Tales from today's commute....

[Arjimlad]

This morning I had some gobby gammon in an oncoming old 5-series shaking his beans at me & telling me to "move over a bit" to let traffic behind me past.

The traffic behind me had only been there for a few seconds, the road is not wide enough for them to pass me in the same lane, and the main obstacle to them passing me was oncoming traffic. Plus I needed to get to work, and stopping every five minutes isn't compatible with making progress.

 

[palinurus]

Proper wintery-feeling ride today. Autumn always seems to take so long to get going, I expect the leaves to start going brown in September (as soon as I start feeling the first chill) but most trees are still pretty green at the end of October, then half-way through November I realise they've all changed colour and I barely noticed the transition, now they've gone mostly bare within what seems like a few days.

Anyway, nice crunchy frost this morning- I like the sound the tyres make on it.

 

[rivers]

Brutally cold this morning (-4 according to the wahoo), and a miserable commute to boot. My connecting train was delayed by 12 minutes, which wouldn't be an issue in and of itself, except that they decided to cancel all of the non-major stops along the route (including mine). So I had to wait over 40 minutes for the next train (I'm so glad I've started carrying a winter jacket that packs up small in my saddle bag), absolutely freezing my a*s off. Finally got to Keynsham, but more traffic on the roads. Nearly got taken out by some absolute bell end on a BSO who didn't seem to look where he was going. Eventually got to work over an hour late...

 

[C R]

Brutally cold this morning (-4 according to the wahoo), and a miserable commute to boot. My connecting train was delayed by 12 minutes, which wouldn't be an issue in and of itself, except that they decided to cancel all of the non-major stops along the route (including mine). So I had to wait over 40 minutes for the next train (I'm so glad I've started carrying a winter jacket that packs up small in my saddle bag), absolutely freezing my a*s off. Finally got to Keynsham, but more traffic on the roads. Nearly got taken out by some absolute bell end on a BSO who didn't seem to look where he was going. Eventually got to work over an hour late...

Cor, that shared path looks nasty, regardless of BSO riding idiots.

 

[rivers]

Cor, that shared path looks nasty, regardless of BSO riding idiots.

It's not great, but was a better option than trying to navigate the roundabout at that point. It's a bit better further on when it gets wider (and also about an hour earlier when there are no school children).

 

[Svendo]

Snowy ad cold this morning. Garmin went as low as -7.7°C, road’s has cleared on the trafficked areas but slush and frozen snow in the gutters. Then from Littleborough to Rochdale it was creeping nose to tail motorists. I was mostly on the outside passing whereas usually I can use the inside, when necessary. Think I must have saved about 30 minutes vs driving.
Also some ice forming in my water bottle when I got to work.

 

[Arjimlad]

Brutally cold this morning (-4 according to the wahoo), and a miserable commute to boot. My connecting train was delayed by 12 minutes, which wouldn't be an issue in and of itself, except that they decided to cancel all of the non-major stops along the route (including mine). So I had to wait over 40 minutes for the next train (I'm so glad I've started carrying a winter jacket that packs up small in my saddle bag), absolutely freezing my a*s off. Finally got to Keynsham, but more traffic on the roads. Nearly got taken out by some absolute bell end on a BSO who didn't seem to look where he was going. Eventually got to work over an hour late...

Too occupied with checking the vehicular traffic to see if the shared pavement was clear enough. What a knob, and in icy conditions too. Hope your week improves !

 

[rivers]

Too occupied with checking the vehicular traffic to see if the shared pavement was clear enough. What a knob, and in icy conditions too. Hope your week improves !

Thanks me too

 

[GeekDadZoid]

Wanted to be in the office for 7am this morning which required a 6am pushoff but after assessing the road and pavement outside my house I decided to abandon the idea of riding in. The first 3km of my ride is almost exclusively on shared paths with no nice alternative, these are untreated and are bad enough with the wet leaves at the moment.

First train commute in 18 months, glad I don't do this every day anymore.

 

[simongt]

“Auld Manny”?
Are you sure you’re frae Norwich? An Aberdonian surely!!

Ethincally, I'm Franco Irish, but being married to a Dundonian for twenty three years does have it's 'speech altering effects' - !

