On the commute today

[Notsototalnewbie]

Ham, I think most of us are guilty of making assumptions like that from time to time about usually deserted roads…glad you are relatively ok.

Cut up and forced into the kerb today, clipping a pedal. It was all very low speed, I was perfectly fine so I carried on, but another cyclist asked if I was ok which was nice.

I thought it was just another white van, and indeed it was, but this one had the Met Police logo on the door   

[matthew]

Go on - road safe it 

[clarion]

It happens, Ham.  That's a shocking pie e of cyclepath, at least as far as junctions are concerned.

You looked.  That's the important thing.

[fuzzy]

Ham, I think most of us are guilty of making assumptions like that from time to time about usually deserted roads…glad you are relatively ok.

Cut up and forced into the kerb today, clipping a pedal. It was all very low speed, I was perfectly fine so I carried on, but another cyclist asked if I was ok which was nice.

I thought it was just another white van, and indeed it was, but this one had the Met Police logo on the door   

Report it to the Metropolitan Police themselves. Did you get any identifying numbers from the van at all? Part registration or other identifying number?

Report it even if you didn't.

[bloomers100]

Dropped the kids at school and rode in daylight, what a novelty, I saw stuff and that.

Ham, nstn glad you are both okay.

[Andrij]

Eeek! Glad ham and nstn are OK.

A comprehensive defeat on the Tour de Commute this morning — of me.  Repeatedly.   Lots of idiots on the road, too, mostly on bicycles.

Left home much later than I usually do - after 08:00 - and was very surprised by the number of cyclists on CS2.  After seeing how many of them cycle, I'll definitely be making an effort to avoid CS2 at that time of day.

Still, if was good to be on the bike.

[Si_Co]

Lots of idiots on the road, too, mostly on bicycles.

Oh yes especially the unlit salmon cyclist who decided to cut across the junction I was turning left into in order to mount the pavement depsite my big wavy arm signal, she looked non-plussed when she got an earful of abuse advice. I was actually relatively polite, for a given value of polite

[Redlight]

Lots of idiots on the road, too, mostly on bicycles.

I was  tempted to have words with the Ninja Fixie who rode straight through a group of pedestrians crossing on the Embankment this morning, but when I caight up with him I realised just by looking at his expression that his was a Radio 1 mind in a Radio 4 world, so didn't bother.

[Wendy]

On Saturday's commute:

Thank you for your comments, it is so nice to get encouraging feedback.   We will pass them on to our fitter, W******.   My husband was in the passenger seat and is a keen cyclist so they certainly noticed you and told me about you when we met up later that morning.

Safe cycling

C******

(I wrote a company a letter of compliments for their driver's superb driving).

[rower40]

On Saturday's commute:

Thank you for your comments, it is so nice to get encouraging feedback.   We will pass them on to our fitter, W******.   My husband was in the passenger seat and is a keen cyclist so they certainly noticed you and told me about you when we met up later that morning.

Safe cycling

C******

(I wrote a company a letter of compliments for their driver's superb driving).

Clearly a standard letter straight out of C:\Documents\Forms\Fobbing%20%Off%20%Cyclists....

No, hang on...
 

[Ham]

Oh ffs. Realised I was sub-optimal, decided to leave early and ride home (mostly) in daylight. At Whitechapel/Mile End Road junction, oncoming numpty just HAS to turn right in front of me. I brake. On diesel. Clothes and me (hand) damaged worse than this morning.

Not my day.

[Feline]

Oh ffs. Realised I was sub-optimal, decided to leave early and ride home (mostly) in daylight. At Whitechapel/Mile End Road junction, oncoming numpty just HAS to turn right in front of me. I brake. On diesel. Clothes and me (hand) damaged worse than this morning.

Not my day.

