Tales from today's commute....

[palinurus]

There's a new crossing now on the A414 Breakspear way so rather than going around roundabout with a dual-carriageway running through it I can take the lane behind work and go that way. Avoids the traffic queues so no filtering required.

The lights have a sensor and respond really quickly (or not at all- this morning they just didn't want to work). Shame it's a two-stage crossing with a dog-leg in the middle. Sometimes if I was going into London after work (haven't done that for a while!) I'd get the bus on the other side of that road- it was really shitty to cross sometimes. Anyway- it's already made a difference to my commute, I've tried almost all possible routes in the past but never went exactly that way before.

 

[Lovacott]

Brilliant week this week. Easterlies have given me a tail wind home with today gifting me a 20mph shove from behind.

I've been getting some pretty speccy sunrises on the way in as well.

 

[Juan Kog]

There's a new crossing now on the A414 Breakspear way so rather than going around roundabout with a dual-carriageway running through it I can take the lane behind work and go that way. Avoids the traffic queues so no filtering required.

The lights have a sensor and respond really quickly (or not at all- this morning they just didn't want to work). Shame it's a two-stage crossing with a dog-leg in the middle. Sometimes if I was going into London after work (haven't done that for a while!) I'd get the bus on the other side of that road- it was really shitty to cross sometimes. Anyway- it's already made a difference to my commute, I've tried almost all possible routes in the past but never went exactly that way before.

Thanks @palinurus it’s good to know the work on Buncefield lane /Breakspear way crossing has finally Been competed , it’s taken a long time . I have avoided it since Christmas.

 

[ianrauk]

WTF is going on with the weather? Bloody freezing again this morning. That wind is fair biting.
I had to cycle just that little bit faster to warm up and keep warm.

On anther note, lockdown traffic is now a distant memory. Sarf East London traffic snarled up in all directions.

 

[gzoom]

^Didn't take my gloves this morning, that was a mistake. Looking out of the window my feet are going to boil in the winter socks on the ride home.

 

[ianrauk]

^Didn't take my gloves this morning, that was a mistake. Looking out of the window my feet are going to boil in the winter socks on the ride home.

Its nuts isnt it.
Looks like I'm going to boil for the commute home.

My cycling barometer is based on my partners cycling adventures. She will only cycle in warm weather. This time last year we had already done 4 rides together. So far this year? Nothing, nada, zilch..

 

[Jenkins]

WTF is going on with the weather? Bloody freezing again this morning. That wind is fair biting.
I had to cycle just that little bit faster to warm up and keep warm.

On anther note, lockdown traffic is now a distant memory. Sarf East London traffic snarled up in all directions.

Here on the Suffolk coast, we seem to have been subject to an easterly or north easterly breeze straight off the North Sea since the start of April. Doesn't matter how sunny it is, that wind is bitterly cold.

 

[ianrauk]

Here on the Suffolk coast, we seem to have been subject to an easterly or north easterly breeze straight off the North Sea since the start of April. Doesn't matter how sunny it is, that wind is bitterly cold.

Cycling home, the sunshine was really warm. But the wind was very cold. Risked a ss jersey.. just on the edge of being cold.

 

[HarryTheDog]

