Tales from today's commute....

[mangid]

The bike computer was showing zero degrees this morning when I left at 5am but didn't feel that bad. It had warmed up to a balmy three degrees by the time I got to work. Lots of frosty cars but the cycle path and roads were safe and I had a lovely ride in.

I was digging around in my winter cycling stuff last night and forgot that I was bought a set of Neonight lights back in the spring and had only used them a handful of times. They are blue neon magnetic snap on lights so I charged them and wore them on my arms and it was ace as it felt like I was riding a light cycle in Tron and I am sure they made me far more visible riding across Bristol to the hospital. I am sure I was making wooshing noises to myself at some point...

Got a pair of these after reading this, and having had an Audi numpty ignore a strong right turn signal, glare, and strong road position.

Still haven't settled on the best place to wear them. They come with a Velcro strap, which isn't elasticated, so have to be done up quite tight to stop them slipping. Too high up the arm and they're annoying when out of the saddle climbing, too low and they interfere with the elbow joint. Sure I'll figure it out.

On the plus side, motorists definitely seem to notice them and I'm sure I'm getting more clearance than usual.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

I could see your rear light last night, you just turned off the High Street in St Ives before I could catch you.

I nearly got hit by a car turning right while he was on the phone!

If he had hit me you would have caught me. !!! Lol

 

[harveymt]

@lisalustwell

Apparently she nearly got hit by a RLJ cyclist so decided as a 'joke' to tweet she hoped they got clipped by a bus. I called her on it and she wasn't best pleased. Am I in the wrong? Just a joke?

 

[harveymt]

Been on the same commute now for 10 months. It's mostly a shared use pavement. One section runs past a service station. I've been waiting on a car pulling out on me the whole time and it finally happened this morning. BMW 4x4 drove straight out into the lane. I could see before he started moving he wasn't even looking at the road and had already begun evasive action otherwise I would have ploughed into him. I guess the thick line of green paint and all the cycle signs up round the exit aren't enough for him.

Further on down I cross over the road at a pedestrian crossing onto a greenway for the final part of my journey. One driver had stopped in the middle of the crossing in the traffic when the lights went red and the green man came up. Despite the three bikes and 4 or 5 peds who came onto road and the loud beeping of the crossing he decided it'd be a good idea to try driving on regardless. Two days ago a young boy over here is killed walking to school and yesterday a cyclist is knocked down and killed by a lorry and yet some people just don't seem to ever learn. What's a few seconds to someone's life?

 

[MisterStan]

I nearly got hit by a car turning right while he was on the phone!

If he had hit me you would have caught me. !!! Lol

If it's any consolation, a car pulled out on me at the same junction yesterday morning and then a bus did teh same last night. I swear everything bad that happens on my commute happens between St Ives and where I live.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

If it's any consolation, a car pulled out on me at the same junction yesterday morning and then a bus did teh same last night. I swear everything bad that happens on my commute happens between St Ives and where I live.

Yep I would certainly agree with that mate

 

[Turbo Rider]

Left 5 mins early today as the roads have been getting a bit busy and had a lovely ride in. Left work early as well and had not such a lovely ride back, though this was only down to nutrition, or lack thereof. Did not have lunch. Did pay the price. Did go slow. Did feel like passing out as soon as I got home. Did not pass out as soon as I got home. Have now recharged. Am going to have a nap before parents evening.

 

[Archeress]

Have you checked the weather forecast, not wanting to put you off but I saw a weather warning for tomorrow though the worst looked to be west of here. I've got to go to the Mall tomorrow to pick up football socks that I had to order in but I'll go before work by the sounds of things.

I got in dry and I don't finish until 6pm so hopefully the worst of the rain will have passed over.

Hugs
Archeress x

 

[Crankarm]

Yep I would certainly agree with that mate

Yeah I have had numerous pulls out at that junction on the corner of the bus station and HSBC too and all when I haven't been able to use my Airzound as it hasn't been on my bike or I forgot to pump it up. One sunday morning one kunt in a big white panel van just drove straight across not giving way at all missing me who had right of way cycling to the GBW ahead, by about 10 feet. I braked and screamed at him pretty sharpish and he was gonna do all sorts to me because …….. he almost killed me…….

At night it doesn't happen as I have my Max D on full power if I see a vehicle at this junction or approaching it that looks as if they might not give way which makes them stop pretty quick.

 

[Crankarm]

If it's any consolation, a car pulled out on me at the same junction yesterday morning and then a bus did teh same last night. I swear everything bad that happens on my commute happens between St Ives and where I live.

I hate St Ives. It is not a nice place to ride, pretty scary. Most drivers there unfortunately fall into the kunt homicidal maniac category.

 

[MisterStan]

I hate St Ives. It is not a nice place to ride, pretty scary. Most drivers there unfortunately fall into the kunt homicidal maniac category.

Agreed. The two worst spots IMO are the town centre as mentioned and then coming up the hill before turning into Sawtry Way for Wyton - doesn't matter how much you take the lane, there's always some twunt happy to give you a nice close pass.

 

[Crankarm]

Agreed. The two worst spots IMO are the town centre as mentioned and then coming up the hill before turning into Sawtry Way for Wyton - doesn't matter how much you take the lane, there's always some twunt happy to give you a nice close pass.

Now going up the hill toward the turn off for Wyton is fine for me as I ride on the new pavement shared use path from the lights at the bottom which runs alongside the new houses on the left set back from the road, the path joins the pavement about half way up the hill. When I get to the lights for the new housing estate on the right, I stop and push the button for the ped crossing meaning the traffic is brought to a stop and I set off having a very good head start on it as I cycle away up toward the turn off for Wyton whilst traffic is held back behind me back at the lights. I don't ride on the pavement passed the bus stop as the surface further up is just so bad and I don't want to break a spoke. Why the firkin Council couldn't re-surface this small stretch of path at the same time as building and relaying the new section further down I don't know. If I'm knackered or I'm carrying a lot of stuff on my bike then I might just be caught by traffic as I'm riding along the right hand bend with double white lines down the middle of the road, but more often if I see traffic coming up fast behind looking like I'll be close passed or I'm feeling pretty scared, I dive back onto the pavement at the entrance on the left to the big house for the last 50ms of pavement where I cross at the traffic island onto the pavement on the other side of the road and ride along the opposite side all the way up to RAF Wyton past the chav housing estate on the right and past the spot I was hit and run last year. The pavement is a bit bumpy but it's not too bad, better than riding on this long straight stretch of road being scared whitless that some kunt coming up behind too fast is just going to drive straight over the top of you and leave you for dead.

The other bad place is the controlled crossing onto the start of the GBW adjacent to Waitrose. I have had so many vehicles speeding through the red lights here almost hitting me as I cross. They need to put cameras up to catch drivers.

 

[summerdays]

I got in dry and I don't finish until 6pm so hopefully the worst of the rain will have passed over.

Hugs
Archeress x

I didn't take my own advice and I was on a late start just timed to coincide with when the bad weather was passing through! It was horrible, having to push hard on the pedals to go downhill! At least it was dry and calmer by the time I came home.

 

[donnydave]

nice tailwind tonight, should have had strava on!

 

[fossyant]

Rather warm this morning and an awkward cross to headwind on the way home. Dry and no overshoes each way. Tropical.