Tales from today's commute....

[martint235]

Well eventful!! I saw what looked like a Fridays top on the A21 crossing the Southend Lane junction at 7.15 heading towards town. Difficult to tell though as he had a backpack on.

Then I punctured a Marathon. Again. Just goes to show you get fewer punctures rather than no punctures. Couldn't see anything in the tyre but it was dark and wet, went round it as best I could then put a new tube in. 100 yards down the road, flat again. I was only about a mile from work so thought rather than waste another tube, I'd walk it to work and change it in the car park. Took the tyre off, huge piece of brown glass in the tyre! How did I miss that? Anyway another tube in. I've no more tubes or gas canisters on me so it's either ride home at risk or find a bike shop!!!

 

[ianrauk]

Nice and quiet on the roads this morning. Only a few schools back today as I guess some have their inset or teacher training or whatever they call their extra day off in the public sector.

A couple of nice and shiny new bikes on the road too. Christmas pressies I reckon.

 

[Arjimlad]

I wish to complain about the dangerous behaviour and attitude of the driver of your vehicle XXXXXXX.

At about 0825 this morning I was cycling to work on a piece of 40mph dual carriageway southbound approaching J16 of the M5. As I passed the Swan Hotel this vehicle "overtook" me. In fact he barely deviated from his line and passed me dangerously close.

Every other vehicle had managed to overtake me with ample room so I decided to politely ask the driver to leave cyclists a bit more space in future when I caught up with him at the queue for the motorway junction roundabout.

On the odd occasion when this has happened in the past, drivers apologise and all is well.

Your driver said that I should have been riding on the pavement. That was his reason for buzzing me so close. In effect, he was deliberately punishing me for riding on the road.

I responded that it was illegal for me to do so and told him to "get real".

It appeared to be pointless trying to be polite and reasonable with this driver so I rode away.

There is a small minority of odd drivers who believe that cyclists belong on the pavement. Of that small minority, even fewer proceed to take action on those beliefs by deliberately passing cyclists too close.

This mistaken belief is not a reasonable excuse for endangering life & limb.

There is a shared use pavement at the point where I spoke to the driver, but not at the point where he passed me. Even so, cycling on the road is perfectly legal and normally quite safe. I do so almost daily without any incident or difficulty at all.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9pmw2ckQSU
is a video produced by British Cycling and presented by Chris Boardman. It explains how drivers should safely pass cyclists.

It is a shame that my first ride to work of the year has featured this driving from one of your staff who are usually notably considerate and competent drivers. I see a lot of your vans around the locality and have used your services in the past. This driver should be offered training in how to cope with overtaking cyclists and warned that cyclists are entitled to be on the road and to receive the same normal courtesy as other road users.

I would appreciate your prompt response to this complaint.

 

[subaqua]

Nice and quiet on the roads this morning. Only a few schools back today as I guess some have their inset or teacher training or whatever they call their extra day off in the public sector.

A couple of nice and shiny new bikes on the road too. Christmas pressies I reckon.

Its far from an extra day off.
The safeguarding update wifey had last year on return to school in September prompted an intervention on a pupil as did the one on FGM last New year. and that's all I know about them that there was two . so it is well worth the effort.

.

 

[HarryTheDog]

I was really surprised to be overtaken by another cyclist 3 miles into my commute, commuters my way, out in the countryside are extremely rare. We went our separate ways a mile later and nobody else till Barking.
I was annoyed the whole way by my Garmin continually telling me I was entering Strava segments and changing to a map screen. I did not know this would happen when I signed up to Strava Premium on the weekend , will have to find out how to stop it, its going to drain the battery and do my head in as I dont chase segments, I am just interested how I did against other ageing cyclists when I finish my ride.

 

[Origamist]

A cool 3C this morning but the rain had abated and this meant for a nice commute in.

I have the remnants of a cold so was a bit sluggish, but the bike was fine!

 

[martint235]

That reminds me, my weather station was playing up this morning. Will have to fix it tonight.

 

[subaqua]

That reminds me, my weather station was playing up this morning. Will have to fix it tonight.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I recently bought one of these for the urban commute.

I also have Fluxient U2 Mini that i bought from the same seller which works a treat but its just far too bright for my urban commute even when its 'dipped'. I still have my usual assortment of cheap £5 cree lights also from ebay which have worked well but i want a something a little more substantial as more often than not the lumens arent what the seller claims they are and there is no way of verifying it apart from googling up what the particular LED used to make the light is capable of.

for £24 the light i linked is perfect and i dont think you can go far wrong with it.

 

[chriswoody]

Well minus five and heavy snow made for an interesting commute to work this morning. The weather forecast is promising more of the same all week. Knew I should have bought some studded tyres!

Funny thing is, as I'm wobbling down the road I'm overtaken by an old lady serenely riding her old clunker like it's a lovely sunny day.

 

[oldyattoncyclist]

My observational skills 0/10, spotted the police car this morning, but missed the rest :--
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/pictur...hieves/pictures-28461429-detail/pictures.html

doh!

 

[chriswoody]

My observational skills 0/10, spotted the police car this morning, but missed the rest :--
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/pictur...hieves/pictures-28461429-detail/pictures.html

doh!

 

[Maverick Goose]

First commute of 2016 today, Mother Nature generously served up some nice sunny weather here in West Dorset!

 

[RoubaixCube]

Tales of today's commute:

What is it with people using front lights as tail lights?

 

[ianrauk]

Tales of today's commute:

What is it with people using front lights as tail lights?

aha.. I saw some one today with a rear light on the front....


ok.. it was a small kid on a scooter