And today's commuting highlight is...

[pessimal]

Am i the only one who got home last night wondering if i had just used up one of my nine lives.

i dont mind riding home in a stiff wind, but these gales are making me wonder if its worth the risk some days

[Sea Demon]

Was some massive gusts on the M20 making by bike sit at odd angles along the road, once I come off of the motorway I do some lanes so when its dark, windy, wet & sometimes muddy its a bit of a slog but I do enjoy it.

[ashleyman]

I made it home but that was horrible.

My first ‘storm’ having only been riding for 4 months since my CBT. Third day on my MT07 after having passed my DAS last week.

If it wasn’t the wind, it was the rain, if neither of those then other idiots.

Hadn’t even made it 100m from work when a delivery driver who had been undertaking in the cycle lane decided to pop out between cars to get on the other lane which is where I was. 100M after that and someone in a Sirocco took a dislike to me trying to drive into the opening of a bus lane which was to his left. I stopped the bike and was quite prepared to deck him but he looked suitably embarrassed in his metal box.

Further on someone pulled a U turn out of traffic. Others emerging from side roads with nowhere to go.

Then about half a mile from home someone pulled out on me trying to overtake a bus to our left. I beeped him and so he started riding close enough that the spray from his front wheel was hitting my left foot whilst shouting at me for not letting him out and that he had my plate. After shouting back and pointing at my helmet camera he drove off.

I’ve been commuting for 3 months on my 125 and never had any issues but today was just altogether different. I got a helmet camera last week just in case I crashed but I’m half tempted to pull the card and send the footage off. I wasn’t even being a tt on the roads as I was trying desperately hard to get home in one piece!

Very happy to be home.

Edited by ashleyman on Tuesday 14th January 18:33

[thepawbroon]

Well done on getting home, you were braver then me - I took the train.

Best thing to do with days like that are dry out, have a cuppa tea and think about better riding days to come.

[Dr Jekyll]

thepawbroon said:

Well done on getting home, you were braver then me - I took the train.

As a dedicated all weather biker I used to know always said, 'only use the train when the storm has a name'.

[Andy XRV]

ashleyman said:

I made it home but that was horrible.

My first ‘storm’ having only been riding for 4 months since my CBT. Third day on my MT07 after having passed my DAS last week.

Well done for sticking it out and getting home! Consider yourself a fully fledged rider!

[HairyMaclary]

Sea Demon said:

Was some massive gusts on the M20 making by bike sit at odd angles along the road, once I come off of the motorway I do some lanes so when its dark, windy, wet & sometimes muddy its a bit of a slog but I do enjoy it.

I chickened out of the M20 on the way home and used the A20 through West Kingsdown which I thought would be more sheltered. fk me it was windy past Brands! Glad I was on the versys and not the scootay.

[Bumblebee7]

On my way to work this morning I was stopped at a set of lights in Fulham, a guy standing in a doorway having a smoke tries to get my attention looking a bit nervous 'Mate! There's smoke coming out of the front of your bike!'. I responded with don't worry, it's just steam from the rain hitting the radiator

[Mr_Megalomaniac]

Riding home in the gales last night was eye-opening. Been riding for 11 years now and through many a thunder storm but not a 70kph wind that nearly took me over twice

That being said, as I left late yesterday going back the traffic and drivers weren't the worst of it. Same cannot be said for this morning however. Everything from selfish tttery, driving into oncoming lanes and countless episodes of morons blocking intersections, lanes, cutting each other off, etc.
Nevermind taking the train to avoid a named storm, might be worth taking it to avoid another knobby driving a bus/truck/van/bmw

[SBDJ]

Thankfully I wasn't riding in the storm. In fact I haven't ridden for a few days now. Had surgery on my thumb yesterday (and the nail removed, oh joy) and there's no way I can get gloves on or grip the throttle properly yet

Having ridden in some of the nasty ones over the last few years I was quite glad to not be trying to ride over the severn bridge for once!

Edited by SBDJ on Wednesday 15th January 12:40

[ashleyman]

Not a commute highlight but todays highlight was spending £200 on a Pragmasis Protector 19mm + a round lock and finding out it doesn't fit through the gap between the frame and the wheel. I can use it on the rear wheel but ideally wants to be through both.

Any ideas?

The chain already weighs 12KG and I don't think I could take much more weight before either my back or the bag breaks so ideally a small light solution!!

[FazerBoy]

ashleyman said:

The chain already weighs 12KG and I don't think I could take much more weight before either my back or the bag breaks so ideally a small light solution!!

You’re not carrying a chain that hefty on your back while riding are you? I hate to sound all preachy but that could really mess you up in a life-changing way even in an otherwise innocuous tumble...

[Bumblebee7]

ashleyman said:

Not a commute highlight but todays highlight was spending £200 on a Pragmasis Protector 19mm + a round lock and finding out it doesn't fit through the gap between the frame and the wheel. I can use it on the rear wheel but ideally wants to be through both.

Any ideas?

The chain already weighs 12KG and I don't think I could take much more weight before either my back or the bag breaks so ideally a small light solution!!

What bike are you trying to protect??

Far too heavy to carry that regularly, I've got the same chain for at home although I only lock it through the rear wheel as there's not a gap big enough to get it through the frame. 

For longer stints away from home I've got a pragmasis 13mm with noose end that I find very useful.

For everyday parking I've got a disk lock, bike has a DataTool immobiliser and I've got a Monimoto tracker that lets me know if the bike is moved.

