This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Took the tube again; moar germs spread; read the issue 51 of Rouleur ..
5/10

Navigating around frost in full skin covering kit this morning as I'm ill. Easily a 10/10 though, as I came a cm away from falling over in the clips, but somehow might right foot came out at the last minute due to some sort of magic..

That was lovely. Cool but empty-ish roads. The nodders have gone to hibernate. No problems finding a space in the bike racks at work too.

Last train to work was over 4 months ago. Commuting mojo definitely returned.

Congrats!^ Indeed a lovely commute for me today. Not noticed a complete dearth of commuters coming to town from south London. Maybe we're just forced into it by the lack of tubes and godawful traffic that makes buses painfully slow.

@Hippy

Broke my shifter while dropping key off for broken down car so had to use damaged leg to push silly big gear. 10/10 would smash again. #notactuallyacommute

You should upgrade to Campag

Road my Gios. I realise it's ridiculous to complain about riding a Gios. But fuck I miss Neil.

Gave the Scott Genius 20 MTB a ride out this morning - 60psi in the fat rubbers and away we go - so comfy - and gears and stoppy power beyond your wildest......and some interesting double takes from the roadies as I 'roared' past - (as in the noise of the mud tyres on the tarmac - not a speedy roar thing).

In case of unwanted erections?

Pretty much aye.

60psi is a lots on an MTB!

Why? Campag wouldn't be working 'before' the crash.

Not if you use S-Licks.

Yeh - too much edscoble - and a tyre shredder if I do roll over broken glass. I should drop it a few but I love the noise!

Add an air horn and you'll sound like an 18 wheelers equative of cycling.

Get the biggest Big Apple you can buy and have shitload of fun.

@greenhell : isn't that pretty much roller hockey?

General ranting:
Cold. Feet cold, hands cold, face cold, knees cold, ass cold. 0°C around here, and I'm already freezing. Need to get some more winterish kit. It easily gets 10-15° colder on bad days.

equative the right word?

denoting or relating to a sentence or other structure in which one term is identified with another, as in the winner is Jill.

These are the dogs doodahs for speedy city commuting on an MTB, and pretty much bomb proof ... I run mine at 70 psi in the dry and around 55 during the winter http://www.conti-tyres.co.uk/conticycle/ti%20travel%20contact.shtml

I beat a bus, taxi, car and motorbike in a Public Transport Challenge organised by the local council across Bedford Town a couple of years ago with those tyres. Yay for the bike! Pretty radical of the Council to organise a race at rush-hour too. Had scrutineers to ensure no red lights run.
http://www.bedsroad.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1546&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15&sid=495c7317936d797dc9e0d03ea222dbbf

The TravelContact tyres are pants off-road though.

equative is equative to equivalent in this context

First commute in about 6 months, since getting this job in fact - the pull of a 10 minute train ride and the pain of lugging a bike up four floors to an office without showers or somewhere to change was too much, but the trains are shitty now that Thameslink run them and I'm eating too many mince pies.

I enjoyed it, and no-one acted the twat. Anyone know what the police checkpoint was all about on Blackfriars bridge this morning though? Looked like they were searching every car.

Anyone know what the police checkpoint was all about on Blackfriars bridge this morning though? Looked like they were searching every car.

Insurance check?

Seems a strange thing to do on Blackfriars Bridge at 9:30am on a tuesday?

7am start out into a hard frost but no slidey bits on the roads. Had the pleasure of a fantastic sunrise unfurl to my left as I rode along. The only drawback was the number of times I got skimmed by cars. I took to twitching to the right as I heard a car approach, and even waved my right arm up and down as an attempt to illustrate I need more room, but they were unrelenting.

Guns, we need bigger guns.

Surprise spot checks innit, maybe. Used to see them on Maida Vale pulling over different cars. From last summer: http://the-zebra.com/met-police-seize-308-uninsured-vehicles/

Hello. Sat behind a right indicating van at the lights, I don't like to filter. We move off and he rolls up to centre of road, I'm going straight so I ease left. Not too quick as I have mouth stitches and don't want to burst. He changes his mind, signals left and pulls onto me, watching me in his mirror. Easy to get around at that non-bursting pace. We hold one another's eyes in the shallowing wing mirror. We part, yet before we are too far, before it is too late, I give a small wave. Peep-o, champ. He tells me to fuck off and that I am a dickhead. I fuck off, though not in the intended spirit. Suspect hemorrhoid so none of this shit on bonnet business mentioned here passim. Onwards. Good luck all.

Hmmmm. Spot poll. Is, "I hope your kids get run over by a twat like you" ever an acceptable retort to shitty, life-endangering driving?

Maybe not, Maybe "I hope your kids never meet a twat like you while cycling," instead