This morning's commute and other commuting stories

For clarity. I 'cruise by' and wait on red. As always.

Seems anatomically impossible to me during the situation you describe, unless he's a blue whale ;)

A charming man for sure...

Did the big commute today, think I'm gonna settle on doing it twice a week and then a ride for fun on the weekend if I fancy it. Left nice and early when it was still dark and COLD and did the first 9 miles at 20mph average before I started hitting traffic, traffic lights and towns.

I'd struggled to get my prendas oversock things over my new Bonts and gave up in the end. Big mistake, my feet were freezing the entire way in. Also, I forgot my sunglasses so my eyes were streaming for 28 miles. Will ride again on Thursday I think, depending on weather.

Hit 45mph down from the palace...

fast/10

Way into town I unclipped mid-skid on Aldwych in heavy traffic. On the way home front tube went kaboom on the middle of Bank junction. Not my day.

Trying not to get into bad habits with naughty moves, but the new longer commute is more fun than expected. Mostly cycle paths almost empty, then the road sections are congested for epic filtering goodness.

Found this for a fiver in the charity shop, so spent this evening altering it to race fit. Wonder if anyone at work will make a Lance remark.

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Think there's a bus on fire on canning town flyover. At least there's an awful lot of smoke coming out of it. I wondered what that smell was.

Samsung Galaxy Note on board?

We have Note 4 at work, battery life is a bit crap but no flamers, we also had a fleet of Vauxhalls that could not be parked in the garage as they had a habit of sudden rapid overheating syndrome. :)

I also overshoed (overshod?) yesterday. Damp feet on the way back. \o/ (Am back to doing the canal route. The A10 is too desolate once you get past tottenham.)

Also, it is now that time of year where one can simultaneously boil and freeze, depending on choice of clothing - is there such a thing as a windproof + breathable jacket? I sweat buckets. :/

Gilet, mesh back
Arm warmers optional

Apart from my feet I was a nice temperature on the way in, but the way back was a different kettle of fish. Got out relatively early into completely sunny daytime - sweated profusely in my bib tights, baselayer, jersey etc as I bimbled through London traffic.

The problem was once it started getting chilly, by Cheshunt it was quite cold and dark and my sweat was starting to cool, a lot. By the time I got to Hunsdon I was sweaty, cold and knackered all at once and my legs were dead. Oh and my winter gloves give my left hand pins and needles?!

I can't deal with the A1010, worst possible mixture of shit roads, traffic lights and no cycle infrastructure. Bleak is the right word. Think I might try the A1055 next time.

Ta very much, will look into it. Sadly, I think I need my underarms ventilated at all times.

Which one of you silly twats undertook me just as I was pulling away from the lights on Grosvenor Road heading up towards Chelsea Bridge last night? Cinelli cap, black leader frame. I'd be amazed if he wasn't on here...

I told you not to undertake me as I went past you.

Stupid manouver, you literally went into the gutter to do so despite the whole road to my right being available.

London Bridge north bound this morning... so the loading dock area of the building site is open on the left hand side so there is traffic crossing the cycle lane when entering it, and the same on the exit and mostly just driving in the cycle lane. Who though that closing tower bridge while London Bridge bottle necks going north bound and Tooley Street being one way and pretty much single file was a good idea?

That confused the hell out of me this morning. Looked left and saw taxis. It was just a total cluster this morning, gonna look at Southwark bridge tomorrow. At the NLA Cycling Conference recently the guy in charge of all this said Tooley Street and London Bridge was a good example of cycle management... hmmm...
Witnessed fixed rider fail to clip in properly from the lights across London Bridge, and do a beautiful cartwheel right in the middle of the road. If you are on here, hope you're ok - looked nasty

I've just lodged a complaint with TFL, because it isn't being managed, and its dangerous. it wasn't great that the buses were pulling across the cycle lane but now that cars are crossing the other way too...

Sweaty. Way warmer today.

I see a guy on a SS most days, he lives near and rides a chilled pace. He arrives 10 mins after me and in full fluoro has no sweat.

Turns out he works the other end of the bank of desks, and arriving later he is still at his pc before me.

A1055 will be empty, may see one or two cyclists. Take the cycle path. Lot easier to navigate, good size tyres too as it can be dusty and glass. I only go far as picketts lock lane to the stw site. Alternatively the canal is there, though not sure how far up it goes.

Years ago I bought some USPS bib shorts for £2.50 from a charity shop, little used and a proper leather chamois. I wore them on and off for a while and one day was puffing along to the next town to see some friends when a cyclist overtook me and tutted loudly. I initially thought he was deriding my lack of speed but was only a while later I realised why he'd done it.

I bet they were comfy, and for £2.50 I'd take the tut.

I went across at about 9am and the bus lane was full of buses just parked up, going nowhere. Too little room down the middle so I just got off and walked down the pavement. I had the same thought as you: whose idea was it to allow two adjacent road bridges to be compromised at exactly the same time. Traffic was backed up along Tooley St almost to Tower Bridge Road.

I hate the enforced conflict between cycles and buses on London Bridge Northbound. You have to go past the ones at the back of the queue, cut left past the one at the front to join the cycle lane, only to come into conflict with them again as they try to cut across the end of the cycle lane to go left as you approach the junction.

Interval training

TFL seem to be fecking about with the traffic light phasing at several points on my commute home.

St Georges Circus south bound from Waterloo in particular has become an absolute shambles with cyclists trying to get to E&C or Borough being merged with traffic from Westminster Bridge Road trying to get up Blackfriars; we get released from one green light and held at the red they are waiting at already.