This morning's commute and other commuting stories

Really enjoyed the ride into the office today, despite a private taxi nearly taking me off the road when it was coming out a standing still junction, my race cape work wonders, unfortunately my shoes weren't waterproof. But that didn't spoil the refreshing ride in and having mudguards is a complete also an extra bonus!

9/10

Woken by the sound of the rain beating in time with my hangover, after a brief eternity I managed to peel myself out of my bed and set about digging out all my wet weather gear. By the time I had got a sufficient amount of my shit together to leave the hose the rain had all but stopped. Total "boil in the bag" commute.

all/luck

Should have worn the hose...

Yesterday. But worth posting.

The recent storms have cleared and it's clear skies. Which means a temperature plummet. But nice none the less if you dress right.

I was on the fatbike as I've left my fixie skiddah at a mates.

Crossed the road not far from my house and PING!
my seatpost clamp snaps. Å måte that tried out my bike must have over tensioned it. I guess it cracked during the cold night. Fat jokes accepted though.

So I ride to work standing.

Then shit starts creaking.

Then another PING! And all my chainring bolts have vanished. I installed these without my clever chainring bolt holder. Couldnt find it. Regret being lazy now.

But seriously. What a fucking day!

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Hope have already sorted the clamp by the way.
Awesome service.

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Should have worn the hose...

Ooops should have been hoose (I've come over all Scottish). The hose I always wear on my head anyway, proper old school gangster/bank robber style, then I RLJ all day long and old bill never catch.

such awesome power

I use newspaper at the office. Yes, not fully dry but I just deal with it.

Over-tightened
Too Fat
Manufacturing fault

In descending order of likeliness.

When my replacement bolts arrive. I shall employ this awesome power during the install.

....... But not on the replacement seatpost clamp....

Definitely not the first but either of the last two.

They snap if the leather is too loose - which can happen if the saddle has gotten too wet and it was already sagging a little. Putting a layer of Proofide underneath helps, but not as much as mudguards. And using the bolt to keep it tensioned (when it's dry obvs).

Under-tightened can make them go too

5 months old, they say to tension every 6. Underside had been proof wotnotted and was fully protected by both mud guards and plastic bags stuffed between the rails.

The six-month thing isn't very scientific IMHO - basically if it starts creaking, it generally needs a quarter turn or so. Which isn't often, but depends on how much you've been riding it.

How? They'll just slide around won't they?

Get a less shit saddle?

@hippy they're talking about the tension adjuster on Brooks saddles. Not how tight it is on the rails.

@h2o I hadn't heard that they can snap if too undertensioned. @Ramseye I still think whatever the rails shouldn't just break like that! @Dammit may have a point [/gritted teeth]

Ah, right.

Brooks saddles >>>

Out.

Weird one on the way home tonight.

Travelling south down Kennington road at the front of a little group doing a good pace. Looking ahead I'm thinking I can see the silhouette of a ped ahead.

Few secs later, fuck, that is a ped. Cue lots of shouting and hand signals as we pass a woman dressed head to toe in black,standing in the primary position with her head down texting.

All pass unscathed and she doesn't move and inch!

Update on the shoe warmers. Shoes are dry and warm. It helps if you cover the opening between heal and tongue with something (like a damp toe cover).

Shame I'm not putting them on tonight.

I just had a fucking mad one.

Going up Holloway Rd very slowly in heavy traffic and a woman pulls out across the bus lane. I stopped pretty close to her right door, and out of the window came a torrent of abuse including "can't you see this is a fucking road?"

At that I shared a "what the fuck" sideways look with the cyclist to my left and then some mad cunt got out of the car, marched over and started screaming a whole load of incomprehensible shit right in my face. I've never seen anyone completely lose their fucking rag like that.

I definitely shit my pants way more than I expected I ever would in that kind of situation (I apologised - ugh). I was pretty fixated on the fact that he had his hands behind his back and I really really didn't want to get stabbed. Anyway off to the pigpen tomorrow having just reported to 101.

Thanks to the dude on the red something (with chromey bits) who stopped to see if all good. Looked fixed so maybe on here? Anyway cheers.

Classic one this morning.

Toward the end of Tooley Street, where it meets the lights at London Bridge (maximum clusterfuck), I had to negotiate my way round solid traffic and a Taxi that had helpfully decided to park err, on a pavement, on a Red Route, in a cycle lane.

At first I was a bit pissed off that anyone could park their vehicle so selflessly and dangerously, putting my life and the life of other road users in unnecessary danger.

Then I noticed the driver had left a note in the window:

I'm in the cafe, 20 metres behind the cab. 07812 990 031

THAT'S ALL FUCKING RIGHT THEN.

Sign the cabby up for a lifetime of PPI and Workplace injury phone calls immediately!

ping an email to tfl.