This morning's commute and other commuting stories

My commute in this morning requires 17hrs recovery apparently.

Anything less than 24h recovery appears with the message "train as usual" on my Garmin (Forerunner 935).

It takes a while to get used to training loads so it can give some bollocks results at first (plus it also bases the recovery stuff off HRV, so it can be useful pre-indicator for illness.)

You don't think I would actually use this bollocks value do you?

You don't think I would actually use this bollocks value do you?

You sound hangry. You should perhaps take some time to recover........

about 12 more hours should do it

I'm sure I've mocked Garmin's values in here before.
Doesn't everyone remember everything I say? You all should, obviously.

No, it was more angry. The meeting. Off-shore team of muppets...

Are you saying that we should crowd source an alternate to Garmin for your racing this year? It would allow for more frequent gooch updates.

Isn't there some new thing that black_rainbow_project set up a thread for?

Define "soon"....

Excellent!

I've already established why the Karoo doesn't work (for me). I will start emailing you all my posts... you're clearly missing some. :)

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/171238/?offset=1200#comment12924364

I already monitor HRV and it's going to be fucked tomorrow not because of this commute but because of a lack of sleep caused by "cheap" muppets this business hired that have to have everything they do fixed by expensive muppets like me.

I had a nightmare of a commute this morning.

Borrowing a KlicknFix and BigXTop bar bag to try out for commuting.

First issue, I didn't install the KlicknFix properly so after the
first bump it swung down so the bag hit the mudguard.

Then the main support bar in the BigXTop bag snapped clean in half so
now the bag couldn't even stay attached.

Then I noticed as a result of the bag resting on the mudguard causing
rubbing on the front tyre, the anchovy in the tubeless tyre had
loosened/partially escaped, causing a constant flapping and risk of
sudden deflation.

Then I remembered I hadn't properly inflated the tyre anyway.

Then to top it off I realised I hadn't re-indexed after fitting new
wheels so I only had use of about 3 gears.

Finished my commute with the bar bag stuffed into a tote bag which I
wore like a musette except it was trying to strangle me.

At work IT couldn't find their gaffer tape to let me bodge the bag so I used a biro and some normal sellotape to form a splint to hold the metal frame together. I installed the KlickNFix properly, and armed with my well thought out engineered solution, I set off.

The biro and sellotape lasted approximately 7 seconds.

So I popped into Cycle Republic opposite my office and they didn't have gaffer tape either but we used some cable ties. I was feeling confident, the KlickNFix was holding strong, the cable ties seemed to be doing the job, and I'd even pumped my front tyre up.

2 mins into my ride home I remembered that my rear derailleur still needed adjusting but I thought, it's OK, I'll HTFU.

5 mins into my ride, the metal frame was holding steady but the bag itself was sliding off the frame... so I held the bag with thumb and index finger death grip while keeping my left hand on the hood.

7 mins into my ride one of the cable ties just snapped and pinged off. Maybe they're not very good quality...

10 mins into my ride, all remaining cable ties snapped in one go and the bag fell onto the mudguard, the mudguard compressed, rubbed the tyre, and pulled the flapping anchovy out fully causing rapid deceleration.

Walked from Roman Road/Grove Road back to Dalston via Velorution on Mare St who told me their mechanic can't fix tubeless tyres.

Rode in on sweet fixie this morning and kept trying to move the brake lever to change gear.

Swapped the hardshell for a gillet and arm warmers. Felt like the right option. Got to start tanning up my pasty white legs so hopefully be bib short weather soon. Spring is on the way at last!

^ ^ try something new, oh nooz joy :(

keep bumping into murderous drivers at the lights in front of Peckham library, mostly gangsta wannabes with tainted windows and 0 emphathy any life forms outside of their cars... this people really seem to be upset by bikes, to the point that almost 8/10 friendly reminders that driving into other humans is far from nice could easily end up in a fight... honestly, this shit attitude (together with current state of the world) is really getting to me... shall I just change my commute? or join local martial arts club?

keep bumping into murderous drivers at the lights in front of Peckham library... shall I just change my commute? or join local martial arts club?

I think maybe you need to let people be wankers without trying to correct them. You know they’re wankers, most other people can see they’re wankers. They themselves, deep down, know this too, and the posturing is part of the wank that their lives represent. Don’t reinforce it by reacting, just stare through it and enjoy the nice things.

Am I making sense? #hippyshit

encounters like you mention (for me anyway) can remain as a distraction later in the commute.... reacting more slowly to the car door that's about to open whilst thinking about what whitty remark I should have made.

rather than changing route maybe give up on the friendly reminders and get yourself a cheapo fauxpro for handlebars (or do as @Skülly says^). i'm much more zen these days knowing I can upload any severe dickery to roadsafe. they might not listen to you at the time but they'll take notice once they get a prosecution letter from old bill.

that said, trying a different route a couple of days a week / riding at a different time of day might make all the difference.

let me walk you though my morning.

• Wake up a bit late
  
• go down to bike shed, I've forgotten my lunch
  
• go back to flat, get lunch, go back to shed
  
• I've forgotten my helmet, go back to flat
  
• go back to shed, I've got a flat tyre
  
• no tubes, walk to shop, fix puncture
  
• get to within 10m of where I had my big accident last year
  
• get knocked off by another cyclist who wasn't paying attention and drifted onto the wrong side of the road going down hill.
  
• help her as she's in shock, get her back on road.
  
• get to work, another puncture.
  
• missed all but the last 5 minutes of the webinar I was meant to attend.
  

I've got a flat tyre

Tubeless mate. Its the future.

#troll

pulling onto elephant and castle from borough direction in cs7 segregated lane last night, cyclist coming from bricklayers arms direction rolls through the red light going about 5mph, then without a single glance just turns slowly to his left and cycles straight at the 8 cyclists accelerating towards him as if he was intending to ride the wrong way down cs7 on wrong side of road.

compounded by twat who despite myself and the person beside me who had both been at the front of queue slowing down wondering what the fuck the other guy was doing accelerated between us and very nearly clattered the bloke, then got very angry despite him being almost as much of a bell-chief by not paying attention and pushing through slow moving traffic without checking why they were moving slowly.

Makes sense @Skülly, will try take a step back and get some popcorn (or at least not end up in a fight). I might skip the camera @pizzarat (doubt the old bill does care much, if they did we would see some actual policing and could use the fines £££ to pay for NHS, potholes or education) but I will try changing route/time and report back. Thanks both, gf will appreciate one less existential rant!

Anyone else witness the wipeout that took place on the E&C cycle lane this morning? Guy comes around corner pretty fast and lost it on the greasy road. Went down with a proper bang, then obv got that immediate rush that often follows an accident and grabbed his bike straightaway to ride off.

You have a bike shed but you go to a shop to fix a puncture? Is this why u haz all the bad karma today?

Yeah, kids, downhill is where you should all take a mental break. Oooh look at the pretty trees..

Its a very small shed, exactly the height of the bike I couldn't work in it really. I didn't have any tubes in the right size hence going to the shop.

She was pretty shaken, hopefully she was ok. Her pannier wasnt attached to the bike, just sort of sat on, so it went flying like her. I had to collect it and all its contents whilst she sat on the road.

Also webinar is just wrong. Maybe the universe is trying to tell you something?