This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I didn't.. I don't wear one

the point was the pollution mask but being completely invisible with no protection other than to his lungs (supposedly)

Some people have exercise induced asthma and those masks can help with it. Where someone rides on the road is what makes them visible, I see enough people in hi viz, helmets with lights on who weave in and out of parked cars which makes it look like they are stopping and then suddenly pull out again.

So many knobs out !!! Between Wandsworth and Canary Wharf, I had a double decker bus, a car and a taxi, all run reds and nearly take me and some cars out !!! I do love the sorry wave when they run the blatant reds

Have you considered cycle training?

why do you rate lack of helmet more important than lack of lights?

Because he is a helmet?

He's a real boy.

His a real boy.

Loads of fun this weekend.

1. Most idiotic fall of my life. Sat up for maybe three seconds to stretch my back out a bit, no hands like the coolest 13 year old you've ever seen. Strong gust of wind takes front wheel and over we go. Earned me my first ever jeans with genuine knee tear rather than having to buy them with the knee already torn like I usually do so not all doom and gloom. This was crossing the bridge next to the swimming pool at Olympic park but early enough that nobody saw me. I then go to lock my bike up at westfields and obviously my lock has seized up and won't budge. myfacewhen.jpg

2. Just after this fall. Cycling down Victoria Park Lane, single lane, one way. I'm in the middle because there's no space to overtake and cars are not shy with their speed on that road. I hear a "Yo!" from behind me from some pro cyclist without a bell. He comes up next to me and goes "dya wanna pick a lane or what mate?" I managed to restrain my seethe and just raised an eyebrow and gave him the wankiest "Oh, you in a hurry maaaate?" I could manage. He puts on his jets and manages to stay 10 metres ahead of me before shooting through the very red light once we got to the junction at Mare street.

3. I exit a roundabout and start indicating right to move over then turn. I hear a massive rev as a bloke decides my indicating means this is the best time to overtake me, I shout "wtf are you doing?", he overtakes then gives me a flash of his right indicator.

These three happened within 30 mins of each other so perhaps I am the problem.

Innocent bystander in the final story. Crossing over Hackney road from Columbia road today (just the four hours spent at boxpark while the gf tries on everything in a 3x10M shipping crate) There's a crossing which has a ped crossing and a bike crossing next to it. A girl on her bike on the opposite side waiting for the green man. On my side (in the bike lane) is a couple with a dog. Anticipating the couple being in the way, the girl decides the best way to explain that they're in the bike lane is to shout at them from over the road "I'M COMING STRAIGHT THROUGH THERE". Couple look at each other with confused expressions, green man & bike come on, cyclist does as promised, they jump out of her way, bloke starts shouting at her and calls her a dumb bitch. She stops and is screaming "come back here, excuse me I am a cyclist" If I had to guess I would say she has a personality disorder of some degree. Doing wonders for cyclist PR.

Roll on Monday morning.

I don't know if he's on here, but big thanks to the LMNH mechanic who grabbed me a couple of allen wrenches so I could swap my brake pads out even though I asked him just as he was heading out the door. Made the ride home much nicer!

Saved a Feng Sushi delivery rider from a head-on collision with a bus, this morning. He was trying to get past a double decker on Old Brompton Road and had driven right up to the back of it and couldn't see anything, although he was trying to look through the rear window. I was hanging back and could see down the right hand lane. When there was a pause in the oncoming cars, he revved up and was about to over take the double decker - which would have run him straight into the oncoming bus. When I warned him, he was amused but entirely unembarrassed.

where are you based? studded tyres?

Helsinki.

Jogging to work - my how it's changed....

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Thought I'd missed both my trains today... They were both late...
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Back in sw19... I'll try to remember to strava my commute and you can see ;)

@edscoble, nah, the Kingston side of the a3 bridge just before the part time lights that allow people off the a3 from the direction of London. Although there are loads of potholes down that road, I'm pretty sure this one wasn't there before.

@hippy, will do.

As for today's commute, took the mtb across teddington lock, through Richmond park and most joyously of all along the Wimbledon common horse track (I know I'm not supposed to, it'll be our little secret)... The mud was glorious.

Yup I remember that, that pothole normally not a problem when you hit it, expect when you're going pretty fast on the small descent when it actually can cause some damage, I never really notice it as I usually ride with 42mm tyres.

I realise it's not quite the same, but the bike wasn't exactly skinny tyred with 28mm marathon pluses (closer to 32 in reality) and I am used to how shit that road is so am always supporting my weight... Meh. Reported now.

Jogging to work - my how it's changed....

You do realise that cartoon explains how every single human activity has now changed, including masturbation? #chatroulette

Nobody tried to kill me, frighten me, or make things unpleasant for me. Got to work fresh and early. 10/10, the train is awesome

Been taking advice from "armchair training experts", rode to work solely in zone 1 and 2. Fuck me is it horrible, suddenly I'm being over and undertaken by cyclists and because I'm doing 5mph under the 20mph limit, cars and vans are overtaking me even where there's no room and even though I'm in primary. I got to work not sweaty, not out of breath, but totally fucked off with everybody.

Last night I had some faith restored in mankind - I was riding along Gap Road in Wimbledon when a girl going the other way stacked it and landed in a heap on the floor. Without a word, the other cyclists/pedestrians and I sprang into action. Two people stopped the traffic, one person picked her bike up, I picked her up and took her to the side of the road. She was shaken up and her knees and hands hurt but she seemed fine. I offered to call someone for her but she said she lived just around the corner and would walk the rest of the way. Heal up soon!

Generally I just assume that other people are dicks but this little act of solidarity made me rethink things (until I met @TW for dinner and he waited for my food to arrive before telling me about the explosive diarrhoea he had last week).

@tw +rep

PDW Fenders + Overshoes + Merino + Gore Tex + madskidzzz = smug cunt.

10/10 this morning.

Sat on my arse waiting for shower 1 to pass, bombed into work in the sun.

Plonked my arse down in office as shower 2 cracked open.

10/10, would sunbathe in again.

Sat on my arse waiting for shower 1 to pass, bombed into work in the sun.

Plonked my arse down in office as shower 2 cracked open.

10/10, would sunbathe in again.

Did exactly the opposite. Felt proper hardcore epic etc...

10/10 would swim in again.

Bit of rain this morning. Thankfully I was wearing my new Aldi rain jacket. Bought for £9.99, reduced from £19.99. I originally bought it for the Lozzles, but it seems ok. They've sorted the cut out now so the sleeves no longer ride up your arms when you get on a bike. Nice tight snug fit, no branding etc.

#crane4lyfe