On the commute today

[Ham]

I didn't want to start another major "who rides best" theme. Let me say that he was riding well and safely, and none of the annoyances were truly dangerous.

My point was only: same ride, different experience.

[Wendy]

Fair enough Hatler, I was just thinking more about the close pass when I wrote that. My point is sure, the better we ride the better for everyone, but on the other hand we should be very careful not to excuse the fairly obviously described incidents of bad driving in Ham's topic. We're not all perfect, and most times something serious happens it's taken more than one mistake to make it happen.

[rower40]

3 days, 3 different bikes.

Onna brommie today because I'm off on a train soon.

[Oscar's dad]

My next commute home to Essex from London is likely to be next Wednesday.  Those of you that have expressed an interest (and I remember who you are) have just been sent a PM.  Same drill as last time, grand depart from Paul Street at 1800hrs.  Please note, this plan could be subject to last minute changes so please don't make a special effort if you are thinking of tagging along. 

Rather than take up lots of room in this thread it's probably better if we make arrangements via PM.

[clarion]

My commute home today was a bit unusual, because I wasn't at my usual work.  I went from Waterloo to London Bridge to pick something up, then back to Waterloo and round to Lambeth Bridge.  Along Embankment to Putney, then up Putney Hill and down into Wimbledon.  Up over Rose Hill and down home.  Beating, on fixed (with a slightly sticking rear brake), two hills which cause me trouble on my tourer when I first came to London.  Having now ridden up Gipsy Hill, College Road, Richmond Park and that stupid road in Wimbledon, I think I've now done on fixed every London hill which once made me get off and walk.  Mind you, I've never ridden Swain's Lane.

[Jurek]

My commute home today was a bit unusual, because I wasn't at my usual work.  I went from Waterloo to London Bridge to pick something up, then back to Waterloo and round to Lambeth Bridge.  Along Embankment to Putney, then up Putney Hill and down into Wimbledon.  Up over Rose Hill and down home.  Beating, on fixed (with a slightly sticking rear brake), two hills which cause me trouble on my tourer when I first came to London.  Having now ridden up Gipsy Hill, College Road, Richmond Park and that stupid road in Wimbledon, I think I've now done on fixed every London hill which once made me get off and walk.  Mind you, I've never ridden Swain's Lane.

Never you mind Swains Lane.
Two words:
Canonbie Road. 

[clarion]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

[Jurek]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

[ian]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

Also confirm your brakes are working well before abandoning all good sense to the exuberant excess of gravity. Especially if it's rainy. Don't ask how I know.

[clarion]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

I suspect you mean after I've finished spewing my lungs up.  Perhaps one for another day...

[Jurek]

 

[Andrij]

Mind you, I've never ridden Swain's Lane.

I plan to start riding my Hampstead-Highgate Hijinks route, which includes a climb or three of Swains, once again.  You're welcome to tag along.

Please note I shall have a plethora of gears on my bike. 

[Redlight]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

Cracking photo in this report of the London Classic http://2wheelchick.blogspot.com/2011/05/classic-in-london.html

This isn't too far from me - I think I need to go and have a look, from the top

[mrcharly-YHT]

2hours to get home. Partly due to the puncture, but mostly because I rode bask with master Charly, who had ridden in earlier in the day. His legs fell off about half way home, which was a bit of a shock to him <g>

[LindaG]

2hours to get home. Partly due to the puncture, but mostly because I rode bask with master Charly, who had ridden in earlier in the day. His legs fell off about half way home, which was a bit of a shock to him <g>

Ah, bless.  Have a cup of tea and put your feet up pet.

[GruB]

It is going to be tricky as it is pea soup out there.

[L CC]

Yesterday the traffic got to me, quite a lot. The lighter mornings are much worse, and I was speculating that lighter mornings mean it is clearer I am 'just a cyclist' and therefore undeserving of courtesy.
Or it could be that it isn't worse, it's just that Things are stressing me, and my tolerance is paper thin.
Either way, I'm not loving it.

[Gandalf]

It isn't just you, I've noticed it too. The lighter mornings are infinitely worse for close passes and general dilligafitis.

I haven't had time to review the footage yet, but I think ai bagged  two blatant RLJS , one of whom shot through on red and left hooked me while I was waiting.

[Andrij]

That was rather pleasant.   It was good to be back on the Hewitt.

Have only two minor grumbles:
1) It wasn't nearly foggy enough
2) Ended up 0.08km shy of an even 20km.  Must try harder on the way home.

[L CC]

You know that point at which bullying stops makes you angry, and just makes you crumble and want to curl up and die?

That.

I thought I'd forgotten my phone this morning. If I'd realised I'd had it, instead of inching out of the verge and riding on, shaky and tearful, I'd have phoned work and told them to f*ck their job, it's shit, and not worth getting killed for.

