On the commute today

[jogler]

They are actually bike racks using concrete slabs with a slot for the wheel to drop into.Excellent for buckling a wheel

ETA
the slots can get bunged up with all sorts of crud thus preventing the wheel from dropping in & the width of the slot is often wide enough for an mtb fat tyre thus being oversize for a road bike wheel

.

What it is it stood on?  Looks like a leaded roof

[Greenbank]

Early starts ftw

Indeed. When it starts getting light early enough I plan on being out by 6am to put in a cheeky 40km round the park to be home and showered by 7.30am so that I can help deal with baby GB and take her to nursery.

Mid-April should be ok, a couple of weeks after the clocks go back.

[hatler]

Lurgy hangover from yesterday made me decide to drive.

Aaaaaaaagggggggghhh.

One hour 55 from SW20 to Sunbury.

I could almost have walked it in that time.

Why is it that WHENEVER I choose to drive (very rarely) the traffic is at least twice as bad as when I cycle ?   I feel like a have a traffic jam magnet in the car.

[Greenbank]

Lurgy hangover from yesterday made me decide to drive.

Aaaaaaaagggggggghhh.

One hour 55 from SW20 to Sunbury.

27 minutes on the train.

[hatler]

Lurgy hangover from yesterday made me decide to drive.

Aaaaaaaagggggggghhh.

One hour 55 from SW20 to Sunbury.

27 minutes on the train.

I know, I know.

But a mile walk at the end, and the way I'm feeling that might have been a mile too far.

[matthew]

First time of cycling in to the office since I popped in on 1st Jan. Partly due to hardly coming in here (usually working from home or out of the country), but then when I have come in I've either needed to be suited and booted and going round to varying customers, or carrying loads of stuff, so it's been a car commute 

So yesterday I dug out my Audax MK3, realised I'd not used that bike since riding back from Wales at the end of January (been using my Roubaix for Audax and club rides, and my Pursuit fixie for popping into the village), so had to do a fettle session to lubricate, clean and re set it up for the commute.

Got up this morning and it was sub zero, so wrapped up warmly, but it was great weather to be out - and by the time I was half way I had ditched the buff and fleecy hat. I'd have got rid of the jacket too if I could have been bothered stopping. And it was all in daylight too!

Much slower than I was towards the back end of last year - averaging about 23kph for the 60km ride in  And horrible traffic too - I'm sure the roads weren't that busy when I was riding in last year, with lots of big queues that were difficult to ride around. Looking forward to the ride home 

And I ended up on the train today so I couldn't wave to you.  I trust you navigated the road works in Bagshot wihout too much hasle.

[TheLurker]

Early starts ftw

Indeed. When it starts getting light early enough I plan on being out by 6am to put in a cheeky 40km round the park to be home and showered by 7.30am so that I can help deal with baby GB and take her to nursery.

Mid-April should be ok, a couple of weeks after the clocks go back.

Sunrise / Sunset calculator
Prints nicely to A4 landscape.  Perfect for taping to desk (next to the PDF of the TdF route).

Here in the  bottom right hand corner of Glos. the 5th of April, sunrise 0530 GMT, is probably the earliest I'll be able to unship the lights.  Mildly annoying given that so far this week lights haven't really been necessary for the work-bound trip.

[Greenbank]

Early starts ftw

Indeed. When it starts getting light early enough I plan on being out by 6am to put in a cheeky 40km round the park to be home and showered by 7.30am so that I can help deal with baby GB and take her to nursery.

Mid-April should be ok, a couple of weeks after the clocks go back.

Sunrise / Sunset calculator
Prints nicely to A4 landscape.  Perfect for taping to desk (next to the PDF of the TdF route).

I just use Sunrise Sunset Calendars and Local Time and look for the date that it becomes useful, I don't need the individual times. I just know that between mid-April and end of August it's before 6am.

[MattH]

And I ended up on the train today so I couldn't wave to you.  I trust you navigated the road works in Bagshot wihout too much hasle.

So I'll blame you for the holdup at level crossing at Sunningdale (timed it precisely wrong, ended up sitting by the Rolls garage for ages).
Bagshot isn't too bad, though it was causing queues all the way up past the top of the hill (coming into Bagshot from the Camberley end).

