And today's commuting highlight is...

[kiethton]

308mate said:

A daring but not-very-bright, be-hooded yoof at the lights to go north over London Bridge, pulled up behind a Police Transit van on his bicycle and thought the obvious thing to do at 8:15am on the commute is lean forward and write the word fk in the dirt on the back window of the Transit, with his finger. Clearly was not expecting ALL the doors to suddenly be flung open and number of quite angry looking Rozzers to come storming out. He instantly got that mouth-breather's look of poorly feigned innocence on his face whilst hastily trying to rub out the profanity with his hand.

I managed to get a full on middle finger salute from a PCSO on a pushbike!

[sjtscott]

kiethton said:

I managed to get a full on middle finger salute from a PCSO on a pushbike!

Police/PSCO wasn't sure exactly which were policing the cycle lane (dotted demarkation AFAIK) up to Blackfriars bridge southside near the railway bridge crossroads/lights this morning. He might have looked over from the path where he was clearly lurking to pounce on some scooter rider cutting up the cycle lane to hear a speed triple going down the centre line enthusiastically trying to clear the mobile roadblocks around him. LOL
Mobile 2 wheeled filtering road blocks were out in force this morning.

[kiethton]

And the second police related call of the day:

Stuck behind a slow (20-25mph) car on the long straight road near home, go to look for the pass so pull O/S, drop a gear and when beginning to ease the throttle spot a van that's not normally there...with what looks like fluro around dark writing on the bonnet, a good 400yds away. I pull back in, just to be sure and follow the car. Turns out it's a police van with 3 cops stood next to it and an old biddy pointing a speed gun down the road!

Needless to say I'd do what any self respecting petrolhead would do, drop to 1st gear and hold 30mph! Needless to say she kept on targeting me and doubt it said more than 26, doubt she'll ever learn that noise doesn't always equal speed!

[SteelerSE]

A couple of really easy rides in the last two days - a real pleasure which is kind of unusual.

On the way home I've given up trying to leave early (4-4.30ish) as the roads are full of white vans with mirrors at just the wrong height taking up loads of space on the roads thus buggering up the filtering options (Cromwell Road in particular). Leaving later means it's mainly cars and as a bonus far less scooters.

More progress and less swearing at people has to be good for the blood pressure.

[kiethton]

This morning I was an idiot - rolled the bike out of the garage, forgetting to take off the disc lock....

Took a small chunk of plastic out of my mudguard fk fk fk

Could have been worse I guess

[CAPP0]

kiethton said:

This morning I was an idiot - rolled the bike out of the garage, forgetting to take off the disc lock....

Took a small chunk of plastic out of my mudguard fk fk fk

Could have been worse I guess

I only did that once, about 20 years ago, and it bent the disc

Re your post above, where was this speedgranny training taking place?

[kiethton]

CAPP0 said:

kiethton said:

This morning I was an idiot - rolled the bike out of the garage, forgetting to take off the disc lock....

Took a small chunk of plastic out of my mudguard fk fk fk

Could have been worse I guess

I only did that once, about 20 years ago, and it bent the disc

Re your post above, where was this speedgranny training taking place?

Foxgrove Road, Beckenham:

No parked cars, bar the van - tried drawing approx location very crudely

[CAPP0]

OK, cheers.

With these new fines in place, I keep wondering which 20mph main road in London they will pounce on first to top up the doughnut fund.

[Cbull]

kiethton said:

And the second police related call of the day:

Stuck behind a slow (20-25mph) car on the long straight road near home, go to look for the pass so pull O/S, drop a gear and when beginning to ease the throttle spot a van that's not normally there...with what looks like fluro around dark writing on the bonnet, a good 400yds away. I pull back in, just to be sure and follow the car. Turns out it's a police van with 3 cops stood next to it and an old biddy pointing a speed gun down the road!

Needless to say I'd do what any self respecting petrolhead would do, drop to 1st gear and hold 30mph! Needless to say she kept on targeting me and doubt it said more than 26, doubt she'll ever learn that noise doesn't always equal speed!

I'm always curious but never sure. If a van parked up catches you speeding obiously there's no number plate on the front, do they have a means to take a pic when you pass them?

I wonder if people try and put the hands over the licence plates or take an early turn off before reaching them etc. Admitdely I be tempted to (but probably wouldn't have the balls).

[Bailey93]

Cbull said:

kiethton said:

And the second police related call of the day:

Stuck behind a slow (20-25mph) car on the long straight road near home, go to look for the pass so pull O/S, drop a gear and when beginning to ease the throttle spot a van that's not normally there...with what looks like fluro around dark writing on the bonnet, a good 400yds away. I pull back in, just to be sure and follow the car. Turns out it's a police van with 3 cops stood next to it and an old biddy pointing a speed gun down the road!

Needless to say I'd do what any self respecting petrolhead would do, drop to 1st gear and hold 30mph! Needless to say she kept on targeting me and doubt it said more than 26, doubt she'll ever learn that noise doesn't always equal speed!

I'm always curious but never sure. If a van parked up catches you speeding obiously there's no number plate on the front, do they have a means to take a pic when you pass them?

I wonder if people try and put the hands over the licence plates or take an early turn off before reaching them etc. Admitdely I be tempted to (but probably wouldn't have the balls).

When I had my mx5 I was doing around 60 or so in a 40 zone, which in theory should be a 60 its a long straight dual carriageway with no cycle track etc, but anyway, I over took someone dawdling at 35 ish, boost kicked in and im up at 60 ish already, before I could brake I saw a van hiding behind a bush, I thought st that's me caught. That was over 2 years ago now, the only thing I can put down to not being caught is the fact my number plate had 'fallen' off and was on my dash and the camera couldn't read it.

