On the commute today

[hatler]

I got driven at and berated one time for simply shaking my head (in disbelief), and not in an exaggerated fashion either, and there were scores of other cars around, so that the fact that the one chap whose driving had been sub-optimal chose to get riled proved that he was a tosser of the first order, and had indeed transgressed the Highway Code and that bit about being excellent.

[Mr Larrington]

I've got myself into so much trouble by raising an eyebrow.

YA both Gallagher brothers at the same time AICMFP

[Jacomus]

Had a really nice ride home last night.

Should have had a really nice ride in this morning, but I was in a foul mood thanks to a change of plan for this weekend. You know you're in a bad mood when a sunny commute with zero bad drivers doesn't improve your mood!

[velosam]

Loving some of it as its blowing an easterly, which means into the wind but roughly downhill on the way in and a bit of a tailwind on the way home.

Some chap on a motorcycle took great offence to me moving on amber (well the other side being amber and no cars) and since I had been hit the last time on that roundabout I decided getting ahead was more important. So he beeped and gave me some words of advice and I showed his my less congenial side.

Hope this conditions continue, although its a bit cold in the morning

[matthew]

I have now found out why the last two days have set records up the hill in the morning, the east wind has resulted in peddling back down them in the evening! 

[Notsototalnewbie]

The good: I was on the Brompton cycling to my new GP off London road, and the police were in the middle of bollocking/ticketing a woman for driving through a zebra crossing while there was a ped on it. She looked sullen and not particularly contrite so I was glad she was getting a bollocking. I've had as bad behaviour from cars as a ped here as I have as a cyclist.

The bad: On the way back up London road, I need to turn right by West Croydon station to head off to my particular corner of Croydonia, so I'm in the right lane coming up to the junction. Suddenly one of the minicabs parked up decides he wants to turn right two, and veers across the two lanes, almost knocking me off. I shout 'Whoa whoa!' and brake hard, just about managing not to fall off into the path of oncoming traffic.

The minicab driver's response, as I got a good view of him as he pulled across me and turned right, is to look at me scornfully and tap towards his eyes to indicate that I was at fault somehow  For, I don't know, checking to my left for people about to cut across two lanes knock me off my bike, before turning right? Is that in the special Croydon edition of the Highway Code? Perhaps. It's bloody infuriating and makes we want to start kicking people's cars warning them I'm there.

He also turned right across the path of a bus coming the other way. It was small consolation that I caught the eye of the bus driver and we both shook our heads in a 'what can you do?' kind of way.

[Jacomus]

Yep, standard issue driving nstn

Tonight, I was nearly killed by a WVM. He and I had a slightly different interpretation of the correct procedure for reacting to a yellow traffic light. Thankfully I was able to experience the heady rush of a near heart attack and the delightful music of the so-called 'driver' calling me a variety of colourful names, instead of being dead. Small victories, eh?

When I got to New Cross Gate, I watched a 'driver' pull across the road, utterly oblivious to the blue lights strobing off the buildings. Oh, and the siren. Oh, and the Ambulance that both of those things were attached to. Luckily the ambulance driver was switched on. The 'driver' looked like she had a brown moment when she finally realised that if she didn't brake sharpish, she would drive into the now stationary ambulance! Hopefully she did.  She didn't look anywhere other than where she wanted to go. I accurately predicted what was going to happen before her rear wheels had crossed her stop line.

In summary, that's another 2 'drivers' added to my Wrongfully Allowed to Nearly Kill Erudite Roadusers list and marked for retesting, come the revolution.

[Pancho]

I had another fantastic ride in this morning. Sun just rising and rather chilly - to the extent that I saw a couple of frost patches. But yet another day when I simply exalted on being out in the fresh air.

[Jacomus]

Had a lovely, if very cold, ride in this morning.

I was ill at the weekend and was noticeably down on power this morning, still felt good though and I was thankful that there was little to no wind.

[ian]

The bad: On the way back up London road...

