Tales from today's commute....

[markharry66]

Monday again legs tired after weekend ride or so I thought blasted in this morning with fastest average speed hardly any traffic usual few close passes by a few idiots, lovely morning to be out there and watch the sun rise who needs a car.

 

[biking_fox]

Warm, grey, muggy, fast, fun, commute.

Doesn't need any other words.

 

[ianrauk]

Warm, grey, muggy, fast, fun, commute.

Doesn't need any other words.

Yep, similar.

 

[wafter]

As above.. cloudy and humid but some respite courtesy of varying amounts of light drizzle.

A shaky start in the car - enraged first by a littering bellend in front, then some absolute self-entitled tool who wanted to join my road from a junction on my right; pulling out so he was blocking the opposite carriageway expecting me to let him in and when I didn't just pulled infront of me anyway - causing me to brake from 50 to nothing to avoid an accident. He made no effort to acknowledge his utter twattery nor apologise, and got 10-15 seconds of horn for his arrogance abject stupidity.

Once mercifully on the bike there were many brambles again but these were left for the ride home amid more pressing matters. Made great time despite the alleged headwind and relatively large distance covered in the last week. I saw a few other members of the Brompton mafia - the most notable being the flame lacquer example I was stuck behind for a while on the tow path - lovely colour and I note a similarly battered back end (mudguard, flap, seatpost tube) to mine.

Dropped the ball in only acquiring two sausages; to later find out they were particularly tasty today. reached work 20 mins early and sailed past en-route to the Post Office to dispatch the parcel I couldn't yesterday at either of the ostensibly open / actually closed branches local to home

Reached work in good time feeling pretty nice; looking forward to the ride home for an excursion to Decathlon for some gym chalk and no doubt a load more guerilla gardening

 

[palinurus]

Didn't leave until after nine today, normally out by six thirty. Was expecting someone to have a look at a couple of walls he'll be repointing later in the week, was expecting him at nine but of course he turned up at 08:20 while I was on the crapper.

 

[fossyant]

Muggy one this morning - rain overnight so roads damp. An additional two lower clips have been fitted to my Ortliebs, and it negates the need for a bungie to retain the pannier's on the rack - the lower clip would bounce off on the rough off road sections. Having two ensures they are rock steady. Slight change to how I fit the panniers, but all good.

Missed the 'problematic' German Shepherd this morning - it's not good when the woman has to take the dog into someone's driveway, just so someone walking their dog can pass - it's a liability - likely the same dog that's gone for my neighbour when out on a run (same description - older lady with a big GSD).

 

[wafter]

Last night: ill-advisedly through the city to Decathlon in Botley to secure some gym chalk; which was had after seemingly an age of farmers-carrying the bike around trying to find it.

Didn't fancy more people so skirted round the outside of the ring road through Wytham, back into Wolvercote, across Port Meadow and into the park from the back way for a disappointing session on the rings; thanks to general tiredness and probably having lugged the tubby little folder around. Jury's out on the chalk - more grippy but also claggy, really wants washing straight off after use and probably isn't doing my skin any good.

Pretty knackered at this point so moseyed back along the tow path, stopping frequently to have a go at the brambles. Got engaged in conversation by a girl near Wolvercote whose dad I apparently went to uni with - which made me feel incredibly old.

9pm by the time I got to the car, quick hang in at the community centre once back in the village, home, found I'd lost my phone so back out on the Brompton looking for it to no avail..


This morning saw an early start after struggling to get to sleep then waking silly-early and not wanting to go back to sleep due to the absence of an alarm (for which I use my phone). Out early for a damp but tolerable mosey in. Checked various places for phone; no joy. Sausages bought then some more trimming on the river - the hedges have been hammered by the authorities (probably with gay abandon using some horrible, indescriminate shredding machine) however frustratingly it was apparently beyond those responsible to trim all the stuff hanging from above..

I spotted a heron and stopped to watch some geese in the river bobbing for a solitary apple - their rounded, impotent beaks only serving to push their prize further away as they fought amongst themselves - a fitting analogy for life perhaps.

Arrived at the office slightly late thanks to my leisurely pace and trimming.. got to my desk to find my phone unclaimed from last night.


There's been a very noticeable change in and and around the city over the past month - I guess since the schools are off and students have mostly gone home. The routes outside the city are almost eerily quiet while the city centre is packed with inattentive tourists.. making avoidance of the centre an easy sell until some balance is restored later in the year..

 

[fossyant]

Must say, you've got to watch these new fangled e-bikes. Getting sneaky some of them, especially Ribble and a few others. Closing in on a road bike this morning, pulled up behind it at traffic lights. Lady on a road bike, with 'trainers' and the flat SPD style pedals. Kept behind so I had room to pull round her in the traffic. Lights changed, car in-front went so I moved right, but she was accelerating much quicker than I expected. I only then noticed the bigger rear hub as I passed (doing over 20 mph now) the down tube wasn't noticeably bigger than the standard road bikes. Sneaky..

