On the commute today

[rogerzilla]

It was wet, and the stiff headwind on the way in was a mere breeze from behind at hometime.

i don't think there's any road salt left on the bike now.

[Rimnod]

Magnificent and spectacularly terrible ride into work, lethargic, no power, no enthusiasm. 13.5 mph on a windless damp day. Got there climbed off and I was ever so glad. Run home a little better, just the downhill bits, uphill bit of a struggle. Weather warming up.

[clarion]

1.  Artic overtook waaay too close on narrow bit of Carshalton Road.  Seen later running a red light.

2.  Woman shaved my elbow to pass near Mitcham Eastfields.  When I caught her and explained, she was stopped on a 'KEEP CLEAR'

3.  Hyundai Tragic driver, mobile to ear, shoves his way round traffic and almost into me at constriction.

4.  Skip lorry ran red light.

That's without listing the great many numpty drivers doing the normal stuff, like blocking the cycle lane (yes, I am looking at you, Mr Plod, inter alia 

Madness.  Utter madness.

[Dibdib]

I've nearly gone a whole week without incident on the commute.

Of course, it helps that my mile-and-a-half each way trip only has 100m of road cycling, the rest being shared use footpaths/cycle routes.

Now it's raining, I don't even get numpty dog owners standing on one side of the path and stretching a trip wire extendable lead across the path while they natter away to each other...

[benborp]

Took the opportunity to cycle in without any baggage today as I had managed to build up a surplus of pants and socks at work during the week. Halfway up the first hill I realised I'd left both my pump and my CO2 inflator in my bag. A quick calculation based on the fact that I had had one deflation while on the bike in the last eighteen months meant that I decided to carry on. A mile and a half later and just about as far as I could get from any useful train station I had my second deflation in eighteen months - then it started to piss down.

[tiermat]

Took the opportunity to cycle in without any baggage today as I had managed to build up a surplus of pants and socks at work during the week. Halfway up the first hill I realised I'd left both my pump and my CO2 inflator in my bag. A quick calculation based on the fact that I had had one deflation while on the bike in the last eighteen months meant that I decided to carry on. A mile and a half later and just about as far as I could get from any useful train station I had my second deflation in eighteen months - then it started to piss down.

Never ever play the odds, the faeries are mean....

[Nuncio]

This morning's was the first commute in 5 where it wasn't continuously raining.  It still rained, just not all the time.

[fuzzy]

Took the opportunity to cycle in without any baggage today as I had managed to build up a surplus of pants and socks at work during the week. Halfway up the first hill I realised I'd left both my pump and my CO2 inflator in my bag. A quick calculation based on the fact that I had had one deflation while on the bike in the last eighteen months meant that I decided to carry on. A mile and a half later and just about as far as I could get from any useful train station I had my second deflation in eighteen months - then it started to piss down.

I'm sorry benborp but, your tale of woe mad oi larf- in a been there, done that, got the t shirt kinda way.

[vorsprung]

This morning's was the first commute in 5 where it wasn't continuously raining.  It still rained, just not all the time.

Last nights ride back for me also not too bad and this mornings ride just a little drizzle on some higher ground. 

[Ham]

Believe me this guy had it coming. Mikey you might know the junction concerned, but I wanted to turn left from Queensgate into Harrington Road. There's a little build out from the kerb, so if you don't move tight up to it, you get the odd cyclist who tries to nip up the inside of you as you move off. A personal pet hate of mine!
This guy got caught out.

Oh, I wasn't getting at you Alex, but perhaps a little at my own schadenfreude.  Sorry!

If you find amusement in someone getting stuck in the snow, is that Schadenfroid?

[itsbruce]

Now it's raining, I don't even get numpty dog owners standing on one side of the path and stretching a trip wire extendable lead across the path while they natter away to each other...

If ever there were a case for spinning blades on the wheels of the chariot, that would be it.

Have seen some of the most senselessly stupid and agressive RLJing I've ever seen, last night and this morning, all by assholes on "fast" bikes who can't bear not to be ahead of the pack.  Shame they don't actually cycle quickly enough to avoid a scalping.  If they were in cars, they'd be the pricks in sports cars who try and nudge you off to the side at the lights, engines revving.

