Tales from today's commute....

[LoftusRoadie]

Thanks. My Hubby's dream is to get me on a tandem!

Crikey - didn't even know that was possible! Must be quite painful I would imagine
Oh and don't say/think "only" 7.5 miles - don't compare yourself to other people, just compare yourself to yourself. That way you'll enjoy it more (it works for me).

 

[LoftusRoadie]

So I'm never really sure what to do when it starts raining lightly in the morning. Was too hot to put on my rain jacket but by the time the rainfall increased I was too wet to bother putting it on anyway.
Luckily it's a very light running t shirt so will have dried out by the time I ride home tonight.

 

[ianrauk]

So I'm never really sure what to do when it starts raining lightly in the morning. Was too hot to put on my rain jacket but by the time the rainfall increased I was too wet to bother putting it on anyway.
Luckily it's a very light running t shirt so will have dried out by the time I ride home tonight.

In these temps there's a absolute no need for any sort of rain jacket. Specific cycling (& running) jerseys take very little time to dry out.

 

[Ciar]

Yup, the rain was really refreshing this morning. School holidays meant traffic was light too... and 6 weeks of that.. bring it on...

Traffic was light most of the way, but there seem to be a build up in certain roads on my commute which didn't make much sense being that the holidays are about to begin, my wife doesn't break up until tomorrow so i expect the traffic to improve each day going forward ;-)

 

[Simontm]

Absolute peach of a ride home...if not for the wind.
Despite that, light traffic both in the roads and through the Recs.
However, Numpty count: 1 Westmead today is obviously one for impatient/not looking crossing as to complete the pair, a bloke bombed out of the side road on the right, across me looking to his right until I shouted 'Oi, look!" In his ear as I was nearly sharing his seat. Luckily I was going uphill at the time so speed wasn't a factor

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Strange day, this morning appeared to be still, but it was hard work pedalling in. Tonight was very windy, the commute was more like a training ride than a commute, max effort almost all of the way, but struggling to top 18mph, the bonus was arriving home just before the rain started.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

I did my 1st commute last week. Only 7.5 miles and I found it very difficult. It was all off road however so no traffic to deal with. I have been a couch potato for too long and am trying to turn my life around health wise. Got bike a week gone Thursday and have clocked up 46 miles so far of which I'm extremely proud. Not many for most but a great deal better for me than getting in the car.

I'm 52 and 17 stone. I'm proud to be on my bike and hopefully I will improve, burn up those calories and might even live a bit longer.

Well done, keep it up.

 

[Cannondale Lady]

Yes.... My first 2 way commute. It's actually 8 miles each way not 7.5! That 16 in a day, my most yet. Cmon Christine!

 

[MisterStan]

Nice run home, a sidey-tailwind most of the way, over 20mph average.

 

[hennbell]

Dead skunk on the side of the road, mother of God it is reeking.

 

[HarryTheDog]

The mornings ride was dull, into a headwind then crosswind. Ride home turned into a hoot. Coming out of Canning town I came across a fairlly quick rider who I have seen a few times before. I passed him and he then suprised me by not chasing me. I forgot about him and 7 miles later he appeared as if by magic on my rear wheel.
We chatted at the next lights ( my age a lot taller) then we tore it up a bit through Dagenham, then when we turned left up towards Hornchurch we picked up a tailwind and really started to ramp the speed. He only had a mile or so to go so we did 26-29 mph for the last 3/4 mile pushing the car traffic. Amazing we have been sharing the same route for 5 years, first time we have actually got close enough to each other on the road for a chat. When he turned off I eased off a tad for the last 10 miles
Arrived home dripping with sweat and grinning like a loon.

 

[donnydave]

confined to my metal cage today so I could bring my enormous laptop back and work from home tomorrow - which means more car action to then get the enormous laptop back to work again, probably won't cycle in until Thursday. My legs are going to atrophy and waste away into nothing

 

[Arjimlad]

They've closed a pretty major road near me for M4 bridge repairs - Beacon Lane - so my normal ride home tonight - Perrinpit Lane - was crowded with queuing cars.

Kinda predictable but you know what, I chose to go home that way partly just for the satisfaction of hooning past all of those poor saps stuck in their cars. Am I a bad person ?!

Probably about 25% were using their phones handheld, though.

 

[Poacher]

Dead skunk on the side of the road, mother of God it is reeking.

Brings back memories of rural Ontario. Can smell one from a hundred yards away, and that's upwind of it!

 

[cdx]

This is from this last Thursday's commute but I back then I wasn't on the forum

I didn't see the first part and initially didn't realise what was going on, so it's a bit descriptive.

On my way back home I was going through a section of the road with some building works. It was quite narrow, so a bit difficult for a car to overtake a cyclist. However, it's not a long stretch so usually it's not a problem. I heard a car coming behind me and it's lights illuminated the area around me (it was sometime after 3am). I went a little bit faster so he wouldn't have to drag behind me too long but I wasn't sprinting. Moments later the light disappeared and I thought "Did he turn at the roundabout exit? Did I pass the roundabout exit? ... Anyway." A few seconds later something hit me on the shoulder and a car sped by me, just after the end of the narrow section. I slowed down and looked back and saw some distance behind me a big paper coffee cup rolling about, with its lid off and contents spilled on the road. I turned back ahead and saw the car quite far ahead, slowing down, about to turn past a building and get out of view. Only then he switched his lights on. I actually needed a moment to realise what had happened was that he switched off his lights so I wouldn't be able to see his number plate, waited for me to get to the wider section, threw a full coffee cup at me while hitting the gas (two people in the car?), sped by with his lights off and only switched them on when he was far enough that I couldn't see his plate. Devious.

My first thought after I realised what had happened - "Really?". Second - "Try to catch up to him?... pointless, can't." Third - "Shouting, waving fingers in the air? Won't give you the pleasure, ******." Fourth - "I ought to actually use the action camera I bought."

I didn't stop but got on the pavement a bit later, just in case he (or she) did a spin round the block and decided to do something worse. Being out of long-range ammo and possible disappointment my by my lack of reaction didn't seem like a good combination.

Definitely the weirdest situation I've had cycling. Not the worst, but it was the first thing that had been intentional.

The drink turned out to be something cold with vanilla, of which I had a little bit on my shoulder. Smelled quite nice actually, too bad it went to waste.