Cripes, you are having a bad day!! Hope the hand GWS 

[jane]

Commiserations and hopes for better/safer/bump free rides to work to all you YACFers who have had grump inducing commutes so far this year.
     2012 has, so far, been good to me.  Keeping my fingers crossed it remains that way.  Another terrific morning commute, which I extended in my usual fashion on such mornings via Greenwich and Blackheath. Another wonderful big moon, brilliant through the clouds and so warm I ended up in short sleeves climbing up through Greenwich to Blackheath.
My homeward commute is at a less unusual hour than the work bound.  Noticing that the slightly lighter traffic of last week is well and truly back to its usual mad chaos through Peckham.

[Wendy]

One of our friends:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1</a>

[matthew]

Fabulous ride home this evening, 14 miles: 50 minutes and no aggro from any drivers. 

I can only assume my tail wind had got up again

[Kim]

One of our friends:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1</a>

*wince*

I'm still nervous about cornering since that happened to me last year 

[interzen]

Fabulous ride home this evening, 14 miles: 50 minutes and no aggro from any drivers. 

I had a good homeward run this evening, too - one of my colleagues said 'have you considered going $DIFFERENT_WAY', and since the level of the river has dropped enough to make the riverside paths usable again, if a bit muddy, I thought 'sod it' and went home the way he suggested, via the university and the Mil-loony-um Bridge. Only a couple of km longer than my more direct route, but much more fun if you factor out the complete donuts who walk along an extremely unlit path wearing dark clothing 

Whilst waiting at the lights near the barracks one guy asked me where I got my retina-ripping front light (a Serfas True-500) from, and on the road up into the village I got flashed at by an oncoming car so I guess the light must have been doing its job (or it could have been the Cyo, or the Alpkit Gamma on my helmet)

Think I'll try the same route the 'opposite' direction tomorrow (and in daylight!)

Been a while since I've had as much fun on the bike ...

[perpetual dan]

I actually rode the bike, which was nice.
Well done for still being here to those having a less good time of it.

[Ham]

One of our friends:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/Be9zGY5LofA&rel=1</a>

Horrible feeling isn't it......

(even if some don't have as far to fall  )

[Kim]

(even if some don't have as far to fall  )

That's cancelled out by invariably landing on something expensive.  Bar-end shifters are practically a consumable item on a USS recumbent...

[TheLurker]

Lost for words.

Seen on the A417 at Ampney Park (a racetrack despite the 50mph limit) .  It's pitch black and what comes towards me?  An idiot riding a bike with no front light at all and the feeblest of rear lights. 

[Si_Co]

On the way home last night encountered two bike police stopped in a side road for a bit of a chat and pointed out to one of them that his rear light was pointed at the floor and got a cheery "thanks mate"

Very wet today

[SteveC]

Lost for words.

Seen on the A417 at Ampney Park (a racetrack despite the 50mph limit) .  It's pitch black and what comes towards me?  An idiot riding a bike with no front light at all and the feeblest of rear lights.

There's been one of those on the unlit NSL road out of Yeovil several times recently. He does have a rear light, but I've no idea how he sees where he's going. I've commuted that route for the past eight winters and it is scary if my main light fails!
And he had the cheek to wave fingers at me when I didn't dip my headlights for him recently. (he seems to be riding towards the village at about the same time we tend to be driving in the opposite direction when going out for the evening)

S

[Wendy]

There's been one of those on the unlit NSL road out of Yeovil several times recently. He does have a rear light, but I've no idea how he sees where he's going. I've commuted that route for the past eight winters and it is scary if my main light fails!
And he had the cheek to wave fingers at me when I didn't dip my headlights for him recently. (he seems to be riding towards the village at about the same time we tend to be driving in the opposite direction when going out for the evening)

S

Now I'm not condoning the clown with no front light, but I can kinda sympathise with his view. He's probably built up some excellent night vision, only for some c@nt with a super bright light to ride towards him and destroy it so he's now all blind.   

[SteveC]

I have a certain amount of sympathy as well, and have been keeping a better look out for the idiot since and have been dipping my lights when I see him.  Seeing him is of course the problem!

S