This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Had a delightful incident on the way home last night with a guy in a Luton van come within inches of sandwiching me between his van and some parked cars while overtaking me. Then, when he inevitably got stuck in traffic further down the road, I complained about his driving prompting him to try and reverse in to me, before eventually getting out of the cab and pushing me over. Reported to the police.

I used the trail as part of my commute briefly in the summer and it was lovely and quiet, always baffled me too.

Used the forum approved slow-to-crawl today but could not shake my wheelsucker, even at 10mph on an empty road. Kept going at that pace until I reached a gentle hill, then pulled the pin on the leg grenades to successfully shed him.

Won the commute.

Until I saw him again at the next set of lights.

pulled the pin on the leg grenades

Using this

But only if you shout "Fire in the hole!!" before doing so.

Tough day of courier action - angry drivers, and suicidal pedestrians, but was totally stoked to spot Wiggins weaving through traffic on New Oxford Street!

Speedy puncture right as I cruised into the train station this morning. Swift and elegant replacement of tube and wheel between Hertford East and St Margarets (a journey of eight minutes).

No one say anything about how it only takes them four minutes, please. Let me have my moment.

I suspect it only took you eight minutes because you knew you had the luxury of eight minutes. Had you been roadside with tutting club mates it would have only taken you four.

The bus is so dull, but hope to commute on bike again this week.
Also, delivering around Tower Bridge is excellent since the bridge closure. Almost no traffic.

Graveyard shift week.
Rode home on empty roads.
Gentle fog wafting over the road, and just hanging below the street lights.
Like a horror movie.
No scary clowns needed D-locking to death.
Spooked a big fluffy black and white cat, he was watching something hiding in the low level mist.......
I stealthed along, silent
Cat became aware i was there within 5 feet of it, all 4 paws shoot out and it hugs the ground.
Watching me
Out stealth it
I stealth past into the darkness
I scared something on Halloween :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz0lXNNkqac

stunning..........

i ran through a dead Badger guts this morning - despite 2 front lights

cold and dry ,cars behaving - starry sky lovely sunrise
8/10

yesterday was a soggy wet fest of epic proportions
3/10

Had planned to do the 28 mile commute this morning but despite waking up on time I couldn't seem to find the wherewithal to actually get up. Now riding a train full of bellends (self included). I can see this becoming something of a theme now the clocks have gone back.

Next time, think about that train, the grey people you will be sharing space with and how they will turn you into one of them. Why suffer that when you could be a cycling legend that everyone wants to date/have a beer with?

Kudos to you for sticking it out up until now. I've been taking the train half way/bike the rest for a couple of weeks now.

Today the air is thick with semi-condensed water and diesel crap. My Tudor just behaved like a sponge on a quick roll from school, stopped at home to find something to protect me .... hmmmm ... clingfilm?

The dawn, the mist, the wind putting all of the autumn leaves into the air.

It was almost magical on the Embankment this morning.

waxinglyrical/10

I still cant work out how i managed to find a head wind in this fog.

Foggy, cold. Pleasant. London bridge is choatic at best. Alternative - embankment where people do not know how to ride

9/10

Stop at my fave coffee shop in southwark. Had to take off layers as soon as I enter, but still sweating like a pigman. Must be the black pudding sweats (not a euph).

Barely any wind and sunny in Belfast.

Got greeted with an almighty stink as the Lagan river is very low (they sometimes lower the level using the Harbour Weir) which means the silt/algae layer is exposed.

Lo and behold a Belfast Bike turned up in the silt...I'll phone them and see if they want to dredge it out. (and lots of old sofas, shopping trolleys ...)

Cheers! I've only been doing it two days a week, train the rest of the time. Where have you been riding the train from/to?

I've generally been enjoying the rides in, quite nice setting off at about 7, soon gets light and I don't feel too knackered when I get to work.

The rides home are pretty unappealing though; setting off at dusk and riding through shit traffic for two hours to arrive home in the dark, completely spent is a bit grim.

I guess a possible alternative is to ride in one day, then train home, train in early the next day and leave at 4 on the bike to get home for 6.

Yesterday evening was a strange commute. I left work a little early, around 17:30, and could not believe the degree of gridlock throughout London. Embankment clogged, Parliament Square not moving, everywhere around St James's Park stopped, and then I got to Hyde Park Corner where police had blocked off Knightsbridge. They let me roll through, but I'm not sure why as a little further up another cordon stopped me altogether and then it dawned on me what I could see, an articulated lorry and a construction vehicle with a lot of blue lights around them right at the junction I knew the 21yr old cyclist had died earlier in the day.

Riding up through Hyde Park as a diversion it was bumper to bumper. Broke out on to Kensington High Street and nothing was moving. And it was like it the whole way home, Hammersmith, Chiswick, all the way. No cars moving, everything stopped and drivers resigned to it taking hours.

What struck me was how stressful that ride was. The slower the traffic, the more likely a frustrated car driver would do some insane sudden squeeze into a small gap, or that a pedestrian would emerge from inbetween vehicles.

Got home exhausted. This morning's foggy ride was blissful in comparison.

Cold knees today, where did I put those longies?

Hertford East to Tottenham Hale in the mornings, the reverse in the evenings. I'm quite fond of riding around in the dark - I liked getting to work in time to watch the sunrise. Alas, daylight saving has robbed me of that pleasure.

On a longish commute I've done now and again (Ealing - Brockley) I was lucky enough to be able to use a train even in rush hours as I was travelling opposite the main crowds, so if I didn't feel like 1hr20m commute both ways I could mix it up with some pubic transport. I guess @TurtleRecall you're not so fortunate? Time to get a Brompton?