Well my first commute in Months , now the office has to have the phones manned by someone everyday till it closes in june. My turn today so I did a half drive and ride , still 18 miles cycle each way though.
Its been a long time since I had that much traffic around also not used to nearly 10Kg of stuff on my back, but I soon got back in the groove. I noticed I did not meet another cyclist till 10 miles then even going toward tower bridge very cyclist quiet . Going through Barking a motorist welcomed me back into the fold by sitting behind me and blasting his horn for a good solid 5 seconds. My crime being on the road and not the pavement. I gave zero reaction.
Then when going down the fast straight bit towards Canning Town I was doing 25mph when a unrestricted MTB-ebike came past me doing probably 30+ unusually for me I let him go instead of jumping on his tail for a tow, I still had a little pain in my ribs from my crash in a XC race on Sunday. However I overtook him twice later in the journey due to him being unable to read the quickest way through sections ( use the road not the cyclepath etc) He did me in the end but I was not racing.
The workplace was depressing, a five storey empty building, stuff everywhere with half demolished desk etc as stuff is slowly being removed, today however just me in. The fridges had all been removed and the instant hot water machine ripped out. Showers still operational though.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Well my first commute in Months , now the office has to have the phones manned by someone everyday till it closes in june. My turn today so I did a half drive and ride , still 18 miles cycle each way though.
Its been a long time since I had that much traffic around also not used to nearly 10Kg of stuff on my back, but I soon got back in the groove. I noticed I did not meet another cyclist till 10 miles then even going toward tower bridge very cyclist quiet . Going through Barking a motorist welcomed me back into the fold by sitting behind me and blasting his horn for a good solid 5 seconds. My crime being on the road and not the pavement. I gave zero reaction.
Then when going down the fast straight bit towards Canning Town I was doing 25mph when a unrestricted MTB-ebike came past me doing probably 30+ unusually for me I let him go instead of jumping on his tail for a tow, I still had a little pain in my ribs from my crash in a XC race on Sunday. However I overtook him twice later in the journey due to him being unable to read the quickest way through sections ( use the road not the cyclepath etc) He did me in the end but I was not racing.
The workplace was depressing, a five storey empty building, stuff everywhere with half demolished desk etc as stuff is slowly being removed, today however just me in. The fridges had all been removed and the instant hot water machine ripped out. Showers still operational though.

Can the phone number not be redirected? Seems daft having just one person in the office. Plus isn't there a H&S concern?

 

[HarryTheDog]

@LeetleGreyCells Maybe I was a little bit misleading ,the phones isnt the overriding reason and being a Telecomms company yes we can redirect phones anywhere . We have certain computer systems that cannot be accessed from anywhere but onsite to make them virtually un-hackable.
All the cctv is still live to a permanaently manned security company just next door , I have to tell them when I arrive and when I leave and they keep a eye on me from there. I am not fussed but my missus is. We had 2 guys who could not work from home who had been comming in for the last year and covered. Now both have resigned so there are only 3 of us left technically competent ( everyone else got moved, made redundant, found other jobs)

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

@LeetleGreyCells Maybe I was a little bit misleading ,the phones isnt the overriding reason and being a Telecomms company yes we can redirect phones anywhere . We have certain computer systems that cannot be accessed from anywhere but onsite to make them virtually un-hackable.
All the cctv is still live to a permanaently manned security company just next door , I have to tell them when I arrive and when I leave and they keep a eye on me from there. I am not fussed but my missus is. We had 2 guys who could not work from home who had been comming in for the last year and covered. Now both have resigned so there are only 3 of us left technically competent ( everyone else got moved, made redundant, found other jobs)

That makes more sense

 

[palinurus]

Thanks @palinurus it’s good to know the work on Buncefield lane /Breakspear way crossing has finally Been competed , it’s taken a long time . I have avoided it since Christmas.

I have avoided it for 30 years

 

[palinurus]

There's a new crossing now on the A414 Breakspear way so rather than going around roundabout with a dual-carriageway running through it I can take the lane behind work and go that way. Avoids the traffic queues so no filtering required.

Of course I've been grumbling to myself that it's the long way around. Measured it yesterday, it adds 350 metres to my journey.

It feels much more, perhaps because it's unfamiliar.

 

[ianrauk]

1: Yesterdays evening commute. Freezing cold rain. WTF is that about? Luckily it wasn't really heavy and only lasted for about 15 minutes, but hell's teeth I felt frozen for a while. An hour later by the time I had got home sun appeared and I was sweating one out
2: This mornings commute. Lovely sunny blue skies. But that bloody chilly north wind. Twas mighty cold and made for hard going.

Grrrrr.. its nearly May for gawds sake. This time last year whilst on furlough, we were sitting in the garden sipping on Pink Gin and topping up our tan lines.