Author Topic: On the commute today  (Read 2462886 times)

TheLurker

  • Goes well with magnolia.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20275 on: 13 April, 2018, 09:12:13 pm »
Quote from: Kim
Quote from: TheLurker
Mind you being marked up for repair means bugger all.

It means you get to sue them for bike/collarbone damage.
Aye. It's one of the reasons I'm so diligent about logging them but I'd rather they spent the money fixing the bloody things quickly than forking it out for people/vehicle repairs and leaving them marked but unpatched for weeks on end.
Τα πιο όμορφα ταξίδια γίνονται με τις δικές μας δυνάμεις - Φίλοι του Ποδήλατου

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20276 on: 17 April, 2018, 08:09:14 am »
Irlam locks are open again, as long as you ignore the 'temporary path unsuitable for bikes' sign, so I'm wearing grooves in the road again. I reckon United Utilities & Peel Holdings come from a different path surfacing school to Sustrans.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20277 on: 17 April, 2018, 03:40:21 pm »


Slightly illicit cycling on the pavement last night (at 11-30pm, so zero pedestrians around) around the roadworks on Garrad's Road at the side of Tooting Bec Common.



On the plus side, that meant shiny new tarmac this morning, so the first lot of crappy road has been sorted (not terribly clear on Google Streetview, but there was a sequence of 'conveniently' placed potholes and general poor surfaces along that stretch).

The resurfacing machines seem to be parked up there, so I'm hoping they'll continue along with the next bit of road this evening, albeit I may need to find a better way to avoid it all, if I leave at a time with a greater incidence of pedestrians.  I'm crossing my fingers that eventually they'll get as far as the approach to the railway bridge on Bedford Hill, which last time they resurfaced, they seemed to carefully leave as it was, consequently it's degraded to a really poor sequence of potholes now.

Until this winter, that was the only really bad sequence of potholes on my entire commute, but the snow and ice this year seems to have opened up a bumper crop of a some really large dangerous potholes, none of which have yet seen any attempt at repair, even though several would pose a significant threat to buses or HGV's, let alone cyclists. :o
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20278 on: 18 April, 2018, 08:27:28 am »
Shorts! Woo and indeed hoo!  :thumbsup:

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20279 on: 18 April, 2018, 08:05:59 pm »
What a morning! Warm, slight tailwind, freshly pumped tyres, freshly de-skogged and oiled chain, lights removed. Glorious. About the only thing wrong was that work wasn't far enough away.
Rust never sleeps

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20280 on: 19 April, 2018, 08:03:32 am »
Made the saddle and bar height tweaks to allow for summer shoes on the way in, that's next week's weather stuffed then.

Riggers

  • Mine's a pipe, er… pint!
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20281 on: 19 April, 2018, 09:01:31 am »
First time cycling with just a T-Shirt on (yes, jeans as well, for those wags about to comment) and it's gloriously warm. Clear blue skies, no wind. Normalcy is returned to the amount of traffic, as the schools are fully back, and the little darlings have to be dropped off, despite the warm weather.
Certainly never seen cycling south of Sussex

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20282 on: 19 April, 2018, 07:15:50 pm »
91miles yesterday to Basingstoke and back to visit Apollo . I then another 10 miles with Apollo on his stoke lodge bike before ridding back to slough. I stopped at Dinton pastures and had a pot of tea on the way out and was given a pasta bake with salad at stoke lodge for lunch . Although staff new I was coming we didn't tell Apollo so he was most surprised to see me .oh and I was very surprised to complete the ride on just one battery and still have 1 bar left on the display. It is not particularly hilly route though  :)
the slower you go the more you see

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20283 on: 20 April, 2018, 08:23:30 am »
That's helluva commute cycleman  ;)

Slashed a tyre in a major way on a busted bottle, this on the tubeless bike, the plugs are holding but I was hoping to use these tyre's for Deano's ride next week and I don't think I trust the front with two such big gashes in over that terrain.

ian

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20284 on: 20 April, 2018, 09:45:44 am »
I commuted in yesterday for the second time this year. I sort of lost my mojo somewhere at the end of last year, crap weather and aggressive motorists, over and over, I just wasn't enjoying it. Anyway come January, the bike sat in the garage.

Yesterday probably didn't improve the motorists but it was a nice ride in, even along the dieselly A23. Unfortunately, owing to after-mothership beer, I decided to the get the train home. Which proved to be the sort of mistake that anyone who uses Southern trains is painfully familiar with (not entirely their fault, it seems someone had decided to place themselves in the way of a train, coupled with the usual array of signal failures). Anyway, getting a full-sized back onto overcrowded trains is always fun.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20285 on: 20 April, 2018, 07:37:59 pm »
Oh bugger  :-[ that post should have gone into the have you been out today thread . If the mods wish to move it........... :)
the slower you go the more you see

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20286 on: 23 April, 2018, 06:30:52 pm »
Went on the grass to avoid woman on psyclepath, got shouted at to 'keep on your side". Then she realised her mutt (on obligatory extendable lead) had the entirety of the path.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20287 on: 24 April, 2018, 11:57:14 am »
This morning I had a challenge: I needed to get into town, pick up my laptop, get to a meeting on the other side of town (so, dressed in civvies all the way), coming back an alternate route and needing my laptop for a Dublin flight early tomorrow a.m. The obvious route was simply public transport, but I deeply loathe the squidgyness of all my local stations. My answer: try the new dockless bike rentals to Stratford, thence on public transport.

I joined both of my local schemes – ofo and urbo – and discovered that ofo appeared the most usable (drop anywhere inside the operating city) and there was a bike within 100m. Off I wombled, and no, I didn’t stop at Stratford, how could I squeeze onto a train when there was another option? and dropped my ofo bike on Southbank.

