Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2481719 times)

Si S · « **Reply #20225 on:** 16 March, 2018, 01:40:06 pm »

Visit to the dentist meant I was running late and they'd had time to put temporary lights up at the junction of Barton Road and Urmston Lane, I think they may have got the timings wrong, unless of course over a mile of stationary traffic was part of the plan, much to the amusement of myself and a guy on a motorbike I got chatting to at the front of the queue.

It was so bad I even gave up on filtering at one point and became a pedestrian.

Feanor · « **Reply #20226 on:** 16 March, 2018, 07:25:02 pm »

On tonight's ride home, I'm coming into the village I live in.
There's not a lot of traffic.
It's a slight downhill, but against a fairly strong headwind, and I'm on the aero extensions doing about 32kph.

A large 4wd coming towards me decides it's OK to turn right across my path, about 10 metres in front of me.
I let out a yell as I got up off the extensions to reach for the brakes.
This caused him to slam on his brakes, and stop exactly in the position where I was going to T-bone him.

I'm up off the extensions, braking hard with slightly wet rims, and swerved to pass him between his stern and the oncoming traffic in the opposite lane.
Hmm.

sg37409 · « **Reply #20227 on:** 16 March, 2018, 07:29:07 pm »

Thats quite exciting Feanor.

I'll be working form home for the foreseeable. I'm trying to think of a wee run to mimic a commute (e.g., long way round to the co-op) so I feel alive by the time I sit in front of my computer. It makes a huge difference for me. I have been commuting in Edinburgh where traffic was used to cyclists, and I had bus lanes, etc. Around my home, the traffic is truly shit.

Si S · « **Reply #20228 on:** 16 March, 2018, 07:35:04 pm »

Used the infra on curry mile tonight, they should use that to test fighter pilot reaction times. Apparently what you do is exit shop, push buggy into cycle lane without looking, turnaround, re-enter shop and rely on a train of hippies and students not to mow your abandoned offspring over.

Feanor · « **Reply #20229 on:** 16 March, 2018, 07:58:36 pm »

Quote from: sg37409 on 16 March, 2018, 07:29:07 pm

Thats quite exciting Feanor.

I'll be working form home for the foreseeable. I'm trying to think of a wee run to mimic a commute (e.g., long way round to the co-op) so I feel alive by the time I sit in front of my computer. It makes a huge difference for me. I have been commuting in Edinburgh where traffic was used to cyclists, and I had bus lanes, etc. Around my home, the traffic is truly shit.

I think that it's really hard to do artificial miles on a commute.

I used to ride 60k over the CoM to Montrose (and then the same back) a couple of times a week, but then my workplace closed down.
My new work was in Banchory, which was the first 16k of my old ride in, basically the warm-up.

I decided I'd try to replicate my old commute, and get up early and ride to the top of the CoM and then back down the way I'd come, back to Banchory.
That happened a grand total of about 3 times.

I just couldn't motivate myself to put in those artifical miles.
On the ride to Montrose, they were necessary miles and elevation, but here they were not.
It just didn't work for me.

Si S · « **Reply #20230 on:** 16 March, 2018, 08:16:41 pm »

^^ Been there with a commute up Llanberis Pass, the willpower required is phenomenal.

Guy · « **Reply #20231 on:** 19 March, 2018, 09:08:51 am »

No shorts this morning! By 'eck that were cold.

edit: Just been told it was -5 this morning, wind chill making it feel like -8. No wonder it felt bloody cold!

Si S · « **Reply #20232 on:** 19 March, 2018, 08:00:52 pm »

I'm going to have to change my route, leave earlier, or end up under an Astra van, this bloke is becoming a regular issue, this morning I felt the pannier move as he passed. Either that or trawl the area and torch the damn thing.

mcshroom · « **Reply #20233 on:** 19 March, 2018, 08:33:43 pm »

Quote from: Guy on 19 March, 2018, 09:08:51 am

No shorts this morning! By 'eck that were cold.

edit: Just been told it was -5 this morning, wind chill making it feel like -8. No wonder it felt bloody cold!

Especially with no shorts!

Si S · « **Reply #20234 on:** 20 March, 2018, 08:02:25 am »

Left a few mins earlier to avoid Astra-van man, I object to this but discretion and valour and all that. Lack of evil wind and a bit of sunshine made for a pleasant commute.

