Tales from today's commute....

[fossyant]

Back at it yesterday, and despite a still slightly sore knee, set a good time in, and a fast time home, even somehow getting a PR up a gravel climb near home - even quicker than my CX bike. A rest sometimes does you good.

Felt the need to fire an email off to the local High School this morning - they haven't broken up yet. Cycling down the cycle lane, as you do, rear door suddenly opened from a car in traffic - bloody kids getting out into the cycle lane. Shouted 'you can't stop here' at the driver. Then 100 yards further on, another driver pulls over on the double 'reds' and parks half on the pavement - FFS this is outside a school. I just point at the lines as I pass - he saw me. The 'other' school locally has put signs and 'plastic children' on the junction near the school to stop parents parking.

 

[fossyant]

Other than that, set another good time coming in. Been watching my food intake and snacking recently, so feeling the benefit of dropping 4kg in the last 3 weeks. Planning to keep this up. Overnight oats and Greek yoghurt with seeds and berries for breakfast is certainly stopping the munchies at work.

 

[TC99]

Great ride in this morning. A bit warmer. Low tide along the river Thames exposing all sorts. Bliss compared to the underground.

 

[TC99]

Left work knackered and unwilling into the once more cold, pretty brutal headwind.

By the time I'd reached town I'd at least warmed up and gained a little enthusiasm; these both buoyed further by slowly winding my way past a delivery dickhead over Magdalen bridge.

Out north on the usual convoluted route to the park; stopping at M&S to rummage for bargains. Seemed the only things reduced were the sandwiches; which turned out to be my only purchase in the name of the homeless bloke outside... This after much anxious deliberation over whether to buy him one at all / what filling to get after he expressed no preference / whether I'd be judge by providing a yellow-stickered item.. he appeared happy and grateful for his eventual all day breakfast and I went on my way.

Those I passed on the tow path on the way back into the city were notably more cheery and civil than usual. A short, crap session on the rings was had once I reached the park but it least it was something and I felt tangibly better for a bit of a stretch.

Down the back of the railway line to Botley, bumping into my sound upstairs neighbour outside the supermarket; who embarassingly I didn't recognise at first.

After a bit of a chat scored some reasonable bargains and headed home, getting low-level cut up on one of the roundabouts by the business school by some muppet coming from my left as I wanted to go straight across / right. Pillock ended up parked on the roundabout behind another vehicle on the exit and I managed to thread between the two; deploying a well-aimed "you f*cking dickhead" as I passed.

Now with the wind on my side I smashed it home along the tow path, again amongst very pleasant, accommodating people.

Now back home with some cracking jungle on waiting for my £2.61 melt in the middle smoked haddock fishcakes to finish cooking.

If I felt this good all the time, life would be so good...

Jungalist massive!!

 

[spen666]

Back at it yesterday, and despite a still slightly sore knee, set a good time in, and a fast time home, even somehow getting a PR up a gravel climb near home - even quicker than my CX bike. A rest sometimes does you good.

Felt the need to fire an email off to the local High School this morning - they haven't broken up yet. Cycling down the cycle lane, as you do, rear door suddenly opened from a car in traffic - bloody kids getting out into the cycle lane. Shouted 'you can't stop here' at the driver. Then 100 yards further on, another driver pulls over on the double 'reds' and parks half on the pavement - FFS this is outside a school. I just point at the lines as I pass - he saw me. The 'other' school locally has put signs and 'plastic children' on the junction near the school to stop parents parking.

The motorist's convenience outweighs and traffic laws or consideration of others these days.
To criticise them is aggressive behaviour and harassment these days - its their human rights you know - they trump everyone else

 

[spen666]

Beautiful morning for a commute. As its school holidays, the roads were quiet. Light breeze only - all is good.


My moan today - and its more of a question
Are ebikes on the road becoming faster? I was riding down the road today and on several occassions doing way over 15 mph ( one time doing over 23 mph) and ebikers flew past me, leaving me for dead.

the one when I was doing 23mph was probably doing circa 35mph, and this was in a cycle lane ( segregated and wide).

They seem so fast and the riders seem to have a lack of handling skills or knowledge of the Highway Code. They pose more of a threat to me on my bike than most motorists do. Is it time for a crackdown on these bikes?

 

[cyberknight]

Seems a shame / a bit pointless to strip it unless the frame's shafted; probably best to make sure it's functional, punt it on and spend the money on gear you can use..

Ok
It's the yellow model with the shifters with the ears , the lh has the window cover missing.thecwheels have seen better days and the cables look tatty. Not even checked the chain wear yet! It is the right size 😄

 

[C R]

Beautiful morning for a commute. As its school holidays, the roads were quiet. Light breeze only - all is good.


My moan today - and its more of a question
Are ebikes on the road becoming faster? I was riding down the road today and on several occassions doing way over 15 mph ( one time doing over 23 mph) and ebikers flew past me, leaving me for dead.

the one when I was doing 23mph was probably doing circa 35mph, and this was in a cycle lane ( segregated and wide).

They seem so fast and the riders seem to have a lack of handling skills or knowledge of the Highway Code. They pose more of a threat to me on my bike than most motorists do. Is it time for a crackdown on these bikes?

It was time for a crackdown when they started appearing and confiscations would have made a big impact. Now it is too late, horses and barn doors come to mind.

 

[spen666]

It was time for a crackdown when they started appearing and confiscations would have made a big impact. Now it is too late, horses and barn doors come to mind.

I agree the time was 6 years or so ago, but we can't just let the situation get worse and do nothing - ok, we can, but that achieves nothing

 

[fossyant]

It was time for a crackdown when they started appearing and confiscations would have made a big impact. Now it is too late, horses and barn doors come to mind.

Definitely, the horse has truly bolted. I hate it when you can hear something off your side, then you are like 'who the heck is catching me so quickly' then you hear the motor as it flies past. Most don't have the experience/skill to be going so quickly. Being undertaken by them as I pull from traffic lights is a pet annoyance of mine.

 

[TC99]

Private cars remain the biggest hazard to our health, by far.

 

[TC99]

The forthcoming fuel shortages will clear the roads a bit for us. Expect though to have all manner of numpties riding into work.

 

[spen666]

Private cars remain the biggest hazard to our health, by far.

I'm not sure I agree.
I am at more danger on the roads by those riding chipped ebikes who have neither the skill to handle them, the ability to obey traffic laws and ride at double the speed of other vehicles in cycle lanes where riders expect to be amongst much slower moving traffic.


With motor vehicles, the biggest risk to health is the pollution from them, but this is being reduced all the time with the move away from the ICE

 

[spen666]

The forthcoming fuel shortages will clear the roads a bit for us. Expect though to have all manner of numpties riding into work.

It will make the problems worse are more people will be riding chipped ebikes that they have not got the skills for and will be riding them in the segregated lanes as well

 

[TC99]

It will make the problems worse are more people will be riding chipped ebikes that they have not got the skills for and will be riding them in the segregated lanes as well

But more space on the roads!