On the commute today

[cyclone]

Took out the good bike o ascertain whether I'd risk it on tomorrows lanes for Dr.Fosters jaunt....So much easier to ride than the winter tank but which will be better when the road is slick 23 gatorskins or 28 Marathons?....

[vorsprung]

I think that was the coldest one this year
The fog in Taunton didn't help
Nice skies when above the fog though

I'm sure my toes will defrost...eventually

[clarion]

I had to advise someone not to overtake on a bend when there was oncoming traffic, and the back of a standing queue of traffic was clearly visible ahead.  He didn't think he'd overtaken me  Someone like that doesn't deserve to have a licence at all.  In fact, this being Mitcham, he probably didn't.

I think my level of annoyance was still showing as I overtook the line of traffic.  I saw a door part open ahead, so I was into full alert mode.  But the driver just dropped some litter, and closed the door.  I picked up the litter, not sure what I was going to do, since the window wasn't open.  But he opened it, and I passed the thing to him, saying, 'I think this is yours'.  He thanked me, then closed the window.  He may have thrown it back on the road when I was out of sight, but I can't know.  I'm just pleased that I had got him to take it back.

[itsbruce]

Short sleeve top today.  Shame I don't smoke, or I'd have tucked a pack of 20 into one rolled-up sleeve, just to show all these soft southerners.

I'm told I'm hard to buy presents for.  Friends and family complain about it.  This Christmas, one particular person's gift to me was delayed by the weather.  And delayed again - some people's distribution/paperwork systems seem to have taken a while to recover.  It finally arrived today and was promptly opened.  "Oh, wow!" I think to myself, "I'll use those right away".  Quick bit of fettling and I'm off, after which the distractions of the daily commute make me forget about them.  Near the end of the trip, a motorcyclist draws level to me and tries to engage my attention.  I assume he wants to talk about the asshole coming the other way who, having pulled into our lane to overtake a truck, didn't feel in a hurry to return to his own lane and had brushed past us both.  He gesticulates vigorously, poninting downwards.  "Oh, no," I think, "what's gone wrong with the bike?"  "Nice shoes, mate!" he says, "Where did they come from?"  "Um, Dromarti."  "Really nice.  Class." he replies and speeds off.

See?  I'm not hard to buy for. 























They are very nice.  Thank you.

[Riggers]

Yeah? I bet you said 'Dromarti' in a high-pitched quavering northern-girly voice.

Absolutely nothing happened on my 2 minute commute today.

[itsbruce]

Yeah? I bet you said 'Dromarti' in a high-pitched quavering northern-girly voice.

Absolutely nothing happened on my 2 minute commute today.

Soft Scots brogue, as it happens

[Wendy]

Magnatom squeek special, you mean!   

Last night's commute was awesome, just pleasure all the way.

[clarion]

Yeah? I bet you said 'Dromarti' in a high-pitched quavering northern-girly voice.

Absolutely nothing happened on my 2 minute commute today.

Soft Scots brogue, as it happens

Are you sure that soft brogues are best for cycling?

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Are you sure that soft brogues are best for cycling?

Definitely good for the Tweed Run though.
I definitely do see Bruce in a deerstalker and cape, gracefully gliding along darkened Edwardian streets on a Pedersen.

[itsbruce]

Are you sure that soft brogues are best for cycling?

Definitely good for the Tweed Run though.
I definitely do see Bruce in a deerstalker and cape, gracefully gliding along darkened Edwardian streets on a Pedersen.

Aye, but you've been told about your Laudanum habit, John.

[tonycollinet]

Took the trike for the first time today - and surprisingly I was only slightly down on my normal average speed. Had to work harder for it though.

Was much fun. Only downside from a commuter point of view - it is not suitable for zipping down on the outside of a line of traffic - or I don't have the confidence for it yet.

First of many I suspect.

[hackbike six]

Commute 11 (Last Wednesday) Manhole cover missing just past Mile End (going towards aldgate),early in the morning....couldn't find a cop car for love nor money...or anything else for that matter...

Commute 15 (yesterday) My first SMIDSY at the Mile End junction just past the tube station going towards Aldgate...

Even with my Hi-Viz and lights people are either in too much of a hurry or don't bother looking properly.Still it's a rarity which probably makes it more dodgy.

