The daily "I cycled to work" thread
Discussion
Fairly uneventful ride home yesterday (but pleasant in the sun). However, the following showed just how s
t traffic is around my 'hood: As soon as i leave work, i have a short steep hill, and halfway up i was overtaken by a van - not dangerously, but just where you sense an element of aggression from the steering inputs etc, so i made a note of his reg number.
Anyway, at the top of the hill he was held up by a dithering woman, so i overtook them both. 200 yards on, he overtakes me again in order to get to the back of a traffic jam (which i sailed past). A mile or so later down in Virginia water he overtakes me again. Several miles later, in Ascot, i overtake him again in a traffic jam.
Finally, into Bracknell at the AMG garage - c.10 miles from work, and nearly home - he finally overtakes me for the last time and i dont see him again.
And thats me riding home, which is mostly uphill, before rush hour, at an average speed of 16mph...
t traffic is around my 'hood: As soon as i leave work, i have a short steep hill, and halfway up i was overtaken by a van - not dangerously, but just where you sense an element of aggression from the steering inputs etc, so i made a note of his reg number.Anyway, at the top of the hill he was held up by a dithering woman, so i overtook them both. 200 yards on, he overtakes me again in order to get to the back of a traffic jam (which i sailed past). A mile or so later down in Virginia water he overtakes me again. Several miles later, in Ascot, i overtake him again in a traffic jam.
Finally, into Bracknell at the AMG garage - c.10 miles from work, and nearly home - he finally overtakes me for the last time and i dont see him again.
And thats me riding home, which is mostly uphill, before rush hour, at an average speed of 16mph...
Beautiful morning, a nice reminder as to why I cycle to work 3 times per week! I normally pass the usual faces, but as the sun is out so are the fair weather riders! A few of which were on cyclocross bikes.. made me wonder if i'd benefit from one rather than using my 29er HT for commuting duties. (I ride on 90% public trail that probably does not warrant a MTB)
yellowjack said:
I don't ride to work, as I'm not working at the moment.
But - loads of fun yesterday, in Greenwich Park, watching 'commuter racing' up the hill to the Observatory. Mental. My first time in that part of London in ages, and I didn't realise that there are quite a few tasty hills in London after all.
Generally speaking, though, how do those of you who ride in London manage to do it and stay sane. Between some of your fellow cyclists riding as if it's their first day on planet Earth, and a strong proportion of drivers who are seemingly out to kill you, it seems a stressful thing to be doing.
I watched one woman in an old BMW cabrio last night. She was leaving a side street ahead of me, turning left into solid traffic. Smartphone glued to her ear, no-one moving to let her in even if they wanted to. She appeared to wait, but then, just as a fast-moving cyclist got close on the nearside cycle path, she rolled forward causing him do brake hard to avoid going over the bonnet. He gave the universal "WTF?" shrug, and got a torrent of abuse in return. Once she broke into the traffic flow, she immediately signaled to turn right. And promptly did so against oncoming traffic. But the van approaching got on the horn and forced her to yield. Then she completed her turn anyway, nearly taking out two more cyclists, while leaning on the horn as if it were her absolute right to cross the path of traffic whilst turning right. All the while still on her blasted phone. The male passenger next to her made no attempt to persuade her to put the phone down either.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't commute by bike if I lived up there, but from an outsider's perspective it looks like a very stressful way to get about. Significantly faster than driving, but stressful nonetheless.
Agree, I see some shocking driving and I live nowhere near London, bollcoks to riding on the road, I'd end up throttling someone or lying underneath a car.But - loads of fun yesterday, in Greenwich Park, watching 'commuter racing' up the hill to the Observatory. Mental. My first time in that part of London in ages, and I didn't realise that there are quite a few tasty hills in London after all.
Generally speaking, though, how do those of you who ride in London manage to do it and stay sane. Between some of your fellow cyclists riding as if it's their first day on planet Earth, and a strong proportion of drivers who are seemingly out to kill you, it seems a stressful thing to be doing.
