On the commute today

[LindaG]

Stopped at a junction to cross Brixton Road and the block to my left said "That is a very yellow bike".  Not much I could say other than "Of course, it'd be faster if it were red."

I wore Madison D'Arcs today, to try and protect my eyes from the dry, cold wind.  Unfortunately, they tend to steam up while I'm stopped at lights and clear up a little after.  This caused me not to see ice around a drain just beyond one set of lights; the result must have looked just like the effect when Lucy pulls the ball away just before Charlie Brown kicks it.  Although I did not say "Good Grief".  Came down hard on my right thigh and elbow.  Fortunately, nothing but a couple of bruises and I went straight on. 

Bruce, a similar event led to me buying studded tyres this year.  I'm glad there wasn't more damage.

[clarion]

Yes, I'd missed your post, Linda, but that is really shitty behaviour.  I think we can all expect more in the next few months

[vorsprung]

Coldest morning yet

I was wearing a scarf and two long sleeved base layers (plus coat gloves etc) but arrived at work with no sweat being made.  Usually I wear a little too much and I'm damp at work

Mostly the roads were clear and even dry but I did walk around some ice

One dicey moment on a descent where there was ice across most of the road as I approached at 20mph+ But when I was right on top of it I could see there was a big gap right where I was going straight

DHL for the ice tyres from Germany says "27.11.10 02:40 Hours    Köln, DE, The shipment is being transported to the destination country"

[geoff]

A horrid 8 miles in today: Dry? yes. Ice? not much. Problem was the general minus 10 - ness of it all plus a huge tailback, necessitating  a couple of miles of riding in the (not completely empty) oncoming  lane. I can't do alert and frozen at the same time it seems. Tomorrow I think I'll take the long way in (MTB across the fields).

[spindrift]

I was as nervous as a virgin at a prison rodeo this morning, snow lay on the quiet roads and slush on the main roads, terrified of slipping on the ice. Haven't missed a day's commute since January but may have to get the bus tomorrow if this carries on.

[itsbruce]

Is the bike in questions a flo-yellow steel fixie kinda thing, maybe with Bridgestone or something similar written on it?

Was just thinking about this:  "Bridgestone?  Madison?  Not very similar.  Hang on, hang on...  The Bridges of Madison County!"

Have you just outed yourself as a reader of chick lit (or watcher of chick flicks)?


I was delayed in changing out of my lycra, this morning, because of a network incident.  When I finally got around to removing my bib tights, some skin from my thigh came with them.  Aargh.

[DrMekon]

Got hit by a heavy snow flurry about 10km in. In the space of two corners the road disappeared under settling snow. I stopped for 5 minutes, and started to ride home. Suddenly the sun broke through and the road started to clear. I was considering heading back on to work when a postie came riding towards me. I turned straight around and headed back in. Average temp (according to sporttracks) over the 33km was -1.3c. By the time I got to work, the top half of my waterbottle was full of ice.

[gordon taylor]

I managed OK this morning on the studded tyres, but they still can't cope with frozen ridges. Some very nervous wobbly moments ensued, but I didn't actually fall off.

Sliding about on fresh snow at 10am on Saturday morning is a hoot, but trying to get to work on the same stuff at 7am on a Monday is grim. Strange, that. 

[CrinklyLion]

...a legitimate target for abuse, screaming, leaning on car horns ...

I wasn't holding anyone up.  I was riding in the traffic, at the same speed as the cars, and meeting the same cars at every junction/traffic light.

I feel really fed up now.  If I could've got a lift home, I would, but no-one was going my way this morning and the buses are cancelled.  I hate conflict and being shouted at by strange aggressive men in vans.  It's horrible.

They were just embarassed because you are clearly much, much, much harder than them and you showed them up for the bunch of lightweight wusses that they are.

I always used to threaten to get Boudica-esque blades fitted to the wheels of the buggy to contend with the insanity of York streets in the tourist season.  Perhaps, in the same style, you need even spikier winter tyres 

[alexb]

I wore Madison D'Arcs today, to try and protect my eyes from the dry, cold wind.  Unfortunately, they tend to steam up while I'm stopped at lights and clear up a little after.  This caused me not to see ice around a drain just beyond one set of lights; the result must have looked just like the effect when Lucy pulls the ball away just before Charlie Brown kicks it.  Although I did not say "Good Grief".  Came down hard on my right thigh and elbow.  Fortunately, nothing but a couple of bruises and I went straight on. 

Try putting a squirt of Pledge onto the lenses and polishing it off gently. The silicon is supposed to disperse water. It works really well on rainy days, might just work for the fogging problem as well.

Disclaimer: My glasses rarely fog up.

[Jacomus]

I wore Madison D'Arcs today, to try and protect my eyes from the dry, cold wind.  Unfortunately, they tend to steam up while I'm stopped at lights and clear up a little after.  This caused me not to see ice around a drain just beyond one set of lights; the result must have looked just like the effect when Lucy pulls the ball away just before Charlie Brown kicks it.  Although I did not say "Good Grief".  Came down hard on my right thigh and elbow.  Fortunately, nothing but a couple of bruises and I went straight on. 