[Feline]

orangtyres by vorsprung2009, on Flickr

First day of the year using the Orbea with the dope orange tyres

LOL your Kryptonite matches the orange too 

[welshwheels]

first commute since start of december used mtb bloody cold at 5.30 this morning nice ride home though 

[pumpkin]

Good weather today,cold this am. Ride home enlivened by someone in a black AM convertible Vantage tearing down the road and a mile later he is in a loooonnngggg queue of cars as I go past and then a couple of cars tried outrunning an oncoming ambulance on an emergency call thro' a set of lights but the cars realized at the last minute what was going to happen. From 50m back it was obvious!

[simonp]

What it is it stood on?  Looks like a leaded roof

Oh, btw, glad you got out on the pimped-up bike

They look like wheel bending paving slabs to me.  Stupid idea.

[L CC]

 Now that it's daylight, there is a purpose in wearing the HRM. This morning: tempo.

[jogler]

what is tempo?

[MartinGT]

Today in Leeds is "Im a twat and drive like a twat" day.  They are everywhere!

• Bus pulled onto mini roundabout from my left as I was approaching it, making me stop.  Didnt get the reg or the bus number 
• Vans in slow moving traffic almost on the kerb
• Car's pulling out into slow moving traffic not recognising me as a vehicle

And finally, the best one.  There is a right turn I take on a corner that goes to the left, its got a feeder line to turn right (here).  A cyclist is coming the other way, towards me and a van decides its a good opportunity to overtake them.  But doesnt look and cuts the corner almost taking me out! Who's sat in the feeder lane to turn right!

[jezzasnr]

Nice and mild, easy roll in this morning.
long way home i think.

[tiermat]

Commuted today for the first time in about 9 months.

Should have been 18.6 miles, ended up being >23!!!

Missed a turning, but no problem, there is another turning further through the village.  Get to that turning (a T junction) and turn left instead of right.  End up doing a ~5 mile detour back to where I started at the T, then went the RIGHT way

Not too many displays of stupid driving and it was nicely mild....

[clarion]

*sigh*

It was a nice fast ride, and I enjoyed it.

But there was a complete arsehole of a bus driver, who was so keen to get out and assault me that he knocked a cyclist down leaping off the bus

Wanker.

Maybe more later.

[alexb]

As promised:


So what is it that has suddenly inspired these people to do these marvellous things?

[L CC]

what is tempo?

Italian for speed/timing.

Just means pace. So, in training terms, it's maintaining a decent rate for a decent time, as opposed to a steady fat burning rate, or the push then relax of intervals.
I've been taking it easy over the winter but now that the sap is rising and a young man's fancy takes me (as it were) I was putting a bit more effort in.
Was fun.

[itsbruce]

More bus driver hate, on the way home yesterday.  Travelling over Chelsea bridge, I could see a slow cyclist wobbling along in front of a bus.  The bus was monstering her, to the point where she moved right into the gutter, hopped off her bike and onto the high concrete kerb, which is a very fragile perch since it is the base of railings.  Bus carried on but hardly quickly, since there was traffic just ahead to slow it down. Hate.

[Tim Hall]

As promised:


So what is it that has suddenly inspired these people to do these marvellous things?

Entirely splendid. I haven't been following this, but a bit of google-fu throws up this gem:

http://www.streathampulse.com/2011/03/04/the-streatham-ninja-knitters/

They plan to make Streatham a warmer, more cuddly place by knitting it up in a fluffy cozy.

[clarion]

More bus driver hate, on the way home yesterday.  Travelling over Chelsea bridge, I could see a slow cyclist wobbling along in front of a bus.  The bus was monstering her, to the point where she moved right into the gutter, hopped off her bike and onto the high concrete kerb, which is a very fragile perch since it is the base of railings.  Bus carried on but hardly quickly, since there was traffic just ahead to slow it down. Hate.

Unbelievable.

[clarion]

...complete arsehole of a bus driver, who was so keen to get out and assault me that he knocked a cyclist down leaping off the bus

Wanker.

Maybe more later.

I've been OK about this.  Although I was actually assaulted by the driver, and had a plastic PC tell me all about how all cyclists jump red lights etc, I've managed to write most of a report on the incident, and make a complaint about the PCSO/traffic warden/officious ignorant twat in yellow/whatever.  And, I'll give credit to Wandsworth Police, that they did call me back this morning to say that the team who deal with complaints wouldn't be in till this afternoon, and I've just had a very sympathetic call from one of that team.

But I'm just having a massive wibble.  I've got to go out on those roads again in less than an hour, and, if people are going to use buses as weapons, and people in positions of power are prepared to make up things about me, I don't feel very safe at all.

I'll just hide under my desk till its time to leave.