Tales from today's commute....

[Sixmile]

I got a good aul fashioned drenching last night. The kind of soaking where all your waterproof layers just look at you and shrug.

But it was back at it this morning, and although a little wet, still a reasonably enjoyable ride in. I snapped my pair of orange 'brightening' glasses last week so have been using darker sunglasses which aren't ideal for the low light, wet rides as they're dark already without fogging up and water spray. Mental note to get another pair of clear/orange glasses!

 

[Arjimlad]

Wind at my back all the way in, rain in my face and back. Last night's ride home was a miserable, wet, cold slog. Averaged 13mph over the 7mi.

Oh, and this dolt this morning:



What makes this one funny is the sheer lack of awareness. The driver first came on my radar when she tried to overtake coming out me at the start of my ride (not in video) into oncoming traffic; she had to slam the brakes on to avoid the car on the other side of the road (which mounted the kerb out of fear). From the start of this video i am aware of the car being less than a few feet off my rear wheel so keep tabs. Assumed as she came up my right hand side she was turning into the junction; not so. Attempts an overtake on a blind corner and squeezes me into the gutter then narrowly misses the taxi that is pulling in. Also not on video is the driver applying blusher and other makeup at the traffic lights down the road whilst the lights turns from red to green (holding up traffic) and the apology i then elicited when i asked her to keep her distance. Not a malicious driver but certainly needs to up her awareness on the road.

Daft reckless driving.

 

[Arjimlad]

Took the Schwalbe Winter spiked tyres off last night at last, put the original Smart Sams back on the Revolt and had a short ride to work after dropping my daughter at school. The bike rides really smoothly on those 700x35s and they're still not fully worn out after two years sharing the riding with the TCR and with the winter tyres.

 

[Salty seadog]

I got a good aul fashioned drenching last night. The kind of soaking where all your waterproof layers just look at you and shrug.

 

[vickster]

First commute puncture and roadside fix thanks to this!!

About a mile from home, fortunately I was tooled up for the tube replacement

 

[Slick]

Wind at my back all the way in, rain in my face and back. Last night's ride home was a miserable, wet, cold slog. Averaged 13mph over the 7mi.

Oh, and this dolt this morning:



What makes this one funny is the sheer lack of awareness. The driver first came on my radar when she tried to overtake coming out me at the start of my ride (not in video) into oncoming traffic; she had to slam the brakes on to avoid the car on the other side of the road (which mounted the kerb out of fear). From the start of this video i am aware of the car being less than a few feet off my rear wheel so keep tabs. Assumed as she came up my right hand side she was turning into the junction; not so. Attempts an overtake on a blind corner and squeezes me into the gutter then narrowly misses the taxi that is pulling in. Also not on video is the driver applying blusher and other makeup at the traffic lights down the road whilst the lights turns from red to green (holding up traffic) and the apology i then elicited when i asked her to keep her distance. Not a malicious driver but certainly needs to up her awareness on the road.

Perfect audio description.

 

[si_c]

Fairly steady ride in this morning, definitely feeling better than yesterday, although not 100% for sure. Dopey driver pulled onto a roundabout despite me already being on it, then slammed on right in my path when she finally saw me. She just looked confused as to why I was shouting at her.

Other than that it was a fairly standard commute.

 

[Maverick Goose]

Heavy rain over night meant a local road flooded as usual, with about 10 metres of water to coast through legs akimbo. Fun as a child and occasionally as an adult, but getting a bit wearing now.
Spitting rain for the journey, but even after over an hour, not enough to be damp with, although overshoes took a soaking from the road spr
Broke up the otherwise unremarkable journey by the game of sprinting or easing off, to see how many junction traffic lights I could get through on green. 27/30.
Half a dozen other cyclists, all lit up.

Light drizzle last night here in the Penrith area; the snow is gradually melting there were still massive drifts by the side of the road between Pooley Bridge and Eamont Bridge. All the lights were green as well (J I hope you give me the green light). Hopefully I'll make it out with the Eden Valley CTC tomorrow, as conditions round the Pennines are still somewhat problematic.

 

[palinurus]

Got the bus because I wanted to bring home my travelling bags which I keep at work. Nice in the morning because I left early and walked through the park just as it was getting light, listened to the birds.

Bus on the way home didn't turn up so I went in a nearby Starbucks. Got my name wrong on my drink as usual. Didn't get back home 'till 7.

Anyway, about tomorrow:

fark this shoot, I'm getting a car.

 

[palinurus]

Bring back the farking snow so I can demonstrate the superiority of cycling.

 

[palinurus]

View attachment 398868

Starting to feel a bit poorly.

 

[Bazzer]

On the commute home last night, had a self induced face palm moment. Quads felt a bit sore from about 8 miles and from about 14 were positively uncomfortable, which I couldn't get my head around. Then at around 16 remembered I'd been sprinting between traffic lights in the morning.

This morning pre dawn I had one of those serendipity moments. I turned onto an unlit rural road, just as the clouds cleared and a lovely half moon with a star below appeared at about 45 degrees to my right. It stayed with me for about 2 miles before disappearing behind a cloud, a couple of hundred metres or so before I turned to the east and would have lost sight of it anyway.

Think I am losing the mental battle about whether or not to get a cam for my bike. Last night, when filtering on the outside of standing traffic, just as I drew level with the van at the head of the queue, head casually rolled his van into the ASL box, trying to block it off. (And the lights were not about to change). Then this morning a mile or so after the pleasure of the moon, as I was riding through a housing estate I could hear a car coming up behind me and for some reason sensed he wasn't going to hang back, so took the lane. - I'm doing 15-17 mph in a 20 zone so hardly holding him up. Fiat 500 swoops around me with about 8 - 10 metres of road to a junction. Slams his brakes on to stop. I have to brake sharply and when I drew up to his car to enquire WTF was that about, he accelerated away.

 

[palinurus]

View attachment 398868

fark this shoot, I'm getting a car.

Wasn't too bad. Bit of drizzle.

 

[palinurus]

Seems typical

 

[palinurus]

Even more typical is I feel shortchanged.