This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Encountered some really shit bike handling on the way home. Special shouts to the guy on the Brompton riding around a corner on the wrong side of the road by battersea high street who almost took me out and also to the bloke on the boris bike who told me to fuck off after I pointed out he was going down a one way street the wrong way. 4/10.

Have three screws holding my hip back together which is considerably better than a hip replacement, which was a possibility. Managed to stand with a zimmer and take some steps this afternoon. Might be a while before I'm sprinting up the stairs!!

Saw that fella. Think it was on Monday.

I did that today... Weeks holiday in France driving and cying on the right... Bit tired, accidentally went to the right of the Middle rather than left...

Could have been worse, your Brompton rider could have been driving a car like I was. :)

Oh and heal up, I hope you @willski again.

Glad they could patch you up. Could have been so much worse. Rest up buddy.

Good luck with the recovery. Sounds like you're in a much better state than you might have been.

Nobody's mentioned the bike yet...

Almost became the next great cat slayer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dqbH6zf710

That's very true ;)

Call that close?! Try having one dart out from under a parked car as you pass

They're not darting. They are hunting their two wheeled prey. You survived this time but they shall strike again.

Took my flatmate to buy a bike on Saturday last weekend. Two years in London (before moving to this flat) and never cycled here. But she's used her dad's tandem back in Oz. How cool.

She bought a nice red one, had a spin around the park on the step-thru with sweep back bars, and I took her on a practice run along the roads by Burgess Park and Camberwell Rd. She was a bit nervous, said maybe she gets some more practice before cycling the commute from SE17 to Oxford Circus for work.

By Tuesday 6:30am I hear the crashing of a bike leaving the flat "quietly". It's now Thursday and she's already started bitching about other road users. Win.

Problem is the freezer-drawer-basket from Steptoe&Sons is perfect for the bike, but her cupcake holder doesn't fit in it. So many problems.

Ha ha. Bike (10 year old condor pista) completely unscathed!

Phew, that's a relief.

Oh yeah, heal up soon willski.

+1

Just remembered, last night I saw a woman in her 50s(ish) riding a sit up and beg THE WRONG WAY ROUND MARBLE ARCH GYRATORY.

I was aghast and petrified for her.

Today my morning ride is a one minute journey to fetch a large latte with an extra shot and a blueberry muffin to begin my four day long weekend.

suchfuckingdecadence.jpeg

I regularly see a woman of similar description smashing a Dutch bike with high, narrow bars. Her style reminds me a lot of

I hated everyone this morning. Not sure what my problem was. Felt like every other road user was out to get me.
I'm probably tired. I should probably sleep more...

I haz Dutch bike because work, suit, panniers, chain guard etc. It's single speed and on particularly windy roads adopting the mantis is the only way to maintain forward motion.

Me too! It must be Them.

I feel better now, knowing I am not alone.

It was lovely this morning. Hardly any traffic south of Vauxhall and the first commute in for weeks without a bastard headwind.

8/10

I'm not knocking them/her!

Quiet today except for my dirty chain

Lovely weather, quiet roads, turned up at every set of traffic lights either green or turning green.

Bike making weird noises at the back though, think it needs a clean.

yesterday morning was okay, had expected a lot worse due to #strikelols - but fuck me by the afternoon it had all gone south. drivers and cyclists and pedestrians all acting like muppets out to kill someone, often themselves.

worst was southwark bridge road near the mint street park - i'm following a bus that indicates left for the bus stop. I pull up, intending to go around the right of it. 30 other cyclists barrel straight down the narrowing gap on its left cos, you know, blue paint says do what you like. bus stops to allow the muppets through. more muppets follow.

still, my brixton hill efforts did look even more heroic that normal due to the extra bikes that i overtook. small victories.