This morning's commute and other commuting stories

@Vanneau Ha I actually wondered if that was you following me from greenwich - spotted your stripey shirt under your jacket when you went past - hai!

(Did you notice me breathing funny on the quiet road before the roundabout? I seemed to forget how... )

Not that I noticed, drowned out by the noises emerging from my own decrepit lungs I think.

Was at the end of an interesting commute home from Hackney via the canal path / docklands / some flyovery bits somewhere / Greenwich foot tunnel. Made a nice change from the usual slog through Peckham etc

Yeah that was the first time I'd done greenwich foot tunnel too (not ever, but as part of getting to catford). It's usually either the ferry or tower bridge.

Another lovely commute in again hardly anyone on the roads lights again in my favour, could get used to this.

One thing that I've noticed recently is that, most moped/scooter bods have L plates on them and that they seem to pull some of the most dick moves on the road. Half a dozen last night driving up the wrong side of the road as the traffic was bad. Particular loved the one this morning going over London Bridge, Scooter had been weaving it's way through the traffic got to the lights and cleared wanted to go left but no bugger was allowing him across as he basically pissed everyone off so they end up going horizontal across the traffic at the front. Where white van made slow edged up blocking his way every time the scooter went to move the van edge up even more. Eventually the scooter had to go right as the white van just blocked him off, was quite funny.

Saw a lady on a purple 'trick' style fixed trackstanding at lights in Crouch End, get undertaken and overtaken by two nodders at the same time through the red, great composure not to kidney punch either of them.
Then had to lol at the a guy on a baby blue disc'd ss. Went into an aero tuck position going down Hornsey Rise despite having a full childs seat on the back, wat da fuq? Remove 4 moar aero don't tuck.

At the end of the sodding day - if a ped jumps out at you with a phone glued to the side of their face, holding an umbrella cos it's pissing with rain, you are going to plow into them if you are doing 10mph or 20mph and no amount of cycle training is going to stop that happening*. If on the other hand a ped is crossing the road 20m ahead of you and hesitates cos they see you and are not sure about how fast you are going, I don't give a cock how fast you are going, it you hit them then 1) its your fault and 2) you're a dick.

*In no way to I condone NOT having cycle training, but lets not pretend that it will stop all accidents.

edit: I appreciate that I am about 3 pages too late on this.. Oh well.

Some nodder I see commuting around Westminster is rocking tri-bars and a child seat. Marginal gains on the school run?

fuck off

I had to leave very early this morning. I was amazed at how beautiful it was. The red hues of the sunrise off the green grass and the golden leaves on the road. Stunning morning

I've only done it with one bloke in Wandsworth, was ok. I had three driving instructors though - only one was any good so I guess it goes the same way with the cycling lot.

Car jumps the red light at Vauxhall Street (traffic jam, so lights don't mean shit apparently) coming into my side, I glare with a "what you doing?", ride on, turn to look and whoever was riding behind me was ragin' away bashing his fist on the bonnet and giving it some.

Some nodder I see commuting around Westminster is rocking tri-bars and a child seat. Marginal gains on the school run?

I used to do the same for a while. Main reasons:-

• I had one main bike I used to do lots of stuff on (nursery run, commute, training rides round the park, etc)
  
• I used to be able to leave the bike seat at nursery but for a few weeks they were revamping the buggy store and there was nowhere to leave the seat, so it had to come with me
  
• Bike seats may unclip in seconds but tri-bars do not
  

Always amazed by the people who can see through large vehicle's stopped an lights and then plough through red lights.

If you get the tube there are nutters. There are nutters everywhere. Treat it like all unremunerated advice and forget it. People who go around loudly giving advice to other people about what to do are probably nutters.

All valid reasons - still looks ridiculous though...

Great commute this morning. If it wasn't for mushy leaves I'd think it was still summer. I even snatched a falling leaf out of the sky. Great success.

commuting always equals a race

Got up around 7 and left around 7:30 - makes such a big difference to traffic levels. Nice.
Only problem with that was working 'til 1am and then not being able to sleep.

Epic shoaling last night on my way home from Clerkenwell to Old St. Stop at red, two women and a guy park up in front of me. Fine. Set off, I overtake manoeuvre round them, stop at next red. This happens three times. FFS.

Good God, don't they know who you are?

If these people you're talking about were sat waiting in front of you - and also in front of the solid white line - then fair enough.

But if folk aren't making the most efficient use of the space at the front of the traffic queue at lights (i.e right up to the solid line and using the full width of the cycle box or whatever it's called) I'll pull up in front of them / to the side of them. So what if they cycle faster then me? I'd rather be a the front with all the other bikes than blindly queuing single file all back alongside the kerb.

Despite leaving home later than usual the roads were pretty quiet.

Found myself pootling along CS7 behind a couple of single speeders when the gentleman's seat post disintegrates and his saddle clatters to the floor. Luckily he wasn't going particularly fast so didn't accidentally sit on anything he shouldn't.

I'd rather be a the front with all the other bikes than blindly queuing single file all back alongside the kerb

Why queue along side of the road? You are traffic. You can queue with the rest of the traffic - a primary position will make you more visible.

There are increased risk from filtering through traffic to get to the front - larger, faster vehicles can pull away, having no idea that you are just about to cut in front of them.

tl;dr beik trianing

Yeah, as I was teh fastez I hit the red light first, so I stop front tire on the line, dead centre of the asl. They then all pile in front of me. Noticeably this happens far less when I am riding fixed and trackstanding.

I never said I queued along the side of the road! That's for fools.

I filter when it's safe; stay in primary when it's not.