Tales from today's commute....

[Houthakker]

Wet, just wet, Thats it.

 

[keithmac]

I nearly got rear ended by a van yesterday!

Coming up to a roundabout, two lanes to my right both had cars in them progressing at 30mph.

I decided I couldn't make the roundabout without being t-boned so stopped, heard a big screech behind and was waiting for the inevitable but luckily it didn't happen..

Not the best ride to work but luckily got there unscathed.

 

[Jenkins]

Today was the final day of 9 consecutive commuting days since last Thursday and, with the exception of Tuesday afternoon, the weather has been nothing but grey skies, low cloud, mist, fog, drizzle and full on rain with single figure temperatures. Really hoping the better weather forecast for next week happens!

 

[Randombiker9]

March was the last time i had any bother with drivers worth commenting on. Hit this downhill section this morning on the aerobars and in the big ring so was cruising at about 40mph. Although this guy clearly can't judge speed:

Shouldn't you off just slowed down when you saw the hazard?

 

[Randombiker9]

Anyway.

Yesterday I was cycling in afternoon got to the last junction before home, pulled out and looked at me and stopped in the keep clear area. WTF. He was meant to give way and no point stopping in keep clear markings

Today things were fine when cycling

 

[Bazzer]

First commute on the bike since last Monday, when I hurt my back.
Undecided about how cool it was, with the arm out of the window test. Got it wrong. Could have managed with shorts and a thin base layer, even at my reduced pace.
Wet roads, but at least it was not raining.

 

[ManiaMuse]

March was the last time i had any bother with drivers worth commenting on. Hit this downhill section this morning on the aerobars and in the big ring so was cruising at about 40mph. Although this guy clearly can't judge speed:

TBH I think you reap what you sow if you are going along at 40mph down a hill on the aero bars into a built up area with junctions. I mean, you even passed over two (slightly faded) road markings saying SLOW. It's probably written there for a reason.

Drivers have quite a large blindspot on junctions at angles like that due to the big A pillars on cars these days so it's good that you assumed you hadn't been seen and moved out, but then again you were going to get held up by the white car ahead so what's the need in treating every stretch of road like a Strava segment?

What's the speed limit there as well? Can't see any signs so would that imply it is a 30mph zone?

 

[rivers]

Absolutely cracking ride in this morning. A bit too sunny for my liking, but it wasn't raining, so I can't complain. My speed is starting to get back to normal after a long and cold winter. I'm looking forward to my extended ride home this evening via Castle Combe and a pub.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

TBH I think you reap what you sow if you are going along at 40mph down a hill on the aero bars into a built up area with junctions. I mean, you even passed over two (slightly faded) road markings saying SLOW. It's probably written there for a reason.

What's the speed limit there as well? Can't see any signs so would that imply it is a 30mph zone?

It's cyclists who tear about like this as though they are on a race track and not on a public road that just reinforces the already strongly held attitude by a lot of motorists that ALL cyclists are just a bunch of w***ers who shouldn't be allowed on the roads. If this little episode had resulted in a collision I would have had NO SYMPATHY whatsoever for the cyclist, who was clearly riding at excessive speed with no regard for the road conditions or presence of other traffic. The motorist was an idiot for pulling out, but the cyclist was an even bigger idiot for riding as though there was nobody else on the road apart from them.

 

[dhd.evans]

Shouldn't you off just slowed down when you saw the hazard?

Yes and no. By the time i registered that the driver was just rolling out i'd come off the aeros onto the hoods. At this junction it's sort of 50/50 whether cars continue or stop dead. In this case he continued and at that point i realised i'd have to make an emergency move. Given i was travelling at speed my reactions weren't as quick as they should have been.

TBH I think you reap what you sow if you are going along at 40mph down a hill on the aero bars into a built up area with junctions. I mean, you even passed over two (slightly faded) road markings saying SLOW. It's probably written there for a reason.

Drivers have quite a large blindspot on junctions at angles like that due to the big A pillars on cars these days so it's good that you assumed you hadn't been seen and moved out, but then again you were going to get held up by the white car ahead so what's the need in treating every stretch of road like a Strava segment?

What's the speed limit there as well? Can't see any signs so would that imply it is a 30mph zone?

