This morning's commute and other commuting stories

I didn't have a lot of choice about stopping, a group stepped onto the crossing with little warning.

I couldn't get access to the front camera video on Monday but can today so here it is. I don't have anything that also shows my hands, perhaps I should.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToibM8ZMrpU

I think I would have stopped before the crossing if I hadn't been shunted a bit. Not sure though.

Edit: another view
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRnvAjwARv4

I've got a lot of questions about that cone...

Have had a similar experience at the Priory Lane/Sawyer's Hill roundabout - is there an issue with the Richmond road surfaces? To be fair I wasn't exactly at walking speed and on slicks, but the FG conversion has a low BB so there's only so far I can lean and the tires went out from under me regardless.

only so far I can lean

Never lean

He-he yes it does look a bit strange in this shot but it was the last (or the first depending on your perspective) of a series that was guiding traffic around an obstacle

After that day I am leaning a lot of the body but the bike generally stays perpendicular to ground unless ground is bone dry - not worth the road rash for a leisurely cycle.

fookin cold this morning, but it felt really nice riding home in the light this evening.
Shame the forecast looks properly shit for the rest of the week.
ho hum!

Boo: getting overtaken by all the e-bikes
Yay: catching up to and smashing past the RLJing fixed rider on the hill.

Also, I now understand why long mudguards go so far round at the back - as the guy in front’s rear wheel sprayed up a 10ft fountain of ground water behind him.

The weather is impossible to dress for at the moment. It’s been hot enough for shorts, hovering around freezing, dry, and torrential rain within the space of a few days.

The weather is impossible to dress for at the moment

Solution: don’t dress. Naked commutes ftw.

A question for regular Greenwich Tunnel users - how appropriate it is to ride there during rush hour? Often booed?

The route via Woolwich Tunnel / Canning Town was a bit of meh - construction sites everywhere and the lovely bit by the Excel is closed -(

I now understand why long mudguards go so far round at the back - as the guy in front’s rear wheel sprayed up a 10ft fountain of ground water behind him.

once you go flaps, you never go back

The weather is impossible to dress for at the moment. It’s been hot enough for shorts, hovering around freezing, dry, and torrential rain within the space of a few days.

agreed. i've been going with shorts and a HTFU attitude. skin dries quicker than trousers or something.

Also, I now understand why long mudguards go so far round at the back - as the guy in front’s rear wheel sprayed up a 10ft fountain of ground water behind him.

Simple physics innit (although gravity and air resistance will complicate matters...). Two different length guards (red) and additional mudflap (green):

My friend does it most days. It's never normally particularly busy, even at 8.30/5.30. Most cyclists tend to, just get off and push if it is busy.

Oh I totally understand how it happens, just wasn't aware to the extent which it did. Flaps FTW

The lifts are a total lottery though at Greenwich…

What about the cable car? Apparently free to cyclists before 0930 on a weekday.

Yep, a huge pain in the arse! It's not actually too bad taking the stairs though. As long as your bike isn't ridiculously heavy anyway.

Thanks, that’s helpful 👍

I didn’t know about the cable car - this is unexpected and really cool! Gonna try it next week.

I'd be interested to know how you get on

I've not been recently but the cable car is brilliant, its like being on holiday! During COVID times I had a carriage all to myself, I felt fully VIP.

Great views too, tho probs not today, fucking hell that rain this afternoon was brutal, think I'd less less wet if I jumped in the Thames.

There's a thread:

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/155127/

I’m having a drink at the ring and can see that union street is finally being resurfaced so I’m excited to ride on that on Monday.

On my way home I heard a collective scream and vaguely saw from a distance a cyclist being assaulted by at least two men who had exited two garden waste lorries. They had left their vehicles in the middle of the road and were casually leaving as I tried to make out what had happened.

It seemed like the cyclist was on the floor so I cycled over to find 2 people helping him up. They hadn't got their reg numbers so I chased the lorries down at the next lights and got pictures, unfortunately I didn't think to get pictures of the drivers.

The cyclist said that they pulled over and stopped in front of him, into the painted cycle lane, and began shouting abuse. He said that he swore back at them, so several of them got to intimidate him and he ended up on the floor. He was quite young seemed to be early twenties, he was an international student.

I think he only had a couple of cuts on his hands from the fall, and they stamped on his front wheel bending the spokes. Basically a group of thuggish cunts too stupid to think twice about assaulting people on a busy street when driving their work vans.

This all happened outside a Coop with a CCTV camera and funnily enough right under the office of a solicitors, from which a couple of people appeared after a few minutes to say that they saw everything and videoed some of it but "not the worst of it" they said.

Myself and the solicitors exchanged our numbers with him and pictures. He texted me later to say he'll definitely pursue it with the police. He has a video of the attackers and pictures of their company name and reg numbers.

This was in Brighton, Seven Dials, about 4.45pm

Jesus. Well done for helping out, fingers crossed they get their comeuppance. Wankers.

Distressing, and likewise well done for helping. Let's hope the footage is clear enough for the case not to be closed 'for lack of evidence'. The police offer some victim support, and as an international student, he may be less likely to access it, so it might be worth pointing out to him that it can help.