This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Maybe he just really wanted to thank you.

windproof on today, was chilly at 7deg and windy and spots of rain.

Got car doored about two months ago and havent been riding since. Started again this morning and aimed for a slow and steady ride in but it just seemed like every arsehole and thier gran was out. The worst was cyclist not stopping at junctions when turning left. happened about four or five times with me having to slow and swurve as they took the corner into my path.

Maybe i was more sensitive for having not been riding and not used to it but fuck that as an ok thing to do, felt well dangerous.

TBH i find more twats about when its a rainy week, then there are clear-non rainy days, like they are all queued up waiting for a non rainy day to piss on your ride and mark their territory with their fresh legs........

Sunday was odd, but fun. Not living in that there London, it passed me by that it was the Prudential thing with all the road closures when I was riding through. I asked some chap who was putting out cones whether I could nip through and he responded “Nah mate. It’s just for bikes.” (!!!). I did go through round the corner though.

Smiles/10 in Whitehall for a bunch of volunteers who cheered me going past, the only bike on the road at 8:30am!

Weird one this morning. Was cycling past St Marys Redcliffe in Bristol. The road has dual carriageways and there are two lanes. I'm in the left in primary, I am approaching the roundabout at the end and just ahead is a zebra crossing. Now I am pootling along, not giving it gas at all. There is a middle-aged lady on the crossing with a younger woman, possibly daughter. The older lady looks up and starts, and begins to walk faster, pulling the younger one along. I slow even more thinking there was maybe a fast approaching vehicle they saw. They cross in front of me and as they do she shouts at me 'I thought push-bikes are supposed to slow down for a zebra crossing' at me, slowing down. I responded that I was waiting for them, to which she says something dismissive. The younger woman looks embarrassed. I tell the older one she is insane and cycle off.

Honestly talk about a drama in your own head.

Embankment mayhem - sideswiped while overtaking, and we both ended up arse over tit.

No real damage to either bike or person, although his hand did look sore.

Plenty of people were kind enough to stop and assist, but particular thanks to the angry short ginger boie who took it upon himself to get up in my bidness and tell me it was all my fault*.

Thanks, ASGB. You might have been confused by my bemused expression, given I was wondering why you felt the need to stick your neck out quicte so much.

plentyroadrash/10

* Not according to the video footage though. So fuck you, sugartits.

^^ i had a rad dad give me the tutting side eye and a loud "WAIT." as i did a similar slowing down move, as i was puffing to a stop at the lights at the top of forest hill / horniman museum no less, so was hardly belting it.

calm yerself.

i blame the parents.

Sunday was odd, but fun. Not living in that there London, it passed me by that it was the Prudential thing with all the road closures when I was riding through.

Last Sunday was the Tour of Britain stage in London.

Well there we go. Cheers dude. It was early (it wasn't really, as I've said) and I was half-asleep (this bit is true)! I should have guessed/been paying attention, but didn't. Still amusing to be cheered at though.

Nice weather, different route, change of scenery. Reasonably good.

going home'll be shite, most likely.

I would be surprised if I was any where near 15mph, and was 100 yards shy of the zebra crossing when she reacted to me from which I slowed down to a roll as I waited for them to cross. Living rent free in their Daily Mail-reading heads.

Were you riding fixed? Possibly she thought you couldn't be slowing if you're still pedaling.

Who still rides fixed?

That's why I always shout ahead to acknowledge that I see them and know that they have right of way; usually with me waving them across etc. Also, it's funny how when cars do this, which is considerably more scary, no one bats an eyelid or considers that they are going to plough through them. This is the formula I've seen used when complaining about this: "those pesky cyclists + insert(road tax/insurance/RLJ/no helmet)".

Odd one today. Taxi drove into my back wheel when I was stationary. Turned around and he was gesturing for me to go forwards... into a space between two buses that was going to disappear as soon as one started moving.

Sometimes I really don’t know what the fuck drivers want. They complain when we filter (‘undertake’), they complain when we don’t (ie use primary in a queue of traffic), they complain when we go too slowly (‘holding up traffic’) and they complain when we go too quickly (‘I had to break the speed limit to overtake you’).

Yeah I was and its possible if she also had one eye and no depth perception. I was not moving fast, there was a headwind and there was a little rise just previously. I literally said to her incredulously 'but I waited for you' as she mouthed off at me.

‘I had to break the speed limit to overtake you’

Someone actually said this to you? The mind boggles.

Must be it, surely? "I'm on the crossing and that so-and-so is still pedaling. Harrumph!"

Verbatim. I think it was in a 20 zone. Obviously he said this when we converged at the next red light...

Yea i've had the old: "you're doing the speed limit now but you won't be when we get to a hill so I was forced to close pass you and also break the speed limit". There were no hills for ages cos it's london smh.

Ah so ends with a delicious irony.

Honestly I would love to see an ad campaign emphasing drivers to think about whether they actually NEED to over-take a cyclist. Usually the worst ones are the most necessary, rushed ones and they ramp their engines to get past you, before immediately slamming on brakes when they hit a junction or a traffic queue. I think in particular you could emphasise the danger of the left hook, surely the most unnecessary and dangerous overtaking, but also overtaking before you pull over to park, overtaking just before a junction, overtaking on a twisty descent, overtaking just before a red light or before a traffic queue.

But drivers react with such indignity. I got a series of honks directed at me as I took primary and refused to yield it through a 100 yard pinch point. The car moved aggressively towards me at one point. Just beyond the pinch point the road widened into two lanes, left hand one to turn left, right hand to go straight on at the next lights. I wanted to be in the right hand lane so stayed out, more honking despite there being a queue of traffic. Delicious filtering past the queue and away from the impatient driver giving them a one-finger salute.

I think its the thing that annoys me the most on the road.

hit the nail on the head

Cycling along Layhams Rd earlier and got caught up in a slow moving queue, two riders on horses up ahead clear to see, driver pulls alongside me and shouts 'bet it's your lot causing this', point out to him more then likely the two riders on horses up ahead. Driver winds up window.

Does anyone commute down the Lea towpath any more? It's a bit out of my way, but would consider it to get away from traffic once in a while. There were a few muggings last year but not heard anything since