This morning's commute and other commuting stories

kinda looks like @hippy

Maybe the ligament damage to suit guy was when he tried to stop a moving cyclist with his hand.

More likely sleep deprivation from the screaming children

That's actually a really fair point. Kind of glad I didn't give her a mouthful now.

I was once walking home from school along the road near my house & noticed there was a funny atmosphere. Big truck stopped down the road & a young mother screaming. Pram had gone out into the road just before the big truck rumbled past. Proper horrible, that, has stuck with me since. Can't imagine how the mother must have felt.

Whilst fixing a flat, I managed to jam my tyre lever under my thumbnail today on the way in and took a chunk of skin with it.

2/10 would not recommend. Swung by a friends on the way home for a chat and a cup of tea though.

Don't slice any lemons.

Yeah lemon in tea is gross

Bloody hell. Awful

Heading southbound approaching the lights at the junction of Hampstead Road/Euston Rd/Tottenham Ct Rd. It's an absolute clusterfuck of ambiguity in terms of lanes (and no biek lane), so I often filter down the outside of traffic after the Drummond Street junction. Northbound is a single lane and wide, so while I'm happy to tuck in and wait if there's traffic in the other direction it's not usually necessary.

Of course if the vehicle coming towards me is a white van - like this morning - the driver thinks my behaviour is unacceptable. He very deliberately drives towards me, both of us practically stopping as I squeeze past and he expresses his disapproval by way of facial expression, if nothing more.

Normally it's not worth the effort to bother describing such an occurrence, but the van in question was fucking plod. Before I decide whether to do anything with the video, does anyone know the legality of filtering past stationary traffic when there's something coming in the other direction but there's ample space to do so safely?

Wac. Don't know the legality but common sense says it would be fine.

You should be aware of oncoming traffic when making your choice to overtake. The oncoming vehicle's driver has priority but should be aware of hazards and react accordingly, if another roaduser makes a poor judgement you don't then just assume "right of way" and plow into them even if they are wrong you have a duty to react. Also not uncommon for roads to be marked where oncoming share lanes and roadusers are expected to negotiate and share space.

Ct Rd. It's an absolute clusterfuck of ambiguity in terms of lanes (and no biek lane)

I was doing this everyday for last couple . of weeks, its awful, glad I don't have to anymore, north of the river is gross.

👆🏽unhelpful post

I don't think there's any point to do anything with the video to be honest. I very much doubt it will go anywhere and it sounds a little ambiguous.
I once had a police car overtake a van parked on double yellows and came straight out onto my lane coming the other way, when I didn't move out his way his way he got very irate. I was actually a bit shocked when I had to tell him he can't force me out the way.
Even plod are people!

Been called big headed selfish twat from a cabbie for reminding him signalling would't go a miss specially when pulling out last minute right in front of you and a bunch of other cyclists.
Got quite scared in fact, I could totally see myself going through that window
I don't mind if someone does pull out but have the decency of making everyone aware ffs
There's a section in the road book titled signalling that I mentioned to him is worth checking out to which he thought that was funny.
Bloody people in shells with little to no clue to their surroundings.
Didn't keep my cool though told him to go f*CK a goat. But then that's disrespectful to goats

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2BWrgLBJ6Q&feature=youtu.be

Still tempted to tweet @MetCycleCops and tell them to have a word with their colleague.

While I'm at it, here's one from yesterday...

https://youtu.be/ra0Def8DtGs

I can appreciate that anticipating this sort of shit takes some awareness, but totally ignoring the cyclist slowing down ahead of you is stupendously dumb. Silly cunt will get hit and hurt sooner or later, wouldn't surprise me if it's in exactly the same place.

The copper swerves towards you. Empty lane next to them.

Well. Technically, you're in the wrong, because you appear to have been fully in the lane in the opposite direction. I can't see the police driver in the video, so there may well be an attitude thing I can't see, but I wouldn't necessarily castigate them for staying in their lane. I mean, I often do the same thing, going down the outside of a queue, but in this case I would have pulled in earlier than you.

I take it that was an e-bike? I can't quite see it.

Let's face it, he smoked you and YOU LOST. :)

No, stupid riding on his part. Glad nothing worse happened.

Perfectly fine and recommended by BC for you to filter past queueing traffic, overtaking on the right. Plod had bags of room to pass safely, he was showing uncalled for attitude there in forcing you back in. Not good.

Well... that was hilarious.
About 10 miles out from home, ‘ping’ and there goes a rear spoke.
Wheel tacos out of true, cue brake and mudguard moaning. Had to get the broom wagon home as not a chance it’d ride up the hills. Spent this evening fitting new spoke, truing wheel, repair puncture, strip and clean cassette, generally fuck around to sort all the shit out so now knackered, fed up and out of evening.
Commuting. pfff.

2 Attachments

Oof. Glad you’re ok, dude. Could have been nasty.

And I hope the bust one didn’t stab you in the leg. Been there. Ouch.

(Obviously you’ve checked the rest because when one goes, etc, etc...)

A kid spat at me today whilst going between Shepherds Bush and Ravenscourt Park. Like, what the fuck.

Stabbed by spokes, jezums :(

Check the rest...

... er, slightly nervous now. Have to ride in tomorrow as usual so hopefully won’t die.

All the other spokes seem ok during the truing - and I just went and asked them now if they were all ok and none of them complained - is that the right thing to do?