Tales from today's commute....

[Arjimlad]

Yesterday on the way home, I observed a young-ish driver rolling along in slow-moving traffic with two handheld mobile phones on the go. Once was on Instagram or similar, the other he was using to send and receive messages, with both his hands on the latter and none on the wheel.

Often when someone using a handheld phone sees that they have been spotted, they put it down pretty sharp.

This lad, however, noticed me and just carried on with his texting. He just waved me away. I was left to wonder if he was on a cloned registration plate or something.

Obviously the very clear footage from my helmet camera has gone in to the police, and in the normal run of events I would expect him to get a six points/£200 fine fixed penalty which should make him think again about his phone use at the wheel.

 

[cosmicbike]

Certainly colder the past couple of days, and this morning the ride home was at just shy of 2 degrees with that horrible fine cold spitting rain. Resorted to trousers now, and will have to start layering up soon based on the forecast.

 

[ianrauk]

Yep, this coming commuting week the coldest of the season so far. Layer up people.

 

[palinurus]

Noticed it was cooler at the weekend so winter gear on, including my fleecy jersey.

Too warm! every year this happens. Will probably need it from Wednesday though.

Before leaving was changing in the disabled toilet. Had my bag on the cistern, was getting stuff out and dropped my buff down the pan

 

[ianrauk]

What a gorgeous, crisp, sunny, blue sky day for a commute. Only marred by crap, back up traffic and cars edging out of side roads. gggrrrrr

Had a nice bit of SCR this morning. A chap I usually see on the morning blast along the A21 went past as I was waiting to pull out at a junction. Having seen him a good few times over the past few months, I knew I could catch and over take him. As it was I caught him at the lights and had a little chat. We were then joined by a (much) younger lad I see now and again who I knew would blow us both out of the water with his speed. And so it was to be. I tried my best to keep up but I think he was playing with me. Once he put the power down the elastic went snap very quickly and he was gone. Good lad.

Oh yes, my commuting sock for the day. Pizza anyone?

 

[GeekDadZoid]

No commute this week for me. Using the last few days of leave before the Christmas break.

However yesterday I took my wife out for brunch to Knutsford and I spotted a bargain Micro 4/3 Camera on Facebook for sale there, unfortunately I was pipped to the post by someone else.

Late last night I got a message from the seller as they person had not showed up, so today I cycled over to pick it up. 50km round trip, but not having to stump for diesel in the car made it more of a bargain. The seller thought I was crazy.

That being said it was cold, on my return it felt the temp had dropped even lower with the cold air being really uncomfortable on my lungs.

Don't envy anyone riding home tonight.

 

[biking_fox]

Properly frosty for the first time this year - full winter mode for me:

All zips fully done up including pit zips. The BIG gloves, over sleeves and under jacket seals. Buff under helmet, lip balm. And then stay off the cycle lanes and take the roads, cycle a gear or two lower, keep the wind chill down by being less fast, the increasing the rpm which gets the blood flowing faster, added bonus of better control if you do find an icy patch.

 

[annirak]

Lots of black ice today. Had a long chat about cycling discipline when the ground is slippery with Kid #1. None of that mattered when we hit 20m^2 of black ice. First she went down, then I did. Then the lady behind with a child carrier on the back. Then the other lady coming towards us.

We found a local grit bin, conveniently full of rubbish, as is the local custom, and after after displacing the rubbish deployed grit to the whole area. I wish someone had done that before we got there…

 

[cyberknight]

1st ground frost commute on the way home last night on late shift, forecast colder tonight and for the next week so the bar mitts have gone on for a while as my hands went through freezing to painful about 3 miles from home which wasnt pleasant .
Weekend non commute rides are a no no as its not forecast to get above freezing on sunday

 

[rivers]

I opted for bike-train-bike today as that keeps me on main/busy roads. Will probably do the same tomorrow.

 

[palinurus]

Chilly today, but just above freezing. Tomorrow expected to be just below. Guaranteed I won't be able to find my overshoes.

 

[cyberknight]

Another bad commute🙁
Nearly Knocked off and when I shouted an expletive the driver pulled up and started shouting.he then drove a bit further down the road and jumped out welding a stick or something.i stopped far enough back then cars were peeping so I rode past .about a mile further down the road a car pulled next to me at a junction and asked if I was ok as apparently the nutter was following me !
From now on I'm keeping my gob shut and looking for a camera as the level of aggression on the roads around here is getting to be dangerous

 

[DCLane]

@cyberknight - try a PassPixi. Mine was a tenner delivered and I'm testing it out; it seems to be getting me lots of wide passes and less idiots. Yes I've a camera but I can't be bothered using it. And they make me fighty.

This morning's commute was a longer one each way to get some Turf zones as my class was being covered by a new member of staff to free up some of my time.

Three miles into the 21-mile commute I end up going over a hawthorn branch, with a thorn embedded deep into the front tyre. I run Schwalbe cyclocross tyres in the winter, with tubes, but this didn't seem to be going down. So ... options ...

1. Change the tube as the thorn's gone through and it'll go flat. Well it may do, but it wasn't and it was freezing. Nope, not that one. Oh, and I only had one spare tube - get another flat and I'm stuck.

2. Keep going, hoping that it'll hold air until I can catch the train in five miles' time. Nice plan. Sensible plan. And I was going past the station. But the train costs money. And I live in Yorkshire.

3. Keep going, knowing that if it went flat further on I'd have to change it - with no 'easy' option after this until I got to work another 13 miles later. I chose this option last month and ended up riding 10 miles on a flat back tub (I'd been experimenting with a £2 set of tubular wheels and tyres on the commute).

Of course I chose option 3. I'm stupid. But the front tyre held and seemed to be OK with the thorn thoroughly wedged in.

For the return home? Options 1 / 2 / 3 in reverse this time, although the train's after one or ten miles. Well ... it seemed to be OK when I left work so 'option 3' it was again. And I made it fine - 41 miles with a thorn embedded into the tyre and tube.

Methinks that'll do and I'll not chance it further though. Edited: it'd mostly deflated by this morning, so giant thorn taken out and tube changed. The thorn had gone in vertical and through to the rim so I'm guessing that's why it acted almost like a plug.

 

[palinurus]

Chilly today, but just above freezing. Tomorrow expected to be just below. Guaranteed I won't be able to find my overshoes.

This was the case.

Kept the bike in the flat last night so at least the cranks and pedals were starting out at room temperature. Feet were OK.

 

[Jenkins]

-2°C this morning but at least the roads were dry so no ice - even on the couple of miles of country lane I use. Thermals, thin cap and thick gloves in use for the first time at this part of the year.