This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I quite enjoy it, particularly the last few days when traffic has been backed up the entire length of the road.

I forgot it was state opening today, otherwise would have avoided Westminster. All the eastbound side roads in the area were closed - huge diversion, big stationary vehicles on narrow streets. Ended up backtracking and heading over Lambeth Bridge, then back across at Southwark to get involved in the City roadworks. Took an extra 30 minutes to get in, but much sun and cool breeze :)

Aaaargh. Nearly choked on plane tree output clogging the air on the way home. Still coughing it up.

http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.co.uk/2009/10/indignity-of-commuting-by-bicycle.html

@TurtleRecall Chipping off down Columbia Rd, crossing Shoreditch High Street and Curtain St to go along Rivington Street and pop out on Great Eastern St is currently quicker than dicing with the tippers on Hackney Rd, fwiw. At least, it is when I'm riding, which is generally not during the 8.30-9am festival of fuckwittery that is peak commute.

Nice rise into Ally Pally and out again in the sunshine and then a breezy dash to Lordship Lane and down into Kingsland Road and a coffee at Sammy's at Christchurch. One minor avoidance with a big shout and I'm here in 1 piece. I do like today's weather. 8/10

Anyone know what was going on in Camberwell? I was one of the first stopped at the cordon at about 08:20 so it must have been fairly shortly before then. They were blocking off the footpath too so must have been bad. Twitter just says collision at the junction of Orpheus St.

more breakfast road lols:

driver pulls up at lights near brixton academy, clearly yakking away on the phone.

GH: Can you put your phone down please (x4)

DR: ...

GH: Can you put your phone down? (x3)

DR: ...

GH: PUT. YOUR. PHONE. DOWN. NOW.

driver storms out the car and stands half a foot from my face

DR: I'M A POLICE OFFICER ON AN EMERGENCY CALL

GH: Are you now? then you probably know it's illegal to use a phone while driving a car

DR: DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? I'M A POLICE OFFICER

GH: Can i see some identification?

driver keeps banging about being a police officer and emergency calls. i keep asking for ID. She storms off back to her car and starts rummaging about in her bag... for a good 20 seconds. Lights have changed and i need to get a jog on cos i'm late. Take a pic of license plate and pootle off, she takes a screeching left.

now i'm wondering: either she IS plod and knew she was caught bang to rights with witnesses (there was a chap standing on the corner giving her gyp as well) and there was no way she was going to incriminate herself OR she was impersonating one, which i'm pretty sure is about as illegal as it gets. any roads - i'll be following up with brixton pigfarm.

Either way, sounds like she is pig ignorant

Like a prawn on a bun - you're on a roll (thank you Judge Jules c 1998)

Southwark Bridge was blocked in both directions this morning by a double decker bus who had tried a 3 point turn and then broken down. I thought he was making some protest but heard something about the gearbox as I went past

Everything I leanr, I learn from the mailonline -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2762318/The-moment-Metropolitan-Police-officer-caught-checking-phone-wheel-van.html

(there was a chap standing on the corner giving her gyp as well)

#racist

i know lol!

hey! it was probably AN EMERGENCY CALL.

on a PAYG phone.

Mr McClymont captured the van's registration plate before he cycled away and is thought to be considering whether to report it to the force.

or the daily mail...

(ps thanks for that - i now need a shower. in acid)

Rode in fixed for the first time. Massive nightmare getting left foot back in strap combined with lack of trackstanding prowess/practise turned ride into a nerve-jangling mission to never, ever have to put my foot down.

Am expert at standing on one leg and lifting back wheel to get right pedal in lift off position though. Expert.

10/10 would noob it up again.

Well done. I hated clips and straps and moved on to clipless shoes, it made stop start commuting much easier. Though once you learn to twatstand there is the challenge to yourself of never putting a foot down on your entire journey.

Ta! I figure it will be cheaper to twatstand but I'll only need to turtle once and then it'll be Time ATACs all the way (I think). It's my pride, you see. It won't have me rolling around in the gutter half attached to a bicycle. Not in daylight.

Last night waiting to get across E&C roundabout, girl on SS cycling next to me on her phone weaving about. We both stop and I suggest she put the phone down while trying to get across the road, tells who ever she's talking that some wanker has told her to put her phone away. What ever I think. We both move forward a little, still on her phone, bus on the left of us is trying to move right, van on out right trying to move left, bit of gap between the two not enough to safely get through as bus drivers keeps edging out. Girl decides to give it a go and starts to move towards the gap I'm shouting at her not to try and moving into the narrowing gap but she pays no attention, she squeezes down the gap turning in front of the bus just as the van moves forward hitting her back wheel, knock her off and and stopping on her back wheel. Very slow speed impact, she gets up her bikes fucked and her phone is now under the bus.

Van driver gets out to makes sure she is ok, I check she is shaken but ok, had to cycling off else I would have had a go at her.

Hope is ok this morning and that she has learnt a somewhat painful lesson . Had she of waited 30 more seconds she would have continued her journey with both a bike and phone.

Some people are just idiots, and belligerently so. It's mostly the cyclist idiots who get hurt though.

Looks like the Camberwell thing was a bicycle/lorry collision. Woman in critical condition, according to Twitter, don't take this post as gospel.

Just seen this on the BBC

A woman cyclist is in a critical condition after being hit by a lorry in south-east London.

The London's Air Ambulance attended the scene in Denmark Hill at about 08:00 and found the injured woman. She thought to be aged in her early 30s.

The driver of the lorry stopped at the scene and at this stage no arrests have been made, police said. Local road closures are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/denmark-hill-crash-female-cyclist-fighting-for-life-after-collision-with-lorry-in-south-london-10280534.html

Not an easy side road for larger vehicles (including buses) to turn into, they need to take the corner pretty wide. Heal up rider.

What ratio are you running? Makes a huge difference with regards to trackstanding if you run a high tooth count on the back

Some people are just beyond the point of help.

Bobbed a cheeky right into Laburnum St then down the A10. Was busy there as well, but not quite as deadly. In mild #boastpost news I stopped at the lights at the junction with a cheeky endo straight into trackstand and didn't fall off. Indeed I remained trackstanding for the whole light sequence.