This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Random kid on a motocross bike on the way home, seen no news of anyone being taken out or jewlery stores getting raided so guess it went ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKPFymWuBc8

SWIM may have passed a police car going the opposite direction in RP at 1.6x the limit on his new wheels, but they did not seem to bat an eyelid.

Was it one of those mini motocross things? was once riding from norbury to streatham and was chatting to a kid on one of them. No lights no license plate, battering down the road, he wanted to know where the nearest petrol station was, I wanted a tow...

Mebe same guy

I dunno about mini looked like a 125cc. White with some green bits, it's in the video.

Yeah couldn't see clear enough.

Mebe not same guy

Last week, cycling past Kings x when I hear some shouting, fat cabbie giving chase on foot to a female cyclist while shouting plenty of obscenities. Dunno what she'd done but she seemed determined to get the hell out of there and he looked full of rage.

It's a sunday, not a normal commuter day.

Today i rode a bike in London for the first time.

A rental.......a boris bike.......

Started off at Stratford International, wandered about until i found the Velodrome which is ace, never been in a velodrome before...... by fuck is that banking steep, some riders had taken forum advice on ice/snow conditions and while hugging the rails didn't lean in the banking.
A coffee and cheese and ham posh toastie was cheaper than a motorway services and a bit cheaper than expected from previous in London. Was tempted to DAS but expected to be chucked out of velodrome if i did.
Found SkinnyErics bike shop on route to Victoria Park, shop is ace, spent money.
Boris biked from Victoria Park to Mile somefink.
Boris was heavy but functional.
Staggered down to Canary Wharf.
After walking a bit more took another Boris, this one had a semi auto gear shift and would drop from 3rd to 2nd. Canary Wharf...... kinda got trapped there, shut roads or no access through manned barriers.
Came close to the 30min limit on Boris rental so parked bike at empty docking station, not all stations where empty mind. Wandered about a bit more.
Another Boris and took main roads, chopped up to Victoria Park, slipped the pedals at the lights, overtook others, didn't RLJ, whitevanman gave me a wide berth, this Boris slips in third, no other rider shouted at me. Front brake is a bit off but works, did try to skid all three bikes and failed 3 times. But brakes did stop me when needed.
Hacked through Victoria park to original docking point of the day, nearly DAS'ed someone but as they passed me and coasted i twigged it was a front brake only SS not a fixed.
My knees hurt and i staggered back to Stratford.
Saw something unfold at the olympic park.
Rider talking to a driver (maybe through a closed drivers window) and several cars beeping horns and one try to pass....... on a zebra crossing.......something happened, don't know what, much beepage from stacked cars.
My Knees hurt.
Got train home.
Knees hurt more.
1ltr cheapo white wine, knees relaxing.

Ridden in city. Screw commuting at rush hour, i need a good primary lock and screw using a boris bike again as the sizing is for short arses. Will ride again but on beater not a Boris.

'ken' bike.

Well they are Red now :)

Damn computer slow down action.

Was on the understanding that "Boris bike" is a generic term now for the city Santander rental bikes.
A bit like calling my vacum cleaner a "Hoover"
If the forum en-mass will is to "Ken" or "rental" or "Tory****" then i can bear that in mind for the future.
If i use one again, as my knees still hurt :0

:)

Knees still hurt as well as booze has worn off........must get a better lock for own bike....

You know you can raise the saddles? 😉

Did set the saddle before riding, found the bikes cramped and a bit small, knees may have more to do with muscle memory from racing (go on green light and beeps) and going for a gate start away from the lights.
Could be good practice for 4x racing :)

All city riding should be on bikes like the tfl hire bikes.

i hope you've not got a wife and kids to support, sunshine, because your week's about to start going downhill pretty fucking sharpish.

Saw someone like this a week or so ago, he clocked me and we proceeded to mini-drag-race between monument and the first lights up toward liverpool street. Worth it for the musical interlude

New groupset and forks installed over the weekend so was really looking forward to the commute in. Lovely day for it!

Only blip was heading eastbound down the embankment just after turning off Battersea bridge. The traffic and lights were kind to me meaning I had momentum as I swooped onto the downhill under the railway bridge. Quite a peloton had built up to my left and were now trundling off too. I stayed about a foot to the right of the superhighway blue paint and mashed it down the hill. Must have been going well over 25mph by the bottom.

As I approach the green lights ahead, some twunt stars honking me, I glance round and some fit of rage is pointing at me to "get in the bike lane". The puzzling thing is he's indicating left? Sure enough, he turns left just behind me, nearly left hooking some poor girl cruising in the bike lane, that he chose to ignore so ensconced in his rage at my road positioning.

I am so baffled by this. Was he actually hoping to speed round me, at about 35/40mph, slam on the brakes, nail the left hand turn and leave me to emergency stop so I don't slam into the side of his Fiesta?

Wot a knob....anyway, just had time to give him the wanker sign as I peddled away. 10 seconds later I was back swooning at the sight of my own forks again.

I don't know if you're taking the piss, but I think everyone would be happier. I enjoy riding around London much more on my single speed 26" MTB with massive BMX risers and a low saddle - it feels like a throne and I'm not capable of rushing, nor do I feel like it.

@greenhell I came here only to ask about that picture - what happened?

driver called out for being on phone

driver deliberately swerves towards me (albeit slowly) and starts with the verbals

abuse now from chuckles and his two boyfriends in the cab with him. phone still in hand i think trying to take a pic of me.

carries on down bayliss road, i stop to take a happy snap

driver then gets out the cab and is now threatening to 'kick the shit out of me'

i pootle off

phone call now made to his fleet manager who was less pleased than i was by all accounts.

roadhouse.

I'm sure he'll have a great excuse that'll be backed up by his two mates (I suspect he'd be a more solid dude were they to have been his boyfriends).

no doubt. if fuck all comes out of it i'll start trashing them on twitters. thought i'd do the magnanimous thing and give them a chance to have a word internally first.

I always wonder if the person you're going to ring isn't just the person you've got into a disagreement with ... or even if it isn't the same guy, still is likely to be someone answers your call while driving ...

'ken' bike

#wouldrep

Ideal Scaffolding of Woolwich had the driver chucking gum and fag buts at me on Hackney Road, I called the office and the bellend put the phone down. Actually I phoned old bill first and read out the number plate and the operator said "haven't you got a pen?" I was seething.