Tales from today's commute....

[spen666]

Back on the bike this morning, and what a lovely day. Cold and crisp. Very little traffic as it seems most schools have broken up for Easter already.
Observations today - why do I regularly see, little ladies, often elderly walking huge dogs, eg German Shepherds, Dobermans etc that look as if the owner couldn't control dog if it tried to run and similarly, why do I often see burly workmen, built like brick outhouses, out walking a poodle or a Chihuahua.

 

[HLaB]

I got to the Station tonight just as it was turning dreich but when I got off the train it was quite nice, except for the usual Friday evening traffic chaos outside the station and in the town centre. I had a very patient driver who held back on the urban dual carriageway before I even confirmed my radar and kept holding back along the wide but twisty run to the lights at the cross roads to Fletton and still held back up the steep longer hill to a bridge over the ECML and only passed when I turned off into the bus gate (I normally don't use it but there was a bus to trigger the lights). After escaping traffic I decided to go for a wee wander as itd turned quite nice.

 

[ianrauk]

Morning all from The Med.
A strange old mix of weather for this mornings cycle commute.
A little cold, blue skies, sunshine, cloud, the tiniest bit of rain, cloud. sunshine and blue skies.

 

[spen666]

Glorious day today - mainly because its school holidays, so much less traffic on the road, including cyclists outside of Zone 1 ( Central London)

Coming in from the East there was a very strong headwind to contend with, and I was on my old commuter bike, which is very heavy and slow.

Today's grumpy rant / observations are about how we no longer seem to have and compulsion to obey laws.

Car's parked overnight on double yellow lines ( still covered in frost), vehicles stopping to pick up or drop off people on yellow lines, or one of my pet hates, stopping in middle of road to wait for someone instead of pulling into adjacent side of road.

Then cyclists, riding wrong way up unidirectional cycling lanes, or the idiot cycling the wrong way along a busy Leman Street this morning on the road, forcing vehicles to swerve to avoid hitting him.
I would say cyclists ignoring red lights as well, but that seems to be the norm these days, but those who go through pedestrian crossings ignoring the red lights and forcing pedestrians using the crossing to scarper for their own safety

Then I've got the return journey when as well as all the above, its the start of the lemming like tourist season

 

[wafter]

Thankfully not stitched up by the clocks changing this morning (as I often am on the day after they go forward) as I was so knackered I was asleep by 10 last night.

Out into a sunny morning, the lack of traffic on the school-holiday roads both tangible and welcome. Fresh today and still facing a north-westerly, but it doesn't seem as brutal as it has been for the past week.

Suffered an emotional rollercoaster in the butchers as, despite expressing a preference for the most crisp sausages at the back of the oven got given some less leathery examples from the front. Relieved to discover upon reaching the office that those I had been allocated were acceptable, if not as resilient as I'd have liked.

Hips are inexplicibly aching after a bit of punting at the weekend (all I did was sit down and paddle!) but the temperature in the office is good and I feel fairly comfortable and civilised for once; the stars having aligned over the weekend to ensure I'm wearing all-clean kit and am drinking from a water bottle that doesn't taste of pond...

Tiredness and aching notwithstanding I'm looking forward to the ride home later now that it's effectively earlier in the day; meaning I can hopefully do all my errands in the light

 

[cyberknight]

Up at 3.40 am as earlies this week but the ruddy kids were up till gone 1 am farking about so I wasn't in a good mood.
Nasty head/ crosswinr along with tired legs from yesterday meant I wasn't setting any pbs and although I had recabled the shifter which was perfect on the stand gear shifting still isn't right

 

[fossyant]

Back on the wagon tomorrow having not ridden last week due to meetings and a knee injury. Knee still a little sore but it managed OK walking and scrambling sand dunes at weekend.

 

[Arjimlad]

4 close passes to report from the A38 this morning, 2 at pedestrian refuges.

I also saw an altercation between a Skoda SUV driver and an HGV driver.

The Skoda driver changed lanes & was dithering about a bit, but the HGV driver then chose to straddle a white line to skim past the Skoda at speed in a very aggressive manner. Not got the registration though.

Otherwise it was a nice morning ride!

 

[Mazz]

Up at 3.40 am as earlies this week but the ruddy kids were up till gone 1 am farking about so I wasn't in a good mood.

What a ball-ache having to get up at that time, I feel sorry for you.

 

[TC99]

Still too cold in London to bother cycling.

 

[ianrauk]

Still too cold in London to bother cycling.

Serious question. Do you suffer from Reynauds or something similar?

 

[TC99]

Serious question. Do you suffer from Reynauds or something similar?

I had a lot of chemo not long ago and radio and surgery and am as thin as a starved whippet. I feel the cold badly. Thermals and wool jumpers abound.

 

[ianrauk]

I had a lot of chemo not long ago and radio and surgery and am as thin as a starved whippet. I feel the cold badly. Thermals and wool jumpers abound.

Very sorry to hear that it's impacted on your cycling. May the weather gods shine on you with blue skies and warm sunshine.
It's looking like this week and next gets much warmer so hopefully you can throw a leg over a crossbar soon.

 

[TC99]

Very sorry to hear that it's impacted on your cycling. May the weather gods shine on you with blue skies and warm sunshine.
It's looking like this week and next gets much warmer so hopefully you can throw a leg over a crossbar soon.

What a nice post. I'm getting back. I did the London to Brighton last year on my Brompton, that was good. I aim to be back on the cycle soon.

 

[HLaB]

I had a lot of chemo not long ago and radio and surgery and am as thin as a starved whippet. I feel the cold badly. Thermals and wool jumpers abound.

Sorry to hear that. I had an op, chemo and also underweight because of it which has wrecked me bad enough but I escaped radio! I hope you are on the mend 🙏