Tales from today's commute....

[John_S]

I was a grumpy man on my commute this morning. Whilst over the summer I tend to commute over a greater distance and that gives me greater flexibility over a variety of routes during autumn & winter I stick more to a specific route which up until now has worked really well but has now been spoilt.

It involves a section of single track country road which previously has been relatively nice & quiet. However a construction project has started and this morning on what is a small section of road of say less than half a mile long I had to stop on four occasions in order to allow HGVs to pass as they struggling along a road totally inappropriate for them. Also just as I approached the entrance/exit to the site someone working on the site waved out a lorry straight into my path even though I was clearly visible going along this single track road.

In addition they have now completely covered the road in mud and rocks which was nice.

Anyway that’s the rant off my chest.

 

[Randombiker9]

Didn't cycle today because it was spossed to heavy rain.

ps just trying to think about is so when I have my local work experience I will be cycling to my local stables but the thing is where's the best place to lock it up. ?
The cycling takes 30 mins. (it's unlikely I'll be able to take my bike into stables due to the horses and no bike stands)
1. Should I lock it up by the local shops where there's CCTV and bike stands and the walk the 15 mins to the stable. But here the local school kids are likely to mess with it whilst I'm gone as it's near a school this area.
2. Just lock it up on a lamppost behind bus stop where it's not blocking way for people getting on the bus?

 

[Slick]

I was a grumpy man on my commute this morning. Whilst over the summer I tend to commute over a greater distance and that gives me greater flexibility over a variety of routes during autumn & winter I stick more to a specific route which up until now has worked really well but has now been spoilt.

It involves a section of single track country road which previously has been relatively nice & quiet. However a construction project has started and this morning on what is a small section of road of say less than half a mile long I had to stop on four occasions in order to allow HGVs to pass as they struggling along a road totally inappropriate for them. Also just as I approached the entrance/exit to the site someone working on the site waved out a lorry straight into my path even though I was clearly visible going along this single track road.

In addition they have now completely covered the road in mud and rocks which was nice.

Anyway that’s the rant off my chest.

Report the driver and banksman to the site agent, also the state of the road. The site agent will hate you but he will act upon it as they hate complaints from locals more.

 

[Slick]

My commute today was a challenge from the off. I've "Winterised" the genesis in preparation for a long wet winter with full mud guards front and rear and a rear rack. I've managed to avoid the worst of the weather by picking and choosing my days so it's remained in the garage since the upgrade. I've also had around a week off the commutes because of a bit of man flu, which was probably the worst case recorded in history. Last night I started to feel a bit better so checked every forecast until I eventually found one that said it was going to be dry this morning. I got up not feeling particularly great but as I haven't been out for a while I decided just to stick with plan A and go for it. I usually have a pang of regret in the first mile until my legs get warmed up but this morning was different. Within the first few hundred yards I realised I could hardly see with the driving rain, and I already felt pretty weak. It was probably around the same point I finally asked myself why I didn't take the newly prepared winter bike. The weather didn't relent but the legs came back a bit eventually and before I knew where I was I had a hot shower and in a warm staff room with a cup of tea. The ride home was much better, stiff breeze but a mixture of head and tail wind which was good. One numpty did try and pass me on a short sharp uphill section but had to abort as a police car came round the corner. I gesticulated to them what I thought of the guy behind me, the older cop did his very best not to notice me but the pretty female cop did give me a smile. Still got it.

 

[hatler]

Came upon a Wanda this morning and we had a spiffing chat all the way in to the City.

 

[BurningLegs]

Yesterday's commute was uneventful, a couple of fast guys came past me so I decided to ride with them. We were on a dedicated cycle path, totally away from traffic approx 4M wide and soon after I took a turn on the front we went around a bend and there were two slowish riders in front having a bit of a chat, spread right across the path. As I eased off to come up behind them and wait for one to move the rider behind me shouted at full volume "EXCUSE ME, COMING THROUGH" in a big booming voice that I felt was unnecessary (and I would say it was aggressive). I felt quite embarrassed - I was riding on the front so they may well have thought it was me shouting at them!

Dodged the rain this morning which is a bonus. Saw the weather report before heading out the door and expected the worse, but some how got away with it.

 

[dhd.evans]

No ride this morning. Struck a pedestrian on the way home last night - filtering on the outside of traffic he stepped out from behind a van and i couldn't react quick enough, down we both went. The gent is fine thankfully, cuts and gashes and the ambulance took him away for checking, my shoulder is damaged and dislocated. Bike front wheel is buckled too.

Video will not be made publicly available but suffice to say you can hear the moment I audibly soil my bib longs when a ped appears in my pathway.

 

[BurningLegs]

No ride this morning. Struck a pedestrian on the way home last night - filtering on the outside of traffic he stepped out from behind a van and i couldn't react quick enough, down we both went. The gent is fine thankfully, cuts and gashes and the ambulance took him away for checking, my shoulder is damaged and dislocated. Bike front wheel is buckled too.

Video will not be made publicly available but suffice to say you can hear the moment I audibly soil my bib longs when a ped appears in my pathway.

Oh no, that sounds terrible. Glad that the ped was not seriously injured.

Did you have much of a conversation with him? Have you shared any contact details? I wonder what the outcome could be here in terms of injury claims/liability etc?

 

[dhd.evans]

Oh no, that sounds terrible. Glad that the ped was not seriously injured.

Did you have much of a conversation with him? Have you shared any contact details? I wonder what the outcome could be here in terms of injury claims/liability etc?

Aye, I left him my number and saw him later at A&E. We waited for the ambulance and I used a first aid kit to patch him up. Liability I'm not sure - I'm certainly not pursuing anything, and his wife assured me she'd be having words with him about it because it was his fault (her words not mine!).

All in all it's unlucky and I'm just thankful everyone is still conscious and breathing.

 

[Specialeyes]

No ride this morning. Struck a pedestrian on the way home last night - filtering on the outside of traffic he stepped out from behind a van and i couldn't react quick enough, down we both went. The gent is fine thankfully, cuts and gashes and the ambulance took him away for checking, my shoulder is damaged and dislocated. Bike front wheel is buckled too.

That puts my 'I clipped a squirrel this morning as it legged it out of a pile of leaves - don't know who was more freaked out by it, me or it' into perspective! Hope all turns out well.

 

[palinurus]

Bit of a miserable commute this morning, damp, misty, way too humid to keep cool. On the plus side I saw the neighbourhood fox chewing on a boot. She's already pinched a flip-flop and one of my trainers so it's good to see it's not just our stuff.

 

[HLaB]

Bit gloomy tonight so I put the brighter front light on. It didn't work

 

[Slick]

Bit gloomy tonight so I put the brighter front light on. It didn't work

They really are pretty thick when all is said and done.

 

[Threevok]

Is it me, or are we a threat to these people's masculinity?

I've had several such incidents this week, where either I have nearly got it, or the idiots have nearly killed themselves - jumping the gun on me, after clearly seeing me coming.

I had one on the way home this very evening, that (rather than having to wait for a mere cycle to pass) pulled out of a junction, straight into the path of a rather large Argos lorry.

 

[dhd.evans]

No ride today - wheel still in the shop and a trip to the fracture clinic is likely as my shoulder keeps popping out of socket. Plus side? My new cycle to work certificate came through so i'm going to try out a Pinnacle Dolomite Single Speed when i'm through in Glasgow next week Silver linings and all that...