There's thick fog, but it's not as thick as drivers who think it's still OK to overtake on a blind corner. It's not. Because O LOOK there's a car coming the other way, you have to swerve in to what little of the road you'd left for me, leaving, well, no road for me.

I'm riding from (around) RAF Honington to Thetford. Please god someone find me something less unpleasant than the A1088 or the A134.
I might ask The Boss if I can change my hours, maybe if I was an hour earlier there'd be fewer bastards in such a hurry?

[jane]

My commute home today was a bit unusual, because I wasn't at my usual work.  I went from Waterloo to London Bridge to pick something up, then back to Waterloo and round to Lambeth Bridge.  Along Embankment to Putney, then up Putney Hill and down into Wimbledon.  Up over Rose Hill and down home.  Beating, on fixed (with a slightly sticking rear brake), two hills which cause me trouble on my tourer when I first came to London.  Having now ridden up Gipsy Hill, College Road, Richmond Park and that stupid road in Wimbledon, I think I've now done
on fixed every London hill which once made me get off and walk.  Mind you, I've never ridden Swain's Lane.

Never you mind Swains Lane.
Two words:
Canonbie Road. 

The only hill I've ever bust a chain on.  One side is much shorter and steeper than the other though.  It used to be part of my early morning ride on which I tried to include every peak in the area.  Part of this run got incorporated into the famous Peaks of Lewisham ride led by the inimitable fhills during Bike Week for a few years now.
(cough, cough, splutter, splutter, returns to sofa amid piles of tissues and gulps down a shot of day nurse- no commute today for me).

[Butterfly]

There's thick fog, but it's not as thick as drivers who think it's still OK to overtake on a blind corner. It's not. Because O LOOK there's a car coming the other way, you have to swerve in to what little of the road you'd left for me, leaving, well, no road for me.

I'm riding from (around) RAF Honington to Thetford. Please god someone find me something less unpleasant than the A1088 or the A134.
I might ask The Boss if I can change my hours, maybe if I was an hour earlier there'd be fewer bastards in such a hurry?

That sounds really nasty B . I hope you have a nice calm morning to recover. I should think it's definitely worth asking about going in earlier - I know our commutes are rather different (!) but it made a lot of difference to me - I miss most of the school runs now, which means missing a lot of grumpy people who aren't concentrating and who are already harrassed. I don't avoid them all, but it's much better. Have a virtual tea/gin/calmingbeverageofchoice 
Also if you start an hour earlier, can you finish an hour earlier and have more useful day to yourself (That didn't work for me - I went from 9 or 10 hour days to 11 hour days  )

[jane]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.

Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

Cracking photo in this report of the London Classic http://2wheelchick.blogspot.com/2011/05/classic-in-
london.html

This isn't too far from me - I think I need to go and have a look, from the top

I am just around the corner.  Pop in for a cuppa when you do. 
We have some terrific viewpoints in this part of the world.  Far better, IMHO, than the more famous ones
north of the river. From the top of Blythe Hill, you get an almost 360 degree view of London, you can get a great view of the city plus a bit of offroading thrown in for free, at the top of One Tree Hill and the sweeping view of the city as you glide down from Horniman Gardens back to Westwood Park is lovely, especially at night.
I am seriously OT here so will clear off back to crumpled tissue land.

[jane]

I shall waste no time in searching it out

Its a short, sharp, shock.
Come round for tea after you've finished admiring the views from the top.

Also confirm your brakes are working well before abandoning all good sense to the exuberant excess of gravity. Especially if it's rainy. Don't ask how I know.

On last year's Peaks of Lewisham Ride, a young courier did it fixed. And brakeless. 

[mrcharly-YHT]

You know that point at which bullying stops makes you angry, and just makes you crumble and want to curl up and die?

That.

I thought I'd forgotten my phone this morning. If I'd realised I'd had it, instead of inching out of the verge and riding on, shaky and tearful, I'd have phoned work and told them to f*ck their job, it's shit, and not worth getting killed for.

There's thick fog, but it's not as thick as drivers who think it's still OK to overtake on a blind corner. It's not. Because O LOOK there's a car coming the other way, you have to swerve in to what little of the road you'd left for me, leaving, well, no road for me.

I'm riding from (around) RAF Honington to Thetford. Please god someone find me something less unpleasant than the A1088 or the A134.
I might ask The Boss if I can change my hours, maybe if I was an hour earlier there'd be fewer bastards in such a hurry?

Sorry to read this.

You might find even 20minutes makes a difference. It certainly does on my commute. A bit less traffic and the drivers are generally more relaxed (presumably because they aren't running late for work).