Tales from today's commute....

[BSRU]

Nice 50km ride in this morning with a measly 435 metres of climbing, only spoilt once I got into town where I meet some drivers with that Friday feeling, or probably the morning after Thursday night feeling.

 

[HLaB]

Nice 50km ride in this morning with a measly 435 metres of climbing, only spoilt once I got into town where I meet some drivers with that Friday feeling, or probably the morning after Thursday night feeling.

I'm lucky if I climb 435ft in that distance

 

[apb]

What a beautiful day. think i might go for a spin at lunch.

 

[MickL]

Came in the car today, but commute home last night, I tried to tackle my nemesis, Portway Hill (10% gradient) Rowley Regis, ended up pushing my bike up the last 200mtrs just felt like I didn't have the gear to get up it on my Roadie

 

[BSRU]

I'm lucky if I climb 435ft in that distance

Nothing really heavy on this mornings route, avoided all the proper cat 4 climbs.
Only one long drag which is classed as a cat 4, 7km long with an average of 2% and a maximum gradient of just 7%.

 

[HLaB]

Nothing really heavy on this mornings route, avoided all the proper cat 4 climbs.
Only one long drag which is classed as a cat 4, 7km long with an average of 2% and a maximum gradient of just 7%.

A long drag here is 0.7km; apart from this morning a recovery commute I've been taking the 13.5kg fixie complete with d'lock over them before work to get a bit of molehill training in

 

[Davidsw8]

I REALLY need to learn to keep my mouth shut, it just slips out sometimes though (but usually it's not as anodyne as what I said today...)

Cycling up towards Jermyn Street this morning and this man, mid 60’s in a suit is stood in the middle of the road so I muttered ‘I’m curious as to why people stand in the middle of the street’ as I cycled past. He couldn’t have heard what I said but obviously knew I’d said something.

I got to Jermyn Street, got off my bike and walked it up towards Fortnums (cos Jermyn Street is one way), I get nearly to Fortnums and the guy has stormed after me ‘What did u say tough guy?’, I repeated what I said and he said something about it being his fault and that he was stood there trying to remember something then repeated the tough guy thing. I said ‘I’m not trying to be a tough guy’, then he’s going on about me being obnoxious and cyclists are a hazard, I said he was an obstruction and should learn to know when he’s in the wrong etc. then he stormed off again calling me obnoxious and a tough guy again and I ended it with ‘I’m tougher than you, ya tw@t!’


Oh dear...

 

[thefollen]

HONK! HONK! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!"

I stop in front of his car and give a palms up gallic shrug. "Excuse me. What's the problem?" observing the middle aged jabba the hutt impersonating Eric Pickles lookee-likee sat in the driving seat.

Driver winds down window and sticks out head" "Get out of the ****ing way!"

"You see that sign?" points at sign to side about 1 metre in front of his car, alongside me "Can you not read? It says 'give way to oncoming vehicles'"

"**** off you ****, you're not a ****ing vehicle, you're on a ****ing pushbike. You don't even pay any ****ing road tax!"

"Cut out the swearing fatboy, YOU don't even pay any road tax. Your pile of junk is a Class A car. Zero rated for VEE EEE DEE"

"**** off you ****ing ****er and get out of my ****ing way"

"No"

"You ****ing what?"

"I'm not moving. Until you apologise for sounding your horn aggressively and swearing at me"

"I'm gonna ****ing do you. IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"Feel free. I'll quite happily kick your fat arse into the lake" nods in direction of adjoining body of water. "One of my mates was badly hurt down here a while ago because some nobber like you forced him to swerve"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"I'm not stopping you fatty. Come on out if you fancy your chances"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR! "

"Say that once more and I'll drag you out"

Zzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppp clunk as the driver door window winds up and the central locking is activated.

I stare fixedly into the drivers eyes. He looks away. I shake my head slowly and ride off. I no longer wish the lovely Helen to drive a Citroen C1 regardless of how good the mpg is.

Well played sir!

 

[Davidsw8]

HONK! HONK! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!"

I stop in front of his car and give a palms up gallic shrug. "Excuse me. What's the problem?" observing the middle aged jabba the hutt impersonating Eric Pickles lookee-likee sat in the driving seat.

Driver winds down window and sticks out head" "Get out of the ****ing way!"

"You see that sign?" points at sign to side about 1 metre in front of his car, alongside me "Can you not read? It says 'give way to oncoming vehicles'"

"**** off you ****, you're not a ****ing vehicle, you're on a ****ing pushbike. You don't even pay any ****ing road tax!"

