Tales from today's commute....

[LeetleGreyCells]

Rode to work in glorious sunshine. Wonderful.

Rode home in heavy rain. Drenched.

 

[palinurus]

I'm at work, waiting for my colleague- who gets the bus- to arrive. The buses have been screwed up this week due delays from the queues at petrol stations.

Very bad rain yesterday but I missed the worst of it on the way home. Cycled home via the big roundabout (Dome roundabout for anyone who knows Watford) where all the petrol stations are- I heard it was pretty congested and wanted to take a look but it was no worse than it usually is- I mean it was bad, just not unusually bad for the time of day. Perhaps it's more that the congestion is continuing outside of the usual hours.

 

[rivers]

Chilly commute in this morning, though dry. I was debating putting my bar mitts onto the bike this morning. I decided against it, but I really should have done. They'll go on tonight for the next 6 months or so. It was an arm and leg warmer day, but perhaps should have put a thermal baselayer on as well.

 

[cyberknight]

5 c today, caught me by surprise 😬

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

It was chillier today. Yesterday morning I wore mitts, today full-fingered gloves.

As my commute changes depending where I am sent to work, it's never boring. The route to the school for these few days is 45% heavy traffic roads with 50/60mph limits and 45% cycleways where I hardly see a soul. The remaining 10% is the village roads where the school is. Last day tomorrow then somewhere new for Friday.

I forgot to mention yesterday as being soaked to the skin took all my attention, but yesterday morning I was riding along a road and see a pinch point coming up so I move into primary to control the traffic (i.e. stop any dozy b*gger trying to over take me in the pinch point there is lots of oncoming traffic. When some driver overtakes me! He's about 6" off my right elbow and forces the car in the oncoming lane to swerve toward the kerb! The muppet then swerves back in front of me to avoid hitting the centre island and bollards. Good job I had my hands covering the brakes. The driver must have been a nat's whisker off hitting the centre island.

It made me raise an eyebrow. Then I carried on.

I did mention it to my colleagues in the school staff room. One of the teachers in the room quickly ducked out... did it happen that they had to be elsewhere just as I was telling the story or were they the culprit... hmmm... I never saw them again.

 

[fossyant]

Damp one today. 2nd day in wotk this week and 2nd cycle commute. So far the 'muddy' end of the canal is holding up well, despite some monster puddles. My extended mudflap is doing the job. Quiet today though as it was raining. Only one other cyclist on the canal.

 

[palinurus]

Overcast, light rain, a bit chilly too. Heavy traffic- bus colleague 50 minutes late.

 

[rivers]

With rain forecast for the foreseeable, I chucked my bar mitts onto my drop bars last night. None of my waterproof gloves are still waterproof, but the neoprene bar mitts do the job. I ended up being 30 minutes late for work this morning. My rear tyre was flat, and neither of my other 2 bikes were ready to go (plus my TT bike isn't really appropriate for commuting). My winter bike is tubeless and the flat caused the tyre bead to unseat from the rim, and couldn't get it re-seated without the help of a compressor. So I had to go and search out my spare tubes for 32mm tyres. I eventually found one, and took the wheel outside so I didn't continue spraying sealant around the living room. About 20 minutes later, wheel back on the bike, I left work. But holy hell the headwind today. I was about 2.5mph slower than usual. Probably won't have a tailwind home either...

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

I have come to the conclusion that I need waterproof trousers.

Either that or swap the bike for a boat (or possibly a combo of both? There's got to be some dry sections of road somewhere...)

And this morning does not look much better either.

 

[Andy in Germany]

It's grape harvesting season, which means lots of thes big bins are appearing all over the place.

Oddly, they don't nest inside each other. I appreciate that may make the interior dirty, but they aren't going to be sterile after sidding in a field all night...

 

[C R]

It's grape harvesting season, which means lots of thes big bins are appearing all over the place.

View attachment 611632

Oddly, they don't nest inside each other. I appreciate that may make the interior dirty, but they aren't going to be sterile after sidding in a field all night...

They don't need to be sterile, just clean, they are exposed to the same environment as the grapes in there after all.

 

[Andy in Germany]

They don't need to be sterile, just clean, they are exposed to the same environment as the grapes in there after all.

I wonder why they don't make them to nest then? They need whacking great big trailers to shift relatively few of the things, surely if the fitted inside each other they could transport them easier?

 

[MrGrumpy]

Damp ride in today however mojo coming back, 3 days commuting this week.

 

[Arjimlad]

Fast and dangerous close pass this evening. Reporting to the police. Nearly didn't get home safely.

 

[Arjimlad]

After Friday's double attacks (one on each way to work) I decided to have some music as I rode this morning. Strangely the Muse song "Uprising" came as I took primary on a pinch point, and the lyrics raised a wry smile.

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Oh, and this view helps enormously with motivation!