This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Slammed quite hard on Denmark hill this morning because of oil / petrol spill. Would suggest people avoid it. Who do I report spills and stuff like that too?

https://www.gov.uk/report-road-spillage

London specific via TfL: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-streets-and-other-road-issues

One of my favourite forum bikes that.

As to the sweaty back... is that a COTTON TSHIRT @Scrabble?

perfect thank you

I'm honoured. Just had a fresh coat of paint and new guards so it's looking fresh. The teeshirt is a technical blend of advanced fibres I'll have you know.

Saw @PhilDAS again this morning - think I'm being stalked. Him and his titanium super commuter also looking fine.

Seemed more chilled this morning all round. Nice relaxed Thursday vibes.

I've been a bit lazy leaving the house this week. From next week I'll be leaving 30 minutes earlier again so we'll probably not cross paths much then.
I'd be on the fixed skidder if it was dry out but the Ti bike is the only mudguarded one presently.
Have you still got the caad track?

Yes - doesn't get the mileage it deserves. Tend to be on the mountain bike or gravel at the weekends and laptop commuting and the caad is not that comfy.

Wondering whether to trade it in for something more practical. Will be tough to let it go though.

Please let me know first if that happens

Nearly taken out by an impatient (non-emergency) ambulance last night. Decided he couldn't wait for the car in front at the junction and pulled out across my path. Just managed to lift my wheel out of the way as he sliced across me. Definitely getting reported.

Had to walk, broken humerus will do that to you. Unfortunately the walk is exactly the same way as I write so it's just demoralising.

A taxi driver last night informed me that there is a court case going on over the King Street cycle lane in Hammersmith with a group of residents trying to have it ripped up. I can't see anything about that online - is it true or just misinformation from the gammonvine?

I can't see anything about that online

A petition is not a court case I guess. The Tory councillors have long opposed it for culture war reasons but I didn't see any concrete strategy to force its removal.

Probably just people spreading misinfo in an anti cycling echo chamber. The numbers cycling along there now have increased a lot I've noticed and it's not just prommuters. Also, CS9 certainly down towards Chiswick I think, has seen something like the highest increase in cycling.

No train times, just messages about the Queen on the board at Kings Cross. I don’t want to mourn, I want to get home. FFS

Hello there, fellow commuters.

Commuting in the rain; what’s the strategy (besides mudguards), when there’s a shower waiting at work?

Overshoes: yes, I reckon. What about legs and torso? Water resistant (long) bibs, and a waterproof jacket?

If you've got a shower at work and somewhere to dry your stuff then just dress for the temperature I'd say.

Yep. If you have a shower at work just get wet, just make sure you don’t get cold on the ride. If you use full waterproofs you’ll likely just get wet inside from sweat/condensation anyway.

Long bibs seem to stay wet all day and are horrible riding in when soaked
Unless it’s f’ing freezing I went through last winter in either normal bibs with leg warmers or 3/4 length ones without (both Planet X bibs and Rapha warmers)
But then again I’ve full guards and flaps, but these do little in a proper downpour (even can’t keep the feet dry, use Galibier neoprene overshoes, which are good) and my commute is quite long
Rapha rain jacket is super excellent but also can be pretty boil in the bag if it’s humid, I probably smell like a dead badger when I get into work lol

A cycling poncho is my go to in heavy rain. (decent mudguards essential too!)

Find it keeps me much dryer and air flow is good

If there isn’t a proper drying room, make friends with whoever is your sysadmin, or has access to an air conditioned room—perfect for drying wet gear. A small Japanese tenugui towel is also more tolerable/discreet than a Western towel, I used to use a bit of cord under my desk to make a drying line.

poncho recommendation?
I've tried a couple but they've been a bit too flappy.

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Commuting in the rain; what’s the strategy (besides mudguards), when there’s a shower waiting at work?

I keep my day clothes at work so wear a waterproof jacket and take a spare pair of bibs and a pair of waterproof socks, both of which I wear on the way home.

Full mudguards do several things:
a) Stop you getting dirty from water sprayed up by the tyres
b) Stop you getting as wet if it has recently rained
c) with a suitable length rear mudguard or mudflap you'll be a much more sociable rider as you won't flick up water into the face of anyone behind you

No front mudguard will mean your shoes/shins/chainset will get covered in grimy water.

If it is raining you'll get wet/soaked anyway, but at least you won't have dirty water being flung up at your feet or back.

For summer commuting my wet weather gear was no different from dry, often just shorts and s/s jersey. It was warm enough that I'd just get soaked and this would dry at work.

The key outside summer is dressing to ensure you will be remain warm when you inevitably get soaked through: "Wet but warm."

There were several progressions in kit:

• fingerless mitts -> full finger gloves -> waterproof gloves
  
• shorts -> shorts + knee warmers -> shorts + leg warmers
  
• s/s jersey -> l/s jersey -> l/s jersey + base layer
  
• no waterproof jacket -> waterproof jacket
  
• no buff -> buff
  (never bothered with overshoes. Only had an 8 mile commute and never got cold/wet enough.)
  
  

Other tactics:-

Proper drying facilities are great, campaign for them if they don't already exist. I was spoiled at my previous job as we had showers, lockers and just enough space to dry things.

If drying at work is crap then take a second set of shorts/gloves/top/socks and have them at work in case the stuff from the morning isn't dry. Then you can ride home in dry stuff and leave the damp stuff there overnight to dry.

Keep some newspaper in your locker in stuff into wet shoes.

Always ensure you have a spare set of cycling gear and work gear in your locker. You'll never know when you'll need it.