This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Damn. What happened? Hope you're ok?

All good thanks, happened as I was taking off from the lights so easily rectifiable and stayed upright. A valued lesson about cycling with slightly looser trousers.

Just started commuting the bike this week, my taint! my knees! Its been about 3 years...

I live in Leeds and there's been lots of CS development, but it all seems a bit haphazard. Cycle paths cross the road randomly, some are one way others, two way. Lanes just end or take you into crowded pelican crossings or one way streets.
Surely I'm doing this wrong, teething problems and that?

haphazard

No that's entirely normal for UK cycle infrastructure sadly. Frequently a total pile of wank.

that sounds similar to here in leicester - new infra starts going in over the last few years, but until it's all finished it can seem a bit disjointed, and it takes a few commutes to figure out which bits are useful and which to avoid.
plus the peril of the deliverudeboyz on dodgy e-bikes + scooterboyz that completely disregard any signage/direction markers/traffic signals etc.

Same ol' same ol' on today's commute along CS7 into Southwark Bridge and then out to Canary wharf. Cars and vans parked in the bike lanes, scruffy tarmac, impatient drivers but I bumped into a good commuting buddy for a quick chat, the weather was pleasant and I saw this rather nicely decorated building in Great Suffolk Street

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Thats cool!

Flew in this morning, the benefit of a 6:30 commute I guess.

Anyone used a gopro session under the handlebars? Always thought it would be cool to film some bits.

Opposite Terry's?

I worked as a bike courier in Leeds for years. The cycling infrastructure is awful! There's a cycle lane on Kirkstall Road that has a bus stop right in the middle of it. No thought whatsoever.

I used to ride to Leeds from Halifax about 20 years ago, really scary roads.

Finally back, left late so roads were quiet. The getting back to 80 meters height over 2 miles road is going to be...fun.

The Clever Corvoids remembered me and were happy to get a treat.

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Yup, here's a collage of footage from under the bars, under the saddle and my chesty mount from summer 19, pre Covid and the height of commuting madness

Grown Man Sport

I didn't know where Terry's was until I just checked it on Google but yes, top marks for observation

I cycle back some 🤬 had put a Z sign in the corner of a street!!!

Of course everyone just walks past. I out it in the bin. Sorta, it was too big and is hanging out. So maybe it's back later.

Seriously, how to make your area look like a dump in one easy step.

had put a Z sign in the corner of a street!!!

Sure sign of imminent Russian "Special Operation'.

First commute to the office in over two years this morning. Have lived in two places since my last commute so weird to be coming in from South East rather than East. Will be working out which bridge will be the preference to cross, did Blackfriars today which was fine, think Waterloo might be the more direct option but then Tower Bridge has the prestige.

I find Blackfriars the safest, Waterloo is OK on the bridge itself but almost always has busses blocking the cyclists at the north end.

Oops. I've broken a cage before with MTB shorts on. No crashy but the cage "frame" ripped off the bolt mounts. Probably wouldn't have happened if I'd had a bottle in it.

Hydrate or die, indeed.

Tower bridge is so shite to cycle over in rush hour

Yeah it’s pretty bad. when it’s chock full of cars I usually go straight down the middle and it’s manageable, but not enjoyable

Yeah the imax roundabout always annoys me too and then having to get round busses that are always picking up at the start of the bridge is unpleasant too. I've not had issue with the north side for a while, forgot that the busses always used to block it on weekdays. Might end up sticking with Blackfriars.

But I want to be in tourist photos.

i was a tower bridge stan until moving to blackfriars - the cs6 is just so swish

Went with Waterloo bridge for the way back and it was a bit crap from the north side. Not sure if it was just bad driving or if there’s an issue with the lights sequencing on the junction with that Wellington Street cycle path across the strand to the bridge, possibly with the new alterations to strand and aldwych? The light was green when I pulled up to the line of cyclists but there was a bus and cars blocking the way so not many had a chance to get through. The second green I got through eventually after the taxi and car that were blocking it were able to move forward. Then it all feels a bit messy getting onto the bridge ( though always has from memory of anytime I’ve been going south after work previously). Those lights are always red, and there’s often a bus waiting at a strange angle and loads of cyclists just getting into weird positions around it so when I pulls off and straightens up there’s lots of hairy manoeuvres of people ducking round trying to nip in front of it before it inevitably has to pull in at the bus stop anyway.

First commute in over two years today (Ealing > Aldgate East), great to be back doing it. Still hate the CS7 but inadvertently found myself on it, I swear I feel safer on the road than I do in that speedgutter. Looking forward to refining the route and organising having my shit in the office; shoes, jeans, heavy clobber I despise having to carry. The bugger with hybrid working for me, one day a week, is I also have to have my bloody laptop in my bag now.

Still great though.