Andrij · « **Reply #20235 on:** 20 March, 2018, 08:23:10 am »

Yesterday:
Going in (W <- ) was rather nice. But coming home (-> E) was not fun. That was made even worse just over 2km from home when I was nearly doored (narrow street, cars parked on both sides). While I escaped injuries, an Ortlieb pannier didn't. The opener of the car door at least came up to ask if I was OK, then added he didn't see me when he looked in the mirror. He either opened the door long after looking in the mirror, or lied. Makes not much difference, as I still need to check out if the bag can be repaired.

hatler · « **Reply #20236 on:** 20 March, 2018, 09:20:12 am »

Or the mirror wasn't adjusted correctly.

fd3 · « **Reply #20237 on:** 20 March, 2018, 10:35:52 am »

Cycled home into the wind, running late and puncture repair on my mind so it was only once I got home that I realised why my helmet was loose: I hadn’t clipped it shut.

cygnet · « **Reply #20238 on:** 20 March, 2018, 01:25:41 pm »

Late commute today, and just as I was setting off from a set of lights, a slightly breathless yell "Oi, Mate"
Dude on foot had chased me from the previous lights to hand back a not insubstantial amount of cash that had fallen out of my bag.

Cheers unknown dude

hatler · « **Reply #20239 on:** 20 March, 2018, 01:28:33 pm »

Cor ! Top bloke.

Kim · « **Reply #20240 on:** 20 March, 2018, 01:29:31 pm »

Quote from: hatler on 20 March, 2018, 09:20:12 am

Or the mirror wasn't adjusted correctly.

Or he was looking for cars.

iZaP · « **Reply #20241 on:** 20 March, 2018, 02:03:46 pm »

Almost got taken out by a bus @ bank junction...there was a line of busses and they left a gap open for another bus to come through from the other road, the bus was rolling through the gap, and I was going alongside the other buses, past the gap!

Guy · « **Reply #20242 on:** 21 March, 2018, 08:08:19 am »

A beautiful sunny, clear, windless frosty morning, marred only by the two idiots speeding excessively - one on the wrong side of the road!

Can you guess how many rings these cars had on their grills?

Si S · « **Reply #20243 on:** 21 March, 2018, 08:21:18 am »

Spring must be here - TheLurker gets skylarks and I get Lewis the Digger

In other news coming through Urmston and I can hear <slap> <slap> <slap> look across and there's a guy wearing a rucksack, normal, a wet suit, slightly odd, and a pair of fins, WTF? He was a good half mile from the Mersey.

Edit: I've just been told this is a regular thing : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmiKd_l4OPw

The mind boggles

TheLurker · « **Reply #20244 on:** 22 March, 2018, 08:16:03 pm »

And today's work-bound run was almost stereotypically bucolic, I shall have to buy a smock and gaiters. All sorts of wildlife (send SAE and postal order for 3/6^d to "Lurker's Nature Notes" for more details) aaannnd muck spreading. Poo urr gosh. Chiz, chiz, chiz.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #20245 on:** 22 March, 2018, 08:39:51 pm »

My first cycle commute in about 6 weeks. The mind remembers what to do but the legs tend to forget...

D.A.L.E. · « **Reply #20246 on:** 22 March, 2018, 08:46:14 pm »

My first commute to the new/old job today. 6km each way. Not a lot but wayyy better than the nothing I was doing at the old job.

Si S · « **Reply #20247 on:** 26 March, 2018, 09:21:40 pm »

Notice on the gate, they're closing Irlam locks to remove the streetlights from out of the canal and fix the path, ah well it's all more miles.

Paul · « **Reply #20248 on:** 28 March, 2018, 02:36:42 pm »

A white van couldn't wait behind me long enough for me to get across this crossing, so changed lanes.

Is that legal?

Diver300 · « **Reply #20249 on:** 28 March, 2018, 02:52:00 pm »

Quote from: Paul on 28 March, 2018, 02:36:42 pm

A white van couldn't wait behind me long enough for me to get across this crossing, so changed lanes.

Is that legal?

No. ~~It's a white van~~. Going to the right of a keep left sign. Not even emergency vehicles are allowed to do that.