Tales from today's commute....

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tobykenobi

Über Member
It said -5° on my Garmin this morning. Not sure how accurate that is but it was bloody cold! So cold that my rear derailleur didn't want to spring back fully and the rear brake cable was also stiff. Suspect some water may have got into them (cleaned bike yesterday) as they're both fine now.

Cheapo Lidl cycling gloves worked well. The ground was horrible and I took corners very carefully.
 

Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
Zero degrees here at 7am despite the forecast of staying above. Plenty of ice on the back roads and no indication of gritting on the main road, but at least it was only damp there.
 

Twizit

CS8 lead out specialist
Location
Surrey
So cold that my rear derailleur didn't want to spring back fully and the rear brake cable was also stiff. Suspect some water may have got into them (cleaned bike yesterday) as they're both fine now.

Had that before back when I had mechanical discs - rear used to quite regularly seize up when it got below zero degrees - usually once I'd been through Richmond Park and was in need of stopping at the exit gates.... Always suspected a bit of moisture in the rear cable loop
 
Had a numpty try to left hook me at a junction. According to him, and I quote, "You saw me indicating, you should have stopped".

I was ahead of him and he had tried to overtake to get around the junction.
I. was. ahead. of. him.
A WVM type stopped at the incident and gave it "You were in the wrong mate, shouldn't come up the inside of cars". He also caught my ire and expletives.

Had it happen a couple of times, riding through Leeds (mainly on Kirkstall Road)
 

Jenkins

Legendary Member
Location
Felixstowe
Despite the freezing conditions of the past few days, most drivers have been sensible and cleared their screens before setting off - until this morning that is.

Coming up to a mini roundabout I could hear a strange scraping noise and, looking up the road to my left, I could see an Audi Q7 approaching with a couple of small holes at the base of the windscreen where the heater was just starting to work and the driver hoping that the windscreen wipers would do the job that a proper scraper, de-icing liquid or warm water should have done before setting off. Judging by the blaring horn behind me having cleared the roundabout, it would appear that the Audi didn't stop due to lack of visibility...
 

Shearwater Missile

Über Member
Despite the freezing conditions of the past few days, most drivers have been sensible and cleared their screens before setting off - until this morning that is.

Coming up to a mini roundabout I could hear a strange scraping noise and, looking up the road to my left, I could see an Audi Q7 approaching with a couple of small holes at the base of the windscreen where the heater was just starting to work and the driver hoping that the windscreen wipers would do the job that a proper scraper, de-icing liquid or warm water should have done before setting off. Judging by the blaring horn behind me having cleared the roundabout, it would appear that the Audi didn't stop due to lack of visibility...
They are just idiots playing with everyone else`s lives. The annoying thing is, is that most have garages (that is what they were built for) but are so full of old toot that they can`t get a car in. Having said that I know a lot of garages are not that wide for cars nowadays but there is always the option of windscreen covers. No excuse for peep holes.
 
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Supersuperleeds

Legendary Member
Location
Leicester
Numpty central on this mornings commute

Numpty 1) White Van Man decides he can overtake me despite me signalling and turning right.

Numpty 2) Dizzy girl comes up my left hand side to turn right at the T junction.

Numpty 3) Decides he is on a race track and the white lines and speed limit don't count as he floors it straight at me.

Luckily I was on the ice bike so not going fast and spidey senses very much a tingling.

It was one of those mornings were it made me feel like I was a complete novice on the road.
 

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
Saw a stoat on our school run cycle this morning. No hi viz. No lights in the fog. Hadn’t cleared the frost from his snout. Didn't look before crossing the cycle path. All self righteous in typical mustelid fashion. Pointing his black tipped tail about like he owned the place. But cyclists.

A stoat is weaselly recognised but a weasel is stoatally different. Not cold enough to be in ermine ? Or is that something else !?
 

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
I can't stop appreciating the view here on days like this...

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but this twit in a Hyundai chose to overtake when you can see the trucks waiting ahead as the road narrows, for the oncoming grey car, leaving himself nowhere to pull back into without scrunching me. I had to brake to make a gap big enough for him to fit into. He ignored my hand held out in warning, but at least had the grace to apologise.
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