HLaB
Marie Attoinette Fan
Good effort 💪👏
Tales from today's commute....
- Thread starter martint235
- Start date
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Good effort 💪👏
markharry66
Guru
Lovely ride into work watched sun come up, bloody hot already. I didnt cycle in yesterday as had to drive 140 odd miles for half hour meeting.
Got to the hill usually cycle up and Thames water were camped up there (probably for month) with tenporary traffic lights. Will have to go yet another route into work to avoid this going forward starting to run out of options. Hardly any traffic on roads, no numpties or close over takes. Nice when everything is quiet. Looking forward to the swetfest on the way home.
Got to the hill usually cycle up and Thames water were camped up there (probably for month) with tenporary traffic lights. Will have to go yet another route into work to avoid this going forward starting to run out of options. Hardly any traffic on roads, no numpties or close over takes. Nice when everything is quiet. Looking forward to the swetfest on the way home.
A very nice, slight chill in the air when I left home, a fine mist overlying high ground and the River Medway. But its warming up very quickly. Already at 18° and temperatures predicted to rise up to 29° for the commute home later.
It also looks like this weather will continue on the same path in to the weekend.
The misty Med this morning.
The Russian Sub Black Widow
It also looks like this weather will continue on the same path in to the weekend.
The misty Med this morning.
The Russian Sub Black Widow
markharry66
Guru
Sorry wafter only just seen this comment, it feels to me like we are a statistic waiting to happen, easy to report on cyclists jumping through lights or lumping in e-bike riders with all cyclists whenever there is a report on e-bikes on the news it seems the media only really want to focus on the negative. Like in the office no one wants to hear about the harsh reality of having to share the roads with angry, hog headed drivers whose only are in the world is getting to their destination as quickly as possible and dont care about other road users.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Sweaty paced ride in this morning. Two minutes slower than yesterday's quick ride. Worn out, not slept too well with the heat. At least, despite my knackered hip, I can walk faster than most in our building today - we seem to have a load of old crusties from 'The University of the Third Age' in at the moment ! (PS I'm in a Uni academic building). They seem to be doing exciting things like 'folk music'.
biking_fox
Legendary Member
- Location
- Manchester
Already very warm. Tempo riding just enough for a breeze not too much effort.
No worries and indeed; we're an unfashionable minority that's a convenient scapegoat for the gutter press to enrage the arrogant, selfish and hard of thinking
Tbh I've just given up trying to argue my case and accept that the majority of people are thick, bigoted and self-entitled. I narrowly avoided an argument with a woman at a party a while ago who reacted to my chosen mode of transport with "so you're one of those" before going off on a rant about the various negative experiences she'd had of cyclists before concluding with an anecdote about how she'd reversed into a static motorcyclist and how it was clearly his fault... which tells all you might need to know about her attitude.
I have another acquantance who's a genuinely sound bloke, but again whenever I mention cycling begins whinging about cyclists he's encountered on the roads. I've so far bitten my tongue but he's an old boy and the next time it happens I'm going to tell him about some of the outright dangerous coffin dodgers I've suffered whilst out..
On a more positive note this morning has been an interesting one. Out unprecedentedly later due to too little sleep again; however the old model of waking early and failing to get back to sleep has been usurped by getting to bed too late (usually because I'm out until late-ish on the bike or doing other stuff) but managing at least to get back to sleep after waking early because I'm so damned knackered.
Oddly I've been doing less distance on the bike recently, although have been doing other things and perhaps going at it harder than usual when in the saddle. I'm hoping the tiredness is because of energy expenditure rather than some more sinister reason...
Anyway, out with only half an hour to spare, smashing it into town in the mercifully light traffic and feeling pretty strong despite the tiredness and decent amount of distance covered yesterday. Today's honorary mention goes to the driver who stayed patiently behind me for a good mile or two; giving me plenty of room despite having arguable opportinities to overtake.. which made a very welcome change.
Once up to speed I was hovering around the 18mph mark on the flat which meant that the bus behind me didn't bother to try and overtake and it felt great to be keeping up with the light traffic flow into the city.
Furtune was on my side today; having plenty of room to cut a wide arc around the outside of an inattentive driver having a snooze at a pedestrain crossing long after the lights had turned green; much to the irritation of the bus that was following me if the distant horn was anything to go by..