I watched one woman in an old BMW cabrio last night. She was leaving a side street ahead of me, turning left into solid traffic. Smartphone glued to her ear, no-one moving to let her in even if they wanted to. She appeared to wait, but then, just as a fast-moving cyclist got close on the nearside cycle path, she rolled forward causing him do brake hard to avoid going over the bonnet. He gave the universal "WTF?" shrug, and got a torrent of abuse in return. Once she broke into the traffic flow, she immediately signaled to turn right. And promptly did so against oncoming traffic. But the van approaching got on the horn and forced her to yield. Then she completed her turn anyway, nearly taking out two more cyclists, while leaning on the horn as if it were her absolute right to cross the path of traffic whilst turning right. All the while still on her blasted phone. The male passenger next to her made no attempt to persuade her to put the phone down either.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't commute by bike if I lived up there, but from an outsider's perspective it looks like a very stressful way to get about. Significantly faster than driving, but stressful nonetheless.
yellowjack said:
Generally speaking, though, how do those of you who ride in London manage to do it and stay sane. Between some of your fellow cyclists riding as if it's their first day on planet Earth, and a strong proportion of drivers who are seemingly out to kill you, it seems a stressful thing to be doing.
You just have to get zen-like.And get a bike with discs.
AllyBassman said:
Beautiful morning, a nice reminder as to why I cycle to work 3 times per week! I normally pass the usual faces, but as the sun is out so are the fair weather riders! A few of which were on cyclocross bikes.. made me wonder if i'd benefit from one rather than using my 29er HT for commuting duties. (I ride on 90% public trail that probably does not warrant a MTB)
I ride a cyclocross bike to work (in all weathers and right through the winter I might add 
) and I love it. It's such a great bike. Amazing how much quicker it is than the 26" hard tail MTB I was using before, even with similar width tyres. So, do it.Lovely morning to cycle in. Not too cold (about 7 degrees) but, for skinny me, still far too cold for summer gear!
Legs felt tired after a tough session yesterday but still a 17.3 average over the 20 miles and didn't push too hard.
Porridge with Cinnamon, honey, nutmeg, ginger and Chia seeds for breakfast..... Mr fancy pants
Speaking of pants..... Bloody got to work and realised I had no boxers here so it's commando today like the other chap here the other week! Lol
Legs felt tired after a tough session yesterday but still a 17.3 average over the 20 miles and didn't push too hard.
Porridge with Cinnamon, honey, nutmeg, ginger and Chia seeds for breakfast..... Mr fancy pants
Speaking of pants..... Bloody got to work and realised I had no boxers here so it's commando today like the other chap here the other week! Lol
Thanks to you poor unfortunate pants forgetters it is the first item I tend to pack when sorting out the bag for the next day.
Pleased with this week did 4 out of 5 days, which gave me a nice mileage total of 156.9 miles.
Farming on the fens was in full swing yesterday morning with plenty of potatoes being planted and a field of brocoli, by the evening the fields were deserted but did watch a kestrel giving a buzzard some grief, even when the buzzard decided to land the kestrel just kept dive bombing it.
Pleased with this week did 4 out of 5 days, which gave me a nice mileage total of 156.9 miles.
Farming on the fens was in full swing yesterday morning with plenty of potatoes being planted and a field of brocoli, by the evening the fields were deserted but did watch a kestrel giving a buzzard some grief, even when the buzzard decided to land the kestrel just kept dive bombing it.
AC43 said:
yellowjack said:
Generally speaking, though, how do those of you who ride in London manage to do it and stay sane. Between some of your fellow cyclists riding as if it's their first day on planet Earth, and a strong proportion of drivers who are seemingly out to kill you, it seems a stressful thing to be doing.
You just have to get zen-like.And get a bike with discs.
Apparently where this gentleman comes from a white Audi displays great status and power and bestows in him the absolute right of way over paupers on bicycles.
Knob.
AC43 said:
Discs came in handy first thing on Thursday morning. A gentleman in a white A4 TDI deliberately pulled right out on my as I barrelled down the hill near my home. It was a close thing.
Apparently where this gentleman comes from a white Audi displays great status and power and bestows in him the absolute right of way over paupers on bicycles.
Knob.
I saw one with indicators last night , yea Apparently where this gentleman comes from a white Audi displays great status and power and bestows in him the absolute right of way over paupers on bicycles.
Knob.
I remembered yesterday why I don't normally cycle at morning rush hour. Stinking bin lorries, exhaust smoke in the face from buses, overtaking a family on a four person bike (mother cycling with three little kids in a city rush hour!), bikes with children in trailers which seem terribly dangerous. I think I will be staying in bed for another half hour before heading into the office from now on.
Cycling home in the evening is much more pleasant.
Cycling home in the evening is much more pleasant.
Black can man said:
AC43 said:
Discs came in handy first thing on Thursday morning. A gentleman in a white A4 TDI deliberately pulled right out on my as I barrelled down the hill near my home. It was a close thing.
Apparently where this gentleman comes from a white Audi displays great status and power and bestows in him the absolute right of way over paupers on bicycles.
