Tales from today's commute....

[Dadam]

Beautiful day for a commute. A while since only short sleeves needed in the morning!
I love the days when I can reliably cycle in the office clothes, and I love casual offices (shorts and polo shirt this morning)

What kind of dummy would clean his drivetrain last night, and forget to take out the piece of cardboard he'd put round the hub to protect the rear disc... and then not notice it getting the bike out? And only notice it when he got to work?
Thought there were a couple of odd noises where they'd top dressed the road, bits of gravel pinging off the board!

 

[wafter]

Another lovely morning; not a lot to report other than the traffic situation being back to "normal" with the ring road static in both directions as I passed alongside and eventually underneath; with a lot of traffic backing up on the Abingdon rd.

Very happy for this miserable exercise in subservient self-defeat to remain very much a "car person problem" I nipped off down NCN5 - taking me down the back of said road through a few parks before eventually emerging at the city centre for sausage acquistion; then back out towards work along the tow path.

Ongoing tiredness, sporadically-skippy new chain on the Brompton and a few minor irritations aside a very pleasant ride - if only it could be this easy all year round!

 

[Mazz]

On the way home I noticed a car going past me on the dual carriageway that gave a friendly toot-toot. I didn't recognise the driver and didn't think much of it. A few moments later another driver did the same thing. Now my curiosity was piqued so I thought I better check the bike and backpack...bike was fine but the backpack was unzipped with the contents hanging out, but thankfully nothing had fallen out. I had a wry smile when I realised what the beeps were for 🙏.

 

[markharry66]

nice start to journey felt a bit cooler than yesterday but according to google still 7 degrees, set off enjoying the ride got three quarters in got to hill slight hill over the bridge as I was doing close to 20 used the road not the cycle lane got bibbed up for not using cycle lane its a speed restricted road of 20 anyway (not that anyone does 20 down there until they get to speed camera) gave the the custom hand signal thats not in the highway code and a lock f off. Got the round about only to see redights on first exit and all the motorist lined up bumper to bumper thought I would try and filter past only for lights to change and the surge to get through light start had to get off and cross over, Apart from that nice ride in a few morons but thats life,

 

[cyberknight]

Still warm last night but i had thin arm and leg warmers on still as it felt a lot cooler riding home compared to the day so by the time i got home i was sweating .
Got the commuter fixed as the cx bike is ok but needs narrower bars to feel spot on .

 

[wafter]

Out feeling grotty this morning despite more fantastic sun. Traffic was bloody awful again so alternate routes were sought; skippy chain is getting irritating now.

Abused two dickhead van drivers; one who decided his manouver - including essentially, inexplicibly parking broad-side across my side of the road for no good reasons - was more important than my right of way / that of the moped that was following me... The other was travelling from the opposite direction and decided he wanted to park on my side of the road - so just drifted across in front of me with no signals until he was heading straight towards me on my side of the road. Another self-entitled bellend who responded with abuse to my gentle question of "where the f*ck are you going?" when he was in the wrong and a simple gesture of acknowlegement / apology would have been the more appropriate and mature approach.

Also suffered a bit from the utter mess that's passed off as "cycling infrastucture" in the city. I came to turn left onto the tow path at the pedestrian crossing on folly bridge; watching the peds approaching from the right I had plenty of space, until a cyclist shot out from behind them (from the ped / "shared" side of the crossing") across me. In the murky grey of the laws surrounding mixed-used paths and roads had probably had priority, but took me by surprise, which wasn't appreciated..

Ultimately far, far better than it could have been, but a sad reminder of how the minor actions of others can have a big effect when one's head is already in the wrong place.. hopefully the ride home will be more pleasant.

 

[Arjimlad]

Impatient Audi driver overtook me on the approach to a blind bend, and the oncoming Transit driver had to stop quite abruptly for her to complete the overtake. I had tried to deter her from overtaking on the preceding narrow road by riding in primary, but there is not much that will stop a moron in a hurry.

Otherwise, the weather at the moment is absolutely amazing and it is disappointing how much time I need to spend at work in between bike rides! I extended the ride this morning to get a little longer in the saddle.

There are a lot of roadworks down the A38 between Thornbury and Almondsbury at the moment which give me a good excuse for a lower average speed than I was hoping for, but they are to install high quality separated cycling infra so I will not complain about that one jot. I don't think I will be able to ride as fast as I can along the separated cycling lanes when they are built, as drivers will still be drivers, after all.

 

[Dadam]

Impatient Audi driver overtook me on the approach to a blind bend, and the oncoming Transit driver had to stop quite abruptly for her to complete the overtake. I had tried to deter her from overtaking on the preceding narrow road by riding in primary, but there is not much that will stop a moron in a hurry.

That's the problem, then the attitude seems to be that "you were cycling in the middle of the road", in other words somehow in their pea brains it is even more justification for a bad overtake.

I had exactly this a year ago from a bus driver, busy road, rush hour going up a 5% hill at 15mph (ebike). Saw the bus in my mirror and thought that's ok, this time of day on this road they'll be stopping at every single stop. I took primary anyway just to reinforce the point. Then this vehicle the size of a flipping house pulls alongside me and because of oncoming traffic has to pull back in forcing me nearly into the pavement! Then, as predicted, they stop at the next bus stop. They got a few choice words and footage reported to the bus company.

I haven't heard anything from First Leeds but that could have ended with me being scraped off the tarmac into a binbag. I'm wondering now what's the statute of limitations for reporting these things?

 

[Arjimlad]

That's the problem, then the attitude seems to be that "you were cycling in the middle of the road", in other words somehow in their pea brains it is even more justification for a bad overtake.

I had exactly this a year ago from a bus driver, busy road, rush hour going up a 5% hill at 15mph (ebike). Saw the bus in my mirror and thought that's ok, this time of day on this road they'll be stopping at every single stop. I took primary anyway just to reinforce the point. Then this vehicle the size of a flipping house pulls alongside me and because of oncoming traffic has to pull back in forcing me nearly into the pavement! Then, as predicted, they stop at the next bus stop. They got a few choice words and footage reported to the bus company.

I haven't heard anything from First Leeds but that could have ended with me being scraped off the tarmac into a binbag. I'm wondering now what's the statute of limitations for reporting these things?

7 days - the police have to send a NIP within 14 days of the incident. Oh well!