This morning's commute and other commuting stories

There was a cyclist with a massive speaker on his back pumping out tunes it was awesome! Had every one smiling at a red light.

Then sadly after that a guy on a ridiculously loud Honda bike being generally obnoxious and running red lights. Hopefully karma will catch up with him. Apart from that it wasn't too bad.

Guy on a fancy deep-wheeled carbon thing wearing a team handsling jersey or something like that, sat on my wheel for a bit then jumped a red on the way up to Streatham Hill junction, almost taking out an old chap crossing the road. What a legend.

Yep, might have to use the old route via Hurlingham/Townmead/Chelsea Harbour.

Longer, probably no faster but far probably less frustrating.

Dick features turned his bike across my path going through Covent garden, slammed on the anchors, brake cable snapped. Pulled the nipple off, again.

Thankfully the nice chaps at cycle surgery were willing to sell me a single front inner and lend me a spanner and cable cutters to fit it in the shop. All at 2 minutes before closing time.

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Mini cab driver drove into me at the roundabout behind Old Kent Road Tesco's tonight. I always ride right over by the centre to make sure that cars can see me and don't try to cut me off. Didn't work this time. Kept thinking "he's gonna stop, he's gonna stop" then "whack!".
No real damage to bike, just some cuts to hand and elbow and rips in some old waffa shorts. Guy stopped, helped and offered money but I took his details as didn't know if frame was OK or not. Got some witnesses. Will think what to do in morning.
Guess will try a different route home from now on.

Fair weather commuters appear to be confused by fixed gear riding. I have been rear-ended (fnar) twice this week after slow deceleration by totally gormless individuals. Just because my legs haven't stopped it doesn't mean that I'm continuing at the same speed!

Tis the season to enjoy the panic that ensues when you skid whilst being drafted.

Waterloo Bridge and The Strand are a bus park because of the Whitehall and Parliament Sq closures. Be warned any late commuters.

Crikey - the CS7 was absolute carnage this morning. Traffic at an absolute standstill all the way from Clapham to the City. Much filtering.

Lady on a pale blue Dutch-style town bike pulled out on me from between the traffic on my right just before E&C. After an involuntary yell and an emergency skid, pleaded with her to look before she did things like that. She didn't even look at me. Real nice, lady.

Clusterfuck/10

Are you going over Wandsworth after that?

$DEITY no, that way madness lies, always over Putney Bridge (makes more sense given I live in West Putney).

Townmead, Carnwath, Broomhouse Ln, Hurlingham Rd and rejoin New King's Road near Putney Bridge station.

But given that the New King's Road is mostly empty now going West I might do Lots Road/Imperial Wharf and then back up Imperial Road to rejoin NKR.

My usual running route (Ranelagh Gardens, Napier Ave, Hurlingham Rd, Bells Alley, Peterborough Rd, Studdridge Rd, Pearscroft Rd, Fulmead St, Imperial Rd) is way more direct but not the best on a bike. Bells Alley is narrow and full of children walking to school, Studdridge Rd is full of Chelsea Tractors dropping Tilly/Tarquin off at the local posh schools.

A tiny bit of rain and everyone gets in their cars. Soft, that's what everyone is.

BBC Weather told me it would rain. It didn't rain. Wearing a raincoat in humid weather = more damp than if it had rained and I hadn't worn a coat.

Also last commute from Blackhorse Road to Waterloo (noo job hooray). Totes emosh as the kids say.

I usually do a little warning skid when nodders draft me. They soon back off!

Hey, let's close major arterial roads in the centre of our capital for two days so we can drive a 90-year-old fairytale character less than a mile from her castle to do a pretend ceremony that nobody cares about!

• Will it inconvenience thousands of people trying to earn a living?
  
  

Yes.

• Ok, great. DEPLOY THE MET!
  
  

What kind of medieval tinpot clusterfuck of a country do we live in?

Hear hear!

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

Was this your foot?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-36312825

Edit: Also, don't you get to keep after a certain time it if it's owner doesn't turn up to claim it?

Oh, but they bring in more in tourism than we pay etc etc etc.

Yes, if you ignore many of the associated costs involved with retaining the worlds most expensive benefits scroungers a royal family.

There was an unexplored bomb found in bath the other week. Can't wait to see what turns up next week.

An IED in your shower?

unexplored bomb in the bath

I'd be careful if I were you

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I'm expecting to wake up with a fake leg making a ticking sound in the bed next to me.

they bring in more in tourism than we pay etc etc etc.

¬¬

AlexD might have been being sarcastic...

I'd hoped the following sentence would have clarified that :-)

Yes, if you ignore many of the associated costs involved with retaining a royal family.