This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Aye, what everyone said. Back on the road and fend for yourself. Greenwich newsletter in the post yesterday suggests that pedestrianisation around Greenwich market is back on the cards so they'll do away with that one way system and extend the cycle lane from Waitrose to join up with the one on Trafalgar Road. Woolwich to Tower bridge dedicated lane is the aim, but really have no idea how they'll do the Surrey Quays bit...

Lots of electric scooters abandoned on cyclepaths of Essex.
Worse are the ones in use, hooning about like they own the paths.
Got ding-dinged by one, when I was slowing for some peds/ flooded path, they squeezed past me and went up the road.
10 seconds later I passed them (they are restricted to 15mph I think) and gave a cheery wave.

As much as i think they are a great alternative to cars, they are not being taken up by drivers, just school kids being dicks 2-up on them

I don't there's any limit for e-scooters, quick look online and found one which claims 28mph. Any sold with a limit can probably be easily circumvented anyway.

Also reckon there's pretty much fuck all use as a car alternative, but not that it's an age thing. It's people either avoiding public transport or wanting the convenience of a bike without the effort.

Only thing I can think of in their defence is that they're easier to store than bikes, but the flipside to that is that they'll probably burn the house down.

As much as i think they are a great alternative to cars, they are not being taken up by drivers, just school kids being dicks 2-up on them

Maybe they are getting some cars off the school run in that case?

The rental ones that are legal have a limit that matches the pedal assist limit (I think). The private ones can go to mad speeds, but even at limited speeds they're illegal so people just go for fast ones I imagine.

The fastest ones can reach 70mph.
On those lil' wheels.
Madness.

just school kids being dicks 2-up on them

I think that would be most of us if they were around when we were that age!

Yup. I remember the days of 2 on a BMX...

Fuck me. I had my first go an e-scooter the other day, a rental limited to 25kph. That was sketchy enough with the tiny wheels!

A few screen grabs from Thursday morning's commute

4 Attachments

And Thursday evening

4 Attachments

Cor, bit cold on the old ears this morning.

You can also tell the temperature has dropped a bit by the amount of smelly shit the diesel cars are pumping out.

Wrong glove choice this morning - ouch.

Hey yall,

This is going to be my first winter commuting in uk. Coming from Florida (very hot)

Kind of want to know what jacket/gloves \pants you guys get.

I have a friend that works in sports direct and can get me a 30% discount so if anything from there is good, then I'll get it from there.

Good news is I gave showers at my job.

How long is your commute? That will decide some of what you need.

9 miles from my house to work.

Temps in UK winter vary a lot. From -5 to +10 throughout December/January/February. Layers with a wind/rain proof top layer is my go to. Long finger gloves are a must. Waterproof shoes and mudguards help a lot.

What @Backstop said, layers. You'll want mudguards as well, ideally with long flaps that stop just a couple of inches off the ground. Contrary to popular belief it doesn't actually rain a whole lot in London in terms of absolute volume, but it's often shitty and drizzly, enough to get the roads a bit wet and all that muck to go all over you. Mudguards will keep you and your bike cleanish and dryish.

Can't give any pointers on Sports Direct, it's owned by an awful man so I don't set foot there.

decent long sleeve Merino Jerseys and thick socks.
woolie boolie socks are good for cold days.
when it gets below about 5 degrees, toe covers and something to cover your ears as well.

If you’re used to Florida weather then I suggest long johns x 2, thermal vests x 3, whatever kind of gloves the polar explorers use, plus dousing yourself in accelerant and setting yourself alight before each journey.

Welcome to the UK! I find the best bet is to have a variety of layers for different weather and mix and match as needed. The weather here is rarely particularly extreme but it's quite changeable so a few layers that you can take off or put on are a better bet than a single warm layer.
Have a look at at the Albion Burner, it provides a surprising amount of warmth and packs up absolutely tiny to fit in a pocket if you warm up mid-ride.
Neoprene overshoes are handy to have as well, even with full mudguards. Combine with waterproof socks for ultimate dry footed comfort.

Great work here : )

Jokes aside , I'm already freezing.

Will prob get thermals from uniclo because of proximity to work.

Jacket wise, any recomendations?

Also which bit of the UK? Basically London is warmer than everywhere else. And timing. Early morning commutes are colder.

You might like a softshell jacket, they're quite warm but not waterproof. Ok in drizzle.

It has been pretty chilly the last couple of mornings! What's your budget? If you can stretch to it, I've found it's worthwhile having two jackets. A decent waterproof shell for when it's raining and something that's windproof but more breathable for when it's dry.