Tales from today's commute....

[martint235]

Another quiet morning out on the roads. Couple of MGIFs that always make me laugh when there's a queue of traffic 20 yards in front.

My favourite psycho was out again but once again on her best behaviour. It's like Ruth Wilson in Luther, the world always feels better when your own personal psycho is protecting you from the other psychos.

 

[Ciar]

Bit windy this morning but apart from that not much else to bother me, as for the Ice in the cycle lane i noticed that they had indeed been along and gritted outside bow road station, so it seems they have dealt with it, as that's the only bit of ice i saw yesterday.

 

[tallliman]

A commute length non-commute today. Disappointed by the need to take an early day off this year, I've decided to commute to home and then back home in the evening to get some miles in.

Quite good fun on the whole, nice to get out but feel I'm coming down with something or am still leggy from the festive 500.

 

[Simontm]

Quiet commute in with no ice issues. For some reason there were loads of commuter cyclists heading west this morning than normal - must have been the present to have in Zone 2.
Numpty count: 0 in fact everyone was scarily kind and considerate, did my head in

 

[Simontm]

Bought myself a Lezyne 350 and thought why not try it out on blast mode. Sooo, a fast ride with tail wind down to Fulham Road, over Putney Bridge, Barnes, up Priory into Richmond Park. First time ever in the dark. Good fun though the oncoming blinders weren't. If I can lower my light when seeing you coming, why can't you? Every bugger coming from Ham gate side.
Numpty count: 3 first was quite scary. Coming down Cleveland Terrace coming the other way was a car...and a white van on my side heading straight at me. Luckily there was a gap in the parked cars to dive into and slam he brakes on before hitting the back on one of them as this nutter completed overtaking.
Second was a Pious who on Lower Richmond Road decided that the first part of an overtake manoeuvre was to turn into the cyclist (me) ahead of him!
Third was me coming over Putney Bridge, for some inexplicable reason I completely forgot there was a feeder lane past the first south side lights. Dutifully signalled and headed to the turn right lane, stopped at lights before realising my error. Doh

 

[Hacienda71]

Clipped a pedestrian on an unlit shared use path out in the countryside. Scraped my knee but landed on the grass verge which saved my upper body. Both of us apologetic so all good and livened up an otherwise uneventful commute.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Front hub finally packed up on the Tricross today. LBS had warned me before Christmas it would need changing soon. Anyway limped home and jumped on the Allez. By that time I knew I was going to be late for work, so with still suffering with the cold decided to go slow and still do an extended route (boss is away ) Ended up doing 39 miles before I got to work.

With a dinner time ride and lovely conditions tonight got just over 87 miles on the board for the day.

Won't be many miles the next two days as looking at the weather forecast it might be two days of the ice bike. Saturday looks better though

 

[Reynard]

First commute of the year for me today - five miles each way to and from Ely station. Really fizzed in with a heck of a tailwind. Knocked 10 mins off my best time. Was hellish coming back this evening though. Just horrible. And so very cold. Even well wrapped up and resembling Bibendum, I really felt the chill.

This morning had a close pass making a right turn at a mini roundabout - a 4x4 about 12 inches from my right elbow, window wound down, yelling at me as to why the *bleep* I wasn't in the cycle lane. Trouble is, the cycle lane turns into the road from the opposite side of the roundabout, and it's raised a good 6 inches above the level of the road. I can't physically join it there as the nearest drop kerb is half a mile or so further down the road. What's a girl to do?

Add insult to injury, I got overtaken by a chap on a brommie on the way home.

 

[Bazzer]

one. Right hand fingers just wouldn't warm up and still numb after 17 miles. Once in work that excruciating pain as blood returned.

 

[John_S]

It's very icy out there today with deadly black ice in abundance so be careful & good luck to everybody on their commutes out there today.

 

[Simontm]

Would have been a quiet and steady commute in if not for that damned front brake that's gone again. New pads and a lot of fettling this weekend I suspect. A bit concerned about the Portsmouth Riad cycle lane but that was fine. Wore the lobsters for the first time but dunno if really needed.
Numpty count: 1 me! Failed completely to see a pothole and off went the smaller lezyne - lasted two years that one

 

[martint235]

Train in today. Off drinking dirty beer this evening to celebrate my change of jobs at the end of next week.

 

[ianrauk]

A chilly minus 4 and frosty when I left this morning, but a glorious sunrise was had. The only downer on my commute was that it now seems like all the schools are back now so there was a lot of backed up traffic to contend with.

After all these years cycling in cold weather I have now found the best gloves for cold temperatures. Last year and the year before Cycling Plus gave away some wool gloves. I threw them in my extensive glove bag to be forgotten about. A few weeks ago I was talking to someone who said that woollen gloves are the best for the cold, better then man made fibres. So thought I would give them a go. And by golly they weren't wrong. They are lovely and toasty without being too cumbersome. They also don't have any padding of which I like.

 

[Twizit]

Bloody P fairy got me on the way home last night with a great big staple of all things. Broke off leaving two little stubs of metal stuck in my rear tyre. Pushed them out as far as I could with the corner of a multitool blade then had to resort to my teeth to pull the bloody things out . Doesn't happen often but that's two punctures on the single speed in the last month, and they're a right pain to sort on the rear wheel.

Cold but lovely commute in this morning - little wind and the right level of clothing always helps. Wouldn't fancy puncture fixing today though.

 

[Arjimlad]

A chilly minus 4 and frosty when I left this morning, but a glorious sunrise was had. The only downer on my commute was that it now seems like all the schools are back now so there was a lot of backed up traffic to contend with.

After all these years cycling in cold weather I have now found the best gloves for cold temperatures. Last year and the year before Cycling Plus gave away some wool gloves. I threw them in my extensive glove bag to be forgotten about. A few weeks ago I was talking to someone who said that woollen gloves are the best for the cold, better then man made fibres. So thought I would give them a go. And by golly they weren't wrong. They are lovely and toasty without being too cumbersome. They also don't have any padding of which I like.

I agree these are surprisingly warm.

Do you wear them inside some windproof outers ?