Tales from today's commute....

[Lonestar]

No problems with commute in.Cycle Commute 163 of a predicted 177..Only the lights at Tower gateway were the problem again...So walked across and this time I think they changed.If they did that would be the first time in ages on one of my early morning commutes.

Coming back was hard going considering I was knackered having woken up just after 1am and not being able to sleep the leaving for work at just before 5am.Also hadn't felt at my best on leaving but improved.Didn't realise I had such a good tailwind (I take it) at the time.

On The Return.

Up Poplar High Street a minicab pulled from a parked position on the right and as I overtook him on his right I saw the dickhead was on his mobile.

Had been really going at the 50x17 fixed gearing in the headwind and applying a bit of torque on pulling away at the lights at Canning Town (Near the McDonalds) the chain went crunch at a bad time with a car baying to get past me and I limped onto the pavement...Chain was well loose so after 162½ commutes I actually needed my tools....Tightened chain up and it gave me extra energy for the final push home down the dreaded Balaam Street and Stopford Road.

When I got home applied some WD40 and spun the chain and it didn't seem right.On further inspection I was absolutely stunned with what I found.

Where the obvious missing bit of chain and two links to the right the master link looks well dodgy.

What a crap chain that was.

I think at one time I did 219 commutes in a year (and I may have beaten it when I didn't keep records.) probably with some overtime thrown in but now I do as little overtime as I can.Plus we do 4 day weeks of 35 hours.Unlike the old days where we worked seven day stretches although shorter days up to an extent.When privatization (In 1997) came we were working 44½ hours hence more commutes.Though the hours dropped down to where they are now.

 

[Simontm]

Legs are starting to come back so fairly quick ride in. Got through Hammersmith just as they were sealing off the station and road due to an evacuation alert.
Strike tomorrow, roads will be sooo much fun.
Numpty count:0

 

[Arjimlad]

No problems with commute in.Cycle Commute 163 of a predicted 177..Only the lights at Tower gateway were the problem again...So walked across and this time I think they changed.If they did that would be the first time in ages on one of my early morning commutes.

Coming back was hard going considering I was knackered having woken up just after 1am and not being able to sleep the leaving for work at just before 5am.Also hadn't felt at my best on leaving but improved.Didn't realise I had such a good tailwind (I take it) at the time.

On The Return.

Up Poplar High Street a minicab pulled from a parked position on the right and as I overtook him on his right I saw the dickhead was on his mobile.

Had been really going at the 50x17 fixed gearing in the headwind and applying a bit of torque on pulling away at the lights at Canning Town (Near the McDonalds) the chain went crunch at a bad time with a car baying to get past me and I limped onto the pavement...Chain was well loose so after 162½ commutes I actually needed my tools....Tightened chain up and it gave me extra energy for the final push home down the dreaded Balaam Street and Stopford Road.

When I got home applied some WD40 and spun the chain and it didn't seem right.On further inspection I was absolutely stunned with what I found.

Where the obvious missing bit of chain and two links to the right the master link looks well dodgy.

What a crap chain that was.

I think at one time I did 219 commutes in a year (and I may have beaten it when I didn't keep records.) probably with some overtime thrown in but now I do as little overtime as I can.Plus we do 4 day weeks of 35 hours.Unlike the old days where we worked seven day stretches although shorter days up to an extent.When privatization (In 1997) came we were working 44½ hours hence more commutes.Though the hours dropped down to where they are now.

Eeek.. you were fortunate that didn't break more, or flex & jam up.

 

[summerdays]

Commute generally unremarkable apart from being cold. Just missed one set of lights so stopped and waited. I was just noticing an odd glow on a vehicle the other side of the traffic lights (and about to look behind) when suddenly a horn sounded right behind my ear! An ambulance had approached the lights without using their siren so I didn't realise they were there. So I rolled forward over the line to let them by. Wish they had used the siren a little further away though.

 

[Leaway2]

My road was covered in ice/frost, so I walked to the main road which had been gritted and were all clear. just took it easy. Strangely it was warmer than I expected it to be.

 

[Stevie Mcluskey]

First commute after a weeks holiday from work. Cold and frosty up in East Kilbride. Didn't manage out at all last week so glad to get back in to it again.
My first year deciding to commute with road bike (Giant Defy 4) instead of the hybrid and so far so good.

 

[martint235]

Don't care what my thermometer said, this morning was colder than last Tuesday! An easy commute in though as I don't see any point in pushing it in the dark and cold

 

[John_S]

It was cold again (Garmin said -3 but I've no idea how accurate that is) this morning and I'm hoping it's warmed up a bit, even if only by a couple of degrees, by the time that I'm riding home.

Like martin235 above said I just took it nice an easy in the hope that the tortoise manages to get to work in one piece.

 

[Simontm]

Slightly warmer route back. Not a lot to say.
Numpty count:2 A couple of lovely drivers opposite me letting cars out of side roads so had to slam the anchors on a couple of times. One woman looked perplexed as I applauded her.

 

[RoubaixCube]

Any londoners around the angel islington area leading to Holloway road tell me if its clear from flooding?

 

[John_S]

It was a really damp ride home tonight! Not that it was raining but the air was just really damp which made it a bit miserable.

When I was in the city you could see the mist hanging there in the light of the street lamps. Then when I got out in the sticks I kept going between patches of thick mist that at some points seemed to swallow me up and I could only see a few metres ahead.

Garmin said -3 by the time I got home.

 

[tallliman]

Descending in thick fog summed up my ride in today. For parts of it, I only knew whether I was going up or downhill due to the level of effort required.

 

[rivers]

First ride into work in far too long due to various reasons. It was glorious, and I wore shorts. My legs were slightly nippy at the start of my ride, but quickly warmed up. Numpty count: 2 pedestrians. They were walking towards me on a narrow section of path, cycles coming the other way, so I stopped a few metres in front of them, waiting for some sort of clear way to proceed. Cue the evil death glare because how dare I stop and make them have to single out.

 

[Simontm]

Misty and chilled ride in. A few more bikes than yesterday.
Numpty count: 1 cyclist just pulled out of a side road onto Bayswater making me take avoidance

 

[summerdays]

It is damp and misty out.... the sort that clings to the bike and lights to get you wet! Looks though it may be starting to clear now?