My ofo experience was interesting. The bike is a little lighter than the Doris Dykes, similar 3 speed gear train, small-ish front basket. Brakes appeared better, seat adjustment worse, the highest setting was too low for me, but I can see how casual users might prefer that, or not noticing. The position is very upright, along with trying not to work up too much of a sweat in civvies meant that it took half as long again as my normal commute, so likely c 9-10mph average overall. It was interesting joining team slow for the ride and, although the MGIF cycle path riders made it a less than relaxing experience (and I can see how they could be intimidating for new riders) overall I could just bimble. Only incident was someone who attempted to overtake up the inside as I was stopped for a ped on a zebra, clipping and narrowly avoiding a full on entanglement. In response to my assertion that he was being very clever, he explained this was his second day cycling, at which stage I was nicer to him.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20288 on: 24 April, 2018, 01:52:17 pm »
The resurfacing machines seem to be parked up there, so I'm hoping they'll continue along with the next bit of road this evening ...

They didn't, they just parked all their equipment on the road for several days, before it was presumably needed elsewhere.  It disappeared with no further work.  Oh well, some removed potholes is better than no removed potholes !

Last night, they closed my route across Sloane Square, so I had to get creative with the pedestrian crossings.  Looking on the appropriate webpages, it seems that this route should be clear tonight. :)
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20289 on: 25 April, 2018, 07:24:34 pm »
Overtook and very briefly chatted to another cyclist this morning. I commented that it was very busy (for Somerset values of busy, of course). His response was that it was to do with it being Wednesday.  ???
"No matter how slow you go, you're still lapping everybody on the couch."

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20290 on: 26 April, 2018, 08:25:13 am »
I got a lesson in just how fast a strong rider on a fast bike that's been electrified can go. Coming through the dip on Church Road I knew he was on my wheel but I'm pretty quick up the other side so didn't think too much of it, but bugger me he came past like I was standing still, doing 25 mph on the false flat to Urmston (massive tailwind) the gap was steady, it wasn't until the run under the M60 and I could wind it up past 30mph that I caught him, he had a major surprise wobble when he realised I'd managed to close the gap, then he sat on my wheel for the next 3 miles.

I'm supposed to be taking it easy  ::-)

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20291 on: 29 April, 2018, 09:49:26 pm »
Me. For the first time this year and I can't remember when I last rode in.
The difference today was a sensible start time (07.15) and a favourable weather forecast.
When I got up it was raining but I resisted the siren call of the duvet and the extra hour in bed that it would have granted and I was rewarded by a dry but cold ride to work.
On the way home I detoured for pre-arranged beers with friends (TT Landlord if you're interested) and then it was back to theirs for dinner.
Lovely, and I feel ever so virtuous.

I'm not sure when I'll ride in again.


Pingu

  • Put away those fiery biscuits!
  • Mrs Pingu's domestique
    • the Igloo
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20292 on: 30 April, 2018, 09:00:51 am »
Longs were back on this morning.

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20293 on: 30 April, 2018, 01:18:39 pm »
Blue bmw went past me this am and the driver had a large tupperware box in her left hand and on stopping in the queue at a roundabout to join the M62 she had her spoon in her r/h to continue her breakfast  ::-)

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20294 on: 01 May, 2018, 12:48:13 pm »
I doned a commute today. And it was sunny. And only one prat (a WANKPANZER which overtook as some traffic lights changed and cut in whilst braking. Which would have been okay, except for the 8ft trailer they were towing.).

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20295 on: 01 May, 2018, 02:57:24 pm »
Tooted at by a bus driver where there were 2 lanes so no shortage of space for him to pass. I noticed him signalling towards the cycle lane painted on the footpath. I smiled, waved and thought what a knob....

Mostly I really enjoy my commute and have little or no problem with cars/busses etc. I must say though, the number of people I see just bowl through red lights on bikes I can sometimes see where the drivers irritation comes from but there are PLENTY of cars going through reds as well! Anyway, it's still more fun than taking a stuffy, packed tube!

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20296 on: 01 May, 2018, 03:16:50 pm »
Traveling on (what used to be) the Tottenham Hale gyratory along Monument Way (clockwise) and keeping up with traffic when I got a deafening blast of horn from the artic directly behind me - then another - and another.  As we parted ways when I peeled left & him right, we both slowed to "have a word".  "You're not allowed on this road" he opined in a very broad east european accent. 

That took the wind out of my sails - I wasn't expecting that, more the usual anti-cyclist crap.  A second later I confirmed in my own mind that of course I was allowed on that road, but a split second too late to pass the information on to to multi-wheeled twat.
The sound of one pannier flapping

SoreTween

  • Most of me survived the Pennine Bridleway.
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20297 on: 02 May, 2018, 08:51:16 pm »
First commutes since mid December this week due to a posting to Italy.  Didn't commute there by bike despite having one with me as the road between Marina di Massa and Marina di Carrara averaged one death per month.
Back in Woking I was worried my mojo would take a hit having DNF'd a ride at the weekend and finding myself massively unfit for the pimples in these parts.  Nah, grinning like a loon tonight under clear blue skies.  The pint of Thurstons Best and another of Dorking Dark Noise helped but it's there alright.
2023 targets: Survive. Maybe.
There is only one infinite resource in this universe; human stupidity.

vorsprung

  • Opposites Attract
    • Audaxing
Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20298 on: 02 May, 2018, 09:03:50 pm »
Got back to the rack at the railway station after a 45 minute train ride following a hard day chained to a hot computer

The rear on the Ridley was stone cold flat and I didn't have a pump with me

Had to phone up for the van.  Fortunately Mrs V was at home

Re: On the commute today
« Reply #20299 on: 03 May, 2018, 08:27:10 am »
Found a transit van towing a water bowser to chase, enjoyed that, got some legs again.