This morning's commute and other commuting stories

They only finished building it a few months back so it's brand new, I had to make the strava for it myself so few people know where it is. 2x laps for each segment. For some weird reason my own haven't gone into it, maybe track is too small for strava to track properly?

https://www.strava.com/segments/17414261

Ah - that'll be why. Will check it out on the way home as I'm just up the hill from there.

Ha - those strava results do look a bit dodgy.

Mixed bag of a journey at lunch time:

• beautiful sunny day - I wore (casual) shorts for the first time this year
  
• went into the police station to ask about a folding bike I found 2 months ago; they've still got it, so I'm allowed to keep it for free
  
• chain came off as I stood on the pedals to get up a hill, which threw off my balance and put my front wheel into a drain, throwing me over the bars. Bruised arm, grazed knee, scraped on my leg from the chainring but otherwise okay.
  
• passing taxi stopped to ask if I was okay, faith in taxi drivers semi-restored
  
  

4/10

The only iffy bit I noticed was going into the middle U at the end you started the join from gravel to tarmac has a pothole like line diagonal across it. Apart from that very straight/square ramps nothing too difficult but kids could struggle as they need a bit of speed to get up/over.

I'll be passing fri+sat+tues 2pm or so each time, say hello if you see me.

Passed the noisiest chainlined Brompton I've ever heard on my way in today, being ridden by someone wearing a hi vis altura winter jacket

I ended up leaving later than I normally do and it was terrible.

I left home about 6am and it was dead. By the time I left gym and there were a few peeps out but clearly still before mass commuter movement. I think I'll just leave my alarm set to gym time every day :)

Yeah it is the biggest culture shock type thing for me coming back. My ride across town in the morning I see at least 3 people shooting up and so much life-pain. It sucks. I have become too euro-soft. I feel so bad for them. There but for the grace of a couple of underpaid teachers (who really helped me out in high school) go I.

hmm. Here they ride in the bike lanes. This morning I gave a german ding as I passed one (so he knew I was overtaking and didn't weave into me) and he looked at me like I was talking on the phone at the movies or something.

I can just about see you still might want to pack a jacket on a day like today, but who thinks 'no, this is definitely outer shell weather'? I was cooking in just a shirt, but the number of people wearing fluro rain jackets was astounding.

flouro > comfort

This weather is making me so zen it's great: a puncture in the front wheel last night and this morning did not phase me (hasty fix/new inner last night at Evans in Ludgate Circus, so probably didn't check the tire enough). Even the broken temporary lights on my route that clearly isn't going green for my direction of traffic making me wait for 7-8 mins before I realised didn't ruin it.
11/10

Also very zen. Took the quiet way though various parks until I hit Kennington and realised how justified I had been in avoiding the rush.

Overheard a very heated exchange between a couple of riders (I think one had pulled out on the other at relatively low speed and caused a very minor inconvenience). Life's too short and the weather's too nice to be throwing insults over that shit.

(hasty fix/new inner last night at Evans in Ludgate Circus, so probably didn't check the tire enough)

Don't led @edscoble hear you say that.

life’s too short / weathers too nice

Agreed! Didn’t mind Kennington so much. I always like that long road because you can get away from the horde. The real shit show for me started in Westminster / Piccadilly 😣

Skidded into a van. Punctured and buckled my rear wheel. Ah well.

life’s too short / weathers too nice

That with the nice new wheels you've been shouting about? Shame if already pringled.

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#awks

Yep, it was. Should be fixable (I'm hoping).

Just glad it was the wheel and not my shoulder / face.

SUN'S OUT THO

Brake are death

SUN'S OUT THO

whistles

I think I just need a new tire, it's very worn and has had about 5 new tubes this year already.

three new tubes is the rule.

#LFGSSgospel

Edit: new page fail