That's standard behaviour for the taxi drivers who park by West Croydon station. Just assume that the little road next the station will fire a taxi at you like little linear taxi accelerator and any taxi parked up by the station will pull out. In fact, for the entire length of London Road is a state of quantum superposition where every car is simultaneously parked and pulling out. By cycling on it, you're effectively a point source of decoherence. Fear not, the burghers of Croydonia are improving London Road by erm, making parking bays.

The Lidl is even worse, I think bad drivers must get some kind of discount there. Half the drivers pull out without looking and the other half just pull out regardless.

[Jacomus]

Last night

A pretty nice ride overall. Traffic around London Bridge was even more insane than normal, and there was a lot of pointless beeping going on from drivers too dim to check whether there was space to pull into before moving off.

Spotted a Lycra Hero steaming down the outside on Borough High Street, overtaking a line of bicycles and motorbikes who were filtering on the outside. He came unglued trying to dive into safety as traffic was approaching. Clipped his left bar on the back of a stationary container lorry and went for an unpleasant looking lie down. Fortunately he wasn't run over by oncoming traffic. I didn't bother to stop as a couple of people went over to him right away.

This morning

I was later than usual, so the heavy traffic added time.

Got quite a view of the rider in front of me when the sun turned her leggings see through

Saw a young lad getting a dressing down from 2 old dears, presumably for cycling on the pavement by the way he hung his head and slunk back onto the road

E&C is having works done and they'd closed the innermost lane, so traffic was even more mental than usual. A taxi driver kindly informed me what he thought of my taking the lane by undertaking me, and shouting abuse when we stopped in the queue for the lights all of 20 meters down the road. I kept schtum and let him get on with it, then he left hooked a cyclist a little further up the road. May cripplingly expensive mechanical failure remove his vehicle from the roads and a whole bunch of zeros from his bank account.

[mcshroom]

Wow! I've never made it to work in under 18 minutes before!
It takes longer than that using the car & shuttle bus.

Glorious sunshine here today. Hoping to go for a long diversion on the way home

[Otto]

Last night

A pretty nice ride overall. Traffic around London Bridge was even more insane than normal, and there was a lot of pointless beeping going on from drivers too dim to check whether there was space to pull into before moving off.

Spotted a Lycra Hero steaming down the outside on Borough High Street, overtaking a line of bicycles and motorbikes who were filtering on the outside. He came unglued trying to dive into safety as traffic was approaching. Clipped his left bar on the back of a stationary container lorry and went for an unpleasant looking lie down. Fortunately he wasn't run over by oncoming traffic. I didn't bother to stop as a couple of people went over to him right away.

This morning

I was later than usual, so the heavy traffic added time.

Got quite a view of the rider in front of me when the sun turned her leggings see through

Saw a young lad getting a dressing down from 2 old dears, presumably for cycling on the pavement by the way he hung his head and slunk back onto the road

E&C is having works done and they'd closed the innermost lane, so traffic was even more mental than usual. A taxi driver kindly informed me what he thought of my taking the lane by undertaking me, and shouting abuse when we stopped in the queue for the lights all of 20 meters down the road. I kept schtum and let him get on with it, then he left hooked a cyclist a little further up the road. May cripplingly expensive mechanical failure remove his vehicle from the roads and a whole bunch of zeros from his bank account.

Saw a nicely crunched taxi oozing fluids near Oval Tube yesterday... looks like it lost an argument with a bus

[Moultonaught]

Rode in later than usual this morning. Cycling through Hyde Park at midday, on a sunny day. which happens to be the Queen's birthday, towards Buckingham palace, is not the best plan in the world!  Anyone for dodgems? 

[Under the arches]

You can tell the weather has turned. 3more cyclists today on a usually lonely A48. Hopefully the wind hasnt turned 180 degrees like last week.
 

[Basil]

Running out of space in the cycle parking area at work. 

[CrinklyLion]

Spring has sprung.

[L CC]

I've just been involved in a spot of commuter racing.
Me : fat, 40s, civvies, ice bike with studs, weekend bag over shoulder
Him : skinny, 30s, all the lycra + helmet, carbon + tri bars, rucksack
Winner : me.


Wtf?

After I overtook him (he must have had his music up to 11 not to hear me coming) he woke up and raced  past.
As I was saying. Wtf.