Then noticed a Norco hybrid in the bike stand - again difficult to tell other than the hub and a 'button' on the top tube.

 

[markharry66]

Thursday a bright morning with strong sunlight straight into you eyes. New second hand triban to try out . Powering down the hill turn the corner no signs, no warning temp traffic lights, language used would have made a sailor blush. The stretch of road I use must be the most popular for work men in the country every week there seems to be new road works going up. Shame the surface is so poor.

 

[Alex321]

Managed to miss the rain in both directions yesterday, which was surprising given how much of it there was during the day. Roads were pretty wet on the way in and wet in places on the way home.

I'd had the bottom bracket replaced, but front gear change still playing up a bit. I *think* I got it sorted last night, but really won't be sure until I have another proper ride, probably tomorrow's commute.

 

[biking_fox]

21:39 ride in fastest ever I think, at least while I've been keeping track. In winter it's more like 27min.

 

[fossyant]

21:39 ride in fastest ever I think, at least while I've been keeping track. In winter it's more like 27min.

You had the tail wind then. 43 mins for me, fastest is 41.

Missed the slight rain shower, and the offending bushes (that I was trimming last week) have actually been cut right back and cleared. First time in two years.

 

[wafter]

A mishmash of recollections from the past few days...

Following a lacklustre alcohol-free-fifth-wheel pub experience on Tuesday night things were further complicated by happening upon a fledgeling pigeon being victimised by seemingly everything including other pigeons and a pair of cats. I stuffed it on top of a hedge to keep it away from the cats but it didn't like it up there so ended up on the floor again... thankfully a girl from one of the local houses came out and agreed to look after it.

That internal conflict out of the way I meanded through the city as usual; enjoying the last vestiges of a fantastic sunset as I got back to the car..

Yesterday's trip in was very sedate thanks to the apparenty new normal of 5-6hrs sleep every night, but thankfully not unpleasant; no rush thanks to the early start; stopping on the tow path for a breakfast sausage.

In no hurry to get home after work I rolled aimlessly around the city; following a guy in a suit on a nice looking raw lacquer Brompton who impressed with his convincing progress up Headington hill... made all the more amusing by the two yoof who had to give up and push as the premium-finish Brompton mafia steadily wound our way past.

This was balanced by another ignorant rider to whom I gave way coming onto the tow path in Jericho; who seemed incapable of either signalling or expressing any gratitude. As much as I hate to say it I think there might be an over-representation of tossers amongst Brompton ownership..

On to another lacklustre showing on the rings, but some progress was made by hanging them in a different orientation that allows me to brace my feet against the frame of the monkey bars for much more stable rows. I've also started doing chin-up-negs more regularly on the way in and my shoudlers ache as a result, so I must be doing something right..

Finally out along the tow path with a bit more trimming; although it feels like I (and the others who also contribute) might finally have gotten on top of it leaving a pretty clear and tidy route

Below; the last leg of the tow path at Yarnton where there's often a lot of growth - especially from above. Someone has gone hard at the LH corner as evidenced by the pile of dead brambles at the foot of the hedge - I hope the authorities will clear these when they finally get round to cutting the rest of it..

 

[HLaB]

Lol, well that's 12secs of their life the driver of the blacked out 4x4 won't get back. Despite them going a ridiculous speed to catch me as I had a strong tailwind they failed to so before Drake Avenue where they are forced to slow down in a 20mph zone by infrastructure that was well built about 12 years ago. The road bends tightly and is narrow and stays narrow through the 20mph zone. I'd usually dash through there at 20mph. That wasn't fast enough for the blacked out 4x4 so they honked me all the way and each time I relaxed a little more, so I've ended up going through there at 16.4mph. The first opportunity where it widens to two lanes for a tiny bit I let them drive through on the wrong side of the road. Double lol, there was a taxi driver right behind them and they waited for a proper overtaking opportunity and gave me the most room I've had in a while. Triple lol, surprise, surprise we all meet up at the traffic lights half a mile down the road. I stayed back behind the taxi but I must admit I was tempted to re-overtake 😂

 

[markharry66]

time to find a new route sick of being cut up, Friday at last and even know there is less traffic than normal the cockwomble finder is off the scale.
Had someone decide to pull out in front of me then decide as its a 20 zone that the breaks need to be fully applied. Despite the road being narrow you can fit two cars down there quite easily despite there being parked cars. Not the this pratt stopped every time a car was coming the the other way, they walk amongst us.