Tales from today's commute....

[HLaB]

Just a short 2 and half miles for me I was tempted to go further but I wanted to give my legs a break after last nigh's battle with the wind; ironically its still again! Got one left hook but the taxi was reving so loud I knew it was coming and when you are in a zen mood its so easy to ease (no pun intended) on the fixie pedals.
The only other note, its so nice to have a round rear wheel; 14mph into work on the fix without trying as I had weekend legs

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Chilly ride in this morning but little wind. Found the ride very easy today and managed mid fifteens for the average speed. All those miles on the ice tyres seems to have paid off

 

[thefollen]

Nice day- the wind drop makes a massive difference. Took it fairly easy, great to be back in the lycra shorts!

 

[apb]

Saw a guy with a Go Pro on top of his head get pulled over by the police this morning. it was at the east end of the Meadows along Melville drive, i think the police man jumped out of the bushes shouting "AHH HAA", as i didn't see a police car. I didn't see what he did, but the copper already had his ticket book out so i think the debate was over before it started.

 

[stephenb]

Never hurry in on Mondays, the weeks are too long as it is. Gentle ride, not cold and no headwind. Nothched up 2,000 miles for the year as well.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Almost had a peloton at the lights, 5 cyclists woop!*

*Theres actually quite a lot of cyclists along my route if you stand and watch, just not enough to bunch up at lights etc, yet......

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It wasn't a commute. It was a 'recovery ride'.

 

[Davidsw8]

I was cycling up Albert Embankment this morning behind a lady who was going a little slower than me but as she looked like a bit of a nervous cyclist, I thought it best to hang back rather than overtake and come across her, especially as we weren't that far to the lights.

Anyway, we get to the lights and they turn green - I need to turn left on to Lambeth Bridge here - she's in front of me, cycling like she's turning left also, then she darts her hand out to the left and I think 'bit late to indicate but ok...' then she just stopped ON THE CORNER OF THE BRIDGE and I had to break hard but was able to safely carry on past her without too much trouble.

As I passed her, she apologised and I said 'that was really dangerous', then she replies 'I did indicate'.

So, to confirm what I already knew, I just looked it up and slowing down/stopping is waving your arm up and down not a quick horizontal dart out.

Do you think people just don't know what signals to use? Or maybe she was just inexperienced or dim?

I feel I had pretty good reflexes here but maybe I need to think more about what's best for me and not someone else in the future, if I had overtaken her earlier on, I wouldn't have been caught in a potentially very dangerous situation.

 

[thefollen]

I was cycling up Albert Embankment this morning behind a lady who was going a little slower than me but as she looked like a bit of a nervous cyclist, I thought it best to hang back rather than overtake and come across her, especially as we weren't that far to the lights.

Anyway, we get to the lights and they turn green - I need to turn left on to Lambeth Bridge here - she's in front of me, cycling like she's turning left also, then she darts her hand out to the left and I think 'bit late to indicate but ok...' then she just stopped ON THE CORNER OF THE BRIDGE and I had to break hard but was able to safely carry on past her without too much trouble.

As I passed her, she apologised and I said 'that was really dangerous', then she replies 'I did indicate'.

So, to confirm what I already knew, I just looked it up and slowing down/stopping is waving your arm up and down not a quick horizontal dart out.

Do you think people just don't know what signals to use? Or maybe she was just inexperienced or dim?

I feel I had pretty good reflexes here but maybe I need to think more about what's best for me and not someone else in the future, if I had overtaken her earlier on, I wouldn't have been caught in a potentially very dangerous situation.

Have to watch out for the wobblies! Lots of them pop out when the weather's decent. Had a novice-looking cyclist turn across the front of me going right this morn- no incident, just hit the brakes and shook my head). Know the Vauxhall junction well; in the mornings (coming from south heading north to Waterloo) cycle like my life depends on it as traffic flashes across the lanes. Have a decent technique now however which limits the danger, but traversing it certainly gets the adrenaline going!

 

[fossyant]

Fortunately we don't get too many wobblies round here, and they are easy enough to avoid by the general lack of bikes compared to London.

 

[Jdratcliffe]

You can tell the fair weather cyclists as they are all wrapped up like its cold or something passed two in coats and jumpers i was in ss jersery + ss base layer short bibs ( admittedly with tights over the top but ditching those for return trip ( i leave at 6 so its still little chilly)) gotta enjoy the "warm" when you can ..

 

[Davidsw8]

I dunno but if I was that nervous and wobbly, I'd consider having a few practice runs on quieter roads before heading into heavy commuter traffic. Most people aren't that protective of these vulnerable ones and it's very dangerous out there, especially if you don't know what you're doing.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I never use the right hand flap to indicate I'm pulling over. I use the left turn signal (and a loud cry of "STOP-PING!" if in the vicinity of other cyclists) The hand signal is consistent with that used by other road users today rather than some mid-20th century throwback.

Thinking about it I probably use the left hand signal when pulling over more often than I do when turning left, as, on the roads around here, a left hand signal is driverspeak for "please feel free to squeeze past regardless of my, or your, safety"

 

[GrumpyGregry]

[QUOTE 2420534, member: 1314"]Told a RLJ-er off today. He went through reds at Tooting Broadway. Wearing hi-viz and a helmet.

"You give a cyclists a bad name" I said as I passed.

"Where's your helmet?" replied the cockwomble.

I gave him the bird.[/quote]
"In my pants" might have been wittier?

EDIT: I miss the cut'n'thrust of London riding. "Morning sheep, morning ponies, morning unidentified bird of prey" just doesn't really cut it banter wise.

 

[Venod]

I wanted to give the new bike a good test ride today so selected a route with a bit of climbing, the wind was fairly strong & coming from the South West so headed in that direction, the descents helped the brakes bed in nicely and the climbs tested me, I am running a cyclo cross chain set 46/36 with a 12-30 10 speed cassette, I got up all the climbs OK but kept thinking I could use a lower gear, I think is is because I have been using a mountain bike throughout the winter and there was always another if needed, I will just have to get used to it & dig in on the long climbs. Had a nice coffee and a piece of caramel short cake at Cannon Hall Cafe, the woman serving was saying they have had 26 weeks of bad weather, said she new this because of the staffing levels required for the 26 weeks, she was hoping for an upturn in business.

45mile 1935ft of climbing

http://www.bikemap.net/route/207394...g=-1.4693173362732&zoom=11&maptype=ts_terrain