This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Ha I haven't had 4 at one set of lights yet, I think 3 is my high-score so far. It makes sense though, the FXE (and from what I hear, also the Pre Cursa) is a really really solid, but cheap frameset - definitely value for money! If the geared bikes they now sell more of are similar, it's not surprising they are selling a fair few of them.

I'm usually the last one without a helmet... but give my gf another year or so and I'll be riding with a helmet too.

In which case a belated spot from last week I believe (going over Putney Bridge, just before catching @PhilDAS at the lights). Will keep my eyes out for you...

Mines an old track champ I bought on ebay for about £200! I've done 3000 miles on in the last year or so and still love riding it.

I think I'll be buried with this bike!

That might have been me, yeah, especially now that I live right next to the Bridge in Putney! What do you ride? I'm going to go out on a limb and assume it's probably not the 'velocipede' in your profile pic :)

@Camel_toe I can't remember now, is that the one you were riding for the 'hard ride' back in January?

Yep that's the one. You getting out on the next edition?

Ah yeah that was a nice sturdy bike, definitely hang on to it! Might go again, yeah - depends a bit on the specific date and how busy I am at that point. Also, I'm still refusing to believe so much time has passed already... :/

Ha in that case I may also have spotted you.

Needs to be to lug my tubby self around!

Not sure whether this goes here or the bad cyclist thread.

Filtering along the outside of traffic, check car behind has left a gap so I can get across to the bus lane, as I start to cut across the van in front has stopped. I hit van with my shoulder (I'm not risking damage to my bike), comically roll around for a bit then pick my bike and phone up to apolosgise to the van driver! Everything's fine, driver asks how I am after telling me 4 times its not his fault. I joke he should be driving something a bit bigger than a huge van so I can see him and we all go on our way.

Thing that has annoyed me is, as I hit the deck 3 or 4 cyclists went around me and not one of them even stopped to ask if I was ok, was 10 yards from a red light so not like it would have halted their progress or anything.

I'm usually on my lime green CaadX at the moment, which is probably a bit better suited to the commute than a velicipede. Hope to see you around...

Are you ok?

Also, this is London my friend.

You should consider yourself lucky someone didn't steal your bike :P

Yep all good, was more of a ricochet off the corner of the van. Luckily years of being lazy and greedy have provided me with extra layers of protection for such instances!

From the drivers reaction you would have thought that was what I'd done!

Brilliant comment from him after me saying, sorry mate completely my fault....

"You cyclists are murder, always blaming the drivers"

I've had a cabbie tell me to "get some lights" while my £100 front light and £50 rear light are shining away and I'm in bright red cycling kit. Drivers are stupid. I know, I drive.

I'm in no position to call anyone stupid when I ride into the back of 3 tonne vans that aren't moving!

comically roll around for a bit then pick my bike and phone up to apologise to the van driver

That blog won’t write itself eh?

(glad you’re okay... done similar with a bus - bounced off, hit the deck, very lucky the car behind stopped)

Is the bike ok?

We've all been there...

Thing that has annoyed me is, as I hit the deck 3 or 4 cyclists went around me and not one of them even stopped to ask if I was ok

That's pretty shitty. I always try to stop and help if there is any point. Meaning, if it looks like I might be able to help. If there are already three other people helping I tend to go on as there isn't much gained by just adding more to the mix, and it's not like I'm a doctor or anything.

Same with people having a flat - I'm usually pretty race-y on my commute, but come on people, if someone is wheeling a bike with a flat, go and bloody ask whether you can help. If you have the tools of course! If not, you will appreciate it even more when someone else does it for you when you have a flat... I'll let it slide if you're late for a meeting or something, but there's no way every single cyclist just rushing past is currently late for a meeting.

I don't know, I'm really not trying to style myself as the good samaritan here, but stopping and asking whether you can help out really should be normal. I did give some guy my spare tube once, he was on his way home to Tooting from Chelsea during rush hour - pretty sure I saved his evening when he didn't have to wheel his bike home for two hours. It cost me about 6 minutes of my time and about £3 in materials, so not exactly the biggest sacrifice - I'd hope someone else would do the same for me if I was stuck somewhere.

Yep, just a little scuff on the handlebar tape

Ah, I see what you did there

Thing is we were literally 10 yards from a red traffic light so not like they were rushing to get anywhere (which although shitty, I can half understand)

Maybe they were just laughing at my inability to not hit giant objects while cycling at 12mph and didn't want to hurt my feelings?

Yeah that makes it even worse, but honestly, even if they're rushing to get to work there must still be a decent percentage of people who can afford to arrive a few minutes later... it's such a simple thing to stop for a second and just make sure you're OK :/