Try putting a squirt of Pledge onto the lenses and polishing it off gently. The silicon is supposed to disperse water. It works really well on rainy days, might just work for the fogging problem as well.

Disclaimer: My glasses rarely fog up.

I used to have Madison D'Arcs, and nothing I did stopped them steaming up. They would even do it if my speed dropped below 6-8mph.

I solved it by getting new glasses.

[Jacomus]

Three words: Exhilaratingly bad weather


I arrived at work like this ---> 

[Pippa]

I wish I had worn my ski goggles.

[The Seldom Killer]

12 miles, an hour and a half.

I nipped out to the end of our drive to check and the traffic was moving well, alas by the time I'd got back to the house and saddled up and walked back to the A57 it was a parking lot.

It remained that way across JNCT 31 of the M1 and as far as the eye could see so I abandoned the bypass and went through Aston. Getting up into Handsworth was proving difficult, not because of the icy roads so much as the long string of driving fail. Fortunately half way up someone in a small car was busy trying to burn off his front tyres and ahead of him the road was clear giving me a clear shot to the top.

Much faster after that save a couple of tricky lights and junctions and into my nice warm office just on time. Hoping things will be a lot clearer on the way home.

[fuzzy]

I had my first cycle commute since 11th November thsi morning.

Snow on the side roads, with sleet in the air.

Nut shrinkingly cold temperatures.

Eejits in 'cages' taking me not riding dead centre of the cariageway as an invitation to overtake.

Foggy glasses.

Loved everyminute of it

Fuzzy is back on the road

[cyclone]

No snow, a few patches of ice and road populated by numbskulls- cut up 5, 5 times !and one t|**t, no make that 2 pulled straight out in front of me (at 17mph) !

Tempted to post on Rant thread,but the students will see the language if I dont watch it....

[clarion]

Snow but no ice.  It was quite fun, but I didn't like the way many of the drivers were behaving.  Idiots.

Far fewer cyclists on the road , but that meant fewer RLJs, which was nice.

snow in the eyes made it difficult in places, but the larger flakes were easier to deal with.

Cold, wet, tired, but happy.

[DrMekon]

Average temp of 0.5c. No ice, some unmelted snow. Nice ride in.

[David Martin]

Snow, slush on the major roads. Some packed down to ice on the minor roads. I'd left the rear tyre a bit soft so it bottommed a few times but fortunately was able to borrow a pump and get a bit more air in ready for the journey home.

..d

[her_welshness]

Snow but no ice.  It was quite fun, but I didn't like the way many of the drivers were behaving.  Idiots.

Far fewer cyclists on the road , but that meant fewer RLJs, which was nice.

snow in the eyes made it difficult in places, but the larger flakes were easier to deal with.

Cold, wet, tired, but happy.

+ 1. Although the drivers on my commute were behaving themselves.

I got into work having worn 2 pairs of socks as well as two pairs of overshoes and my toes were still wet.

[Regulator]

Great commute today...

Although I did have to laugh at the University cycling club chaps (who are Cambridge's equivalent of London Dynamo riders) who were trying to negotiate the ice of the DNA path on slick 23s. 

[Wendy]

Great commute today...

Although I did have to laugh at the University cycling club chaps (who are Cambridge's equivalent of London Dynamo riders) who were trying to negotiate the ice of the DNA path on slick 23s. 

Did you use a recumbent trike?  That's good for the ultimate snow/ice smugness factor.   

[Regulator]

Great commute today...

Although I did have to laugh at the University cycling club chaps (who are Cambridge's equivalent of London Dynamo riders) who were trying to negotiate the ice of the DNA path on slick 23s. 

Did you use a recumbent trike?  That's good for the ultimate snow/ice smugness factor.   

Yep.  Regina has a nice knobbly tyre on the back and was regally sailing through the ice.

[The Seldom Killer]

Far fewer cyclists on the road , but that meant fewer RLJs, which was nice.

I admit to some RLJing this morning. Just where peds had pushed the button and then realised that there was either no traffic or the traffic was already stationary. That and where gridlock rendered traffic lights meaningless. I considered avoiding stopping and starting again justifiable under the circumstances.

[David Martin]

Great commute today...

Although I did have to laugh at the University cycling club chaps (who are Cambridge's equivalent of London Dynamo riders) who were trying to negotiate the ice of the DNA path on slick 23s. 

PMSL - that path is lethal with slicks when it rains, let alone a light frost. Ice would be really 'fun'.

We have a chap up from Cambridge - he came out on our flat club ride and thought it was hilly. He then discovered the real hills on the hilly ride. When he heads back home for the holidays he will be laughing - not notice the slight drags in the fens.

Local riders are very cautious with ice after some serious accidents last winter (broken hips).