This morning's commute and other commuting stories

No commute for me. Gardening leave for undefined period to be agreed this week. So my life threatening sanity saving 20km ride in and out of the city must be replaced with maybe Regents Park circuits or....some mtb. Early train out of town then the Ridgeway? South Downs Way? Chilterns? Oh it's gonna be hell! :-)

And London Bridge bottle necking to 1 lane ... Cheers TFL

Every time I've ever done that (including this morning), I've had to stop for ages at pretty much every set of lights. :(

The trick seems to be getting through the Oxford St crossing as soon as the lights go green, then you can ride the wave. I was slow getting through today and got caught.

Yeah, was just noting that it was already chaotic some days. This closure has just made it worse.

Goodbye summer is was nice riding amongst you..
Advertising hoarding was telling me it was 10 degrees this morning, 3/4's will be making their way out of hibernation tomorrow.
Was nice to have that perfect temperature where you know you're riding hard and sweating, but by the time you walk into work, clothes are only slightly damp...

Legs still burning after having to ride home fixed without a seatpost after mine snapped on the weekend. But this was balanced out by new tyres which made me feel quicker.

will break out the gloves as well for tomorrow..

Got the gabba, legwarmers and light gloves out this morning. Was slightly sweaty by the time I got in but that was because I was wearing a SS jersey underneath for the commute home!

Lovely weather generally, but started looking at winter SPD shoes this morning in anticipation of proper cold on a wet 16km commute.

Totally agree. With Tooley street half closed too, whoever planned this hasn't done a good job

10? It was 7 according to my shed thermometer. (5:30 am for reference)

I shan't regale you all with what I wore, you'll just have to look me up in vogue.

was on the road at 8, could feel it getting warmer as I rode..

Pre-dawn the temperature only increased with the onset of the built up environment and increase in raid traffic. The first few footpath miles were a bit chilly.

gonna be so much colder once the clocks change..

I shan't regale you all with what I wore

Oh God, it's that time of year again...

Was driving round on Sunday and Rotherhithe Tunnel and the Blackwall Tunnel were real hell.

Sure is

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Amen brother

Super late reply, sorry. River route is very bumpy (as in, sharp rocks) between the M25 and the north circular. I have been doing it on 35c tyres, but prefer the A10. Most people are on MTBs. There are also sometimes horses on the path near the reservoir, which is fun but also quite annoying. More people/cyclists/dogs the further in you get (so, once you're past walthamstow).

Hmm, think I'll avoid the towpath then. Cheers for the info :)

Met two other cyclists on the way home tonight, one chap heading to Hertford and the other to Cheshunt so invariably ended up caning it. Rode the last seven miles alone, by which time I was absolutely spent; cold and with calves and hamstrings cramping up. All I could think about was drinking a huge mug of sweet tea and eating anything and everything.

Aiming to ride again tomorrow unless I completely seize up tonight.

Oooh we're gonna pass each other a bunch (and @Marron too).
I go Edgware Rd-Tot Hale- Walthamstow-Harlow.

100/10 commute each way today-sunrise over Essex (top of Rye 'Hill')was beautiful, Sunset at the top of Walthamstow was fucking glorious, but I think I may have to drop the gear ratio to 47x16 for spinny warmth.
https://www.strava.com/activities/733419406

Cripes, great pace! I'm living in Hunsdon so was wondering if something like your route would be better for me but I'm not sure how I'd get from Harlow to Hunsdon without venturing onto the A414 or adding loads of miles on. Maybe over to Roydon? Would you consider your route fun? A1010 definitely isn't...

This is today's ride home.

I've had a lot of riders take the piss in London, but I got drafted today by a bloke on an E bike! Didn't even take turns, just content to sit in my wake.

You can cut out a bunch of Hertford Road by turning west at Edmonton Green onto Church St and then left onto Victoria Road. Take that down to Silver St, then west along Sterling Way, left onto Gloucester Rd, Pretoria Rd, Beaufoy Rd, Church Rd, Church Lane, make your way to Lordship Recreation Ground, cross Downhills Park Rd, through Downhills Park, Clinton Rd, Clarence Rd, Black Boy Lane, St Ann's Road, Warwick Gardens, Stanhope Gardens, then you're onto Green Lanes where you can either head up Endymion Rd to get towards Finsbury Park and Holloway Rd, or stay on Green Lanes and go past Manor House.

Easy!

The direction I go- reverse to traffic- means its alright. But I can't manage it every day- I just get too exhausted.
Fun- not massively, but if you took the B182/B181 off the B1393 just before Epping- that road is lovely.
The main joy is a lack of traffic lights from roughly Buckhurst Hill until I reach Epping/ Harlow (if I take the 182/181 route).

Haven't found a good alternative to the A1010, but when I go up that way it tends to be at the weekend and early in the morning when the A1010 isn't too bad. The return is busy (evening time) but I'm just focused on getting home.

One tweak that you may find ok is to avoid Hoddesdon. After you come over the humpback bridge at Rye, take the 3rd left (Farm Lane), through the bollards and right onto Stortford Rd, follow that all the way down until it swings 90 deg right and turn left/SO to go over the short bit of pavement to turn right onto Essex Road just before the roundabout. You then follow the A1170 round and rejoin your route South of Hoddesdon.

Zoom in on the relevant chunk of this ride: https://www.strava.com/activities/163185836

That might be a bit faster but maybe you enjoy going through Hoddesdon itself and want to avoid that bit of the A1170.

Blue skies, slightly warm. Gorgeous...