Tales from today's commute....

[The Rover]

A very uneventful commute today, rode in at 1ish this aft and just got back in now. At the end of my shift I often regret riding in and just want to be transported home but once I get going I always enjoy the ride back especially when it's pitch black on the deserted country roads.
Only change today was putting on more suitable kit as I underestimated the weather earlier in the week.

 

[Sim2003]

Well I got to work with some glass flapping out the bk tire
. Looks like a walk home

 

[roger06]

My commute home last Friday was after a few frames of apres-work snooker thus the first time doing it in proper darkness. Not wanting to use the main road I pootled off down the canal towpath.

Good grief, pedestrians, dog walkers, romantic couples, tramps are completely in stealth mode with no torches, reflective gear or anything. Quite spooky only seeing a few metres in front with my light then people seemingly popping out of nowhere. Perhaps the road would have been safer!

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

romantic couples, completely in stealth mode with no reflective gear

I have a humorous image in my head right now of a couple decked out in the full range of Altura Night Vision...

 

[ianrauk]

Funny incident this morning. In a road full of backed up traffic I noticed a woman in a small hatch texting on her mobile. Of course, she wasn't paying attention to anything but the phone... so ended up rear ending the car in front. Oh how I laughed.

T'was a nice commute this morning. Fairly mild temperatures and relatively clear traffic for most of the journey. A little bit of SCR too. Chap on a Boardman. He was fast no doubt, but his filtering and setting off from the lights needed work.

 

[Andrew_P]

My routine for the last 4 years has been to drop all my weekly clothes off on a Sunday, which I did yesterday. So here I sit at my desk in boots, t shirt, sweatshirt and my Endura Bib Shorts... farking didn't pack my jeans.. I feel and look a right tit. Got someone to go and buy some from Sainsbury taking bloody ages.

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

Awesome ride this morning. Wet to begin with but it was pretty mild so opted for the ss and shorts combo. After a full weekend of graft at home I thought I'd be knackered but the legs felt like coiled springs and just kept on giving. The last 15 miles flew by, I reckon averaging somewhere between 22-24 mph, with plenty left in the tank.

 

[Origamist]

Steady ride in. Temps around 3-4C and quiet roads - I suspect half term was the cause. Cycling numbers seem to be thinning out and will drop further once the clocks go back...

A couple of squirrels diced with my front wheel, but other than that, a pleasant journey.

 

[Arjimlad]

Well I got to work with some glass flapping out the bk tire
. Looks like a walk home View attachment 107272

Ouchy... a tyre boot may assist with that ?

 

[fossyant]

Fairly quiet run. Not running at full steam due to side effects from withdrawal of nerve pain meds. Would still rather ride than not. Fresh air works wonders.

 

[HarryTheDog]

After a gentle pootle with the wife yesterday down the Flitch Way it was back to a good old tear up this morning. Spookily it was a guy on fixed gear and we had been talking about this scenario last week.
Got to Dagenham 14 miles into the commute and overtook a guy all in black, on a black fixed, no stickers with pursuit bars who looked a bit like Nairo Quintano, but not so dark but with a similar body fat content. I went past and forgot about him, he then turned up a mile or so later and attempted to glue himslef to my rear wheeel.Then there was a bit of yoyo battle going on as we hit hills he lost contact then came back again on the flats. He finally got past me a couple of miles on and I got a nice tow for half a mile. He had his bike geared for fast flat riding and seemed at a comfortable cadence at around 22-24 mph.I then felt a bit guilty so took a turn, then lost him through a junction.( he didn’t like hopping off the cyclepath onto the road) He caught me at some lights a mile later on and pushed ahead but I finally dropped him up my favourite Canning Town hill. I was drenched in sweat but grinning like a loon.

 

[L Q]

Really felt quite mild this morning, Although I don't see that many cyclists on the commute I have noticed the numbers dropping already with the darker mornings.

Had a swan overtake me this morning as I was by the river and the sight was spectacular.

 

[400bhp]

Lovely ride in this morning, bar the nobed who overtook me within inches to spare as I went past the local waitrose. I can see a camera coming on.

It's that time of year I find it harder to work out what to wear. 7 deg in the morning and predicted to be 12 deg this afternoon. I've got a few new bits of kit so went for an aldi long sleeve baselayer with a fairly lighweight Sugoi gilet (great bit of kit-a gilet that has removeable arms held on with magnets) and some longs over my shorts.

I got the clothing almost spot on apart from the fingerless mitts. Hands were cold, albeit they warmed up enough 10 minutes in, but not a feeling I want to experience each morning.

 

[subaqua]

numbers dropping with the darker mornings , however there was the obligatory " meets all stereotypes" nobber on the road today .

jumped red light, went up the inside of a lorry as it was turning left with full indicators and audible " this vehicle is turning left" ( looks like there might be one decent lorry driver ) , then when cyclunty himself wanted to turn left later n thought that overtaking other cycles and then turning in front of them nearly wiping 3 out was a great move.

lit up like a Christmas tree too.

the best however , was earlier on but after some of the shockingly poor riding , came when he forgot that you need to take your feet out of the toe clips when stationary and you cant trackstand. I wish I had had the go pro with me.

 

[summerdays]

Seemed to be a bit quieter on my routes too! And not too bad temperatures.... Started off chilly, then just right and was just getting to the warm level when I arrived this morning, so I'd say I got my clothing correct today:, gillet, 3/4 trousers and long sleeve, with light gloves.