This morning's commute and other commuting stories

One of those weird traffic jams on Camden Road this morning which didn't seem to have much cause. Most of the way from the prison to the train station. The only thing I could see was a highways truck parked in a no parking area but the traffic was rammed solid.

No it wasn't the cyclists. There were a lot of them this morning yes, but nothing beyond the ordinary. It was everyone else

Anyone see the burned out van on City Road? One of you lot get cut up one too many times and happen to have a molotov cocktail on you?

Note to self: Don't commute when school's just out. Aimlessly wandering flocks of pupils everywhere.

The sun my eyes aaaahhhhhh it burns!!!!

So the guy in front of me on an mtb with hi-viz coming south from Highbury and Islington stn at 8.45 today down Canonbury Road rides thru the red at Essex road, the wrong way around the ped island S of Popham Rd, through the next zebra when school-kids are crossing, through the red at New North Road and almost takes out another tiny wee school kid on a scooter who was easily visible and very likely to do something daft. I caught him up - had a word and he berated me for daring ....'You f*cking dissing me dude?' or some similar crap. Sometimes I just want to kill a cyclist. Ooops no - I mean kill a complete Neanderthal on a bike. Nope - sorry all Neanderthals...words fail me....

At least it happened when stationary.

I dropped mine at 35mph on a descent, it wedged itself between the chain stay and the wheel causing a sweet skid before I toppled off.

I think we're one of the lucky places in the UK where water is free of fluoride.

tinfoil_trunks?

If you ride faster then you'll less likely have a drafter to crash into the back of you. Means you can lever brake instead of ped braking. Good news really because at higher speeds ped braking is probably less effective.

Going to be windy tomorrow Gonzalo is going to hit

Sometimes I just want to kill a cyclist. Ooops no - I mean kill a complete Neanderthal on a bike. Nope - sorry all Neanderthals...words fail me....

Racist. Some of my friends are Dutch.

(up to) a 45mph tailwind on the way in up here apparently...

No, I wouldn't call being run over by a drafter in place of me not slamming on the anchors to avoid having a full head on with a j walking ped necessarily doing it wrong.

You can always look behind.

First time riding with my dynamo. Im very impressed. I even went out of my way on the way home to ride down an unlit canal path.

Edit: This wasnt meant to be a reply

Walking to get my bike in soho, crossing a zebra crossing, a guy on a brompton wearing a "POLITE THINK BIKE" fluro vest blitzes straight infront of me no stopping. What a cunt. I shouted "POLITE, THINK DICKHEAD" at him.

The commute was shite mainly because of an odd guy with long body and short legs on a Brompton wobbling all over the place, cutting other cyclists up and overtaking haphazardly, bouncing up and down. But got a Exposure Trace for my birthday (early) and had it on for the first time tonight - I have to say I'm well impressed. So impressed that I stopped at the Cutty Sark (pub) for a pint and rode home in the dark.

A few days ago I became aware of some hiviz champion drafting me on the way into the work even though I really wasn't going fast or anything, just cruising along at a fairly sedate pace. I gave him lots of opportunity to just fucking overtake, but no, he wanted to sit on my wheel, the lazy, belligerent twat.

Anyway, I was on gears so I changed down into the lowest I had and spun along like a maniac in front of him at about 3mph until he tired of my little game and overtook me properly. Chuckled to myself about it the whole way into work ^_^

I was on gears so I changed down into the lowest I had and spun along like a maniac in front of him at about 3mph until he tired of my little game and overtook me properly. Chuckled to myself about it the whole way into work ^_^

6/10. Correct move finishes with you drafting him for a bit then smashing it past him whilst texting and whistling.

I changed down into the lowest I had and spun along like a maniac in front of him at about 3mph until he tired of my little game and overtook me properly.

That's miles better than my solution of turning on the Death Tailight to blink and point it directly at them.

Texting, whistling, drinking a beer, missing a joke and smoking a fag all at the same time is how you do it pro correctly.

HAHA is that so I can see them as they smash into me?

Na seriously I learnt a lot that day, I virtually collect no drafters now because I am always now checking behind.

I think the sheer fact that I'm looking behind more often just so I know what/where the general traffic is like on my rear throws strangers off of my draft.

On the occasion that I do collect a draft now I just do a couple of "get off my rear wheel you cunt. I don't know you and this isn't the track" fishtaily kind of skids where I there is so little weight on the back wheel I don't actually reduce any speed, just make a really loud noise.

I also juggle knives, that looses them to.

Edit: And texting

Saw a Police car this morn with DAS as its ID code thingy. No skids were provided sadly.

You seem to be having a sense of humour failure.

About as much as we need yours. Next?

I really, really need his commentary.