This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Yeah that's my plan, starting tomorrow - don't want to lose my fitness or the mental benefits of time on the bike!

WFH this week but had to run back to pick up some hard drives. Soho dead, just me and some delivery drivers. Hilariously the shop that sells £4.50 doughnuts is fully stocked.

As mentioned in the work from home thread I went out for a ride at the normal commute time this morning. Very glad I did and hope I can keep it up, can't recommend it enough. Since there's not an end location you're aiming for try to route out something quiet and fluid and can get some extra ride distance/time quite happily. Got back in, had a shower and got dressed then was ready to get to work.

Cycle home last night was great, noticeable decline in both traffic, pedestrians walking into road and cyclists on cs3

Hopefully England isn’t gonna be enacting the same powers as Italy and Spain by banning cycling completely

Passed lots of people obviously heading out to the Kent lanes for a pre-work ride this morning and yesterday.

Hopefully England isn’t gonna be enacting the same powers as Italy and Spain by banning cycling completely

according to the article it seems like commuting / utility cycling are still permitted in spain, and sports cycling is allowed in italy as long as social distancing (1m) between riders is maintained.

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/7869/spain-bans-cycling-amid-coronavirus-outbreak

Did a 'work from home commute' this morning with a 40km loop into Essex, where, apparently, no one is aware that anything is going on. Traffic was just as bad as usual, with long traffic jams both directions in South Woodford. I suppose you are technically self-isolating if you're sat up high in your Range Rover, several feet above the peasants.

the shop that sells £4.50 doughnuts is fully stocked

Fully stocked because no sane person is spending over £1 on a doughnut?

They do a £12 one if you're interested? Wish I was kidding.

Sadly with the decrease in traffic van drivers have nothing to restrain their worst instincts. More close / dangerous passes in the last few days than the rest of the year.

Last commute for a while and I was driving in so I could drop stuff off. Got off to an inauspicious start when I forgot which country I was in and started to get in on the left hand side to drive. At least I'll be cycling home.

Lots of traffic, possibly more than normal. I reckon a lot of people have switched to driving.

There is one of those placed in Blackfriars station - they just look nasty. Hot, freshly glazed donuts are the only way. Everything else is wrong.

They do a £12 one if you're interested?

You must be new here if you have to ask hippy that. :)

A new one on me tonight- slowed down to go round a car reversing out of a parking space at a weird angle- figured this guy was an idiot so was giving a wide birth. Then watched it roll towards oncoming cars and realised it had no driver! Managed to stop it in cleats and a lad jumped out of his car to help push it back to the kerb, then a helpful van driver produced a bag of sand for under the wheel. Car was locked so either the handbrake had gone or it was never on to begin with!
Everyone seemed convinced it was my car even though I had full Lycra, helmet etc on and was holding a bike!

Admit it.... it was your car.

Haha afraid not. Mainly because it was parked about 8 miles from my house but also because I stuck at parallel parking and could never fit in a corsa

not the best start to the day when just after leaving the house I saw a car parked in a strange place at a junction, then round the corner see someone lying on the pavement in the recovery position and bike propped up against a fence. she was being attended to by a couple of people and hopefully looked worse than it was.
plenty of dickhead driving observed. unfortunately a lot of people seem to be treating the relatively empty streets as racetracks at the moment.

Sadly this is true the local boy racers are using the empty roads as race tracks. I would never ride with headphones but i see a lot of people doing that maybe more now there's a new perception of safer roads? I can hear the engines revving from a fair distance so rather than get in close to the curb if i hear a car tearing round i try and get off the road if i can until they've passed. Yesterday was my last commute but I'll still be riding or running daily whilst still allowed. The roads should be safer due to the lack of volume but if this is matched with a lack of care there will still be accidents I've seen people crossing roads like there will be no cars and cars pulling out like there will be nothing coming as well as cyclists riding it the middle of the road enjoying the sunshine like they are the only people on the road. Stay safe everyone

as well as cyclists riding it the middle of the road enjoying the sunshine

As opposed to doing what? Riding on the pavement cowering in the shadows?

As opposed to riding normally and safely like you would do on any early morning training ride when the roads are reasonably quiet anyway and not riding literally in middle of the road around the country lanes as if they are closed to traffic entirely a vehicle could still come round the corner at any time.

I ride like that near corners on country lanes in case some idiot driver decides it's a good place to overtake.

As opposed to riding normally and safely

So, in the middle of the road, enjoying the sunshine. Thanks.

Semantic fuckery >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Maybe I'll stop looking both ways when i cross the road for a while then because hey there's probably nothing coming right ? What I was referring to was not riding in the middle of a lane far out from the curb i always ride like that on quiet roads but riding straight down the centre of a twisty country lane means you'll get hit by a car no matter what direction its coming from. Just like if you ride 3 abreast on any road its always going to be the guy on the outside closer to the centre of the road that gets hit when an over take goes wrong.

God I really really hope this micro debate rumbles on for as long as possible. It’s only going to be brilliant in every way .