[Under the arches]

First time for me commuting twice in a week. My legs felt much better this morning, as I seemed to fignt with the bike yesterday morning. Not looking forward to the head wind on the way home though 

[Pancho]

Came home a cross-country route today (all gravel tracks) as a test for the new bike. It proved itself to be superb in this role - its touring tyres a vast improvement over the narrow "audax" tyres on my road bike. And those new bars are proving themselves better all the time - far more control on imperfect surfaces than drop bars.

And, what glorious weather. I'm max-ing out on the sun and blue skies as I get a feeling change is in the air. It'll be grey and wet, UK standard April, come the weekend. But hasn't it been a fantastic few weeks?

[Pancho]

Also today...

Came up behind fit young woman ahead of me. Decided I was one of those 21st century modern men that didn't feel the need to overtake her just because she was a GURL so kept my pace. Then got paranoid about being thought of as lusty bloke spending too long looking at the "view" ahead of me so overtook and put some distance between us. This obviously spurred her on as she started gaining on me. This was not on - and not at all fair as I'd only overtaken out of modesty not sport. Anyway, proved  to myself that I am in fact not a 21st century modern bloke and nearly died putting the hammer down to avoid being overtaken by a mere GURL.

[andyoxon]

Bus stopped ahead and I signalled to overtake, keeping my arm out the whole way passed the the bus and up to my right turn well beyond said bus.  Slowed up & looked over my shoulder (still with arm out) as I was about to turn, and there was some pill0ck overtaking me!   

[Basil]

Came up behind a bloke riding a bso one handed tonight.  In the other (right) hand he was holding a full length snooker cue.  He was letting it wave around all over the place except when he could hear cars behind when he would keep it bolt upright.
I figured there could be a risk of cue in ribs, eye, spokes if I wasn't careful so I dropped back and then built up speed to overtake wide and fast, tailgating a car.  I still called out "Ay up, Sir Lancelot" just in case as I came up level.

[ian]

Also today...

Came up behind fit young woman ahead of me. Decided I was one of those 21st century modern men that didn't feel the need to overtake her just because she was a GURL so kept my pace. Then got paranoid about being thought of as lusty bloke spending too long looking at the "view" ahead of me so overtook and put some distance between us. This obviously spurred her on as she started gaining on me. This was not on - and not at all fair as I'd only overtaken out of modesty not sport. Anyway, proved  to myself that I am in fact not a 21st century modern bloke and nearly died putting the hammer down to avoid being overtaken by a mere GURL.

I'm sure I told a similar story of following a woman all the way from Streatham to South Croydon, eventually having to overtake her so she didn't think I was looking at her rear end, but she overtook me back, and so on. She was a bit faster than me on the starts from the lights, I was a bit faster once I got going (my bike has a lot of inertia), so the net was that we were travelling at much the same speed. It was something of a relief when she finally turned off. Especially as this happened twice with the same person. She must have thought I was hanging out in Streatham waiting. Or possibly I'm projecting my paranoia and she was looking at my arse. A truly modern dilemma. I generally have no urge to race anyone.

South London seemed to be filled with French coaches today. Most piloted by little Frenchies hailing from picturesque sounding little French towns whom, I suspect, were entirely unfamiliar with traffic.

Some chubster in a van took offense at my taking up the space in a pinch point to stop him zooming through and then proceeded to harangue me through his open window. I just pretended I couldn't hear him. Pardon? PARDON? No really, I can't tell what you are saying. He was getting mightily aggrieved by the fact that I apparently couldn't hear his erudite commentary on my cycling. I recommend this strategy, it seems to really wind them up, and his blood pressure already looked to be somewhere north of 100 psi.

[Pickled Onion]

The Limehouse Tunnel was closed yesterday evening due to a fire, so there were miles and miles of stationary traffic. As a good boy, I overtake/filter on the right.

A minicab driver decides he's had enough of waiting, so pulls a swift U turn. Unfortunately he forgot to

a) Look;
b) Indicate; or
c) Think.

So now I have some impressive bruising and a slightly damaged brompton. Bah.