This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Rode next to a right weapon on one of those grim Colnago Ottantas with lightweight wheels, full RCC kit, middle aged, lycra, overweight, slow as balls, never looked over his shoulder before swerving over, tried to undertake, overtake buses to be met with traffic and had to slow down and pull back in.
Time to call out bad cyclists thread >>>>

But I had fun giving a loud tut before overtaking and hammering it off into the distance, once again winning my commute

I agree with all of this

I agree with you agreeing.

My commute involves a bit like this and I'm constantly terrified of someone popping out of a row of cyclists coming in the other direction straight into my path.

I spose it's no different to cars on a road, though.

I spose it's no different to cars on a road, though.

If everyone was constantly trying to overtake everyone else without ever looking in their mirrors and without leaving any room between them and the person ahead.

So you're saying bicyclers should undergo some sort of compulsory training and maybe a test to make sure they're safe on the road? I see you. You big Daily Mail reader.

If everyone was constantly trying to overtake everyone else without ever looking in their mirrors and without leaving any room between them and the person ahead.

So ... No different to cars on a road then

Sounds about right

Fair point.

And @Hefty :) nope, but I am saying they should try not to take me down with them...

Now its been mentioned, I've started noticing it on the stretch between Blackfriars bridge up to Clerkenwell. Some buffoon tears out from the other side and attempts a quick overtake before pulling in at the last moment. Its like driving in Sicily.

Proper fucks me off this does.

https://open.spotify.com/track/5O5l0kdYkxLmtZK2528LdO

https://www.soundhound.com/?t=100904316646978259

Had a couple of nods / ello's this morning from co-commuters. Nice! Unlikely to be anyone on here, mind you in rrurryll Oxfrodshyre?

Had a filtery commute from putney to chelsea with embankment being shut at battersea bridge because due to the motocyclist fatality. Thats two two wheeled riders killed at bridge intersections along that stetch in two weeks. Brings home the fragility of life once more. Stay safe folks.

Also rode Putney through Chelsea and it was a right cluster fuck.
Agreed, stay safe

All manner of fuckwittery on display this morning. One prommuter on Southwark Bridge Rd seemed highly agitated, bouncing around on his bike like a loon at the lights. He was virtually chewing his bars. Bit early for that snort of thing I thought.

Also saw a blue on blue at Elephant and castle - some muppet swerving around and touching wheels with the guy behind who went down. Third such incident in three days. People need to calm the f down.

haha nice!

Close shave this morning - CS7 heading North, grimy box van decides the green light for the bike lane at Stockwell is for him as well. He charges through cutting across myself and two other bicyclists, cue lots of swearing and wobbling as all three of us slam on the anchors and bail out the way.

What really fucked me off was the two cars behind him, who having seen three of us nearly go under a box van, decide they too should follow him through on a red. Went after the lot of them but lost them when they all ran the next lights.

Not the first time this has happened to me there at Stockwell, please never assume vehicles are going to respect the red light next to the bike lane guys.

agreed - this has happened to me multiple times on the CS3 junction between cable street and royal mint street in the run up to Tower Bridge.

It seems there are a lot of drivers out there who just aren't aware that there are even specific cycle lanes, let alone traffic lights that don't apply to them.....

It seems there are a lot of drivers out there who just aren't aware.

ftfy

Fuck no. Cameron territory.

Nearly ran into a blown over tree (was dark, wasn't concentrating) in the lane, cut up by a Mini with bikes on a the roof rack (hello? cyclist?), mahossive headwind, deluge-soaked. Because Autumn I guess...

First 12 miles very dry. Last mile very wet.

A lovely fresh October morning up through Archway, until I got to the top of Highgate hill, when it suddenly got dark. "Aha" I thought, "It's darker on this side of the hill because I'm heading Northwest, and the low winter sun has not yet fully risen over the treetops." Of course, that was complete bollocks, the reason it was dark was a torrential cloudburst that almost knocked me out the saddle and left me looking like I had been hit with a fire hose.

This. But also in Brixton. Was inappropriately dressed - fuck you weatherpersons.