A plastic container holding some home-made Mexican-style pickled vegetables leaked a little vinegar into my pack.  Currently wearing my Campagnolo top at work.

[Dibdib]

Now it's raining, I don't even get numpty dog owners standing on one side of the path and stretching a trip wire extendable lead across the path while they natter away to each other...

If ever there were a case for spinning blades on the wheels of the chariot, that would be it.

Meh, I don't mind so much. They're "shared use" paths so I can't exactly complain at people for walking their dogs, most of them on this route at least pick it up afterwards, and the occasional trip-wire is clearly carelessness rather than malice.

Besides, it keeps my reactions sharp and reminds me that it's not a race - helpful attitude to take, with so many kids emerging from adjoining alleyways at that time of morning!

[simonp]

Accelerating away from the lights.  As I apply the full force of my spindly legs, there is a metallic ping from the back wheel.  Don't know my own strength.

[itsbruce]

Accelerating away from the lights.  As I apply the full force of my spindly legs, there is a metallic ping from the back wheel.  Don't know my own strength.

Spoke failure?  Or did your bike-sonar detect a submarine?

[simonp]

Accelerating away from the lights.  As I apply the full force of my spindly legs, there is a metallic ping from the back wheel.  Don't know my own strength.

Spoke failure?  Or did your bike-sonar detect a submarine?

Yep, drive-side, failed inside the nipple.  Wasn't enough to stop the wheel turning.  I guess the fact it's fixed means the wheel goes out of true less when a single spoke goes.

[clarion]

I am fortunately free from spoke breakages now, but I am having a problem with the neutral on my S3X being too close to the bottom gear.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Saw a bloke come off on a very visible patch of ice on the Innocent. He was fine, just embarrassed.

[HTFB]

The problem with going back, after putting your bike in the shed, to the nursery round the corner and waiting to explain to the idiot mother in the silly yellow MG quite what a bad idea it is to overtake a cyclist when she can't complete the manoeuvre before pulling left into the nursery parking queue, is that when she emerges either your facial expression reflects your still-seething rage and she'll be unable to listen as she bundles her precious offspring into the far side of the vehicle and locks the doors quick; or you approach with a smile and though she speaks an apology she evidently cannot understand at all why you are making such a fuss.

Perhaps the point will work slowly inwards and find its way home eventually, like a Morgul knife.

[Wendy]

Nice wet ride today, until right by my destination where I p*&^red.  This would be as a torrential downpour started.  Luckily I could fix it in my mate's stairwell - was a staple, really hard to pull out the tyre.  Took the Rotherhithe Tunnel on the way back home, and otherwise had a lovely ride.

[cal]

Saw a bloke come off on a very visible patch of ice on the Innocent. He was fine, just embarrassed.

I was hoping the mild weather of the last couple of days might have cleared the paths.  The Roseburn Path was bad in places on Wednesday.

[itsbruce]

I forgot to put a belt into my backpack yesterday morning.  This is important, because the jeans I packed are ones which are too big for my waist while being barely big enough to fit over my thighs (a legacy of strength training).  At work, the sagging jeans were hidden by my jacket, but this morning I cycled back from a party in yesterday's clothes, rather than my lycra.  Ow.  Terrible case of cyclists crack, which gave me plenty of incentive to cycle quickly, get home and find a belt

[Andyf]

Due to my bike being back at Evans for what I hope for is warranty repairs, I had a choice of underground or Boris bike.....so boris bike it was, so i am no longer a Boris bike virgin The pleasure of scalping other cyclists on a Boris bike is.....bloody great plus i got a great work out, tiny gears on a 23kg bike 

[cal]

I got wet.  Very wet.

[Wendy]

Had a lovely dry ride for once.  I rarely get bothered by winds since I ride a lowracer recumbent, but OMG!!!  That headwind was a killer.  The most exhausting commute I've done in some time, left me with quivering legs and feeling almost sick.

[jane]

Wet.  Very.