Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2510370 times)

clarion · « **Reply #4350 on:** 04 February, 2011, 09:55:33 am »

Great ride in. There may have been a bijou hintette of tailwind.

We can switch off the wind now, if you don't mind, as otherwise I shall be heading directly into it on the way home $:-\$

And I wouldn't mind having a weekend's gentle pootling without having to work into the wind.

her_welshness · « **Reply #4351 on:** 04 February, 2011, 10:21:26 am »

Quote from: clarion on 04 February, 2011, 09:55:33 am

Great ride in. There may have been a bijou hintette of tailwind.

With some side gusts for kicks. I was cycling down Tooley Street last night and the wind was pushing me into the middle of the road, it was quite an interesting experience. Granny ring will be adopted by the time I get into Lewisham methinks

The Seldom Killer · « **Reply #4352 on:** 04 February, 2011, 02:42:02 pm »

The ride in was one of the hardest 13 miles I have ever endured. High winds, heavy gusts and having to lean at near 45 degrees on some of the exposed sections so as not to go careening into moving traffic. I even clocked up my fourth ever so gusty as to almost start rolling backwards.

Looking forward to the ride home tonight and I fully expect to not have to touch the pedals, even up the two big hills on the way.

Deano · « **Reply #4353 on:** 04 February, 2011, 05:09:00 pm »

Begads, that was windy. It seems to have picked up this morning, when there was none worth the mention.

Needless to say, my ride home was mostly against the wind, but the ride in would have been mostly with the wind (if there'd been any). I did think about riding a few miles further into it, so I could come home with it at my back.

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #4354 on:** 04 February, 2011, 06:08:29 pm »

If I did that SCR stuff, then I might have to admit that I got passed by someone on a nippy looking hybrid. But I could also point out that, possibly for the first time ever, I passed 4 cyclists on the way home despite the entertainingly ferocious head wind and carting the massive work-panniers-full-of-biscuits-laptops-and-cables-and-shite. Yes, two of them were riding generic mtbs and were going about 3 mph into the wind (and yes I could really tell the difference once I'd passed them and was battling the wind myself!) but two of them were riding drop barred bikes. I tell you, the world has surely turned upside down....

SlowCoach · « **Reply #4355 on:** 04 February, 2011, 07:27:04 pm »

Was involved in a collision tonight

with a set of airborne wind chimes

No idea where they came from, but it was eerie to hear their tinkling coming towards you as you are battling a wind from the side and then suddenly to find yourself being throttled by something wrapped round your neck and clanking loudly. I managed to stop without dropping the bike and disentangle myself from them. They are now dumped behind someone's garden wall.

If you were trying to stage a stunt like that for "are you being framed" you'd never have managed it.

The bike is ok - my neck is a little tender (and I won't comment on the colour of my underwear)

pdm · « **Reply #4356 on:** 04 February, 2011, 07:40:30 pm »

Well.....
That was interesting.... Did not encounter any windblown chimes but there was plenty of detritus travelling at speed horizontally across my path. It was indeed a trifle windy and gusty. Was blown to a near stop several times despite pushing hard in the granny gear (30x27)! Not able to clock the speed - ran out of geography at 56kph on the downwind bit.

No cycling tomorrow - have to go to Cambridge.

clarion · « **Reply #4357 on:** 04 February, 2011, 08:12:08 pm »

Attacked by windchimes, eh?

It's started, I tell 'ee. The machines will take over. It starts with the windchimes and goes on from there...

itsbruce · « **Reply #4358 on:** 05 February, 2011, 11:13:48 am »

I have a cold, I'm drained and I'm at work on Saturday. I should have come in on public transport - had little energy to fight the wind. Just as well the roads were mostly empty.

Adrian · « **Reply #4359 on:** 05 February, 2011, 11:23:53 am »

That was a bit of a rough blowy commute home yesterday. Why is it that I get the headwind when I'm in a hurry and have been slowed up getting out of work?

itsbruce · « **Reply #4360 on:** 05 February, 2011, 12:16:10 pm »

It was very windy, last night. I am also now very sick of the state of the roads in Lambeth. The number of dangerous potholes has grown dramatically over the Winter and the council seems to be doing nothing about it. There are now many junctions and roads which have to be navigated carefully. Last night, on my way up Bedford Hill, my front wheel went into a hole with such a thud that I thought I was going to be thrown off my bike, which would have been fatal in that traffic. The wind and close traffic didn't leave me space to avoid it and a tumble would have been nasty.

Wendy · « **Reply #4361 on:** 05 February, 2011, 06:32:52 pm »

Got passed (nicely) by a council rubbish lorry. Fell in behind at the start of Bromley Hill northbound, and thought he smells a bit odd for a rubbish lorry, kinda metallic. Didn't really think nor pay attention, until the lights went green and we pulled off. I almost lost the front wheel going around the corner, when I realised he was spilling diesel all over the road.

Now torn between pulling over and dialling 999, and chasing him down to get him to pull over and sort it out. Chose to chase him down, but I failed, partly due to me being more careful next to the trail of diesel on the road and the strong gusty wind, so called 999 by the time I got to Catford.

Annoyingly tonight on the way back home, I saw no evidence of a diesel cleanup - the usual white stuff on the road. Should I call the police or the fire service, and should I put in a request to find out how this was dealt with?

Wendy · « **Reply #4362 on:** 05 February, 2011, 07:02:33 pm »

Quote from: Wendy on 03 February, 2011, 11:11:29 pm

Glad you're OK Deano! I also crashed my bike tonight, cranking it round a tight corner and then got blown to the kerb by a strong gust of wind. Glad I'm only a foot off the deck!!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/u1r4H5awPy0&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/u1r4H5awPy0&rel=1</a>

LOLOL!

