope that fixes it.

Realising this morning just how much I need this commute to keep me sane. I worked from home on Friday and lounged over the weekend and found myself feeling a bit glum and was puzzled why. But now, despite leaving the house at 0600 and facing the prospect of being chained to my desk for a week, I'm happy as a sandboy.

mcshroom · « **Reply #17555 on:** 26 October, 2015, 11:04:49 am »

I wish my coastal commute was flat.

We are heading into windy season. I usually have to do a few comutes a year on the mountian bike as I need the extra control/weight when the wind's howling off the Irish Sea. Just hoping it's less windy than the last couple winters. Three months of continual wind like those years really starts to sap my enthusiasm to get out.

Still, getting home should be quick

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #17556 on:** 27 October, 2015, 06:58:46 am »

October's Basingstoke - London - Basingstoke commute done yesterday. Rode in thinking that this was the time of the year when that bloke "wot goes around and jacks up all the hills to make them steeper" had been out. There was definitely a Battle of Jutland feeling "There's something wrong with the legs today". Struggled in the office feeling like I was coming down with the lurgy.

Then stepped across to Wrap-it-up for pre-ride burrito. Set off steadily down the Embankment, ignoring all the impossibly thin racers on carbon frames. The wind was forecast to be a little east of south and my route takes me a little south of west, so this ride could have gone one of two ways. Fortunately my prayers were answered, and from pauper in the morning I went to prince, nay King of the Road, oh blessed tailwind! I was home 29 minutes before pessimistic forecast to Mrs CET.

100 mile commute #10 done. Two to go.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #17557 on:** 27 October, 2015, 11:18:19 am »

Quote from: menthel on 26 October, 2015, 10:33:41 am

On the commute today I used a bike for the first time since the accident 5 months ago. It was great! As is the new Fratello disc- I wanted to go straight past work and keep on riding!

Wonderful! Good you like the new bike too.

menthel · « **Reply #17558 on:** 27 October, 2015, 11:32:41 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 27 October, 2015, 11:18:19 am

Quote from: menthel on 26 October, 2015, 10:33:41 am
On the commute today I used a bike for the first time since the accident 5 months ago. It was great! As is the new Fratello disc- I wanted to go straight past work and keep on riding!
Wonderful! Good you like the new bike too.

Thanks! The new bike is just lovely, it was all I could do to make sense prevail and not cycle in again this am- little steps and all that. I will do one more day this week and then see how it goes!

pdm · « **Reply #17559 on:** 27 October, 2015, 08:51:56 pm »

If you are ever passing through Chesterfield, watch out for a blue van Reg: YP04WXE and avoid.

On my way home this evening I stopped at the entrance to a roundabout and waited, as usual, for a gap in the traffic to pull out into. This van then pulled up behind me and proceeded to deliberately nudge forward crunching my mudguard and hurling abusive signals to try to get me out of his way! It was all I could do to stay upright and out of the way of traffic on the roundabout.
I remonstrated with the driver who let loose an endless high volume torrent about push bikes not being allowed on the road, not paying tax or insurance and so on. I pulled out my phone and advised him I was calling the police whereupon he zoomed off quite dangerously despite being told he was leaving the scene of a road traffic collision.
I was quite shocked and gobsmacked - A passer by insisted on phoning the police.
Upshot was that they apparently knew of him - he has a history. He got the full nine degrees when they caught up with him; he also paid 20 quid to replace the broken mudguard...
He is now officially on the books as having caused a potentially dangerous incident which will significantly prejudice any future misdemeanors. It was a choice between this outcome and trying to go for a "driving without due care and attention" conviction which may have been tricky without a direct independent witness - the passerby only saw the tail end of the encounter (and of his van).
I only hope it has had some useful effect on the driver's outlook.

**sigh** Its just not been my year...

Ruthie · « **Reply #17560 on:** 27 October, 2015, 08:59:15 pm »

That's bloody horrible pdm. He should lose his licence, just for his bullying, imo. What a tosser.

Hope you're not too shaky x

mcshroom · « **Reply #17561 on:** 27 October, 2015, 10:04:56 pm »

What a twat. Glad you are not hurt. I hope you have a better ride tomorrow.

My commute involved a slow puncture, a broken pump and extended commutes either way due to fettling. Meant I missed out on a long ride tonight, though that did mean I stayed dry. Not sure if it's just bad luck or the Raleigh is sulking about being relegated to winter duties.

sg37409 · « **Reply #17562 on:** 27 October, 2015, 10:09:27 pm »

Traffic in edinburgh was unreal today. Temporary lights on A8 and A70 cause near gridlock. Even closer into city was almost the worst I've had.
Different route in meant I made 2 mistakes, and shows me how much I rely on familiarity and not enough on vigilence.

Diver300 · « **Reply #17563 on:** 27 October, 2015, 10:14:18 pm »

Quote from: Ruthie on 27 October, 2015, 08:59:15 pm

That's bloody horrible pdm. He should lose his licence, just for his bullying, imo.

It should be a charge of assault.

