Tales from today's commute....

[clippetydoodah]

Lovely morning, and day 3 of my commutes, 120 miles by the end of today.
It's been a nice week, except for a couple of small issues. This morning I had
a narrow miss with a Collie. Not the dogs fault of course. I was doing about 16 mph
down a shared, wide path, when said Collie wanders into my path. I had to slam on and
nearly went over the bars. As I passed the owner I suggested that she wasn't in control of
her dog. She wasn't as the lead was round her neck, and the dog was about 20ft away from her.
She didn't even shout it. Her response was that I shouldn't have been going so fast, and people
on horses and walkers use the path. The path doesn't have a speed limit as far as I know.
She failed to take any responsibility for the near miss. I am a dog lover and would have
been upset if I'd hit the poor pooch. I mean, it wasn't as if she couldn't see me with my
front light blinking away, she was too busy talking to her friend. Still no harm done.

Last night I nearly got rolled into at a junction. Car edging out and I guess he didn't
see me. It drew a gasp from a fellow cyclist behind me. The driver was oblivious.

 

[Bazzer]

Getting fed up with head wind most of the way home. Don't even get the benefit of it behind me in the morning as it usually calm/ish at dawn.

Had a pavement driver on the journey home yesterday. The scene is a main road, with a 20 mph speed limit for about a quarter of a mile, with wider pavements and humps as part of the traffic calming. There is almost always a train of slow moving traffic through the section from around 3pm and yesterday afternoon was no exception. A car two vehicles in front of me indicated it was to turn right and shortly after comes to a halt as its way is blocked by a couple of cars coming the opposite way. After quite literally 2 or 3 seconds, the driver in front decides he has waited long enough and mounts the pavement with the whole of his car and undertakes the right turning car, only to rejoin the train of slow moving traffic.

I await Greater Manchester Police's response with interest.

I know it's bad form to respond to one's own post, but it seems acceptable to Greater Manchester police, for a car to undertake another by driving on a pavement.

On a more positive note, in preparation for when the sunny days stop, I have just picked up an Altura waterproof jacket for less than £25.

 

[Salty seadog]

Lovely morning, and day 3 of my commutes, 120 miles by the end of today.
It's been a nice week, except for a couple of small issues. This morning I had
a narrow miss with a Collie. Not the dogs fault of course. I was doing about 16 mph
down a shared, wide path, when said Collie wanders into my path. I had to slam on and
nearly went over the bars. As I passed the owner I suggested that she wasn't in control of
her dog. She wasn't as the lead was round her neck, and the dog was about 20ft away from her.
She didn't even shout it. Her response was that I shouldn't have been going so fast, and people
on horses and walkers use the path. The path doesn't have a speed limit as far as I know.
She failed to take any responsibility for the near miss. I am a dog lover and would have
been upset if I'd hit the poor pooch. I mean, it wasn't as if she couldn't see me with my
front light blinking away, she was too busy talking to her friend. Still no harm done.

Last night I nearly got rolled into at a junction. Car edging out and I guess he didn't
see me. It drew a gasp from a fellow cyclist behind me. The driver was oblivious.

You were going to fast. Shared paths have an advisory limit of 5mph i believe but given that it is shared I think you know you were going to fast.

 

[Jenkins]

Beautiful start to the day - the sun was just burning off the mist leaving a thin layer over the fields around Gulphur Road which you rode through down to the duck pond where it cleared so you were looking up at the underside of the mist layer at the bottom of the road. Disturbed a Buzzard perched in a roadside tree on the way back up the other side of the slope. Then the weird sight of yet more mist in the mouth of the River Deben where it followed a shingle spit jutting out into the otherwise clear North Sea.

Slight breeze for the return leg, but it didn't stop me extending the commute with a trip out to Newbourne & Brightwell. 15 miles in, 28 miles home!

 

[Tin Pot]

1:59:51 46.36km +630m

 

[Leaway2]

I was getting changed this morning and I have started to develop tan lines. In Manchester! Barely visible but I can see them.

 

[si_c]

I was getting changed this morning and I have started to develop tan lines. In Manchester! Barely visible but I can see them.

Fake news clearly.

 

[C R]

Fake news clearly.

It does happen, my sister got sunburn in Platt Fields Park while taking our wedding photos, 18 years ago on Sunday.

 

[Threevok]

I was getting changed this morning and I have started to develop tan lines. In Manchester! Barely visible but I can see them.

I suspect that's probably smoke damage, more than a tan

 

[si_c]

I suspect that's probably smoke damage, more than a tan

 

[Dec66]

Bad one in Dulwich Village tonight; moped rider lying on the floor with lots of people round him. I didn't see any incident, or indeed a trashed moped, but he was lying on the floor with someone taking a pulse.

Can't find anything on the local news, I pray to God he's ok.

 

[PeteXXX]

Pleasant commute in yesterday middayish, then luckily (?) finished at midnight so avoided closing time in the few pubs I pass on the way home.
Slightly longer route home as I was wide awake and enjoying the cool of the nighttime ride. Home by 01:30.
12 miles there, 16 back.

Nice cold Guinness once I’d locked the bike away

 

[Lonestar]

Fake news clearly.

Could be road grit.I thought I had a tan...Turned out it was crap from the cars.Soon remedied when I had a wash.

 

[Bazzer]

The rain god was in a frivolous mood this morning:
Jacket on for a few miles,
Jacket off for a few miles.
Jacket on for a few miles
Jacket off for a few miles.
Then tried to get me to put it back on again just before arriving at work, but I was just too quick.

No idea what has been happening at the Peel Green sewage treatment plant, near the Trafford Centre. It could be smelt from 2 miles away and was almost vomit inducing.

 

[gaijintendo]

Good dose of headwind today.

Also considering ordering a blunter chainring.