This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Came in on the geared bike today for the first in a long time.

Would grind again....

Did you do a skid?

Haha. Nnnooooooooo... was wondering whether "oldschool" meant me, the frameset, or just riding fixed w/risers in general..

She was probably talking about the bike...

...right?

...guys?

grindr app >>>>>>>>>

Left early this morning and was still amazing but some pretty crazy driver and cycling. Many cars and buses jumping red lights, lots of swerving across roads from cyclist.

Crazy times at E&C round about, everyone just cutting through traffic because of the road works. Talking of which to the 10 or so cyclist who saw the gap in traffic as an ambulance and police car with lights and sirens blast through why oh why did you think it was the time to move. You left barely enough room for them to get through.

Followed a new favourite fellow commuter in this morning.

Go pro on his head, calling people retards for jumping red lights. One guy, on a blue De Rosa, engaged with him on Brixton Road, a brave man indeed.

Later, at the junction outside Lambeth North tube, I could see him literally twitching with excitement as he waited for people to jump the red light there so he could call them retards.

Oh Chalfie!

Put a gopro on Chalfie's bounce and you nearly double his height.

Whitechapel road was so busy this morning that there was no movement in the entire right hand lane and no buses had made it through into the bus lane, completely clear all the way to aldgate junction. lush.

I've been commuting from Musselburgh to central Edinburgh for the last couple of days, and it's been an absolute dream! There is fantastic cycling infrastructure, I would say 90% of the 7 mile journey was off-road, on well maintained paths, or extremely quiet side roads. It's going to be a shock to the system riding in London again.

The blue De Rosa was mine. I tried to reason with him - but he was having none of it. I chased him down - because he was saying something as he rode off on Brixton Road - that he half wanted me to hear - half did not. But he didn't want to repeat himself. "Your giving cyclist's a bad name" he says - while calling me a retard. What a great guy.. :D

Well done for engaging with him. I think you were on a hiding to nothing but it was amusing listening to you challenging him.

He got worse after you turned left at Oval though.

Nearly gave a policeman an earful on a crossing, because I thought he was going to tell me off for being on a bike. He was just trying to ask if I had my bike registered yet, as they were doing bike reg by the tabernacle. Would apologise again.

Is this the guy with the V Australia kit?

Shoulder checking both left and right is now essential on the CS7, jeez who would of thought that pull around a pot hole would be an signal for 3 plumbs to undertake.

Oohh, could be. He had different kit on this morning.

Is he a proper cat 5? I think I've seen him. But tbh, there's a lot of them about with the go pro and the attitude.
I'm surprised more of the cycyle training crew haven't ended up like that.

Hit a pot hole HARD last night through Dulwich after spotting it too late. Resulted in an almost instant rear flat and 20mins of fumbling to change the tube. First p******* in 6 months!
Was enjoying the ride until then.

2/10 - must speed up my tube change game

Tried to not get annoyed with idiot cyclists today, was going well until Brixton and then got stuck behind 'unable to clip in or out boy' who parked himself across me just as the lights turned green then spent the next few minutes not moving but trying to clip in. He seem to repeat this process all the way up to Oval really annoying a motor bike rider.

Must find another route.

Need your advice commuters;

This morning I was riding in with my mate. Our direction was free, the other direction was a full queue of traffic and there's a road joining the main road (that we're on) on the left hand side.
Silver bmw pulls out in front of us to turn right (despite the static traffic), even though they've us. My mate brakes hard and I shout 'woah' before ploughing into the back of him.

Got a knackered shifter and wheel and I'm praying that the fork isn't bent, have I got any chance of getting some help with it? I realise chances are slim since noone actually touched the car...

This morning I found a reliable route from Railton Rd to Brixton Jamm that avoiuds the cluster fuck that is Brixton and the Mexican standoff that is the road to Jamm from the top of Loughborough Rd. Sadly it does mean missing the smiley lollipop man.

Essentially, go right up Coldharbour lane (or do the shimmy cut through onto Somerleyton Rd from Mayall Rd. Then take a left immediately after Barrington Rd, wind through Angell Town and end up at the junction with the Jamm on it.

Now power up Brixton Rd and enjoy your smug arrogance.

I was so chuffed that I tried to find a similarly sneaky routhe through Bloomsbury to Camley Street and failed miserably. Back to Southampton Row, Eversholt, Phoenix Rd for me.

Lovely ride in this morning only marred by the shower I used at the end of my ride flooding everywhere. Oops.

Idiocy astounds. Decided to change up my commute and ride through the known idiot hotspot of Shoreditch/Old St and was not disappointed. Typical commuter in lycra and high vis vest - you can tell by the pale, hairy and shapeless legs that this is all they do - continually undertaking people. Swings through on my left side while I'm slowing for lights. Was about to give him a gentle reminder to either overtake on the right or wait like everyone else but the lights changed.

In an amazing example of good judgement he then rode up the left side of a double trailered lorry who had been slowly covering both lanes and indicating left for the upcoming junction. I could not believe how he just sailed into the shrinking gap and up the inside of the truck. Congrats to the lorry driver who was on the ball and immediately stopped and got on his airhorn. Meanwhile dickhead rider just sails away. Regardless of whether or not trucks this size should be on the congested city streets it is hard to believe some cyclist still put themselves in such a dangerous position.

Stupid clipless moment on Blackfriars bridge. Fall/10, would bruise again.

Loughborough Road mexican standoff – that made me laugh! I see some seriously idiotic behaviour there at least, er, every day. I've looked for an alternative to that route for ages, nice work. Although my heart will always be with Loughborough road lollipop man, obvs.