Tales from today's commute....

[Arjimlad]

At the start of my commute there is a 20mph limited road with speed bumps. You will guess from this that although I bash along there at about 19mph and don't bother slowing for the speed bumps, some drivers with a MGIF mentality speed past in between the bumps then either sit on the wrong side of the road when they get to the bumps, or cut in and then brake.

 

[ianrauk]

Traffic, traffic and more traffic. For most of my commute it was quite a speedy journey. I was looking at a fairly good time but as soon as I got to Lewisham... gridlock. Every direction was snarled up. Made for very slow going for the rest of the journey. A bit windy too in places.

 

[si_c]

Pleasant enough commute in, no headwind, but no tailwind either. Nice steady pace all the way to the ferry terminal. One guy with his kids in his car took exception to me filtering past him at some lights, and decided to brake test me at 25mph, was serious enough to make me think about reporting him, which I've not had to consider before since starting this commute, made a note of the plate, but it looks like its a fake.

 

[ManiaMuse]

Annoying headwind that will inevitably change direction by this evening.

 

[ianrauk]

Annoying headwind that will inevitably change direction by this evening.

That's given...

 

[Tin Pot]

Still can't figure out why traffic is so light this week.

Manhole cover tried to kill me this morning. But failed.
Lots more cyclists out though.

 

[Karlt]

Strava reckons I hit 51mph on the way down from Halfway last night. Possible; I stopped looking at the Garmin at 40+ because I was judging exactly how near I could get to the bend at the bottom before starting to pull on the brakes, as per the usual. I do know I was still doing well over 30 as I approached the junction.

 

[martint235]

That was just stupidly hard work. Very strong head wind all the way home. Was pedalling and struggling to maintain 17mph down Welling Way (usually 30mph+)

 

[summerdays]

Lousy commutes especially the homeward one! I'm coming down with the lurgy and couldn't cycle fast enough to build up any warm so I put my coat on too! I did also lock eyes with a driver... I pulled out to turn right and they seemed to think I was mad..... I think there was enough time, but there is that lingering doubt that I did wrongly judge the gap!

 

[donnydave]

Got chatting to a bloke on the way home today. Started off just a vague comment about how the wind couldnt make its mind up if it wanted to be a tailwind or a crosswind. Turns out the bloke cycles over 10 miles each way 3 days a week to help keep fit.... (normal so far)... since he punctured a lung in a bike accident! He was easily keeping pace with me and chatting without appearing to be short of breath at all. Some people eh?!

Reminds me of when my wife did the Brownsea Island swim (you basically just swim around Brownsea Island). She finished in a respectable time of about 2 hours or so (its about 4.5 miles), as she was getting out the water she saw a bloke having his bowl of soup after clearly being finished for some time - bloke had no legs! FFS!

 

[fimm]

Lots of unremarkable crappy driving by nice ladies in small brightly coloured cars, followed by one very nice driver of a white van hanging back until there was space to pass and giving lots of space as they did so.

 

[ianrauk]

A nice wind assisted ride home tonight. Made for rapid progress at times, only slowed by the sheer amount of traffic.

...and seen on my commute, one of the worst cyclists I have had the displeasure of coming across in many a year. Not content to sit on my wheel for a good long time, far too close for my liking. I had to tell him to back off. He was also cycling like a complete numpty, weaving in and out without looking and jumping all the red lights. Got to Bromley Hill and I easily caught him up half way up the hill and passed him. Left him for dust on the hill. Got to the junction and of course the lights were red. Next thing he came from my right at speed, cut right across me, missing me by inches, obviously on purpose, on to the pavement to jump the lights.. Mr red jacket Specialized rider, you are a very poor cyclists and I was being polite when I called you a dickhead.

 

[EthelF]

All but run off the road by a rude motorcyclist and an elderly lady in her Bentley driving the wrong way up a one way street.

It seems that the City's contraflow bike lanes apply not only to pedal cycles but also to reigning monarchs and their motorised escort!

 

[DrLex]

Did you ask her if she owned the road?

 

[martint235]

There seemed to be an awful lot of muppets out there today but I'm on call at the moment and was woken a few times during the night so I think my grumpiness may have altered my perception of some of the incidents. There's probably a few motorists in SE London wondering what they had actually done to deserve "wake up you f*****g w*****r" being shouted at them.