Tales from today's commute....

[Tin Pot]

Bought I'd sorted it with the new Gatorskin, but the bike has become more devious...

Flat tyre setting off tonight!

Ffs.

Must've been a slow puncture cos it was all right this morning.

 

[Clanghead]

There's a set of traffic lights on a crossroads on my usual commute home where there's a left-turning lane, a straight-on/right lane, and a cycle lane up the left into an Advanced Stop Zone from which I want to proceed straight on. Tonight the lights are red and not about to change, so I pootle up the cycle lane, aiming for the ASZ, only to find:

• car #1 in front of left-turning lane fully occupying ASZ
• car #2 in front of straight-on/right lane fully in front of ASZ - almost blocking the crossroads
• cycle #1 behind me jumps up onto pavement to bypass lights by using "mounted pedestrian" mode
• cycle #2 behind me barges between me and car #1 to cycle through red light

Car #1 notices my mild annoyance at all this chaos - passenger winds down window and he and driver ask me what the problem is, so I wearily but reasonably politely explain the various states of chaos around me, pointing out that he and car #2 should have stopped behind the ASZ. Driver points out that he's "where he is now" so I might as well wait for him to turn left unless I want to race him, which I politely decline. By this time, lights have turned green so having thrust ahead into the ASZ in the first place, he's now holding up himself and everyone behind him. Off he goes, hangs a left, and I cycle on.

I'm pleased that I didn't go off on one, and I wonder if there's just a very small chance that next time he might think about what the ASZ means...
Meanwhile I'd say the real idiot in all this was cyclist #2 *sigh*

 

[TheJDog]

I just had a lovely fight with a new Marathon Plus in the work car park.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Cold + wet + slow and dangerous because the whole of Manchester was gridlocked = pretty miserable commute

 

[glenn forger]

Proper cold today, frozen cheeks cold, the snood and gloves keep me warm but tonight it was cold enough that the skin over my cheekbones was tight. "Cheap facelift" as my friend said. Unless she was taking the piss.

 

[Tin Pot]

I am proper farked after the ride home today.

I am therefore doing fark all tomorrow.

 

[martint235]

There's a set of traffic lights on a crossroads on my usual commute home where there's a left-turning lane, a straight-on/right lane, and a cycle lane up the left into an Advanced Stop Zone from which I want to proceed straight on. Tonight the lights are red and not about to change, so I pootle up the cycle lane, aiming for the ASZ, only to find:

• car #1 in front of left-turning lane fully occupying ASZ
• car #2 in front of straight-on/right lane fully in front of ASZ - almost blocking the crossroads
• cycle #1 behind me jumps up onto pavement to bypass lights by using "mounted pedestrian" mode
• cycle #2 behind me barges between me and car #1 to cycle through red light

Car #1 notices my mild annoyance at all this chaos - passenger winds down window and he and driver ask me what the problem is, so I wearily but reasonably politely explain the various states of chaos around me, pointing out that he and car #2 should have stopped behind the ASZ. Driver points out that he's "where he is now" so I might as well wait for him to turn left unless I want to race him, which I politely decline. By this time, lights have turned green so having thrust ahead into the ASZ in the first place, he's now holding up himself and everyone behind him. Off he goes, hangs a left, and I cycle on.

I'm pleased that I didn't go off on one, and I wonder if there's just a very small chance that next time he might think about what the ASZ means...
Meanwhile I'd say the real idiot in all this was cyclist #2 *sigh*

Just another reason to do away with ASZs. Pointless waste of paint, better off with just a normal stop line.

Absolutely nothing to report from my commute this morning.

 

[apb]

Very cold ride in this morning. thought it there would be a little #VikingBiking to be done, but snow was only on the hills.

Cycling along the meadows the traffic was tail to tail and this Land rover put his left indicator on to turn the next left. He then proceeded to block the cycling lane as i was coming up even though there was no way he could turn left, because of the traffic in front of him. i stopped and then he stopped driving further into the cycle lane then inched forward and stopped again waving at me. So i just stopped and waved him though. He then mounts the pavement and drives half on to the pavement and half in the bike lane until he is able to turn left.

Unbelievable!!!

As he drove off i give him the thumbs up as to say (good job).

 

[RoubaixCube]

about to head out... VERY VERY cold this morning. but i have a new thermal jersey in between a base layer and a softshell.

thank god it stopped raining is all i can say! tally ho chaps!!

 

[RoubaixCube]

Thermal clothing = money well spent

 

[HarryTheDog]

I nice bit of SCR this morning with a tall sinewy chap in bib shorts on a black and silver specialized road bike with a single pannier from Barking to Canning Town.
We shared the lead out over 3 miles as a bit of a headwind. I overtook coming into Canning town and got a fair bit ahead. Then I was sat at the lights at the bottom of Canning Town Hill when they went green and he whooshed past.
It was time to show who’s boss so I lit the afterburners and crested the hill with him a good 20yds behind. Didn't see him again as we went our separate ways straight after.

 

[Origamist]

Used the ice bike for the first time this winter as I was worried that it could be treacherous on the back lanes. As it was, I didn't see any ice, just water. Temp around 0C.

Slowest commute for a long time 15.1 mph average.

Am thinking it could freeze tonight, so feel reassured that I have the spikes...

 

[summerdays]

I am very stupid (almost as stupid as the council) they should know better).

Looked at the weather forecast last night .... Rain till midnight then clear.....but suggested temperature in the morning 5 degrees. So I decided I probably didn't need the spiked tyres. Set off, all fine for the first mile or so, then a warning to watch the crossing as its slippery. That was the start of mainly walking the next couple of miles, some were completely lethal, and I met lots of other cyclists walking or cycling cautiously. And I saw one lady come off, but she was OK.

I took an extra 25 mins to get to work this morning! I know which bike it is going to be tomorrow! And I noticed on the way hope the cycle path has been gritted!

 

[ianrauk]

Now that was a cold ride home.. might have to get the winter gloves out.
But what made up for it was the glorious northerly wind pushing me all the way home.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Took the ice bike yesterday to work but didn't need it so took it home at dinner time and swapped back to the Tricross. Today the weather was supposed to be really cold and icy but when I got up no sign of ice so again used the Tricross. Paths starting to ice up on the way home so should be on the ice bike tomorrow.

Was quite cold today, especially when riding into the wind and my speed has died on its arse, struggling to do 13mph this week