This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I always find these moments bittersweet. You get a vision of what London could be like without all the cars but of course it will never happen.

Ducking under police tape feels pretty cool though.

Lovely cycle in this morning but my god, the fog. It's like something out of a horror film.

Lovely morning - felt like riding through the autumn segment of a changing-of-the-seasons montage.

Why is London Bridge still being used as 3 lanes? It was a squeeze before they put the barriers up now its just like a car park most days. Was so much better when it was only buses/taxis/bikes allowed over it!

the alleged 12 - 13 degrees on my phone was more like 5degrees until the sun came up, then it was nice....until then i was a frozen idiot in a short sleeves and gloves.

I've not yet moved to longs. I deny the coming winter. DENY IT!

"All against the cold, the greater enemy.........."

To be fair I have quite a bit of built in insulation and only a 35min commute so I can probably happily ride in at 0C in tshirt and shorts.

And knee length rugby socks?

No, I've not got the full commuter setup yet. I don't even have a grey flat-bar bike with a chain that hasn't been lubed in 17 years stuck in big-small.

Don't forget the ultra dim lights, it's dark during some commutes now.

The fog in CP Park the other day was stunning with a flock of birds gliding silently in and out of the fog, all set to the melancholy sound of zombies gently moaning. Beautiful.

RP had similar - softened sunlight peering over mist shrouded copse, parakeets flying ethereally overhead.

Then a fucking foghorn of a stinking stag in rut, shitting you right up

Lights? What lights?

thanks, will check it out!

I'm holding off too.

Hoping to keep in shorts until November....

I have quite a bit of built in insulation

#hippyisfat

Sorry, I just wanted to be the one to say it. Feels like a forum rite of passage.

Do also have a look at the Big Red Book (combination of rules for drivers), has an excellent passage on the rule against cutting in following an overtake (section on vulnerable cyclists, pg.50).

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• Big Red Book 2014.pdf

The bus driver rule book is also very helpful on generic driving, compliance of law/highway code and behaviour to be expected. Arriva deny this exists..

#neededacourtordertoobtainthis

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• Driver Rule Book.pdf

Pretty chilly this morning. Took the scenic, gravel route along the canal. Late for work but actually enjoyed the commute.

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The bus driver rule book is also very helpful on generic driving, compliance of law/highway code and behaviour to be expected. Arriva deny this exists..

Oof, top insider info!

It's ridiculous that a rule is needed not to cut back in whilst still overtaking. I drive a car and wouldn't ever dream of doing it, it just seems so obvious.

You’d be surprised. A National Express forced me on to the hard shoulder once. Apparently they decided only the front half of the bus counts when overtaking. Fucking terrifying - especially as shortly afterwards we passed a car, broken down on the hard shoulder, which we would have ploughed into if it had happened seconds later.

More bus related stuff in terms of interaction with cyclists should you have a claim/complaint...bus driver handbook.

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• Driver Handbook (cyclists).pdf

The worst for this seems to be vans with trailers: usually council vans with a mulcher being towed behind or highway maintenance with a trailer full of road signs. They always cut back in after the back of their van is just past you which usually brings the trailer in dangerously close.

Aside from that if they're towing something their speed limit is supposed to be 60, so they're unlikely to need to overtake another car.