Tales from today's commute....

[sasquath]

It's so boring, nearly demoralising after roadworks finished yesterday, so I did have a race with an ebike. Damn, those things are fast when hacked. Had him at 23-24 mph on flat-ish road, we had a chat at traffic light later. Chineese controller fitted with 35kph/22mph restriction on that one.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Yesterday's commute was interesting as I was working at a different location. Totally new area to me, never been anywhere near there before. Lots of climbing and I swear one descent was about 20% (or at least it felt like it) about 3 km from the end of the 21km route. Then the thought occurred that I was going to have to ride up that on the way home At lunch I tried to edit the route on my phone to avoid the hill. The app wasn't having it and there were too many different roads I'd have to take without using my Wahoo GPS. So up the hill it was. After being on my feet all day after commuting there in the morning, I feel no shame in saying I walked half the hill 🚶‍♂️. I had no desire to kill myself on the hill then ride another 18km home which includes more (but less steep) hills.

When I'm riding for riding's sake, I have no issues tackling hills, I even enjoy it. But not on a work commute when I'm going to be on my feet all day.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

It's so boring, nearly demoralising after roadworks finished yesterday, so I did have a race with an ebike. Damn, those things are fast when hacked. Had him at 23-24 mph on flat-ish road, we had a chat at traffic light later. Chineese controller fitted with 35kph/22mph restriction on that one.

I sometimes meet a friend on my commute and we ride about 6 miles together to the office. He has an Electric Brompton and I now have a standard one, even with a legal ebike there are certainly places where they really come into their own.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Yesterday's commute was interesting as I was working at a different location. Totally new area to me, never been anywhere near there before. Lots of climbing and I swear one descent was about 20% (or at least it felt like it) about 3 km from the end of the 21km route. Then the thought occurred that I was going to have to ride up that on the way home At lunch I tried to edit the route on my phone to avoid the hill. The app wasn't having it and there were too many different roads I'd have to take without using my Wahoo GPS. So up the hill it was. After being on my feet all day after commuting there in the morning, I feel no shame in saying I walked half the hill 🚶‍♂️. I had no desire to kill myself on the hill then ride another 18km home which includes more (but less steep) hills.

When I'm riding for riding's sake, I have no issues tackling hills, I even enjoy it. But not on a work commute when I'm going to be on my feet all day.

I have just had a look at yesterday's commuting route - I'm at the same place for two days next week then another place a couple of miles up the road from there for a day and a half (so the same route with a bit tagged on the end). I've managed to plot a route that is 2km further, but cuts 110+m of climbing and takes the same amount of time as the original route. That'll do me.

 

[sasquath]

I sometimes meet a friend on my commute and we ride about 6 miles together to the office. He has an Electric Brompton and I now have a standard one, even with a legal ebike there are certainly places where they really come into their own.

There's no denying, even on dead flat road they may not be faster but rider will arrive (much) less sweaty. Throw hills into the mix and it's hard game beating them, at least at my fitness level.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

A wet commute. I can’t remember the last one. At least I had the wind behind me

 

[palinurus]

Soggy. Heavy traffic (in the opposite direction). Another unauthorized roadblock on the quietway, another report...

The petrol station near work was closed.

Maybe, just maybe, the flooding issue on the Bedmond road has been fixed (really need heavier rain to be sure, but no lake today)

 

[palinurus]

Need to buy some waterproofing spray for my jacket.

 

[palinurus]

It's right nasty out there now- whoa!

 

[biking_fox]

Yeah soggy for me too. I've had a few weeks of either great sunny riding or away, bit of nasty shock to the system riding in today.

The Manchester cycleway is making it's way towards me with a new section opened since I was last there. Segregated cycle lane with lumps guarding the traffic and 'behind-the-bus-stop' sections. It even has drains. Unfortunately they're already blocked! Some big puddles to either splosh through or swerve into the road to avoid.

 

[Arjimlad]

6am hearing the gales and rain battering the house, I got up and shut the bedroom window and thought I would end up driving to work. But the skies cleared and I had a sunny ride in, although on wet roads.

I caught up with a slower rider wearing Rapha & looking very slick!

I would have expected her to be faster from the way she looked.

But her bike had front suspension & as I passed I noticed it was an e-bike.

A sub-optimal pass from a T5 driver was not something I would bother to report, it wasn't all that close, but it drew my attention to the driver when I passed at the lights and the film of him using his mobile phone will be uploaded.

 

[cyberknight]

Just started raining as I got to work,it's been hammering it down most of the morning so I hope it blows over by home time

 

[Andy in Germany]

On the way to work this morning:

 

[fossyant]

Light rain on the way in, canal surface seems to be holding well at the moment despite yesterday's rain. Nearly ended up in the water though, coming down the canal, and a guy with his hood up, pulls onto the towpath on his single speed without looking, straight into my path. 'Whooaaahh' I said. He apologised. 'No problem' I said. It was close as he went quite wide, and I had to brake and go round him without running out of towpath.

Slight issue is my works 'pass' is at our caravan ! I knew I couldn't get in the 'cage' but could still use the external lockers as I had a 'key' still. We're supposed to open the lockers with shared alike keys then use our own locks, then take our locks home, although over 70% now had people's own locks on, and I know very few are currently used. Found one with a shared padlock. Then couldn't get my FAGH to fit the hasp as it's too thick. Argh.
Popped the FAGH on the bike, re-locked with the 'shared padlock'. Got changed and went out and locked it with a spare Abus Bordo I keep in the drawer. Phew.

I don't think I have a 'd-lock' with a small enough diameter to fit.

 

[Arjimlad]

Set off a little earlier today and as I approached some blind S-bends a Juke driver decided to pass me - right into the path of a car coming round the bend!

I don't know how they avoided a collision but the Juke driver managed not to swerve back into me, and I then realised my helmet camera was off. The rear camera probably isn't enough to report this reckless driving.