flake99please
We all scream for ice cream
- Location
- Edinburgh
I would expect any 5am commute to be fairly light with traffic. Good luck. 
A little worried about commuting to work tomorrow
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Hi,
Well i arrived safe and sound. The traffic was surprisingly quiet going. I,m putting this down to setting off early and choosing a less busy route. It turned out to be just shy of 20 miles and took around an hour. I know i could of done it slightly quicker if the wind was more favourable and if my back pack wasn't rammed full of work gear and safety shoes. Now i know its doable i think i may do it on a regular basis, as it was quite enjoyable to blow the cobwebs away first thing in the morning 👍👍
Well i arrived safe and sound. The traffic was surprisingly quiet going. I,m putting this down to setting off early and choosing a less busy route. It turned out to be just shy of 20 miles and took around an hour. I know i could of done it slightly quicker if the wind was more favourable and if my back pack wasn't rammed full of work gear and safety shoes. Now i know its doable i think i may do it on a regular basis, as it was quite enjoyable to blow the cobwebs away first thing in the morning 👍👍
IaninSheffield
Veteran
- Location
- Sheffield, UK
Great to hear. Wind at your back on the way home then? 
vickster
Squire
Leave your work gear at work when you know you’ll be cycling
Morning commutes were always my favourite, especially starting in the dark and riding through sunrise in winter. I prefer the A-road routes myself, I feel safer overall as although the speed differential is greater there is much better visibility usually and the wider roads mean you get better passes.
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
I think you're right here. However, to balance that, the greater speed differential means that any incident will have much more serious consequences. I will never forget the 20-30 seconds of a ride I did at 3 am home from a split night shift. I took the shorter A40 route as I thought that the road would be virtually empty at that time of night. It was, but I didn't enjoy hearing a car coming up behind me at what sounded like 150 mph. His headlights lit up the landscape ahead of me, and I just had to trust that my rear light, rear flasher, hi-viz Altura jacket with Scotchbrite
, wrist and ankle bands had done their job and he had seen me. I didn't even dare to look behind for fear of a wobble into his path. In the event, he passed me at well over the ton with a whole lane to spare (3-lane road) and all was well. But it was a 5p/50p moment, that's for sure.An incident on a minor road would likely be painful but not fatal, I would hope. You pays your money, I guess.
Chris S
Legendary Member
- Location
- Birmingham
Just out of interest, what sort of gearing and cadence do you use to get a 20mph average speed?
livpoksoc
Guru
- Location
- Basingstoke
For commuting...and hell for goat paths and wherever vehicles approaching from behind you is a concern, I thoroughly recommend one of these. My parents picked it up in Canada, and can only find them on ebay.
Stick it to your helmet or glasses and add a bif of bamdage tape to secure it, and can help give a reassuring glance behind you without twitching and moving off your own pedalling line.
I used to commute over a single carriageway toll bridge into Southampton and this was essential to allowing me to ride with confidence in offen heavy winds.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303265211985
Stick it to your helmet or glasses and add a bif of bamdage tape to secure it, and can help give a reassuring glance behind you without twitching and moving off your own pedalling line.
I used to commute over a single carriageway toll bridge into Southampton and this was essential to allowing me to ride with confidence in offen heavy winds.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303265211985
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
Only in your mind, Richard. Anyway, what's a 5p/50p moment? How much do public loos cost in Wales?
Trust you've done your best to make yourself as conspicuous as possible and trust/have confidence that the passing drivers do so with due care and space to spare. Control what you can control (includes choice of route: btw I too think, on balance, wider main roads with good lines of sight are 'safer' than minor roads).
PS Had some stretches on the A40 ( a percentage of Abergavenny/Brecon/Gloucester) last week in the dark. Was fine. Lit up well and ankle straps.
Last edited:
RichardB
Slightly retro
- Location
- West Wales
The, er, size of the aperture in your bottom when suitably alarmed by unexpected circumstances.
"When I heard the plane's engine stop momentarily, it was a proper 5p/50p moment!"
Dayvo
just passin' through
- Location
- 59° 50′ 5.55″ N, 10° 47′ 41.89″ E
First time I've heard it called that!
I prefer the pre-decimalisation
term 6d/2 bob. Same same but different. 😀
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
For those who appreciate quantative analysis, the relevant diameters are 18mm and 27.5mm.
Interestingly (or not, but this IS Cycle Chat) bitd a farthing/halfpenny is/was 20mm and 25mm.
Still 'all in the mind'.
Interestingly (or not, but this IS Cycle Chat) bitd a farthing/halfpenny is/was 20mm and 25mm.
Still 'all in the mind'.
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Since this IS Cycle Chat, and we have diverted onto the subject...
I used to really like the late night OU broadcasts. Some of the lecturers were funny in a dry, British kind of way. I remember one experiment that involved researchers stressing rats with flashing bright lights and sudden loud noises (nice!) and a nerd saying that they worked out how scared the rats were "... by measuring the rate of faecal boli deposition. In other words - how often they sh*t!"