"Cut out the swearing fatboy, YOU don't even pay any road tax. Your pile of junk is a Class A car. Zero rated for VEE EEE DEE"

"**** off you ****ing ****er and get out of my ****ing way"

"No"

"You ****ing what?"

"I'm not moving. Until you apologise for sounding your horn aggressively and swearing at me"

"I'm gonna ****ing do you. IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"Feel free. I'll quite happily kick your fat arse into the lake" nods in direction of adjoining body of water. "One of my mates was badly hurt down here a while ago because some nobber like you forced him to swerve"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"I'm not stopping you fatty. Come on out if you fancy your chances"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR! "

"Say that once more and I'll drag you out"

Zzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppp clunk as the driver door window winds up and the central locking is activated.

I stare fixedly into the drivers eyes. He looks away. I shake my head slowly and ride off. I no longer wish the lovely Helen to drive a Citroen C1 regardless of how good the mpg is.

Wow Greg! That puts my 'tough guy' scenario this morning way in to the shade! Good for you.

 

[Andrew_P]

My best one was with a car alongside me both doing around 18mph he was shouting and I just shouted "if you want a row you gotta give me time to get my breath back"

 

[Kookas]

HONK! HONK! HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!"

I stop in front of his car and give a palms up gallic shrug. "Excuse me. What's the problem?" observing the middle aged jabba the hutt impersonating Eric Pickles lookee-likee sat in the driving seat.

Driver winds down window and sticks out head" "Get out of the ****ing way!"

"You see that sign?" points at sign to side about 1 metre in front of his car, alongside me "Can you not read? It says 'give way to oncoming vehicles'"

"**** off you ****, you're not a ****ing vehicle, you're on a ****ing pushbike. You don't even pay any ****ing road tax!"

"Cut out the swearing fatboy, YOU don't even pay any road tax. Your pile of junk is a Class A car. Zero rated for VEE EEE DEE"

"**** off you ****ing ****er and get out of my ****ing way"

"No"

"You ****ing what?"

"I'm not moving. Until you apologise for sounding your horn aggressively and swearing at me"

"I'm gonna ****ing do you. IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"Feel free. I'll quite happily kick your fat arse into the lake" nods in direction of adjoining body of water. "One of my mates was badly hurt down here a while ago because some nobber like you forced him to swerve"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR!"

"I'm not stopping you fatty. Come on out if you fancy your chances"

"IF I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS CAR! "

"Say that once more and I'll drag you out"

Zzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupppp clunk as the driver door window winds up and the central locking is activated.

I stare fixedly into the drivers eyes. He looks away. I shake my head slowly and ride off. I no longer wish the lovely Helen to drive a Citroen C1 regardless of how good the mpg is.

You need to buy a helmet cam. Footage of that would be absolutely legendary.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Sussex and Surrey. Used to have encounters like this on a weekly basis. Not one since i've moved to Cambs. Go figure.

Nicely handled.

That's useful feedback as sometimes I think it is just me. But then I spend more time in the saddle thatn almost any of my mates and the one work colleague who rides a very similar route has these encounters too.

Well played sir!

Wow Greg! That puts my 'tough guy' scenario this morning way in to the shade! Good for you.

I'm going to spoil it all by saying

a) the red mist had begun to descend and my inner chimp/berserker was revving up for an outing
b) I have recently completed (voluntarily) an anger management course and
c) the tutor would not be completely impressed with my escalatory comments (even though I was)
d) I was seething at the end and had to stop further along and have a little sit down to chill.

 

[Davidsw8]

That's useful feedback as sometimes I think it is just me. But then I spend more time in the saddle thatn almost any of my mates and the one work colleague who rides a very similar route has these encounters too.




I'm going to spoil it all by saying

a) the red mist had begun to descend and my inner chimp/berserker was revving up for an outing
b) I have recently completed (voluntarily) an anger management course and
c) the tutor would not be completely impressed with my escalatory comments (even though I was)
d) I was seething at the end and had to stop further along and have a little sit down to chill.

Greg, I'm still pretty peed off about mine and that was 3 hours ago now. I also shouldn't have called him a tw@t either - people get angry and your guy was a much bigger (literally) buttcr@ck than mine.

 

[potsy]

Extended today's homeward commute by 5 miles, early finish Friday is good for that

Seems to be roadworks everywhere around here, can hardly go a couple of miles without seeing the traffic cones out or temporary lights, all this digging and the roads are getting worse

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Greg, I'm still pretty peed off about mine and that was 3 hours ago now. I also shouldn't have called him a tw@t either - people get angry and your guy was a much bigger (literally) buttcr@ck than mine.

wider than tall too which isn't a great look crammed into a C1!