So im assuming its the same concept on a bike ?

Do not read this as a sign of pride im not a serial speeder but will accelerate for overtakes when needs be, especially on the bike before then returning to the designated speed.

[sjtscott]

My highlight proper puncture this morning - cross head wood screw in the tread about 11psi only in the rear. Luckily I park my car next to the bike and have a mini compressor kept in it. Took 10mins still to get enough air in it to ride the thing, wasn't convinced it was going to work. Amazingly it held enough air to ride all the way to the tyre place I use near my office.
Second and final fix to the tyre done - next one will mean a new tyre, in work only an hour later than usual.

[sjtscott]

Bailey93 said:

When I had my mx5 I was doing around 60 or so in a 40 zone, which in theory should be a 60 its a long straight dual carriageway with no cycle track etc, but anyway, I over took someone dawdling at 35 ish, boost kicked in and im up at 60 ish already, before I could brake I saw a van hiding behind a bush, I thought st that's me caught. That was over 2 years ago now, the only thing I can put down to not being caught is the fact my number plate had 'fallen' off and was on my dash and the camera couldn't read it.

So im assuming its the same concept on a bike ?

Do not read this as a sign of pride im not a serial speeder but will accelerate for overtakes when needs be, especially on the bike before then returning to the designated speed.

If there is a valid plate on the back that tends to work to 'get' you with real people who can read it. LOL

[supercommuter]

There are currently 3 shiny triumph bonnies of varying 'customs' taking up about 5 spaces on Great Marlborough Street where all they bays are jam packed. I would love to bloody move one over but I know how annoyed I would be if someone picked my bike up and moved it!

Tending to find the bike bays are ramos by about 9am now. Guess I will need to get up earlier!

[sjtscott]

supercommuter said:

There are currently 3 shiny triumph bonnies of varying 'customs' taking up about 5 spaces on Great Marlborough Street where all they bays are jam packed. I would love to bloody move one over but I know how annoyed I would be if someone picked my bike up and moved it!

Tending to find the bike bays are ramos by about 9am now. Guess I will need to get up earlier!

Sadly unlike other more desirable stuff you won't be able to rely on the plateless t-max crew to make some space for you!

[supercommuter]

sjtscott said:

supercommuter said:

There are currently 3 shiny triumph bonnies of varying 'customs' taking up about 5 spaces on Great Marlborough Street where all they bays are jam packed. I would love to bloody move one over but I know how annoyed I would be if someone picked my bike up and moved it!

Tending to find the bike bays are ramos by about 9am now. Guess I will need to get up earlier!

Sadly unlike other more desirable stuff you won't be able to rely on the plateless t-max crew to make some space for you!

Nope! They don't appear to be interested in looking like David Beckham. Ah well.

There is a really discreet bay tucked away around the corner where we all park with a rizla papers distance between us. My type of bay!

[Dakkon]

On the M4 today into London, traffic is moving but a bit slow, so I am making progress, quicker biker comes up behind me so I let him through and then follow him for a bit and we both come up to a fully geared up 'Polite' vest biker, even his helmet which was white, had a black and white squares band round it to make him look even more like a police rider, paniers as well, so his bike is the size of a small car and he is a making virtually no progress filtering but he just won't let us past, guy in front on me was getting very pissed off with him.

Eventually we get past by filtering between 1 & 2 rather than 2 & 3.

[black-k1]

-1 again when I left home this morning. Heated grips on the whole way in. When is the warm bit of spring going to arrive?

[road_rager]

Dakkon said:

On the M4 today into London, traffic is moving but a bit slow, so I am making progress, quicker biker comes up behind me so I let him through and then follow him for a bit and we both come up to a fully geared up 'Polite' vest biker, even his helmet which was white, had a black and white squares band round it to make him look even more like a police rider, paniers as well, so his bike is the size of a small car and he is a making virtually no progress filtering but he just won't let us past, guy in front on me was getting very pissed off with him.

Eventually we get past by filtering between 1 & 2 rather than 2 & 3.

I saw one of those guys this morning in the same spot, wonder if it was the same bloke? He moved to let me through though

[supercommuter]

Dakkon said:

On the M4 today into London, traffic is moving but a bit slow, so I am making progress, quicker biker comes up behind me so I let him through and then follow him for a bit and we both come up to a fully geared up 'Polite' vest biker, even his helmet which was white, had a black and white squares band round it to make him look even more like a police rider, paniers as well, so his bike is the size of a small car and he is a making virtually no progress filtering but he just won't let us past, guy in front on me was getting very pissed off with him.

Eventually we get past by filtering between 1 & 2 rather than 2 & 3.

Was this me? Red CB 500x with top box and stickers on?

Had a couple very slow filterers this morning but a couple of short toots to let them know I was there and a thank you when passing looks to be the solution.

They have every right to be in the filtering path but when they are wobbling all over the place holding a string of bikers up they should really move over.

Also had some woman doing her make up in slow moving traffic on the M4 come straight into my filtering path. Very nearly hitting me. Mascara in the vanity mirror, unbe-fking-lievable

[Biker 1]

supercommuter said:

Also had some woman doing her make up in slow moving traffic on the M4 come straight into my filtering path. Very nearly hitting me. Mascara in the vanity mirror, unbe-fking-lievable

Sadly nothing new there. Lipstick, makeup, even hair combing seem to be acceptable to the ladies. Trouble is, you can't polish a turd, & the one's that use the most beuaty products IMO seem to be the most fugly