This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Today can fucking do one.

I've found it pretty reasonable since the initial confusion when nobody knew where they needed to be.

Glorious mood today - not even this grim weather can get me down. In fact I sort of prefer it.

The main reason for that is that yesterday was my first ever n+1 (for n>0). Have been wanting a road bike for a while now so I can do longer rides at the weekend - snapped up a Cannondale Synapse in the sales (I held my nose and bought from Evans, despite being mucked around last year - the bike got rave reviews from a colleague and I couldn't resist the 25%-off like the sellout I am).

11/10

Merc driver at the roundabout at the top of Sydenham Hill forgot the 'give way to your right' rule and almost went through me upon him entering said roundabout. To his credit he chased me down the other side of the hill, pulled alongside and called out "sorry sir!" through the open passenger side window... redeemed himself, I guess.

Managed to fail at clipping in at a rate of at least 60% this morning though, which is unusual for me. Not sure what was going on. Need more sleep probably.

tired/10

Nice when people accept their mistakes with magnanimity.

Check your cleats are securely fastened to your shoes, and not worn out.

Rumour has it my office is moving from the West End to Liverpool Street. What's a stress free route from Putney to Liverpool Street area? The few times I've done it have been via Riverbank - > Chelsea Bridge - > Embankment -> Traf Square and Strand - > St Paul's and Cannon Street - > Up Bishopgate

I assume that's not the best route, seems to involve lots of traffic and messing about in the city where the constant roadworks/closures and resultant traffic jams are a nightmare...

^Personally I would stay sarf of the river for much of that ride.

U mad? Continue on embankment till Blackfriars.

I miss all the kittels and cavs on CS8, great for sprint training.

Then Queen Victoria street and Bank?

Continue on embankment till Blackfriars.

I'd stay sarf all the way to London Bridge meself.

CS7 and London Bridge? I have barely had cause to ride in the city, and then only at weekends so I have almost no experience of what's good at rush hour :)

I really dislike riding in the City and along CSwhateveritis on the Embankment, so I'd echo those saying stay south bruv.

Something like Putney > CJ > Wandsworth Road > Vauxhall > Waterloo > London Bridge > Liverpool St.

Something like Putney > CJ > Wandsworth Road > Vauxhall > Waterloo > Southwark Bridge > Queen St> Queen Victoria St>Old Broad > Liverpool St.

I come in to the City from Hampton Court and tend to cross to the north side at Putney Bridge and then do NKR/Embankment approach. Its busy at rush hour but with two lanes along the river, filtering is usually easy enough.

New cycle lane after Westminster will be interesting once its flowing both ways.

That wasn't so unpleasant and a fair few cyclist about this morning, might be a different story tonight if my stuff isn't dry. What is it with the road surface lovely and smooth but when it rains it doesn't seem to run off and we now have great lakes to ride through. Brixton pond was nice as was Kennington River.

Thanks for the route suggestions @fizzy.bleach @PQR and @JTEE. Interesting you mention Vauxhall, I thought that whole area was death!

Not to mention the newly-built Oval Canal.

I agree, it wasn't so bad this morning.

In primary in the bus lane on Old Street with a taxi at a standstill in front of me, indicating right, waiting for a gap so he can move. Cars whizzing past on my right so he can't go anywhere. Several cyclists overtaking the taxi, I figure it's not terribly sensible to overtake a car indicating right so I just wait.

Girl on a bike behind me to my left is understandably incensed at having to wait 3 seconds so goes "just go around me you stupi-" when the taxi moves over to the right and I continue in the bus lane. Not before giving her some very droll "you were saying" raised eyebrows.

100 metres down the road and she's undertaking a van ahead of her which is indicating left.

why please just why

One thing I'll say for the Victoria Embankment is that it's quick and wide, and what with all the blue paint drivers are kind of better than before the blue paint went down. Maybe south of the river is harder to navigate if you want to stay off the A3, which isn't the nicest of routes.

Yeah I used to use the A3 going to a previous job in Borough, think I prefer embankment for some reason

Fair play to all the new year resolutionists, loads of people out today despite the weather. Got doored for the first time ever, fortunately at low speed. Disappointingly the guy was super-apologetic and concerned - no excuse for me to kick off #sadface.

But to bring the mood back up I had to stop in the middle of Blackheath - to let all the nice migrating geese cross the road! Much smiling from bus drivers, scooter drivers etc... Loved it.

Going down mile end road and the motorbike in front of me clips the curb that separates the road and cycle path, he went down and rolled a few times, motorbike slid a few meters on its side. Some people stopped to help but he seemed okay, got straight back up, probably some scratches on his bike though. Be careful in the rain and dark!

Walworth.

100% agree with amey.

Putney <--> Canary Wharf is my commute. I used to stay sarf to Southwark Bridge, but fuck that. Fuck Vauxhall roundabout, Waterloo roundabout and the road leading to it, Southwark high street, and especially Battersea high street. No thanks.

Putney bridge (or Wandsworth if you're east side massif) --> New King's Road --> follow river to Blackfriars. Fewer punctures, traffic lights and high street nastiness - choose a sprint along CS8.