The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Nikolai said:
Anyone else's local authority done nothing to clear leaves? Leafy parts of Bristol have an inch of Teflon coated mulch on the cycle paths, lots and lots of people falling off. I'm sure they wait until all the leaves have fallen to save cost, but still, poor show
Love the optimism that your council will clear the leaves, even if they do they will be back straight away Very very misty this morning in Manchester. I kept having to stop anf wipe my glasses so I could see where I was going. Plenty of cars and cyclists with no lights on which wasn't the best idea considering the conditions.
The road bike has returned to it's resting place for winter now. The MTB is now on winter duties. I just need to swap the knobblies off for something more commuter friendly this weekend although the knobblies do give me a good workout.
The road bike has returned to it's resting place for winter now. The MTB is now on winter duties. I just need to swap the knobblies off for something more commuter friendly this weekend although the knobblies do give me a good workout.
JQ said:
Plenty of cars and cyclists with no lights on which wasn't the best idea considering the conditions.
They are the car equivalent of the numpties on bikes who don't have lights etc.Of course, the midnight cycling ninjas represent ALL cyclists whereas the no-lights car muppets are aberrations in the almost universally competent cohort of drivers
I spotted two cyclists between Frimley and Farnborough this morning who would have sworn blind that they had lights if they were challenged.
Well yes, Dorises, you do have lights, and bless you, yes, they are switched on. But some fresh batteries wouldn't have gone amiss, given that I had to stare intently at one of them, while stopped at a traffic light, just to ascertain that it was, indeed, switched on. Heck, I wasn't happy watching my eldest son ride off to college this morning, despite it a) being no longer 'rush hour' b) him having a bright yellow rucksack cover, and c) his lights being as bright as possible, with fresh batteries.
Check your batteries, peeps! Especially with the mist and fog we're having right now.
Well yes, Dorises, you do have lights, and bless you, yes, they are switched on. But some fresh batteries wouldn't have gone amiss, given that I had to stare intently at one of them, while stopped at a traffic light, just to ascertain that it was, indeed, switched on. Heck, I wasn't happy watching my eldest son ride off to college this morning, despite it a) being no longer 'rush hour' b) him having a bright yellow rucksack cover, and c) his lights being as bright as possible, with fresh batteries.
Check your batteries, peeps! Especially with the mist and fog we're having right now.
yellowjack said:
I spotted two cyclists between Frimley and Farnborough this morning who would have sworn blind that they had lights if they were challenged.
Well yes, Dorises, you do have lights, and bless you, yes, they are switched on. But some fresh batteries wouldn't have gone amiss, given that I had to stare intently at one of them, while stopped at a traffic light, just to ascertain that it was, indeed, switched on. Heck, I wasn't happy watching my eldest son ride off to college this morning, despite it a) being no longer 'rush hour' b) him having a bright yellow rucksack cover, and c) his lights being as bright as possible, with fresh batteries.
Check your batteries, peeps! Especially with the mist and fog we're having right now.
Indeed always odd when you see people with lights and the batteries are flat, even more so with modern flashing lights where you get weeks of notice, Its almost like they have lights as they have been told to, but lack the common sense to check the batteriesWell yes, Dorises, you do have lights, and bless you, yes, they are switched on. But some fresh batteries wouldn't have gone amiss, given that I had to stare intently at one of them, while stopped at a traffic light, just to ascertain that it was, indeed, switched on. Heck, I wasn't happy watching my eldest son ride off to college this morning, despite it a) being no longer 'rush hour' b) him having a bright yellow rucksack cover, and c) his lights being as bright as possible, with fresh batteries.
Check your batteries, peeps! Especially with the mist and fog we're having right now.
First week of pitch black comuteing home last week, working late tonight, so will be heading home at 9pm and the fog is just starting to come in now!
Nice ride in today, was a bit too hot for winter clothes
God staring at a white wall of fog is boreing. At least new tyres made it "interesting" as did the fact that I realised half way somehow my front brake has become rather lose (I think I might have done something when I cleaned my bike and changed the tyres at the weekend).
Also, first day for he bib tights this year. Every year I forget how much harder it is with all that extra elastic and material.
Did almost tell my boss to go f
k himself. I decided not to take my helmet today as I prefer a hat in fog to keep my head dry, but find it too warm for both. He asked me about it, and then tutted when I said I didn't wear it today. Non of his fking business. I told him there is no requirement and I am safer being comfortable and walked off to the shower before he could piss me off even more.
Also, first day for he bib tights this year. Every year I forget how much harder it is with all that extra elastic and material.
Did almost tell my boss to go f
k himself. I decided not to take my helmet today as I prefer a hat in fog to keep my head dry, but find it too warm for both. He asked me about it, and then tutted when I said I didn't wear it today. Non of his fking business. I told him there is no requirement and I am safer being comfortable and walked off to the shower before he could piss me off even more.The trouble with some of the commuter types I see regularly round my way is that they rely too heavily on hi-vis jackets and reflective clothing above decent lighting.
Retro-reflectives only really work well when there is a strong source of light travelling to and from said reflective material. This doesn't work in fog, because the light from the headlamps of cars is bouncing hither and thither, refracting off all the tiny water droplets in the air, so very little gets to the reflective clothing from headlamps, and even less of the available light makes it's way directly back to the driver. Bright colours are better than subdued ones, but even then, thick fog masks the shape of the object (in this case, the cyclist) for far longer than in clear conditions, making it harder to spot us, and when we are spotted it's inevitably at a later point, making any overtake far more of a rushed affair. It's one of the principal reasons why it's stupid to ignore advice to drive more slowly in fog and mist.
Be bold, be bright, be seen! And ride safe y'all...
Retro-reflectives only really work well when there is a strong source of light travelling to and from said reflective material. This doesn't work in fog, because the light from the headlamps of cars is bouncing hither and thither, refracting off all the tiny water droplets in the air, so very little gets to the reflective clothing from headlamps, and even less of the available light makes it's way directly back to the driver. Bright colours are better than subdued ones, but even then, thick fog masks the shape of the object (in this case, the cyclist) for far longer than in clear conditions, making it harder to spot us, and when we are spotted it's inevitably at a later point, making any overtake far more of a rushed affair. It's one of the principal reasons why it's stupid to ignore advice to drive more slowly in fog and mist.
Be bold, be bright, be seen! And ride safe y'all...
Well, riding home was interesting. Empty B roads a spooky in this weather. It was like cycling through the set of a horror movie, and very disorienting at times!
Fortunately not many other people around. I didn't have a single person pass me once I left the main road (and the safty of a segregated cycle lane) in 6 ish miles of county lanes.
Fortunately not many other people around. I didn't have a single person pass me once I left the main road (and the safty of a segregated cycle lane) in 6 ish miles of county lanes.
Edited by SteveSteveson on Monday 2nd November 18:49
Either it's cold in Derbyshire, or I'm a puff.
Big tights, long sleeve thin jersry, winter jeresey, thin Gilet, gloves and bootie covers for me.
Got to man up as I'm in Munich tommorow to Sunday drinking, so running before I set off home, then stopping at gym for a swim befroe I get home. Should see 3 hrs of cardio today.
Big tights, long sleeve thin jersry, winter jeresey, thin Gilet, gloves and bootie covers for me.
Got to man up as I'm in Munich tommorow to Sunday drinking, so running before I set off home, then stopping at gym for a swim befroe I get home. Should see 3 hrs of cardio today.
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