This morning's commute and other commuting stories

When I went over it at 08:30 there was a broken down bus just where it goes to one lane on the northside. Carmaggedon.

So, annoyingly, it turns out Ribmos are no match for a bloody great safety pin. Who'd a thunk it?

Lack of any puncture repair paraphenalia/10.

packing a lighter weight cycling sock for the evening commute at the moment

Empty is fine, my main issue with the 1010 is the constant traffic and traffic lights. I seem to recall the 1055 is pretty quick and straightforward, if not all that pleasant.

The alternative is getting across the reservoirs and heading up the east of them to Waltham Abbey, then up crooked mile and back roads to Roydon and onwards. Haven't tried that one, reckon it'll add a couple of miles but if it's less stop-start I think that'd be better...

Journey to work was okay, journey back a disaster.

Took a massive detour over to the hospital to try see if an acquaintance was there. Long story short he wasn't, I missed a curb and felt a horrid thud of the back wheel, a few hundred meters later I'm stopped and trying to use those emergency foam tyre saver things, then at a bike shop I borrow a pump, overinflate it and hear a bang fizzzzzz...

Tried riding home on the super softie until further along I barely stay upright after a mad skid on the wet bike path, pretty much using the sidewall to skid. Use a second foam thing and then find the super mini hand pump in my bag.

Get home, dinner was cold.

yap... almost got taken out on way home today trying to get to E&C... absolutely nightmare... not my daily route but I do do it fairly often, never ever had a problem with it until the segregated cycle lane has been put in...

It was fine last week but they have definitely changed the sequence this week but I can't work out in whose benefit

Fell off going too casually up a low, wet kerb. Nice knee hole in my expensive Showers Pass overtrousers that i put on and then it didn't rain worth the name. Was going up the kerb to stop at a Pokemon GO gym, which it turned out that i didn't even need to do because i had a critter placed within it already. Another triumph.

lol

1055 is certainly quicker and few traffic lights to contend with, well up to the part I get too. I presume you'll be going over the fly over to tot hale. That section may be the clusterfcuk in the am.

Took the fancy road bike out this morning (as I have training tonight with BCC) thought to MTFU and ride in the wet/rain, and deep down I never liked riding in the rain on the road bike as I always seem to have bad luck with punctures in the wet and surely enough I did 6 miles into the commute.

As I switched over to the road bike the inner tube I had was incorrect and I managed to get to cycle surgery in spitalfields market to only get a overkill 80mm inner tube. Plus £7.99 for an inner tube? Dang!

Hopefully training tonight will make up for this morning's event.

2/10

Change of bikes drama for me too. On the cross bike for Grupetto cross training tonight. No mudguards, so decided to catch train based on the rain that was forecast. Found I had left wallet at work, no cards, money or oyster. Queue banging around house, emptying the kids' money boxes. No money in house at all!!? Had to wake up my wife and borrow her debit card. Oops....in trouble later. Missed train.

Training and pub recovery will make it worthwhile.

Rode my slow beater trek mtb to work. Normal clothes, trainers, nice and slow. Let plenty of people out and people let me out. Such zen, many thanks, too hot though.
Zen/10

Annoyed the wife, and planning a pub trip. You're brave.

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It's probably too late to save his arse now. :)

Anyone finding pigeons to being extra lazy right now? Through Burgess Park and even on side streets they are just fucking waddling around and not moving when riding towards them, and I know they can see me those little feathered fuckers but they aren't flying away to safety as I approach. I am having to tap the brake on multiple occasions to avoid running over them.
getoutofmyway/10

Don't worry, we are lightweights. Only 1 pint (2 at a push) :-)

Sorry, I mean athletes. We are athletes. (ahem)

Simply no.

The rain does filter out most of the annoying must cut you off / push in front of you at lights cyclists. It was nice and didn't even rain that much.

Why not?
Put mine on the 'crosser yesterday to get to work and home, removed them just for training.

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/sks-s-blade-rear-mudguard/rp-prod104734?gs=1&gclid=Cj0KEQjw4fy_BRCX7b6rq_WZgI0BEiQAl78nd5e6cTUwzOKiKGuewxtz4v52LhGYpap82r1fb09aCU8aAvoQ8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

I am convinced pigeons are becoming braver, as you said, I never used to feel the need to brake for them. I do wonder if we need to start running a few of them over, sort of remove the bravery gene from the pigeon pool.

I'm well ahead of you here. Already got a couple on my headcount tally. Last one took off just in front of me, got clipped and spun into the river lea.

Seen cars do wheel spins on pigeons before. Messy.

Mine was a squirrel this morning, darted across the path on a bushy blind corner. Always gotta go slow cos of kids there, but wasn't expecting a fluffy asbo rat.

There's a squashed fox near Sainsbury's New Cross.