This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Surely any petrol station with air n water too?

Most garages don't like you to use them for bicycle tyres, all too easy to create a loud bang if you're not careful.

I've seen some garages turn the air machine off (remotely) if they see someone try and use it for a bicycle. Obviously some garages don't give a shit so you might get away with it.

Not for presta valves.

Handy to keep one of these for that reason

Tuesday morning was going down Upper Richmond Road in Putney, toward Richmond Park. Cars were backing up but I was giving it the beans in the marked cycle lane. A volvo did a right turn without looking properly. I had no time to even brake and went into the wheel well at about 35kmph. I rolled across the bonnet and up the windscreen and then off the car onto my feet, remarkably almost unscathed (slight bruise on my hip). Pedestrians were screaming at the sight of the accident.

The carbon frame took all the impact and the area where the headset meets the downtube was almost severed by the force, presumably the forks had been pushed back. The whole thing is written off.

I couldn't communicate with the driver because she had too much shock to speak properly. Having had a few of these scraps before, I diligently documented the scene and took witness details. After a while, remarkably the driver tried to defend herself by saying she usually pays extra close attention to cyclists.

I'm sure most people would change their mind if it happened to them.

Also if its not a cunt of a person behind the wheel (i know its an impossible thought) it could help change their behavior. (probs wont thou)

(probs wont thou)

At which point you may resort to using frozen sausages

As much as the driver should have checked it was clear do you think that "giving it the beans" and doing 35k in a cycle lane was just plain stupid?

Maybe, but it is a long stretch of fairly unimpeded road. Technically it is the South Circular, so I dont think it is unsafe to be going those kind of speeds.

but you proved it was unsafe

Where in Putney was it? Do you know the road name? (Dealtry Rd is a classic place for fuckwittery but there's no cycle path there.)

No ulterior motive, just interested as I live in Putney (but my route to RP goes via the back roads and along Putney Heath and down Danebury Avenue).

dangerous_d - cars backing up, giving it the beans, 35kmph.

Sounds about right.

Filtering at that speed is always unsafe. Doing 35 in primary is very different to 35 in the gutter disguised by rows traffic. It's pretty obvious really.

I dont make a habit over hammering it in on the commute but I wouldnt have been able to react if I was going half the speed.

Near the leisure centre on upper richmond road

slow reactions?

Had that happen to me three years ago, which is why I mostly filter down the centre now than in the bike lane on upper Richmond road..

Was unwise in hindsight even though I have been up and down that stretch without even a close call for several years, usually going a bit slower

No ulterior motive, just interested as I live in Putney

+1 to this

Turning off Richmond Road into the leisure centre? That's always a bit hairy there. Was driving back into Putney back along that way once, when a lady looked straight at me, then turned her car across the lane in front of me. Only when I screeched to a halt and gave it the "what on earth are you doing??" look, did she realise.

This would have been on the drivers view before turning right

https://goo.gl/maps/mtuCbQVaPJ12

Every so often even more cycle marking appear on the ground, presumably placed by TfL/Council in lieu of actual segregation. They are almost like rumble strips now there are so many.

I know where - bit further along than I thought. Problem might be that with plenty of Richmond parkers bombing up and down there, people forget to look out for them due to familiarity with bikes whizzing about?

Agreed, not uncommon to see people go full TT down URR in rush hour

No, he was cycling West away from Putney and a car turned right (South) across him.

Dealtry Rd was my first guess as the junction there (including Dryburgh Rd) is a hotbed of vehicular fuckwittery, but he says there was a cycle lane, so it's probably further West from there and a road such as Colinette/Malbrook/Briar Walk/Woodborough...

Filtering fast past slow moving cars will always increase risk for you. If you do it up the inside you run the risk of this kind of thing. If you go up the outside you run the risk of either a car being let out from a side road on the left (so it can turn right across your path) or a car you're overtaking suddenly deciding to pull out for a right turn up ahead or just attempt a u-turn.

For URR to Roehampton Gate I'd do something this: https://goo.gl/maps/oDTY42ieQ6s but it depends on the time of day. It's a bit wiggly but it's relatively quiet (except Putney Heath and the wiggle to get onto Danebury Avenue).

Thanks, will test it out. Tried it once before but got a little lost but I think my days on URR are over.

I'm increasingly reluctant to filter down the centre due to the rapid growth of the moped menace.

I quite like taking the route across the gravel of Puney Park Lane and then on through the car park of Roehampton Hospital. You can then head down Clarence Lane and turn off through the estate to get to Danebury Avenue.

It's dangerous d!

I watched someone bin it in front of me with the same thing. I've also had some shaves in my many past lives. I just don't risk it any more - I'm much more conservative along any line of cars. There's ALWAYS a turning car, a car going through an invisible gap or a ped running through a gap to the other side. Fucking always, the bastards.