Tales from today's commute....

[subaqua]

It was an easy going commute this fine morning, only slightly dodgy bits were all around bow flyover, seems there is one large patch of ice at the lights just up from Stratford Broadway, then another selection of the finest ice as you get to the bow flyover itself, nicely situated within the cycle lane and by the lights

all in all though chilly but nice!

but segregation is the save all for cycling in tha capial doncha know.

its just the loony segregationists are not realists where cycle lanes get put at the very bottom of the pile for gritting.


anyway I am just getting withdrawal as i am in bristol and having to drive this week. you know when you have become a cycle commuter when you see the van in front turning and the cyclist coming along and you know its going to be a close shave. my horn stopped the van and the cyclist gave me a nice wave.

 

[summerdays]

but segregation is the save all for cycling in tha capial doncha know.

its just the loony segregationists are not realists where cycle lanes get put at the very bottom of the pile for gritting.


anyway I am just getting withdrawal as i am in bristol and having to drive this week. you know when you have become a cycle commuter when you see the van in front turning and the cyclist coming along and you know its going to be a close shave. my horn stopped the van and the cyclist gave me a nice wave.

I have one junction which I see so many close miss left hooks, but I have to say somehow they manage to avoid it by one or other stopping at the last minute and without horns or shouting, (lots of left turning vehicles to go to a hospital or sports centre), and I'm often waiting to turn right so in the perfect place to watch it all. Many of the cyclists are going straight on, though it's been interesting to see how many are starting to go through that junction on the right hand side of the car or normal primary.

 

[Archeress]

-4.6 when I left this morning, avoiding my normal route along Perrinpit Road due to thorny hedge cutting yesterday, I ended up doing 11.5 miles including some beautiful country lanes. Despite wearing lined walking boot socks and neoprene overshoes my toes got very cold. The water in my bottle was freezing up and some drops froze onto the frame of the bike. I think I have cycled in -10 before but today felt very chilly. Winter Cruisers over Lidl thick bib longs, and a thermal vest under a winter top & softshell jacket were spot on. The "cycling ninja" balaclava took care of my bonce well too.

Good to know you are alive !

Thanks for letting me know about Perrinpit Lane, was thinking of doing my 10ish mile circuit through there tomorrow. Might plan a different route.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[donnydave]

had a community police thingy person shout "SLOW DOWN" as a couple of us whipped past on the guided busway. I had actually already slowed down because I could see him hiding behind a bush in a break in the fence to leap out and shout at people, but he was wearing high vis and looked to be about 30 stone so it wasn't difficult to spot him. I didn't say anything but did think to myself "ha! you should have seen how fast I was going a moment ago!"

 

[Archeress]

Alright for some !

But you missed a lovely crispy clear start...

I've just cycled into UWE. Still crisp but a bit warmer than your ride in. Was still only 1C and icy in places. Couple of places looked beautiful and I'd not got a camera with me.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[Leaway2]

"SLOW DOWN"

Just for the people unfamiliar with the guided bus lane, why do you need to slow down and what is the recommended speed (not that most would know their speed anyway)?

 

[Tin Pot]

Some stupid b hauls up past me sticks on the indicators and anchors so she can park right in front of me.

Stupid effing bleating etc.!

 

[donnydave]

Just for the people unfamiliar with the guided bus lane, why do you need to slow down and what is the recommended speed (not that most would know their speed anyway)?

The bit that I encountered my rotund high vis friend this morning is approaching to the college where the pedestrian traffic starts to increase but my speedy chum and I had already started to ease off.

No idea if there is a recommended speed but the faster commuters on full road bikes often belt along at 25+, with a fair wind I can keep up 20-22 for long stretches on my fairly average hybrid commuter bike.

 

[Arjimlad]

Thanks for letting me know about Perrinpit Lane, was thinking of doing my 10ish mile circuit through there tomorrow. Might plan a different route.

Hugs
Archeress x

It's a PITA because I ride to and from work that way, so I ended up riding north from Winterbourne & using the Latteridge Road on the way in. Hometime... I may still avoid it the same way. Yesterday I was in the car & saw the hedge trimmer thingy spraying its thorns all over the road.

 

[Ciar]

but segregation is the save all for cycling in tha capial doncha know.

its just the loony segregationists are not realists where cycle lanes get put at the very bottom of the pile for gritting.


anyway I am just getting withdrawal as i am in bristol and having to drive this week. you know when you have become a cycle commuter when you see the van in front turning and the cyclist coming along and you know its going to be a close shave. my horn stopped the van and the cyclist gave me a nice wave.

I reckon i might have to ride along with a large bag of salt and do it myself ;-)

sod driving i decided to drive one day last week and that was Friday, only to roll on to the green man down into the lovely A12 tail back caused by an accident in the blackwall tunnell, took me an hour to get to Westfield only to turn back, i truly hate driving now if it's just to get to work!

 

[13 rider]

that's it . looked forward to tomorrow doing it again

 

[martint235]

Bad day for commuting today. Another muppet tried to come alongside me when there wasn't room. Told him to feck off, shut the door on him and dared him to beep. I was really up for a ruck but he thought better of it.

 

[martint235]

I can feel another iteration of "Operation Kalm" coming on. Otherwise I think I'm likely to deck someone. Today's cockwomble was, quelle surprise, another cyclist. Stupidly bright flashing light that meant that when he was behind me, I couldn't see anything else. And a MGIF attitude that wasn't backed up by his ability or his legs but he still insisted. At. Every. Single. Set. Of. Lights. Eventually lost him on the climb out of Penge where he'd pushed himself to the front of the traffic queue (of two cars and me) and then sat spinning his legs messing with his gears.

On a brighter note, when he wasn't around, there were no muppets in cars today and it wasn't quite as cold as yesterday but I am getting tired of being cold now. At least it's dry.

 

[HarryTheDog]

It was surprisingly grippy out there with no real ice. Frost on some of the cycleways so tried to use the road as much as possible.

Had a bit of SCR with a guy from Barking to Canning Town, I was chasing him down from Barking for over 2 miles as he had a head start due to getting a light phase ahead of me. I caught and overtook him a bit before Canning Town and he instantly crumpled and gave up after that.

Had a bit of a karma moment in Canning Town , I was sat at a red light at a cross roads , cyclist goes straight through the red and then gets stopped by a car and stops and clips out, he then goes to clip back in, misses his pedal and ends up with his foot on the deck near the front of his wheel and head butts his stem. Lights went green and I span past.

 

[ianrauk]

I had no oomph for the commute today. Just wasn't into it for some reason. So went the shorter, slower, scenic route through the parks.