This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Love this.

The geese along regents canal are also traffic aware, always ckecking left right before crossing the path. And they stop when they see or hear a bike coming. But they do make mudguards essential.

Nah, they are checking for witnesses, if they catch you alone they will mug you for your packed lunch and throw your bike in the canal.

#geeseareevil

OKR was horrible last night, 2 guys down with medics and fire crew trying to help them but no one seemingly giving 2 fucks. General consensus seems to be that if you've been held up you then need to make that time up by flooring it. Just as i peeled off toward QRP some forum looking chap (wide bars, rack) i think gave me a telling off for something but i couldn't hear him so no idea what for.

On a brighter note rode in late today with many happy vibes from all road users. Having a chat with a bike mechanic at the lights on Southwark bridge when a rather 2010 HHSB (in a good way) rolls by in the opposite direction and gives us a wave, felt like an Ice Cube moment.

#todaywasagoodday

Does anyone have any experience commuting from Uxbridge into London - specifically Farringdon? My company is relocating us early next year and would still like to commute - maybe just for three days a week as it is around 19 miles each way. I am thinking of just going straight down the Uxbridge Road into London, is it ok to commute on? And then once into London, is there a good route to Farringdon - CSH/Quietway/whatever? I haven't worked in London for a few years, so I don't know if there is any good cycle routes.

TIA

Sounds about right. @hippy loves the Uxbridge road.

Pick up the Grand Union Canal near Stockley Park and have vehicle-free riding all the way in to Paddington Basin? Probably longer than road route though, and of course canal path so you takes your choice. Paddington - Farringdon I wouldn't know.

Also - first ride this morning in many months where I've arrived soaked to the bone and have draped things all over the radiator.

It's 'ok' but everyone has different version of good/bad commutes. I prefer bigger/faster roads with traffic mostly going in the same direction because I'm fast and I want to be dealing with shitty rat runs, parked cars and random peds. Southall is a bit better now with the dividers but the bit west of that is still full of penises angry at you because they chose an inferior mode of transport. Acton sucks - it skinnies up and there's shit going everywhere. You get the bus lane back until Shepherds Bush and then it's shit again until you clear the big RAB and Holland Park Ave (col du Notting Hill). I would normally head north here and ride up Sussex Gardens to Marylebone Road and onto Euston Road because I always try to avoid Oxford St. Then turn right and head down Farringdon Lane.

You could also not head north to Euston and continue then use Wigmore St which runs parallel to Oxford St but isn't full of tourists and buses. Then do a bit of zig zagging to get to Farringdon.

I have a mate who does Ealing to Farringdon now and he says he prefers to use Goldhawk Road to Uxbridge as it quieter. There's bike paths through Shepherds Bush Green that will get you back onto Holland Park Rd for eastbound. I'm not sure where he goes in town, I can have a look at his Strava.

I hate canal paths for commuting.

Commute

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Why does the fucking upload never work? PNGs the issue I guess.

That is the middle of my friend's commute. Maybe he's given up on Goldhawk for that one?

That's great, thanks. Certainly gives me a few options to check out. As you say, everyone has a different version of good/bad. I suppose it is worth trying out a few options and see which one is best for me. And yeah, I hate towpaths for commuting.

long fingered gloves this morning and thankful of it.

Shorts, t-shirt, no gloves.

I visited the big smoke last week for three days. I came down from the north east, i live in a relatively rural area now and i see maybe 3 cycle commuters a month and genuinely feel unsafe on my bike when riding to work due to the high speed roads involved and lack of infrastructure. I also ride my singlespeed but live in a valley so i have a lot of hills.
Consequently for three days i was wandering about london like a kid.. so many cool bikes (thats a ss, thats a fixie... bloody hell a brompton, i love those. jesus its so flat :) ) and you have segregated cycle lanes, bike racks. Its heaven, you lucky buggers. Mind you the rents a bit high when you look in estate agents. All in all i'd quite like to live in london.

Wait till you see the indoor plumbing and central heating!

You are the anti-Partridge:-)

Indoor plumbing... you mean like a water pump in the kitchen what you boil the water from in front of the fire for bath night. Cor blimey.

What was happening on S/B London Bridge @ 8.45am this morning? Police cordoned off the road, bicycle laying on floor, some guy looking very forlorn. Much drama.

Not a commute but on our club ride yesterday, waiting to turn right from a junction, and a car is waiting to turn right onto the road we are all waiting on, busy road so he'd been stuck where he was for a while, gap opens he bombs through slows down, winds down the shouts you bunch of fucking wankers, gives the sign and speeds off, which confused the hell out of us, felt sorry for his wife and I assume hes teenage daughter who were also in the car. What a poor strange man he was.

I know I'm never in that much of a hurry to miss out on screaming shit out of car windows at strangers.

Driving, turning normal people into flaccid penises since 1888.

So, Friday night I forgot to lock my bike up for two hours whilst I was having a couple of bevvies. Quick marched back (possibly yomped ;) ) to Victoria when I realised and there it was! Essentially just leaned against a railing ripe for the picking.
Came back Monday morning to find someone had stolen my Apeman camera mount (as expected sooner or later) and tried to rag the bike from the railings. This is actually fairly common but you're only getting it off with an angle grinder.
London/10

On the train coming in from Whitstable this morning.
With the Brompton.
Wearing the same clothes I put on, on Saturday morning.
Quite a weekend.
Goodnight.

We have a winner!

Bravo sir, Bravo.

wet and grim today so as per sod's law.....puncture 5K from work,
cut my hand getting the inner tube out the wet rim
.......finally all done and replaced.....
discovered pump was broke - well, solid, would not budge in or out until i gave it so much force to pull out, the handle came off
cycled 5K to work on flat

no shops nearby that has bike pumps - looking like bus home!

googling "solid tyres"

Nice bit of aggro where the CS7 crosses the London Road this morning. Bus driver helpfully decides to blatantly ignore a red light just as the cycle light goes green. Quite why I don't know as he had nowhere to go and completely blocked the crossing. Everyone filters past apart from an American lady in front of me who isn't standing for it, stops and yanks his window open to give him both barrels. Driver looked utterly sheepish. She was still bawling him out when I left. Made my morning.

Will try to roadsafe the numpty later.

Fuck, my life is dull.