Tales from today's commute....

[HarryTheDog]

No commute yesterday as having to meet burglar alarm service engineer at home. Gave me time to sort out my bike. The vibrating bike whilst free wheeling from Friday turned out to be the freehub, so using a different wheel. Also was a bit heart broken to find the creaking from my right pedal was the metal thread insert in the carbon crank was working loose.( common on that crankset FSA K force light apparently but got 5 years use out of it and it was secondhand) Cant repair that so put on a spare shimano crankset, so no vibrating rear wheel and no wobbly creaking pedal , bike was nicely silent.

Came up to the lights that cross the A127 just out of Harold wood and there was a cyclist already there, mid 30’s matching red with a bit of black and white shorts and top, very hairy legs. He pulled away from the lights slowly so I overtook . He must have been chasing me down as he went past half a mile later into Hornchurch. I overtook him again 200yds later up a hill. He was still behind me coming onto Hornchurch high street but quite far behind. I turned off down Abbs Cross lane, he didn’t.

Then coming into Barking the strap which is part of my saddle bag, holding my rear light broke, the light clattered to the floor but was ok. I turned round and picked it up and put it in my bag. Luckily I still had the 2 other lights will have to rig something up with cable ties for the journey home.

Then coming into Canning town, ( about 15 miles after we first met) who was up ahead but the guy in red again, looking somewhat worse for wear, going at half the pace. I spun past and he never bothered to respond.

 

[mythste]

F******* stupid piece of s*** b****** fairy mother F***** b****.

Ahem.

Had a nasty puncture this morning. Typical. First one since January last year!

 

[Karlt]

Nothing exciting today. There was a NW wind which I suspect was constant rather than gusty because I couldn't really feel it but it slowed me down, if you know what I mean. A few numpties, close passes, usual shite. Bit fed up with the last two miles of Prince of Wales Road being a car park; it's two miles of average 4% with some steeper bits and you can get one hell of a speed down it if it's not full of stationary tin boxes.

 

[summerdays]

I decided to experiment with the route today and choose to cycle past templemeads station. Big mistake, directly into the low sun, I couldn't see anything, traffic lights or road markings, and realised that everything behind me was also suitably blinded! Then I noticed a narrow cycle path on the pavement and decided it was safer than the road in those circumstances.

The reast of the commute was fine if cool!

 

[Ciar]

Nothing to report this morning, slightly colder but no rain and a headwind which was nice!

hopefully tonights return journey is similar without said headwind as my legs just aren't feeling it at the moment.

 

[Blurb]

Came face to face with the latest weapon in The Met's fight against RLJ'ing cyclists, a constable who can see into the future and read people's minds.

Approaching a junction I am very familiar with, the lights turned red and I slowed, hopped off the bike and walked across on the pedestrian cycle of the lights. As I did this I saw two officers crossing the road ahead of me and they approached me. They stopped me and said that I was about to jump the lights and decided not to because I saw them. I tried to explain that I was simply crossing the road and hadn't seen them until dismounting , but was then told by the officer that he has a pet hate of cyclists jumping lights and could write me up a hundred pound fine. At this point I gave up trying to explain and just accepted he wasn't listening.

He gave me a telling off about the dangers of RLJ'ing and sent me on my way. Not happy to say the least.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Came face to face with the latest weapon in The Met's fight against RLJ'ing cyclists, a constable who can see into the future and read people's minds.

Approaching a junction I am very familiar with, the lights turned red and I slowed, hopped off the bike and walked across on the pedestrian cycle of the lights. As I did this I saw two officers crossing the road ahead of me and they approached me. They stopped me and said that I was about to jump the lights and decided not to because I saw them. I tried to explain that I was simply crossing the road and hadn't seen them until dismounting , but was then told by the officer that he has a pet hate of cyclists jumping lights and could write me up a hundred pound fine. At this point I gave up trying to explain and just accepted he wasn't listening.

He gave me a telling off about the dangers of RLJ'ing and sent me on my way. Not happy to say the least.