[perpetual dan]

Glad it was a bit mild and damp today, I forgot my gloves.

[Andrij]

Commute 11 (Last Wednesday) Manhole cover missing just past Mile End (going towards aldgate),early in the morning....couldn't find a cop car for love nor money...or anything else for that matter...

I was going to suggest Bow Road Police Station, but it doesn't open until 08:00. 

I've been in the UK for quite a few years now but still can't get used to the concept of a cop shop with opening hours.
 

[Pippa]

Ooof. That hurt. I don't think I'm over my lurgy quite yet 

[itsbruce]

Had a run of green lights all the way from Battersea Bridge up to Kensington Road.  Must be a conjunction of the planets.  Of course, there are some cyclists for whom this would make no difference but I leave them in my dust   One cyclist of whom that could not be said was the largish girl in the pink waterproof jacket, racing to catch the green light at the Kings Road junction.  If you are reading, please accept my assurances that my shout of "You go, girl!" was entirely unironic.

[clarion]

Rather faster without the headwind, but only just back up to normal speeds.  And everyone else was faster today, too.  We swept in a large peleton of about twenty through Stockwell and on to Elephant & Castle.  Very very impressive for January.  Can't wait to see what's happening in summer.

[Notsototalnewbie]

The Stockwell cyclsts did look fast today (I normally watch scores of them swoosh by as Cam potters around the dog park on the edge of my estate). I do keep an eye out for Clarion but none of them were you today.

Having enjoyed an eejit-free year so far, it came to an end today; some twit aggressively tooting me as we set off from the lights at Lambeth Bridge roundabout. I turned round and made a 'what?' gesture and he shut up. Another cyclist commiserated 'what an a**ehole' and I concurred. The poor soul's frustration was understandable - I must have been delaying him terribly, as I went past him at every single set of lights until I turned off into the cycle-only bit at the end of Waterloo bridge.

To balance out the eejit, though, a nice van driver stopped and left space for all the cyclists to go around some road works in the bus lane. As I went past him I smiled and said thanks.

[TheLurker]

*sigh* Looks like the bottom bracket is on its way home.  *Grumble*

[Ham]

Commute 11 (Last Wednesday) Manhole cover missing just past Mile End (going towards aldgate),early in the morning....couldn't find a cop car for love nor money...or anything else for that matter...

Commute 15 (yesterday) My first SMIDSY at the Mile End junction just past the tube station going towards Aldgate...

Even with my Hi-Viz and lights people are either in too much of a hurry or don't bother looking properly.Still it's a rarity which probably makes it more dodgy.

Last week I was getting increasingly grumbly about the way the workmen had left the drain covers along Stratford High Street. "How much trouble would it have been for them to throw down some road filler" I intoned to myself, in high dugeon (they were bad, weren't they?) On the way home each day I said to myself "I'm going into the site office to complain." Of course I didn't but the thought waves seem to have done the job by Thursday

[Sergeant Pluck]

Took my long-fingered gloves off today during my commute, both directions: hands too warm. Also too warm for longs: the legs may come out tomorrow.

[simonp]

Mr National Express coach driver. If I am riding up the A10 through Harston at 30kph and you start tailgating me, what did you expect?

[vorsprung]

It's gone from clear to murky this morning
Visibility was poor, it was windy too

[Chris S]

Mr National Express coach driver. If I am riding up the A10 through Harston at 30kph and you start tailgating me, what did you expect?

That's a horrible piece of road. I can appreciate why you took us all over the place to avoid it at the end of the Hauxton 200. I didn't do the detour, thinking I knew better and took the A10 and was so very close to being squished by a Twat-in-a-TT.

[clarion]

We set off this morning together - Butterfly with plenty of time.  I had a minor mechanical, but decided to continue.  Then Butterfly's brake cable snapped. 

We turned back, and changed bikes.  I grabbed my tourer, which is still wearing the wide knobbly cross tyres I was using for snow, but which have poor p*nct*re protection   Butterfly switched to a folder.  Not ideal for the distance, but at least both brakes work

So we then rode in together.  Both a wee bit late, but we still got to ride and have fun.

Huzzah for the fleet!