This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Nope, wide open slope basically, with a few things you could jump off but there was plenty of room for them. I remember exactly what he said now, 'mate you need to move because we are about to come through here being rad'. Then he rode off before I could tell him where to stick it, so opted for the passive-aggressive approach. Lots of stretching, taking in the view and drinking slowly from a bidon.

[Edit] Oh yeah, the relevant part to the conversation was struggling to control it as the front flatted immediately as I came fast downhill. Just managed to avoid a major crash when this prick showed up. He must have at least heard and possibly saw me.

One time the roadie let go on the front there was a big fucking flash to go with the bang. It looked like something had actually exploded a friggin Lethal Weapon film. I couldn't work out what it was and in the end put it down to the talc in the tyre leaving rapidly in a white cloud that looked like a flashbang grenade going off. Fun times.

I have had a blow out on my double pushchair 100m into a parkrun. I had the heaviest two kids in that day, and we started at the back behind 250 odd people after a 60 second wait. We went off the path to overtake and must have gone over a big spiky twing because there was an almighty bang and a flat tyre. It turned out the tyre was worn and the inner tube hd picked out when I pumped it up in the quest for a quicker time. DNF and a two miles walk home lifting one side of the pushchair up off the ground.

Decent upper body workout if nothing else

Replacing an inner tube and relying on the crappy built in pressure gauge I overpumped and ruptured the inner tube. I was doing this in the front room which helped emphasise the bang. That was an experience...

I once asked @hp93 to read my tyre and tell me what the max pressure was, he said 95 so I pumped it up to 90 and left the bike by the radiator in the hallway. Half hour later it exploded like someone chucked a grenade through the window.
Max pressure on the tyre was 85...

Reminds me of the time when I lived in a studio flat and so my bike was at the end of the bed. Hadn’t ridden it in days, so was very confused and disorientated when a tube randomly exploded at 3am next to my head. I thought the Glock under my pillow had gone off!

I pumped it up to 90

Should've asked Ed.

Lost my lock on the way home. Don't cycle over it anyone.

very nearly did this yesterday when someone dropped their silver kryptonite right at the front of the shoal of cyclists riding onto southwark bridge from queen st.

can't think of a worse place to have to try and recover a lost lock than the middle of the junction on lower thames st.

This was circa 2012/3 on a leader fixed gear. I didn’t care about tyre pressures then other than “pump it as high as it’ll go”

lip over the rim then along come Monday and bang bang.

sounds like an enjoyable turn of events...

Done that once or twice. I think one time was first latex tube use and I'd trapped the tube under the tyre. Ears ringing for a while... I'm much more careful installing tubes these days.

I once asked @hp93 to read my tyre and tell me what the max pressure was

Lol, good times.

I just reported a taxi driver to TFL because he fully stopped and blocked an ASL in front of me and shooed me away with his hand when I asked him why he didn't stop before the ASL.

What have I become?! To be fair I wouldn't have bothered if he wasn't so smarmy and dismissive.

Fully aware nothing will come of it but I hope he has to fill out like 3 forms to log this incident and this mildly inconveniences him.

Drivers of vans with the hi-vis stickers with ‘highway maintenance’ on the back doors. Good morning, you don’t appear to have seen me twice today. I’m hoping there’s a special circle in hell for your cuntish driving, perhaps where you have to ride heavy, crap mtb’s in ful hi-vis workwear while scaffold lorries close pass you. Forever. Thank you.

.

Finally got round to switching out the cheap deathtrap tires and replacing with a pair of Marathon plus and new tubes on my commuter bike. Come down this morning to find two flat tires, looks to be slow punctures. Hoping that it's not a bad batch as I have another 8 that I bought at the same time.

hippy's so fat he just rides in front of drivers like that and makes his own ASL.

I definitely did that..

"perhaps where you have to ride heavy, crap mtb’s in ful hi-vis workwear while scaffold lorries close pass you."

Sounds like some of the cyclists I see here ;)

Saw a pack of around a dozen cycle paramedics (presumably in training) rolling down Holborn viaduct towards Chancery lane at about 11:30 this morning.

Wondered how many motorists found themselves suddenly torn between respect for the emergency services and anger towards bloody cyclists, 2-abreast taking up the road.

buys paramedic bike and kit

Great idea, right until the point when someone flags you down with a proper medical emergency.

At which point you are the same as a normal responder and have a more important 'client' to attend to. Sorted.

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Keep your eyes peeled around #London this week, & you may spot:

1. potential new secondees on their @PSCycling course &
   
2. current members of the unit working hard to pass their instructor course.
   #GoodLuck everyone! If you spot them, please give them a wave of #encouragement
   
   

Their defibs fit in the palm of your hand but they're still carrying 40 kilos I think.