This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Apparently his daughter has said no. Which I think is right, mostly. I would like to read more and more but the fear of it being awful overwhelms.

Waiting at a roundabout and black cab rear ended me, embedding my rear wheel in his bumper. He was surprisingly nice about it, and details have been exchanged. Not sure he will be so happy when I tell him I need new mudguards and wheel.

Journey became more interesting when a car close passed me to then slam on his brakes as there was a queue of vehicles waiting for lights to turn green. I shouted at him as I filtered past the queue of traffic. A mile further down the road he cuts me up shouting abuse and then keeps slamming on his brakes to try and get me to crash into him. When that didn't work he races up the road and he and his companion got out of the vehicle and grabbed tools from the boot of the car. I then changed direction and took a slightly different route home.

Psychos everywhere, it's bewildering. I had a Golf swing across into my lane, coming towards me, as I was bombing down a hill in Kent on saturday. Later, occupant/s of a Land Rover hurled some screaming abuse out at me. A passenger in a Fiesta happily yelled "Skinny arse!" at me (why, thanks for noticing).
Made the mistake of asking a moped to not be in the bike box on the way home - "Worry about yourself mate" he said, to which I replied that was the reason I was asking why he was in a place he shouldn't be. Obviously he kept repeating the same old shit to me, calling me a wanker and then screaming off at about 40 in a 20.
The roads turn people into utter dicks. And I'll include myself in that; there wasn't much need to get into a confrontation with a dick on a moped.

he and his companion got out of the vehicle and grabbed tools from the boot of the car. I then changed direction and took a slightly different route home.

Darwin game: you win.

Using the Grand Union Tow Path yesterday to get across town, lots of sweaty lunchtime runners. None of them seem to have got the memo that where there is two way traffic in this country, that it is the norm to stick to the left to avoid hesitation or collision. I was taking it slow, and being respectful before anyone asks.
The transition to the temporary boardwalks are LETHAL and need to be taken super slow.

Chaos out there today. Real first-day-of-term feel.

Moving along at a good speed, taxi is coming up to overtake but just doesn't quite give it enough gas to get past.
He sits behind me to the right for long enough that I shoulder check twice to make sure he's not coming past. I then pull out in front of him to overtake another cyclist. Horn!!!!
He then sits up my ass with maximum revs, as I pull in and he comes past I give him a little wave and a smile. I know it's antagonising but I was enjoying my ride too much to get angry.

8/10 will wave at angry people more often.

where there is two way traffic in this country, that it is the norm to stick to the left to avoid hesitation or collision

I don't think there is specific highway code guidance on non-segregated shared paths, but where pedestrians mix with faster moving traffic on roads the advice is to walk to the right so you can see who is coming towards you.

I feel safest doing this on shared paths too otherwise fast moving bikes can come as a shock as they buzz past. It also means I can interact with the cyclist if necessary so we can safely get past each other.

You don't need codes or guidance. We stick to the left, other than if walking in a road.
Sticking to the right is the opposite of what I would expect. I do understand your logic though.

Everyone seems to have forgotten how to indicate today, cyclist, drivers, mopeds. Got caught out twice with left turning drivers not indicating this morning.

Also sorry for shouting at the young women who I missed by inches as she jumped the lights, she was blissful unaware of her actions as she had headphones on. Actually I'm not sorry was a dick move which gave the taxi behind me all the ammo he needed to shout at me as he went past .

Will shout again. 7/10

Plates?

in head ?

First cycle commute in nearly 7 weeks today.

Was fantastic.

Welcome back.

Get the fuck out of here mode had been deployed, did not take plates.

First ride in today on 42x15 fixed, having gone up a cog from 42x16. Felt much better, as I was faster on the flat, and it was easier going down the hills.

Would be 8/10, were it not for the fact that I had a visitation, resulting from a huge chunk of flint.

Still, it was nice weather, and the repair didn't take that long, therefore 7/10

We stick to the left

We don't though. You just said the people on the shared path don't. And I don't either. So there clearly isn't a consensus.

Sticking to the right is the opposite of what I would expect

Soz, but your expectation is wrong. Have you considered expecting the unexpected?

Have you considered expecting the unexpected?

This so much.

People are unpredictable.

Even those who believe that our destiny is pre-arranged look before they cross the road

Don't cross the streams.

Inadvertently timed it so this evening's downpour coincided exactly with the point I was drinking beer in Cycle PS. 10/10

Out for a lunchtime 30k leg stretch, I got overtaken on a short dual carriageway by a 7.5T lorry exactly as per the Highway Code / Chris Boardman video. I got the trucks reg on my camera, so once home I sent the transport manager an e-mail saying how nice it was to come across a driver that was not trying to kill me.

Transport manager (a fellow cyclist) passed on my thanks to the driver, Harry, and apparently he was delighted, "his face lit up".

10/10 Would feel the warm glow of humanity again.

#rep

Nice. Had a similar thing today now I'm back in Swindon. Almost every car this week has hung back, passed with care.

Then today on a narrow dodgy bit of road a skip truck was stuck behind me for a minute. I took primary til it was clear, signalled to overtake. Got a wide berth, friendly beep of the horn etc. Later a bus had to do the same, got lots of room and a flashing signal in thanks.

Not London, that's for sure.

Speaking of London and lorries reminds me of a story:

I was cycling home for Easter one year, wearing my London Pride jersey. (I was also on a red and black bike, with a red and black helmet, gloves and shoes. The colour scheme was strong with this one)

I was somewhere along the A4 and the traffic was heavy and almost stationary and a lorry had been just off my tail for a little while when it parped its horn at me. This annoyed me because it had plenty of room to get past and wasn't going to go anywhere when it did.

I pulled over a little bit anyway, so it could slide up the couple of meters to the car in front but it didn't take the opportunity. It just sat there a while longer and the tooted its horn again.

I was getting pretty irritated by this point so I decided it was time to glare at the driver, but when I turned around I realised it was a massive double articulated lorry, from London Pride! We must have looked like the weirdest cycle team.