If...you are still commuting

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jonny jeez

Legendary Member
IF you can keep your saddle when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on the weather,
If you can trust yourself when all work colleagues doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait at the lights and not be withered by the pouring rain,
Or being tired, don't deal in tiredness,
Or being cold, don't give way to chills,


And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream of the Sun - and not make dreaming your master;
If you can ride - and not make commuting your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by trolls to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the tyres you gave your air to, punctured,
And stoop and build 'em up with far too many tools:


Then the road is yours and everything that’s in it
And what’s more, you’ll be a cyclist my friend



So, if you're still commuting on these dark chilly days, then well done to you.
We may disagree, we may argue, we may fall out but I respect you one and all!

Big up the winter commuters, you know who you are!!!

PS this is all my own work, Made it all up myself. I also do a great line in exceedingly good cakes
 

derrick

The Glue that binds us together.
That be me then, still seeing lots of cyclists on my commute, but the roads were very busy this morning.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
I prefer cakes and coffee. Send it this way. Do I get extra cake for being a bit 'tender' in the undercarriage and still on the bike.
 

shunter

Senior Member
Location
N Ireland
:bravo: Truly inspirational for these dark and dreary days of winter. Uber member to Cyclechat Poet Laureate?
 
'twas very moving actually.
Brings to mind two surreal commutes from the winter of 2010
The first, arriving at work at 06:45 through a foot of snow and -14c, from the back, fully hi-vis, from the front, a snowman, didn't realise how bad I was until a colleague had aken a foto on hs fone. Proud as I was the only cyclists at work that day.
The other was again that winter when the thaw was starting, one of those dark sleety, cold windy mornings but on a 09:00 start.
Again hi-vis up and lit up like a Xmas tree, on a dual I goes into a slip lane to turn left for the last mile into work.
Looks to my right and unbelievably there was a girl of about mid 20's on a hybrid/city type bike wearing a woolly hat n scarf, long tweed type coat and calf length boots sitting behind a bus and car waiting to move forward. Not a bike light in sight!
Winter commuting brings out some funny people.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
'twas very moving actually.
Brings to mind two surreal commutes from the winter of 2010
The first, arriving at work at 06:45 through a foot of snow and -14c, from the back, fully hi-vis, from the front, a snowman, didn't realise how bad I was until a colleague had aken a foto on hs fone. Proud as I was the only cyclists at work that day.

Oh yes - remember that day. Had my snow studs on order, but as it was 'fresh - first day of the snow, the MTB was just fine. Stood outside the front of the house chatting to neighbour - him about to phone in and work from home, me, right then, out comes the MTB. Full wet gear as it was still snowing, full thermal winter kit underneath. Off I set. Got a few "OMG" its a bike, "Good Luck Fella" from various pedestrians (cars were going no-where). Got into work before 9am - little late. Had to bounce the snow off the bike. Anyway, nobody in the office - the odd one who lived locally. Hardly anyone in the Manchester campus. Email came round at 11 - everyone home ! Maintenance staff came round - everyone out. Put the kit back on, phoned home - on way back - going the 'long way'.

Didn't get home for another 2.5 hours (45 minutes normally max) - I'd gone the long route home via the Trans Pennine, and taken an extra route to drop me near home. Got snowballed once, they missed, then bumped into another group and they were so shocked to see a bike thay just said 'not good weather for a bike', to which I replied 'it's brilliant'.

Or another day when we had howling gales, 2008/09. Old colleagues in Warrington were all stranded due to the bridges being closed (hours to get into work and home) - I texted them to say I'd ridden and was i work on time !!
 
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