Tales from today's commute....

[wafter]

Emerged from the burrow this morning late, puffy-eyed and jaded into temperate air beneath an overcast sky.

Seemingly the slowest thing on two wheels I got convincingly overtaken in rapid succession by a bloke on a slightly dubious ebike followed by two others on road bikes. Not wishing to lose my dignity and needing to make up a bit of time I tagged onto the end of this imprompu peloton and enjoyed a swift ride to the ring road thanks to the vacuum ahead and tailwind behind

A bit further in I caught up with, and subsequently passed two of the blokes I'd been following; our paths having diverged with them taking the slightly faster but less scenic route (well, depending on your aesthetic preferences for burnt-out caravans). A bit later coming up the hill in town I clocked the guy on the ebike gaining so I put in a bit more effort and left him behind - perhaps it was legal after all.

Sausages were a solid 10 this morning so I couldn't resist three, while the covered market yielded many smiles from the ladies of various outlets and even some inaugural *bantz* in the butchers with a bloke who usually seems really unhappy to see me - perhaps he's just a miserable bastard and it's nowt personal..

Really buoyed by these insignificant little interactions it was on to the tow path for a nice, uneventful final leg to the office

 

[Andy in Germany]

I had a few early shifts, which meant I could ride through Rottenburg well before most people were awake. Still, at least it was daylight.

 

[roubaixtuesday]

My last ever week commuting - I retire on Friday and we cycle to Spain on Saturday.

WFH tomorrow, leaving bash Thursday means only one full commute left.

I've been doing the route for the last 27 years, with a gap most of the time when kids were in nursery. Would estimate 50-100,000 miles all told, mainly on just two bikes.

Cold this morning and wet but not too bad this afternoon.

 

[wafter]

Usual extended route on the way back; tangibly cold but nicer when I'd warmed up.

Trivial points of note included out-dragging a delivery tw*t on an illegal ebike out of sheer bloody-mindedness; it running out of puff at maybe 20mph - unsurprisingly given it's enormous knobbly tyres.

Later on the tow path a rat ran across in front of me near an area that's always littered with bird seed; it was far enough ahead to be out of danger so I didn't brake; however I didn't have time to react to it's mate which did the same a split second afterwards and a lot closer - running into the side of my front wheel before jumping in the air, bouncing off my left shin and disappearing into the undergrowth.

I don't think it went under the wheel (which ironically it may have done had I slowed for the other one) and it moved fast enough afterwards to suggest it hadn't sustained significant damage; although if it had I'd have been unable to do anything about it.

 

[Mazz]

- perhaps he's just a miserable bastard and it's nowt personal...

Where are you from wafter? I don't think nowt is part of the Oxon vernacular!

 

[Mazz]

My last ever week commuting - I retire on Friday and we cycle to Spain on Saturday.

WFH tomorrow, leaving bash Thursday means only one full commute left.

I've been doing the route for the last 27 years, with a gap most of the time when kids were in nursery. Would estimate 50-100,000 miles all told, mainly on just two bikes.

Cold this morning and wet but not too bad this afternoon.

Congratulations and all the best for the future.
Keep posting on this forum - you've helped me (and others too no doubt) particularly in the Repairs section.