This morning's commute and other commuting stories

My other bike, with 24/7, 365 mudguard fitment, was also at work.

I just need to make sure I have a set of mudguards with me wherever I go.

Left work in short sleeves and shorts and thought “maybe I’ll make it home before the rain?” Two miles up the road and it looked like I was riding into Mordor. Got absolutely pelted.

Came across this black walnut tree on the way home .?

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Aren’t they those false almond thingies that are full of cyanide?

Looks like Junglans nigra to me. Impressed it still has walnuts on it. All the J.regia round here have lost theirs (presumably to squirrels) a month or two back.

Ortleib backpack, has a snap on/off internal organiser plenty big for essentials and a bit more. Roll top Velcro, still going strong after 11 years!

Also the back pads actually do minimise sweat buildup, within reason!

Had even more fun as I was heading out and not back when God turned the tap on, then had the good fun of riding home in same tshirt and jeans near midnight in what felt like sub zero. While still slightly damp everywhere and definitely wet socks.

^^ same as olibob (assume a Velocity pack), but I sewed a clip and webbing on instead, as the Velcro gave up. Still waterproof after a decade.

Occasionally use an old Alpkit Gourdon, but that’s losing (lost) its proofness now after years of use.

For separation of stuff, I use stuff sacks and other inserts, as I find it more flexible and I can also use them in my panniers.

Edit: Just remembered a guy a couple of desks down at work uses one of the Decathlon waterproof roll tops. Seems decent quality and reasonable price. Could be an option?

Thanks for all of the suggestions

Fucking cold this morning

It really was, feels like the weather has proper dropped off all of a sudden.

Yep, proper frost through Richmond park, though the rutting stags and low mist meant it was one of the slightly otherworldly ones anyway. Lovely way to start the week.

The mist was rising from the broad today at dawn, if I wasn’t on the way to work I’d have got the camera out. Was a bit nippy mind.

NDS crank managed to work its way loose (off) this morning so had to one leg it for 2 miles until I came across an open bike shop to borrow an allen key big enough to re attach.
Quite relaxing just plodding along giggling to myself about how weird I must have looked

....and then a puncture 3 miles from home when I forgot to pack my pump

Some days you're the windscreen and sometimes you're the fly

the temperature drop took me by surprise a bit - i reckon it took me the first 10k of my 20k commute to warm up.
i was certainly glad i'd dug out my full finger gloves.

Very very almost got mugged in Burgess Park on the way home this evening about 7:45pm. Sussed what was about to happen at the last minute and purposefully hit the bigger of the two lads on my Omnium. the other one stabbed my rear tyre with, from the looks of the hole in the side of my marathon plus, a 4cm wide blade. I managed to outsprint the lad with the knife with the rear puncture and the mudguard hanging off as there was a slight decline at that point in the park but it was really really close.

Fucking shaken and need a new tyre/tube/set of mudguards but unharmed. Pls be careful in the parks at night folks. That kid swung the knife inches from my right leg and fuck knows what would have happened if he had caught me up when I was accelerating away.

Holy crap, you are so lucky you got away, that sounds terrifying.

Holy shiiit. Absolutely Terrifying. stabbing at you! 😨😨. glad you are safe. I cycle through that park quite regularly at all times, often on my omnium too :-((((.

Have you Spoken to police?

Funny, we saw this thing for the first time on Sunday and wondered if anyone used it.

@sohi yeah completely terrifying. I don't think i have ever been so scared like!

@MCamb yeah just take it easy mate. I normally turn my front light off so it doesn't illuminate the fact that I am on an abnormal bike, but not today for some reason.

I havent spoken to the police yet. I couldnt say anything about the kids other than they were white and 17/18 or something. I guess I have a fairly tight time window of about quarter of an hour. They must have got in the park from somewhere.

Fucking hell, hope you are ok. Make sure this gets reported to the police

fuck. sounds like a nightmare. glad you're ok.

Fucking hell, glad you're alright, if shaken up! @coventry_eagle - might be worth mentioning to polo people, I can imagine a few of them heading through Burgess Park after dark on their way to/from Newington.

Dang! Thanks for the tag.

+fly glad you're ok, I kid you not, I was riding through there on Saturday night and will reroute for the foreseeable future.

This was some time ago but one of the coaches for Peckham BMX got mugged at knifepoint for his bike on his way home after coaching at the track. Might wanna let them know too.