Oh dearI've had 3 muppets overtake me on the same bend today...what were they thinking?

 

[fossyant]

Came face to face with the latest weapon in The Met's fight against RLJ'ing cyclists, a constable who can see into the future and read people's minds.

Approaching a junction I am very familiar with, the lights turned red and I slowed, hopped off the bike and walked across on the pedestrian cycle of the lights. As I did this I saw two officers crossing the road ahead of me and they approached me. They stopped me and said that I was about to jump the lights and decided not to because I saw them. I tried to explain that I was simply crossing the road and hadn't seen them until dismounting , but was then told by the officer that he has a pet hate of cyclists jumping lights and could write me up a hundred pound fine. At this point I gave up trying to explain and just accepted he wasn't listening.

He gave me a telling off about the dangers of RLJ'ing and sent me on my way. Not happy to say the least.

Erm, why did you need to cross by walking the lights - can see where they might be coming from though.

 

[Blurb]

Erm, why did you need to cross by walking the lights - can see where they might be coming from though.

I walked across to save a little time whilst staying, what I thought, legal. Over my commute I will occasionally do this depending on how I feel and the situation. I can see their interpretation, but they were assuming guilt and that they were right regardless. When he explained his bias against all cyclists because he sees some RLJ'ing I gave up.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

All 15 miles home were a head wind, took me an hour and 20 to cover just 15 miles.
Weather is demoralising in this country.

 

[Karlt]

Came face to face with the latest weapon in The Met's fight against RLJ'ing cyclists, a constable who can see into the future and read people's minds.

Approaching a junction I am very familiar with, the lights turned red and I slowed, hopped off the bike and walked across on the pedestrian cycle of the lights. As I did this I saw two officers crossing the road ahead of me and they approached me. They stopped me and said that I was about to jump the lights and decided not to because I saw them. I tried to explain that I was simply crossing the road and hadn't seen them until dismounting , but was then told by the officer that he has a pet hate of cyclists jumping lights and could write me up a hundred pound fine. At this point I gave up trying to explain and just accepted he wasn't listening.

He gave me a telling off about the dangers of RLJ'ing and sent me on my way. Not happy to say the least.

I would suggest a strongly worded letter of complaint to the Chief Constable is called for. That's absolutely disgraceful behaviour.

 

[martint235]

Well 4 mins quicker than yesterday but still not great. 54 mins compared with 42 in summer. Will need to give it some work. I think a lot of it is traffic though.

No dangerous muppets but there was a fair bit of idiotic driving going on. Worst case was car coming towards me with a huge truck behind him. I'm in a line of traffic with no space to filter. Truck driver is already looking around to see if he can fit through the gap. Car driver parks up thereby narrowing the truck's gap even further to the extent that he has no chance to move. Almost instant gridlock. Got off, pushed bike on pavement for a bit. Clear run up the hill from Penge cos everyone else was still stuck.

 

[Arjimlad]

A stream of traffic overtaking me safely on an open road this morning, all but Captain Cockwomble who buzzes past way too close. I am afraid he earnt a certain Anglo-Saxon archer's salute.

I memorised his number plate as YG03 BWH by thinking Youth Group (or Yoghurt), 03 is the year my son was born, and Benson with Hedges. But it emerges that this number does not belong to a Vauxhall Astra estate but to a Nissan Almera Tino.

Not only a dangerous driver but an illegal shyster to boot ?

 

[si_c]

Pleasant enough commute in yesterday morning, bit of a headwind but nothing too bad. Ferry was off in the evening though, too windy apparently Took the train up to New Brighton though to take advantage of a fairly monumental tail wind on the way home. Massively fun ride home, despite the rain and cold.

 

[TheJDog]

I've been having to put a bit of air into my tyre a couple of times a week recently, and of course it gave up completely today. Pumped up three times en route, still ended up walking the last few hundred yards. Tyre knackered, expect tube same. Gatorskin lasted I think just under two years, which seems ok for a rear tyre at my weight. Another of the same or a Marathon Plus, if the shop have it near work.