Living in London I'm a bit anal about security, especially as the insurance cost made it more prudent to get 3rd party only.

[ashleyman]

Bumblebee7 said:

ashleyman said:

Not a commute highlight but todays highlight was spending £200 on a Pragmasis Protector 19mm + a round lock and finding out it doesn't fit through the gap between the frame and the wheel. I can use it on the rear wheel but ideally wants to be through both.

Any ideas?

The chain already weighs 12KG and I don't think I could take much more weight before either my back or the bag breaks so ideally a small light solution!!

What bike are you trying to protect??

Far too heavy to carry that regularly, I've got the same chain for at home although I only lock it through the rear wheel as there's not a gap big enough to get it through the frame. 

For longer stints away from home I've got a pragmasis 13mm with noose end that I find very useful.

For everyday parking I've got a disk lock, bike has a DataTool immobiliser and I've got a Monimoto tracker that lets me know if the bike is moved.

Living in London I'm a bit anal about security, especially as the insurance cost made it more prudent to get 3rd party only.

It’s an MT-07.

I also have a disc lock and a data tag. No tracker.
Ideally just wanted something that I could use to chain the bike up when not at home or work. Never even considered the chain wouldn’t fit through the frame!!

[ashleyman]

FazerBoy said:

ashleyman said:

The chain already weighs 12KG and I don't think I could take much more weight before either my back or the bag breaks so ideally a small light solution!!

You’re not carrying a chain that hefty on your back while riding are you? I hate to sound all preachy but that could really mess you up in a life-changing way even in an otherwise innocuous tumble...

I carried it home in my bag last night but it’s too heavy to do it regularly. I think my backpack can also be a tail bag but I need to check.

[FazerBoy]

ashleyman said:

I carried it home in my bag last night but it’s too heavy to do it regularly. I think my backpack can also be a tail bag but I need to check.

Just to be clear, I meant that if you happened to fall off and land on your back, it could break your spine...

[ashleyman]

FazerBoy said:

ashleyman said:

I carried it home in my bag last night but it’s too heavy to do it regularly. I think my backpack can also be a tail bag but I need to check.

Just to be clear, I meant that if you happened to fall off and land on your back, it could break your spine...

I got you the first time but I had no choice in getting the thing home as all I had was a backpack. It's home now and it's staying at home until I can find a proper bag for the pillion seat.

The plan was always to put the chain on the pillion seat in a bag secured to the bike somehow. I'm just trying to figure out how to get the thing through the frame as it's currently too big to fit between the frame and the wheel. I don't really want to buy a thinner chain. Any ideas?

[kiethton]

Lost it with a L played delivery scooter on my way back. 3 times in a row I pulled up to the lights, in a clear lane, he comes past to sit in the cyclist advanced stop box directly in front of me...

He wasn’t perturbed by the increasingly close passes so he 4th time he got an earful, to which I was told “it’s none of your business where I stop”...the fact it was, because the cretin was stopped directly in front of me...

Thankfully I made the next set of lights and lost him shortly after.

[Bumblebee7]

kiethton said:

Lost it with a L played delivery scooter on my way back. 3 times in a row I pulled up to the lights, in a clear lane, he comes past to sit in the cyclist advanced stop box directly in front of me...

He wasn’t perturbed by the increasingly close passes so he 4th time he got an earful, to which I was told “it’s none of your business where I stop”...the fact it was, because the cretin was stopped directly in front of me...

Thankfully I made the next set of lights and lost him shortly after.

Bane of my life, know exactly what you mean. I was filtering today at a more than healthy speed and there was a dimwit trying to undertake the lot on the pavement side. Madness. Next set of lights he does exactly what the numpty did to you. I made a point of riding exactly parallel with him and when he looked over I absolutely pinned it, he tried to keep up and nearly undid himself. He calmed down and kept his distance after that.

I don't quite understand how 99% of L platers seem to think everyone and everything is racing them. They absolutely cannot accept being behind anyone, no matter what speed they're traveling at.

[ashleyman]

Bumblebee7 said:

kiethton said:

Lost it with a L played delivery scooter on my way back. 3 times in a row I pulled up to the lights, in a clear lane, he comes past to sit in the cyclist advanced stop box directly in front of me...

He wasn’t perturbed by the increasingly close passes so he 4th time he got an earful, to which I was told “it’s none of your business where I stop”...the fact it was, because the cretin was stopped directly in front of me...

Thankfully I made the next set of lights and lost him shortly after.

Bane of my life, know exactly what you mean. I was filtering today at a more than healthy speed and there was a dimwit trying to undertake the lot on the pavement side. Madness. Next set of lights he does exactly what the numpty did to you. I made a point of riding exactly parallel with him and when he looked over I absolutely pinned it, he tried to keep up and nearly undid himself. He calmed down and kept his distance after that.

I don't quite understand how 99% of L platers seem to think everyone and everything is racing them. They absolutely cannot accept being behind anyone, no matter what speed they're traveling at.

And if they do end up behind you they sit so close to you you’ve no idea what they’re doing.

Had a guy tonight who was desperate to get in front of me. Kept riding down the cycle lane and then going into the cycle box only to be overtaken. In the end I was more concentrating on what he was doing than the rod that I just waved him past to then overtake him further up dithering about at a green light.

Shame that you might have the fastest bike around but still end up stuck amongst these guys due to traffic and traffic lights.