This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Some teenage girls in a pony and trap on Waterloo Bridge at 5.30 pm not giving a single fuck because horse commuting in London is the future

That isn’t me, but I do head down the river. Keep an eye out for a black Flat bar Pre-Cursa with a porteur rack on the front.

How to jump red lights without being noticed...

https://youtu.be/9DYriOSPXIE

I and another cyclist saw a driver do just that at Piccadilly Circus, coming out of Regent Street (south) yesterday. There was nearly a crash as the queue coming from Piccadilly/Regent Street south got moving.

Seaward coach did that this morning ^^

Last night some twatfuck getting on the horn while I communicate to a driver his lights are off. I think he was renting the car or something because he couldn't work out how to turn the lights on.

Trainwankering it home after another curry last night. Train all tranquil until some short, fat, pissed / coked up tool in suit got on and proceeded to loudly act like a twat all the way to Shortlands, singing shit Palace songs and making snarky comments at anyone who he felt wasn't paying him enough attention.

Everything I hate about Kent Man rolled up into one big ball of utter cuntiness.

Being back on the bike this morning was bliss.

DAS'd by @ekudduke this morning as he flew up bedford road. too cold and stationary to oblige.

pleasant commute which eventually sapped me - got to the showers to find out I didnt pack my trousr - cue bibshorts/shorts for legwear

Must get out of the house earlier. Think if I can get out 20mins earlier, the commute will be real joy, got out ten mins earlier than i usually do, and the lack of traffic (in relation to the usual nose to tail stuff I have to ride through) was a revelation.
Also the temperature dropping below 10 degrees made me smile. It's forecast to stay that way through next week.
"Winter is Coming!"

Definitely earlier is better!

Massive difference is commute enjoyment based on time.

Vehicles on the road only climbs from 6-8am

This is a real swings and roundabouts issue for me because motorised traffic is lessened if i leave at 6.45 compared to 7ish so there's less chance of lanes being blocked and more of a free flowing commute through the colliers wood/tooting section which is the narrowest part of the route.

however the trade off is the bus lane out of morden isn't enforced for another 15 minutes and every single day I will be dangerously passed by at a bare minimum one black cab and one large van regardless of whether I take the centre of the lane or not as the vans usually want to turn left halfway along to use the back roads up to wimbledon (which is also a 20mph road with speed bumps that i've never seen a car doing less than 25 along it but that's another story). and the cabbies just feel the need to always use the bus lane (or drive in the middle of both) even though traffic along that road is always free flowing at that point and there's literally no reason to not use the lane next to it other than to be a massive cunt about it and crowd me as much as possible.

there's literally no reason to not use the lane next to it other than to be a massive cunt

Winds me up when people do this. Happens to me regularly on Westminster bridge.

Happens to me regularly

ftfy

Yeah, how hard is turn the steering wheel an extra 2cm. Cunts.

I assumed that they were worried they'd have bus lane access removed if they didn't forcibly use it whenever they could, regardless of how annoying.

Same route as me, but normally pass through Morden at 7:10. Didn't realise the bus lane was a nightmare earlier (few times I've been that early I must have been lucky).

Will try leaving 10 earlier and see if CS7 is better.

if you pass a fatty with a massive beard on a black fixed gear with a bluetooth speaker say hi :)

btw if i leave at 6.45 my commute to clerkenwell generally takes 50-55 minutes depending on lights but if i leave at 7.10 it takes 1h-1h5m

Will do! I'm 6'7 so you'll spot me from a mile away, typically on ti bike with WTB horizons.

I'll give leaving 10 minutes earlier a try, problem is I'm usually in the office by 8, but my team don't arrive till 9:30. Two hours of extra work a day is probably excessive... ...although I could spend it cycling around a park....

You cycle 2 hours a day and are still a fatty?

In the office 3 days a week

Hackney council have permanently closed my street to through traffic! used to take 500 to 600 cars an hour in the evening. So much more relaxing pulling up to my house now

You cycle 2 hours a day and are still a fatty?

You are not alone, @hippy, in combining many hours of cycling and huge mass. Deal with it.

0 degrees tonight! Brrrrrr but lovely with a bright new(ish) moon. Glad to have packed an extra layer to wear.

I'm off work sick following a steroid jab on Wednesday in my injured left elbow in an attempt to get it sorted after a fucking YEAR, so I've been at home lazing about for three days. I get a call from the good lady who is riding home from Hounslow to Thornton Heath (about 18 miles), gets halfway home and her rear gear cable snaps. Mech jumps to the small sprocket, forcing her to grind home on a 42/12. She nailed it, bless her.

She does a minimum of 36 miles a day, sometimes up to 50 miles cos she rides to see patients during the day. Usually rides her Aussie crit bike, which is so short and steep that if I ride it I swear my foot hits not the wheel, but the front hub. It's mad. She turns 50 next month, too. I dunno how she does it.

Also, the amount of grief she gets from other (usually male) riders who hate being overtaken by her, plus car drivers who think a fit woman in Lycra is a legitimate target for abuse, is appalling. I keep meaning to follow her to work and back one day at a distance, but I reckon I'd be on a murder charge if I did.

Yesterday's commute was made immeasurably better by the presence of a sick rainbowfadez hearse. Today's 6am wake up call to head to Chicksands for some bikefun totally worth it for the early morning frost. Feelin' good.