This morning's commute and other commuting stories

yes, its a really important one, connecting the main trainstation and the new museum area and all that!
https://plateforme10.ch/en/

However, upon entering the roads at Roehampton the whole of southwest London seemed to be jammed up. Whats normally a pretty smooth run in from Putney to Westminster was a real filtering and red light fest.

Many temporary traffic lights up right now. Have you ever tried to find a way around the cars backed up from Putney bridge to the small bridge at the start of Queens ride?

Have been tempted to head down the private road (St Marys Grove) at the bridge, coming out at Felsham road, though this is presumably into terrible traffic but might be nicer?!

Something like that, yes. There is probably a definition of a marshalling yard that it might not meet but I'm only an amateur train geek.

Yep, done that many times. No terrible traffic, generally pretty chilled - but it is slower unless the whole of lower Richmond road is backed up.

Today the carnage continued onwards with drivers and other cyclists making interesting choices from a road safety perspective and I just had one of those days where every time the traffic eased I just caught a red light.

Have been tempted to head down the private road (St Marys Grove) at the bridge, coming out at Felsham road, though this is presumably into terrible traffic but might be nicer?!

Going between St Marys Grove and Dryburgh Road can't be done at much more than walking speed, but there's generally no problem going down St Marys Grove on a bike.

Those back roads in Putney can get a bit snarled up around school drop-off/pick-up times. There are primary schools on each of the E/W roads (Clarendon, Hotham/Lacy, and Felsham) which creates a clusterfuck of cars either side of 8.45am and 3pm.

If I were going from Roehampton to cross Putney Bridge I'd be heading up Roehampton High Street to Putney Heath, down the corkscrew that is Carslake Road, then Westleigh Ave, Genoa Ave, Holroyd Road, Howards Lane, Carmalt Gardens (since there's no right turn from Gwendolen Avenue), URR, 1st L into Charlwood Road, slowly past the Primary School*, through the fire access gate, past Hotham Primary, RimmL to continue down Charlwood, past St Mary's Primary, then either:

• SO into Biggs Row and then R onto LRR (ok when the traffic isn't too backed up, but can also be quite easy to filter past it all if the traffic is awful)
  
• R onto Felsham Road, through the barriers and then L onto Putney High Street (some people even ignore the one way bit of Weimar St to join Putney High Street after the traffic lights from Putney Bridge Road).
  
  

* There's a designated school street outside Our Lady of Victories Primary and Hotham primary schools. Cycling is permitted but you can't blast through there at full speed. At peak drop-off times the roads are littered with children enjoying the fact that there shouldn't be any cars on it at drop-off/collection times.

Thanks, have plotted in and will give it a try soon.

shakedown commute for the new drivetrain on my singlespeed today.
it's been nice and dry up here in the Midlands so no ice on the roads.
I think -3° was a bit cold for my front light though as it kept switching itself off despite being fully charged. maybe there's a thermal switch to protect the battery or something?

computer reading minus 9 in the park this morning, gonna take a while for the toes to reach room temp

pretty chill ride in today. so chill my water bottle froze.

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Come on, you’re taking the piss now.

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don't worry, back to pissing rain and howling winds next week

That’s how to cheer me up ;)

Question...

What is the general opinion of people sitting on wheels on a commute? Personally I don't mind if someone can sit on, I feel if they can hang in they've earned the right to a bit of shelter. Conversely if I'm behind someone I'll either cling on if they're a lot stronger or contribute equally if we're similar strengths and I can help the pace.

Today I had someone on my wheel for about a mile and they then came past, I was able to latch on and sit behind. After about 30m they sat up and complained I was on their wheel. My opinion is either stay behind me if you don't want me on your wheel or when you overtake do it fast enough so that I can't sit on, you can't really overtake and then complain if somone jumps on your wheel. We did eventually have an amicable chat and rode side by side until we diverged but just wanted to get thoughts?

I don't like it. You've no way of telling where their dexterity lies. The last time it happened I reduced my revs significantly to the the sound of the clatter as the rider behind me and the one behind him became acquainted with the tarmac.

hopefully i'm misunderstanding, or you're telling a funny joke...but you purposefully made riders behind you crash because they were on your wheel?

You have it spot on. I've no desire to tow anyone who might be putting me at risk.
ETA - Tell me why I would.

you can't really overtake and then complain if somone jumps on your wheel

This, essentially. But I’d rather not be getting involved in any of it on public roads tbh, so I usually hang back a bit and judge whether I can pass them and drop them. I did once pass a guy on a sweet cannondale MTB with big slicks on who absolutely gunned it and held my wheel for half a mile before turning off. I was pushing quite hard to drop him.

So if by chance they catch up to you and decide that's a good speed, they're potentially putting you at risk?

sure, but maybe having a word, or just letting them pass if they were riding like dicks might have been slightly less aggressive?

personally if i roll up behind someone on a commute (or other ride for that matter), i tend to say hello.
if they don't respond then either pass or drop back a bit. it's not that important to get in front - leave the MGIF mentality to the idiot drivers.

They're putting me at risk by having their wheel 50mm away from mine whilst at speed.
Not sure what exactly your argument here is.

Ok fair enough, merely surprised as I can't say I've experienced anyone riding quite that close.

This isn't a ride in the Cotswolds or in the Weald of Kent. This is people getting to work.
Chit-chat doesn't come into it.

Yeah, drafting in urban areas is an absolute faux pas. Doing it just endangers both of you. If I catch someone ding it I just stop pedalling and sit up, and wave them through.

If I’m feeling spicy I might say “only cunts draft in the city”.

My view would be you either have the strength to drop them or you pull over and let them pass and then ride as you wish if you don't want them on your wheel. To purposefully try and brake test someone into crashing is pretty irresponsible to be honest.

Anyway its genuinely opened my eyes that people might have a problem with towing folk on commutes. I'd just assumed we're all trying to get home as quick as possible so any help sharing the wind is appreciated. But each to their own.

I'm also not talking about drafting through traffic but my commute has some good long stretches of junction free roads where you're often ahead of the cars.

Put em on the deck, that'll learn 'em

Weird, no different to brake checking on the motorway.