Tales from today's commute....

[Deleted member 1258]

Tried something new today: Ditched the lycra jersey and instead went with a ss base under a baggy t-shirt. Interestingly, it seemed a lot of drivers gave me a bit more space and passed a little slower than normal, although that I could be imagining. What I wasn't imagining was most of the fast-commute cyclists didn't bother passing me when I was cruising along, whereas when I'm in the 'proper' kit they can't get past quick enough. Did I become the cyclist equivalent of a Q-Car? Whatever the case, I really enjoyed the change and might try it out for a while, see if today was a one-off or the start of a trend.

Plus, it meant I didn't look out of place nipping in the shop to get the makings for tea.

I've always commuted in my work gear, steel toe capped boots, work trousers and a tee shirt, have done for over 30 years, the only cycling kit I wear is a cycle jacket when its cold, I rarely have incidents. I recon its likely to be because I'm a little more easily identifiable as another Human Being than I would be if I wore cycle gear and a helmet.

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

Joined the Busway and I knew I had a guy on my wheel, but kept it steady at 22.
Anyway he shot past and reached 27 mph, on an MTB, with tyres not exactly full with air

I thought this is my ticket home!. Bloody turned off he did after about 30 yards!

 

[HarryTheDog]

Cycled the first 6 miles home with a work mate who is doing the Lanzarote Ironman in May. He was on a Scott sub30 hybrid with full mudguards so I let him set the pace, ( me on a carbon road bike) The pace turned out to be quite quick as even though it was supposed to be a chatty ride home he started to get competitive and he looked a bit puffed and sweaty when we parted ways.

 

[Stephen C]

Good commute home, nice and warm, the sun was shining, and got treated to a very low fly pass of three Merlin helicopters! And by low, I mean low, as in I could see the name tag on the pilots overalls, the noise was phenomenal!

 

[Panter]

Don't know if I'm being overly cautious, but it almost looks as if my jockey wheel is showing the first signs of wear...

 

[summerdays]

Don't know if I'm being overly cautious, but it almost looks as if my jockey wheel is showing the first signs of wear...

Phew I don't feel I need to worry about mine now

 

[ianrauk]

Don't know if I'm being overly cautious, but it almost looks as if my jockey wheel is showing the first signs of wear...

almost?
The filth

 

[Panter]

almost?
The filth

Funny you should say that, I was aware that you might spot the post so did actually give it a good clean before taking the picture...

 

[Origamist]

Glorious sunshine up here! Was 6C when I left and in double figures when I got to Sale. A tailwind meant for a nippy commute as did a nice 1.5 mile tow behind a tractor coming out of Knutsford (I changed route to follow it!).

Then spotted 400bhp at Tatton (it was actually the other way around as usual!) extending his commute - a lovely day for a ride.

Might add a few miles this evening if the weather holds.

 

[clf]

No commute for me today, day off.
Did chuck the weeride on the bike and took my son to playgroup though, couldn't find his helmet so he went in his sister's pink one

 

[Incontinentia Buttocks]

Left for work at 2000hrs, warm evening so decided the best thing to do was try and get a PB. While carrying 5kg of kit. Before a night shift. Arrived half dead and missed the PB by 1min 30 seconds. Long night followed.

 

[LoftusRoadie]

Almost ran over a cat this morning on the towpath as it ran from the bushes on one side to one of the houseboats on the other. Must have only been a couple of inches away from my front wheel (luckily I remembered that the bike I was riding was bought in Taiwan so I used my right hand lever to brake!)
Then whilst riding somewhere close to Stepney Green station on the Mile End Road a whole group of people decided to cross the road whilst the lights were green (and not even changing to amber). So I shouted out very loudly "Morning!" (What do you shout at pedestrians? - some of you use 4 letter words I'm sure!) and most people ran across very sharply, but a mum with her youngish daughter on scooter and a schoolkid by herself ran into each other crossing the road and I really wasn't very far at all from hitting her.
Apart from that, it was quite uneventful!
But I really can't gauge how fast (or slow in my case) I am cycling - my legs felt like jelly this morning and I didn't feel like I was going very fast and yet I was only a minute off my pb.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Knocked in another 90 mile day today to round off a great 400 mile week. Worked out I spent 23hrs 18 minutes on the bike since Monday, a whole day almost, awesome!

EDIT: Shame I can't count, I worked it out wrong, I only spent 19.5 hours on the bike, not nearly as impressive. I'd love to hit 24 hours in the 5 day commuting week, might give that a go

 

[Berk on a Bike]

This week has been a near perfect introduction to early morning commutes. Out of the house every day around 4.50am heading towards the sunrise, then leaving work at 1.30pm for a sunny return journey. Loved it.

This morning at 5.30-ish, down the rather unlovely Water Lane in Leeds, a previously anonymous building was thronging with kids piling out into the street and into waiting taxis, leaving behind them a thumping bassline from a very discreet club. At 5-bloody-30?! In my day, 2am was late...

 

[Exile]

Another glorious morning commute. Skies were blue when I set off, and the mist was just starting to gather at I rolled in to work. A lot of other riders out there today, saw what could only be described as a peleton heading along the A56 towards the city centre as I went the opposite direction. Feared I might catch the rain on the way home, especially when it went really murky at around half-three, but it cleared up again by five, and I rode home in hazy sunshine.

Still in 'civvies', and finding out some interesting quirks of riding dressed as a person on a bike rather than a cyclist. I've noticed I get more excellent passes than when I'm in lycra, but I have had more cars pull out of side roads when I'd rather they didn't. My non-scientific, gut-feeling-based assessment is that cars passing may fear I might wobble and collide with their nice shiny car so give me space, whilst cars at junctions see a bloke in shorts and t-shirt riding a bike and figure he'll be trundling along at little more than walking pace, which isn't actually the case because OH LOOK, the cyclist is near my rear quarter now. Whoops.

At least a couple of them apologised, rather than just flooring it and hoping they get through the next set of lights and I don't.