This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Passed what looked like a pedestrian laying on the floor as police attended. Moments after them being run down I suspect. Going to check the local news sites and hope they are ok.

Took a wrong turn on the way back from job interview in Croydon. Meant coming up Norbury Hill rather than Beulah Hill. Boy, that is one boring drag. Bits of Beulah Hill are rather steeper but it's more interesting.

Some people swear by them, others swear at them.

I prefer Schwalbe for durability. Vittoria or Michelin for speedier stuff.

Any experience of the Schwalbe One?

Dafuq was going on tonight.

Bumper to bumper (baby) from W1 to SE13.
Spent AAAAAAGES just picking through clogged up, wedged junctions and backed up queues.

Still, great night to think "Glad I'm on the bike"

Four mile walk home thanks to a fucked rear tire that ate two tubes before it became clear how broken it was (wire bead exposed where the punctures were).

Thanks to the guy who stopped to ask if he could help!

Minicab driving the wrong way by de ver cycles... wtf?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhhQJyAPCFg

Something was wrong with the Blackwall Tunnel that clogged up all of SE today. Was like that all day from 11:00.

^ This. SW1 to SE14 was chaos at rush hour, traffic had backed up to a standstill over Bricklayers Arms overpass, I've never seen that happen before.

E&C to New X Rd was full of glass and shattered plastic where there had been about a million bumper to bumper shunts because because of the madness.

If you read the TfL traffic feed on Twitter there is more info. But this is what it looked like last night on the tunnel approach at 19:30 (pic from TfL). Now I have little sympathy for anyone driving in London but .....

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^ Bloody cyclists!

drivers critical mass protest?

Ah, the freedom of the open road. Man and machine in perfect harmony.

Bit cold this morning but a lovely commute, compared to last night when after almost being T-bone d by a van, which I then saw again about 10 minutes where by the 3 passengers then shouted abuse and asked me if I wanted a fight because when they had almost hit I gave them the finger.

On the bus today as I'm getting the train straight from work tonight. I hate it so so much, full of arrogant school kids, rammed to the hilt and I have to get up earlier to get it than I would if I was cycling. How someone could choose that over riding a bike is beyond me.

Nope, not used them. They're their lowest rolling resistance tyres ever apparently so that means they're going likely to be quite thin and supple and not what I'd bother with for a commuter or winter mile-eater (although TOUR magazine says puncture-free for 6000k, I used to get 4000k out of Michelin Pro Race so 6000k ain't so much for me).

It was the Ones that I've had two flats on, wouldn't be using them ordinarily on the commute but my had was forced

Northern Line - again - the worrying thing is that after a week of doing this - I'm in week 2 now - I'm getting used to it. Noooooooooooooooooooooooo...........

I wore sunnies this morning.

Sun, snow, sleet, hail and bird shit.
Poo/ten.

Saw a white van man changing his tyre in the middle of a T-junction in Hackney, needless to say drivers around him were going ballistic.
Then whilst waiting behind a tipper at some lights, cyclist buzzes past me and up the inside of the tipper, lights change and he justs makes it past before tipper pulls away. Lucky it wasn't turning left. What a knob.

Chain snapped, testicles made contact with top tube. Shin also gashed by chain ring, but hurts a lot less than the bruised baby makers... There's blood and everything...

headwind all the way, getting over chest cough, legs felt good, but the pace was slow.
also misjudged the strength of the wind and almost spat on myself.

would do again

Not liking that wind.

Smashed it.

Not liking that wind.

East to west?

Smashed it.

West to east?

North to south myself, cross winds, no fucking good to anybody, just makes you feel a bit wobbly every so often.