CrazyEnglishTriathlete · « **Reply #17564 on:** 27 October, 2015, 10:42:33 pm »

Quote from: Diver300 on 27 October, 2015, 10:14:18 pm

Quote from: Ruthie on 27 October, 2015, 08:59:15 pm
That's bloody horrible pdm. He should lose his licence, just for his bullying, imo.
It should be a charge of assault.

+1 People like that are a danger to all on the road. Suspect that cyclists are not the only subject of his rage. Hope you get over the hassle soon.

DDCyclist · « **Reply #17565 on:** 28 October, 2015, 07:24:43 am »

Quote from: pdm on 27 October, 2015, 08:51:56 pm

If you are ever passing through Chesterfield, watch out for a blue van Reg: YP04WXE and avoid.

... Snip ...

Was it sign-written? It would be nice to know which company we might all want to avoid doing business with.

Under the arches · « **Reply #17566 on:** 28 October, 2015, 10:36:21 am »

This was yesterday. A balmy morning which felt like Spain. I saw a dare devil cat sprint across the A48 & it made it!

The ride home was rather damper, but incident free and the new waterproof shorts (cut off rain traousers from Aldi) did the biz on my mid rift. Not that biz, it kept them dry.

davelodwig · « **Reply #17567 on:** 28 October, 2015, 11:21:07 am »

Last night riding round the canal to meet someone at the CBSO centre.

Theres a bit of canal towpath where they are working on the wall alongside the canal so the path is narrowed and then you have to go up a quite steep ramp to the next lock level, on top of not being able to get a run up someone had put a widget to stop you riding through one of those s bend jobs.

I was walking up the slope pushing the single speed trying to answer the phone from my contact who wondered where I was, I had already entered the s bend when a chap coming down the slope with his bike started at the other side and forced me out of the way pretty much but we bumped shoulders, the next thing I know he's trying to shoulder barge me, like properly hard. All I could think to say was "Don't be a child"

There I was thinking I might get mugged by a bunch of teenagers and what actually happens is some old git trys to barge me out of the way, the teenagers just ignored me.

Paul · « **Reply #17568 on:** 28 October, 2015, 02:19:12 pm »

Quote from: pdm on 27 October, 2015, 08:51:56 pm

If you are ever passing through Chesterfield, watch out for a blue van Reg: YP04WXE and avoid.

...
He is now officially on the books as having caused a potentially dangerous incident which will significantly prejudice any future misdemeanors. It was a choice between this outcome and trying to go for a "driving without due care and attention" conviction which may have been tricky without a direct independent witness - the passerby only saw the tail end of the encounter (and of his van).
I only hope it has had some useful effect on the driver's outlook.

**sigh** Its just not been my year...

Even if it could/should have been more, I think this is a brilliant result. Well done for being the better person, not losing your rag, having the presense of mind (and bothering) to report it and see it all through.

Let's hope this git does just enough to get the interest of the police again (without, obvs, actually hurting anyone).

Pancho · « **Reply #17569 on:** 28 October, 2015, 07:12:15 pm »

Bats.

For the rural leg of my commute (half of it) I was continually surrounded by flitting bats. Wasn't sure if there were simply bats everywhere or whether I was being pursued by an evil flock (? nightmare) of bats intent on draining my blood.

Had my front lights set on flash despite total darkness and a rural road and sort of hypnotised myself. Very weird and not recommended.

Basil · « **Reply #17570 on:** 28 October, 2015, 07:42:17 pm »

Quote from: Pancho on 28 October, 2015, 07:12:15 pm

Bats.

For the rural leg of my commute (half of it) I was continually surrounded by flitting bats. Wasn't sure if there were simply bats everywhere or whether I was being pursued by an evil flock (? nightmare) of bats intent on draining my blood.

Had my front lights set on flash despite total darkness and a rural road and sort of hypnotised myself. Very weird and not recommended.

Agreed
I've never understood why some people set their lights to flash on rural roads.

Pancho · « **Reply #17571 on:** 28 October, 2015, 08:41:27 pm »

Well, I wouldn't usually but the clocks have gone back and I had to stop off somewhere en route. Basically it was much darker than planned. Of course, I should have stopped and turned them on but you know what it's like when stopping will break your flow and be generally too much bother.

If I'd had any further to go, I think I'd have hypnotised myself into unconsciousness or just totally tripped out. I'm (fairly) convinced the bats were real, though.

sg37409 · « **Reply #17572 on:** 29 October, 2015, 11:04:27 pm »

Lovely evening run. Getting colder which needed me to keep a decent effort going to keep warm enough, which felt magic. Still gridlocked at corstorphine even at 7pm.

Pickled Onion · « **Reply #17573 on:** 30 October, 2015, 02:02:17 pm »

Quote from: Pancho on 28 October, 2015, 08:41:27 pm

I should have stopped and turned them on

jane · « **Reply #17574 on:** 30 October, 2015, 02:15:57 pm »

Have ridden home through Burgess Park in the heart of Peckham very late in the evenings last year and had bats flying around me.