On the commute today

[Regulator]

What is it with pedestrians who step out looking, if they look anywhere, to their left?

Maybe they are FOREIGN TOURISTS.

It used to happen regularly when I commuted to UCL.  People would come out of Goodge Street tube station, look left and walk into the road... and Tottenham Court Road is a one way street. 

99.9% of the time they'd be plugged into a diePod or on their mobile.

Twice I saw people hit by cars - and the drivers were definitely not at fault.

[clarion]

I'm really tired after only getting to bed at a ridiculous time in the morning.

And my bum's a bit sore after more than 200km on the honeymoon

But I still managed to average 25.4kph.  Which was nice for something I'd decided would be a slow ride

[vorsprung]

I saw a deer this morning, up the top of the Blackdowns near Wellington Monument

I wasn't early or anything.  More often see them when it is more twilight at commute time.

[SteveC]

I saw a deer this morning, up the top of the Blackdowns near Wellington Monument

I wasn't early or anything.  More often see them when it is more twilight at commute time.

I once saw one in the middle of the road on my lunchtime ride.  Near Ham Hill, not that far from you.

S

[perpetual dan]

Apologies to the rider coming up behind who called "whoaa" as I braked a bit hard when a car I was fairly sure hadn't seen me started moving from the outside lane to the inside, where I was.
Went the long way in and out today, and missed the rain, but pushed a bit hard from one set of lights so took it easy on the resulting tender knee.

[GruB]

I missed the rain too, thankfully.
The old fart in the black Golf only just missed me too, thankfully.
I remained Zen like.
Strong tailwind on the way home but my bloods were really low even after sucking in a gel before I left.

[Andrij]

What happened 5 minutes from home?  The heavens opened.

What happened when I got home?  It stopped raining.

*sigh*
 

[clarion]

Took a long way home.  Met Butterfly.  Got rained on.  Had a cup of tea.  Got home.

[pdm]

Heavy rain all the way to work. Passed a soggy smelly badger corpse.
Heavy headwind but partly sunny all the way home. No other cyclists to overtake for the first time in a week.
Got shouted at by a chav in a chavmobile - too windy to make out what was said. Ignored it.
10 minutes longer than usual summer commute time. 

[LindaG]

Heavy rain all the way to work. Passed a soggy smelly badger corpse.
Heavy headwind but partly sunny all the way home. No other cyclists to overtake for the first time in a week.
Got shouted at by a chav in a chavmobile - too windy to make out what was said. Ignored it.
10 minutes longer than usual summer commute time. 

Makes a difference, doesn't it? I get ten minutes more duvet time in the summer.  Bliss.

[TheLurker]

Lovely new crescent moon, followed by a glorious sunrise.

[clarion]

Lovely commute today.  Quite fast with slower interludes.

I got scalped by a quartet of fast lads on Upper Tooting Road, but I hauled one of them back in before Balham.  Passed loads of riders all the way, and arrived at work with a huge grin.

[Oaky]

Where has all the traffic gone?

[clarion]

Dunno.  Gone off on holiday, I expect, but, from the number of bikes out on CS7, I would guess that a lot of the usual gridlock have left their motor cars at home and pedalled in

Unprecedented numbers of bikes near Oval & Stockwell last nght.

[CommuteTooFar]

As I currently regard the narrowing of a dual carriage section to single lane due to resurfacing as dangerous and unsuitable diversions (No right turn - ride a mile around a roundabout) .  I have been looking for alternative routes so last night   I decided I would go past Miskin Manor (Hotel now) so I turn into the road from Miskin village past the Cricket ground where the Manor's grounds begins.  Discover that  there is now a fence across the road to stop people doing this complete with the sign asserting private property    Probably not a right of way even though it is a direct route between Miskin and Groes Faen.

[Notsototalnewbie]

Waiting at the lights in the contraflow cycle lane in Vauxhall st next to the big Tesco. Kingsmill lorry (mahoosive thing) is trying to turn left into the very narrow road. Can't make it, has to back up and try again ad infinitum. By now he's made me and other cyclists miss our green phase because he's blocking the road for us and the vehicles behind him. Yes, the stupid thing is much too big for little London roads, but he appears to think this gives him the right to abuse whoever's in his way.

