This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Tricolor hub, Omega ('19' I think) rim, but that's seen better days.
I think I've pushed my luck with it. Nipples are rusty and many of the spoke nuts are stuck fast. Might result in a longer job for not much return - but you're right, it's worth a try (if only for wheel-building practice.)
Will measure the spoke and hunt out a replacement. Will have to run another wheelset in the meantime, a late-night pfaff I'd not counted on :-(
Have put a 'wanted' ad up as well, just in case someone has something lovely / better for sale.

Well... I hope I don't die. Took a spoke off a spare wheel (a Weinmann / Malliard combo, so no idea what the spoke is, but would be about the same vintage. But it's black not silver. 1st world problems, etc.)
It was a bit long so trimmed the threaded end down a bit and spoked it in. Tensioned, popped on the truing stand, now less wobbly that it was before. Not perfect, but not bad for at £5 (for a Campag Omega Strada 19 rim on a Tricolor hub), so finger's crossed for tomorrow.

I rode passed the scene of a cyclist/motorist collision this morning, BMW stopped with hazards on in the entrance of a turning into a side road, having come from the main road. The cyclist holding her chin in the pavement with people helping her. It had all the hallmarks of shit infrastructure, there is a shared use path along the main road which as ever disappears at the junction of the side road and then continues on the other side. The cycling had crossed the first part of the junction, crossed the pedestrian refuge / shared use refuge (I assume ?) and had started to cross the second part of the junction and the BMW must have pulled in and t-boned her.

My understanding of the highway code is that motorists are supposed to give way to pedestrians already crossing a side street, is same true for a cyclist on a shared use path ? I assume it doesn't say anything and therefore the motorist has a licence to kill with total impunity.

I just ask because the cunt BMW driver was more interested in the damage to his bonnet than the person he'd driven his cunt wagon into.

Started seeing this guy on a red Merida disc mamil cart, with Assos shorts and replica WC jersey regularly on my commutes, one of the worst cyclists I've seen in London. Aims himself at pedestrians when overtaking on shared use paths forcing them to scatter, never seen him avoid RLJing, and overtakes at the the most stupid points to 'win at commuting' before being overtaken by every 1/2 fit person behind when overtaking is actually safe. It's started making what was a pleasant commute, blood boiling.

My new route, while way quieter, is much more prone to head-on negotiation with drivers in narrow streets with parked cars either side.

As such, I now spend the whole time daydreaming about what a wonderful place London would be if people didn't insist on having cars and taking up so much fucking room (both parked and while using the road).

Selfish gits.

My understanding of the highway code is that motorists are supposed to give way to pedestrians already crossing a side street, is same true for a cyclist on a shared use path ? I assume it doesn't say anything and therefore the motorist has a licence to kill with total impunity.

HWC Rule 170: http://www.highwaycode.info/rule/170

I don't think that is of any help here. The cyclist, by cycling at the time, isn't a pedestrian.[1]

I'd need to see a picture of the junction (is Streetview accurate, if so post a link) to say any more.

From the description I would hope that common sense would put the vast majority of the onus on the vehicle turning, but sadly I can guess how this will end up playing out.

1. Before anyone quotes Crank vs Brooks that specifically applied to a someone pushing a bike (not riding it) across a pedestrian crossing. "If for example she had been using it as a scooter by having one foot on the pedal and pushing herself along, she would not have been a ‘foot passenger’. "
   

Asking if you were alright was my distraction technique for while your wallet...

Kick his wheels out as you overtake?

Nipples are rusty
nuts are stuck fast.

Does this happen to everyone when they get older?

Not commuting on the bike anymore as I've moved back to deepest darkest Essex... it seems like since I've left and come back, motorists have had some kinda of epiphany... they give you so much room it's not even funny, I've only had to shout at one driver in 3 months for getting too close... weird! Good to see all and sundry RLJing on the walk to the office though and it's not just what I call proper cyclists... it's bloody everyone!

Fucking hate parked cars on roads.

If you don't have a parking spot you shouldn't have a car.

My bike, car, bus journeys all slowed while I'm subsidising some other prick's (lack of) parking space.

Disc brakes, if the pro's are to be believed I would be running the risk of severing my leg if I get within a foot of them.

The collision appears to have happen, from the position of the car just beyond where the lollypop lady is.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.8791787,-1.2541126,3a,75y,339.93h,78.93t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sigQskL9KXBExbLo8hEI_ow!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo3.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3DigQskL9KXBExbLo8hEI_ow%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dsearch.TACTILE.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D96%26h%3D64%26yaw%3D322.3171%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656

Nipples are rusty
nuts are stuck fast.
The ship was too cold
For climbing the mast

Ah, a nice wet road provides a reminder that motorists are kind enough to leave a nice streak of oil/fuel along primary position in the lane. That way I know where I should be riding and in no way is that why my discs are squeaking like mouse hell.
A moped delivery guy however disagreed with my road position later on my commute and told me I should be on the left after he tried to undertake at a right turn junction where there was no room for him to pass. Following some strong effing and blinding on his part, I enquired as to whether that was all he'd got, and apparently it was. In fairness it was a bit early for an escalation.

I enquired as to whether that was all he'd got

Excellent reply. Will save for future use.

Fucking hate parked cars on roads.

And on pavements.

pun intended?

Nipples are rusty
nuts are stuck fast.
The ship was too cold
For climbing the mast.
Ropes would untighten
For knots weren’t to last

Crazy commute yesterday evening. I blame the twylight and impatient knobjockies behind the wheel. Normally my riding is incident free and I'm generally surprised by the ammount of difficult interactions recorded in this thread. Last night, I had two.

First up, just after setting off I'm turning right from Horseferry Road onto Embankment when some cunt in a BMW launches off the line having come over lambeth bridge and going stright on. He then has to jam the anchors on when he finally sees me, que tyre squeal and much swearing from me. Shaken. But a cabby did ask if I was ok.

Then, nearly home in Kingston, cruising down a bus lane with traffic backed up in the main carriagway, some utter wankstain decides to do the old manouvre, signal, mirror job and shoot for a quick left about 50m up the road. Straight into the side of me, he also jams the anchors, more tyre squeal which prevents a bad accident but is just suffcient to allow me to wipe out his mirror. Just as well, as I'd have D-locked it given the chance as he clearly doesnt actually use it.

All in all, got home wondering if its all worth it. Resolved to order all the lights and bright gilet to up the defences. Looking forward to it being really dark as i'm sure its safer than this half n half bullshit.

Lights and shit only works if fuckwits look.

I'm buying a full-face helmet, full body armour and I'm just going to see how many cars I can fuck up before I get killed. ;)

Twas a good boy this morning and stopped to tell nice lady in the back of a mini-cab that her coat belt was caught in the door.

^ Fun but sweaty. How well does chainmail breathe?

Start a 'Rider Down' thread?