Tales from today's commute....

[martint235]

So today's commute. Left home and saw two cyclists around 100 yards ahead going towards Shooters Hill so even though I'm looking after my ankle I couldn't resist and off I went. Caught the first on the initial ramp onto the hill and set about chasing the second down. I got it to with about 15 yards as we crested the hill but there's no opportunity for a catch after that as it's downhill in traffic .

Onto the South Circular and was pulling away from a traffic light when some smug git went past obviously with the momentum of having hit a green light rather having to start from standing. I think he thought I'd be slow with my Carradice saddlebag. Now, I don't often say "hello" to other cyclists but as I passed him I shouted a cheery "Good morning". I got something like "uhehehoe" back. I think he was having difficulty talking and breathing at the same time. Oh well.

The rest was ok apart from the 3 sets of roadworks. I've had a look at Maps but can't find a way to cut them out without going 4 or 5 miles out of my way.

 

[HarryTheDog]

Due to me putting wieght on since January and it beiing so sweaty this week I was only left with a couple of articles of cycing clothing that fit. So I cycled in looking like a explosion in a paint factory with white,black and yellow decathlon shorts and a old Scott racing team top. I thought I got away with it till work, when the first person I met in the kitchen ( a young lady) asked if I had been dressed by a 4 year old this morning.
Apart from that headwind and why dont most commuters actually use thier drop bars into a headwind and instead sit up like a windbreak.

 

[Simontm]

Lovely, lovely ride in this morning. No wind, just enough cloud to take the edge off the sun, lovely.
More and more people are getting on their bikes - of course none of them heading my direction, no-one ever does

Numpty count: 0

 

[Berk on a Bike]

For some reason this season it seems to only taketh away for me....The SW prevailing winds cause a cross wind along the majority of my commute.It feels like a headwind that turns a 180 every day, meaning I get a head on the way in and head on the way home. I can honestly record only one ride this whole season that wasn't effected by this wind...and that was only at the weekend!

It has been unusually windy the past two or three months. I've just started commuting in that time and I've rued it on many a day. I tell myself not to fight it, but I'm still at the "challenging myself" stage.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Went over a pothole but hard, just as I arrived at work this morning, causing a double p***ture. Mr Well Prepared here had only one inner tube and no repair kit. Right now I'm waiting for a colleague to turn up who I know will be able to save my neck. Lesson learned.

Neck duly saved. Thank god this didn't happen 5 miles from work. And hats off to helpful colleagues!

 

[glenn forger]

Pootling along on a lovely morning and a van driver parked on the right suddenly pulls out, no mirror check, indication, kiss my arse, nuffink, I shout "dickhead!" and the peds turn and watch and one says "Well said mate", and we swarm around the van like red blood cells attacking a virus, overturn it and set fire to it and dance around with the driver's head on a pole. I made the last bit up.

 

[martint235]

Pootling along on a lovely morning and a van driver parked on the right suddenly pulls out, no mirror check, indication, kiss my arse, nuffink, I shout "dickhead!" and the peds turn and watch and one says "Well said mate", and we swarm around the van like red blood cells attacking a virus, overturn it and set fire to it and dance around with the driver's head on a pole. I made the last bit up.

I take it that by "last bit" you mean this bit.

 

[glenn forger]

Nope, one ped said "Well said mate" but to be honest he had his back to me and didn't see what happened but I take support from wherever I can get it.

 

[Karlt]

After a bloody good time going home yesterday (16.5mph; moderately hilly; good for me) a rotten ride in this morning. Legs just weren't interested. Numpty count of 2; idiot in small orange sports car trying to pass on my right approaching a left hand filter leading up to a roundabout - good job I always do a lifesaving shoulder check. And a similarly idiotic twunt further on doing the "overtake the cyclist then cut across to the left hand turn lane oops thought you were only going at 0.0003mph" thing.

Gah.

 

[Simontm]

Either that was a hot ride or I'm melting
Fairly nice ride back but had Friday legs for sure
Numpty count: 1 just after the lights at Worcester Park station heading down Malden Road, some laser alarm company van decided to go into the cycle lane to get round a car turning right with its end sticking out. Fine except I was in the lane so had to slam the brakes on or that would have been that for me

Honourable numpty goes to an absolute twit of a cyclist who firstly kept looking around (I presume he thought I'd race him, not after 10miles on a Friday fella) the went the wrong way round Berrylands roundabout. Caught up with him at Lingfield/ Maple Road where he went early before the lights changed and did the same at the next set of lights. I overtook him, because on Maple I cruise at around 20mph (a year ago I wouldn't have said that! ), and then slowed down as I knew I wouldn't make the lights. He sped past and through the reds at Brighton road, pillock

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Amateur mistake, realised I'd rode 96.22 miles today when I loaded my data up, wish I'd of checked nearing home, a trip around the village may of been done! Would of loved 200 in 2 days, hey ho, there's always another time I guess.

 

[J1888]

Cabbies...you'd think driving for a living they'd be pretty good...I find a large minority of them to be bad drivers with a pretty obnoxious attitude.

 

[Spartak]

This morning's commute I decided to count the number I passed and then compare it to the number of passes on Strava. So I crossed paths with about 100 cyclists and 9 logged their journey on Strava. And on the homeward journey it was about 65 and 6 on Strava.

Also spotted a pothole on the cycle path which I've reported, between Hambrook lights and the M32, it's appeared since this morning on the really narrow section and although the surface hole is only 2x3 inches the hole underneath is bigger, so watch out @Spartak ! Though I'm hoping S. Glos took me seriously when I pointed out any cyclist who hit it at speed could end up in the 50mph carriageway just over a foot to the left!

Came home that way tonight M32 - Hambrook lights & the said pothole has been filled :-)

 

[summerdays]

Came home that way tonight M32 - Hambrook lights & the said pothole has been filled :-)

Well they rang this morning about 8 AM so I hoped they were going to, though they couldn't find it at first as they were looking on the ring road! I was having a complicated day so I got a lift most of the way.... Which I was really glad at the end of the day that I didn't have my normal commute left, it was one of those days when I'd have knocked over an old lady to get to a glass of wine!! It wasn't the commutes they were fine just the bits in between!

Order has been restored to the world and the glass of wine is beside me.

 

[Tomtrumps]

A rather pleasant, damp morning which was both quiet and lacked much wind. I was quite surprised that I made good time without a bunch of other cyclists to keep me honest!

And... broke through the 1,000 miles for the year. Chuffed with this as the most I'd done for the previous 38 years of my life has been about 50.