Tales from today's commute....

[luckyb**]

Occasional commuter back again. I spent bits of last week winterising the bike. New light mounts, mudguards, rack etc. Meant to take it out for a shakedown ride, but it never happened. So today I dragged myself out again. It's always harder after a layoff. That first half mile.
Apart from a slight repositioning of the front guard there seemed no problem with the work. There's a strange noise from the crank area (?) which wasn't there before and I can't see what causes it....
So 14 miles later I'm at work. I'd like to say an uneventful ride, but it wasn't. Going towards Meadowhall, Bawtry road at Tinsley and approaching a pinch point, due to a ped island. I suddenly notice an 'MTL Group' flatbed wagon (TN53 G0P) on my offside, overtaking too close and without enough room to safely complete the manouvre. Sure enough he pulls in before he's passed and forces me towards the kerb!
It gets him a lot because a bit further on he's stuck in queuing traffic at the roundabout at the south end of Tinsley viaduct. I filter towards the front and slot in, where a drivers left T&T between himself and the driver in front.
I'm going north on the lower deck of the viaduct, but the 2 lane entrys closed for maintenance. The diversion takes you along the service road that runs down the centre, for half its length. Speeds limited to 30mph, so I put my foot down and I'm well over 20mph for this short burst. The traffic then has a chicane to get back into 2 lanes on the normal carriageway. Within 20 yards Mr 'MTL Group' is overtaking me within inches, when he has a clear lane on his offside...
So I reckon I'm clear now. Can't have anything else within a few miles of work? I'm in the right hand lane at the north end of the viaduct, positioned centrally. I'm taking exit 3 of 6, Blackburn Road.
Just as I'm passing exit 2, theres a twin cab pick up on my left shoulder, passing, in the same lane! Don't think the long blast on the airzound would have had any effect, but hopefully other drivers looked at him and thought "What a tit!"
It made the later very close, very fast pass by the BMW on a straight road hardly worth mentioning....
Anyway, at work, surprisingly chilled and looking forward to 16:30 and the ride back.

It seems we follow a similar route at some point!
I've just started commuting from Rotherham to Sheffield, except I can get virtually all the way there on cycle paths/cycle lanes or canal paths........

My close calls in the past few weeks are fishermen, old ladies, council workmen cutting the grass and an angry cyclist shouting 'Keep left' when I was stopping for a drink.
My close calls have nothing on the posts here........and I'm glad!

 

[ohnovino]

Two idiots nearly caused a collision on the commute home ... and I was one of them

I went through a very late amber having been frustrated at being held up (I had to sit at the back of a queue because of a blocked ASL and a car nosing out of a side road). Once clear of the junction, I then pulled out to pass a parked car without looking and nearly got sideswiped by a car overtaking me. They could only have got there by jumping a red light and the overtake was far too close, but I was really angry with myself for not shoulder-checking.

Going to clean my bikes now as punishment for my rubbish riding.

 

[SportMonkey]

Whoops, didn't tighten new aerobars before use, one went down by about 30° on hitting a pot hole.

 

[gambatte]

Journey back had incidents but of a much less severe nature. Pinch point ahead, pedestrain island, with 2 girls about 16-18. Two cars infront of me go through. The lasses couldn't have timed the start of their walk better. They set off, sauntering, with a second or 2 between them, so as to be in exactly the right place to block me, on a 40mph road.
I think its the 1st time I've used the airzound against peds.
Don't know if its something in the air, but I seemed to notice an unusual number of cars emerging from the left, perfectly fine, but then completely failing to make progress. I ended up passing 2 in this situation.
Nice to see lots of bikes out, all seemd to be in the opposite direction. Got a scalp though

 

[Matt1705]

First day back at work today after a week off, (from work and cycling)

Didn't hear my alarm goes off this morning and woke at 6:15 when I was supposed to be at work for 6:30. Cycled like crazy on the way here lol.

Only managed an average of 12.2mph on the way home too- hopefully that'll improve as the week goes on.

Nothing else interesting to report...

 

[gambatte]

It seems we follow a similar route at some point!

Possibly
To
From
Generally the same every day I choose the bike. I keep threatening myself I'll do the climb out of Rotherham on Wortley Road..

 

[Trickedem]

A little section of my commute. It is frustrating that this section of road has been prioritised to make things easier for buses, but cycles can't use the bus lane, which leads to frustration on the part of the drivers. It was nearly dusk, so unfortunately I wasn't able to get the reg number of the Range Rover driver who gave me a close pass at high speed.

 

[gambatte]

So all those cars overtaking were doing so illegally, crossing the solid white line into the bus lane? I'm surprised the council aren't there, it's an instant revenue stream!

 

[subaqua]

was it just me or was it bloody windy this morning?

coming down CS3 from limehouse basin and I felt like I'd ridden 30 miles not 7

it was a tad breezy, but the hangover from multiple bottles of wine made everything seem 10 times harder. the ride cleared my grotty head though.

today was a bit blowy in places, and a lady came a cropper at the road cross on Cable street just up from butcher row. She said her pedal hit the kerb, but i stopped and made sure she was OK to continue. I think she hurt her pride more than anything.

 

[subaqua]

Two idiots nearly caused a collision on the commute home ... and I was one of them

I went through a very late amber having been frustrated at being held up (I had to sit at the back of a queue because of a blocked ASL and a car nosing out of a side road). Once clear of the junction, I then pulled out to pass a parked car without looking and nearly got sideswiped by a car overtaking me. They could only have got there by jumping a red light and the overtake was far too close, but I was really angry with myself for not shoulder-checking.

Going to clean my bikes now as punishment for my rubbish riding.

the bikes better be gleaming

 

[gambatte]

was it just me or was it bloody windy this morning?

Didn't notice it yesterday morning. Definite headwind in the afternoon though.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Strike two for the numpty in the BT Openreach van. One more close pass and he gets reported.

 

[BSRU]

Stopped at a part time traffic light controlled RAB, traffic lights were on, red for me. A mini comes alongside in the next lane and just drives through the red light as if it was not there. Stops at the next set of lights actually on the RAB but after a few seconds just drives through that set as well. They could not even manage to use the correct lanes.

 

[wiggydiggy]

Got a "Morning/Hello!" from an overtaking cyclist this morning (A65 Bus Lane Leeds), my first in months of using the route - Sir if your here then thank you!

 

[martint235]

No commute this week.