Tales from today's commute....

[HarryTheDog]

2 miles into my commute going over cobbles, bang, clatter,clatter,tick,tick tick. sounded like a puncture and something hitting the mudguard.
On investigation a over 1 inch nail in the rear tyre. Pulled it out, put the hole at the lowest point and let the sealant do its job. Had a vape while it cured and blew it up and carried on. As I said before sometimes tubless is a boon sometimes a right royal pain in the ass. Today it was a boon.

 

[ianrauk]

A few things from my commute this morning

#1 Over taking a long jam of traffic. Saw white mini van man looking at me in his mirror. As i passed he called me a C***!
Charming. No reason what so ever for it. I could have stopped and had words, but couldn't be arsed.

#2 Near to work, in an ASL. Another cyclist to my left. Said to me "You've been doing this commute for years haven't you". 16 years I said. "You still in Orpington?" Yep "Haven't seen you for a while" he said, Nor you I said, not telling him I didn't even recognise him

Did my duty this morning on the way to work. Shame the pub wasn't serving that early

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Nothing too exciting, mixing up some routes recently so the commute doesn't get too stale.
Tonight was my first wet ride this year.

 

[HarryTheDog]

Couldn't believe it when I got to the train station this morning at 05:50 the platform was packed with more people than I have ever seen this time of the morning, usually I am the only bike getting on, this morning 3 others. Standing room only only on the train and already 3 bikes aboard so bikes everywhere. So defo in the season of the fair weather cyclist.
However once I got to West Ham and on my commute there was strangely less cycle traffic.
It was a lovely morning and I stopped at the 12 mile point for a drink and to admire the view. Suddenly a young man on a Stevens CX bike gave me a cheery hello . I have met him a few times before, he usually catches me up and overtakes. So I put my drink away and see if I could do the same trick on him. I knew I had 8 miles to catch him in. I caught him within 3 and got 87th out of over 11,000 on Strava on a 2.4 mile section.
Then he knew I was on his tail and upped the rate. I puffed along behind him and after another 2 miles or so he seemingly had ,had enough of the little old man and really lit the afterburners. We then hit the really bumpy mile section past Broxbourne and the elastic snapped I just could not keep up his speed over the ruts and holes, I backed off and let him go. Got to work to look on Strava and the bit where he really went for it I got 6th overall out of over 8,000 on a half mile section. He did not have fly-by on so I still dont know who he is. Also Garmin detected a new FTP by a couple of Watts so pleased.

 

[Arjimlad]

Nothing too exciting, mixing up some routes recently so the commute doesn't get too stale.
Tonight was my first wet ride this year.

View attachment 643409

Awesome door zone paint there! Council hates cyclists?

 

[Arjimlad]

Audi nonsense this morning!

I was following another cyclist who I don't know or recognise and admiring his Giant Revolt not unlike my own. Both of us wearing hi-vis.

After emerging onto a main road, he was about 25m in front of me and an Audi driver was waiting to emerge from a side road ahead on our left .

I intended to turn left into that road myself and indicated accordingly, whereupon the silly Audi driver pulled out right in front of the rider in front of me, who had given no such indication, and who had to brake and swerve to avoid hitting the Audi!

She seemed to have presumed we were riding together, obviously you'd make no such assumption for cars.

 

[Scotchlovingcylist]

Awesome door zone paint there! Council hates cyclists?

Council spent alot of money on bike lanes over the last few years however it would seem they haven't even consulted the majority of cyclists.
It's actually wider than it looks there but most of them aren't great imo.

 

[DCBassman]

it would seem they haven't even ever consulted the majority of any cyclists.

FTFY

 

[HarryTheDog]

Cycle home was a tale of 2 ladies, one very rude, one very nice.
Cycling down the canal path a middle aged Hippy looking lady waved me down and blocked the canal path declaring I must stop. I asked why, the reply, because her cat was in the bush and if it ran out I could run it over. I told her I was not going to wait all day for her cat to get out of the bush, she then FORBID me from moving. Before I could tell her to go and do one her very nervous apologetic partner appeared , apologising on her behalf, I thought no mate I am sorry for you! her manner was totally rude. I decided to save a showdown and offered to walk past the bush . The guy seemed extremely grateful so I walked past , I cycled on still feeling sorry for the bloke.
Then when I got off the train a lady came up to me gushing about my bike , ( I have mentioned before its very pink). She had just bought a bike 2nd hand but seeing mine she wished she could have one. I told her they have changed the colour and now are a boring grey. I failed to mention she would now have to part with over 4K ( 2k 3 years ago)

 

[fossyant]

Many more goslings on the commute, and my first sighting of ducklings.

 

[Andy in Germany]

Many more goslings on the commute, and my first sighting of ducklings.

I saw a parade of ducklings crossing the road and heading for the river on the way back from work last night. The road is on a slight curve and the mother had already entered the grass verge; from a distance they looked like a moving horse poo.

 

[cyberknight]

Coming home on lates , werewolf like wind howling
Pretty much all the way home into the teeth of the wind with a bit of rain mixed in although not enough to need a coat and at one point blown to a stop as i crested a bridge .Forecast for today looks windy although at least its warm enough now so i can ride home without the need for base layer or legwarmers

 

[HarryTheDog]

Fine commute and with talk of Goslings up thread, here is my contribution, a goose doing a good job of intimitading me to stop.

 

[rivers]

Very wet commute this morning. Poor girl on a new bike/train/bike commute nearly got booted off for not having reserved a space. She didn't know she had to and was only going one stop, so they let her stay. I told her how to go about it- it's a bit of a faff, but easy enough to do.

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Very wet commute this morning. Poor girl on a new bike/train/bike commute nearly got booted off for not having reserved a space. She didn't know she had to and was only going one stop, so they let her stay. I told her how to go about it- it's a bit of a faff, but easy enough to do.

Do you have to reserve every day?
Way proper wet today here too, not too cold though.