Tales from today's commute....

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Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
Absolutely hozeing it down on the way in this afternoon but looked to be a nice, clear run home until a rogue shower of heavy rain preceded by hail went over. So much for British Summer Time!
 

clippetydoodah

Active Member
Back on the commute again following the discovery of ncr 62 link to the Guild Wheel in Preston. This avoids the bypass of doom, and is 5 miles longer, now making the trip 20 miles door-to-door, one way. Brilliant route though, with very little traffic. Happy days.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Nice sunny, blue sky, but chilly morning.
Did the first part of my cycle commute. Got on the train and missed my stop at Bromley, so had to carry on to London Victoria.
I though I was going to get into all sorts of trouble, for 1 I had my big boys bike with me and they don't like you taking non folders into London during the rush hour. And 2 I had now travelled to Victoria without a valid ticket.

Got to Victoria and was about to explain to the guard on duty but she just waived me through the gates. It was far too busy to stop me I guess.
I got away with it but it was naughty and I do feel a little guilty about it.

So, next part of my cycle commute was from Victoria to work. The weather was nice and it was nice to cycle on the Cycle Super Highway along the River Thames.
I'm not an advocate of segregation but parts of the highway are damn good under tyre. However the crossing are a bit crap. Also some cyclists seem to treat it as a race track. That's not nice at all considering the amount of cyclists using it. Slow down you nobbers,
 

bonker

Guru
Interesting one this morning but it illustrates how some people just don't know the size of the vehicle they are driving.

Lovely clear morning ( it's going to hammer down later), I'm dressed bright and have lights. On a pretty quiet stretch of road I got a very close pass from a woman in a massive 4x4 people carrier type thing. She was so hesitant at the next roundabout I ended up back in front of her and she did it again. At the next set of lights I went to the front of the queue and motioned with a flat side sort or hand movement, very calmly that she might like to move out to give me more space. Her reaction seemed to be a mixture of apology and anger ( not directed towards me). As the lights were changing I moved aside as she sped off towards Ashtead --- driving about 4 inches from the nearside kerb on what is quite a wide road. She obviously has nothing against cyclists she just doesn't know where her vehicle is in the road.

Perhaps it's time larger vehicles required more training and enhanced licences like motor bikes.
 
Overtaken this morning on the crest of a hill with a blind bend whilst I was riding primary and keeping up with traffic, moving at a fair old pace, at least 25mph, maybe faster... then the twonk slowed right down. They say "if you can't beat them join them". Am I really better than that? Nah... so I returned the favour by graciously overtaking and slowing to a crawl so our friend missed the next set of lights...

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Sixmile

Veteran
Location
N Ireland
For the first time in a long while I had a real 'heart in my mouth' moment on the way in this morning. The road was pretty clear. Dual lane urban 30mph road. I was inside on the bus lane doing 25mph down a straight clear section when a fella in a oncoming Passat begins a turn across me into a sideroad. He was well over the lane beside me and just stopped short of my lane. I had little time to react apart from shouting a 'whoaaa' as I thought I was for it and made quick eye contact with him as I went on past. Obviously, being apologetic for not being attentive and putting my safety at risk, he kindly blared his horn a number of times.

passa.jpg

So much for hi-vis and flashing lights.
 
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dhd.evans

Veteran
Location
Dundee
Commutes were uneventful the last night and this morning. Rebuilding the summer bike tonight for a big ride out tomorrow, first of the year.

Looking forward to having fun on a alu-carbon frame with deep-rimmed wheels and gears. Love my singlespeed dearly but sometimes you want to kick the arse out of it in the big ring and 44 x 18 is just not big enough!
 

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
Another soaking. Getting well fed up.
 

Bazzer

Setting the controls for the heart of the sun.
I know when you look at the weather forecast, there are different conditions spoken about in various parts of the country, but to me, this thread brings it home how different, even within our small island and relatively short distances, there can can be so much variance.
 

Randombiker9

Senior Member
the only thing that happened on the way home was a driver was on the wrong side of the road stopped randomly and honked at me when i cycled past. If it wasn't raining i would off told him your on the wrong side of the road. (I've never seen this before it's the first time i've seen it happen). Guess he was a foreign driver or thought it was GTA 5. People are just stupid sometimes.
 

palinurus

Velo, boulot, dodo
Location
Watford
No commute today but I do have to ride to Sainsbury's and then the shop where I get the vegetables from and it's raining again. Was lashing down all day yesterday too but we had enough food in.
 

Maverick Goose

A jumped up pantry boy, who never knew his place
the only thing that happened on the way home was a driver was on the wrong side of the road stopped randomly and honked at me when i cycled past. If it wasn't raining i would off told him your on the wrong side of the road. (I've never seen this before it's the first time i've seen it happen). Guess he was a foreign driver or thought it was GTA 5. People are just stupid sometimes.
Aren't they just? I got a close pass yesterday from a numpty in a BMW, who went screaming past me on the A592, then had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the car in front:laugh:. I've been seeing lots of other wildlife too, including a Tawny Owl (one of the housekeepers' familiars, no doubt ;)) sat on a fence about 6 feet away from me as I went past and lots of Roe Deer. Tonight could be another late one!
 
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