Knob.
I saw one with indicators last night , yea Apparently where this gentleman comes from a white Audi displays great status and power and bestows in him the absolute right of way over paupers on bicycles.
Knob.
Probably shouldn't post here because it wasn't a cycle to work (days holiday 
) but I did go out for a 27 mile loop I'd done several times before, though not for a while. Very happy with how it went, temperature was nice, though it was a little windy. Wanted to push on, but not kill myself (did HARD session saturday and 53 miles/3750ft climb yesterday) so ended up with an IF of 0.837 and did a 19.1mph average despite some annoying traffic issues!
) but I did go out for a 27 mile loop I'd done several times before, though not for a while. Very happy with how it went, temperature was nice, though it was a little windy. Wanted to push on, but not kill myself (did HARD session saturday and 53 miles/3750ft climb yesterday) so ended up with an IF of 0.837 and did a 19.1mph average despite some annoying traffic issues!
I'm a driver first and a cyclist second, but during the week I cycle. I quite like it, because the route is blessed with cycle paths or lanes on the road so in fact, I get to work faster than I would in my car and with minimal stress apart from a few dappy people wandering around the cycle paths like they've just been beamed down from outer space (who I rather don't mind slaloming around), or drivers who don't look. I arrive at work feeling energetic, and I leave in the evening with a nice ride to take away the stress of the day.
Today I had a guy arrive at the end of a side turning, that joined the road the I was cycling along. He saw me a way off but was blocked from pulling out by other traffic. Naturally, he waited until I was approx. 10ft (and closing) from him to pull out into the smallest gap in traffic and at this point he wouldn't look at me because, if you can't see something, it's not there...right. I did satisfyingly manage to call him a dkhead as his window happened to be open so, at least he knows what I thought, and I'd have said the same in my car.
This actually didn't annoy me so much, it's bad I suppose, but I expect it so I've always got a hand covering a brake lever but, what does annoy me is the number of cyclists around here who think it's acceptable to run red lights at pedestrian crossings. I guess I'm not a true cyclist, because I get irate at them and fully sympathise with the pedestrians, and today I was one of those pedestrians. I stopped dead in the road (crossing still bleeping and lights red) waiting for the collision as he abruptly stopped looking most inconvenienced, with his front wheel almost touching my leg half way into the crossing zone. So, I pointed out that the light was red and that he'd been a bit of a PEN 15, and he wouldn't even acknowledge that I was speaking to him. Seems to be the tactic of many of us cyclists these days who get a ticking off from pedestrians, but then bleat when someone wrongs them and post the clips onto YouTube, doing best to incite hate on motorists and pedestrians.
I never really got the war between cyclists and other users of our highways, but the more I cycle the more I understand why some people just want to mow you down, good cyclist or not.
Today I had a guy arrive at the end of a side turning, that joined the road the I was cycling along. He saw me a way off but was blocked from pulling out by other traffic. Naturally, he waited until I was approx. 10ft (and closing) from him to pull out into the smallest gap in traffic and at this point he wouldn't look at me because, if you can't see something, it's not there...right. I did satisfyingly manage to call him a dkhead as his window happened to be open so, at least he knows what I thought, and I'd have said the same in my car.
This actually didn't annoy me so much, it's bad I suppose, but I expect it so I've always got a hand covering a brake lever but, what does annoy me is the number of cyclists around here who think it's acceptable to run red lights at pedestrian crossings. I guess I'm not a true cyclist, because I get irate at them and fully sympathise with the pedestrians, and today I was one of those pedestrians. I stopped dead in the road (crossing still bleeping and lights red) waiting for the collision as he abruptly stopped looking most inconvenienced, with his front wheel almost touching my leg half way into the crossing zone. So, I pointed out that the light was red and that he'd been a bit of a PEN 15, and he wouldn't even acknowledge that I was speaking to him. Seems to be the tactic of many of us cyclists these days who get a ticking off from pedestrians, but then bleat when someone wrongs them and post the clips onto YouTube, doing best to incite hate on motorists and pedestrians.
I never really got the war between cyclists and other users of our highways, but the more I cycle the more I understand why some people just want to mow you down, good cyclist or not.
Edited by 1Addicted on Monday 25th April 16:02
RMT industrial action killed my train service on Southern Railway so I'm going to try and do the double today for the first time i.e. cycle in and out of the office same day. Last couple of weeks I've been trying it out in one day back another <> 30 mile each way.
I made it into the office in good time, nice and bright but pretty chilly.
I made it into the office in good time, nice and bright but pretty chilly.
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