Tales from today's commute....

[ryan_w]

40mm aero wheels didn't help with the commute today! Holding the bars tight gave me a really good arm pump though!

Also thinking I need to purchase some high(er) visibility / reflective clothing now it's getting dark and drivers obviously find it hard to see me with the HUMP flashing away and both my front and rear lights...

 

[Jenkins]

Very breezy on the way in, even more so on the way home. Used the Kona Jake CX for its heavyweight stability and full mudguards.

Got to work to find out that the 'D' lock I keep there has broken - the key turns on the barrel but doesn't release the lock - so I've had to sacrifice an Abus Bordo to replace it. Still, it could have been worse and broken with my bike locked up.

 

[Exile]

As if by magic the morning's head wind had migrated to be a cross wind on the way home. I know I should be thankful it didn't do a full 180, but I still feel cheated out of a decent tailwind. Ah well.

Couple of really good drivers very early in the journey. One moved across as I was filtering through traffic, opening a gap for me to get to the ASL, and another let me go first at a set of lights so I could safely negotiate the back end of a car sticking out in to the junction. The natural balance was restored later on though, when a prat in a Mini decided he wasn't keen on waiting behind and squeezed past against oncoming traffic. Can't all be nice, considerate driving now, can it?

 

[Black Country Ste]

During my 1.6-mile commute I got blown about a bit, got wet a lot and went the day in wet socks. Got slightly less wet on the way home, possibly scaring a lady who I was trying to inform that her offside brake light was out. Cars were too slow for their drivers to do much stupid except two (possibly the same bloke twice) mildly irritating me with close-ish passes.

 

[slowmotion]

On my way home this evening, I visited a shop near my house to pick up some cans of beer The owner of the shop has only been there for a couple of months and has gone out of his way to attract customers. He has actively encouraged me to bring my bike inside when I'm in search of lager.
This evening, a fellow customer, a David Bellamy look-alike approached me....

Him: "I hate cyclists!"
Me: "?????????"
Him: "Bringing your bike in here, blocking the shop. You lot ride on pavements too"
Me: "Actually, I don't ride on pavements"
Him: "I hate cyclists"
Me: "That's fine by me. Hate away"
Him " At least you don't get angry like the rest of them"

WTF?

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Another very warm commute . It almost reached 30°C during the ride home, then it was 28°C inside the house when I got home.

 

[apb]

Another very warm commute . It almost reached 30°C during the ride home, then it was 28°C inside the house when I got home.

dislike!

 

[Ganymede]

40mm aero wheels didn't help with the commute today! Holding the bars tight gave me a really good arm pump though!

Also thinking I need to purchase some high(er) visibility / reflective clothing now it's getting dark and drivers obviously find it hard to see me with the HUMP flashing away and both my front and rear lights...

Reflective's the thing. Nice pair of ankle straps and something for the body. Hi-viz isn't much use under street-lamps, though anything pale-coloured is good. Since, as you say, lights don't seem to be enough (sigh).

 

[thedatastream]

Despite a steady headwind I had a lovely commute along the canal towpath. Full autumn colours on the trees, a deer running through a field, fussing a friendly sheepdog and chatting to an ex colleague on his morning jog.

It was worth spending that extra few minutes in bed this morning

 

[Elybazza61]

Still a bit breezy this morning and also came across a small tree fallen across the cycle path,managed to lift the bike and clamber over it(knew getting a carbon cross bike was a good idea);now reported to the relevant council so should get removed soon.

 

[fossyant]

Got chatting to another chap on the Fallowfield loop. Ribble winter trainer and he also had only recently started using it (the Fallowfield loop) to cross Manchester.

Good deed of the day done. Colleague emailed round if anyone had spare tubes. His tyre had split and he had gone through 3 tubes. He had to walk from Salford to Deansgate then to Hulme. Went into Evans but they refused to lend him a tube as he had forgotten his wallet. He had ID on him. Crap customer service as he spends a small fortune with them. Lets say he is off to a different shop for new tyres and tubes.

Gave my colleague 2 tubes

 

[donnydave]

Cambridge busway almost deserted again. Bit more life once I got to the college and the science park. I don't ride through Cambridge itself and actually have very little experience of town/city riding and I'm glad of it, I think I would go mad in a very short space of time, I do a short stretch northwards on Milton road through a couple of sets of traffic lights. This morning I passed someone. Got to traffic lights and stopped, they wobbled up the inside and stopped just in front of me. Set off again, pass them as they are effin slow, stop at next lights. Even though my front wheel is over the line they wobble past, pull in and stop right in front of me again.

This sort of thing probably happens regularly to those of you who have to ride through towns but it was a new and head-explodingly annoying thing for me!

"just go slower, its not a race" is not an answer.

 

[DWiggy]

My ride home yesterday was AWESOME had a great tail wind and was racing a nasty black cloud that was chasing me down but luckily I beat it so I didn't get a soaking!
Strangely I was still about 4 second's off some of my segments pb's that were set without the tail wind, but I did get one of my fastest overall averages for the ride home...and my average heart rate was a lot higher around 160bpm average so definitely was enjoying the ride

Ride in this morning was against a smaller head wind (thankfully) as paying for the ride home...legs are a little tired.

 

[400bhp]

Got chatting to another chap on the Fallowfield loop. Ribble winter trainer and he also had only recently started using it to cross Manchester.

Good deed of the day done. Colleague emailed round if anyone had spare tubes. His tyre had split and he had gone through 3 tubes. He had to walk from Salford to Deansgate then to Hulme. Went into Evans but they refused to lend him a tube as he had forgotten his wallet. He had ID on him. Crap customer service as he spends a small fortune with them. Lets say he is off to a different shop for new tyres and tubes.

Gave my colleague 2 tubes

The Evans on Deansgate? If he's spent money in there that's not great.

 

[fossyant]

He has spent a fair bit with them in the past. He showed his University ID as well. At least Wills Wheels will be getting a sale later.