AFAIK it's a 40mph zone, but i'd probably be worth checking to be sure. This is one of the only 'fun' sections on my commute and about the only one i treat with any sense of urgency - rarely do i take it at more than 30mph but wind assisted on the day meant it was worth going for (IMO) - i diced with the junction and nearly came off worse. What i had hoped to highlight is that in all my commutes (and i do this route 5 days a week without issue) this was one of the worst cases of a car driver not bothering to check oncoming traffic I've seen in a long time.

...but the cyclist was an even bigger idiot for riding as though there was nobody else on the road apart from them.

For pedantry's sake given that the driver was joining the road from a junction i'm fairly sure i was the only person on this particular road until he rolled out into my path - but yes, had a collision occurred i'm sure the driver would have tried to insinuate that i was at fault and would have had zero sympathy. I have had this happen to me when cycling in a bike lane on a flat road at ~20mph, let alone downhill on open roads at 40mph. That's a fun story to tell if you've got a minute.

The fact is drivers who don't pay attention cause accidents. Fortunately in this instance I was paying attention so was able to move in good time and before any sympathies would have to be dished out!

 

[Sixmile]

That escalated quickly.

In other news, windy but eventually pleasant commute in this morning. Might even get the legs out later in the week.

 

[mjr]

It's that roundabout again, the A10/A47/A149 interchange. Black BMW SUV SD12 CNU (what a daffodil) was soooo determined to buzz me in my lane he failed to notice that the lane split so I simply moved right until he'd passed and he also failed to notice his was the next exit - cue him cutting across hard left and getting honked at. I'm not reporting this one to the police because I've already two memory cards stored waiting for decisions on other offences, I didn't feel in much danger and I think him being thought a tit by following motorists will do as punishment.

Uneventful ride in otherwise. Roads quieter than usual and most motorists overtook nicely.

 

[Arjimlad]

A nice, sunny, uneventful and enjoyable ten miles in.

That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh etc etc..

 

[John_S]

The weather was good today however it was not nice enough to make the following incident a welcome addition to my commute.

I'd reached a point whereby traffic is built up going up a hill. The traffic is bumper to bumper and either stationary or slow moving (5mph or less) but the traffic on the other side of the road is fast moving going in the opposite direction out of the city on a relatively clear carriageway. Therefore I was not overtaking the slow moving traffic on the right hand side of the vehicles because this would put my in harms way of the fast moving traffic going in the opposite direction. Instead I was moving slowly and steadily up the inside of the stationary/ slow moving traffic.

With respect to most cars this was not a problem until I got to a Fiat Panda which was feeling the need to travel only a few inches from the curb and so I had to come to a stop behind them to the side. I could tell that they'd seen me because they looked at me in their mirrors and their next action was to give a long blast of their windscreen washers. Fortunately they didn't get me too much but I did take a bit of spray from them because it was quite a powerful jet of water. Now I know that the weather is a bit better this week but it's not sufficiently warm enough for friendly drivers to consider offering a service to cool cyclists down by considerately spraying them with their washer jets.

 

[Arjimlad]

The weather was good today however it was not nice enough to make the following incident a welcome addition to my commute.

I'd reached a point whereby traffic is built up going up a hill. The traffic is bumper to bumper and either stationary or slow moving (5mph or less) but the traffic on the other side of the road is fast moving going in the opposite direction out of the city on a relatively clear carriageway. Therefore I was not overtaking the slow moving traffic on the right hand side of the vehicles because this would put my in harms way of the fast moving traffic going in the opposite direction. Instead I was moving slowly and steadily up the inside of the stationary/ slow moving traffic.

With respect to most cars this was not a problem until I got to a Fiat Panda which was feeling the need to travel only a few inches from the curb and so I had to come to a stop behind them to the side. I could tell that they'd seen me because they looked at me in their mirrors and their next action was to give a long blast of their windscreen washers. Fortunately they didn't get me too much but I did take a bit of spray from them because it was quite a powerful jet of water. Now I know that the weather is a bit better this week but it's not sufficiently warm enough for friendly drivers to consider offering a service to cool cyclists down by considerately spraying them with their washer jets.

Assault.