This morning's commute and other commuting stories

YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSE TO BE ON THE ROAD! lT'S ILLEGAL!

Heartening to see a mother leading her two (cycling) children through the cycle lane around E&C. Gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to one of them, hope to see more of that, although I hope they weren't heading for the bus-trap on the other side.

So much rain, annoyingly it looks rather nice now.

Pretty alright till Borough High St, suspicious vehicle on foreign plate and back seat full of stuff (think i saw a duvent etc) - ended detouring down to Tooley St - absolute nightmare.

Fair play to the police, they dealt with it really well. As soon as they knew there was no danger they opened the street back up. No faffing.

Was just such bad timing eh.
Looked like they'd carried out a pretty efficient evacuation of the whole street too!
And better safe than sorry for certain. Rush hour suspicious vehicle... not worth imagining

They've done this a few times before. Maybe as SAR / FOIA request may uncover what they are doing.

Bad ride in - I managed to hit a pedestrian as they decided to run through traffic to catch a bus... I passed on the inside of the bus on the downhill of New North Road where it meets Essex road and before I knew it a lady was running across infront of me with a wheelie case. What is the correct etiquette where someone does something very stupid & dangerous but you are just glad that everyone still has all their limbs ?

shit on theyre bonnet, obvs.

I don't know about correct but I usually follow this process - be scared, shout a bit, realise they were scared too and now more scared, apologise profusely even though I didn't do anything wrong, be grateful we're all ok, smile, cycle off

This normally takes between 2 and 10 seconds, 60 seconds max.

This happened to me. I just waited it out until I'd spoken to the ambulance / police and it had all been resolved. I was lucky as there were lots of people around helping and making sure we were ok. The bonnet shitting came later.

^Followed that procedure to the dot. I even did a slightly awkward shoulder tap to say 'that was daft, don't do it again, I'm sorry I just swore, you are a moron' etc etc.

Couple of riders (cyclists and motorbike) down outside the post office on Kennington park road at 9am this morning. Didn't stop as there were loads of people helping but one guy looked to be in a bad way. Does anyone know what happened?

Got cut up by a guy on a bamboo bike on my way home last night. Thought of some fantastic, macho insults as he rode off into the distance. "watch it before someone snaps that fucking twiglet you're riding" type of thing. But he was long gone.

Caught up with him at some lights later on and of course said nothing.

Had, variously over the past 3 days

• 4x4 driver yelling "get a car" as he drove past
  
• tipper lorry driver honking and objecting verbally to me nipping through a red to get onto a pedestrian island at the junction with the A10 and the Round way. It's by far the sanest option to get to Downhills Park and there's never anyone on the island.
  
• several drivers beeping at me on the A10 and gesticulating wildly
  
  

I've ridden this route for 2 years but never had this much hassle before. #brokenbrexitbritain

Had variously over the past three days
Moorhens making a late dash in front of and (sheds a tear) under my front wheel.

Rats, none run over recently

A swan flapping aggressively at me

A cat doing the do I dash out or not game

#sameasalways

Didn't check my chain after the rain last week and fist time riding today and realised it was pretty hard to pedal. Stopped and checked it out and not only is it very dry but also trying to explode. New chain ordered and tube home so I don't die.

should service my bike more so i dont have to catch misery carriage home/10

Made contact with a ped this morning. I was already slowing because I saw him and feared he might step out (from the pavement to my left). He was looking in the opposite direction away from me. I assumed he was looking at the lorry bearing down on him/us as it overtook a parked vehicle on its side of the road and, even if he were unaware of my presence, he'd wait for the lorry to pass. There would have been enough space for me to carry on and I wouldn't have altered my speed if it weren't for my concerns that this chap might keep walking into the road. I managed to stop as we made contact so we both stayed upright (albeit with my rear wheel in the air). He was profusely apologetic. I suggested he take more care otherwise he'll do himself a serious injury. Not to mention me. He apologised again. I could have probably slowed more and sooner. But that's just between you and me.

#csb

Riding home in SE1 after working dead late, on Sunday. Stop at lights at the end of Union St at Borough High St. Guy waiting there on a lightly raised footway-cross section, resplendant in dayglo on a pretty lightweight geared thing. He's tall, fairly fit looking but not lightweight. I happen to glance down at his wheelset, Shimano I think, spoked maybe 24R 20F in pairs, maybe asymmetric spoking on the rear, idly thinking 'god I wonder why I ride 36h or 32h overbuilt wheels built on Sputniks all the time, that massive dude is fine on his weenie wheels. Or maybe not, actually, nah I wouldn't ride those commuting on London roads, they're sure to fail'...

The lights change and I pull away first, as he does so behind I hear that horrid sound of something on a wheel breaking, look back to see him dismounting in the cross-road.

Did I make it happen?!? What else am I going to idly wonder about? Shiiit. Feel like I'm Carrie or something.

I attempt to comiserate/offer tools/help and he basically blanks me. Deserved it.

^clearly he knew you were responsible!

Exactly! It was freaky. Like he sensed I didn't approve of his stupidly spindly wheels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Medusa_Touch_(film)

Not sure what happened really.

Just Riding Along......
Bike grinds to a halt, funny noises.
I think the bungee holding my bag on snapped, somehow this snapped the mudguard and jammed the wheel, and a a chunk of bungee hooked into the spokes and wrapped up behind the sprocket.
2 mins of umming and ahhing and off again, only minutes from home so nursed it back.

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SKS commuter mudguard

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Technically not my commute but, riding out of my town and a moped driver in front of me ...

1. His indicator is signalling left
   
2. He's looking at his phone
   
3. He turns right
   
   

How can you get something as simple as turning into a junction so, so wrong?