On the commute today

[Nuncio]

I've been seeing the same cyclist coming the other way on my commute 2 or 3 times a week for the last 7 or 8 years.  The roads are pretty empty when I ride in in the morning and it's rare I see more than 1 or 2 other cyclists, so it felt odd that he didn't respond to a greeting. So I gave gave up trying for a while.  Then I noticed we were exchanging nods of acknowledgement. That carried on for a few years until the fairly recently, when we'd somehow developed a hand-off-the-bar-but-understated wave. This morning I had to stop to change Etrex batteries and just as I was finishing, there he was, pulled up by me, asking if I'd got all I needed, tubes etc? I said I was OK and it was good to say hello at last. He chuckled and went on his way. I don't know why but the exchange pleased me inordinately.

[telstarbox]

I read something similar about commuters from rural railway stations - after 5 years of seeing each other on the platform you might nod, after 10 years you might mutter "morning".

[andyoxon]

I usually say hello when I pass someone a cyclist out here in the Oxfordshire sticks, but rarely get a response.  And, yes, I do give them plenty of room... 

Lovely ride in this am.

[Si S]

Irlam locks is narrow enough that careful negotiation is required, you generally see the same people, so there's a few I speak to, nod. Infrastructure, bringing people together 

[TJG]

Today I learnt... snow really really hurts when it gets in your eyes.  Over about 20 mph it seems to be sucked into them!
Luckily I had a clear pair of glasses in my bag.

[Si S]

Lots of ice about today, a portion of it being in my rear brake cable 

[Pingu]

Yet we had sub-zero temperatures this morning, but I saw no ice apart from outside a fish processors 

[hatler]

My first ever experience (in fifty years on my bike and in my car) of black ice this morning, on Kennington Park Road just before Newington Butts, CS7. (And I worked in the Alps for three Winters.)

‘Like a skating rink’ is an understatement. Two went down ahead of me, then me, and another one before I took to doing point duty and spent the next 90 minutes standing in the bus lane gesticulating wildly at all those on bikes to stay out. Water main leak under the pavement was flooding the road and vehicles splashing the water around meant the pavement was icy as well as the road. The bit that looked icy, was icy, and I avoided that. The bit that looked like a puddle, was a puddle (fresh water flowing in) and I avoided that in case there was ice under. What caught me out was that the bit that looked damp was black ice. Even after I took up my post someone didn’t listen and went down after passing me. One motorcyclist rather charmingly told me to ‘fuck off’, I soooo wished he had gone down.

I’m absolutely fine (I was ready for it). Bike brake lever shifted round (no problem). No scuffed clothing and thankfully my newly taped handlebars appeared to be scuff-free.

I rang 999 and got put through to the police. They said they would send someone. No-one appeared. I looked around vainly for a spare traffic cone, but none was in sight. I rang the police again after about half an hour. ‘Yes, I can see your previous call. The Fire Brigade have been alerted.’ Finally, after 90 minutes a highways unit turned up and they had grit so I left for work.

Lots of motorists in the jam for the lights stopped to chat, ask what was going on, commend me for my public spirit. Quite a few pedestrians too. One woman explained that the leak has been there since December and she has told Thames Water about it, but because it’s not a major leak it’s way down their priority list. They also claim it’s Lambeth Council’s job. Lambeth Council say it’s TfLs responsibility. The Police apparently pass the buck in a similar manner.

I reckon the NHS would save money if they put someone there all day to avoid extra entries in the fracture clinic queue.

Shambles.

[Kim]

I took to doing point duty and spent the next 90 minutes standing in the bus lane gesticulating wildly at all those on bikes to stay out.

Chapeau!

[matthew]

My first ever experience (in fifty years on my bike and in my car) of black ice this morning, on Kennington Park Road just before Newington Butts, CS7. (And I worked in the Alps for three Winters.)

‘Like a skating rink’ is an understatement. Two went down ahead of me, then me, and another one before I took to doing point duty and spent the next 90 minutes standing in the bus lane gesticulating wildly at all those on bikes to stay out. Water main leak under the pavement was flooding the road and vehicles splashing the water around meant the pavement was icy as well as the road. The bit that looked icy, was icy, and I avoided that. The bit that looked like a puddle, was a puddle (fresh water flowing in) and I avoided that in case there was ice under. What caught me out was that the bit that looked damp was black ice. Even after I took up my post someone didn’t listen and went down after passing me. One motorcyclist rather charmingly told me to ‘fuck off’, I soooo wished he had gone down.

I’m absolutely fine (I was ready for it). Bike brake lever shifted round (no problem). No scuffed clothing and thankfully my newly taped handlebars appeared to be scuff-free.

I rang 999 and got put through to the police. They said they would send someone. No-one appeared. I looked around vainly for a spare traffic cone, but none was in sight. I rang the police again after about half an hour. ‘Yes, I can see your previous call. The Fire Brigade have been alerted.’ Finally, after 90 minutes a highways unit turned up and they had grit so I left for work.

