This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Nothing eventful today. Except sweet sweet speeeeeed awww yiss.

Yesterday, an enthusiastic gentlemen marvelling at my (hardly gnarly) brklss skillz. Was pleasantly surprised as he opened with the ever ominous "NO BRAKES?"

friendlyfellowroadusers/10

Gave some props to a dad out with his kid in a cargo bike. Nice to see.

Talking about cargo bikes, about a week ago on the cycle highway near blackfriars station I saw someone on a massive blue cargo bike with a fucking 1.5m trailer attached; I've seen cars towing smaller ones! The trailer had about 10 bikes on the trailer and maybe three in the front section of the bike. How he pedaled that along I do not know!

Saw a mum pedalling her two kids through Finsbury Park on a cargo bike this morning; they were pointing up at the squirrels in the trees and she was answering their questions. The dad was rolling along beside on his own bike. Made me feel all warm inside it did.

In Hyde Park I occasionally see a mum riding a bike with Irish Setter attached and accompanying her two boys also on bikes to school - proper multi-tasking :)

Blinded by gnats and mozzies on the way home past South Bermondsey on the Q1.

ProtectiveEyewear/10

Those are the notorious Millwall Mozzies, they’re hard as nails, a bit lairy and no one likes them. But they don’t care.

yeah thats this cycle courier company called pedalme i think. I did a trial shift at the shop were those bikes were being delivered (they were rentals). They all came completely mangled, dings and paint scratches on every bike. Two of the bikes seemed to have frame ending damage. Was an eventful trial shift.

A wallaby.
In the lane at Checkendon.
Amazing.

Ha, have they swum over from the Isle of Man? @andy.w :)

Couldn't process what I was seeing at first. Just here, about 6.30
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Checkendon/@51.5412892,-1.0339622,390m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x487690b777bbc89f:0x978a2c871d41389b!8m2!3d51.5367138!4d-1.0382059

Probably. Little buggers are everywhere.

A few years back there were wallabys at Fawley Manor near to Henley-on -Thames. One night all 12 of them made a break for freedom and escaped their enclosure. One of them was recovered bounding down Henley High Street. Amusing times!

Took the mudguards off, just before leaving for work!
(Sorry for the 40 days of horizontal rain that this will kick off).

After today's nodder fest with the good weather I have a great would you rather - So would you rather ride in on quiet roads in the rain or in warm weather but surrounded by nodders?

Supposed to be a thunderstorm this evening isn't there? I took my mudguards off last night too but 3 days of riding over the weekend left me with floppy jelly legs today so I took the train. Inevitably my train was cancelled, points failure delayed everything and I'm now sweaty and late for work 😔

I'd rather the rain.

Only way to avoid it is to leave earlier and earlier to avoid them.

I'd take my chances in a thunderstorm every time (15 years on the Brighton commute was a slow -delayed, delayed, delayed, cancelled, delayed- death).

Multiple drivers spotted on their mobile phones this morning. Cunts.

Lovely weather though.

Yeah, if I was still in London I would but this is a 46mi round trip now, so jelly legs and potentially shit weather (with no mudguards) made me take the "easy" option. Oh well...

How much rain we talking?

Yikes! Yup...

Nice weather but crazy pollution levels today

Let's go with mid-January moderate, where shoe covers are needed but not wet enough that you walk into the office with wet socks.