This morning's commute and other commuting stories

A resuscitation of the Porter as a top pub, would be nice. Hear it's crap now.

I was there the other week for a meeting. It's rubbish :-(

Tired legs this morning, and whatever is clicking in my BB/crankset/pedals is really starting to bug me. Had the BB changed last year but hasn't done jack.

Then I arrive at Brixton to find a rider down on the corner of Atlantic Rd and Brixton Rd, opposite M&S. Flat on the floor, paramedics wheeling the stretcher out...not nice. Hope they're OK and it's not serious.

myproblemsarenothingcomparedtotheirs/10

Cheeky bit of 35mph bus drafting at through Hampton Court this morning.

Saw some chap on Priory Lane yesterday who'd rigged up a small LED light board to his seatpost to display his speed to anyone interested. If you are, we were doing 19/20mph heading towards the park.

It's warmer then it looks.
One layer too many resulted in a lethargic ride in.
Camberwell to Vauxhall run was hella popular.
Bellend with a ginger beard on a MTB swerving blindly from kerb to centre nearly takes out riders on three separate occasions. I didn't say owt, because I never do.

Ran in. Thermal tights were overkill. Much ped dodging.

8/10

Oval to Vauxhall this morning was pretty busy! At about 7.40 some dude on a mountain bike wheelied out of most lights and kept it up for at least 100 metres, and going as fast as the Lycra brigade! Was pretty funny to watch, especially he did it most of the way up the segregated highway approaching Vauxhall.

Rode past a queue of stationary traffic that was sitting at a green light trying to turn left from jamaica rd into st james road. Was hoping not to see something nasty at the front causing the delay, which is a ped crossing.

In the end it was a rather comical situ of a flat bed lorry having crossed the stop line and ended up with hybrid rear wheel implanted into and under his front bumper. This causing his reg plate to hang idly down. Think cyclist was taking pictures to much protestation from lorry driver and many tooting horns behind. Annoying for that guy but was half expecting to see much worse.

Two examples of sartorial excellence on my way in from KGX this morning. First was a chap on a Brompton wearing a blue Rapha rain jacket (so far so good) sporting what looked like a builder's face mask with big sticky-out filter units on either side. Looked like he was expecting a gas attack from Zee Chermans.

Second was a lady on a hybrid thingy wearing some very thin black leggings and some very stripy pants underneath them. Not so much VPL as VVP. I wasn't sure whether this was on purpose or not, so kept schtum.

elegance

Elegance may have been what they were aiming for, but excellence was what they achieved. Neither was elegant, that is certain.

Is anyone familiar with that bit of Midland Road which runs down the side of St Pancras Station?

My commute ends at the Euston end of Eversholt Street, and I go down Brill Place -> Phoenix Road. Fine, more or less, when heading west and I do the same thing heading east on the way home. Which means I cycle the wrong way up Midland Road, but then there are traffic lights in the correct orientation for me to turn right into Goods Way, which I do.

It's generally ok when I can nip up the loading bay opposite St. P, but sometimes there are coaches parked up here which makes it dodgy.

Any views? Why are there traffic lights facing south at the junction with Goods Way if this manoeuvre is verboten?

There's a traffic scheme in the works which will make this section two-way for cycling:

https://consultations.wearecamden.org/culture-environment/midland

Thanks - that's awesome.

#earlyadopter

Any views? Why are there traffic lights facing south at the junction with Goods Way if this manoeuvre is verboten?

Sorry, meant to answer your question. I can only assume that this is a survivor of the various interimisms that have been in place while there has been so much construction work in the area, and that the storage space for construction and delivery vehicles in (what should be) the northbound carriageway lane in Midland Road has been required for a while. It is probably to that end that the banned right turn from Brill Place has been introduced, no doubt on a temporary basis. It is confusing, but the new scheme should do away with all that (it will most likely be the last thing to be put in place after a process lasting about fifteen years IIRC).

Technically, turning right, whether in a car or on a bike, from Brill Place into Midland Road is not permitted at the moment. I would assume that the current traffic order for that stretch of Midland Road has also done away with permission for northbound travel, even though they've left the signals in place. If the latter is the case, you should walk your bike along the footway there when going northbound.

Yes, I kind of know you are right (although it's a left turn).

When there's nothing in the loading bays it feels pretty non controversial to ride up that stretch to the lights. Today there were two coaches parked up and I found myself riding into an oncoming Renault traffic (or something) panel van coming fast the other way. Tbf, they did gimme some room but I felt non clever for pulling the move.

Might pavement hop in future until this scheme, which looks great, actually gets built.

As far as I can see there is no reasonably straightforward way to avoid this part of my route.

We are now selling E-bikes by the truck load it seems. A couple came back having been crashed. Not sure how I feel about them.

Sloooow zen ride in, whistling show tunes to myself all the way.

I love Fridays.

Where the fuck was everyone this morning? Left later than usual (because tired) thinking I would hit the normal school and work run clusterfuck but it was like a weekend. Wait, is it Saturday?

i am wearing a suit so took a train. i look fan fucking tastic, thanks for asking.

Got kettled behind a bin wagon in the tight channel that allows no filtering on Tooley street E>W.
Otherwise, it was the kind of lethargic commute you might expect from a man who has had 90mins sleep.

There was no one around today, have they all gone to the Isle of Wight or something?

Also, Sydenham Hill path from the Wood House to the Station: some sort of faded single speed front brake only with mudguards.
Hi. It's fast that bit isn't it?

Converted to Tory voter?

i have. now clean my brogues or i'll burn down your village, peasant.