Lots of motorists in the jam for the lights stopped to chat, ask what was going on, commend me for my public spirit. Quite a few pedestrians too. One woman explained that the leak has been there since December and she has told Thames Water about it, but because it’s not a major leak it’s way down their priority list. They also claim it’s Lambeth Council’s job. Lambeth Council say it’s TfLs responsibility. The Police apparently pass the buck in a similar manner.

I reckon the NHS would save money if they put someone there all day to avoid extra entries in the fracture clinic queue.

Shambles.

Hatler

Well done on stepping forward. If you contact Thames Water with the location of the leak and explain that it is causing Black Ice to form then it should jump it up their list to an urgent response. but I only say should not that it will.

[hatler]

I got on the blower to TfL and Thames Water as soon as I got into work and explained the urgency. TW already have a licence in place for the works which expires on Feb 14th. The TfL chap seemed completely unbothered by the whole thing, despite the fact it's a Cycle Superhighway and a red route.

Neither of them seemed to comprehend that the current situation is life threatening.

To cap it all I had an automated text from TW this morning asking how I would rate their service desk. How they can focus on such trivialities when their core infrastructure is causing a clear and present danger to hundreds of people is beyond me.

[ian]

I had similar issues with a big diesel spill. Local council to Surrey Highways, to police, and back. No one seemed terribly bothered.

Never ever got a final response, fortunately there was torrential rain later in the day which I assume washed the worst of it away.

[LittleWheelsandBig]

Diesel is slippery but also destroys asphalt, so the surfacing would have needed replacement.

[ian]

Some chance, it's Surrey (despite being the richest county, levying a high council tax, and providing very few services, there's never 'any resources').

The problem is that you only ever speak to call centres and they don't care. They just (preferably) pass you on or enter it into 'their system'. The council told me to call 101 if it was urgent. The police said Surrey Highways should clear it. I've no idea if they ever did, like I say, there was a period of heavy rain which did the job.

[mcshroom]

There's a reason I use a flashing light at times on my commute, and don't like parts of it in certain weather.

I had to help with a location for a 999 call on my way to work yesterday. A driver of a Ford Focus had driven round a right hander, straight towards the low sun (and wet road glare), and then driven into the back of a dog and dog walker, which he "hadn't seen because of the sun".

The walker (and friend) seemed ok, but the poor dog looked to have been hit hard enough to throw it onto the grass verge. It was being kept still and consoled by the walker, while the driver was ringing the emergency services (that can include an emergency vet I found out).

In the end I decided there was nothing I could help with further, so I carried on to work; though I did avoid a later bit of road that was on the same alignment and took a longer way in.

I hope the dog and walker are ok. Why people don't slow down when they get dazzled by the sun is really beyond me.

[Si S]

I hope the weather forecast is right, all a bit dicey on slicks in that much sitting hail but it's supposed to be up to 8 degrees this afternoon.

[SteveC]

Good ride back tonight. A couple of spots of commuter racing. Passed one chap, similar age to me, hybrid, no hi-viz, no helmet, no tail light (but it wasn't dark so no problem). He was being very sedate as I overtook him on the way into the village. However as I was going up the slope (it's not really that much of a hill) to my turn off, he came sedately past me.
'You should get a battery'

Oh well. Gave us both a bit of a laugh...and the time may come.

[mcshroom]

It was light enough to only need the 'be seen' lights on the way home this evening. We're almost through the period of those long dark commutes

[TheLurker]

Indeed we are.  As I headed out this morning, just after 6, the sky in the east definitely had light in it and I come home early enough that I don't need lamps at all now.

In other news.... barn owl and bunnies work bound.  A flock (30 to 50) of what I took to be field fares on the way home and was also overtaken by a mobile chippy hmmm what a _delicious_ smell.

[Feanor]

I'm back on the main road alternative right now, due to ice on the back roads and cycle paths.

I get about one angry BEEP a day with a shout of 'Get on the cycle path!"

This is as I am filtering through stationary traffic on the congested dual carriageway between Hazelhead and Kingswells, where they are being held up by...

[Pingu]

I used occasionally to get that on Market Street filtering through the stationery traffic. Haven't had it for a long time. I expect when Market St, Union St and King St have been emptied by the opening of AWPR it will all be cycling heaven.

[Andrij]

At times I consider strapping a torch to my hand for the evening commute.  Then I can shine it directly in the faces of all those ******* don't know how to position their front lights properly.

[Kim]

At times I consider strapping a torch to my hand for the evening commute.  Then I can shine it directly in the faces of all those ******* don't know how to position their front lights properly.

Motorists? 

[Andrij]

At times I consider strapping a torch to my hand for the evening commute.  Then I can shine it directly in the faces of all those ******* don't know how to position their front lights properly.

Motorists?

Hah.  Other cyclists.  Cars actually haven't been much of a problem.

[Tim Hall]

I took the long way home this evening, through Reigate and then across Reigate Heath to Leigh. Cartloads of cars heading the other way, nose to tail in places, as they all try to find a way through the congestion caused by the M23 being closed northbound.