Tales from today's commute....

[Nocode]

Traffic was a nightmare.

Didn't cycle this morning as still building things up with only 3 commutes by bike a week. Did Monday and Tuesday back to back and I certainly feel tired on my commute back Tuesday evening. Will be aiming to jump to 4 days a week soon. Not sure how I'm going to feel when I have to do 3 days back to back!

Talking about traffic, it was mental last night coming back through Lewisham/Catford/Downham. Still not 100% confident filtering through traffic without plenty of warning/foresight.

 

[fossyant]

Traffic was a nightmare.

Will have to give it a bloody good fettle at the weekend.

Weekend..... tonight !!!

Traffic, joys of using the off road route for a change. Passed 2 dog walkers and 2 runners this morning.

 

[ianrauk]

@Nocode,
yes Lewisham/Catford was pretty snarled up last night.

Keep up the cycling and it won't take you long to get in the swing of a 4 day commute.

re filtering. Just keep a good eye out of what is happening ahead. Again car drivers on the A21 nothbound also like to pull out from the left thinking they have the right to push in front.

 

[ianrauk]

Weekend..... tonight !!!

Traffic, joys of using the off road route for a change. Passed 2 dog walkers and 2 runners this morning.

Can't.. cycle home, shower... then off out

 

[GrumpyGregry]

@ianrauk just blast the spoke crossings with some GT85 to narrow it down.

 

[BSRU]

Traffic, joys of using the off road route for a change. Passed 2 dog walkers and 2 runners this morning.

I'll raise you two dog walkers with five or six Scottish terriers plus two runners, one of them wearing a Shimano top and lots of garden fertiliser, the joys of riding country lanes .

 

[Davidsw8]

Mostly pleasant cycle in this morning, apart from when I was cycling down Carlton Gardens (reduced to one lane because of building works), I'm watching a cyclist come towards me and to my left I have a businessman on the phone, texting. So, I'm wary that he's on the very edge of the pavement walking along it, then of course he decides he needs to cross, directly into my path!

A loud 'Oy!' stopped the buffoon in his tracks...

Why the eff do pedestrians cross the road whilst looking into their stupid phones, the message can't be more important than their safety surely??

 

[fossyant]

I'll raise you two dog walkers with five or six Scottish terriers plus two runners, one of them wearing a Shimano top and lots of garden fertiliser, the joys of riding country lanes .

Can't beat that. Last night was 3 cyclists with weedy lights and 1 walker ! Little bit of traffic either end, but filtered passed it all. Oh I did slap a car last night, not even done 100 yards on the road, car overtakes as we are approaching a traffic queue, and cuts back in as it's still level with me (cyclist behind me too) so I rattled the rear quarter panel with my fingers.

 

[fossyant]

Oh and look at the dirt from this morning....

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[BSRU]

Can't beat that. Last night was 3 cyclists with weedy lights and 1 walker ! Little bit of traffic either end, but filtered passed it all. Oh I did slap a car last night, not even done 100 yards on the road, car overtakes as we are approaching a traffic queue, and cuts back in as it's still level with me (cyclist behind me too) so I rattled the rear quarter panel with my fingers.

Reminded me that I saw a cyclist this morning with a green flashing rear light

 

[ianrauk]

Oh and look at the dirt from this morning....

Pure filth

 

[Harry_Palmer79]

Had my first visit from the puncture fairy on the Great Western Road on my way home last night A car was slowing and pulling over to turn left, I moved to the right to overtake and went over a drain cover (which wasn't exactly flush with the road) and felt my rear tyre pop. I had planned to extend my route with an extra loop round Gartnavel hospital along Crow Road and up Anniesland Road then back home but that was scuppered about half way. I just started commuting last week and I don't have a spare inner tube or puncture repair kit in my bag so just wheeled it home... It would have taken just as long to get to the nearest train station and I have no idea what buses go near my flat even if I could squeeze my bike on one. The only upsides to the journey were knocking twelve seconds off the one strava segment I passed before the puncture (which put me 7th overall) and it wasn't raining as I trudged along and several other cyclists whizzed past me! It turned out I did have a repair kit at home but I was too p***ed off at myself for being so poorly prepared to fix it last night, so I've got that to look forward to when I get in tonight!

 

[ianrauk]

Had my first visit from the puncture fairy on the Great Western Road on my way home last night A car was slowing and pulling over to turn left, I moved to the right to overtake and went over a drain cover (which wasn't exactly flush with the road) and felt my rear tyre pop. I had planned to extend my route with an extra loop round Gartnavel hospital along Crow Road and up Anniesland Road then back home but that was scuppered about half way. I just started commuting last week and I don't have a spare inner tube or puncture repair kit in my bag so just wheeled it home... It would have taken just as long to get to the nearest train station and I have no idea what buses go near my flat even if I could squeeze my bike on one. The only upsides to the journey were knocking twelve seconds off the one strava segment I passed before the puncture (which put me 7th overall) and it wasn't raining as I trudged along and several other cyclists whizzed past me! It turned out I did have a repair kit at home but I was too p***ed off at myself for being so poorly prepared to fix it last night, so I've got that to look forward to when I get in tonight!

And the moral of the story is....... be prepared.
Take what you need with you to fix punctures and to fix minor mechanicals.

Sorry to rub it in.

 

[Harry_Palmer79]

And the moral of the story is....... be prepared.
Take what you need with you to fix punctures and to fix minor mechanicals.

Sorry to rub it in.

No problem, lesson learned!

 

[Nocode]

And the moral of the story is....... be prepared.
Take what you need with you to fix punctures and to fix minor mechanicals.

I'm kitted-up to fix punctures and do carry a bike tool for basic stuff, but what else should a cyclist be carrying to fix mechanical issues? A couple of chain links etc? Anything else?

Although if my chain broke I'm not sure I'd have a clue what to do!