This morning's commute and other commuting stories

There was about 15 magpies down the mile or so of the path I use too, are they in cahoots with the squirrels?

Yes. To both questions.

I take it your were eating a Quaker - Harvest Chewy Bar at the time?

I had a guy last night on tower bridge telling me off for overtaking as i was endangering his undertaking manoeuvre

Had a punishment pass from a car that had been stuck behind ME through a serious of traffic lights me in tight lanes. I was in primary, so when the road opened up he overtook me close and jagged back to the left before he had fully cleared me. I gave him the finger, and then I slowed to give him a wave (ironically) as I passed 100 yards later when he was waiting in a queue of traffic.

The impatient of drivers to go and wait in queues of other cars frankly beggars belief

Destroyed back wheel last night when the chain jumped past the big sprocket on the back, and took out 7 spokes completely, locking up and pringling the wheel. This despite the chain sometimes not wanting to change to lowest gear, as the derailleur was setup so tightly. I think the chain somehow skated over the top of the cogs or something.

Whatever, it was a miserable journey home. Opening up the brakes allowed me to continue, until the loose spokes in the wheel poked through the rim tape to pop the inner tube. Riding on a pringled wheel, with flat tyre, in the pouring rain is no fun.

1/10 - worst commute home EVAH

Have put wanted advert out for replacement back wheel (700c, 6 or 7 speed, 126 OLN width - let me know if you've got anything suitable)

I've had this - not so catastrophically mind - ended up snapping the chain, tearing off the rear mech and wrapping it all around the back wheel.

csb

I did that to my old bike. Instead of stopping to adjust gears I just angrily mashed the fuck out of it. Cue derailler in rear wheel and walking to bike shop, realising bike shop not opening for another hour or more so bending derailler out to roll in single speed. Bikes >>>

Cold.

I've mashed TWO back wheels like that. One I rolled home 10 miles on, the other I locked up, only to come back to find it stripped of parts (in a provincial French town).

Not much consolation but you should get a replacement on here quite easily @Rhodrich.

Looks like it's going to be a fun evening cycle #WinterWeather

Last night - 4 minutes from the office and entering Commercial Street from Brushfield avoided a body sliding across the road from The Ten Bells direction - this time not a customer but a motorcyclist clipped by a car. He was scraped and bruised but would have been a lot worse had he not been wearing the right gear. Picked him up - spoke to the boys in blue - set off again for home (Archway) and had a puncture at Old Street. I had a bad feeling about that journey when I left the office. Caught the tube this morning - gave up my seat for a young lass with both wrists in plaster and a sling over her shoulder - broken collar bone too. Knocked off her bicycle going up-hill by a car driver doing an impromptu U-turn. Happy Xmas. Feck.

Really should stop reading this thread but I leave the office.

Puncture this morning, replaced the tube on the roadside and got on my way, only to have it flatten again by the time I reached work, absolute nightmare.

cos of the rain innit - loads of sharpy pointy cunty bits somehow get washed into the road.

On a way back home some idiot gently drove into the back of me as I was standing at the traffic lights, came along me, opened his window, apologised first, and then proceeded to tell me that the problem is too many cyclists on the roads.
It was the most random excuse I've heard before.

I had a van driver last night drive just off my back wheel and then do the similar as I'm guessing my aggressive primary position had pissed on his chips.

"I can't see your lights"
"what lights?"
"the 2 on your bag"
"so you can see them?"
"sssshhhiittt" window up foot down

It was the most random excuse I've heard before.

It's used quite a lot though, more's the pity.

three solutions for derailleurs mashing spokes:-

• setup the derailleur properly
  
• fg/ss
  
• pie plates
  
  

pie plates >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I swear not a single bike had lights on my way home.

I'm tired of drivers coming from the opposite way, not seeing me (in daylight) and swerving right on my way to get on secondary roads.
I had 3 reeeally close calls in 2 days. Always been able to miss they're front bumper by an inch.
The funny thing is, the last of them (a black minicab Toyota Prius) stopped and told me "Look out for yourself" and drove off.
What would you tell to them apart from "wake up" (sure they won't) or "you could have kill me"?
I'm not sure what's the right thing to do, after this deadly combo I feel pretty stupid of seeing it happening again and again in really close time and nothing much to do apart from leaving the bike home.

Unless the law have change in this country, there's sadly nothing we can do this, as for some reason the drivers don't think they're obliged to look out for other vulnerable road user.

We're just in the way, if we take primary, we deserve a punishment pass to remind us their right.

.

I do have and drive a car in London (ok, I drive only if the stuff I need to move can't be carried by bike), so I can't feel part of either group (we cyclists, they drivers, etc), but being on a bike and seeing an ugly heavy shitload of fake comforts and performance aiming blindly at you makes you feel really small.
I'm glad I'm far from being belligerent and provocative, otherwise there would be warm blood raining in London instead of this cold and plain drizzle.
These last 2 days of commute was a little bit too much of "die Federico, die".