This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Ride home. It didn’t rain. Is this normal?

Hyper voyagers did well for me on the run to elephant from Syd hill.

(I think I ran past you as you were changing your tyre? About 8?)

Clothes still partially damp from the morning drenching. Dry in the way home which was nice.

Ride home. It didn’t rain. Is this normal?

...

Dry in the way home which was nice.

Please hold for one more hour........

Puncture on the way in and on the way home.
Hyper Voyager and Marathon something.
On a positive note my new winter boots are bliss.
My feet feel like I left them at home by the radiator.

Game changer for wet winter riding

Yup sounds about right. At least with duranos on my rims it was a quick change.

Officially cold

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Cycled to work, realised work was closed and I'm on leave, bought new chain, cycled. Happy days, tho not sure it counts as a commute.

Spookily quiet on cs7 into town this morning, barely a car in Tooting.

Hate to say it but it's a pleasure without any cyclists around.

I thought that yesterday. Maybe it was just nice not having anyone around on the roads

Missed the alarm/woke up late, after dressing up in a hurry, noticed my front tire was shot, pumped it up but sealant didn't seal so switched to my old rim, pumped that up... Already late, lost 10 minutes to that.

Unexpectedly hot commute, just a handful of cyclists around. Need to get better sealant, and also take the time and patch up the tire from the inside.

So lovely & quiet today! I guess it's not all bad working the remainder of this week. Wouldn't want to go straight in for a full week after New Years anyway.

I wasn't the only one in shorts!

Woozy ride in after being ill all Christmas. Must survive 4 days.

Dry this morning in Belfast, cleaned and greased chain, pumped tyres and that felt loads better.

The cyclists are back too, but there is loads of room for peds (that of course don't look)/cyclists (that also don't look) on my current commute so there isn't much annoyance even when it is busy.

Usual inconsiderate types parking on the footpath and blocking it and the cycle lane next to it, but hey ho, new year new parking tits. It is unfortunate you cannot summon parking wardens speedily as I'd be able to get them quite a few tickets on that bit of route :)

Just had a policeman tailgate me, beep at me to get out the way and then tell me to use the cycle path!
When they inevitably stopped 10 metres away I called him out on it. He conceded it was not mandatory but said it was for my own safety. This coming from someone who has just sat 10 inches from my back wheel and tried to bully me off the road.
I know there's planks everywhere but I was surprised by his rhetoric. He wasn't far away from telling me I don't pay road tax.

Did you get his number? If so, report him.

Not his badge number but I have cameras on my bike. What's the best way to report? Roadsafe?

Just remembered he said he beeped to make other road users aware I was there. That's some freeform bullshit right there.

Report it. They will be able to trace the officer from the vehicle reg and time.

https://www.policeconduct.gov.uk/complaints-and-appeals/make-complaint

First commute of the new decade and I get taken out by a pedestrian in Essex Road this evening. Young kid, about 12, with his dad and two brothers, steps out when I’ve got a green at the junction of Cross St. Both of us hit the deck, not badly but my nice new Bontrager light bracket snapped. Will have some nice leg bruises tomorrow though. Kid was shaken and apologetic, so didn’t make anything of it, accidents happen and I think he’s learned to look next time. But my accident-free start to the new decade lasted about 40 hours. Still better than my start to the 90’s, which lasted just over 7 hours before I got wiped out.

That's rough! Glad you and the kid are alright. Absolute nightmare situation that.