This morning's commute and other commuting stories

My ride home was very tame, just cold and wet!

Ped claimed that the van driver had nearly knocked him off by driving dangerously fast/carelessly, van driver was pissed off cos the ped had allegedly thrown something at his van in retaliation.

Fucking hell, that is similar.

The rain definitely does something to people.

Those stories are far too exciting for this thread.
Get yourselves a YouTube channel or something...

Thursday.
I shaved my beard off last night. The face freeze is real.
Hit all green lights for the first 3/4s of my commute.
Thursday.

3/10 today.

Rain played havoc with my new brake pads last night, just weren't slowing at all, and I'd stupidly not packed wet clothes. Took a different route home, right at London Bridge instead of straight over, it's an easier route and I'd be home dry sooner. Some old boy was going over Tower Bridge at about 2mph, backing up all the traffic – gave me a chuckle to soothe my soaking carcass.

Eventually got onto CS3 and stop at Royal Mint-Cable St lights. There's a hissing. Look down and a giant shard of glass is plonked in my front, which lets gusts of air out as soon as its freed from its rubbery home. A very soggy trundle home and straight into bed to warm up. Neglected to fix the flat. Tubedork today.

When's Brixton Cycles opening up? Need them brakes checked, I musta doofed the cables.

Rain forecast, no rain. 10/10.
All lights on green. 10/10.
Minimal traffic. 10/10.
Puncture. 0/10.

Late and mildly hungover, weather nice though.

Was cycling up to one of those central reservation bits for pedestrians to cross to the middle of the road, there's never enough space for a car and a bike, but I hear the car behind me clearly speeding up, so I pull right over, expecting a pass so close it will probably hit me and look over my shoulder to find the car on the other side of the road, overtaking both me and the central bollardy bit. Because slowing down for 8 second would actually have killed him.

There was a lone OG atac pedal in the road outside oval station this morning, hopefully not a relic of something nasty

Punishment pass from a beamer at lea bridge roundabout this morning. Rolled up to him at the red light 100 yards ahead and eyeballed him as I popped his wing mirror back. Then jumped the red and scooted away. Look back confirmed utter, seething, aneurysm-level rage. Glorious.

Then a scooter rider signalled for my attention on OKR to compliment me on my 25 mph average. Bonus points (though I think his speedo was a bit generous).

popped his wing mirror back

excellent.

This belonged to a mate of mine I think. He kept it upright and rode in on one leg from there...

Any idea how it happened?

Not really. Pedal just came off AFAIK.

First ride on the new bike, decided to hit some mud on the common and then some flooded bits and all was fine. Not sure about the low gearing but then it was good on the mud and ok up a hill just rather crap on the road.

I had to trainwanker in this morning and am really regretting it now looking out at what looks to be a perfect evening for a ride. Tomorrow not looking so glorious.

looks to be a perfect evening for a ride

Yup. Spent most of a meeting just now looking at the sunset.

Lots of drivers peering through letter boxes of cleared window screen this morning, pretending like their tank commanders. They were all heading for the M27, the sooner they get there and start causing there carnage the better.

Here's me thinking that half-term Friday would mean for quite a quiet and uneventful ride into work... not so!

Torrington Place was a mess this morning, particularly with the pavement works just by the junction with Gordon Street. Ambulance barreling up Woburn Place, yet people still insisting on riding across the junction as it was coming. Then one of the people who rode through the ambulance junction smacks into a pedestrian just before Greys Inn Road (he didn't look before stepping into the path, but just dinging your bell without actually slowing down isn't good riding either).

On the plus side, had fantastic driving from a white van coming down Goswell Road, very impressed. He got a thumbs up at the junction with Old St.

Lady cycling up through Kennington with a walkie-talkie squawking away this morning. Not sure what that was all about.

Looks like the northbound cycle lane at E&C is almost done, but it's still blocked off.

Tried to call out a few sheep following each other up the left hand side of a left-indicating van at Southwark Street. Don't know why I bothered, but I really didn't fancy watching one of them get squashed when he started turning.

Otherwise a lovely, crisp morning.

Good to see the new Brixton Cycles taking shape this morning. A welcome sight to emerge to after the tunnel of dodgy driving that is Loughborough Road.

Good fun on the commute this morning (with dog) finding a severed, human foot in my local park.

/thread

#npf

Finding body parts whilst walking the dog in the local park thread >>>>>>>

I'm lost for words...

You commute with your dog?

The dog, did it try and eat the foot?

Also, see comment above about lone ATAC spotted outside Oval station, the plot thickens...