I get on the pavement because it seems he's not going to make it without driving over me. He still toots me because, apparently, he also wants to drive on the opposite pavement which I am now standing on with my bike (because his turning circle is so big) and I am *still* in his way.

We had a full and frank exchange of views, it must be said. People tooting me for no good reason sends me a little bit mad.

In other news, yes there is less traffic today, apart from round by Waterloo where it was so bad I got off and walked as there was no room to filter (and there is a kerb down the middle of the road).

[itsbruce]

Generally a pleasant ride in but with two stand-out wankers.  First one was the worst: just as the lights went green on the north side of Battersea Bridge, a prick on a white hybrid came racing down and did a skid-stop right in the middle of the group of cyclists and bikers who were just moving off, before turning left through the group.  A tall and tubby member of that group then distinguished himself by RLJing on both the Kings Road and Fulham Road, through busy traffic.

[Andyf]

Strong head wind from Stratford to Oxford st all the way, At Stepney green some one tried a scalp after using me as a wind break for a mile, was down on my Mtn bike handles in a TT postion and pulled away......hang your head in shame!

[dkahn400]

Guy on a beautiful carbon bike and carrying a very light pack tried to draft me this morning. Fortunately he wasn't really on my wheel but hanging back about a bike length and I was able to ride him off by steadily increasing the pressure over about a mile. Just as well because I was blowing so hard by this time I couldn't have kept it up much longer.   

[mrcharly-YHT]

Took a long way home.  Met the missus Butterfly.  Got rained on.  Had a cup of tea.  Got home.

FTFY

[Redlight]

For no reason other than to add some extra interest to the journey I decided to count things

On a 7.5 mile ride into the City (of London) around 7am:

4 cyclists riding through red lights, one on a pedestrian crossing
2 Borisbikes in use
27 cars/vans driving through red lights
4 male drivers using hand held mobiles, one holding it propped up on the steering wheel watching a video of some sort!

I'm sure there were lots more "interesting" things but there's a limit to the number of things I can keep in my head.

[rower40]

I missed the Oggy Oggy pastie van at lunchtime today, so I ventured out to the nearby Sainsburys.  As I set off, the pastie van went past, with the driver unable to indicate or change gear, as her right hand was holding a mobile phone to her ear.

So they've lost my custom for the rest of time.  Now I just need to arrange a boycott by the rest of my work colleagues.

[clarion]

Last night's commute was unusual.  I set off as normal, but, when I got to Clapham Common, I turned round & went back.  I hadn't forgotten anything, but met Butterfly, and we went together up to the Southwark Needle to meet with Southwark Cyclists for an Afterworker ride to the Woolwich Ferry.  Sadly, we lost a rider or two very early on (before Tower Bridge ), but the rest of the ride was fun.  Cobbles, absurd cyclepaths, a first try of Cycle Superhighway 3 (very different from 7), and a swift arrival at the Ferry were all features of this ride.  Last time we tried this ride, I was, for complex reasons, on my Woodrup, and I got a p*nct*re in the last couple of miles, so we missed the ferry by about thirty seconds.  I was on Marathon Plus this time, and we were all more determined. 

I like ferries, and I hadn't been across this one by bike, so it was very enjoyable.  We then started back along the south bank of the river, where the route is appalling.

Most of the group stopped at the Anchor & Hope for a quick drink, but we pressed on.  Unfortunately, we hadn't got a map.  Fortunately, this wouldn't have mattered a bit, because the path round the Dome is very different from last time we came through, and is Rubbish.

Eventually, after being brought in a big loop, we decided to head for greenwich, where we got a train home (well, to Croydon).  45km for the ride home in all.

[clarion]

This morning's commute was also with Butterfly.  I need her to stoke.  Did I not mention we're on the tandem today?

[jogler]

You two seem to spend a lot of time together.Have you considered marriage?