Tales from today's commute....

[Deleted member 1258]

Urban thrills in the country this morning. The junction was backed up so I actually got to do the thing of filtering down the outside of a stationery row of traffic to get to my nice little right-turn cut-through. I felt like a proper ninja.

Yes I had to do some filtering tonight for a change, road closure somewhere near me and traffic diverted onto Wheelwright Lane, the traffic was backed up from the Pro Logis traffic Lights to the Bulls Head Pub in one direction and well past the One Stop in the other, Nunts Lane was backed up as well, from Wheelwright Lane up the hill past the Parkville Highway junction, made the climb up the hill less entertaining, I had my side of the road to myself.

 

[Ganymede]

Yes I had to do some filtering tonight for a change, road closure somewhere near me and traffic diverted onto Wheelwright Lane, the traffic was backed up from the Pro Logis traffic Lights to the Bulls Head Pub in one direction and well past the One Stop in the other, Nunts Lane was backed up as well, from Wheelwright Lane up the hill past the Parkville Highway junction, made the climb up the hill less entertaining, I had my side of the road to myself.

Cripes, sounds practically like the M25 when the tunnel shuts! Round here it sometimes happens because of a beautifully-placed timber yard right by the crossroads, visited all too frequently by ridiculously large trucks while everyone's trying to get to the station.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Cripes, sounds practically like the M25 when the tunnel shuts! Round here it sometimes happens because of a beautifully-placed timber yard right by the crossroads, visited all too frequently by ridiculously large trucks while everyone's trying to get to the station.

Normally I wouldn't do any filtering at all on any part of my commute. That part of the commute is the busiest part but traffic normally flows well enough, but if something does go wrong it snarls up pretty quickly, the last time it happened a double decker bus broke down on the climb up Nunts Lane blocked the road and brought most of the area to a standstill.

 

[summerdays]

I usually filter at some point on my journey, and tonight I was sitting on a bus that took 7 mins to cross a roundabout watching cyclists filter past, they were the only thing moving at any speed that was greater than practically zero.

 

[hennbell]

After rain last week we have had 3 days of snow. A thin layer of snow on top of slick smooth ice makes for a slow ride with much attention focus on balance. Now the snow is compact on top of the ice so we return to grip. The good news it that we have good and propper snow drifts now in one area it is almost 3 feet deep. I have always enjoyed heading into the deep snow at high speed and the fall that comes soon after.

 

[Simontm]

Got drafted today and he hasn't called, sent flowers.....

Lovely, cool fast commute in today with <drumroll please> a 0 numpty count!!

Course, means the expected rain later and evening rush hour will soon dosh out the karma for that!!

 

[Spartak]

Cycled to work this evening, working nights and finish at 6am. not looking forward to the frosty cold air

How was it ...... refreshing !!!

 

[MickeyBlueEyes]

This morning and the conditions out there just shows me how much my cycling has come on over the last few years. Started road cycling & commuting in Sept 2010, November that year I don't remember riding at all. Nov 2011 and I would of drove to work without a moments hesitation with weather like this. Nov 2012 and I would of thought of cycling in, then reached for the car keys. Nov 2013 and I would of cycled in but the direct way of 14 miles. Nov 2014 and I'm out early doors for 27 lovely miles, in dense fog and -4.5 deg C. Even though I got to work with ice covering me and every front facing thing on the bike it was still thoroughly enjoyable! More suitable kit, more experience, better knowledge, more dedication, takes time but its worth it. The best bit of advice for newbie commuters, stick at it, you'll love it! ! !

 

[ianrauk]

I had the misfortune to share the roads with a most disgusting individual this morning. A cyclist who felt the need to spit every couple of seconds. No exaggeration, not every couple of minutes or so, but every couple of seconds. Foul creature. He was drafting me along the A21 trying to keep up. I slowed down for a bit so he could over take and get the hell away from me but he just draft fairyed. I did ask him to stop being so disgusting at a set of lights but he ignored me. I was ready to have more then words if even the slightest bit of spittle touched me. Made for a very unpleasant commute.

 

[martinclive]

Saw @kevin_cambs_uk on the busway - he had stopped and was offering some young lady some latex that was going to be inflated and make her happy

Must have been quick as he caught us up shortly after!

 

[summerdays]

I think I would have tried to speed up to get away from him (I'm assuming you are faster than me) that doesn't sound very nice at all.

My commute was COLD, though the temperatures just slipped to above 0 for most of it. By the end I was a little too warm but only just. One idiot in a car trying to overtake with an on coming car that I could have touched if I had dared remove my hands from near the brakes. But lots of nice interactions with other cyclists, including a bloke who admitted that wearing shorts might not have been the best choice he made today (I saw at least 8 in shorts!!!!), and after thinking that I hadn't seen the young cyclist that I occasionally see for ages I turned around the corner and there she was just setting off. I rode with her and her mum chatting till we reached the busy main road, where they go on the pavement. (The Mum co-coincidently mentioned that the other day someone went around the wrong side of the lights as she was walking across on a pedestrian green - the same set where I saw someone do that yesterday - so there may be an idiot doing that regularly).

 

[KneesUp]

Not got the layers right - my commute is very short (2.5 miles direct - so exactly the sort of journey almost anyone should be doing by bike if possible) so I don't get chance to get chilled by the wind so much, and it's hilly, which makes for warmth. It was round about freezing when I set off today and I went for t-shirt with thin cycling jacket from Aldi with hat and cycling trousers. I was too hot, but then I estimate my rucksack weighs about 7kg which doesn't help. I saw one fellow rider in shorts. I wasn't that warm!

 

[Supersuperleeds]

For the first time in a long time I got into work thinking I might have over done it a bit. 43 miles on the ice tyres in freezing cold temperatures is very hard work. I was very very slow and very very cold (well just my hands, everything else was okay.)

Cup of coffee now down my neck and I am ready to do it again

 

[summerdays]

Not got the layers right - my commute is very short (2.5 miles direct - so exactly the sort of journey almost anyone should be doing by bike if possible) so I don't get chance to get chilled by the wind so much, and it's hilly, which makes for warmth. It was round about freezing when I set off today and I went for t-shirt with thin cycling jacket from Aldi with hat and cycling trousers. I was too hot, but then I estimate my rucksack weighs about 7kg which doesn't help. I saw one fellow rider in shorts. I wasn't that warm!

For me it's the opposite problem that short journeys don't give me a chance to warm up. I was cold for the first few miles then by about 5 miles I had warmed enough to open my jacket, and I was just starting to head to too warm by the 7 mile mark. But my ears were feeling the cold even with a buff.

 

[KneesUp]

For me it's the opposite problem that short journeys don't give me a chance to warm up. I was cold for the first few miles then by about 5 miles I had warmed enough to open my jacket, and I was just starting to head to too warm by the 7 mile mark. But my ears were feeling the cold even with a buff.

I started to feel warm toward the end of the uphill section (my commute is roughly 1/2 mile downhill, 1/2 mile flat, 1 mile uphill, 1/4mile downhill, 1/4 mile flat with a bit of undulation) so if you'rs is a flat commute (without a stupidly heavy rucksack) effort-wise it might be about the same point?

I was glad I remembered a hat today - I had nothing on my head yesterday and it felt like my head would shatter if I knocked it when I got in