Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
A contraflow Farcility, yet to be installed is my guess.Some more useless paint on the same road.
I do not know where the cyclist is meant to be going, onto the non-shared path or the wrong way down a two lane one way street
View attachment 31992
The thought of a contraflow on that road sends shivers down my spine.
More likely a sign telling cyclist to dismount and walk on the pavement.
HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Supersuperleeds
Legendary Member
- Location
- Leicester
Much warmer coming home, nicked the back light off my road bike for the hybrid until the weekend for when I can get another rear light. Think I might buy some really cheap ones like the knog wrap around ones and keep them in my rucksack as emergency lights, I didn't like riding with just one rear light tonight, paranoid it would either fail or fall off.
Fiona R
Formerly known as Cranky Knee Girl
- Location
- N Somerset
Chillyish this morning at 6.15am but not glove weather yet, very chilly at 4pm without a waterproof on. Proud to be a winter miles=summer smiles kinda person, thought we were a long way off being able to take credit for that yet!
400bhp
Guru
Had a real farkin close shave on the way home tonight. Either a punishment pass or he was on the phone. Country lane - sight line for about half a mile-dead straight road, no vehicles coming the other way. Passed me with what felt like 30cm from his mirror (my height). His vehicle must have been conpletely within the left hand side of the road.
Managed to get the first 4 numerals of the reg-noted the make and model and promptly took a good guess at where he would end up in 2-3 miles or so.
He was thankfully where I expected - and let's say he was shocked to see me. I'd had time to get the initial anger out of my system. I was pretty pleased with the way I handled it. Got an apology 3 times, from an initial really poor excuse as to why he passed me. No anger from me, no rhetorical questioning. Straight to the point - told him I had a wife & kids back home, told him I'd be downing a rather large whisky for the fright he had given me.
It further reinforces in my head the positivity of assertiveness.
Managed to get the first 4 numerals of the reg-noted the make and model and promptly took a good guess at where he would end up in 2-3 miles or so.
He was thankfully where I expected - and let's say he was shocked to see me. I'd had time to get the initial anger out of my system. I was pretty pleased with the way I handled it. Got an apology 3 times, from an initial really poor excuse as to why he passed me. No anger from me, no rhetorical questioning. Straight to the point - told him I had a wife & kids back home, told him I'd be downing a rather large whisky for the fright he had given me.
It further reinforces in my head the positivity of assertiveness.
Sheffield_Tiger
Guru
Aaargh!
Wow...setting off from home, front disc brake is A1.
Suddenly, half way to work, full on the front brake - not going fast as on a shared use - brakes come on, I hear them and feel them but stopping power...almost zilch. End up half way across the side street I was crossing! Pads were worn but never had such a sudden loss before. If I hadn't seen the pads afterwards I'd have sworn that the friction pad had detached from one of them, such was the sudden unexpected change in performance
New pads fitted this evening
Wow...setting off from home, front disc brake is A1.
Suddenly, half way to work, full on the front brake - not going fast as on a shared use - brakes come on, I hear them and feel them but stopping power...almost zilch. End up half way across the side street I was crossing! Pads were worn but never had such a sudden loss before. If I hadn't seen the pads afterwards I'd have sworn that the friction pad had detached from one of them, such was the sudden unexpected change in performance
New pads fitted this evening
DCLane
Found in the Yorkshire hills ...
- Location
- Dewsbury, West Yorkshire
Extended commute home http://www.strava.com/activities/93191082 which was fine except for 3 numpties:
1. In Leeds, old BMW 840 reg. G26 something, pulled out without looking - dark tinted windows and on the phone.
2. In Wakefield, Ford Fusion driver decided he needed to get in front of me and cut into the kerb - although the lights were red 50 feet away.
3. 200m from home, driver in an old green Toyota Corolla turned out in front of me leaving me with nowhere to go.
Despite that, a PR on a Strava segment by pacing a scooter.
1. In Leeds, old BMW 840 reg. G26 something, pulled out without looking - dark tinted windows and on the phone.
2. In Wakefield, Ford Fusion driver decided he needed to get in front of me and cut into the kerb - although the lights were red 50 feet away.
3. 200m from home, driver in an old green Toyota Corolla turned out in front of me leaving me with nowhere to go.
Despite that, a PR on a Strava segment by pacing a scooter.
OP
OP
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
Well 3 other cyclists seen on my commute today. 2 jumped red lights and one cycled on the pavement to try to circumvent a red light. Unfortunately it was at the A2/South Circular junction and he got as far as a very small traffic island where he had to turn his bike sideways as artics thundered by on both sides of him. He ended up having to wait in that position for exactly the same red light as I was waiting comfortably at (while p***ing myself laughing with the motorist next to me at what some cyclists will do). Remember peeps, it's not rocket science. If you want to get to work quicker, pedal faster!
Other than that it was a nice commute if a little damp. Very little traffic on the roads which seems strange as the schools are back.
Other than that it was a nice commute if a little damp. Very little traffic on the roads which seems strange as the schools are back.
kevin_cambs_uk
Guru
- Location
- Near Cambridge
Lovely head wind all the way in, one of the best this year!
A bit sparse of cyclists on the busway this morning
A bit sparse of cyclists on the busway this morning
Winter miles = summer smiles .
Yesterday morning 5.30 left wigan for work in skelmersdale , roads pretty quiet ( probably all scraping windscreens !) stopped for a minute at the top of tower hill , the view from there is amazing , to the west the flatlands of liverpool and southport , to the east wigan , Bolton and Madchester and the sky becoming light behind the imposing winter hill and its mast , while still being able look straight up and see a miriad of heavenly bodies - bliss !
Beats shivering in a car listening to some jerk on Wish FM saying how bad the weather is !
Yesterday morning 5.30 left wigan for work in skelmersdale , roads pretty quiet ( probably all scraping windscreens !) stopped for a minute at the top of tower hill , the view from there is amazing , to the west the flatlands of liverpool and southport , to the east wigan , Bolton and Madchester and the sky becoming light behind the imposing winter hill and its mast , while still being able look straight up and see a miriad of heavenly bodies - bliss !
Beats shivering in a car listening to some jerk on Wish FM saying how bad the weather is !
mrmacmusic
Veteran
- Location
- Tillicoultry
First fully sub-zero commute of the season this morning, with my Garmin registering -1.9°C at one point 
Oddly I felt a bit warmer than yesterday, so must've made better layering decisions!
Sadly fitting new brake cables (inners and outers, Avid FlakJacket) has not cured my freezing rear... I had major issues with my rear brake seizing up mid-commute last year, and thought a pre-season overhaul with better cabling would make a difference. Clearly not
Oddly I felt a bit warmer than yesterday, so must've made better layering decisions!Sadly fitting new brake cables (inners and outers, Avid FlakJacket) has not cured my freezing rear... I had major issues with my rear brake seizing up mid-commute last year, and thought a pre-season overhaul with better cabling would make a difference. Clearly not
OP
OP
martint235
Dog on a bike
- Location
- Welling
I am now in my main winter commute kit of bib shorts, sealskins socks, ss top, Night vision jacket and full gloves. There's some bib tights for when it gets really cold.
