This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Which no one would have partaken in as it was so fucking windy out there! I tried to tuck in behind any vehicle possible but that still didn't help.

Ah dammit, I forgot to ask someone to take a picture of me the bike! Was hoping to enter for that free bike! Oh well.

Blackfriars Bridge was pretty hairy this morning. Lots of bikes wanting to overtake real close but was just not safe enough with the crosswind.

Took a slight detour around Dulwich Village, as did everyone else it seems. Need to plan this better.

Happy #CycleToWorkLikeAC*nt Day everyone!

Gails tho...

Wasn't that windy in SE, sheltered by the overpriced townhouses and maisonettes, innit. There was a lot of post-storm detritus, which in Dulwich is mostly loose pages from the FT and some disheveled au pairs

Haha accurate description.

Yeah, really not that bad out there. Grinding up CP Park Hill felt like more of a slog than usual. Luckily I go down Burbage road so I miss the Dulwich clusterf---.

Commuted on the Brompton for the first time since May. Hell of a day for it. Had a series of pedestrians leap out in front of me along the Embankment cycle lane, then the wind along Millbank stopped me in my tracks and fired my kneecaps into orbit. Also, overdressed and was a sweaty mess.

UEA cancelled C2W day, postponed 'til next week. Pansies.

Bin lorry blocking half the road, one car waiting. Should have positioned myself in the middle behind but instead stayed left, lane ahead clears so car moves, so I move and so does the car behind me, overtaking me as I overtake the bin lorry leaving me a couple of inches either side. Cue gesticulation and a raising of the finger, cue car stopping in the road to have it out with me. I oblige and get a load of abuse. Meanwhile both lanes are blocked as the car following us are coming around the lorry and so the cars coming from the other can't move, so cue abuse coming from them. Despite not swearing and trying to indicate all I wanted her to do was let me go around the lorry I get called a fucking idiot.

Really wish sometimes these exchanges would end more positively. I once chased down a van that overtook me and then immediately turned left dangerously. I explained how dangerous the maneuver was to cyclists and he was surprised and apologetic: he siimply hadn't considered it as anything wrong or dangerous. I suspect this driver hadn't considered how intimidating her maneuver was, drivers just need to be educated much more about the space a cyclist needs.

In other news they are re-surfacing the road overnight I am commuting on, which means every morning another half-mile has had it surface ripped off, it now rides like some singletrack, with exposed metalwork added. Not nice on some 25c tyres, so I hoped on the pavement (rural road) in the end as I was afeared of a puncture. Which I duly got half-a-mile from work, either from that or from something else.

But the sun was shining and the headwind wasn't too bad.

They are repaving down Bethenal Green rd at night so its always a nice surprise as where new tarmac will be and where the road has been ripped up.

I cycled all the way across town today and was amazed by how much room I was given. My advice would be to always ride with another bike frame on you back. Its incredible how much space cars give you when they are suddenly worried about getting scratched by a piece of metal.

https://cycling.today/cyclist-says-his-pool-noodle-makes-toronto-streets-safer-for-him/

Pool noodles do a good job too.

That is pretty jokes. I wonder how that would go down in london?

i always find this. whenever i have a frame cars wait and then when they can pass on the other side of the road. Bit of a hassle lugging a frame around all the time though..

Haha have done that recently. I rely on a series of little out-of-control swerves when I hear cars approaching as if I got a bad physical tick. Also rule of thumb is if one car passes you close and you don't react all the others will pass you like that. Have a close pass and start waving your arm about and suddenly it's 1.5 metre town

I think incandescent rage most likely. Would be good if a big group did it all on the same day though as a kind of protest.

Clicked on it just to find out what the fuck a pool noodle is, now I'm wondering where I get one

Just get a carbon frame. Maximum buyer status achieved.

Pool Noodle! Have you not lived?! Pool noodles were a high ranking cause of brother on brother fight escalation. What starts out as a friendly sword fight often descends into attempted drowning.

Re swerving: absolutely do this all the time.

Strong wind last night so some fat green conkers had fallen and been crushed so there was that white froth stuff all over the shop.

Rode in on the Hartley today. Some guy pulled up alongside me and told me how nice my bike is.

Damn straight.

Its incredible how much space cars give you when they are suddenly worried about getting scratched by a piece of metal.

Cars have feelings, too, you know.

At first I read that as:

Rode in on the Harley today.