This morning's commute and other commuting stories

that fucking sucks. I hope your head is ok this time. You aren't cursed though. Just really really unlucky

Cheers all, sucks that this guy will get away with it probably. Have looked up the plate details I have and they don't match any car.

Still worth reporting yes? Seems like when there's no plate the police just shut down

Van clipped my bag with his wing mirror when he decided he didn't want to stop for an ambulance. Aaked him why the fuck he didn't stop, he said he had fragile stuff in the back that would be damaged if he braked suddenly.

Pointed out that cyclists are also pretty fragile, and tend to get damaged if drivers of big fuck off vans decide not to brake. Cunt/10.

Heal up soon buddy

Worth reporting certainly. If it was just off Elephant and Castle it, or the car at least, was bound to have been caught on camera - did you get a look at the car type, colour etc?

As an opposing story i saw a guy on a cross bike make a pretty sterling effort of getting himself hit by a bus on Kings Road this morning.

He didn't seem very receptive to the 5 other people who watched him nearly get squashed suggesting it probably wasn't wise for him to undertake a bus that was indicating left and pulling into the kerb.

Watch two people try and kill themselves last night, guy on a Boris Bike got wedge between a bus and coach as he tried to filter through the tiniest of gaps. Not sure how he even got into the space as the coach had them protruding indicators. Lucky for him the bus moved first freeing him else the coach would have taken him out.

The other was a young lady who decided to ride into the on coming traffic on a blind bend in Borough where all the buses get stuck, again lucky for her nothing was coming as there was no room to pull back into the left.

Beggars belief

Going out after work so no bike today. Normally I would get the bus but decided to walk the three miles, glad I did.

1 Attachment

Yeah this is Walworth road everyday now. I walk to St Thomas' Hospital and beat the bus.

I cycled yesterday from Clapham Junction to Kings Cross through Wandsworth Road and then Westminster bridge to go north.
Honestly, Wandsworth is a complete construction site. The road is so dirty and there is no way that you can avoid more than 10% of the holes. You suddenly feel like you are in Enduro races.
The worst part of the road is from Wandsworth Road Station to Vauxhall. Never cycling again from this part.

Yeah this is Walworth road everyday now. I walk to St Thomas' Hospital and beat the bus.

Feck. Live just down from there and normally commute along that stretch. Away from home for the last few months.

What's the reason for it? Just the lights at Elephant?

Roadworks at Elephant and St Georges Circus for new cycle scheme

Best to turn off at Albany Rd > Portland Street/Brandon Street > little shortcut onto Heygate then straight cross to Steedman Street for the cut through to the crossing at Newington Butts

Nailed a good 12km dash in this morning from E Finchley and stopped off at Spianata in Brushfield Street for the usual coffee and cool-down. 10/10 Announced my arrival to the classy lady who sits outside on sunny mornings by blipping the front wheel up over the kerb immediately followed by the same for the rear only this time landed a bit early and hard on the rear. No issue. Took a table. Lights off. Helmet off. Cool scarf under helmet pulled down around my neck in a John Wayne High Noon style, remove honey coloured mirror shades, take a seat one table away from my fantasy conversation and wait for my coffee cos they know what I like in Spianata. She stares at her phone. I reckon she's shy. Best play cool. I 'read' the Spanish Newspaper left lying on the table ( I don't understand a word of Spanish). Coffee is done and I'm prepared to leave, putting this down as an investment that will pay off in due course. So reverse the procedure; scarf around the forehead, shades wrapped around eyes, rucksack mounted, helmet on but not fastened (John Wayne never fastened his helmet) and grab the saddle of my 'must-have' single speed to roll off the forecourt. F*ck. Rear flat. Didn't get away with kerbing that rear. A*se. Sh*t. My tools are in a Tesco bag in my rucksack. Classy. I've got grease all over my hands. The fecking tyre wont go over the rim. My pump won't nip the valve. F*ck f*ck f*ck. She got up and left. Not even a glance. I'll save you the trouble of replying. I'm such a twat. 0/10

Haa! euphemism opportunities abound.

She deduced that the creepy stary man was temporarily occupied with his broken bike and took the opportunity to make her escape. Not even a glance, as he'd only take it as inviting a conversation and would never leave her alone.

THERE YOU GO I FIXED IT FOR YOU

She got up and left. Not even a glance.

There was a man there? What man? With a bike? Really?

You're not helping. Really. You're not.....................

Based on the general public opinion of cyclists, arriving on a bike was probably your first error.

Look on the bright side - the other day I sat down in a cafe and started absent mindedly reading a newspaper: it was a good few long seconds before I realised it was upside down. ( Still, it was the Standard, so probably equally comprehensible either way)

@mands @bothwell - thanks for making me spit my M&S healthy drink over the keyboard - Lol.

Not every morning your commute takes you along an FIA approved start/finish straight complete with armco barriers, sponsors logos and starting lights, but this is the case through Battersea park at the moment. It's all ready for Formula E at the weekend.

1 Attachment

Anyone been over Vauxhall bridge? Thoughts on that bit of new cycle track?

It's great southbound, but the road immediately after the bridge is still a nightmare and the northbound junction just before the bridge is a bit chaotic at the moment due to ongoing roadworks.

It's great! Will be less great when 2-way. Still better than the old lane.

bike tag thread ->>>>

Are these "most cyclists wait at red lights" signs a new thing?

Three signs on Hackney Road this morning, one attached to a Boris bike conveniently in the middle of the ASL filter lane.

I'm yet to see a road block set up to warn drivers about poor behaviour.