This morning's commute and other commuting stories

^^These don't work.

Who's that?

Rutger Hauer

After months of commuting on a Ribble Alu track bike I had finally finished a build based on an old steel frame (thanks @mikdoublee) and assorted frankenparts yesterday, and rode it for the first time into work. What a fucking difference steel makes, ride so soft (compared) - like sitting on a pile cushion. The geometry is also much kinder to my awkward build (short legs, long upper body and arms). In love.

watched a cluster fuck of cyclists undertake a right turning 8 wheeler flat bed thing.

Yes it's indicating right, but on these narrow streets that usually means it will swing heavy left first and chances are it will have to throw it into reverse to get the line right.

My shout of "don't go up there" was met with a "fuck off mate" from a lad who then had to thrown himself onto the pavement.

Patience my children.
Patience.

In other news, first time in months I have got my layering right.

8/10 - would ride again.

Fucking noisy Harley Davidson undertook a bunch of cyclists on the inside of a bus lane at speed. Not the most dangerous, but kind of scary and totally unnecessary.
Why are all harley riders fat men with the look of unloved about them?

Swapped from having a bag on my back to pannier bags on the front rack, not so fun out of the saddle but lovely the rest of the time.

Oval is a clusterfuck isn't it?

London Wall currently closed by police, hoping it's not another cyclist.....

It could be a protest... There were some protesters outside 125 London Wall this morning, maybe it's gotten more serious.

I think that might have been mentioned...
Brixton Road was a pain this morning due to the Oval CF

Saw a T-rex on the back of a lorry this morning, covered by a white sheet so must have been dead

Really, the po-po wasn't saying anything when I ask. Lets hope it is just some protesting?

Just seen on Twitter that it is closed due to a demonstration

^what they said

It's something to do with Invesco.

The protesters sitting in the building doorway had a clickbaity type sign saying "What's invesco's dirty secret" but alas I do not know the answer to that question.

Glad I brought my lunch into work today.

Maybe they just want tickets to the Cricket..

@Doctor_Cake Do you work in the building?

I've been for meetings there before, the views out of the windows were distractingly awesome.

Lock war has broken out at our building, someone has locked their lock through all the others that have been left on the bike rack either that all they use 5 locks. Very strange.

Ooooooh.
https://twitter.com/hatsandbackchat/status/605307579997286400

Several verbals with drivers recently, two this morning. After getting overtaken at a blind corner with a traffic island right it the apex of the curve and massive lorry parked on the left, so the BT van went out to the right, then jagged back into the left, and out to the right again, the road continues to split into two lanes at some traffic lights. After staying left and letting another van overtake me, I shoulder checked, saw yet another van but given the lights were red and there was a queue I had space and time to move into the right hand lane. The van behind undertook me, then cut across me to come back into the right lane, ending up at a 40 degree angle. I simply cycled past him yelling what a stupid manouvre it was. The lights change and I'm a couple of vehicles ahead, as I turn off right he comes past me shouting at me. I'll assume he was annoyed at me moving into the right hand lane so I just told him again it was a stupid move in an assertive manner.

Then about five minutes later I was cycling next to some parking spots which were mostly empty. I had placed myself on the line indicating these when a taxi came past giving me one or two inches at most, despite there's nothing in the oncoming traffic. My arms goes up and despite clearly in such a rush he needs to overtake me so dangerously, he waits at a roundabout to ask me what my problem is. So I stopped too and told him. I didn't really hear his reponse but again I'll assume it was because I wasn't cycling right over on the left, in the parking spaces, rather than in the actual traffic lane itself. Obviously if there were cars there I wouldn't be able to ride in that space at all, and indeed would be much further out to avoid being doored, and surely there is no need to position ourselves in parking spaces or bus stops or loading bays. Anyway he was a fucking dickhead about it so I told him so before cycling off, where upon he revved and tried to roar past me on the roundabout although I was heading straight on and him to the right.

That was after Friday when someone honked and beeped at me then pulled over to tell me I had cut him off. I told him if he had a problem with it to get out the car. He drove off. I didn't cut him off, I just took the lane through a fast section of twisting road at the bottom of slope.

Shoaling and pavement cycling at increased levels today.

There were a few headwindy days last week, which meant there were a fair few 'enthusiast' types who'd obviously been hanging on my wheel and then fancied themselves as stronger than me, overtook and promptly hit a wall of wind, causing me a fair bit of brake feathering and a wry chuckle as I went back in front. Ahh, summer excitement. I'd never wish for foul weather, but in some ways it makes life easier.
#humblebrag

Really odd incident this morning when a group of four roadies heading down Tooley Street attempted to turn right into (one way) Bermondsey Street causing much bafflement and confusion.

Cyclists can go both ways down Bermondsey Street at the southern section not sure exactly where it starts or ends tho

Not at the Tooley Street end, hence why the hapless roadies ended up mounting the pavement / getting into a mexican standoff with traffic.

The two way bit starts past the rail bridge, IIRC