Wendy · « **Reply #4363 on:** 05 February, 2011, 07:29:12 pm »

Quote from: Wendy on 05 February, 2011, 06:32:52 pm

Got passed (nicely) by a council rubbish lorry. Fell in behind at the start of Bromley Hill northbound, and thought he smells a bit odd for a rubbish lorry, kinda metallic. Didn't really think nor pay attention, until the lights went green and we pulled off. I almost lost the front wheel going around the corner, when I realised he was spilling diesel all over the road.

Now torn between pulling over and dialling 999, and chasing him down to get him to pull over and sort it out. Chose to chase him down, but I failed, partly due to me being more careful next to the trail of diesel on the road and the strong gusty wind, so called 999 by the time I got to Catford.

Annoyingly tonight on the way back home, I saw no evidence of a diesel cleanup - the usual white stuff on the road. Should I call the police or the fire service, and should I put in a request to find out how this was dealt with?

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/QFK7VQF1UZU&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/QFK7VQF1UZU&rel=1</a>

This one was also nearly an oops crash too, I lost the front wheel completely for a moment.

Deano · « **Reply #4364 on:** 05 February, 2011, 11:01:01 pm »

Quote from: Wendy on 05 February, 2011, 07:02:33 pm

Quote from: Wendy on 03 February, 2011, 11:11:29 pm
Glad you're OK Deano! I also crashed my bike tonight, cranking it round a tight corner and then got blown to the kerb by a strong gust of wind. Glad I'm only a foot off the deck!!

LOLOL!

Oh dear. I might have laughed a bit at that

At least it was away from traffic.

Wendy · « **Reply #4365 on:** 07 February, 2011, 09:05:40 am »

Quote from: Deano on 05 February, 2011, 11:01:01 pm

Oh dear. I might have laughed a bit at that

At least it was away from traffic.

Good, you should have laughed!! I did too.

Jacomus · « **Reply #4366 on:** 07 February, 2011, 09:55:48 am »

Quote from: Wendy on 05 February, 2011, 07:29:12 pm

Quote from: Wendy on 05 February, 2011, 06:32:52 pm
Got passed (nicely) by a council rubbish lorry. Fell in behind at the start of Bromley Hill northbound, and thought he smells a bit odd for a rubbish lorry, kinda metallic. Didn't really think nor pay attention, until the lights went green and we pulled off. I almost lost the front wheel going around the corner, when I realised he was spilling diesel all over the road.

Now torn between pulling over and dialling 999, and chasing him down to get him to pull over and sort it out. Chose to chase him down, but I failed, partly due to me being more careful next to the trail of diesel on the road and the strong gusty wind, so called 999 by the time I got to Catford.

Annoyingly tonight on the way back home, I saw no evidence of a diesel cleanup - the usual white stuff on the road. Should I call the police or the fire service, and should I put in a request to find out how this was dealt with?

This one was also nearly an oops crash too, I lost the front wheel completely for a moment.

That is quite some patch of diesel left at those lights.

itsbruce · « **Reply #4367 on:** 07 February, 2011, 09:58:55 am »

Nice racey ride in, this morning. Unimpressed by the tit on a red road bike who undertook me on a couple of corners. Stopped thinking about the wind after the first couple of miles.

Rimnod · « **Reply #4368 on:** 07 February, 2011, 10:55:24 am »

Terrible run in this morning. Persisting it down, cold 15mph head wind (from the North), flooding, much to the delight of the moton's who all appeared to be on a mission to get in front of me and then triple park as close to the school gates as possible (this is permitted of course because they have 4 way flashers on BMW's, 4x4 and Fiat 500's) so their 'little darlings' did not get wet going from the car and into school. Buy them coats you tight fisted moron's.

....................and relax

Adrian · « **Reply #4369 on:** 07 February, 2011, 10:57:24 am »

Quote from: Adrian on 05 February, 2011, 11:23:53 am

That was a bit of a rough blowy commute home yesterday. Why is it that I get the headwind when I'm in a hurry and have been slowed up getting out of work?

I reckon that, had I just sat there this morning, I would have been blown to work eventuality.

vorsprung · « **Reply #4370 on:** 07 February, 2011, 11:09:42 am »

Feeling a bit monday morningish, sluggish, rough, demotivated
Blown uphill by the wind
Stopped twice to remove/put back on items of clothing as it is warm but the wind makes it cold

Riggers · « **Reply #4371 on:** 07 February, 2011, 11:16:15 am »

Did back in Saturday morning attempting to bend down and put running trainers on. Spent weekend alternately on floor, in hard chair, watching an awful lot of TV and reading. Drove in to work this morning. No cycle commute. Well, if you can call it a commute. More like a slight drift or cycle-amble in to work.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #4372 on:** 07 February, 2011, 04:11:25 pm »

I walked this morning as the weather was the sort of weather that makes people drive like fuckwits and I was only going to the City Chambers, which is less than a mile away. However, I did pass a bike locked outside a shop, with an attached trailer which contained a blue bucket of soapy water. That seems like an odd thing to cart around by bike.

arallsopp · « **Reply #4373 on:** 07 February, 2011, 04:58:48 pm »

Having given up on sleep, I headed into the office around 6. Gotta say, it was warm, still, and lovely riding out there. Looks like everyone else was having adventures whilst I was safely tucked up under my desk.

pdm · « **Reply #4374 on:** 07 February, 2011, 07:20:46 pm »

This wind really is getting a bit tedious now....

Blown across the road once and almost off it once more...
Clocked at 64kph on the one suitable section before I ran out of geography.
A moton also had the effrontery to beep at me for wobbling

Author Topic: On the commute today (Read 2510370 times)

Rimnod