This morning's commute and other commuting stories

happened to me taking a corner in camden on Friday evening, went down like i hit an ice patch. if i didn't have a helmet id have slid a meter or so on my forehead and nose. need to replace that now. pavement spectators were super nice and kind, to the point of a guy handing me 3 oxys...
then an hour later i saw a big guy do the same thing on a corner by tower bridge. he hit hard. it's just plain old greasy out there. i'm real cautious to corner until a proper rainstorm rolls through. careful out there.

street sweepers should have a suds setting.

Can confirm, fucking geeasy out there. Went down on Layham’s Road this afternoon, just turned front wheel on that chicane around the police dog place, wheel just shot away from under me, slammed HARD inc hitting side of head… in A&E after couple of angelic drivers sorted me out and in particular one who drove me and bike home.

Shit, hope any injuries are superficial.

I saw you earlier, was waiting to go into school to pick up my youngest when you rode past. Only realised it was you - "who's that in the old school top and why are they so underdressed" was my first thought - once you were past.

why are they so underdressed

hahaaa

Fuck Layhams! Road was so slippy.

Heal up soon, hope it's nothing serious.

Do you mean here or some other bend? This is the most angled one I could find.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3517205,0.006995,3a,75y,291.22h,82.1t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sfwqW4nu8lEb03tztY7QacA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DfwqW4nu8lEb03tztY7QacA%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D294.69528%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192

Or along a more gradual bend, like here?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3507673,0.009276,3a,75y,159.3h,66.92t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUw19nqVmdGJuBD4LsII4fg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

The helmet thing, by the way, while understandable, is the usual fallacy. You're now pre-disastered and extremely unlikely to have the same kind of crash again anytime soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTqz4duPdYQ

Took the cargo bike in this morning. First dry day in a while. Had a smug laugh with myself about how easy it was to cruise in. Dickhead. Got out of work, 5cm of snow and still falling.
Completely hit the deck 🤦🏽‍♂️
Lucky the landing was soft! Both me and the bike are completely fine, phew.

Thanks Oliver. Yes, exactly at that spot. Tyre just carried on ignoring my request to turn right, not at crazy speed though one does tend to pick up speed in the preceding mile.

Very good point about making the same error. I have to respect the wishes of loved ones (one in particular), so I will be using a lid on the roads from now.

almost feel guilty posting but I had a lovely commute today.
it felt great to be in shorts rather than longs.

Something up with the road there - my mate stacked it on Saturday, fucked his collarbone bad - has to have an op this week to correct it. Said he saw four others stack it in the same spot while he was waiting to be picked up to go to A&E (he was in no state to be waving people down and warning them, not sure who else was around) and apparently Strava flybys suggested others had done the same!

Definitely the first one - I rode up it yesterday morning and the righthand of the two arrow signs in the street view pic is bent out of shape, I wondered if a car had crashed there and leaked oil all over the road.

Very good point about making the same error. I have to respect the wishes of loved ones (one in particular), so I will be using a lid on the roads from now.

Completely understand, and obviously we've been over this many times on here, so you know, but always for public benefit, be aware that the helmet is likely to make you less risk-aware. It is likely to adversely affect one's natural risk compensation mechanism even if one knows about this.

Thanks, all interesting info. This is something that should be brought to the attention of the council's Highways team immediately. Six stacks (and undoubtedly many others that neither your mate nor Skully witnessed) are far too many to all be rider error. The highway authority is the London Borough of Bromley, and the web form for reporting is here:

https://fix.bromley.gov.uk/

I'd report it myself, but I'm nowhere near Bromley and don't have any first-hand knowledge of the situation.

Something up with the road there - my mate stacked it on Saturday, fucked his collarbone bad - has to have an op this week to correct it. Said he saw four others stack it in the same spot while he was waiting

Oh my, that sounds horrible. Please give your friend my good wishes for a speedy recovery. I will def be reporting this (and on tfl’s reportal). I really hope your pal can too, healing allowing. Esp as they witnessed four others go down.

Seems odd in fact. I am always suspicious that something affecting cycle use may be foul play / sabotage

Thanks for posting the link Oliver.

I'll definitely pass it on and we'll look at reporting it, cheers both

I've eaten it on that corner before also, but the culprit that time was biodegrading leaf litter and moss making the road slick. It's a spot that never gets any sun. Two other riders crashed shortly after me, ignoring my arm waving to slow down.

Doesn't matter how confident I'm feeling, I now I pick my way round that corner at about 3mph, shaking like a baby deer!

Ha, all this reading about slipping out on corners must’ve made my bike feel left out. Stacked it on a greasy roundabout this morning.

Bit of road rash etc. most annoying bit is having to sort out all the clothes that now have holes in them!

Ahh man, that is annoying. Nothing worse if they're new. First time I treated myself to some posh winter gear I came off, and rubbed £200 into the tarmac

Yes, I’ve definitely had a shady moment there before too. Thing is, when I got straight up, I was absolutely filthy - not just humus, it seems to be diesel or similar.

Aye nothing of great value lost, overshoes zip bust on me this morning anyway and jacket will patch no problem.

how's the head this morning? hope you're not too dinged up.

All this slippyness must be lack of decent rain recently + still a bit dewy in the air.

I'm not known for mega watts but managed a couple of rear wheel slips pulling away from the lights today. That, coupled with reading these hallowed pages meant I took all corners super careful.

Do not lean until further notice.

Thanks
Having Xrays& CT on the bonce, wounds getting cleaned up til 130am this morning.

Verry creaky shoulder today, the tendon in the gap here is very bruised. Head is pretty gruesome and I can’t really chew as my jaw is twanging the bump.

Fucking annoyed too.

Could have been A Lot Worse.

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Good idea

Captain hindsight at your service.

Sounds like a nasty one for you though. Sending healing vibes.