Tales from today's commute....

[Sheffield_Tiger]

So the council contractors have graded the roads ready for resurfacing. No tarmac, just stones everywhere

Of course that's the time to brake hard on a corner for someone stepping out. Trousers lacerated. Skin similar. Going to hurt in the morning

But the bike is OK

 

[Leaway2]

So the council contractors have graded the roads ready for resurfacing. No tarmac, just stones everywhere

Of course that's the time to brake hard on a corner for someone stepping out. Trousers lacerated. Skin similar. Going to hurt in the morning

But the bike is OK

Ouch! GWS. Don't start me on "top dressing". Last about 6 months. All it does is make the holes more difficult to see.

 

[ianrauk]

A glorious mornings commute. A little nippy but sun is shining.

I bumped into 'Mucky Bike', a fellow often seen commuter I see and exchange pleasantries with. He's a fast lad, no slouch, so good to hang on to the back of him. We were cruising along and at the red lighted junction ahead was another cyclist. All brand new gear and bike by the looks of things. 'Mucky Bike' managed to over take him at green but I got caught by a van. 'brand new gear' took exception to 'Mucky Bikes' pass and tried his very hardest, using the quickest cadence to over take. Which he did, then quickly died. At the next lights he tried his best to drop us, looking round all the time at us, legs spinning like crazy and honking out of the saddle, then dying again whilst we caught up. It was the funniest thing and we both had a good giggle. Shame he turned off. :-) as would have liked to have played more.

 

[Sixmile]

Bike was already in the car so drove up the road a few miles before parking, getting the bike out, fitting the front wheel, getting the rest of my gear on, locked car and turned the bike over and realised I'd a flat back tyre. After I'd the tube out then I realised my glue had dried up so a repair wasn't possible. I reluctantly put the bike back in car and drove to work, crawling in 2nd gear the remaining 7 or so miles.

 

[TheJDog]

Yesterday I set off from work just as a girl in our car park was getting on her Dawes Street Cruiser sit up and beg rust-monster. I saw her again joining a RAB I was on just over half way, then she beat me to my street. I must ask her what her route is because she's getting there much faster than I am :S

Been very uneventful the past few weeks. Had a few grumbles about a woman straying all over her lane into the bike lane (ahead of me), but nothing major.

I've noticed the mobile phone use is back to pretty much normal levels. I knew it would only be a temporary drop.

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Blooming cold this morning, feet were like ice blocks by the time I got to work.

Left work 20 minutes later than I normally do tonight and decided I had enough time to do 20 miles instead of the usual 26. Wind had turned so I went north rather than south, had a cracking ride and ended up doing 22 miles and a fair bit more climbing than normal and still got home 15 minutes earlier than I normally do. Averaged 16mph I think on the commute for the first time this year, which considering the first 6-7 miles were on cycle paths, through parks and down the canal I was quite pleased with.

 

[Arjimlad]

Having to educate an "executive type" BMW driver on safe stopping distances and safe places to overtake a cyclist on my way to work was a bit hair-raising this morning.

 

[I like Skol]

Finished my last night shift this morning and had a bit of an errand to run on the way home and that was all the excuse I needed....

Extended the commute from a little shy of 11 miles to a whopping 31.5! I LOVED it. It was my favourite kind of riding, busy, cars, roadworks, buses, potholes, congestion, trams, potholes, city centre, other cyclists, I could ride in conditions like that all day
I headed straight up the A6 from Hazel Grove to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester before turning right to get to Ancoats and then dropping down past Victoria and the old Boddingtons brewery site. From here I headed out to Heaton park and into Middleton before stopping off at Stakehill Ind Est to collect a parcel from a courier depot. After this the tempo changed a bit with a quick excursion out of the back of the Ind Est to follow the Rochdale Canal a short distance before using some old tracks alongside the back fences of the estate and under the M627 around to Royton (Boarshaw Lane/Hough Lane/Cinderhill Lane). Haven't been that way for years so it was good to return to an old haunt.
Once in Royton it was back to the main roads to pass through Oldham and drop down into Ashton. On the way into Ashton a bloke in a van wound down his window to tell me he had been following me and I was doing 27mph so was a top bloke?

Been home a while now and have snacked and showered but still buzzing from the ride when I should really be in bed. 12 days off work now so no commuting for a bit

 

[RoubaixCube]

Almost got taken out by small hatchback who started indicating as soon as my front wheel was halfway past his bumper then proceeded to instantly pull out in front of me and across an already narrow bike path. I braked hard but still ended up bumping into the side of his car albeit slowly. Slow enough for me to unclip my left foot and place it on the pavement where he forced me to so i avoided taking a tumble.

He drove off without even hesitating. I hope i have his plate on my go pro. Will be sending it to the police when i get home.

In other news. Immediately after that. A guy on a nice Kona tried to show off by showing he was quicker off the line then me. Unfortunately for him he suffered a clipless moment on his flat pedals and his foot slipped which bought him tumbling down in front of me.

I stopped to help him up and asked if he was ok but his ego probably took more of a beating then his impact with the tarmac. He apologised and i carried on my way

 

[rivers]

I got passed on the A4 this morning by a FirstBus bus. Think less than a metre. That was fun.

 

[palinurus]

Must be getting on for summer, this knobcheese threw a bottle at me.

He farking missed too

 

[palinurus]

I think I got a pretty good shot tho'

 

[RoubaixCube]

Must be getting on for summer, this knobcheese threw a bottle at me.

View attachment 345911

He farking missed too

Report the incident to police and post his picture up on Facebook saying you need help identifying this scum. That's if you dont have his plate

 

[palinurus]

I've got the plate just fine. Planning to.

 

[ianrauk]

I've got the plate just fine. Planning to.

Good. Don't let the cockwomble get away with it.