Tales from today's commute....

[confusedcyclist]

Once on the bike I was fine but made me think what do the guys who commute in -15 regularly do for layers? There's no way I could do this kind of weather days or week on end. A very cold day or a few chilly ones is a bit of a novelty but there's no way I could be putting on 21 items of clothing (i counted what I wore today!) to ride to work. Bring on the spring!!!

21 items?!

Base layer (upper), mid layer, jacket
Base layer (lower), thermal leggings/trousers
Glove liners, merino gloves
Balaclava, glasses (+ helmet if desired)
Thermal socks, winter boots, or shoes + overshoes

That's a maximum of 12 pieces, in this weather I'd be OK deducting the leg base layer if I wasn't planning on being stationary for long.

I was nice and toasty this morning, my toes got a bit numb right at the end, could have done with another pair of socks on, otherwise all good! If you get the weighting of the base layers, socks and gloves right you should be fine!

 

[I like Skol]

What happened?

Can't remember a thing from before or during the collision, but knowing me and my road craft I very much doubt it was my fault!

 

[roadrash]

did the police say if there are any witnesses

 

[ianrauk]

Sorry to heat that @I like Skol . Heal quick and well bud.

 

[ianrauk]

No cycling for me this week. Will be working from home. Over a foot of snow and trains cancelled left, right and centre means it would be a huge task to get in to work. It's looking like no cycling until at least Monday as more snow is forecast the next few days.

 

[Siclo]

Can't remember a thing from before or during the collision, but knowing me and my road craft I very much doubt it was my fault!

It'll come back, that said it took me years to get recall after I did my skull. I'm still not sure what is real memory and what is the mind filling in the blanks from other accounts.

 

[DCLane]

Had to drop off the car for an exhaust to be fabricated: the guy who runs the place was suprised to see me at 7.30am.

Then rode into Leeds on the snow bike in a snowstorm, Ice Spiker tyres coping well: https://www.strava.com/activities/1429629851

Bike's currently tucked up in my work's bike cage next to the vintage Terry Lambert and Principia RSLe which currently reside there.

 

[Sixmile]

21 items?!

Base layer (upper), mid layer, jacket
Base layer (lower), thermal leggings/trousers
Glove liners, merino gloves
Balaclava, glasses (+ helmet if desired)
Thermal socks, winter boots, or shoes + overshoes

That's a maximum of 12 pieces, in this weather I'd be OK deducting the leg base layer if I wasn't planning on being stationary for long.

I was nice and toasty this morning, my toes got a bit numb right at the end, could have done with another pair of socks on, otherwise all good! If you get the weighting of the base layers, socks and gloves right you should be fine!

I counted gloves etc as 2 items.. but since you asked ..

Socks, shoes and overshoes x2, boxers & leggings, base layer, 2 long sleeve tops, jacket, gloves x4, neck gaiter, skull cap, ear warmer, helmet & glasses. I think that's it!

 

[I like Skol]

did the police say if there are any witnesses

Just heard back from the police (via my wife). It was the junction I thought it was, but driver and 2 witnesses stating I appeared from nowhere from behind a queue of cars! Now I am sure where it happened I know that is utter bollox and it is a clearcut case of the driver turning into oncoming traffic (me). Glad I have managed to clear this up because I was beginning to think maybe I had cocked up somehow. Now I know there was nothing I could have done to avoid it apart from not being there.

 

[Slick]

Just heard back from the police (via my wife). It was the junction I thought it was, but driver and 2 witnesses stating I appeared from nowhere from behind a queue of cars! Now I am sure where it happened I know that is utter bollox and it is a clearcut case of the driver turning into oncoming traffic (me). Glad I have managed to clear this up because I was beginning to think maybe I had cocked up somehow. Now I know there was nothing I could have done to avoid it apart from not being there.

Great excuse, "came from nowhere" well excuse me but everyone comes from somewhere whether you noticed my arrival or not. It's infuriating.

Did the police buy it?

 

[I like Skol]

Did the police buy it?

Apparently he did, but with an incoherent victim and 3 people telling him I appeared from nowhere behind a queue of cars he may not have bothered to engage his brain to think about it sensibly

 

[Slick]

Apparently he did, but with an incoherent victim and 3 people telling him I appeared from nowhere behind a queue of cars he may not have bothered to engage his brain to think about it sensibly

Yeah maybe. Hopefully they'll get the full picture soon enough. How's the head now?

 

[si_c]

Apparently he did, but with an incoherent victim and 3 people telling him I appeared from nowhere behind a queue of cars he may not have bothered to engage his brain to think about it sensibly

It's one thing that concerns me sometimes about filtering, drivers often don't look where they are going and substitute that with "he came from nowhere". I was hit by a car that cut across me whilst in the cycle lane last year (also February), in that case I only got a separated shoulder.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Synchronicity....

You know when you come face to face with someone, say, in a corridor, and you step to the right but they step to the same side (their left, your right) and you do that 'step shuffle' thing to get round each other. Well, similar thing happened to me on the bike last night.

I reach Clarence Road in Bristol and hopped on the bike. About 30 yards in front and about 5 yards to my left, chap gets on his bike after crossing road. To avoid colliding with him, I cycled close to the railings on my right, assuming he would ride past in a straight line. That meant we would have passed about 5 yards apart, with him to my left.

Except he got on his bike, rode straight over to the railings and we almost had a head on collision!!. In short, he moved about 5 yards over to his left, right into my path!. Nobody else was on that section, so if he'd ridden in a straight line from his starting point, he would have completely missed me. It was a bit like someone crossing over the street to walk straight into you. Baffles me.....

 

[I like Skol]

It's one thing that concerns me sometimes about filtering, drivers often don't look where they are going and substitute that with "he came from nowhere". I was hit by a car that cut across me whilst in the cycle lane last year (also February), in that case I only got a separated shoulder.

No filtering here. I would have been central in the lane, following other cars through the junction. My guess is that the driver that hit me simply did not expect a cyclist to be travelling in the line at similar speeds to the rest of the traffic.