Tales from today's commute....

[HLaB]

A surprisingly fast commute straight into a head wind and I only got stopped properly at 2 red lights (I rolled slowly to a couple to let them change to green before I got to them). I think the first glimpses of daylight made it faster and a few patient drivers and my desire to keep them as so 🙂

 

[biking_fox]

Karma for all the annoying driving I'd experienced recently. Last night I got cut up really badly (no contact stayed upright). A main cut through peels diagonally off the main road I was on. It's a terrible junction inviting drivers to take it at speed with lots of cyclists going straight on along the green paint. I ride it wide and defensively, but even so someone looped around and chopped straight across my nose.

Only for the car behind them to be a copper who lit up and pulled them over while I rode off. Much improved my mood.

 

[wafter]

A beautiful and very welcome bright, crisp, clear morning.

Being a bit late out the door thanks to another night's crap kip was compounded by having to wait for the car to defrost, however the drive was very pleasant given the weather, light traffic and notable absence of dickheads.

Parked up in reasonable time and headed out into the sun; feeling much more comfortable on the bike after a few days on relative recuperation (and recovery from last week's bastard saddle sore).

A really nice ride in with not a whole lot to report; relatively quick for me so I made up the deficit to arrive on time despite sausages and a quick hang.

While this time of year is often hard this morning has been fantastic and definitely more favourable than sitting in the little tin rage box

 

[captain nemo1701]

Coming to the end of the Railway Path this morning, bloke on obviously unrestricted little fat tire ebike, shot past not pedaling so I assumed he'd had the machine adapted but it was what he was dressed like that got my attention. All in black, including his helmet which wasn't like a normal motorbike full face job, it shaped more like those curvy ones worn by air force fighter pilots and it had a dark tinted visor (black from my POV). So all dressed in black, on a black (illegally adapted no doubt ebike), with a black full face helmet and black visor.....more motorised traffic on a cyclepath.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Bleedin' freezing this morning, but the very first sunshine of the morning commute this year more than made up for it.

And a Buzzard fairly close up too.

 

[wafter]

The plan for the ride home was simple - stop at Boots to pick up some essentials then home to crack on with a load of outstanding stuff I have to sort.

In reality after a day laced with conflict and saturated with stress & anxiety I pushed the distance out and hit it pretty hard. This felt neccessary and somewhat cathartic, however was rewarded by a slowish puncture and eventually bare shelves in Boots... so I retired to the White Rabbit and played the part of the weird old man fixing my puncture with a tonic water while the sozzled youth around ignored me and got on with enjoying themselves.

The patch seems to be holding and I ended up doing about 14 miles; I'd better get some good kip tonight or tomorrow will be especially horrible.

 

[Mazz]

The patch seems to be holding and I ended up doing about 14 miles; I'd better get some good kip tonight or tomorrow will be especially horrible.

Your commute is 14 miles each way? that's some distance.

 

[biking_fox]

Cold dry with biting wind. And heavy legs. At least it's half term so the roads are quiet.

 

[fossyant]

Rolling upto 6 weeks now without a bike commute. Still on crutches.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

Freezing cold, but oh, the joy of daylight!!

 

[ianrauk]

Today was the first morning commute this year leaving home at 7am without having to turn on the bike lights. Lovely, bright, blue sky morning.
Freezing cold still. dropped to below °'s a couple of times but hovered at the 1 and 2° mark.

 

[wafter]

Your commute is 14 miles each way? that's some distance.

Thankfully not - that would properly destroy me!

It's typically about 8 miles each way, however I sometimes extend it in the evenings if possible for the pleasure / to let off some steam / to get in some shopping / to avoid going home..

 

[wafter]

Thanks evidently to it being half term this week the drive has been fantastic, with three consecutive days of light traffic and zero-arseholery.. pity it can't be like this all the time.

The weather has also been nice and this morning was no exception. Upon joining the tow path at Yarnton I noticed a fair bit of the adjacent hedge was now lying on the ground in kit form; suddenly assigning context to the highly-visible blokes milling about a mobile chipper I'd passed at the entrance.

We all know what this means and I did my best to avoid the detritus; however half a mile later the front tyre was completely flat

Fortunately I was next to a big bit of grass, the sun was out and the temperature slightly warmer than it has been, so thankfully I could actually feel my hands. Off came the previously unsullied Contact Urban, the tube partially inflated to find the leak and the corresponding area on the tyre investigated - with little effort required to find the fat thorn sticking through the carcass

Thorn dug out and and tube replaced in the interest of time (I'll patch the damaged one later) I got chatting to a sympathetic chap on the tow path who I often pass on the way in. He was very familiar with the ills of Brompton and it later transpired that he's a fellow forum member (although I can't find his username to tag him) - I think the first to "enjoy" the dubious honour of enduring my presence IRL. If you're reading this you know who you are - great to speak to you

A hastily-snatched photo of proceedings - what this failed to capture was the brilliant sunlight that had bathed the whole process until shortly before the shot was taken.. it really was a lovely morning to be out.

Tyre sorted I got a wriggle on and managed to arrive only eight minutes late for work, so it could have been worse. I feel a strongly worded email to the Canal and River Trust is in my future..

 

[Rocky]

Thanks evidently to it being half term this week the drive has been fantastic, with three consecutive days of light traffic and zero-arseholery.. pity it can't be like this all the time.

The weather has also been nice and this morning was no exception. Upon joining the tow path at Yarnton I noticed a fair bit of the adjacent hedge was now lying on the ground in kit form; suddenly assigning context to the highly-visible blokes milling about a mobile chipper I'd passed at the entrance.

We all know what this means and I did my best to avoid the detritus; however half a mile later the front tyre was completely flat

Fortunately I was next to a big bit of grass, the sun was out and the temperature slightly warmer than it has been, so thankfully I could actually feel my hands. Off came the previously unsullied Contact Urban, the tube partially inflated to find the leak and the corresponding area on the tyre investigated - with little effort required to find the fat thorn sticking through the carcass

Thorn dug out and and tube replaced in the interest of time (I'll patch the damaged one later) I got chatting to a sympathetic chap on the tow path who I often pass on the way in. He was very familiar with the ills of Brompton and it later transpired that he's a fellow forum member (although I can't find his username to tag him) - I think the first to "enjoy" the dubious honour of enduring my presence IRL. If you're reading this you know who you are - great to speak to you

A hastily-snatched photo of proceedings - what this failed to capture was the brilliant sunlight that had bathed the whole process until shortly before the shot was taken.. it really was a lovely morning to be out.

View attachment 762691

Tyre sorted I got a wriggle on and managed to arrive only eight minutes late for work, so it could have been worse. I feel a strongly worded email to the Canal and River Trust is in my future..

That sympathetic chap was me!!

Glad you got safely to work and not too late as well!!

 

[ianrauk]

That sympathetic chap was me!!

Glad you got safely to work and not too late as well!!

Oi. welcome back Rocky. Great to see you here again dear chap.