I'd carried speed well to the next set of lights which changed with perfect timing to allow me to maintain my pace through them and up St. Aldates; gunning for a Strava PR however this was torpedoed by the sight of a smart phone in the road so I was on the brakes and circled around to collect it. Still in a rush I made it to the butchers for the usual before setting out on the shortest leg to work; the phone now ringing repeatedly in my rucksack but the decision made to deal with it when I got to work since time was tight.
Arrived just on time; typically just as the phone had stopped ringing. Thankfully a bit later its owner had another go, I took the number down and sent them a text from my own phone - since they were evidently foreign and I didn't want the hassle of a conversation / having to explain why I had to go if a customer called.
Arrangements were made and the phone's owner was soon over on his scooter to collect his lost device - his relief palpable. He offered me something that I couldn't quite make out (maybe some form of electronic payment) but I declined and we parted company with a handshake
Presuming I can stay awake and the heat's not too oppressive later I hope to finally get a session in on the rings (it's been a week since the last one) although I think I'll have to forsake the shops as my freezer decided to try and self-defrost last night, so it's probably not wise to stuff owt else up it until it's been properly defrosted..
roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Lovely warm morning, little traffic and actually enjoyed keeping up with my near neighbour when he caught me - does the same route but rather more energetically that I typically do, I normally just let him go.
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
No worries and indeed; we're an unfashionable minority that's a convenient scapegoat for the gutter press to enrage the arrogant, selfish and hard of thinking
Tbh I've just given up trying to argue my case and accept that the majority of people are thick, bigoted and self-entitled. I narrowly avoided an argument with a woman at a party a while ago who reacted to my chosen mode of transport with "so you're one of those" before going off on a rant about the various negative experiences she'd had of cyclists before concluding with an anecdote about how she'd reversed into a static motorcyclist and how it was clearly his fault... which tells all you might need to know about her attitude.
I have another acquantance who's a genuinely sound bloke, but again whenever I mention cycling begins whinging about cyclists he's encountered on the roads. I've so far bitten my tongue but he's an old boy and the next time it happens I'm going to tell him about some of the outright dangerous coffin dodgers I've suffered whilst out..
I have colleagues like this. I just ignore them. It's not helped by idiots on bikes with cameras !
captain nemo1701
Space cadet. Deck 42 Main Engineering.
- Location
- Bristol
Spoke too soon....last night up Railway Path, escooter rider shot past going at speed, guess over 30 mph. Minutes later, came across group of cyclists huddled near a bench...saw bloke on floor laid partly on path. Didn't seem hurt too much, was conscious & talking. But...private ecooter by his side so likely had a spill. Got home, mused I maybe should have offered help but several people there, someone would have called paramedics. But as an afterthought, IMHO they should have also called the police?. Legally, it seemed to me to be an RTA involving prohibited motor transport on a cyclepath?.
Absolutely - screw the guy tbh; just lucky he was the only party to reap the rewards of his actions.
I went to the pub last night and had a (mostly) fantastic time en-route floating to and fro through the city in the cool night air; however was genuinely concerned for my safety on two occasions. On the way back in the dark; firstly when a pair of dickheads shot out of a side street on a full-blown e-motorbike; no lights, running well-wide onto my side of the road and would have wiped me out had they hit me.
Secondly I was coming down cornmarket street (which is pedestrianised / cycleable after-hours) when another dickhead on a similar bike doing maybe 30mph came the opposite way; weaving in and out of pedestrians.
I don't want to get caught up in some Daily Fail-esq hand-wringing moral panic, however I'm sick of seeing these irresponsible wastes of skin razzing around the city with absolute impunity and zero concern for those around them with it seemingly only a matter of time before some innocent third party ends up seriously injured or dead.
Seems the Police have zero interest in addressing this and sincerely hope those responsible end up under a bus where they belong.
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Melted.
Minor panic before leaving work. Went to reception to get the key to the store room where the drying cabinet is, no-one there. Walked round the building, no Estates staff to be found. Very quiet. Hung about a bit, then eventually the Receptionist appeared again. Phew. Could get my stuff.
Minor panic before leaving work. Went to reception to get the key to the store room where the drying cabinet is, no-one there. Walked round the building, no Estates staff to be found. Very quiet. Hung about a bit, then eventually the Receptionist appeared again. Phew. Could get my stuff.
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markharry66
Guru
Got up this morning, temperature felt cooler, being the neanderthal dickhead I am blasted in on all cyclinders this morning only reach the last section asbloutley covered in sweat lesson learned probably not do we ever, please excuse me I have some flint spears to go and fashion in my mud hut.