 

[Svendo]

So from this mornings sublime heroics through the snow to the ridiculous. Got hit from behind by an older lady driving a Y Reg Yaris on Drake St in Rochdale. Both rear lights on, I was in between the tram lines and bang. All very low speed. She tried to claim I was going too slow.got very cagey about swapping details, I’ve got her mobile number, reg and a photo. No real damage discovered yet, which I’m actually pleased about as I built the rear wheel!. Big lump on my shin though. She was trying to offer £10, £20 etc but I was saying I just need you’re insurance company. I’ll try 101 or do an online report once kids in bed, as she might have just wanted to avoid insurance claims but I’m concerned she might not have been insured.

 

[Svendo]

So from this mornings sublime heroics through the snow to the ridiculous. Got hit from behind by an older lady driving a Y Reg Yaris on Drake St in Rochdale. Both rear lights on, I was in between the tram lines and bang. All very low speed. She tried to claim I was going too slow.got very cagey about swapping details, I’ve got her mobile number, reg and a photo. No real damage discovered yet, which I’m actually pleased about as I built the rear wheel!. Big lump on my shin though. She was trying to offer £10, £20 etc but I was saying I just need you’re insurance company. I’ll try 101 or do an online report once kids in bed, as she might have just wanted to avoid insurance claims but I’m concerned she might not have been insured.

Rather annoyingly now I'm home and I've cleaned the bike I've found a fatal crack in the down tube, just at the head tube junction, half way round from side to side across the bottom, just clear of the weld. Not where I'd expect a rear ending to crack the frame so didn't notice at the time.
Most annoying is I only found it after I'd mickled the chain and drive train, cleaned the wheels and braked and was just tickling the frame. I've reported to the Police and will start the claim process for replacing the frame tomorrow. In the meantime it's n+1 time! Please look here to help me go shopping!

 

[Arjimlad]

Rather annoyingly now I'm home and I've cleaned the bike I've found a fatal crack in the down tube, just at the head tube junction, half way round from side to side across the bottom, just clear of the weld. Not where I'd expect a rear ending to crack the frame so didn't notice at the time.
Most annoying is I only found it after I'd mickled the chain and drive train, cleaned the wheels and braked and was just tickling the frame. I've reported to the Police and will start the claim process for replacing the frame tomorrow. In the meantime it's n+1 time! Please look here to help me go shopping!

Have you used AskMID to check she is insured? I hope you can get it sorted out without a scrap. She sounds rather unreliable, it was a good idea to report it.

Good job you weren't injured. Happy new bike hunt.

 

[HarryTheDog]

Yesterdays commute home was a bit more interesting. Bowling down the tow path over the frozen puddles I saw what I thought at first was 2 policeman getting off a canal boat by the light of my bike light. I slowed and saw it was 2 paramedics carrying a portable ECG machine. Made me think that yes living on a canal boat isnt that romantic in a emergency when the ambulance cant get to you and the paramedics have to walk at least half a mile to you.
Second incident was I got to West Ham to get on the train, A fairly oiky looking bloke ( mid 30's) turned up after me and immediately lit up a fag. nobody commented as he did not look that peaceable. Unusually his bike ( a spezalised rockhopper) looked absolutely brand new. When the train came he went to push in front but I was having none of it and I got on and managed to fit my bike in the wheelchair area with 2 other bikes. He was left having to hold his and he did not look best pleased at me.
He then got off at the same stop as me and I forgot about him, had a vape sorted my lights out and set off. Suddenly oik flashes past extremely close and swerves in front of me, probably to intimidate me. Instead of being , I decided to make him suffer, So I just caught him up and sat on his tail. As expected his burst of speed did not last long and as soon as he slowed I just went past. I kept the pace high but he still tried to stay in contact but I was dropping him.
We then came to a dual carriageway to cross, oik decides he must get past at all costs and just leaps off the pavement and nearly gets taken out by a little old lady who blows her horn at him. I decided he may be a knob but I am not going force him into any more dangerous maneuveres and let him go.

 

[ianrauk]

Meh.. that was my commute this morning... meh
I have a bit of a lurgy (non covid type), so am full of snot.
The traffic is absolutely horrendous out there in SE Londinium.
And it raIned cold rain. Not heavy.. but enough.

Rainy commute #32 for the year