This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Little visit from the fairy this morning. It must be 5 plus years since I last extracted the core of a conti inner tube after inflating it. It's just a frustrating as it ever was, even more so when you manage do it for a second time!!! and then remember you've one of those plastic tools for tightening them up somewhere in your bag. Tyre didn't feel great again by the time I got to work, so I don't think I've seen the end of this saga yet.

Saw a guy driving with his phone mounted directly above his steering wheel. With BBC 1 on! Mental

By the time all my bikes have been ruined by drivers I may only have a beach cruiser left..

Note plates, roadsafe the mofo. Helmet cams make proving dickhead behaviour much easier.

wearing summer clothes means you don't have a lot of choice if you want to make it home before your fingers fall off.

i r disappoint.

I haz all my fingerz but i runnin outa bikez

Morning commute?

Mega-faff this morning and only just about to set off.

Po po in the Greenwich foot tunnel stopping people cycling this evening. Must admit it's one of the only occasions all year that I've walked through the tunnel. It's quite far.

I walked the other day whilst taking a work call. Some bloke pedalled past and got into the lift and stood near the buttons. I got in, along with a lady and her kid in a pushchair.

Just as the doors started to close, someone else pedalled up but matey near the buttons ignored him. I waddled over and pressed the Open Sesame button to let him in. We exchanged glances, and he shot daggers at matey all the way up

My stories are in fine form this evening

Great, thanks! May have to give them a ring this weekend...

Rode off this morning forgetting that my gloves were sitting unsecured on my rear rack.

Wondered what the motorcyclist in Streatham was trying to signal at me as he went past.

Wasn't until 10 minutes later that I put two and two together and realised that I'm not getting those gloves back. Barehanded facepalm.

I hate cyclists, everyone was in dickhead mode this morning

Had a visit in Crystal Palace Park this morning courtesy of a lovely pile of broken glass I saw too late. Sat watching the sun come up over the trees as I fixed it. Lovely, would p**ture there again.

Helmet cam rider recording himself RLJing this morning.

Moved to new office in Hammersmith after five odd years of commuting to feltham. Feels good to be back on the bike, hopefully on the regular now, as I’ll able to get out of the door at a decent time, despite feeding Blackfoot jnr in the wee hours..
And 6 miles instead of 15 will be a joy.

And 6 miles instead of 15 will be a joy.

Eww yeah, I think 15 miles would be really pushing it for me too. I'm doing pretty much exactly 10 now, which is fine, but I wouldn't want to go significantly beyond that.

15 was fine, just wasn’t able to do it physically 5 days a week and trying to figure out which two days to Brompton/train was a bit of a ball ache, but going brompton/train five days a week because of new family and knowing I’d be home at a regular time, means commute fitness is non-existent so attempting it on the odd day was a struggle..

In a years time I’ll probably be on here missing it.

I think it really depends what those 15 miles look like. Of my 10 miles, probably about 7 to 8 are relatively enjoyable with few intersections / red lights / etc. The other 2 or so are bloody annoying and I feel like I'm racing an alleycat just trying to get anywhere. Adding 5 miles of parkside roads would be fine I think. Adding 5 miles through the West End and beyond, fuuuuck no.

Lucas Brunelle moved to London?

Waited at some lights in the City with a hi-viz Brompton rider blasting out "Land of Hope and Glory" on a boom box.

So much full-on winter gear - and not limited to cyclists. Why do people dress for the time of year rather than the actual weather?

I was wondering that as I sweated up a hill this morning wearing one layer, past a guy in about 4 layers and a beanie under his helmet. Maybe he was cold-blooded.

To be fair, some people just perceive temperatures very differently. I usually get warm quickly, and sweat a lot - I was in short bibs and my normal summer commuting Castelli top this morning, that was enough for me. But I know others who'd be freezing in that.

I'm in a baselayer, polo shirt, hoody and coat, trousers and full finger gloves. My cycle is 15 minutes and I'm nice and sweaty all the way :)

Shorts, tshirt, no gloves.

#denywinter