Tales from today's commute....

[confusedcyclist]

I don't often post about bad experiences, but today's run in with taxi driver was beyond enraging.

He was on tailgating me on a fast descent, I had to slow as pedestrians were walking in the road, then as I reached the bottom of the descent there was a corner, the muppet felt the need to overtake me and cut me off right on the corner despite me being in primary. He was stopped by a red light 15 meters down the road. I pulled up alongside for a quick word and all he could say, was "I saw you." So why the @&%$ did you just overtake on the corner and cut me up? All I got was a blank stare and dribbling, yes really.

Total moron.

 

[Clanghead]

"Entertaining" ride home tonight - in the space of about 3 miles I had:

• 3 unlit ninjas on BSOs riding round corner up unlit hill spread across wrong half of road - oncoming car naturally got quite upset with them
• Car driver pulling out of side junction as I came around a corner didn't see me being 5 yards away as any kind of impediment to progress, then pulled up at the traffic lights about 10 yards further on, half over the ASL, then buzzed close past me after lights had turned green
• Another 3 unlit ninjas - one on road and two on shared path across common (maybe they were saving their lights for the roads)
• One overlit cyclist coming straight at me on shared path, dazzling me, while overtaking another cyclist

Sometimes you just get days/nights like this.

 

[Simontm]

My wife says that there's a mania that happens once the clocks go back. With the amount of pedestrians stepping out without looking, cars bombing all over the place and one idiot who went over the four lanes at Wandsworth roundabout on his MTb which was a particular fine example of the biking tonight, I fear she's right!
But bizarrely, Numpty count:0 in fact a big thumbs up to the artic that for around half a mile showed patience and consideration before having the space to overtake me properly

 

[Smithbat]

On the way home from Guides tonight some twat in a Vauxhall Corsa decided to shout 'Your arse is too fat for that bike' I must say we do have a particular class of chav round here.

 

[HLaB]

Not really much of a tale but it was a bit chillier today, that's all!

 

[Jenkins]

There's a section of a quiet lane that I use that is currently reduced to a thin,central strip of useable clear road at the moment due to tractor movement for beet harvesting during the day time (it is well swept by the farmer and clear for the evening and early morning), yet some prat in a Smart still seemed to think I should give way to them despite me being about 3/4 of the way along the section and them towards the start.

Also, this evening I was the recipient of the first grit spreader peppering of the autumn/winter.

 

[Leaway2]

After yesterdays cold, back in the shorts this morning and so light, I turned the front light off half way in.

 

[Smithbat]

Just got to work and my colleague came running in and said 'Thank heaven's you are here safe' She passed a cyclist down on my route to work and worried it was me.

My route in this morning was bright and clear only a couple of close passes, they were really slow ones as apparently Chelsea tractors will die if they have to wait 5 seconds for me to pass a row of parked cars.

 

[Velow]

Just got to work and my colleague came running in and said 'Thank heaven's you are here safe' She passed a cyclist down on my route to work and worried it was me.

My route in this morning was bright and clear only a couple of close passes, they were really slow ones as apparently Chelsea tractors will die if they have to wait 5 seconds for me to pass a row of parked cars.

Tolerance and patience are hugely underated

 

[edrobbin]

Winter gloves for the first time today.

 

[Simontm]

Not much on the way in apart from some bonkers woman who had to get ahead to the point of getting off her bike and walking through the lights at Olympia. Needless to say she was rather slow.
On the way out it was drive like a dick day. Everyone pushing their rev counters, ducking in and out of each other's lane as if they were cyclists ().
Numpty count: 4. Two overtakes on a blind corner, one of which there was a bus just seconds after. one BMW cut up merchant and a hire van that didn't seem to know where he was going except for nearly over me
Oh and how hilarious is it for drivers to slow to a stop or not actually go into empty space ahead until I have to put a foot on the floor

 

[RoubaixCube]

Took the Triban on the commute after its been indoors for probably two weeks now. I honestly couldn't of asked for a better day to test the new brake calipers. This morning it was chilly but dry, I didnt think much of the brakes in general but it definitely had more bite than the Tektro's they replaced but still nowhere near as good as the ultegra brakes on my cube.

On my commute home i picked up a spot of rain. While the tektro's turned into butter when it came to braking in the wet, the R451's performed extremely well. Going down the hill where i can hit speeds of 28mph while its raining usually makes me nervous with the Tektro's, the R451's had me full of confidence.

I payed £21 per caliper as they werent available as a set and i went through hell just trying to get bits and pieces from Halfords so that i could change my own brake cables/brake calipers but its all done and dusted now.

I also picked up an Altura Peloton Night Vision Long Sleeve Jersey from Evanscycles which i was originally going to try on when i got home but I decided to try it on while at work and ended up wearing it for the ride home. Lovely thermal jersey -- It also had a baptism of fire. Not only did it keep me warm but It handled the rain fairly well to my surprise. I guess it wont be as waterproof any more after the first time I wash it.

Not that many knobs on the road to speak of apart from two persistent RLJ cyclists. I was stuck behind a guy on a fixie who was reading a message on his phone while he was riding and i was in a position where i couldnt accelerate past him due to how narrow the road was and traffic passing by on the right. I needed to turn left but i would of cut across his path if i pulled ahead of him to take the turn so i was stuck behind him while he was totally oblivious to the outside world...

I swear i need to get an ultra bright helmet light and burn some retina's when i see cyclists doing silly things like this.

 

[A Nutter]

Some of you surprise me - I've been in winter gloves for 3 weeks now!

 

[HarryTheDog]

Been off for a week and I am CX racing tomorrow so just my short commute this morning.
Had a motorbike buzz me extremely close on purpose just because I was in the fast lane of a 2 lane road trying to turn right, I felt like carrying on and catching him at the next lights which were red and having a word but I let it go.
I came across a old adversary ( ancient yellow Carrera bike with flat pedals) who is always up for some SCR. This morning he just let me whoosh past. He caught me at some red lights and went straight through followed by another muppet on a electric bike, lights went green, I hit 1400 watts( according to my meter) and blew them away.

 

[Smithbat]

Some of you surprise me - I've been in winter gloves for 3 weeks now!

I have full finger gloves on but my hands are still cold, I feel the need for some form of thermalness.